Challenging the CL10 Challenge Nodes

WampaX
WampaX Posts: 80 Match Maker
in MPQ General Discussion

So mostly I keep using MThor/Frankie/3a3May to plow through the PVE nodes, but sometimes I wake up from my nap with only 15min to finish up the final 2 hits on everything. Not really an issue with that team EXCEPT for the challenge node which can possibly take longer than expected to win especially if the overpowered characters get through MThor and knock out May.

Is there a better team to throw at the top level challenge nodes that can win relatively quickly? If someone outside of MThor/Frankie are boosted, should they be considered? Should I learn how to play KangVeil? Is it faster/more efficient? I know turn 0 teams CAN do it, but like I said, time is of the essence because I overslept and all I have time for is toast.

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Comments

  • MCPenance
    MCPenance Posts: 92 Match Maker

    Personally, I just use 4a5 M'Baku (Fantasticar) / 3a5 Namor (Krakoa) / 3a4 Iron May (Arc Reactor) and melt the CN.

    Learning to use Kangveil + Deathlok is the fastest, sure-fire way to gain the victory IMO, especially if you've snoozed through the time.

  • KGB
    KGB Posts: 4,072 Chairperson of the Boards
    edited 14 February 2026, 05:39

    1A3 Hawkeye/Shang/3A4May should be very fast for you on challenge nodes if your Shang is L450+ (need Batons/Realm at R5 along with Chimi on Shang and Refresh Cart on Hawkeye).

    Mine is only L360 and when he fires his Purple (instead of Hawkeyes Purple) with 2 charged tiles + crit + May bonus I do 120K damage when he gets his river of blows up to 8+. In the current PvE Shang is boosted so mines 470 right now and I'm doing almost 300K with 2 charges + crit. That makes short work of even the 700-800K health enemies in the challenge node.

    KGB

  • Grantosium
    Grantosium Posts: 176 Tile Toppler

    Hawkeye with Ghost Rider 2099

  • DAZ0273
    DAZ0273 Posts: 12,297 Chairperson of the Boards

    Kang/IM3/Deathlok also works. IM3 doesn't have to be ascended but all extra health helps, Deathlok same. IM3 needs a Support that generates yellow on turn 0. The key is keeping Kang alive. You can speed things up with boosts. Deathlok generates blue AP.

    The above can stall out but I find the same with Kangveil, the difference being with the above team I feel like I actually did some work rather than auto-winning. Sure, it doesn't really matter how you win but it makes me feel happier.

  • Borstock
    Borstock Posts: 3,291 Chairperson of the Boards

    I use Agatha, Doop (mine is 550), and 1a5 Hawkeye. It's not uncommon for me to see 800k+ match damage with one crit tile.

  • trenchdigger
    trenchdigger Posts: 276 Mover and Shaker

    For me, the slowest node is the 5* essential node. I'm not sure what is the fastest pairing for this.

  • bluewolf
    bluewolf Posts: 7,095 Chairperson of the Boards
    edited 14 February 2026, 14:30

    @trenchdigger said:
    For me, the slowest node is the 5* essential node. I'm not sure what is the fastest pairing for this.

    I think typically it would be a 550 Mbaku and some level of 3 namor. Barring that, you need to find a way to get some person who hits hard and add in Iron May, probably, as usual.

    If the 5E is semi decent you can do pretty well with making them them your main dmg dealer and adding 3-4 May andNamor. If you have the Soul Stone that is usually a crucial piece of things.

    I think some will use Kangveil but obviously it's a bit slower without Deathlok adding in blue ap for free.

  • WampaX
    WampaX Posts: 80 Match Maker

    Hmm, a few ways to go about it. I don't have some of those ascended characters to work with, but will test some out once I do.

    @DAZ0273 said:
    The above can stall out but I find the same with Kangveil, the difference being with the above team I feel like I actually did some work rather than auto-winning. Sure, it doesn't really matter how you win but it makes me feel happier.

    I was also concerned about KangVeil stalling out, especially if there is only 1 tile mover on the enemy team. I also enjoy doing some work and needing to think through problems, which is why i usually give myself 30min to play the last 2 rounds, but this hypothetical is all about oversleeping and needing to get it done quickly with toast in your mouth.

