This order is assuming you chose rarity. If you chose a different sort order, it'll be slightly different

1. Rarity
2. Level
3. Ascension
4. Affinity (void-blue-red-green, I think, though I could be wrong on the latter three)
5. Alphabetic order
6. Tag* - I'm not sure on this one. If you have dupes, I think it triages by the tag you chose

Let's put up a picture of it.

i

The numbers on the first few champions are the order in which each occupied the first slot. It can't be alphabetical, since it would mean Arbiter should always come first. It also can't be gear, since Riho came to first position before I geared her. Also-also, it's not their base stats eather... Also-also-also, it's the same when ranked by rank, too.

That's why it's been bugging me, I can't seem to figure it out.

the default order is rank, level, ascension level, rarity, and affinity. if you have it set to a sort other than by rank, that one will go first and the remaining four will proceed in the same order they normally would. after it's been sorted by affinity however... it's a mystery. this topic has come up a few times before on the forums and no one has been able to come up with a satisfactory answer as to what the criteria are.

i can confirm that it is not done alphabetically, as krama suggested. nor is it done by faction, champion power, champion type, date added to the game, date acquired on your account, or ranking by any individual stat. tags are also questionable; up until a few hours ago, i was assumed i understood how they worked, but the game is now stubbornly insisting on putting my tagged mordecai before my natural one, despite it always putting the tagged one second prior.

edit: ignore that last part, game has switched to putting tagged version last. still not sure why it didn't do that from the outset, but that's a seperate issue.

Well, that's a relief to hear, at least I can tentatively say I'm not stupid, since others can't figure it out either.😁

If I had to guess (and I do😎) I would say each champion has an in-built priority number, ranging from 1 to however many champions there are in the game, and this prirority ranking number goes into effect once everything else (rarity, ascention, affinity, etc.) is equal. In other words, it's hidden, and that's why no one can figure it out.

This explanation does not account for dupes, though.

In your situation, there is no difference between rank and rarity. All of the champs you display are both rank 6 and legendary. Correct that alphabetical has nothing to do with it. I can also guarantee that equipment has nothing to do with sorting. My ‘greeter’ is Vlad and has no equipment. There are 5 leggos that follow and all but one of them would come before him alpahabetically.

I’ll go by rank, which I think is the default, and try to clarify.

Rank – Leggos start as 5, Epics as 4, so an Epic (or even a Rare or Uncommon, e.g. Armiger) ranked to 6 would be placed before any leggo that remained at 5.

At that point it goes to Rarity, self explanatory.

Next is level, then ascension. So a 4s common at level 33 and unascended would be placed before a 4s epic at level 1 and fully ascended.

Next is Affinity.

I can also confirm that, with Rank and Rarity, Faction is not considered. My Turvold is placed between my Arb and my Ithos on both sort orders. All 3 are void, level 60, and fully ascended. I also do not believe tag plays a roll. I have 2 RG that are listed in order as I, then II. But I have 2 ME that are listed as II, and then I

So, Rank, Rarity, Level, Ascension level, Affinity. Changing the sort criteria merely changes the primary sort.

So why does my Vlad get placed first? Why is Turvold placed between Arb and Ithos? While it has the appearance of randomness, I do not believe that to be strictly true. I’m no programmer but have worked with some huge national databases. Basically, there is a table somewhere that contains all the names of all champs (this order may indeed be just random), but the code, once it’s established all the other criteria, just searches the table and places them in whatever order they find them. Not the way I would have gone. I would have included Faction and then alphabetical. But that’s the part you just have to accept.

As far as dups, I have noticed occasionally that I have 2 rare or epic dups that I've used a book or two on one of the dups.  then when coming back to find it, you have to be very careful.  They appear identical, except for power.  But one day the more powerful was listed first, the next day it was listed second..

I  thought  Power  affected  how  heroes get  placed.

Would actually be interesting to see if that were the case. If your logic is correct, then the order of your champs and mine should be the same, for any champs that we both have.

Yes.  It would be interesting.  If a few of us had a number of the same champs all devoloped we could tell.

My Vlad's PP is 13,984 with no equipment and is the first champ placed.  Tormin is 54,671 and placed second.  There's no discernable pattern regarding PP.

This inclcludes all of my magic leggos fully ascended and level 60.  I chose magic b/c I have more of them than the others.  Anyone with a few of the same could possibly show my hypothesis is incorrect.

i

My war mothers are weird. The one on the left was my second one leveled and is also my weakest. All of my dupes put the newest ones on the left. 

Bad el is the same, my shamaels did it too. 

Everyone else, who knows. 

i

Well, that throws that idea out the window I guess. Alek and Hurndig are swapped between you two :/

*edit - never mind. I can't read apparently.

For magic we both seem to have Aleks, Hurndig, Astralon, Scyle, Saito, Rotos, Lanakis, Warmother, Sethalia, Roshcard, Kymar.  And both placed in that order.  

I know that mulitple champs are sorted by Power or any of the other serch criteria, but I hadn't considered the newest one being placed before the older one.

no they aren't.

i'd say that theory is looking  spot on actually, maybe it just sorts by some random ID plarium has set for each champ.

My champ order matches both harbby's and anwils exactly, and we all share a lot of the same champs.

very easy test, instead of sorting through legos, i pulled a bunch of commons.  who matches this order?

i

LMAO!  Is it sad that I don't even have to look.  I have this sort memorized and can confirm.

It has been suggested by folks on Plarium discord that they are sorted by release date, where newer ones come first in a particular affinity. Could it really be that?

EDIT: Based on screenshots here, as well as my in game roster, that seems to check out. I think the mystery is solved.

trunda has been in the game longer than ixlimor, visix was added before nehkret, tormin predates wurlim, sir nicholas has certainly been around longer than cruetrexa, minaya came before gurptuk, zavia and drexthar before kantra, scyll is well older than saito, and those are just the ones i know off the top of my head (based on harbby's collection). i suspect i would find more contradictions if i looked through the patch notes.