How to develop my team for Act 6?

This is a long post; asking for long replies, so skip it if that's not your thing! Name-checking a few folk who tend to give solid advice, with thanks @DNA3000 @will-o-wisp @MegaSkater67 @DrZola @Lvernon15

I'm a fairly slow FTP solo player; gaining a few extra awards from running a one-Man Alliance. My big blocks are my slow acquisition of T2A and T5B, so getting champs to R4/R5 is very slow. On the plus side, I don't really need defenders; and Prestige simply isn't a thing for me at all. I don't run suicide masteries.

I completed Act 5 a while back; and have been kind of put off from attempting Act 6 due to the 5* Gating, and the obvious general discontent on the forums about various aspects of it. So I've been exploring Act 5 and dipping into the Variants.

However, I've started to build up a bigger 5* roster, including some counters for the big Act 6 bosses I've been reading about (notably a 4/55 Warlock just one T5B away from maxing out) and I'm not far off exploring Act 5 as Elders Bane; so it seems to me that Act 6 beckons.

My current top tier looks like this:

Clearly I've got a few heavy hitters, and some solid Power Control/Immunity options, although my best immune champs are robots, which can be disadvantaged with certain nodes. My DoT champs are a bit more limited (mainly a 4/55 X-23, and 6* 1/25 Carnage), and I don't have much buff control. Some utility provided by GR, Warlock, Stealthy and She-Hulk.
I've pulled several decent champion options in the last few months, but can't rank them all up; and the question is: how would you recommend developing my team further for Act 6 and Variant content, given fairly limited rank-up resources?

Importantly, I do have 5*Awakening Gems for Mutant, Tech and Mystic available; plus I can probably get another from rifts. I don't plan to turn on suicides, and lack important synergy options like Nick Fury, The Champion and Heimdall above 4*.

Looking at the champs I haven't built up yet, the most obvious options to build up and/or Awaken (as well as the obvious CMM and Warlock) are:

Team build - option #1 (Literally both pulled last week):
6* Rulk and 5* Domino

Team build - option #2:
Some or all of - 5* Sabretooth, 5* Omega Red, 5* Void, 5* Killmonger

Strong stand-alone options:

5* Colossus
5* Iceman
5* Thing
5* Dr Doom
5* Dr Voodoo
5* Venom the Duck
5* Rogue (I love her, but pretty clearly, she's the weakest of these options)

If people can offer explanations that'd be great. I've been around long enough to know that Domino is a great champ (as are most of those I've mentioned); but given that I've already got a 5/65 Havok and a 4/55 X-23, is she really my best bet? In Act 6 and Variant content, might Colossus, Omega or Sabretooth bring more to the team?

Likewise, with a 5/65 Ghost Rider, 4/55 Vision and 4/55 Magik (who has a really solid synergy with Warlock) available and ranked up already, is Dr Doom (Awakened or otherwise) really going to be a transformative champion? Or is he genuinely so good that I'm crazy to even consider Awakening Dr Voodoo instead?

If you were me, which 2-3 champions would you be taking to R4/R5, to get to grips with Endgame content?

Thanks for reading (those of you that stuck with it this far! 😉) and for any advice you feel like giving.

Comments

Suman_sahA

My opinion is u r5 Doom & focus on ur 2nd team building option. (no need to r5 void.) That way u will get the buff-power control as well as some good synergy team...

(I have maxed my CMM & paired her with 4* nick, now CMM alone clears more content than I could imagine) If u have or get Nick as 5* (for using in act 6) then rank 5 CMM without any hesitation...

Magrailothos

Thanks. Any more advice, folks?

Hector_1475

As a general guide-line, make Domino, Red Hulk, CMM and Doom your top priorities. Work on them and max them out asap.

Mystic Awakening Gem for Doom as well.

Cross your fingers for a 5* or 6* Massacre to complete the flaming trinity. It will help you clear a ton of content in Act 6. But mainly, even with a 3* Massacre, the will help you faster than you can think to clear Variant content .

The main boss in Act 6 you need to worry initially, is Crossbones. And it seems that your best bet is awakening Omega Red, throw as many stones as possible and rank him up right after Domino. I understand that he is better with Suicides, but I have him R4 without them and I am extremely happy. He brings the immunities and utility, Domino will bring the damage. Havok is also fantastic, but you know that already. He is huge for Act 6 and V4.

For Variant 3 Warlock I hear is totally amazing. Not sure about his awakening though, if it's really needed.

These champs I mention are perfect for your current game status and will help immensely in monthly Uncollected EQ, Variants and Act 6. Good luck with the game, I hope I helped!

