What percentage of your roster do you use?

Lystrata

I'm curious to know what percentage of their roster people use on a daily/regular basis (see discussion about this in my next post). 

But a few points:

I'm not including the idea of reliably using 'essential' characters - either for pvp or pve, as these change continually.

I'm not counting duplicates as more than one. It's the same character that's being used, presumably for the same reasons.

I'm only interested in the percentage of your roster. So out of the number of characters you have, how many do you use?

As a case example:

There are 156 playable characters (at time of writing).

Of these, I have 146. I reliably use 8.

Maths: (8 / 146) * 100 = 5.4%.

Hot damn, I'm gettin' dizzy from all that character swapping...

Lystrata

0-10%

So. As I was saying...

In pve I reliably use: 5* Hawkeye, Thanos, Dr S.

In pvp I reliably use: 5* Hawkeye

In shield I reliably use: 5* Hawkeye, Agent Coulson, Captain Marvel.

In DDQ I reliably use: Deadpool, Medusa, Dr S, Thanos, R&G, Juggernaut

I know, I could use vastly more. But given the essentials and boosted characters are not always driven towards speed and efficiency, and these ones are... they're who I use. And even with speed, I still spend hours playing this each day (if I'm doing pve). There's no incentive - in terms of reward or game/life balance - to use anything other than the fastest teams you can.

Now with the idea of 6*s floating about, I thought it would be interesting to see how many characters people really use. Are more characters really what this game needs? Regardless of rarity? Personally, I don't think so.

At least, not the way the game is currently. 

Certainly with more events that would require roster diversity characters would matter more. Right now... put out a new character. Don't put out a new character. I don't care. I'll roster its one or two covers and slowly gain the rest over time, but I'll only ever use what gets me through things fastest. Until there's some new event idea implemented (of which there are many suggested).

(This, incidentally, is why I'll also never be inclined to buy the new 'value' packs. Unless it directly caters to the 5% of the roster I use... what's the point?)

Tintaiwan

11-20%

Teams i rotate through
Blade/Medusa/Carnage   
4groot/gamora4/c dag  
carol4/daken4/loki
OML/thanos (DPD)
Jugs
3hawk/3mags/3storm
Agent C/3Hawk/4star lord
common fillers
america C 
Vulture
Ironman 3

21/148

IceHockey333

0-10%

This is awesome. Absolutely the biggest improvement possible would be a way to utilize more characters.

gmtosca

0-10%

Grocket, Gamora & Medusa. 

Vulture, Riri, Bobbi, Coulson, Hobofist, Rogue
Strang3, SWitch, IM40, Luk3 & IF3

Lystrata

0-10%

OJSP said:

Speed does matter, but I also like to manage my health packs. 

Good point. 

I tend to have a surplus (or, y'know, the minimum 10) of health packs due to not caring a great deal about pvp. I don't usually burn through all 10 health packs in a pve end of/start of sub cycle, so I don't really spread the pain around to avoid health pack loss.

Maybe if some more of my 5*s were higher, I'd mix it up and add more diversity there. As is, poor ol' Hawkeye suffers like no one man really should.

Daredevil217

This is kind of a weird question where if I answer honestly, I risk skewing the results. I use very very few of my characters daily. Probably just the DDQ teams I run, and probably Grocket for trivial nodes... and that’s it. 

And why is that it? Because I actually try and use a vast number of characters. But daily?  No.  There’s not enough time in one day to play my whole roster. In sim I just used a whole mess of different characters in a 800 (ish) point push to 2000 points. Characters I used included Shuri, MEHulk, Fist, Carol, Rulk, Grocket, Medusa, Mockingbird, Gamora, Gambit, Vulture, Chavez, Carnage, Kraven, Fury, Iceman, Riri, Mordo, and Nico. Probably missing others but those are characters I remember playing. As soon as I champ Ghost Rider and Gwen I’ll be trying out teams with them too. 

So if I'm answering honestly it looks like “wow he uses 1% of his roster every day” (or whatever it looks like) when in reality I use a lot of it. Just not daily. With 56 (soon to be 58 this week) 4* champs, I try to use them all when they’re boosted. Usually the weaker ones to climb and the best ones to finish climbing.

I also have a bunch of 1 cover 1* that are sitting as placeholders on my roster since I bought a bunch of slots during the HP sale, but they’re definately characters I own. 

So I guess I’m going to abstain from the poll because it won’t tell the the story you’re trying to tell. 

Anyone even in the 3* game who plays even 80% of their roster daily has way too much time on their hands honestly. 

