This list was compiled based on years of experience along with hundreds of games with a focus on competitive victory, and based on all expansions being present, playing with the default ending. (I know many of you have been playing Talisman before I was even born, I'm not claiming OG) I'll post my reasoning for setting it up as such sometime in the near future. But if you have any specific questions concerning the list as a whole, or any character specifically let me know!

1. Alchemist

2. Wizard

3. Prophetess

4. Sprite

5. Conjurer

6. Warlock

7. Sage

8. Magus

9. Fire Wizard

10. Leprechaun

11. Merchant

12. Dragon Hunter

13. Bounty Hunter

14. Warlord

15. Amazon

16. Assassin

17. Warrior

18. Tavern Maid

19. Necromancer

20. Ogre Chieftain

21. Barbarian

22. Troll

23. Celestial

24. Cat Burglar

25. Spy

26. Elementalist

27. Black Knight

28. Possessed

29. Grave Robber

30. Thief

31. Sorceress

32. Spider Queen

33. Elf

34. Arcane Scion

35. Gladiator

36. Scout

37. Druid

38. Vampiress

39. Minotaur

40. Leywalker

41. Gypsy

42. Jin Blooded

43. Nomad

44. Doomsayer

45. Highlander

46. Valkyrie

47. Ghoul

48. Scavenger

49. Minstrel

50. Rogue

51. Mutant

52. Chivalric Knight

53. Dragon Rider

54. Monk

55. Philosopher

56. Ascendant Divine

57. Tinkerer

58. Cleric

59. Dervish

60. Swashbuckler

61. Vampire Hunter

62. Dark Cultist

63. Dwarf

64. Dragon Priestess

65. Totem Warrior

66. Knight

67. Dread Knight

68. Ancient Oak

69. Priest

Honestly I don't think my final rendition of the list will look exactly like this, as my opinion of characters change almost every game, as new things always happen. But generally I think this what the list will look like.

Interesting. Based on my games the rating goes like this (after 158 games):

1.Sprite

2.Chivalric Knight

3.Warlord

4.Spy

5.Ogre Chieftain

6.Gladiator

7.Troll

8.Minstrel

9.Warlock

10.Dragon Priestess

11.Possessed

12.Vampiress

13.Prophetess

14.Wizard

15.Alchemist

16.Dread Knight

17.Druid

18.Cat Burglar

19.Ancient Oak

20.Dwarf

21.Vampire Hunter

22.Minotaur

23.Assassin

24.Dark Cultist

25.Tinkerer

26.Fire Wizard

27.Elementalist

28.Priest

29.Amazon

30.Valkyrie

31.Gypsy

32.Philosopher

33.Swashbuckler

34.Highlander

35.Warrior

36.Knight

37.Doomsayer

38.Conjurer

39.Black Knight

40.Ascendant Divine

41.Grave Robber

42.Spider Queen

43.Necromancer

44.Bounty Hunter

45.Sorceress

46.Monk

47.Sage

48.Dragon Rider

49.Celestial

50.Mutant

51.Scout

52.Nomad

53.Magus

54.Jin Blooded

55.Cleric

56.Dragon Hunter

57.Merchant

58.Leywalker

59.Leprechaun

60.Ghoul

61.Dervish

62.Elf

63.Tavern Maid

64.Arcane Scion

65.Barbarian

66.Scavenger

67.Totem Warrior

68.Rogue

69.Thief

Woah! Thanks for the post Bludgeon! It's awesome to see how different our lists are. What are the conditions of the games you play? I usually play with four players, all expansions present and the default ending. However the list isn't based on placements alone, due to how many games one would have to play to get any accurate information for a single character. Instead we base the list off the characters ability to win the game fastest, and consistently. For example I find that the Priest has the hardest time winning due to his relatively low starting stats (outside of Fate) and his inability to use weapons. Sure he can get lucky with card draws, but the issue is he doesn't have anything going for him from the start of the game, and in fact feels like he starts at a disadvantage. Whereas you take most any other character and they at least have some ability that they can play around. I guess the best way to sum up how I made this list was matching up each character against each other character, and asking the question "Which would I rather play as to give me the best chance to win?"

Woah! Thanks for the post Bludgeon! It's awesome to see how different our lists are. What are the conditions of the games you play? I usually play with four players, all expansions present and the default ending. However the list isn't based on placements alone, due to how many games one would have to play to get any accurate information for a single character. Instead we base the list off the characters ability to win the game fastest, and consistently. For example I find that the Priest has the hardest time winning due to his relatively low starting stats (outside of Fate) and his inability to use weapons. Sure he can get lucky with card draws, but the issue is he doesn't have anything going for him from the start of the game, and in fact feels like he starts at a disadvantage. Whereas you take most any other character and they at least have some ability that they can play around. I guess the best way to sum up how I made this list was matching up each character against each other character, and asking the question "Which would I rather play as to give me the best chance to win?"

