**Mastery Loadouts**
Due to issues related to the release of Mastery Loadouts, the "free swap" period will be extended.
The new end date will be May 1st.
Due to issues related to the release of Mastery Loadouts, the "free swap" period will be extended.
The new end date will be May 1st.
MUST READ THIS IF YOU'RE JUST NEW TO THE GAME. HONEST BEGINNER'S ADVICE Complete In Multiple Thread
raffster
Posts: 1,071 ★★★
Dear MCOC Beginner Players,
Just a little about me to get that out of the way. Been playing since August 2016 so it's not that long compared to more seasoned/veteran players. I was very active from Aug. 2016 - Feb. 2017, went on a semi retirement from March - July this year (just logging in every day to get the daily prize on the weekly and monthly calendars) and became fully active again from August until now. (In game name: Valroz [GF3] Game Fight 3)
I'm currently at 307K PI, Uncollected, have 1 Rank 4 5*, 1 Rank 3 5*, 7 Rank 5 4*s, 22 rank 4 4*s and 41 rank 3 4*s. I've only been active for a total of 9 months but grew very fast. I have completed 2 Master quests, The Goldblum, and Boss Rush challenge. Heavy arena grinder (I get all the basic champs every time each time) and also get the top 10% on featured arena rewards. Member of an 8.1M active alliance (Tier 5 in AW and Expert Tier in AQ doing Map 5,5,5,5,5.)
Working to finish ROL and RTL this December. LOL completion by March next year, hopefully.
I'll write this essay out Q&A style to make it feel more interactive and personal.
1. How did you progress that fast?
Grind the Arena.
Aside from being very active (I play 3-4 hours/day minimum on the weekdays and 7-8 hours/day on the weekends), I grind the arena as much as I could. Arena grinding has many benefits including the gold and units you get. The easiest way to increase units is to get them from huge chunks of battlechips (opening at least 50-100K at a time).
Find an active alliance.
In the beginning you will have to join beginner level alliances. It's unlikely you will be there for the long haul if your goal is to grow as fast as I did. Join an active alliance as soon as you meet the minimum requirements. You will be with others the same as your level and hero rating, or might find a few members slightly higher than you. Do all the Alliance Quests and Alliance Wars and contribute as much as you can. Even if you're doing only Map 1, 2 or 3, the weekly rewards will help you progress in the beginning. Learn the ropes quickly on how to be a good team player so that you can eventually develop good alliance habits as you grow. These will be invaluable when you join higher tier alliances so you don't become a pain in their behind.
When you first start, you do not want to be in a high tier alliance right away (let's say you're 50K rating) and the next player next to you is 150K. Unless you have fantastic fighting skills, you will die frequently in AQ and AW. So stick to alliances where the power index difference isn't so huge. Grow as fast and as quickly as you can in the beginner alliances. If they don't grow as fast as you are growing then move on to a higher tier alliance. Usually the best time to move to a higher tier is when you become the top member (or near the top) of your current alliance. And you notice in a few weeks you're the only one or a few others is still growing.
However, nothing beats being with an alliance in the beginning and staying with them until they grow to the higher tiers. I didn't have that fortune. Most of the alliances I joined in the beginning got dissolved or fell apart in a few months, some in just weeks. Don't feel bad if that's going to be the case in the beginning. You might even get kicked (removed) for not following rules or if the officers don't like you. Find an alliance that also adjusts to time zone differences and is reasonable with their donation requirements.
Please note that it's when you get into an alliance that do Map 5 at least 3x/week where you will see the fastest and quickest progression from when you first started. (I haven't done Map 6 so I am in no position to comment on that yet. But I can imagine those who are in alliances that do Map 6 5 times a week make huge progress from the rewards they get over those who just do Map 5 all week).
