PvE Specialists - how useful are supports, really?

Orion

As a 5* player, I can do well in PvE when I want to, but even then, I'm T20 at best in the competitive S4 brackets.  Most of the time, I take it easier and get T50 or T100.  So I want to ask this to the PvE Specialists...

Do you guys really care about supports?  And do you see them making an impact in your PvE game?

Or have you seen your results dip a bit because you aren't embracing supports?  I just want to see if supports are doing what they were designed to do - make PvE better for the people that have them.

JackTenrec

I haven't equipped or leveled any yet (but I'm a T50 sub, maybe T20 player at best).

Player1575

I've heard competitive cl9 players don't use them because all the procs can slow down their clear times and cost them placement.

mpqr7

It's kind of cool when a support effect occurs, like sometimes a new attack tile pops up or a tile gets fortified. Other than that, I don't really notice anything. Maybe it's because like most people, the majority of my supports are 1* and only at around Level 20 at most, so they don't do much.

Basepuzzler

A level one support( I forget which one) allows my gambit to tank over Thor for the 5E node, which lowers the probability of having to waste time killing half his health again.

the free AP ones could theoretically help but are not going to make a significant difference.  Using a free black AP support with boosted agent venom could save you a move or two.  But that’s going to matter less than the speed of your device.

redviper85

I have the level 5 starlord guns from an insanely luck master token pull. The free 3 green AP  (the rank 5 perk) for my Thor when Gambit rapid fires abilities is nice but not really groundbreaking. Plus the other abilities are garbage and do slow you down when you have to wait for a protect or fist tile to spawn. 

So in summation I was insanely lucky to get a GOOD rank 5 support. have it up to level 91, have a 5 star that can use it efficiently while also having a 5 star to benefit from it..... and its nice. not amazing not worthless just kinda gives me a random 3 green every 3rd fire from gambit. 

I had tons of HP so i rolled the dice and won. I would not recommend chasing these things at all. 

Dormammu

Supports? Oh, yeah, I should probably do something with one of those at some point...

Heartbreaksoup

I don't know how useful they are, but I think they're fun.  What I've done with the last two events is pick my main team and decide which of my supports (all around level 22-24) work best for those characters: 3* Elektra, Dr Strange and Starlord.  Since they're essential, I added the Vintage Shield to Main Event Hulk and the Blackbird to Mohawk Storm.  I'm almost positive these have had no impact at all.

On the other hand, Dr. Strange's chimichanga has helped him avoid some damage, Sharon Carter has increased Elektra's red match damage, and Starlord's quad-guns have dropped a few attack tiles on the board.  Thanos comes to help sometimes and brings Corvus Glaze with him for occasional extra damage and fortifying all the tiles that Starlord steals.

They're fun.  I'm pleased.

The rockett

I feel I am a top end player.  Now that tapping is dead, WOOOOOOOOO, I am back where I have always been.  Top 1-5.  Right now I am in 2nd place by 4 points.  Will be a good race tomorrow.  

As for supports, I have said this many places.  I use a ton of Thanos, SL5* and RG.  This is one if not the fastest team out there, minus the 5E node.  I have Henchman on Thanos, Destroyer Gun on Rockett and Quill Blasters on SL.  Simple reason. I just want to protect those strike tiles as much as possible.  These supports fortify those strike tiles.  Now l, how much does it help, tbh not much.  I am too much in a zone to try and get my clear done in 40 mins (wave time) to 30/25 mins.  So I am not really focusing on how much this is helping.  I am worried about pure speed.  

I hope that helps. 

TPF Alexis

Not a top level player by any means, but I've been dumping all my Red ISO into Avengers Tower on America, and the extra yellow is starting to proc pretty noticeably. Nice little bump to help get her green going faster.

Ducky

There are some that help clear the 5e a lot quicker for me, but it helps immensely if you have the 5e boosted character champed.

Lopan15

I'm usually top 20 ( now that tapping is gone).  The only support I've used is 2* lvl 50 Wong which I added to 5trange.  I only see it remove a special tile once per match usually and I don't know if I've ever pulled the extra blue AP with animations off.  I have a 4* proxima support that is siting gathering dust since the only villain I use is Thanos.  Sad that such a new "rare" item is an afterthought for me.

Coubii

For now, no impact. Not enough available support (I mean, missing possibility to win some). Not enough red iso to make it relevant for 3* characters and higher.

Tried on a 2* roaster. Some little buff to be able to win DDQ mission with a very limited roaster is quite nice.

