AI's move priority

Unknown

With this CMag pvp I think I'll try out some new team composition instead of the run-of-the-mill OBW/Ares/featured now that I have characters over 100.
My plan is using a 115 Hulk/105 Patch/CMag buffed to 80. Hulk has maxed Anger and Patch has max green and just one yellow.

In theory this could work but then there's the AI problem. From what I could tell, AI on defense will usually save for the most expensive skill of a certain color but that is not always the case.
Now this could make a difference between the team I'm planning on using being ok on defense or complete garbage.
Should I just assume AI will save green for Hulk's Clap and red for Patch's TBTI? Or can I hope for some Berserker's Rage and some Magnetized Projectiles?

Not sure if there's a good way to check skill priorities besides finding that team on a node and testing it out.

DirigiblePilot

Somebody explained this a while ago, so credit to them for this (sorry I don't remember who you are!)
(All of this is for example only.)
Basically, players, being humans, make decisions, such as "I will save for TBTI." And they will reach 6 AP, see that Magnetized Projectiles is ready, and think "Nope. I am saving for TBTI, remember?"
But the AI, being the AI, makes a check each turn. So it's programmed that Rage of the Panther is better than Intimidation. Suppose the AI reaches 10 black AP. The process goes "Roll to decide on not using (for Rage) or using (for Intimidation.) Give more weight to saving AP (because it knows Rage is better.)"
But suppose next turn, they do not get a black match. Then the same check is made again. And again the next turn. And eventually, it's gonna land on Intimidation.
This is the reason that Black Widow rarely uses her blue right when she gets it if Iron Man is present; the AI is battling with itself about whether to use it or not.
And if they have enough AP for the more expensive skill (they got some **** cascade at 6 black AP and now have 12) they will always use the more expensive skill.

TLDR: It'll almost definitely use Magnetized Projectiles, but not multiples in the same turn; and it will occasionally use Berserker's Rage, but if it goes over 9 (not as unlikely as you might think) it will be Thunderous ****.

Unknown

I have nothing to add to the original question. My observations correlate with the ones of DirigiblePilot.

I originally thought this thread was asking which color the AI prefers to match...

For example I read somewhere in this board that if you don't have someone with a priority in a certain color that the AI would not match that color.

For example with the team you mention above (Hulk/CMags/Patch) the AI would not match purple (besides 4 matches which are above any other match) since it is not a color in which the three heroes have a priority ( for those three they are GRB/URY/GRY).

Is the color with the highest damage the most likely to be matched, is RNG involved or is there any certainty?

Unknown

I would say Patch and Hulk is a bad combination for the AI since 9 and 10 green are too close together. I would combine Patch CMags and someone who has Purple as a main color... LDaken maybe? (G/P/B is his color priority right ?)

Unknown

The AI doesn't even know when to go for a 6 tile match, you're asking too much to the poor thing

Unknown

If the AI has enough AP to use the most expensive ability it will always use it.

Otherwise, each turn the AI decides if it'll save up for the more expensive ability, or just use whatever it can. The chance of it saving up is related to the difference between the two abilities. The bigger the difference, the more likely it'll try to save up. In practice, the AI almost invariably gives in to temptation and use the cheaper ability especially since a human will notice the AI has enough for a devastating ability like Rage of the Panther and will try to start denying black if you see them with 9 black. A while ago I thought they tweaked the AI priority but it might have been a fluke.

Note that abilities that are separated by 1 AP means you'll almost never use the cheaper ability. That is, if you got Berserker Rage (9) and Thunderous Clap (10), the only way it can be used is if you have exactly 9 AP, because if you have less you won't use either, and if you have 10 or more the AI always prefers the more expensive one, and even when you do have 9, it might still save up anyway (though the chance of it saving up for the 10 is small). A textbook example of this would be Sentry + Black Panther, with Sentry's Sacrifice at 8 AP and Battleplan at 9 AP, which means there's almost no chance the AI will use the vastly superior Sacrifice over Battleplan.