The usual alliance progression which should guide you in making the decision to jump:
500K-2M rating (AQ Map 1,2)
2-3M rating (AQ Map 2,3)
4-5M rating (AQ Map 3,4, dry run Map 5 then Map 3 or 2 on days 4 and 5)
6-7M rating (AQ Map 4 or 5, Map 3 on final days)
8-10M rating (Map 55533, 55543, 55554, 55555)
10M+ (Map 55555, Map 6 dry runs or several times a week)
Rank and Level Up Top Tier champs first before the average champs
If there's one thing that I really did right in this game was follow the advice of more veteran players. And that is ranking and leveling up first the top attack champs before the average attack champs before any defense champs (in that order). A lot of content in this game (especially end-game in Act 4 onwards, Master events, Road to the Labyrinth, Realm of Legends, etc.) require specific attack champs* to be winnable. Seatin (MCOC YouTuber) has a plethora of videos on top tier champ discussion. Watch his video on champ rating for Attack, Defense and Questing.
*Most sought after attack champs: Duped StarLord (5* or 4*), Magik (5* or 4*), Gwenpool, Thor, Scarlet Witch, Hulk, Doctor Voodoo,Vision, Guillotine, ArchAngel, Hyperion, Wolvering, x-23, IceMan, CA WWII, sorry if I missed others.).
Do not be hasty in ranking up any 4* beyond Rank 3 and any 5* above Rank 1. Resources such as Tier 4 Basic Catalyst, Tier 4 Class Catalyst and most especially Tier 2 Alpha Catalysts do not come in droves. So save those aforementioned resources to champs that really deserve to be ranked and leveled. Tier 2 Alphas are very very rare so you should rank 4 only the best of the best 5* you will eventually pull. When in doubt who to rank up always ask those who have played this game longer.
Do all the daily and event quests to 100%. You will get gold, ISOs and the catalysts you need to build your teams. It is mandatory to 100% all daily events if you want to grow fast. I still 100% all the event quests to this day.
I also spend some money on deals that make sense for my current level of progression. This goes without saying that not all deals (even the most expensive ones) will help you at your current level. Sure it will help when you reach the level you will eventually need them at but it will be a waste for now, and the money can be used for something more helpful where you're at. For example, why spend on a $100 deal for one whole Tier 2 Alpha when you don't even have a single 5* or a 5* worth ranking to 4? The $100 would be better for T4 Class Catalyst or Awakening Gem deals OR units you can use to buy mastery cores that will help your best 4*s. Spend money wisely on what will help your team get to the next level AND not on deals that you can't use at the moment. (Exception to those who are just ultra wealthy and can afford it anyway).
Never spend money for units to buy featured crystals unless you have extreme luck. You will have enough 4*s and 5*s in time. I have never found the need to spend money for the .0000000001% chance of getting a 4* or 5* from unit-purchasable hero crystals.
You can choose not to spend money altogether but progress won't be as fast unless you develop amazing fighting skills early on. Or have extreme luck in pulling 4*s from PHCs.
Just a little about me to get that out of the way. Been playing since August 2016 so it's not that long compared to more seasoned/veteran players. I was very active from Aug. 2016 - Feb. 2017, went on a semi retirement from March - July this year (just logging in every day to get the daily prize on the weekly and monthly calendars) and became fully active again from August until now. (In game name: Valroz [GF3] Game Fight 3)
I'm currently at 307K PI, Uncollected, have 1 Rank 4 5*, 1 Rank 3 5*, 7 Rank 5 4*s, 22 rank 4 4*s and 41 rank 3 4*s. I've only been active for a total of 9 months but grew very fast. I have completed 2 Master quests, The Goldblum, and Boss Rush challenge. Heavy arena grinder (I get all the basic champs every time each time) and also get the top 10% on featured arena rewards. Member of an 8.1M active alliance (Tier 5 in AW and Expert Tier in AQ doing Map 5,5,5,5,5.)
Working to finish ROL and RTL this December. LOL completion by March next year, hopefully.
I'll write this essay out Q&A style to make it feel more interactive and personal.
1. How did you progress that fast?
Grind the Arena.
Aside from being very active (I play 3-4 hours/day minimum on the weekdays and 7-8 hours/day on the weekends), I grind the arena as much as I could. Arena grinding has many benefits including the gold and units you get. The easiest way to increase units is to get them from huge chunks of battlechips (opening at least 50-100K at a time).
Find an active alliance.