    @trenchdigger said:
    For me, the slowest node is the 5* essential node. I'm not sure what is the fastest pairing for this.

    Frankie/3a4May for me- put a defensive support on the 5* (or a good synergistic one like Tower/Reactor for an Iron Man) and make sure they tank. The Essential match and HP Boost will usually take care of that. Fire their offensive powers at will to make HP go down faster, match some black or green to support Frankie when she lands before she takes off again and finishes them off.

    I am curious what the 2 would be for @KGB and his softcapped roster. Is it still just Shang/Hawk ?

  • KGB
    KGB Posts: 4,072 Chairperson of the Boards
    edited 14 February 2026, 17:13

    @WampaX said:
    Hmm, a few ways to go about it. I don't have some of those ascended characters to work with, but will test some out once I do.

    @DAZ0273 said:
    The above can stall out but I find the same with Kangveil, the difference being with the above team I feel like I actually did some work rather than auto-winning. Sure, it doesn't really matter how you win but it makes me feel happier.

    I was also concerned about KangVeil stalling out, especially if there is only 1 tile mover on the enemy team. I also enjoy doing some work and needing to think through problems, which is why i usually give myself 30min to play the last 2 rounds, but this hypothetical is all about oversleeping and needing to get it done quickly with toast in your mouth.

    @trenchdigger said:
    For me, the slowest node is the 5* essential node. I'm not sure what is the fastest pairing for this.

    Frankie/3a4May for me- put a defensive support on the 5* (or a good synergistic one like Tower/Reactor for an Iron Man) and make sure they tank. The Essential match and HP Boost will usually take care of that. Fire their offensive powers at will to make HP go down faster, match some black or green to support Frankie when she lands before she takes off again and finishes them off.

    I am curious what the 2 would be for @KGB and his softcapped roster. Is it still just Shang/Hawk ?

    For the trivial nodes its Juggs/Grocket/Polaris since I can make 1 match and it's over.
    For the hard nodes its Frankie/3A4May/MThor (Frog on MThor vs tile movers). On the 4th clear (if I do one, often I don't since I just need progression, not T50) I'll need Shang/Hawk/May esp vs Mindless Ones.
    For the essentials I can usually use Frankie/3A4May for 2 clears on the 3 and 4 before swapping to Shang/Hawk for 3rd and beyond clear and I always need Shang/Hawk for the 5 and CN.

    My Frankie is 370, my 3A4 May is 276. Atlantis is R5, Yaro is R4 and needing 700 shards (or one more boss event).

    KGB

  • Punter1
    Punter1 Posts: 740 Critical Contributor

    IM40, Hawkeye 5* and Kang with yellow AP supports.

    Fire IM40 yellow. Wait 2 turns and send everyone away with lots of blue AP.

    You need to watch first match to protect the yellow countdowns, but then Hawkeye fortifies and it's OK. With the SP/DR, Shield and Santcum supports you can start with enough AP to fire IM40 yellow twice and with 6 countdowns it is pretty foolproof.

  • bluewolf
    bluewolf Posts: 7,095 Chairperson of the Boards
    edited 14 February 2026, 20:46

    A note that anyone using Frankie and Iron May should be using Riri to spam her red (using Arc Reactor, two firings with that trigger fills the board with charged pretty nicely).

    This is much faster than using Thor, watching her destroy tiles every turn, not adding charged as fast etc.

    Nova wants as many charged on the board as possible as early as possible.

  • MCPenance
    MCPenance Posts: 92 Match Maker

    @WampaX said:
    I was also concerned about KangVeil stalling out, especially if there is only 1 tile mover on the enemy team.

    There is a fun work around for one tile mover. Set a non tile mover as your main target and when the tile mover attacks, Veil will send the target enemy away instead.

    Once the first non tile mover is away, make the second your next target, they get sent away, then finally target the last enemy - the tile mover. You can usually send them away with Kangs' blue by this time.

  • Borstock
    Borstock Posts: 3,291 Chairperson of the Boards

    @bluewolf said:
    A note that anyone using Frankie and Iron May should be using Riri to spam her red (using Arc Reactor, two firings with that trigger fills the board with charged pretty nicely).

    This is much faster than using Thor, watching her destroy tiles every turn, not adding charged as fast etc.

    Nova wants as many charged on the board as possible as early as possible.

