The arrival of the new Legend-grade fighter, Rugal, in 'The King of Fighters AFK' (hereinafter 'KOF AFK') has sent shockwaves through the community. As a Wedge-synergy fighter, he hit the ground running, and top-tier players have wasted no time in pouring resources into his development. Naturally, Rugal has stormed into the overall Top 10 pick rate, triggering a significant surge in Wedge-synergy users. Let's dive into the Meca Ranking to see how these shifts have reshaped the charts this week.

Rankings Top 100 Composition Stats

※ Data aggregated from the top 100 rankers across KR-1, 2, and 3 servers.
※ Please note that this may slightly differ from current live ranker decks.
※ We plan to expand our server tracking in the near future.

This is our first Meca Ranking report since Rugal’s arrival, and he has exerted a massive influence on overall pick rates, synergy compositions, and general preferences. He currently sits as the most-picked Wedge-synergy fighter and holds the 8th spot overall with an impressive 26.3% pick rate.

Rugal brings the Wedge synergy back into the spotlight—a setup many veterans favoured during the game's early days. By slotting in 2 to 3 Wedge-synergy fighters, you boost the entire team's penetration and HP. Given that penetration effectively shreds enemy defence, the synergy was a staple for sustain and damage output. While its popularity had waned as newer, flashier fighters dominated other synergies, Rugal might just be the catalyst for a Wedge meta revival.

It is also worth noting the rising pick rates of other Wedge fighters. Many rankers are currently pairing Rugal with Yuri and Shermie. Yuri’s adoption rate surged by a massive 6 percentage points, climbing from 6.3% last week to 12.3%, while Shermie saw a modest bump from 9% to 10.3%. It seems clear that players are experimenting with these combinations to get the most out of Rugal.

Looking at the broader picture, the pick rates for most of the top 10 fighters have dipped. With the exception of the newcomer Rugal, only Spooky Mature saw an increase—up by 0.3 percentage points compared to last week. As Rugal and his Wedge entourage carve out their space, other fighters are seeing their numbers squeezed, which arguably suggests a more diverse meta rather than a stagnant one.

Ranker Synergy Preferences

As expected, Wedge synergy has seen a massive surge in ranker preference. Last week, it was a niche choice used by only 20 players (6.7%), but this week, that number has jumped to 62 players, hitting 20.7%. Top players are clearly doubling down on the Rugal-Wedge package. It will be fascinating to see just how far this momentum carries.

Most other synergies, with the exception of Corruption, have seen a slight decline in users. Even the consistently popular Special synergy dipped slightly, falling 3.7 percentage points to 79%. Corruption remains steady, likely buoyed by the lingering impact of the recent addition, Kula.

A Peek at Ranker Decks

Let's take a look at 'Haetbam', who held the 4th spot on the KR-2 server at the time of data collection. Their lineup consists of 'Kyo - Spooky Mature - Orochi Leona - Rugal - Terry'. They’ve activated Rage 2, Execution 2, and Special 1. For Execution, they opted for Spooky Mature and Terry; Rage is covered by Kyo and the Legend Pet Koyo, while Orochi Leona holds down the Special slot.

Interestingly, while this player adopted Rugal immediately, they haven't activated the Wedge synergy. It appears the consensus is that Rugal’s raw power is reason enough to include him regardless. His active skill provides a defence boost to his row, while his finish skill grants a finish damage bonus to other rows. Plus, he debuffs the entire enemy team’s attack power for 2 turns at the start of battle. Even if you sacrifice a bit of synergy, he is clearly worth the slot.

User Poll - Which synergy pairs best with Wedge?

Last time, we asked: 'Which Wedge-synergy fighter pairs best with Rugal?' Shermie took the top spot, thanks to her crit damage buff, followed closely by Yuri, who provides an attack power boost. Running both alongside Rugal seems like a solid choice for those looking to max out the Wedge potential.

As we’ve seen, Rugal’s arrival has shaken things up across the board. With Wedge synergy on the rise, players are busy testing which other effects pair best with it. What do you think is the perfect match for Wedge? Cast your vote, and we'll reveal the results in the next Meca Ranking. Best of luck out there!