In the beginning you will have to join beginner level alliances. It's unlikely you will be there for the long haul if your goal is to grow as fast as I did. Join an active alliance as soon as you meet the minimum requirements. You will be with others the same as your level and hero rating, or might find a few members slightly higher than you. Do all the Alliance Quests and Alliance Wars and contribute as much as you can. Even if you're doing only Map 1, 2 or 3, the weekly rewards will help you progress in the beginning. Learn the ropes quickly on how to be a good team player so that you can eventually develop good alliance habits as you grow. These will be invaluable when you join higher tier alliances so you don't become a pain in their behind.
When you first start, you do not want to be in a high tier alliance right away (let's say you're 50K rating) and the next player next to you is 150K. Unless you have fantastic fighting skills, you will die frequently in AQ and AW. So stick to alliances where the power index difference isn't so huge. Grow as fast and as quickly as you can in the beginner alliances. If they don't grow as fast as you are growing then move on to a higher tier alliance. Usually the best time to move to a higher tier is when you become the top member (or near the top) of your current alliance. And you notice in a few weeks you're the only one or a few others is still growing.
However, nothing beats being with an alliance in the beginning and staying with them until they grow to the higher tiers. I didn't have that fortune. Most of the alliances I joined in the beginning got dissolved or fell apart in a few months, some in just weeks. Don't feel bad if that's going to be the case in the beginning. You might even get kicked (removed) for not following rules or if the officers don't like you. Find an alliance that also adjusts to time zone differences and is reasonable with their donation requirements.
Please note that it's when you get into an alliance that do Map 5 at least 3x/week where you will see the fastest and quickest progression from when you first started. (I haven't done Map 6 so I am in no position to comment on that yet. But I can imagine those who are in alliances that do Map 6 5 times a week make huge progress from the rewards they get over those who just do Map 5 all week).
The usual alliance progression which should guide you in making the decision to jump:
500K-2M rating (AQ Map 1,2)
2-3M rating (AQ Map 2,3)
4-5M rating (AQ Map 3,4, dry run Map 5 then Map 3 or 2 on days 4 and 5)
6-7M rating (AQ Map 4 or 5, Map 3 on final days)
8-10M rating (Map 55533, 55543, 55554, 55555)
10M+ (Map 55555, Map 6 dry runs or several times a week)
Rank and Level Up Top Tier champs first before the average champs
If there's one thing that I really did right in this game was follow the advice of more veteran players. And that is ranking and leveling up first the top attack champs before the average attack champs before any defense champs (in that order). A lot of content in this game (especially end-game in Act 4 onwards, Master events, Road to the Labyrinth, Realm of Legends, etc.) require specific attack champs* to be winnable. Seatin (MCOC YouTuber) has a plethora of videos on top tier champ discussion. Watch his video on champ rating for Attack, Defense and Questing.
*Most sought after attack champs: Duped StarLord (5* or 4*), Magik (5* or 4*), Gwenpool, Thor, Scarlet Witch, Hulk, Doctor Voodoo,Vision, Guillotine, ArchAngel, Hyperion, Wolvering, x-23, IceMan, CA WWII, sorry if I missed others.).
Do not be hasty in ranking up any 4* beyond Rank 3 and any 5* above Rank 1. Resources such as Tier 4 Basic Catalyst, Tier 4 Class Catalyst and most especially Tier 2 Alpha Catalysts do not come in droves. So save those aforementioned resources to champs that really deserve to be ranked and leveled. Tier 2 Alphas are very very rare so you should rank 4 only the best of the best 5* you will eventually pull. When in doubt who to rank up always ask those who have played this game longer.
Do all the daily and event quests to 100%. You will get gold, ISOs and the catalysts you need to build your teams. It is mandatory to 100% all daily events if you want to grow fast. I still 100% all the event quests to this day.
I also spend some money on deals that make sense for my current level of progression. This goes without saying that not all deals (even the most expensive ones) will help you at your current level. Sure it will help when you reach the level you will eventually need them at but it will be a waste for now, and the money can be used for something more helpful where you're at. For example, why spend on a $100 deal for one whole Tier 2 Alpha when you don't even have a single 5* or a 5* worth ranking to 4? The $100 would be better for T4 Class Catalyst or Awakening Gem deals OR units you can use to buy mastery cores that will help your best 4*s. Spend money wisely on what will help your team get to the next level AND not on deals that you can't use at the moment. (Exception to those who are just ultra wealthy and can afford it anyway).
