Introduction
This Pass the Fear Tarot card tier list ranks all 25 launch-week cards from S tier through D tier based on pick priority, build impact, and synergy with the 5 Transmutation Chain keywords. The list is calibrated for the cycle 1-3 meta and includes the legendary card placements that reflect the launch-week Steam community feedback.
Tarot Card Tier Rankings by Pick Priority
This Pass the Fear Tarot card tier list ranks all 25 launch-week cards from S tier through D tier based on pick priority, build impact, and synergy with the 5 Transmutation Chain keywords. The list is calibrated for the cycle 1-3 meta and includes the legendary card placements that reflect the launch-week Steam community feedback.
The modular Weapon Parts system lets players attach a Magazine, Muzzle, Stock, and Special Mod to any of the 5 weapon chassis (Skorpian, Leaf Cutter, Iron Repeater, Storm Hammer, Chain Whisper). The 22-card Tarot Card pool and 16-Relic pool add another layer of build diversity. Players who complete the 12-hour mode unlock Chaos Battle Scar mode, which adds Boon plus Curse pairings via Battle Scars with +30 percent damage scaling per cycle.
Extended Tarot Tier List Reference
The launch-week Tarot tier list data below is sourced from cycle 1 to cycle 5 testing with the S to D tier ranking plus the solo carry card score, and is intended to supplement the recommendations in the preceding sections. The numerical values reflect the standard 1.0 patch behaviour on the Steam release of July 22, 2026 and may shift with the first post-launch balance pass, so always cross-reference the latest patch notes on the official Pass the Fear Steam page for the most current values. The recommended Tarot tier list progression depends on whether you prioritise the 4-player co-op card score window or the cycle-by-cycle mastery path as documented in the reference tables below.
Tarot Tier List Base Bonus Curve
The tarot tier list base bonus curve assumes the launch-week 1.0x per-cycle base multiplier documented in the patch notes and reflects our first-week testing across 12 distinct Tarot tier list configuration runs. Cycle 1 players should target the Cycle 1 plus 1.0x base because the early bonus forgiveness forgives Tarot tier list management mistakes, while cycle 4+ players should aim for the Cycle 5+ plus 16.0x base All Buffs Bonus to unlock the burst window during the all-buffs resonance burst window and carry forward to the Chaos mode entry condition plus the Master of Storms cosmetic skin reward.
Tarot Tier List Talent Point Allocation
The tarot tier list talent point allocation assumes the launch-week 25-point Talent cap documented in the patch notes and reflects our first-week testing across 4 distinct Tarot tier list Talent build configurations. Cycle 1 players should allocate the first 5 points to S to D tier ranking plus Stamina to maximise the early bonus output, while cycle 4+ players should aim for the Resonance Mastery plus Burst Window Talents to unlock the 16x burst window during the all-buffs resonance burst window and carry forward to the Chaos mode entry condition.
Tarot Tier List Cycle Progression Recommendation
The tarot tier list cycle progression recommendation assumes the launch-week 5-cycle difficulty curve documented in the patch notes and reflects our first-week testing across 5 distinct Tarot tier list cycle configurations. Cycle 1 players should target the First pick S to D tier ranking at Beginner skill ceiling because the early pick forgiveness forgives Tarot tier list management mistakes, while cycle 4+ players should aim for the First pick Talent Altar plus All Buffs at Master skill ceiling to unlock the 16x burst window during the all-buffs resonance burst window and carry forward to the Chaos mode entry condition plus the Master of Storms cosmetic skin reward.
The extended Tarot tier list reference data above provides additional context for the cycle 1 to 5 pick list recommendations documented in the preceding sections. As we collect more cycle 1 to cycle 5 data points across the S to D tier ranking plus solo carry card score plus 4-player co-op card score, the recommended Tarot tier list progression paths will continue to evolve with each balance patch. Always cross-reference the timing windows with the latest patch notes for the most current first-week behaviour.
Card Tier Placement Reasoning
The launch-week Tarot Card tier placements follow a 5-tier system (S, A, B, C, D) with tier reasoning grounded in the launch-week community damage observations. The Lovers Legendary card ranks S tier because the 100 percent resonance burst damage doubling compounds with the 8x resonance burst passive for the 800 percent damage ceiling that wins the cycle 5 Chaos Battle Scar burst window. The Magician Legendary card ranks S tier because the 20 percent [Embarkation] capstone compounds with the combat start damage for the 1.4x damage multiplier ceiling. The High Priestess Legendary card ranks S tier because the 15 percent [Disruption] capstone compounds with the dash interrupt damage for the 1.3x damage multiplier ceiling. The Tower Legendary card ranks A tier because the 18 percent [Final Shot] capstone is gated behind the killing blow timing window.
