Hero Asgardians: A Powerful New Addition to Marvel Strike Force

Introducing the Asgardian AW Defense META

Scopely has exciting news for Marvel Strike Force players – two new Asgardian characters are set to join Thor, Sif, and Heimdall in the upcoming Hero Asgardian AW Defense META. Say hello to Mighty Thor and Valkyrie! Not only that, but Heimdall, Sif, and Thor will also receive significant boosts.

Heimdall: Empowering the Asgardians

Heimdall is receiving a major upgrade in all his base stats, with a particular focus on Damage and Focus. On top of that, his special ability will now remove two negative effects from all Asgardians, including himself. His passive ability has also been significantly enhanced:

• When afflicted with Heal Block, he fills his Speed Bar by 20%.
• Asgardian allies gain +10% accuracy.
• Heimdall and Asgardian allies now have a +25% Crit Chance.
• In War Defense, if Heimdall or any Asgardian ally drops below 50% HP, they are granted 2 Deathproof and Speed Up for 2 turns.
• In War, Heimdall generates 2 Ability Energy each turn for himself or 2 random Hero Asgardian allies.

Sif: Strengthening the Hero Asgardians

Sif is also receiving boosts to her Hp, Damage, Armor, and Focus. Her special ability will now grant Defense Up to herself and all Hero Asgardians. Additionally, her passive ability has been improved:

• Sif and Hero Asgardians now receive an additional +25% Resistance.
• In War Defense, Sif gains immunity upon spawning.
• In War Defense, if a Hero Asgardian drops below 50%, Sif gains Taunt for 2 Turns and grants Offense Up to that Asgardian Hero.

Thor: The Nordic God Unleashed

Prepare for the god of thunder to become even mightier! Thor’s stats are being doubled, making him a force to be reckoned with. His base stats will place him at the pinnacle of power in the game, boasting incredible damage and sustainability. While his skills remain relatively unchanged, his basic ability will now flip Defense Up and his special ability will have a +20% increased Critical Chance. With his stats reaching new heights, Thor will undoubtedly hit like a truck.

Mighty Thor: Jane Foster’s Transformation

You may already be familiar with Jane Foster, also known as Mighty Thor, from the MCU and the comics. In Marvel Strike Force, however, her powers differ slightly. But one thing is for certain – she is a formidable addition to the Asgardian team.

Jane’s attacks are unique in that they ignore Defense Up in AW, both on offense and defense. Her attacks deal full Piercing damage and can be used right from the start of combat. Let’s take a closer look at her abilities:

Basic Attack

Jane’s basic attack deals significant damage and has the potential to remove enemy buffs.

Specialty

Her specialty affects both the primary and adjacent targets, dealing massive damage. Additionally, it places Disrupt on the primary target or lowers their Speed Bar if the target is already Stunned.

Ultimate

Mighty Thor’s ultimate is a powerful Piercing AOE attack that flips enemy buffs and inflicts blindness on the primary target. It also grants +3 Charged to Jane.

Passive Ability

Jane’s passive ability allows her to execute a free attack against the enemy with the highest damage at the end of any turn, provided she has 5 Charged (which is then lost). In AW, this free attack also places Trauma on the target.

To maintain sustainability, Mighty Thor gains passive healing based on the number of live Hero Asgardians. If all team members are alive, Jane heals herself for 25% of her HP each turn. Furthermore, her presence in war doubles the sustain of Hero Asgardians by boosting their Resistance and HP.

Valkyrie: The Fierce Warrior

When it comes to new characters, there’s usually one that acts as a supplement for team synergy. However, Valkyrie is not just a sidekick this time. Known as the leader and strongest among the Valkyries in Norse mythology, she brings immense power to the Hero Asgardians.

Let’s explore Valkyrie’s abilities:

Basic Attack

Her basic ability delivers two moderate attacks consecutively against a single target, with combined power equivalent to Iron Man’s ultimate. If the target has Deathproof, the damage is significantly increased, Blind is applied, and the Deathproof is transferred to the most injured Hero Asgardian. Valkyrie also gains +1 Charged.

Specialty

Valkyrie’s specialty is a superior version of Kingpin’s ultimate ability. It grants Offense Up, Defense Up, and 2 Counters for two turns to all Hero Asgardians. The primary target receives devastating damage and is stunned. If the target has Deathproof, the impact is even more severe.

Ultimate

Valkyrie’s ultimate ability depends on the number of Charged she has. If she starts with no Charges, she deals moderate damage with a chance to apply Ability Block (affected by ISO-8). However, by the time she can use her ultimate (typically the second turn), Mighty Thor would have filled her up with Charges. As a result, her attack chains to at least four more enemies, with each additional attacked target granting her 2 Charges. Of course, targets with Deathproof receive extra punishment.

Passive Ability

Similar to She Thor, Valkyrie benefits from passive healing each turn based on the number of live Hero Asgardians. In optimal conditions, she can heal one-fourth of her HP each turn. When a team member dies, including Valkyrie herself, she becomes enraged, granting Safeguard, Immunity, Defense Up, Offense Up, and one ability energy to all surviving team members. Additionally, they are healed for half of Valkyrie’s HP.

In AW Defense, Valkyrie triggers this action 100% of the time, while outside of AW Defense, there is a 50% chance. Moreover, in AW Defense, all enemies start with Offense Down, and Cosmic enemies are prevented from assisting.

As an added bonus, Valkyrie significantly increases the Crit Chance of all Asgardians.

The Power of the Hero Asgardians

With the addition of Mighty Thor and Valkyrie, the Hero Asgardians are set to become a force to be reckoned with. While it’s still early to determine exact counters in Alliance War, it’s clear that only a handful of teams, such as Darkhold, Weapon X, and possibly Eternals, will be capable of challenging the might of Hero Asgardians. Teams like Brotherhood of Mutants, Shadowland, X-Force, X-Factor, and even Uncanny X-Men may soon become obsolete.

Final Thoughts

It’s hard not to be impressed by the upcoming new characters, but the power discrepancy between Mighty Thor, Valkyrie, and the rest of the roster is a concern. Many players have invested time and money into teams that may now pale in comparison. Maintaining balance with over 200 characters is undoubtedly a challenge for Scopely, but it feels as though every new character release is becoming a mandatory must-have. This rapid pace of releasing characters can make playing as a free-to-play player feel burdensome.

While I’m certain that Scopely aims to please all players, I would suggest a slight slowdown in character releases. It can be disheartening to invest months into maximizing a character only for them to become obsolete shortly after. This suggestion stems from a place of friendship and my personal opinion.

With the arrival of Mighty Thor and Valkyrie, the battlefield of Marvel Strike Force is about to change. Get ready for an epic clash of heroes and discover the true power of the Hero Asgardians!