ByDanielD
In Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series, the eponymous Mistborn are the guys and gals running around barefoot on rooftops, drinking metal and flinging pocket change at each other when they aren’t too busy using their enhanced strength to punch holes in people. They are the fortunate few — the Allomancers with the ability to burn every type of metal and alloy.
But most Allomancers are simple Mistings, blessed with the ability to burn just one type of metal or metal alloy, and gaining a unique power while doing so. By the second Mistborn era, there are 16 known Allomantic Metals — as 16 is the magic number in the Cosmere, we can be confident this is all of them.
Naturally, any time there are a bunch of powers, we’ve got to ask the most important question of all: Which power is best? Some are obviously not strong, but there are good arguments to be made for many of them being at the top of the list — so let’s argue!
For this article, let’s pretend we’re in the Mistborn universe, and judge the various Misting types as if we were living in Luthadel. After all, there’s a lot more use for Tin when house lords want lookouts! We’ll give our thoughts and reasons for the ranking below, but for now, here’s the 16 basic Mistborn Allomancer types, ranked:
Removes your metal reserves
Your power is the power to take away your fuel for your power. Thanks Harmony.
Burn all of your metals in a burst of power
You can enhance your other powers — but you don’t have any. This ranks higher than Aluminium Gnat because hypothetically you could get a Hemalurgic spike and get other powers, in which case this would have a use.
See an alternate version of your past self
Getting to see what your life might have been, had you made different choices, is kind of interesting — but your best case is you confirm you made the right choices, and worst case is you see a way better version of yourself that you could have (or should have) been. It doesn’t do nothing like being a Aluminum Misting, but in some ways it’s actually worse since you might bum yourself out with your power.
See your future self
Electrum sounds good on paper, until you learn it only works a few seconds into the future. It does counter someone else using Atium, as it causes your Atium shadows to split. But if you aren’t a Mistborn, and you’re facing a Mistborn, they probably won’t waste their Atium on you.
Slow down time in a bubble around you
Pulsers are interesting — in terms of day-to-day utility or combat application, it’s generally going to be useless. However, we’ve seen Marasi Colms utilize her cadmium to great effect twice in Era 2 of Mistborn — both times, she speeds up time outside her cadmium bubble while waiting for help to arrive. But there are more mundane uses for the power as well. Waiting for a package, or waiting for the show to start, waiting for your friend who is always late — cadmium helps in all of these situations. You could also survive a very, very long time without food or water if circumstances required it — assuming help was coming, of course.
Allow Allomancers you touch to burn all of their metals in a burst of power
This is a power, technically, but it’s one that requires another Allomancer you can reach. There are specific instances where having one of your allies burn all of their metals at once can be useful, but it’s usually better for them to have a reserve. Nicrobursts also function similarly to Leechers, in that they can effectively remove metals from enemies, but it’s going to be pretty dangerous to be in physical contact with a Thug you just forced to burn all of their pewter at once. Less dangerous Allomancers could probably be targeted, though if they’re ready they can use the burst you give them to great effect — it’s worth noting using nicrosil on a Tineye would likely incapacitate them, which is neat.
Drain the metal from an Allomancer you touch
We’re getting into the more usable abilities now. While being a Leecher is risky, there’s immense value in being able to drain someone’s metal reserves. That said, this isn’t an exciting power, so while it’s definitely strong, it still can’t be all that high on our list of powers we’d want. Also, it’s pretty dangerous getting within touching distance of Thugs and Coinshots.
Hide Allomantic pulses
Seekers and mistborn can detect Allomancy, and so any Allomancers trying to be sneaky will want a Smoker around. Like being a Leecher, being a Smoker is definitely useful, and you’ll be able to get hired as a professional Allomancer… but it’s a boring job. Smoker’s literally sit around burning Copper. So to be fair, if getting paid to sit around is your thing, this might be #1 on your list.
Detect Allomantic pulses
Unless there’s a Smoker around, Seekers have a lot of value any time knowing where Allomancers are is useful — which is often, in Luthadel. Everything discussed above in regards to Smokers applies here too, but it’s a slightly more active ability — and would be better at keeping you safe when there aren’t any Thugs or Coinshots around — so it’s ranked higher.