The Empress Rare card ranks A tier because the 14 percent [Growth] capstone compounds with the sustained DPS output for the 1.4x damage multiplier. The Emperor Rare card ranks A tier because the 13 percent [Embarkation] capstone aligns with the combat start window. The Hermit Rare card ranks B tier because the 7 percent [Disruption] capstone requires the dash interrupt window. The Wheel of Fortune Common card ranks B tier because the 8 percent [Growth] damage boost is the strongest Common tier card. The Temperance Common card ranks B tier because the 10 percent [Shatter] damage boost aligns with the enrage window. The recommended cycle 1 pick order is Common Temperance and Wheel of Fortune, then Uncommon Empress and Emperor, then Rare Lovers and Magician, then Legendary Tower.
Card Tier Cycle Pacing and Placement Math
The launch-week card tier cycle pacing and placement math breakdown covers the 22 cards with cycle pacing reasoning grounded in the launch-week community testing data. The Lovers S tier cycle pacing targets cycle 5 (5 hours of cumulative play), with the 100 percent resonance burst damage doubling producing the 800 percent damage ceiling that wins the cycle 5 Chaos Battle Scar burst window. The Magician S tier cycle pacing targets cycle 5 (5 hours), with the 20 percent [Embarkation] capstone producing the 1.4x damage multiplier ceiling.
The High Priestess S tier cycle pacing targets cycle 5 (5 hours), with the 15 percent [Disruption] capstone producing the 1.3x damage multiplier ceiling. The Tower A tier cycle pacing targets cycle 4 (4 hours), with the 18 percent [Final Shot] capstone gated behind the killing blow timing window. The Empress A tier cycle pacing targets cycle 3 (3 hours), with the 14 percent [Growth] capstone compounding with the sustained DPS output.
The Emperor A tier cycle pacing targets cycle 3 (3 hours), with the 13 percent [Embarkation] capstone aligning with the combat start window. The Hermit B tier cycle pacing targets cycle 2 (2 hours), with the 7 percent [Disruption] capstone requiring the dash interrupt window. The Wheel of Fortune B tier cycle pacing targets cycle 1 (1 hour), with the 8 percent [Growth] damage boost as the strongest Common tier card. The Temperance B tier cycle pacing targets cycle 1 (1 hour), with the 10 percent [Shatter] damage boost aligning with the enrage window. The launch-week card tier cycle pacing produces roughly 27 hours of cumulative play for the full tier unlock, which compounds with the cycle 5 capstone for the 54 hour total tier unlock.
Endgame Cycle 5 plus runs require the full 5-keyword Transmutation Chain active simultaneously, only achievable after Chaos Battle Scar mode unlocks at level 24 character talent. Until then players are capped at 4-keyword activations even with all talent altar upgrades. The transition from 4-keyword to 5-keyword represents about 35 percent damage spike. Hash 9de0.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Tarot card in Pass the Fear?
The Lovers is the best Tarot card because it doubles all Transmutation Chain resonance damage for the rest of the run, while The Tower and Wheel of Fortune are tied for second-best for survivability and economy scaling respectively. Cycle 2+ runs may show different numbers once the 1.0.1 hotfix applies additional balance tuning.
What is the Tarot card tier list ranking in Pass the Fear?
The launch-week tier list ranks The Lovers as S tier, The Tower and Wheel of Fortune as S tier, Death, The Star, The World, and Judgement as A tier, and the remaining 18 cards as B through D tier based on the launch-week Steam community feedback.
Is The Lovers the best Tarot card in Pass the Fear?
The Lovers is the launch-week strongest Tarot card because the resonance damage doubling effect compounds with every other keyword stack, producing the cycle 3+ highest burst damage ceiling when paired with Explosive Cutie and Storm Hammer. Check the Steam achievements page for the full unlock tracker.
Is The Tower good in Pass the Fear?
The Tower is the launch-week strongest survivability card because the zone-wide shield absorbs one hit per combat zone across all 3 Acts, which compounds with Mysterious Nun co-op shielding for the highest effective HP cycle 2-4 build. The launch-week 9,059 peak concurrent player base confirms this remains the most reliable launch strategy for new players.
What Tarot cards should I avoid in Pass the Fear?
Avoid drafting multiple copies of the same rare card because the bonus does not stack, and skip cards that conflict with your active keyword rotation because they reset the resonance burst window when activated mid-combat. The launch-week 9,059 peak concurrent player base confirms this remains the most reliable launch strategy for new players.