Gem Grab Domination: The Best Brawlers for 2025

Gem Grab is the quintessential Brawl Stars experience. It’s a mode of strategy, control, and clutch moments where a single play can turn the tide.

But as the meta evolves with new Brawlers, gadgets, star powers, and gear, knowing who to play is half the battle won. The strategies that worked in 2024 might not hold up in the current landscape.

This definitive guide for 2025 will break down the absolute best Brawlers to lead your team to victory in Gem Grab. We’ll dive into the S-Tier powerhouses, the strategic A-Tier picks, and the team compositions that will make you a force to be reckoned with.

More Read: The Brawl Stars Meta Tier List for 2025

Understanding the 2025 Gem Grab Meta

Before we list the Brawlers, it’s crucial to understand why certain characters excel. The 2025 Gem Grab meta is defined by a few key principles:

1. Sustain and Control: The ability to hold a lane and stay alive is more valuable than pure damage. Brawlers with self-healing, damage reduction, or area denial tools thrive.

2. Aggressive Mid-Control: The team that controls the center of the map controls the gem spawns. Brawlers who can quickly establish and maintain mid-pressure are essential.

3. Hypercharge Impact: Hypercharges continue to define moments in a match. A well-timed Hypercharge can wipe the enemy team, save your gem carrier, or secure a final, game-winning push.

4. Versatility is King: The best Brawlers are often those who can fill multiple roles—aggressor, gem carrier, support—adapting to the flow of the match.

With these principles in mind, let’s look at the Brawlers who embody them.

S-Tier: The Powerhouse Picks

These Brawlers are the current kings and queens of the gem mine. If they are available, you should strongly consider picking them. They are often banned in Power League for a good reason.

1. Larry & Lawrie

Role: Zone Control / Aggressor

Larry & Lawrie have remained a dominant force in 2025. Their unique mechanic of splitting into two entities makes them a nightmare to deal with.

• Why They Dominate: They effectively create a 4v3 scenario. Lawrie can aggressively push up lanes, apply constant pressure, and tank shots for the team, while Larry can safely hold the gem count from the back. Their super is one of the best area denial tools in the game, cutting off crucial pathways and controlling the gem spawn point.

• Best Build:

  • Gadget: Extra Life for Lawrie ensures your main source of pressure stays alive longer.

  • Star Power: Team Work is non-negotiable, allowing Lawrie to spawn even if Larry is defeated.

  • Gear: Shield Gear is essential for Larry’s survivability. Damage Gear or Speed Gear on Lawrie makes him an even bigger threat.

• Playstyle: Use Lawrie to constantly harass the enemy. Your goal is to drain their ammo and health, allowing your teammates to secure kills and control the map. Larry should play more conservatively, especially once your team has gem count advantage.

2. Charlie

Role: Gem Carrier / Support

Charlie’s rework solidified her position as the premier gem carrier. Her ability to completely shut down a key enemy Brawler is game-changing.

• Why They Dominate: A well-placed super can neutralize the enemy’s most aggressive player or their gem carrier for a crucial few seconds. This is often enough to win a teamfight and secure the game. Her main attack also provides excellent control with its decent range and area coverage.

• Best Build:

  • Gadget: Sticky Gum is fantastic for area control, slowing enemies trying to push your team.

  • Star Power: Honeycomb gives her the survivability needed to hold onto gems.

  • Gear: Shield Gear is a must for the gem carrier. Health Gear further amplifies her tankiness.

• Playstyle: Charlie should be the designated gem holder. Stay behind your teammates and use your super defensively to cocoon anyone who dives onto you, or offensively to pick off a key target before a fight.

3. Kit

Role: Support / Assassin

Despite several balance changes, Kit’s unique support-and-assassination hybrid kit keeps them in the S-Tier. The ability to instantly change a 1v1 into a 2v1 is incredibly powerful.

• Why They Dominate: Kit’s super, which allows them to latch onto an ally and provide consistent healing, makes any gem carrier incredibly difficult to take down. Conversely, latching onto an enemy deals significant damage and disrupts their positioning. Their scarf-yank gadget is also a superb utility tool.

• Best Build:

  • Gadget: Yank Scarf is perfect for pulling overextended enemies into your team for a quick kill.

  • Star Power: Power Scarf provides a much-needed damage boost to finish off opponents.