Pull on nearby metal
We’re finally getting to the powers that have some oomph with our number seven spot, the Lurcher. Being able to almost fly by pulling on metal is very cool, but you’ll note Lurchers are ranked far below Coinshots — this is due to Lurchers having no ability to make their own anchors, unless they get clever with something like a grappling hook. Lurchers rely on there being metal where they need it to be — without it, they can’t do much damage or move around like they need to. Lurchers are theoretically useful at disarming people, but by Era 2 Aluminum is becoming a lot more common, and most competent foes won’t be holding or wearing any metal.
Increase the strength of emotions
Depending on your style and preferences, the two emotional Allomancies could rank higher or lower, but we’ve got them here at numbers six and five — arguably interchangeable, as the way Brandon Sanderson has described them suggests that a skilled Rioter can accomplish the exact same thing as a skilled Soother. However, if you aren’t a savant, calming people down seems more useful (or at least simpler) than making certain emotions stronger. Either way, influencing people’s emotions to the point that it’s basically mind control seems both effective and interesting — though the moral implications are serious, and some folks might not be too comfortable even using such a power without consent.
Decrease the strength of emotions
Same deal as the Rioter, but making your boss less mad at you for being late to work again might be easier as a Soother.
Speed up time in a bubble around you
There’s some bias here, as Wayne makes being a Slider look particularly easy and awesome — but there’s an argument to be made for Bendalloy’s strength even if you aren’t a main character and a Twinborn. Speeding up time has numerous combat applications: reloading weapons, repositioning, catching your breath, and even avoiding gunfire. It’s a shame Bendalloy burns so quickly, because we can think of other, non-combat uses, like getting all of the day’s chores done in a Bendalloy bubble and then having more time to do fun stuff. There’s also the cool factor to consider — becoming a blur and appearing in another location is just deevy.
Enhance your physical abilities
This almost made it to the number two spot, but so many nameless Thugs get killed by Mistborn throughout the series; being a Tineye is simply safer. If the job opportunities for Thugs weren’t basically all some version of “beat people up”, it might make it to our number 1 spot, but ironically, the toughest Allomancers have a very high casualty rate because of how they’re used.
Still, what pewter gives you as an Allomancer is incredible. Who doesn’t want better balance, speed, endurance, strength, and agility? Thugs can also burn off a hangover or remove the effects of other drugs, or get over a cold by burning pewter. Pewter can also allow you to survive a wound that would otherwise be fatal — as long as you keep up your pewter supply, you can survive almost anything.
Enhance your senses
Imagine being Daredevil, but you can see. That’s what being a Tineye is like. For folks not familiar with the Marvel superhero, burning tin allows a Tineye to increase the strength of all five senses. While this isn’t a flashy power, we’ve ranked it at number three due to the sheer breadth of its possible uses. Tineye’s make excellent spies, able to hear conversations no one else could, or keeping an eye on their targets even through the mists. They can detect poison in food without having to actually consume enough to get poisoned — some poisons might even be detectable by smell. They’re often used as lookouts because of how difficult they are to sneak up on. And while you won’t impress people with your skills the way a Coinshot or a Thug might be able to, you also won’t have to get nearly as many coins flung at you.
Beyond how a Tineye can be useful working for a house lord or thieving crew, there are some fun things you could do with Tin that don’t involve danger. Imagine tasting your favorite food even more intensely than usual, or how a massage or lying out in the sun would feel while burning Tin. Readers can probably think of other situations where Tin would be nice — stuff that Brandon is probably too prude to ever include in a Mistborn novel, bless his heart.
Coming in hot after pushing off of a window latch, it’s the Coinshot flying into our number one spot. Not only is flinging coins at people kind of the signature Mistborn move, it’s also a very unique style of combat — and it means you can carry around pocket change and always be armed. But the real reason Coinshot is the best Allomancer type is because talented Coinshots can essentially fly with clever use of coins and other metal anchors. Being strong or hyper-aware is all well and good, but nothing beats flying. Not in terms of combat power, or in terms of what’s the coolest power to have when you aren’t at work as an Allomancer.
Disagree with our list? Want to share your thoughts on what the best kind of Allomancer is? Let us know in the comments!
Art at the top of the page is by Howard Lyon
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