Never spend money for units to buy featured crystals unless you have extreme luck. You will have enough 4*s and 5*s in time. I have never found the need to spend money for the .0000000001% chance of getting a 4* or 5* from unit-purchasable hero crystals.
You can choose not to spend money altogether but progress won't be as fast unless you develop amazing fighting skills early on. Or have extreme luck in pulling 4*s from PHCs.
15
Comments
When you get to my level and you are as active as I am you can technically get a 4*champ every 4-5 days. But in the beginning it will be every 12-14 days depending on what Tier in SA your alliance is on. That's why it's important for you to always reach the maximum milestone in 4* basic arenas which gets you 4* shards as rank rewards. (Or if you can already push to reaching 2M, go for the basic 4* champ every week).
Choose an alliance that does AW regularly and is diligent in reaching the highest event quests minimums, gets SA weekly (at least Tier 4 or 5, IIRC), If you don't have a lot of 4*s yet to have a good cycle going in the arena, do the 2-3* arena for the 3* shards. As you keep duping 3*s, your 4* shards base will grow in time.
So you see, being part of an active alliance is key to getting 3*s, 4*s, and 5*s in time.
When I was only 3 months into the game I had 15 4*s and 21 3*s. I used those 36 champs to reach 1.5M in the arena every week, twice a week.
You must also attempt to complete Act 1, 2 and 3 as quickly as possible If you have a team of godly rank 4 3*s, or decent rank 3 4*s, Act 3 is very doable and the exploration rewards you with a 4* Crystal. But if you're not in a rush, Act 3 is way easier with at least 5 x rank 4 4*s.
Your 4*s will come, promise, but you have to put in the work. If you have a truckload of money you can also purchase those 2500 unit ultra-expensive deals for one 4* Crystal. (I did that only once and regret it because I got a garbage 4*). Or pump money in buying featured or premium hero crystals and try your luck. Note that even if you suddenly pull 100 4*s from spending $1,000 on PHCs, you still have to rank and level them to make them useful. So don't waste your money to get a truckload of 4*s in the beginning. It's going to be a huge waste in the long run.
THE TRUTH IS ALL YOUR REALLY NEED IS 16 TOP TIER CHAMPS to get through 99% of the game's content. The rest of your champs are just for variety and to help grind through arena.
3. I have enough "god tier" 4*s but still can't finish Act 4 (even KOd Maestro once without spending a truckload of units on revives).
The last Chapter of Act 4 can be difficult even if you have god tier 4*s. What will give you the edge in the last chapter of Act 4 is to have at least 1 or 2 Rank 5 4*. I've seen extremely skilled players take down Maestro with a 3* but there's not a lot of those who have the patience to get to that skill level. Theoretically speaking, it is possible to do 100% Exploration of Act 4 using just a team of decent R4 4*s. This is why it's important that you save rare resources to enable you to rank 5 only the most deserving champs.
I first completed Act 4 (KOd Maestro for the first time) only 5 months into the game using 4* Thor R5 duped, 4* R4 Black Widow duped, 4* Guillotine R4 duped, 4* Ultron R4 (duped), 4* Doctor Strange (unduped) in January of this year. I explored Act 4 100% just last September using 5* Magik R3 unduped, 4* Thor R5 max sig, 4* Ultron R5 max sig, 4* Quake R5 L30 sig, 4* Magik R5 40 sig. I only used units for energy and revived maybe 3x in last Maestro battle.
Don't rush through finishing/exploring Act 4 until you've built the team that can help you get through it without spending a truckload of units for revives and heals. I've known people who try to rush through Act 4 100% exploration and were deeply frustrated because they just didn't have the right team to do it.
You will really need to get at least 1 or 2 4*s to R5 to make going through Act 4 as less painful as possible. Needless to say, if you go in Act 4 with all R5 4*s, it will be reasonably easy. When you actually confront Maestro, just make sure you push him to trigger his SP2 because his SP1 cannot be blocked and will kill you quickly.
