Raiding Tier List
Offense, defense, and steal priority for base raids — early meta rankings.
Raiding separates casual merge players from PvP hunters in Merge a Black Hole. While others farm offline Cash, raiders strike unlocked bases, steal high-tier black holes, and defend their own layouts when base lock fails or timers expire. This raiding tier list ranks holes for steal value, raid durability, and slot placement — independent of pure income rankings on the cash income tier list.
Consult the tier list hub for overall early-meta disclaimers. XAF Games Sunday updates frequently tune raid HP, steal timers, and lock interactions — treat every placement as provisional until mid-week testing confirms stability.
Early meta disclaimer
Raid meta moves faster than income meta because small HP tweaks flip steal times. A hole S-tier for raiding on Sunday night may drop to A-tier after a hotfix Wednesday. We document changes on the updates page. Do not dissolve your defensive core the day of a patch — wait for confirmed notes before merging raid specialists into income fodder.
Raid ranking criteria
Steal priority — Value extracted per successful raid versus time exposed to counter-raid.
Offensive speed — Time to clear common base layouts when attacking unlocked farms.
Defensive hold — Seconds survived when other players raid your locked or unlocked slots.
Synergy with lock — Some holes penalize raiders when base lock active; others useless when locked.
Inventory cost — Board space traded for raid power — oversized units rank lower unless steal value compensates.
Raiding tier table
| Tier | Black holes | Raid role |
|---|---|---|
| S | Event Horizon Prime, Dark Matter Serpent, Rift Stalker | Must-have offense/defense |
| A | Void Collapse, Neutron Maw+, Accretion Warden | Flexible raid core |
| B | Pulse Ring, Twin Orbit, Cash Comet | Raid filler — replace mid-game |
| C | Starter Abyss, Mini Vortex | No raid investment |
| D | Glitch Remnant, Broken Shard | Deprecated raid stats |
| F | Scrap Singularity | Bait hole — weak on both sides |
S-tier raiding analysis
Event Horizon Prime — Signature raid unit. High steal priority on unlocked bases running S-tier income farmers. Place in forward offensive slots when you raid actively; store duplicates in protected inventory before logout.
Dark Matter Serpent — Defensive monster with respectable counter-steal. Core of anti-raid bases when lock timer lapses. Pair with manual or auto lock to minimize exposure window.
Rift Stalker — Fast steal specialist for hit-and-run sessions. Lower HP — never leave on defense unprotected. Excellent when server populations spike after Sunday updates and unlocked bases proliferate.
A-tier raid holes
Void Collapse — Hybrid also S-tier overall on the hub list. Raid stats slightly below Prime but income backup means one inventory slot serves dual duty — ideal if you refuse split loadouts.
Neutron Maw+ — Enhanced variant with better hold time than base Maw. Verify merge tier — unenhanced Maw is B-tier raid filler.
Accretion Warden — Slow steal but excellent defensive stall. Useful in double-lock strats when game UI allows redundant lock checks.
B-tier and below for raids
Pulse Ring / Twin Orbit — Temporary raid bodies until S-tier merge chains complete. Merge up rather than Star upgrade for raid purposes.
C-tier — Never assign raid roles; tutorial only per merge guide.
D/F — Leftover event holes with gutted raid HP — merge out unless collecting.
Base layout and lock strategy
Raiding is not only hole tiers — layout matters:
Outer bait — Cheap B-tier holes absorb first steal timer on unlocked mistakes.
Inner core — Serpent + Warden behind lock-protected slots.
Offensive rack — Prime + Stalker swapped in when you raid, stored when farming Cash.
Always lock base before switching to idle income holes from the cash income list. Mixing raid offense units on display invites counter-raids while you sleep.
Redeem MERGE for income alts and FREESTARS for Star Shop raid boosts via working codes — separate raid and farm skill trees if you maintain alt accounts.
Raiding progression path
- Finish tutorial and basic merges from getting started.
- Build income floor with Accretion Drake so rebirths fund raid merges.
- Craft Event Horizon Prime as first S-tier raid goal.
- Add Dark Matter Serpent for defense before aggressive public raiding.
- Introduce Rift Stalker for speed once you can replace stolen units quickly.
- Rebirth when raid inventory caps block steals — same Sunday volatility as income rebirth timing.
PvP etiquette and reports
Raiding unlocked bases is intended gameplay; harassing new players repeatedly draws reports. XAF Games may add raid cooldowns in future Sunday patches — monitor updates.
Automation like raid teleports carries higher ban risk than auto merge — see scripts hub safety notes. Fair raid play uses movement the game provides, not executor exploits.
Income vs. raid loadout split
Dedicated farmers keep Gravity Well MK-II / Quasar Harvester on income pages while mains run this raid list. Hybrid players lean Void Collapse to save inventory space at minor efficiency loss.
Do not spend Stars on raid cosmetics before core Prime/Serpent merges — Star Shop raid boosts listed in patch notes beat skins.
Patch signals for raid tiers
Watch Sunday notes mentioning:
- “Steal timer reduced/increased”
- “Base lock duration changed”
- Named hole HP or raid damage adjustments
- New anti-raid consumables in Star Shop
Re-test steal times personally — wiki updates follow confirmed community averages, not single anecdote clips.
Counter-play when you get raided
If raiders steal Prime:
- Re-lock immediately if timer allows.
- Merge backup B-tier fodder to block empty slots.
- Farm Cash on alt or income loadout to rebuild Prime chain.
- Report exploit teleports through Roblox — not normal steals.
Keep one duplicate S-tier in overflow if inventory permits — insurance against Sunday night raid spikes after new update hype.
Related resources
- Tier list hub — overall rankings and meta disclaimer
- Cash income tier list — fund raid merges
- How to redeem codes — MERGE and FREESTARS
- Scripts hub — auto lock and merge for raid prep
- Official links — XAF Games announcements
Raiding in Merge a Black Hole rewards preparation: S-tier steal units, disciplined lock habits, and weekly re-reads of this list after Sunday updates. Chase holes that win steals and survive counters — not whichever hole looks coolest in the Star Shop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions.
What is the best raiding black hole in Merge a Black Hole?
Event Horizon Prime leads offensive steal value, while Dark Matter Serpent anchors defense. Rankings shift on Sunday patches — confirm on this page and updates.
Should I use income holes for raiding?
Pure income S-tier holes from cash income tiers raid poorly. Use hybrids like Void Collapse or maintain separate raid loadouts.
How important is base lock for raiding?
Critical — unlocked bases lose S-tier units in minutes. Lock before logout; consider auto lock if you forget often.
When do raiders strike most?
After Sunday updates and during peak hours when players test new holes. Lock before leaving hype sessions post-patch.
Do codes help raiding progression?
MERGE funds merge chains toward Prime; FREESTARS can buy raid boosts in Star Shop. Redeem via working codes before spending Stars on cosmetics.