    Even with 5* Omni City on Thor?

  • Zarqa
    Zarqa Posts: 626 Critical Contributor

    @MCPenance said:

    @WampaX said:
    I was also concerned about KangVeil stalling out, especially if there is only 1 tile mover on the enemy team.

    There is a fun work around for one tile mover. Set a non tile mover as your main target and when the tile mover attacks, Veil will send the target enemy away instead.

    Once the first non tile mover is away, make the second your next target, they get sent away, then finally target the last enemy - the tile mover. You can usually send them away with Kangs' blue by this time.

    Use Chasm as third. His self damage triggers Darkveil’s away. Works even with no tile movers on the enemy team.

  • bluewolf
    bluewolf Posts: 7,095 Chairperson of the Boards

    @Borstock said:

    @bluewolf said:
    A note that anyone using Frankie and Iron May should be using Riri to spam her red (using Arc Reactor, two firings with that trigger fills the board with charged pretty nicely).

    This is much faster than using Thor, watching her destroy tiles every turn, not adding charged as fast etc.

    Nova wants as many charged on the board as possible as early as possible.

    Even with 5* Omni City on Thor?

    If you get Arc firing you add 8 charged tiles before Frankie takes off. This is on top of the 5 she makes herself.

    Yeah, it’s way better than Thor with Omni.

  • Zarqa
    Zarqa Posts: 626 Critical Contributor

    @bluewolf said:

    @Borstock said:

    @bluewolf said:
    A note that anyone using Frankie and Iron May should be using Riri to spam her red (using Arc Reactor, two firings with that trigger fills the board with charged pretty nicely).

    This is much faster than using Thor, watching her destroy tiles every turn, not adding charged as fast etc.

    Nova wants as many charged on the board as possible as early as possible.

    Even with 5* Omni City on Thor?

    If you get Arc firing you add 8 charged tiles before Frankie takes off. This is on top of the 5 she makes herself.

    Yeah, it’s way better than Thor with Omni.

    Plus the firing of Riri’s red AOE does decent damage to the enemy team, especially at 550, which helps in certain situations too.

  • LavaManLee
    LavaManLee Posts: 1,925 Chairperson of the Boards

    So, the challenge I have with Riri/Arc is (unless my support isn't levelled correctly) Arc is a 72% chance to get 6 red. So 1 in 4 times it doesn't even do anything. Whereas Mighty Thor will always give me those Charged tiles and I can move merrily along rather than exiting the match.

  • bluewolf
    bluewolf Posts: 7,095 Chairperson of the Boards

    @LavaManLee said:
    So, the challenge I have with Riri/Arc is (unless my support isn't levelled correctly) Arc is a 72% chance to get 6 red. So 1 in 4 times it doesn't even do anything. Whereas Mighty Thor will always give me those Charged tiles and I can move merrily along rather than exiting the match.

    A fair concern but I find it better myself.

    It’s what the top rank folks use.

    You can obviously do whatever you like better.

  • WhiteBomber
    WhiteBomber Posts: 874 Critical Contributor

    Double posting here just in case. It's all characters you should have, you only take damage via quit and the match is usually less than 1 minute once you get it down.

    https://youtube.com/shorts/V2Dz6MtqGZ8?si=kXDFz0LNlIvvU6R4

  • WampaX
    WampaX Posts: 80 Match Maker

    @bluewolf said:

    @LavaManLee said:
    So, the challenge I have with Riri/Arc is (unless my support isn't levelled correctly) Arc is a 72% chance to get 6 red. So 1 in 4 times it doesn't even do anything. Whereas Mighty Thor will always give me those Charged tiles and I can move merrily along rather than exiting the match.

    A fair concern but I find it better myself.

    It’s what the top rank folks use.

    You can obviously do whatever you like better.

    That is an undersell, you can fire her overcharge version twice before she goes into overheat which means 16 charge tiles on a supportive board (heavy red/blue/green). Even on a misfire of the Reactor, one red match and fire of overcharge red next turn gives 8 tiles vs the 3 (start) + 2 (city on first frankie green fire) + 1 (Mthor start next turn) gives.

    And the added team damage is a much better speed boost than the focused red damage Mthor's firing gives. I was only looking at the consistency of the MThor build, but for a little gamble, Riri/Arc is a much more explosive choice.

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