Borstock

21-30%

Characters I routinely use:

5* tier:  Gambit, Old Man Logan, Hawkeye, Thanos, Daredevil, Black Bolt

4* tier:  Rogue, Cloak and Dagger, Coulson, Gamora, Riri, Mockingbird, Iron Fist, Medusa, Blade, Captain Marvel, Ghost Rider, Vulture, Rocket & Groot, Gwenpool, Jean Grey, Agent Venom, Hulkbuster, Carnage, Peggy, Star-Lord, ME Hulk, Moon Knight, Iceman, America Chavez

3* tier:  Black Panther, Cyclops, Deadpool, Hawkeye, Doctor Strange, Iron Fist, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, The Hood, Thanos

2* tier:  Magneto, Hawkeye, Storm, Ares

1* tier:  Juggernaut

45 / 156 = 29%

HoundofShadow

31-40%

I'm still in 3* land and I play SCL 6/7 for PvE.

I use 100% of my champed 3* in PvP and PvE. 0% for unchamped due to low level.

1/13 for 2* and 0% for 1* and 4*. 

The average would be 31 to 40%

Lystrata

0-10%

Daredevil217 said:

This is kind of a weird question where if I answer honestly, I risk skewing the results. I use very very few of my characters daily. Probably just the DDQ teams I run, and probably Grocket for trivial nodes... and that’s it. 

And why is that it? Because I actually try and use a vast number of characters. But daily?  No.  There’s not enough time in one day to play my whole roster. In sim I just used a whole mess of different characters in a 800 (ish) point push to 2000 points. Characters I used included Shuri, MEHulk, Fist, Carol, Rulk, Grocket, Medusa, Mockingbird, Gamora, Gambit, Vulture, Chavez, Carnage, Kraven, Fury, Iceman, Riri, Mordo, and Nico. Probably missing others but those are characters I remember playing. As soon as I champ Ghost Rider and Gwen I’ll be trying out teams with them too. 

So if I'm answering honestly it looks like “wow he uses 1% of his roster every day” (or whatever it looks like) when in reality I use a lot of it. Just not daily. With 56 (soon to be 58 this week) 4* champs, I try to use them all when they’re boosted. Usually the weaker ones to climb and the best ones to finish climbing.

I also have a bunch of 1 cover 1* that are sitting as placeholders on my roster since I bought a bunch of slots during the HP sale, but they’re definately characters I own. 

So I guess I’m going to abstain from the poll because it won’t tell the the story you’re trying to tell. 

Anyone even in the 3* game who plays even 80% of their roster daily has way too much time on their hands honestly. 

Heh, thoughtful answer. Nice.

Though I'm not really trying to tell any particular story, or nudge people in a particular direction.

I'm genuinely just curious how much variety people put into their playing. I imagine someone playing this game casually, just for the lulz of using Marvel characters to match tiles, uses vastly more of their roster than someone whose sole aim is T10 every event.

Also, it doesn't have to be literally daily. That's why I gave the 'regularly' option as well. If each season you regularly use those characters you listed throughout shield, I'd say that counts.

The boosted ones I did specify I wasn't really counting, because by default I think most players will use boosted chars when they appear. I always use boosted characters, but most of them only under those circumstances, rather than as a conscious choice to actively use X character at regular intervals. 

fight4thedream

11-20%

In PvE I reliably use: 5* Thanos, 5* Thor, 4* America Chavez, 5* DD, 5* Gambit, 5* Black Bolt + Sacrifices to Thanos (usually OML, Silver Surfer, Phoenix, Black Panther, BSSM, and average of 2 boosted 4* characters. It's usually enough to see me through an event)

In PvP I reliably use: 5* Gambit, 5* Thor, 5* Thanos, 5*Black Bolt, 5* Black Panther

In DDQ I reliably use: 1* Spider-man, 1* Storm, 1* MBW, 2* BW, 2* Storm, 2* Ares, 2* Thor, 3* Deadpool, 5* Thanos, 5* OML, 5* BSSM, 5* Thor, 5* DD (depending if I want to cut down their health)

I also occasionally test out new 5* I have in DDQ but not regularly

Shield Sim is a bit more difficult since if I can find an opponent who is willing to play "Back to Square One" with our rosters (basically I defeat your team with a weaker team and then you defeat that team with a roughly equal or lower team until one of us wipes and then we try again) I am apt to use more characters. It's actual the most fun I have playing the game at the moment and to those that have done me the kindness of entertaining my challenges, know that you have my thanks and appreciation and that I hope you have as much as I do.

But I guess my main squad for Shield Sim is: 5* Gambit, 5* Thor, 5* Angel, 4* America Chavez, 4* Agent Venom, 4* Gamora, 5* DD

So in total: 24/156. (Give or take 2) 15%

Kolence

41-50%

This is hard to say, I lke to use as many characters as I can if not playing for speed (which is more and more the case lately).
But here are the characters I use most often, probably. I'll use many of them even when not boosted.

