Angel- bad or just boring?

Jwallyr

So the 3* Angel does single-target damage and stun with Blue, single-target and a couple of attack tiles with green, and then there's his black, which is semi-interesting but the fact that it locks both teams out make it a double-edged sword.

I'm just not sure what I'm supposed to do with this character. I'm trying to build a team for the PvP event that isn't "pick 2 boosted characters that cover different colors for match damage" or "grab 2 characters that work together and ignore Angel", but I just don't see any obvious synergy with my existing 3* roster.

Any thoughts?

Jarvind

Use when boosted, forget he exists when he isn't. Just like 95% of the characters in the 3 and 4 star tiers.

Anon

Yeah Angel isn't spectacular, but he isn't terrible either. His Blue is expensive but at least he stuns. His Green gives some nice attack tiles and not horrible damage. His Black isn't great, but on the plus side it could help newer players negate the Siphon threat of Rogue. She won't gain ap and nuke the **** out of you.

But yeah, maybe it's just me hyping the new guy. Can't wait to try him out Champed and boosted.

Dormammu

I don't know what's going on with these new characters, honestly. Rogue was good but otherwise it seems like new 3-star and 4-star characters are underwhelming (Angel, Nightcrawler, Yondu, that dog thing), downright terrible (meh Hulk, Elektra), or way overboard (Gambit).

sinnerjfl

Champed him today, he's bad and boring to be honest.

Keep in mind Im evaluating him right now boosted so he's actually even worse.

Blue is too expensive, even at 5 covers its 4k dmg + 3 turn stun for 11 AP, not worth it unless
you have no other blue.
Green is too expensive as well, 2615 dmg and 2 atk tiles for 10 AP ... really?

Black is about the only ability of interest here. Its rather cheap (7 AP), the dmg is all right (2686 X 2) and the AP blocking can be useful if you dont have an active in that color or just dont mind.

So his only value is AP blocking which he does well. Blue & Green's cost should be lowered to like 9 and 8 respectively, its like they kept the cost of the 5*'s abilities but forgot he doesnt have the anti-airborne passive and the AP destroying.

This does not bode well for Archangel.

Vold

When recording he's powers... luckily Vulture was along with the story event characters to use.

Angel's black blocks even passive AP gathering.
So Vulture's Black won't work with Angel's Black...

Also the goons passive AP gain, can't work too

Haven't tried with Hawkguy's Black...

why is it all Black...

"No Good News" skill, not sure if that can gain AP or not...

Dormammu

Maybe my mind will change on Yondu & Nightcrawler once I have them better covered and champed, but I certainly don't see many teams with those guys in PvP.

Meh Hulk is really bad. Like, bottom of the barrel scum that I don't even want to touch with my bare hands. That would be fine, someone has to be the worst, but it irritates me that the Hulk - one of Marvel's most iconic and popular characters - has to be that guy. And not just at one level, either. He's the worst 3-star (broken), worst 4-star (not useful), and the worst 5-star (bad mechanics). Every single one of them is a liability that does more to hinder you than help you. 3-star Hulk drains your AP and potentially damages your team for not a lot of return. 4-star Hulk will make lots of sparkly tiles that are just as likely to be used by your foes. 5-star Hulk makes stupid matches for you, hindering any sense of board control.

Sorry to hijack the thread with my Hulk rant.

Yes, Angel is bad. And boring.

Spiritclaw

Dormammu said:3-star Hulk drains your AP and potentially damages your team for not a lot of return. 

3* Hulk has a terrible red that I never use.  He's not bad with 5 green and 5 black if you use someone else for red.  His glory days were definitely long ago, but he's been useful at times.

Angel seems interesting to me.  Same colors as Quicksilver, and I think I'd take Angel over Quicksilver in most fights.  He's been fun to play in thick as thieves, and he's still very under-covered.  If you are used to rainbow teams, his black is indeed going to seem like a double-edged sword.  Try it with a 5 color team, where your missing color is a good color for the enemy.

Dormammu

Spiritclaw said:
3* Hulk has a terrible red that I never use.  He's not bad with 5 green and 5 black if you use someone else for red.  His glory days were definitely long ago, but he's been useful at times.

Unfortunately his black gets less and less useful as Hulk grows in level, which is entirely broken, so my Hulk is basically unusable. Boosted, he's a detriment.

Try it with a 5 color team, where your missing color is a good color for the enemy.

You're kidding, right? That's simply too niche and specific to be of wide use.