HoundofShadow

Destroyer Gun has been pretty helpful to fortify my countdown tiles. I can match away my fortified countdown when I have to or let the enemy match it without having to restart the countdown tiles. 

Pizza Dog looks to be useful in the future.

DAZ0273

I’m not a PvE specialist at all but it seems like this has become a general feedback thread, so here goes.

To date I have put a few levels into Vintage Shield and Elemental Blasters, I did this at the start before it became apparent red iso might be a tad scarce (as might be getting more Supports). The Shield is normally attached to R4G as I inevitably use them in PvE at some point and it is kind’a neat to see them with a gold health bar. Otherwise I might use it for any low covered 4 or 5 for Essentials. The health boost gained though is really nothing but it costs nothing to have, right? I also use it on any Crash where my character is low levelled as any boost to health there can help. I play with animations on so speed lost is not a huge factor.

As Star-Lord has been either boosted, Crash or essential recently I have left Elemental Guns equipped on him and noticed a few times that I got the free AP. Nothing else much comes to mind though.

The other Supports have sat untouched, although I have since acquired 2 level 2 supports which I might try out.  I have 7-8k red iso so as it looks like Infinity Stones are a no go at my (and most players levels), I might as well see what else to do with it.

As with most things, I suspect over time things may end up just finding a level with Supports like they do with sub-par 4* characters. You will use them as required and might even find an appreciation but it isn't something to go out of your way for.

JHawkInc

I always play SCL9 (champed 5*s, but I bumble through t50 or t100, never in a hurry for my clears) and I have one Rank 4 support about level 80. It's a neat toy, mostly. Some of the match damage buff helps a little, I'm sure, but I can't measure how much placement has changed because of having it.

I've got an alt running SCL 3-4, and my one Support has been pretty useful.

I think the trick is having them of comparable strength to your roster. My alt with a Rank 2 Level 22 Wong on a 2/1/2 Level 66 Strange seems to be benefitting from them.

But having champed 5*s and a Rank 4 Level 80 support, I'm not really getting the most out of it. I think once I have more higher rank AND higher level supports to pair with 5*s their usefulness will be more noticeable. I suspect they'll actually help make SCL10 more manageable. But we've got to get to that point first.

Supports haven't been included in something like Shield Rank-ups or Daily Resupply where they can just "grandfather in" and give so much free stuff to veteran accounts, and as they're slowly rolling them out, I doubt we'll get to a more acceptable "regular income" of Supports and Red-ISO until we get somewhere north of 50 total in the game. And until then, until we're getting enough of an income to actually acquire decent ranks AND level them up, it'll be hard to really feel the benefits. Supports are basically playing catchup, and they've yet to finish laying the groundwork to allow that to happen.

ZeiramMR

I'm transitioning into 5* land (two champs, one on the way) and generally play for Top 50. I find it really depends on which supports you have.

For the higher level SCL 9 fights, I use Gambit + America Chavez + the Essential. And with that team, my unleveled Rank 2 Sharon Carter is adding a few hundred damage a round and does it without any banners appearing.

hopper1979

The potential is there I have been focusing on building only one support, Avengers towers which is lvl 47 and 3 star for me, it is not swinging the matches yet but once I definitely notice it effects and the fortify ability has helped protect countdowns in multiple matches.  Once I get a good group leveled up yes they will help a lot in pve.

Skrimgeour

I focus on PvE and am a 4* getting ready for the 5* transition. I play mainly for progession, unless it is a new character release.

For may nodes, I still love my Grocketusa team. I have a lv 80 Milano and it is a nice boost. 3-4k damage on round 4 in goon nodes. So does nothing for the easy nodes, but a good complement for the later.

It's not an OMG I got a blue hood (for us old timers), but it is nice.

Skrimgeour

evade420

I'm in a holding pattern until I see how things progress. ive got a 5* And a couple 4* supports but I'm holding on to my Riso for a while as things develop . So far from the numbers I've seen , most of the maxed level supports are pretty weak in a 5* roster but could be very useful with a 3* and early 4* roster

Phumade

evade420 said:

I'm in a holding pattern until I see how things progress. ive got a 5* And a couple 4* supports but I'm holding on to my Riso for a while as things develop . So far from the numbers I've seen , most of the maxed level supports are pretty weak in a 5* roster but could be very useful with a 3* and early 4* roster

For 5* rosters,  supports will mainly be about manipulating who tanks which colors in pve.

Specifically people will use the supports to ensure that X char tanks Y color over Z Char.

This makes a difference for the 5*/4* powers that depend on who tanks strongest color etc.

Really its just a way to optimize the match damage profiles to maximize your damage output.