Half of the games I play by myself with 3 or 4 characters, pulling no punches and doing everything I can to win with every character. Other half is me with friends and those games are much more casual as I'm the only person that knows Talisman well.

We play with a number of house rules which most likely affect some characters but it's hard to say how much exactly. There's a follower limit. Only the City board is available from the start, other corner boards can only be entered if a character happens on a card that allows it. We also have a number of custom alternate endings. Quest rewards are completely redone and also have a major effect on the late game, because now they give potent special abilities to characters, in the like of original printed abilities.

For each game, I give the winner points depending on how many other characters he bested, so a win against 5 characters is worth much more than a win in a 2 player game.

Some characters are tricky. For example, dragon priestess and chivalric knight are high on the list because

A) only I played them and

B) I played dragon priestess mostly with Dragon expansion and I played chivalric knight with at least 3 other players

Been a while since I've updated, actually got in 30+ plays over the summer (and added Sacred Pool), might be time to refresh my stats thread over on BGG, especially since, like in Relic, started keeping track of the number of rounds a game lasts as well. But for now:

https://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/402911/my-talisman-statistics

G/W/L/D/M
13/6/7/0/1 Alchemist
21/8/13/4/2 Amazon
25/8/17/5/4 Assassin
9/1/8/3/2 Bounty Hunter
9/3/6/1/1 Cat Burglar
7/2/5/2/0 Chivalric Knight
7/3/4/1/0 Cleric
25/8/17/4/10* Dark Cultist
9/2/6/1/1* Dervish
13/5/8/2/2 Doomsayer
7/3/4/1/1 Dread Knight
25/4/21/4/5 Druid
25/7/18/3/5 Dwarf
9/2/7/2/0 Elementalist
25/9/16/3/4 Elf
25/2/23/7/5 Ghoul
21/8/13/4/2 Gladiator
13/2/11/2/1 Grave Robber
21/9/12/3/2 Gypsy
13/3/10/3/1 Highlander
9/2/7/3/0 Jin Blooded
25/4/21/5/8 Knight
19/4/15/6/2 Leprechaun
7/2/5/1/0 Magus
25/8/17/3/4 Merchant
25/3/22/3/7 Minstrel
25/8/17/2/4 Monk
19/5/14/5/2 Necromancer
9/1/8/3/0 Nomad
19/6/13/4/4 Ogre Chieftain
21/4/17/6/7 Philosopher
25/1/24/3/6 Priest
25/5/20/2/7 Prophetess
13/7/6/0/1 Rogue
25/8/17/4/5* Sage
9/3/6/2/2 Spy
25/3/22/7/5 Sorceress
13/1/12/4/5 Sprite
21/4/17/7/4 Swashbuckler
9/4/5/2/0 Tavern Maid
25/8/17/4/5* Thief
9/3/6/2/1 Tinkerer
25/9/16/4/9** Troll
13/6/7/1/1 Valkyrie
13/5/8/0/1* Vampire Hunter
13/2/11/1/1 Vampiress
19/12/7/2/4** Warlock
9/2/7/2/0 Warlord
25/5/20/4/8** Warrior
25/6/19/10/5* Wizard

Only character that is modified is the Assassin, who is played like the 2nd ed version (can only assassinate previously face-up cards), with one game played RAW, yet he is still second best base game character after the Troll (tied with Elf, Dwarf and Monk).

Warlock utterly rules the roost, Rogue, Alchemist and Gypsy rounding out the top tier. Priest, Ghoul, Sprite and surprisingly Bounty Hunter holding down the bottom of the barrel.

Half of the games I play by myself with 3 or 4 characters, pulling no punches and doing everything I can to win with every character. Other half is me with friends and those games are much more casual as I'm the only person that knows Talisman well.

We play with a number of house rules which most likely affect some characters but it's hard to say how much exactly. There's a follower limit. Only the City board is available from the start, other corner boards can only be entered if a character happens on a card that allows it. We also have a number of custom alternate endings. Quest rewards are completely redone and also have a major effect on the late game, because now they give potent special abilities to characters, in the like of original printed abilities.

For each game, I give the winner points depending on how many other characters he bested, so a win against 5 characters is worth much more than a win in a 2 player game.

