2*->3* transition and PvP

Jacklag

Hi everyone. Long time reader, first time poster.

I just recently championed my first and second 3*s, IM40 and Doctor Strange (yes, thank you, thank you).

This duo had been serving me well in both PvP and PvE. Up until then, I have been keeping all my 3*s under the level of my highest 2* tank (with the exception of Thor and Luke Cage, who are also tanks). But when I, coincidently, got just the right covers I needed to Champion them both, I rushed to the opportunity of Championing them and now they are my two highest level heroes.

I immediatly noticed the difference in PvP. While I previously could fight for hours and hours, allowing the featured char to tank most colors for my team, thus saving health packs, my team now takes most of the damage. What used to be light hearthed playing a few hours each day now feels like work. 

I'm seriously thinking of selling both IM40 and Doctor Strange and start investing in my Luke Cage (13 covered)+Iron Fist (11 covered) + Scarlet Witch (6 covered). I would have to spend 60 CP to boost Wanda's Purple Generation. At least until I finish rostering all 3*.

Currently I have 55 roster slots with 42 rostered 3*s , all 2*s championed, 3x 1 covered 4*s (Marvel, Rogue Classic Cyclops), a 3-covered Winter Soldier and 12 3*s missing. And Agent Coulson and Hawkeye (Ronin) on vine. So I'm predicting it will cost me 11,200 HP to start opening my Heroic Tokens (currently hoarding 218 of those and 2 10-packs).

At my current rate of 100 HP from PvP every 2.5 days and 175 from PvE every 3 days, plus 420 HP every 54 days from DDQ, I'm predicting it will take 100 days do reach that point. 

If I go back to consistently earning 25-50 placement in PvP events like I used to, I should cut that time to under 90 days, not to mention I'ld be earning more 3*s covers as rewards, further improving my 3* roster. 

Jacklag

Yes, I can still use 2*s when boosted, but only in that case. Daken tanks well for my Iron Fist but neither him or Wolverine can tank anything for a higher level IM40 or Strange. In any case, there is a different set of 2* boosted each weak.

Jacklag

I just found that, when properly leveled, Hawkguy can tank blacks for IF. I think I'll BH him and use him to generate purples for IF. With two teams (IM40+Strange+Kamala/Luke+Fist+Hawkguy) I think I can minimuze my use of health packs.

Thanks for the tips.

Jacklag

Problem is my KK is currently at 1/2/3 and I would want her at least 4/2/3. I have a lvl 114 R&G who is 2/5/2, that's not a bad healer, actually. But with such low level they wouldn't be tanking any way. My Super Soldier cap is at 2/2/3. 

Dormammu

You're just feeling the pain of a transitioning roster, that's all. No need to panic and sell off two of the key linchpin characters of the 3-star tier. That's moving backwards. Once you start champing some more 3-stars you'll be in better shape.

You want to prioritize champing 3-star Wolverine (Patch). His true and passive healing is what you're looking for. He also goes really well with IM40 and Strange, which is the single best 3-star team against PvE goons. He'll soak damage for you in PvP too. I liked him in PvP with Rocket and Groot and Luke Cage - two healers behind Cage's defense tile.

Step back from PvP and focus on PvE for a while, where there's a plethora of 3-star covers waiting.

Jacklag

I usually play PVE at SCL 4, which allows me to get top 25 placement and max rewards with little to no effort. When I don't have the featured characters, or the 3* cover rewards are of a character that interests me, I play SCL 6. I can win those fights, but it's such a drag sometimes I don't even clear all the nodes seven times (4 at the begining, 3 after they recharge for maximum points).

Today I realized I have a Pym Blasters support, which increases Blue match damage and healing by a decent amount. With that I figure even a lvl 114 R&G could tank blues for a champ Strange. 

My Patch is at 3/4/4, so not maximized healing yet, but it is something. Maybe with Pym Blasters his healing would be on par with a 3/4/5 Patch.

KGB

As others have said, I would not sell Strange/IM40 since they are top tier 3* characters.

You are feeling the effects of a top heavy roster. It's one thing I always avoided doing (I leveled at least 10 characters equally). Again as others have noted, it will get better.

Cage should be you top priority to level up for his free protect tile. Then Fist. Cage/Fist/Strange was my go-to 3* PvP team for the protect tile and Fists attack damage and Strange's healing (when enemies fire powers) plus his Blue stun.