Moosetiptronic

I'd seriously considering joining an alliance like mine. We run map 4, put up 90m (which is 3k glory) don't need line, don't need war participation. That way t5b and t2a will flow in. I've a couple of 1m accounts in ours who don't even chat in game, but they join AQ... There are a few out there like that.. that aside however...!

You can get cavalier now I would guess. The extra half a t2a a month is worth it, as are the tier rewards when they hand them out.

Rider, havok, stealth, CMM and warlock at 5/65 will do it. Have you tried the first level yet? If you can get sabertooth down with a revive or two, you can do the next few levels up to crossbones very easily and without warlock at 5/65.

Crossbones can probably be done simply enough by Rider and warlock boosted, especially if warlocks virus is a passive (?). Not sure you need Omega for him (I used Omega for him, which does make him easy and Omega with suicides is unreal... But not needed I think).

About half way down this thread is my journey to cavalier in a bit of a rush, which you won't be in:

https://forums.playcontestofchampions.com/en/discussion/164040/progression-without-twitch-skills-or-unit-man#latest

In retrospect, I took the hardest path on 6.1.6 and as you have warlock, he will very likely make mincemeat out of the Regen path as apparently the easier/easiest path.

Collosus, doom, torch, Omega, domino, vtd, shulk, darkhawk; they are all amazing and will help, but really you don't need any of them up to get cavalier.

I'd also lean towards collosus in the long run if you don't run suicides, over Omega or domino. Although he needs Omega to become out of this world, he needs one less synergy than domino for equal damage potential and doesn't need suicides to be unreal like Omega. Doom is doom... There is a reason all the whale YouTubers go nuts over warlock, CMM, doom, collosus, torch, ghost Nick and aegon. You have the first 5 of them...

But your current team can do cavalier easily. If I can, you can.

Mauled

Your current team has the fire power to breeze 6.1 there. The two biggest stumbling blocks tend to be the shock factor of No Retreat and the massively ramped up attack values compared to Act 5, and Crossbones.

You’ve got an R5 GR, R4 Warlock who should both have the DPS to deal with Xbones.

I would say if you have the resources you should prioritise Colossus over pretty much all of your other options, running his full team he was my MVP for all of Act 6 since his beta, especially partnered with OR. I would say that Iceman is a poor man’s Colossus these days, and unless you’re intending on tanking Sp3s he doesn’t really bring much to the table that Colossus doesn’t do better.

I’d say you don’t really need VtD as you’ve got the durability in a R5 GR - though ofc he is nice for 6.1.6 Sentinel, perhaps look at taking Medusa to R4 for that fight if you struggle.

CMM is still viable in Act 6 without NF - I’m lacking NF and still use her fairly regularly, though more for specific lanes where she’s able to cheese (Icarus etc.)

Doom is just a powerhouse and you can’t go wrong making him out, though for the initial clear there aren’t really any fights where he’s going to be your only answer.

unknown

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Magrailothos

Thanks guys. Really helpful opinions - particularly interesting to hear Colossus as a viable choice over Domino/Omega.

How times have changed, eh? Remember this?

Moosetiptronic

Thanks guys. Really helpful opinions - particularly interesting to hear Colossus as a viable choice over Domino/Omega.

How times have changed, eh? Remember this?

Yes indeed. You should check out some of the vids by kt1 and others. Collosus is now really that good and a meme no more!

Magrailothos

Thanks for the feedback @Moosetiptronic

It looks like you're back up to 30/30 members; but if/when someone steps down, drop me a message.

I've been avoiding 'proper' alliance play for a while because of the (perceived) communication burden; but you guys might just have the balance I'm looking for.

Focus on AQ and various milestones suits me fine - I currently run a one-man alliance with a couple of alt accounts; purely for the Glory and have to take a structured approach so I have the energy to finish Map 3. So I check in fairly regularly and try to use every ounce of energy my accounts have. Some of my approach summarised in this thread: https://forums.playcontestofchampions.com/en/discussion/comment/1137320/#Comment_1137320

So let me know when you're looking for a new member, and I'd be happy to give your crew a try on for size.

Rockypantherx

Definitely work on Doom and Warlock, they are useful throughout Act 6, even without suicides. Medusa is extremely useful for 2/6 bosses in 6.1, don’t sleep on her. Killmonger can also be a pretty good clearer throughout act 6 as there tends to be one path every few quests that is all evade focused, so you can get an easy completion.

Really in 6.1, you’re looking at crossbones and no retreat. Which warlock can handle and no retreat is skill based, although I would imagine CMM is great for bursting through it.

She can also be your sinister and Icarus counter while Doom can get you through the champion boss. My only concern would be the mordo but as long as you have units that shouldn’t be too bad.

You’ve got decent counters to 6.3 and 6.4 as well but I would make sure Act 5 and the variants are all done before doing them

Good luck! And great roster