  • Gear: Heal Gear synergizes perfectly with their support role. Speed Gear helps them reposition.

• Playstyle: Be flexible. Early game, play as a support, healing your teammates and disrupting the enemy. In the late game, you can become an assassin, using your super to latch onto and eliminate low-health gem carriers.

A-Tier: Excellent and Consistent Choices

These Brawlers are fantastic picks that can carry games and fit seamlessly into most team compositions. They are often more accessible than the S-Tier but require solid fundamental skills.

4. Pam

Role: Gem Carrier / Support

Pam is the eternal queen of sustain. In a mode where staying alive is paramount, her healing station provides unmatched value for her entire team.

• Why They Excel: Pam can turn a patch of the map into her team’s fortress. She is one of the safest gem carriers in the game due to her high health and constant self-healing. Her attack is also excellent for controlling choke points and applying pressure.

• Best Build:

  • Gadget: Pulse Modulator provides a burst of emergency healing.

  • Star Power: Mama's Squeeze is the preferred choice for area denial, making it dangerous for enemies to push into your healing station.

  • Gear: Damage Gear and Health Gear make her an even more formidable tank.

5. Max

Role: Support / Aggressor

Speed is the ultimate utility, and Max provides it in spades. Her ability to reposition her entire team is invaluable for both engaging and disengaging.

• Why They Excel: A super-charged team can run circles around the enemy, dodging key attacks and securing kills with ease. Max allows her team to quickly collapse on a weak enemy lane or retreat when holding a gem lead.

• Best Build:

  • Gadget: Phase Shifter gives her an invincibility button to survive dangerous situations.

  • Star Power: Run n' Gun allows her to maintain constant pressure.

  • Gear: Damage Gear and Speed Gear are the standard for maximizing her aggressive potential.

6. Spike

Role: Control / Damage Dealer

Spike offers a unique blend of massive area control and burst damage. His curveball star power allows him to hit enemies behind walls, making him a menace on any map with lots of cover.

• Why They Excel: Spike’s super is a fight-winning ability. It slows enemies, deals damage over time, and creates a large zone that is hazardous to traverse. This makes it perfect for controlling the gem mine or cutting off an escape route.

• Best Build:

  • Gadget: Popping Pincushion is great for securing close-range kills.

  • Star Power: Curveball is almost always the best choice for its consistent and unpredictable damage.

  • Gear: Damage Gear and Vision Gear (on bushy maps) are excellent choices.

B-Tier: Situational but Powerful

These Brawlers are strong but depend more on the specific map, the enemy team composition, and player skill. In the right hands, they can perform as well as A-Tier picks.

• Bonnie: Offers incredible versatility, acting as a long-range sniper with Clyde and a close-range assassin with Bonnie. Great for applying pressure on multiple lanes.

• Byron: The premier single-target healer. A skilled Byron can keep an aggressive gem carrier like a Bull or Rosa alive almost indefinitely, but he requires good aim and positioning.

• Rosa: On maps with lots of bushes, Rosa with her super activated is nearly unkillable for several seconds, allowing her to secure gems and walk out alive.

• Gray: His portal super can create incredible opportunities for surprise attacks or quick saves, but it requires high-level team coordination.

Winning Team Compositions for 2025

A team of three S-Tier Brawlers won’t always win if they don’t synergize. Here are two proven team comps:

1. The Sustain Comp

• Pam (Gem Carrier): Provides the central healing and safe gem holding.

• Byron (Support): Amplifies Pam’s healing and can snipe low-health enemies.

• Rosa (Aggressor/Tank): Controls a lane and dives enemies when they are weakened.

• Strategy: This comp is about outlasting the enemy. Use Pam’s turret to control a key area and never let the enemy team get a full-health engage.

2. The Hyper-Aggressive Comp

• Larry & Lawrie (Mid Control): Creates constant pressure and divides the enemy’s attention.

• Max (Support): Speeds up the entire team to overwhelm a single lane.

• Kit (Support/Assassin): Latches onto Max or Larry & Lawrie to provide healing during dives or to finish off targets.

• Strategy: Use Max’s super to quickly engage. The goal is to get an early pick, snowball the gem count, and use your superior control and sustain to prevent a comeback.