Now that Gambit has been neutered to the back of the 3-star pack and rendered entirely unusable, one could say: at least Angel is better than Gambit.

hopper1979

I almost got on your case about Hulk being bad thought you were talking about the new 4-Hulk.  You are right though the 3-Hulk gets worse the more levels you have in him, I used to use him all the time for board shake but once you get some levels into him it is so difficult to do he never gets any use (this is an easy fix, just do what they did with Red Hulk).  Oh well.  As for Angel his black is his only interesting power, paired with Rogue you can now deny two colors in a match which is a new dynamic in the game, the problem is the other powers are underwelming.  I will collect and level but I do not see getting much use out of him at the moment, if he was made to be a counter to Vulture, his black should cost 6 as well. 

Jarvind

Dormammu said:

Spiritclaw said:
3* Hulk has a terrible red that I never use.  He's not bad with 5 green and 5 black if you use someone else for red.  His glory days were definitely long ago, but he's been useful at times.

Unfortunately his black gets less and less useful as Hulk grows in level, which is entirely broken, so my Hulk is basically unusable. Boosted, he's a detriment.

Try it with a 5 color team, where your missing color is a good color for the enemy.

You're kidding, right? That's simply too niche and specific to be of wide use.

Now that Gambit has been neutered to the back of the 3-star pack and rendered entirely unusable, one could say: at least Angel is better than Gambit.

Eh, I've been using the loaner's black against maxchamped Hulkbusters to prevent Overdrive in his event. Not like I planned it out, just noticed I could actually get a bit of use out of the loaner for a change.

I do agree that actually planning your team out that way is probably not feasible most of the time, but it might be handy when there's a character boosted that errrrrrbody is going to be using, like Carol.

Rick_OShay

I think the problem when we evaluate new 3* characters is, so many of us have 3*s at or approaching max champ level 266. That's about twice as powerful as a new level 166 champ. 
I agree the blue should cost 10 not 11, but the damage is fine when getting a 3-turn stun (maybe cost 9 would be more fair). Compare this to Dr. Strange blue who has the best blue stun among 3-stars and it doesn't compare well. 
Hawkguy gets 2 arrows for 10 blue AP, a 4 turn stun, and the 2nd arrow does over 4K damage (depending on CD's surviving).
With green, I'm not sure how strong the attack tiles are, but it looks like they will be pretty decent.
But which power do you run at less than 5 covers? Probably depends on your team. Gotta assume you keep 5 in black since it's clearly his best ability. 

Spiritclaw

Dormammu said:

Try it with a 5 color team, where your missing color is a good color for the enemy.

You're kidding, right? That's simply too niche and specific to be of wide use.

Not sure where you are coming from here.  This is how I see it:

Angel is Green/Blue/Black.  Therefore, the strategy I suggest can be used whenever you 1) get to pick your team and 2) face an enemy team that uses at least one active color chosen from Red, Purple, or Yellow.

Both of those conditions occur in the vast majority of nodes.

For example, let's say I'm playing against a team that uses a red active power that I'd like to avoid.  I start with Angel, and I choose two teammates for him.  I'm looking for active powers in purple and yellow to compliment Angel, or possibly a green or blue active (whichever Angel has fewest covers in).  For the sake of the argument,  I select Medusa and Coulson.

Now whenever I play angel's Black, no one can collect red.  It's harder for the enemy to get the AP it needs for that attack I wanted to avoid, and the worthlessness of red AP doesn't hurt me a bit.  Also, as is this case with every 5 active color group, I can direct my own activities toward picking up the AP that do help me.

I don't know about you, but there are several teams I use without all 6 active color abilities.  3* Iron Fist / Cage / Falcon has never suffered for lack of a red or blue active ability.  3* Wolverine / Widow / Spider-Man hasn't suffered from a lack of black.  I don't see why I wouldn't find tons of situations where I can use Angel with less than 6 colors.

Impaxcible

Anybody know what 4-star champion reward Angel gives when champed?

Anon

Impaxcible said:

Anybody know what 4-star champion reward Angel gives when champed?

Jean Grey

Smart80

Dormammu said:

Maybe my mind will change on Yondu & Nightcrawler once I have them better covered and champed, but I certainly don't see many teams with those guys in PvP.

Meh Hulk is really bad. Like, bottom of the barrel scum that I don't even want to touch with my bare hands. That would be fine, someone has to be the worst, but it irritates me that the Hulk - one of Marvel's most iconic and popular characters - has to be that guy. And not just at one level, either. He's the worst 3-star (broken), worst 4-star (not useful), and the worst 5-star (bad mechanics). Every single one of them is a liability that does more to hinder you than help you. 3-star Hulk drains your AP and potentially damages your team for not a lot of return. 4-star Hulk will make lots of sparkly tiles that are just as likely to be used by your foes. 5-star Hulk makes stupid matches for you, hindering any sense of board control.

Sorry to hijack the thread with my Hulk rant.

Yes, Angel is bad. And boring.

I see where you are coming from, but doesnt this whole reasoning fit perfect with The Hulk? Powerful yet not fully controlable. I think they nailed most of them to perfection.