Some characters are tricky. For example, dragon priestess and chivalric knight are high on the list because

A) only I played them and

B) I played dragon priestess mostly with Dragon expansion and I played chivalric knight with at least 3 other players

Yeah with that in mind I don't know if I'll be using your data to influence my list, those house rules change the game pretty significantly (In my opinion). But one of the many great things about Talisman is how versatile it can be. If someone has a good understanding of all the game concepts they have the ability to change most aspects of the game. That being said, differing house rules kinda ruin collective tier lists

Been a while since I've updated, actually got in 30+ plays over the summer (and added Sacred Pool), might be time to refresh my stats thread over on BGG, especially since, like in Relic, started keeping track of the number of rounds a game lasts as well. But for now:

https://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/402911/my-talisman-statistics

G/W/L/D/M

13/6/7/0/1 Alchemist

21/8/13/4/2 Amazon

25/8/17/5/4 Assassin

9/1/8/3/2 Bounty Hunter

9/3/6/1/1 Cat Burglar

7/2/5/2/0 Chivalric Knight

7/3/4/1/0 Cleric

25/8/17/4/10* Dark Cultist

9/2/6/1/1* Dervish

13/5/8/2/2 Doomsayer

7/3/4/1/1 Dread Knight

25/4/21/4/5 Druid

25/7/18/3/5 Dwarf

9/2/7/2/0 Elementalist

25/9/16/3/4 Elf

25/2/23/7/5 Ghoul

21/8/13/4/2 Gladiator

13/2/11/2/1 Grave Robber

21/9/12/3/2 Gypsy

13/3/10/3/1 Highlander

9/2/7/3/0 Jin Blooded

25/4/21/5/8 Knight

19/4/15/6/2 Leprechaun

7/2/5/1/0 Magus

25/8/17/3/4 Merchant

25/3/22/3/7 Minstrel

25/8/17/2/4 Monk

19/5/14/5/2 Necromancer

9/1/8/3/0 Nomad

19/6/13/4/4 Ogre Chieftain

21/4/17/6/7 Philosopher

25/1/24/3/6 Priest

25/5/20/2/7 Prophetess

13/7/6/0/1 Rogue

25/8/17/4/5* Sage

9/3/6/2/2 Spy

25/3/22/7/5 Sorceress

13/1/12/4/5 Sprite

21/4/17/7/4 Swashbuckler

9/4/5/2/0 Tavern Maid

25/8/17/4/5* Thief

9/3/6/2/1 Tinkerer

25/9/16/4/9** Troll

13/6/7/1/1 Valkyrie

13/5/8/0/1* Vampire Hunter

13/2/11/1/1 Vampiress

19/12/7/2/4** Warlock

9/2/7/2/0 Warlord

25/5/20/4/8** Warrior

25/6/19/10/5* Wizard

Only character that is modified is the Assassin, who is played like the 2nd ed version (can only assassinate previously face-up cards), with one game played RAW, yet he is still second best base game character after the Troll (tied with Elf, Dwarf and Monk).

Warlock utterly rules the roost, Rogue, Alchemist and Gypsy rounding out the top tier. Priest, Ghoul, Sprite and surprisingly Bounty Hunter holding down the bottom of the barrel.

Hey Dam! Your tier list actually inspired me to make mine years ago! I'd love to see you update it with the new characters and any new opinions on preexisting characters you might have come to embrace. I plan on detailing out my opinions on each character, just need to find the time to do it.

I really enjoy the results taken from win/loss tier lists, the main issue I find with it, again is the fact that higher skilled players can skew the results as they have a better chance at winning even if they are dealt a worse ranked character. That being said if someone doesn't know an optimal strategy with a character they can receive unwarranted losses.

Also you guys should check out the Google Plus Talisman group if you haven't already!

https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/108937632291608718374

Well, mine are all with the same crew, so variances of skill should be somewhat minimized. Plus, I'll freely admit I'm probably more bloodthristy than is ideal for purely winning, but man, getting a bodycount to your name is just too darn appealing . Sometimes one should go for the Inner Region, not make a detour along the way to attack another character, who casts Toadify on you and just like that, it's downhill until it's you that ends up dying and having to start over...

Well, mine are all with the same crew, so variances of skill should be somewhat minimized. Plus, I'll freely admit I'm probably more bloodthristy than is ideal for purely winning, but man, getting a bodycount to your name is just too darn appealing . Sometimes one should go for the Inner Region, not make a detour along the way to attack another character, who casts Toadify on you and just like that, it's downhill until it's you that ends up dying and having to start over...

Just out of curiosity, would you say that most of your crew are equally skilled/knowledgeable about the game? I know with the group I play with I take the game more seriously than others, not to say they don't want to win, just that I'm more invested than they are. The problem this creates is that because I can win with a character disadvantage, listing characters based on wins means it could cause inaccuracies.

Yes, and apart from wanting to back at people who screw you over earlier in a game, pretty focused on winning. Hence why the average duration is around 75 minutes I'd say, very, very rare to even hit 2 hours, let alone go past that mark with 3-p.

I'm jealous... Been trying to foster a more competitive spirit among my friends, and beyond that, for them to inherently be invested in Talisman on their own accord. Can't change people, I'm sure things will change with time.