One of the wisest members in my alliance said when I asked this same question a few months ago, said, "It is extremely rare to be extremely lucky OR extremely unlucky all the time." You have to take a deep breath when you feel that the odds are gainst you. Just yesterday one of my alliance members pulled a 4* Hela from a 4* Crystal and then minutes later pulled Kamala Kan from a 5* Crystal. I've had my share of extreme luck and extreme lack of it. So don't get very frustrated.
For me the best mindset when spinning or popping crystals is to hope for the best but expect the worst. Your disappointment levels won't be as high. (haha).
This is also the reason why I don't spend money to purchase hero crystals. In time you will have more 4*s you can handle. What becomes more difficult is getting the resources to rank and level them. Save your money for resources as opposed to spending money to get champions.
And there's really no difference whether you spin or pop a crystal. The odds will be the same. Spinning just makes you "see" what you might eventually get. (But rumor has it that what you're actually going to get has been determined already from the time you begin to spin a crystal).
4. My fighting skills are sub par compared to other members in my alliance (or those I've seen on Youtube).
It takes a lot of skill to become boss killer. My own fighting skills aren't as bad but neither am I anywhere close to being a full fledged boss killer. (Although occasionally I take out the mini bosses in AQ or AW). What helps here is to watch Youtuber MCOC players who have tips on how to develop your fighting technique. MVINCIBLE has some of the best videos on how to fight like a "ninja" (parrying, intercepting, blocking and evading, even fighting on specific types of nodes).
It is crucial to become good at baiting, intercepting, parrying and evading if you want to become a better fighter. This is a fighting game where you have to learn how to fight knowing as much as you can about the champ you're using and the champ you're fighting. Every champ, every node, every path have unique characteristics. Often you will find that just by knowing your opponent's special attacks can give you the edge in winning the fight. Or learning about the node you're on will help you determine which champ to take into battle and have the definite advantage.
Especially in AQ and AW never attack linked nodes, always use the most suitable champs for the lane you're going through, and know what champ is most suitable for the specific node you're attacking.
You will fight better in time so don't beat yourself up if you don't play well every now and then. Even the best boss killers have their bad days although rarely. Fighting smart is already 50% of developing the skills you need to be fighting better.
One last thing although silly. Make sure that the enemy is actually KO before you let your defense down or stop attacking. Sometimes you think the fight is over because your enemy has just dropped to zero health. Pay attention because some opponents like duped Punisher, Hela, Phoenix will not KO immediately. And champs with just 1 health will still fight! I've lost a bunch of fights thinking the fight was over but was actually not.
5. What were your greatest frustrations when you were just starting out?
I had plenty, trust me, and I even wrote an essay longer than this one I'm sharing now on the old forum boards. It was my 10th day playing this game and had a multitude of things to complain about. I0 days and I was already near 100% completion of Act 3 and complaining how hard it was with just 5 x rank 4 3*s. Haha! (I was in-between jobs for around 6 months so I had time to play)
On my 3rd month I already started on Act 4 and had lots of difficulty getting past the first chapter. I had a team of 5 rank 3 4*s (BW, Ultron, She-Hulk, Miles, Ant Man). I complained on the forums every day why it was so hard to get T1 Alphas, T4BC, ISOs, you name it.
It eventually dawned on me these things I am writing now to you, newcomers, that you cannot rush through (and I recommend that you don't) Act 4 unless you are planning to spend a truckload of money for revives and heals. It's not worth it. All the more you shouldn't be rushing to get to Act 5 at all. I know the hype now is becoming Uncollected but it's something you should aspire for until later. Focus on getting to Act 4 first so it will be less frustrating.
If you advance as quickly as I did (or others more active than myself), completing Act 4 in 5-6 months is very possible. In reality, most players can explore Act 4 100% within 10-12 months. But it's not surprising if some have taken much longer. Someone in my alliance took over 2 years to 100% Act 4 since he was only a semi-active player and played this game casually and only when he had the time to.
I also became very frustrated when i wasn't able to do the Master Event quests in the beginning. It took me a year before I finally completed my first Master Event. My fighting skills just didn't allow me to finish Master level monthly event (since I didn't want to spend money on revives and heals). But I finally did my first 100% Master Event completion with Mephisto as final boss last October. Ragnarok Thor is so much easier than Mephisto as final boss in the Master Event quest, at least in my opinion. It was an achievement for me to have completed my fist Master Event. And the next one was not so bad as the first.
