So...what now? 3* Farm/Dupes

heybub

Hi,

I'm a 4* player half way to my 5* hoard, and I noticed my top 3*s are almost maxed champion level.  What do I do now?  I imagine I would begin my 3* farm, but a lvl 266 3* is pretty useful, especially when boosted.  I've heard of people making dupes, and I never understood that strategy, but I could see myself doing that in this situation seeing how I somehow have a surplus of HP.

What do you do in this situation?  Do you make a dupe of all your 3*s?  Do you dupe a select few until they are at a decent level and cycle them for other maxed champs?

Thanks in advice for the advance.

abominatrix

Here's what I do. It might not work for everybody. I've been doing this for awhile; it might not be optimal with unlimited cover saving, but I see no real reason to change it.
1. When a 3* hits level 261 (the 15CP reward), I create a dupe.
2. When new covers come, I add them to the dupe unless it's a cover that's already at 5 at which point I add it to the original.
3. Usually before the original hits 266, the dupe is fully covered. 
4. Once fully covered add covers to the original until it hits 266. At that point, champ the dupe. You can then sell the original if you wish depending on other considerations (need for ISO, when the character will show up in PVP, if you're still using the character, etc.).

I set my 3* bonus hero to whichever character has the most covers in its dupe, and then change it when both the original is 266 and the dupe is champed.

In my view, if you're 4* then MOST of the 3* won't have much use even when maxed and boosted. Of course there are exceptions like Strange, Thanos and IM40; that's where those "other considerations" come in.

Hope that helps!

Dormammu

So far I have been keeping my max-champed 3-stars and selling additional covers for 500 ISO. I like the idea of having all the 3-stars max-champed and I'm three-quarters of the way there, so I won't be selling them. There will come a time when I'll roster dupes and start farming them, but until I have all the classic 4-stars champed and I am ISO positive I have higher priorities for my ISO.

I really don't mind the cover loss, it doesn't bother me. Getting a few thousand extra ISO every day from selling 3-star covers has accelerated my ISO income - by far the resource I want most right now.

TPF Alexis

For the characters I really don't care about (e.g. Ragnarok), I'm treating them like my 2*: Max 'em, and then flip 'em as soon as I get another cover to keep 'em rostered. For the characters I still find really useful (mostly the big three: Strange, Thanos, IM40), or just that I really like (Storm, Thor), I'm keeping the original until the replacement champ is fairly high level. Haven't actually sold any of those yet, but probably won't until their replacement is somewhere over 200-ish. For all the rest that are somewhere in between, I sell the original as soon as I champ the replacement.

In all cases, since saved covers are now a thing, I don't bother starting on the new one until I've actually hit 266 with the original.

Felonius

As a 5* and 4* PvE player, I only play 3* when I'm required to do so.  I never choose to play 3*s anymore, just like I never choose to play 2*.  At first, I thought I'd keep all my maxed 3* as a "Collection", but then realized I'd rather not have to buy the extra roster slots, and would rather have the champ rewards again.  So I flip my 3* just like my 2* toons.  I've been doing it a while now, some of my 3* are on their third iteration (curiously, others haven't even been flipped once).  
  
I sell max-champed 3*s pretty much as soon as I have at least one cover of an alt, unless they happen to be required in a current event, then I'll probably keep 'em around until the event is over.  Though, I really don't need them.  My 5* and 4* are strong enough, I have plenty of viable pairs that can beat any 3*-foe team without the help of my third 3* teammate, so I just need that one cover to "get me in the door", sort to speak.  
  
I do Favorite my highest level unchamped 3*, so they'll get covered sooner, and I add ISO to them as I add more covers (rather than wait for 13 covers, it's the same amount of ISO, but trickling it in feels better than dumping it into the character all at once).  When they're champed, I Favorite the next highest unchamped, and so on.  Of course, now that Saved Covers are a thing, this isn't necessary, but I still do it.  

Heartbreaksoup

I think it honestly depends on the character and what their rewards are.

I use Dr Strange all the time, and don't wish to rebuild him, and have a perfectly fine Nova (Strange's reward) sitting at level 250 with a couple of saved black covers, waiting for one more red or yellow.  At this time, it's not worth the trouble for me to do all that work for three Nova covers.

However, I haven't had very much luck receiving C4rol covers and would like more.  Mine is only at level 111 with five covers.  My C3rol will be my next 3-star to max-champ.  I never use her unless required, so I'll flip and farm that character as soon as I get one more cover after her max-champ.  I won't mind her starting from scratch, and while I really like Felonius's idea a lot, I'll keep my farm a little more simple for now!

BigSoftieFF

I would think a boosted 266 would still be viable in PvP though I have no clue because I’m not there yet. I guess if you have 5*’s champed it wouldn’t matter but don’t they get boosted to like 412?

Bowgentle

BigSoftieFF said:

I would think a boosted 266 would still be viable in PvP though I have no clue because I’m not there yet. I guess if you have 5*’s champed it wouldn’t matter but don’t they get boosted to like 412?