5*: Gambit, Thanos, DD, HE, PP, AA, OML, IM, SL

4*: Carol, Chavez, Rogue, Medusa, Blade, SL, Peggy, Riri, MB, C&D, R&G, Cage, Gamora, Vulture, Quake, Mr. F, PX, Cho, JG, XFDP, Carnage, Coulson

3*: Switch, IF, IM, Strange, Thanos, Kamala, Hawkguy, Storm, Magneto, Loki, DP 

2*: Marvel, Storm, Magneto, OBW, HE, BE, Thor

1*: Spidey, Juggs, Storm

Edited to add 5SL because, technically, I do use him daily on trivial pve nodes...

Daredevil217

Lystrata said:

Daredevil217 said:

This is kind of a weird question where if I answer honestly, I risk skewing the results. I use very very few of my characters daily. Probably just the DDQ teams I run, and probably Grocket for trivial nodes... and that’s it. 

And why is that it? Because I actually try and use a vast number of characters. But daily?  No.  There’s not enough time in one day to play my whole roster. In sim I just used a whole mess of different characters in a 800 (ish) point push to 2000 points. Characters I used included Shuri, MEHulk, Fist, Carol, Rulk, Grocket, Medusa, Mockingbird, Gamora, Gambit, Vulture, Chavez, Carnage, Kraven, Fury, Iceman, Riri, Mordo, and Nico. Probably missing others but those are characters I remember playing. As soon as I champ Ghost Rider and Gwen I’ll be trying out teams with them too. 

So if I'm answering honestly it looks like “wow he uses 1% of his roster every day” (or whatever it looks like) when in reality I use a lot of it. Just not daily. With 56 (soon to be 58 this week) 4* champs, I try to use them all when they’re boosted. Usually the weaker ones to climb and the best ones to finish climbing.

I also have a bunch of 1 cover 1* that are sitting as placeholders on my roster since I bought a bunch of slots during the HP sale, but they’re definately characters I own. 

So I guess I’m going to abstain from the poll because it won’t tell the the story you’re trying to tell. 

Anyone even in the 3* game who plays even 80% of their roster daily has way too much time on their hands honestly. 

Heh, thoughtful answer. Nice.

Though I'm not really trying to tell any particular story, or nudge people in a particular direction.

I'm genuinely just curious how much variety people put into their playing. I imagine someone playing this game casually, just for the lulz of using Marvel characters to match tiles, uses vastly more of their roster than someone whose sole aim is T10 every event.

Also, it doesn't have to be literally daily. That's why I gave the 'regularly' option as well. If each season you regularly use those characters you listed throughout shield, I'd say that counts.

The boosted ones I did specify I wasn't really counting, because by default I think most players will use boosted chars when they appear. I always use boosted characters, but most of them only under those circumstances, rather than as a conscious choice to actively use X character at regular intervals. 

The bolded is the “story” I’m referring to. Or maybe a better way to word that is the “question you want answered” (”how much variation is there In your character selection?”) My 1% answer would say I don’t play with variety but it’s so low because I play with variety. 

Also you said you weren’t counting essentials in the OP. You said nothing of boosted characters. Which is how it should be. I don’t have a choice with an essential. Use that character or don’t play the node. That shouldn’t count.

Use 5s or boosted 4s?
Use Chavez or a second 5?
Use boosted Hulkbuster with boosted Iceman or unboosted Vulture to fuel him?
Do I pair a 3* IM40 with Peggy or another 4?

These are choices.

Someone said 

IceHockey333 said:

This is awesome. Absolutely the biggest improvement possible would be a way to utilize more characters.

Which I think most would agree with. But boosted characters ARE a way we’ve been given to encourage utilizing more characters and you’re saying that doesn’t count when you consider variety. That skews results even further. 

Just my thoughts...

PenniesForEveryone

11-20%

This is kind of a silly poll.  On a daily basis I probably only hit the Fight button with maybe 20 unique characters selected, but my roster actually has over 200 slots, and for good reason.  I keep all my max champed 4s because they sometimes see play when boosted, and are good for PvE essentials.  I keep all my max champed 3s because they all get featured in PvP.  I keep SEVERAL copies of max champed 2s because they get automatically rotated through in PvE and save me a bunch of health packs when I am using Thanos.

So disregarding that I use all my champed 5s, R4G, and America in PvE daily.  And Deadpool, some 2*s and 1*s in DDQ.

Calnexin

0-10%

1* - 3, 4 if I'm being generous.  Juggs is the necessary one, but I use Spiderman in the 1* node routinely, so I suppose that counts.  HE and Widow for teamups.
2* - 3, at any given time.  I have preferred teams, but they cycle with the farm.
3* - 1.  3* Thanos for all PvE easy and DDQ.
4* - 3. Miles, Spidergwen (5* Spidey boosters), America.
5* - 3.  OML, Spidey, and Gambit (even though mine is unchamped)

8.3%.  