KGB

P.S. Note that your Pym Blaster support doesn't work in PvP.

Jacklag

Hey, I'm back!

Almost two months later I have my feet firmly planted in 3* land. Sold and rerostered all my 2* for gold, got 15 3*s fully covered (including LazyThor, Magneto, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Patch, Deadpool, Hawkguy, Spiderman and Thanos), but didn't Champion anyone else besides IM40 and Strange, who are at levels 174 and 170 respectively, afraid of how much that would boost my roster level for PvP.

I have been allowing my 3*s to sit quietly at lvl 140, but to no avail. It seems like I'm being matched against tougher and tougher teams. It looks like everyone here owns a championed Strange or IF+LC, and that's when it's not two single-covered leveld 5*s at level 270, which I can beat, but not without healthpacks later. Or a Medusa + Carnage teams, which I have given up fighting already. 

Can I expect any improvement if I actually champ more of my 3*s?

KGB

Your MMR is the average of your top 3-5 character levels. This would include any 5* you may have rostered even if at a single color. So that may be why you are facing stronger teams.

At this point with 15 fully covered you are more than ready to champ all of them, esp Fist and Cage who are T10. Just running Fist, Cage + required 3rd should give you a strong team thanks to Cage's protect tile and Fists attack tile. Just don't spend the Black until Cage can finish off the final opponent because Fist's Purple is deadly once you have 12 Black.

Patch, Spiderman + required 3rd can form a nice 2nd team since they don't color overlap and Spiderman makes some nice protects.

You shouldn't really be using Thanos in PvP. He's more of a PvE specialist with his Court Death.

You should also skip any dual 4* team that is L209+, esp if they are fully covered (as most are since L209 is all that's needed for Shield training). The 4* powers hit a LOT harder than 3* powers so it's really hard to win those matches without using health packs.

KGB

Jacklag

Never considered Spiderman + Patch. I used Patch 4/4/5 + Starlord 3/5/5 (Berserker Rage + Something Bad steals all 4 purple strike tiles) with happy results. But since Starlord is so squishy and patch doens't tank purples, he would take too much damage, making it not very sustainable.

DAZ0273

Definitely get champing those 3*, you will get a much wider roster if you do and you will be getting double champ awards from your 2s and 3s. You can always run champed 3 teams and 1 cover meat shield 5s as an option for a bit if necessary.

Jacklag

I don't have any 5*s on roster yet. I have 1621 CP saved up and 5* Black Panther (with the "come out of stun, deal 2k damage passive") and 5* Thanos (Court Death) are both on vault for 250 CP each. Should I buy both?

DAZ0273

Nah, save that CP. But champ those 3s!!!!!

KGB

Nope. You have zero reasons right now to add any 5* to your roster.

Keep saving your CP and LT's until you finish rostering every 3* and have most of the 4*s rostered (at least 60+) AND you are willing to spend $ to get the hero points needed to roster any LT's you open.

KGB

Jacklag

Ok

But it's taking SO LONG!!!!

KGB

LOL. Depending on how much you play daily, you can be in 3* land for a year or more. Or if you play a couple hours or more a day it may only be a few months.

I spent well over a year in 3* land but in those days there was roster based scaling for PvE so I was softcapping everyone at L120 or so. Once that got changed I champed all 40+ 3* in a single day (thanks to saving 3+ million ISO during my softcapping year).

If you think 3* land is long, wait til you reach 4* land and it's 90+ characters or 5* land with it's 30+.

KGB

TPF Alexis

Yep. As so many have said on here, it's a marathon, not a sprint. I think I went through a bit faster than KGB, but it was still somewhere in the neighborhood of a year before I was really in 4* land. And I think most of the speed difference was that the Vaulting era happened at just the right time to make it far easier for me to make a focused transition into 4* play.

DAZ0273

You can champ 3's steadily and reliably, it is a good phase of the game. Bonus Hero one 3* at a time and you'll have them champed much faster than you think. Concentrate on the ones with 2* feeders for an even quicker turnaround. You can champ 3's on the back of opening elites alone.

Jacklag

So what y'all saying that I don't have to worry about jumping straight from 3* to 4* land? Because I already see more 4*s queued up in PvP than I would like.