Yes, but they're still completely irrelevant compared to 5s.

If you're not in a HP crunch - get the char to 266, keep it, and roster a dupe.
3* covers are like sand, they pile up very very quickly, you'll cover the dupe in no time, and it's only 120k to champ it.

ThaRoadWarrior

I got my first max champ character a couple months ago (Mohawk Storm), followed very quickly by a second (Patch) right before we knew anything about cover saving. I was pretty sure I was going to keep the max-champs and roster dupes, but I needed to save a few 4* covers that were going to expire right before the save feature went live, and I sold them. Mohawk Storm is champable now, and Patch still needs covers.

Now that the pressure is off to save covers at any level, and I have several other 3*s above 250, I'm considering once again rostering dupes and keeping max-champs because I find that where I am in 4* play, having a non-viable required 3* in PVP is a huge liability. That being said, I can occasionally be impulsively ruthless with selling off characters if I need iso, so I don't know how long I'll be able to do it lol.

Quebbster

I started dupes of all the threestar characters. Just sold off the first dupe that hit level 266. I suppose I don't strictly need to hang on to one at level 266, but it gives me Peace of mind.

Also, with the Saved covers feature there is literally no reason to take the original to level 266 Before starting the dupe. The risk of cover waste is now nonexistent.

nbperp

Quebbster said:

I started dupes of all the threestar characters. Just sold off the first dupe that hit level 266. I suppose I don't strictly need to hang on to one at level 266, but it gives me Peace of mind.

Also, with the Saved covers feature there is literally no reason to not take the original to level 266 Before starting the dupe. The risk of cover waste is now nonexistent.

Fied that for ya

Sim Mayor

nbperp said:

Quebbster said:

I started dupes of all the threestar characters. Just sold off the first dupe that hit level 266. I suppose I don't strictly need to hang on to one at level 266, but it gives me Peace of mind.

Also, with the Saved covers feature there is literally no reason to not take the original to level 266 Before starting the dupe. The risk of cover waste is now nonexistent.

Fied that for ya

Exactly this. I've kept my 3* maxchamped Dr. Strange, but everyone else I get to 266, build a dupe to the point where they're ready to champ, sell the maxchamp and use the iso to champ the new one.

Quebbster

nbperp said:

Quebbster said:

I started dupes of all the threestar characters. Just sold off the first dupe that hit level 266. I suppose I don't strictly need to hang on to one at level 266, but it gives me Peace of mind.

Also, with the Saved covers feature there is literally no reason to not take the original to level 266 Before starting the dupe. The risk of cover waste is now nonexistent.

Fixed that for ya

Fixed that for ya.

BigSoftieFF

Bowgentle said:

BigSoftieFF said:

I would think a boosted 266 would still be viable in PvP though I have no clue because I’m not there yet. I guess if you have 5*’s champed it wouldn’t matter but don’t they get boosted to like 412?

Yes, but they're still completely irrelevant compared to 5s.

If you're not in a HP crunch - get the char to 266, keep it, and roster a dupe.
3* covers are like sand, they pile up very very quickly, you'll cover the dupe in no time, and it's only 120k to champ it.

That’s basicall what I expected. I’m still right in the middle of champing 4*’s with 5*’s not really in sight so I will most likely keep my maxed 3*’s for now.

iron-n-wine

I've only had one 3* reach 266 so far (GSBW) and I started a dupe which is level 120 now and looking at her Green damage, it didn't seem like the level 266 was producing a significantly greater amount of damage, which surprised me

Obviously her purple is the same at any level with 5 covers, and noone uses her red for the damage, so she feels like an easy case of 'sell the 266 once I re-champ the dupe' 

Thor, Patch and IM40 will be my next 3*'s to 266

ThaRoadWarrior

What is the hit point difference between those two? Seems like that would be more beneficial than straight out damage at higher level PVP play.

iron-n-wine

Almost 13k hit points for the lvl 266 and 8k for the level 166 (as I just got the last covers needed to re-champ)

ThaRoadWarrior

I feel like that would be a pretty significant difference in a PVP situation, but maybe not depending on who the wingmen were

Waddles_Pines

I think the big difference is that by the time your 3* are up to max champ, you're already well into 4* land.  By that extension, unless you're in 5* land, it's still beneficial to keep your champed 3* for PVP and PVE Essentials.  If you don't have every 4*, or they are low in level, you will have bad boost weeks, and having a champed 3* will help in those instances.

Also, in reference to damage, the lvl 166 vs 266 isn't entirely how you should measure them.  You're only going to use 3* when boosted, so the damage done at that level is what matters.  The power scaling is not linear when boosted, so even though the difference between 166 and 266 may not seem like enough to keep the max champ, when boosted, the power differential is much more pronounced.

iron-n-wine

I'll see if I end up missing having that 266 GSBW at some point. I only dabble in PVP, and have 36 champed 4*s, so I dont find that my 3*s are doing much for me now.

ThaRoadWarrior

Strang3 hit max champ yesterday, so I decided to roster a dupe rather than sell him. We’ll see how long that lasts