I do use more 4*, but almost exclusively either boosted or as color/ability complement to another boosted.  The three listed are the only ones I use regularly without boosts.  If we're counting those I'm probably somewhere in the 50% range, because I will usually try to use a boosted 4 or two in PvP to avoid full 5* MMR for as long as possible.

Straycat

11-20%

I don't think this really shows anything wrong about the game tho. I play sc9, so I don't really use 3*s anymore. Pretty much just Hawkguy. Also don't use 1*s, 2*s, or most of the 5*s since they are undercovered. So I would probably top out at 40%, but I use less than half of the 4*s. I do try to mix it up, but even then my roster is huge and not all characters are that fun/useful in all matches.

Lystrata said:

Certainly with more events that would require roster diversity characters would matter more. Right now... put out a new character. Don't put out a new character. I don't care. I'll roster its one or two covers and slowly gain the rest over time, but I'll only ever use what gets me through things fastest.

This issue, like most others people have with the game, is solved by not caring about placement. I don't worry about speed, so I am free to try character combos for fun. Also, new characters can bring old characters back to life. Nico pairs well with 3* Punisher or Ghost Rider. Shuri or Panther probably pair with Cage. I look forward to trying them out when I get them covered.

hopper1979

31-40%

Boosted character always get used, pvp I have about 8 people I use since I have none of the pvp powerhouses.  I am not counting my 3 and 2 farms in the percentage.  Might be closer to 50% I like to mess around with unique teams because I do not care about speed other than the first 3 nodes on pve.  I would say the only characters who I do not ever use unless I have to are Vision and Sentry.

Shintok17

21-30%

In PVE I use the 5* boosted character for the event together with Vulture and 3* Strange. With no boosted 5* I use either 5* Archangel or 5* Thanos, Vulture, and of course 3* Strange. 

In PVP I have alternate teams consisting of:

• Arcangel, Vulture, 3* Strange.

• 5* Thanos, Vulture, Coulson.

• 5* Hawkey, Coulson, 3* Strange.

• 5* Thanos, 4* Iron Fist, Coulson.

• 5* Ghost Rider, Rogue, and 3* Strange.

DDQ: 3* Thanos, 5* Thor, and 3* Strange. For the other nodes I use 2* Magneto, 2* Thor, and 2* Ares. For the 1st node I use only 1* Iron Man.

Punter1

0-10%

5* Thor, Gambit, DD and Thano5 regularly in both PVE & PVP - 100% of my 4 champs

4* America in PVE, 1 of my 60 champs

3* Deadpool in DPD for Deadpool points, 1 of the 47 champs

2* 3 at any point for DPD depending on farm levels, probably use 10 of the 13 though, Cap A, Moon and Bull are the 3 that get rarely used, all the others I like.  This tier brings the most daily variety

1* 2 Juggs & IM, MBW is also included but doesn't get any action!

10 total of 156 = 6.4%

I want to use more 4s in PVP as they are boosted, but MMR says I must fight Thorbits constantly so I currently have limited options other than to use Thorbit too. 

PVE I'm not competing for top 5, but it's a grind so I'd happily just stick with speed over variety which means the tried and tested teams get used constantly.

randomhero1090

0-10%

Newer player...  Use IM40, KK, 3* Strange, and 3* Thanos are my go-to's that I feel very comfortable with.  Have 84 rostered.  4.8%.

I rely on boosted players at this point.  I hit a 5* JJ in the Ultron event and she has been VERY helpful boosted in level 6 PVP.  At least from a defensive spot keeping me from getting totally pummeled.  

I know, some of you are going, I remember those level 6 days

Doc L

11-20%

So:

- PvP events, I use 5* Thanos, 5* Daredevil and the 3* core character.

- PvP Shield, I use 5* Thanos, 5* Daredevil, and either 5* Old Man Logan, or 5* Thor (who I am only bringing unto max level now).

- PvE, I use 5* Thanos and two randoms for the first 3 nodes (I can get through multiple characters here if I'm doing a 4 times clear run). On the remaining nodes I either use the essential character with 5* Thanos and 5* Daredevil, or 5* Thanos, 5* Daredevil, and 5* Old Man Logan.

- For DDQ, I use 3 1* characters which I vary, then 3 2* characters, that I vary, then the required character with 5* Black Widow and usually Thanos.

It turns out, I use Thanos a lot. If I could use the other 80% of my roster, that'd be awesome. I have pretty much every 4* champed, a lot of 3* (some I recycle), they just sit there. Oh, and I send Squirrel Girl as Team-Ups, because I have two, and if you don't say what you want, that's who you get.