There's also a truckload of other things that I was very frustrated at in the beginning. But don't worry, whatever you're worrying about now will go away in time and you will have something new to be frustrated about. For example, like why on earth did the latest unit Odin special offer come with a random 5* awakening crystal instead of a generic 5* awakening crystal. Or why one T2 Alpha costs 15,000 units or US$500. (Yeah, those sorts of things you don't have a problem with at the moment). Glad I pulled a 5* Mystic Awakening or it would have been a terrible investment.
Just enjoy the game and don't rush through it. You will eventually get champs strong enough to go through end game content.
Your problems with the game will evolve as you progress. One day soon you will wonder why you even worried about having very few 4*s. When you get enough of them you will be frantic how you can rank all of them up even to rank 3 with the limited resources available.
I've reached and took 1/2 life of Juggernaut a few times in ROL and am already in the Chapter 4 Round 1 of RTL. Thing is, just like getting to the Collector, this takes some careful planning and timing. Saving up for units as well. I am going to finish ROL and RTL by the last week of December this year. Becoming Uncollected just boosts your confidence, overall, so I'm taking that confidence as I tackle ROL and RTL anew. I might also have my second rank 4 5* this weekend if I pull someone great like Voodoo or GwenPool and that will definitely help.
7. Are there specific resource "saving" strategies that is worth doing?
I am a monthly hoarder of sorts. I hoard Map 5 crystals, T4CC fragments, PHCs, 4* and 5* shards. I also hoard arena battlechips, loyalty and glory if there's no urgent need to use them. (I use glory to purchase alliance team revives and alliance healing potions if I do badly in AQ or AW). I also make it a point to open around 150-200 premium hero crystals on the first day of the month when new champs are introduced into the premiums, 4* and 5* basic crystals.
Hoarding resources actually helps because, psychologically speaking, you create an illusion of increasing the chance of getting something good. This as opposed to opening one crystal at a time and getting garbage.
There is really no verifiable proof that hoarding actually increases the odds of getting something good, except that by virtue of opening multiple vs single, you might actually get something good.
I do not recommend hoarding until you have at least 16 4*s (3 attack AW, 3 attack AQ, 5 Defender AW, 5 Questing). If you hoard before you reach 16 4*s, you will have a more difficult time get through content.
For resources, save all T1 Alpha, Tier 4 Basic, Tier 4 Class and Tier 2 Alpha. Use Tier 4 Class on 4* worthy or R5 or 5* worthy or R3 or R4. Use Tier 2 Alpha only on your absolute best 5* champ worth of R4. Tier 2 Alpha is the hardest resource to get (almost as hard as a 5* awakening). Do not rank or level up just because the solo event quest is on or because you want to contribute to SA. Not a good strategy. Rank and Level Up only if needed. An exception of course is when ISOs or catalysts are about to expire and then it might make sense to level up a 2* or 3* just so you don't waste expiring resources.
Max out your AW/AQ Attack 4* Champs first. All 4*s even the most useless ones should be at least Rank 3 to help contribute in the arena. All 3*s maxed to rank 4 when you're just starting out. 4*s will always be priority for leveling and ranking. 5*s only when you get top tier.
You can also save other more obtainable resources like gold and ISO by ranking and leveling only if needed. Gold and ISO farming is done best by completing the monthly quests - go as far as you can. And if you've done monthly quests just repeat short paths in the last story quest you went through (make sure it doesn't take too much energy).
There will be times in the future when you will go through a really dry spell and have a difficult time with some resources. For example, right now I'm out of T1 Alpha, of all things, so I just have to go through the week and have around 5 or 6 by the end of the week. Last week of last month I ran out of ISOs so I had to just keep on running the daily event Tier 3 Basic Catalyst to acquire as much as I can. (You get at least 8 x Tier 2 Basic ISO per run.)