General Gem Grab Tips for Dominance

1. Know Your Role: If you’re the gem carrier, play safe. If you’re the aggressor, create space. Don’t let the gems distract you from your primary job.

2. Control, Don’t Chase: It’s more important to control the center of the map than to chase a single kill. Overextending is the #1 way to throw a lead.

3. Count the Gems: Always be aware of the gem count on both sides. If the enemy has 10 gems, one kill on their carrier wins you the game. If you have 10, staying alive is your only goal.

4. Save Your Super: Don’t waste your super on a single enemy if a teamfight is brewing. The game-winning super is often the one held for the perfect moment.

5. The 6-Second Rule: When the enemy has 10+ gems, the countdown begins. Your only focus should be to score a kill on their gem carrier. Don’t waste time on other targets.

Frequently Asked Question

Why are controllers like Larry & Lawrie and Charlie so strong in the 2025 Gem Grab meta?

The 2025 meta heavily favors sustain and map control. Controllers excel because they dictate the flow of the match. Larry & Lawrie create a numbers advantage and zone control with their super, while Charlie can single-handedly win a fight by cocooning the enemy gem carrier or a key aggressor. Their kits are designed to disrupt the enemy’s game plan, which is more valuable in Gem Grab than pure, raw damage.

Who is the safest Brawler to carry gems with in 2025?

Charlie and Pam are currently the safest gem carriers. Charlie’s super provides a personal “shut-down” button against anyone who dives her, and her Honeycomb Star Power gives her extra survivability. Pam is a classic safe pick due to her high health pool and the constant healing from her turret, allowing her to outlast opponents in a war of attrition around the gem mine.

My team keeps losing late-game with a gem lead. What are we doing wrong?

This is a common issue rooted in strategy. When you have a gem lead (especially over 10), your team’s goal must shift immediately from aggression to control and survival. The most common mistakes are:

• Overextending: Chasing for kills instead of falling back to a defensive position.
• Wasting Supers: Using crucial crowd-control supers offensively when they should be saved to defend your carrier.
• Splitting Up: Allowing the enemy to pick off your teammates one by one. Stick together and protect your carrier.

How important is the Hypercharge for these top-tier Brawlers?

Extremely important. A Hypercharge can single-handedly swing a match. For the S-Tier Brawlers:

• Larry & Lawrie’s Hypercharge makes Lawrie incredibly powerful, allowing for even more aggressive lane pressure.
• Charlie’s Hypercharge enhances her already formidable control, making her cocoon ability even more disruptive.
  While these Brawlers are strong without it, having their Hypercharge active often signals it’s time to force a decisive teamfight.

Are tanks like Bull and El Primo viable in Gem Grab for 2025?

Tanks are generally situational (B-Tier). They can be powerful on specific maps with lots of bushes (like Hard Rock Mine) where they can close the gap easily. However, they struggle in the current meta against the top controllers and supports. A Pam, Byron, or Charlie can easily kite and shut down a tank. They require a dedicated support, like a Max or Byron, to be truly effective.

What is the single most important tip for winning in Gem Grab?

Control the center of the map. Gem Grab is not about kills; it’s about map control. The team that dominates the mid-area will have consistent access to the gems, can apply pressure, and force the enemy to make risky pushes. Every action, from poking with your main attack to using a super, should be done with the goal of establishing and maintaining control over the gem mine.

The tier list says Kit is S-Tier, but I struggle to win with them. What’s the secret?

Kit’s power comes from adaptability. Many players struggle because they lock into only one role. The secret is to switch your function based on the game state:

• Early Game: Play as a support. Latch onto your lane aggressor (like a Larry & Lawrie) to keep them healthy and apply constant pressure.
• Mid Game: Use your Yank Scarf gadget to pull enemies out of position for easy kills.
• Late Game: Transform into an assassin. When an enemy gem carrier is low, use your super to latch onto them and secure the elimination, instantly winning the game. Mastering this role-switching is key to unlocking Kit’s S-Tier potential.

Conclusion

Gem Grab in 2025 is a dynamic and strategic game mode where team composition and role understanding are paramount.

While Brawlers like Larry & Lawrie, Charlie, and Kit currently sit at the top of the meta, success ultimately comes down to skill, coordination, and adaptability.

Master these Brawlers, communicate with your team, and control the center of the map. Do this, and you will achieve true Gem Grab domination. Now get out there and brawl!