Definitive Archived Trait Tier List [RELEASE]

Traits in Archived provide you with various passive bonuses that can drastically affect your playstyle. Now, as they are relatively well-balanced, it can be hard to choose the right ones for your build. With that in mind, we prepared an Archived trait tier list to help you get only the best traits out there.

Archived Traits Explained and How to Get Them

In Archived, traits function as passive bonuses that are active on your character at all times. You can get new traits by increasing your Grade or by using Mirror Shards and Golden Boughs. Also, a select few traits are only available by completing specific questlines. In total, you can have only three traits on you at once.

Note: When using a Golden Bough, you have to type in the name of the trait in chat. Keep in mind that trait names are case-sensitive, and if you fail to type them in correctly, the Golden Bough will be wasted.

Archived Trait Tier List

In the above Archived trait tier list, we ranked all traits based on how useful they are both in PvE and PvP. We gave a slight advantage to traits that are universally useful for most builds, as well as those that have no condition limitations. Below, you can check out what each trait in Archived does and how to obtain them.

S-Tier Traits

Trait	Effects	Obtainment	Pros & Cons
	• Increased stamina regeneration	• Grading Up • Mirror Shard • Golden Bough	+ Good for all builds + No downsides
	• Parry animation becomes red • Increased stun duration on a successful parry • Increased stamina loss when blocking	• Grading Up • Mirror Shard • Golden Bough	+ Good for experienced players + Improved parry stun duration is amazing in PvE − Not good for players who like to block
	• Parry animation becomes blue • +0.3s to parry frames • +3s to parry cooldown on a whiff	• Grading Up • Mirror Shard • Golden Bough • Origins choice	+ Amazing for experienced players + Excellent for PvE − Missing parries is punishing
	• Makes your grips uncancellable unless you get ragdolled	• Grading Up • Mirror Shard • Golden Bough	+ Amazing in PvP + Good for most builds

A-Tier Traits

Trait	Effects	Obtainment	Pros & Cons
	• Reduced damage taken while staggered	• Grading Up • Mirror Shard • Golden Bough	+ Getting parried is less punishing + Good in PvP
	• Reduced damage dealt while not in permadeath events • Increased damage dealt while in permadeath events	• Grading Up • Mirror Shard • Golden Bough	+ Good for experienced players + Gives you an edge in permadeath zones − Makes fights in non-permadeath zones difficult
	• Reduced the time it takes you to grip a target	• Grading Up • Mirror Shard • Golden Bough	+ Good in large-scale PvP + Lets you finish off targets quickly
	• Reduced threshold for activating an emotion level • Enhanced emotion level gain	• Grading Up • Mirror Shard • Golden Bough	+ Very useful overall + Allows you to activate emotion levels more often
	• Reduces the damage you are most vulnerable to by 10%	• Grading Up • Mirror Shard • Golden Bough	+ Good for overall survivability + Useful for most builds

B-Tier Traits

Trait	Effects	Obtainment	Pros & Cons
	• Dash trail turns black • Increased dash i-frames and stamina consumption • You are constantly affected by Haste • Longer dash cooldown	• Grading Up • Mirror Shard • Golden Bough • Origins choice	+ Drastically enhances your dashes + Easy to obtain + Good for new players − Longer dash cooldown lowers your mobility
	• Parry animation becomes purple • -0.3s to parry frames • -1s to parry cooldown on a whiff	• Grading Up • Mirror Shard • Golden Bough	+ Reduced parry cooldown is nice to have − Greatly reduced parry frames − Useful only for experienced players
	• Reduced stamina loss when blocking • Increased stamina loss on parry whiff	• Grading Up • Mirror Shard • Golden Bough	+ Good for new players − Mid overall
	• Increased shin proc damage • Reduced shin proc frequency	• Grading Up • Mirror Shard • Golden Bough	+ More burst damage − Not great for overall DPS
	• Reduced ragdoll cancel cooldown • Increased stamina loss when ragdoll canceling	• Grading Up • Mirror Shard • Golden Bough	+ Allows you to escape combos more easily − Not that great compared to other traits

C-Tier Traits

Trait	Effects	Obtainment	Pros & Cons
	• Increased stamina recovery on a parry • Reduced sanity recovery	• Grading Up • Mirror Shard • Golden Bough	+ Good for players who are good at parrying + Excellent for PvP − Not suitable for new players
	• You gain one more Light when parrying guardbreak attacks	• Grading Up • Mirror Shard • Golden Bough	+ Useful for experienced players − You need to be good at parrying to make it worth
	• Reduced speed penalty when on low HP	• Grading Up • Mirror Shard • Golden Bough	+ Let’s you escape near-death situations − Not that useful overall
	• Greatly increased health regeneration • Greatly reduced stamina regeneration	• Grading Up • Mirror Shard • Golden Bough	+ HP regen is nice to have − Huge trade-off makes it not worth taking

D-Tier Traits

Trait	Effects	Obtainment	Pros & Cons
	• Removed knockback on parry	• Grading Up • Mirror Shard • Golden Bough	+ No need to gap close again after a parry − Makes you easier to attack after a parry
	• Reduced negative effects caused by eating food	• Shadou’s questline	+ Makes it easier to manage sanity − No combat benefits
	• Rats ignore you unless you attack them first	• Random Rat’s questline	+ Useful for grinding peacefully + Good for new players − Not great overall
	• Makes animation and weapon visuals match the cosmetic colour • Your hair color changes when using emotion levels	• Grading Up • Mirror Shard • Golden Bough	+ You get more aura − No combat benefits

How to Remove Traits in Archived

You can remove a trait that you already have by interacting with the Stranger NPCs and paying them 1,000 Ahn. Stranger NPCs can be found in several locations across the map. Also, when talking to them, you can see the descriptions of your current traits.

That concludes our Archived trait tier list. Let us know which trait you think is the best and why in the comment section below. If you want to master all the different controls and moves in the game, then make sure to check out our Archived controls guide.

Archived Trait Tier List FAQs