8. Any other advice for us beginners?
a. Never sell any champ you get
This is an age old advice. Many still overlook this but be mindful of the temptation of selling champs for higher tier shards. The reason why you shouldn't sell champs is because someday not so long from now you will have most of the champs in the game (3*s and 4*s) and when you get dupe them the second time you will get a ISOs and higher tier shards. Every champ also adds up to your hero rating so that when you go out and look for a higher tier alliance, every champ will count towards your total hero rating.
b. Learn from those who have been there before
I used to work for this company that had this saying as one of their employee guidelines, "When in doubt, ask." There are many players in the forums always willing to share their knowledge on the game. Always ask if in doubt especially when rare resources are at stake.
c. Focus on Attack Champs first before Defense Champs
Your first priority is to build two great attack teams for AQ and AW. In the beginning you might have to use your top 3 attackers on AQ and second best attackers in AW, depending on which your alliance prioritizes. But try your best to get 6 really good attackers to handle both AW and AQ. Defense champs come next then questing champs. The last are the arena champs.
d. Remember what I said earlier: 16 is the magic number: 3 AQ attackers, 3 AW attackers, 5 AW defenders, and 5 Questing Champs. Of course on days when there is no AQ and/or AW, you can use your top 5 Champs (overall) in helping you with the quests.
e. Game changers:
Your first R4 4*
Your first AW/AQ with 3x R4 4*
Your first R5 4*
Your first AW/AQ with 3x R5 4*
Your first quest with 5 x R5 4*
Your first R4 5*
I'm guessing the next will be our first AW/AQ with 3xR4 5*
Note that the R4 5* champ changes things drastically especially when fighting bosses (15K and above).
f. Prestige and Alliance Prestige
You can add the MCOC prestige bot in the Line chat to find out your prestige. It is basically the average of the rating of your top 5 champs. Your personal rating contributes to your alliance's own prestige which is the average of the sum of the entire alliance's top 5 champs, IIRC. Alliance prestige determines your ranking in AQ and affects the rewards you get. Higher prestige means better rewards, overall.
I hope that Kabam will make extremely scarce resources like T2 Alphas, Tier 5 Catalysts, and similar tier resources become more available in due time. If 6*s are going to become available in late 2018 and become mainstream in late 2019 then 5* ranking resources shouldn't be THAT difficult to obtain.
There should be extra content that can be used to bridge the time between the next monthly arena. I am assuming that most of those who have reached Uncollected status finish Easy-Medium-Heroic-Master content within a couple of weeks. What to do until the next monthly event? The types of events like the Goldblum, Boss Rush and other similar extra monthly content should become mainstream in 2018.
I have suggested in another post to have a T4 Class Catalyst Master arena added in the daily T4CC event that will yield a few thousand T4CCs upon completion and exploration.
Kabam should also revisit points given to alliance events that don't make sense:
a. Same points for doing heroic event and master event
b. Same points for dueling a 4* vs a 5*
Future deals should also consider the logical progression into the introduction of 6* heroes, and less money grab in nature. The 15,000 units for the Cyber Monday special was nothing less than a scam even for those who can afford it. (Sorry Mike, but that's the truth right?) That is theoretically US$500 to get that deal for those who cannot possibly grind that much in arena to get 15,000 units. A US$500 "investment" should get you enough resources to rank 1 5* to rank 4, at the minimum, so it should have had at least 4 Tier 2 Alphas. Even at this level of exaggerated generosity, that kind of money is still way too much even for those who can afford it.
Finally, rewards for monthly events should start becoming more "6* anticipation" friendly.
10. Any final words?
Don't get too caught up in the game like I am. There is much more to life than this oxymoronically awesome but sadly addictive game. Have fun and enjoy the process of growth. Savor the times you've made great strides and reached a major milestone, and the times you feel like you've stagnated and are going nowhere. It's usually when you hit a non-growth zone when you'll be reaching you next major milestone.
Don't fret too much when you get Kamala Khan as your first 5*. It took me 7 **** 5*s before pulling 5* Magik. And the next one was also ****.
Find an alliance where you can both grow and have fun in. Stay away from alliances that are packed with rude, egotistical and uncooperative members NO MATTER how high their rating is. You want to join an alliance suitable for your current rank and where there's lots of room to grow. I would rather be in the middle of the top and bottom members. If you're in the top you will be expected to do most of the killing usually, and if you're in the bottom you will have the most difficult time in AQ and AW (unless you're a natural boss killer).
Spend time learning about game dynamics especially the different ways to fight smart. Ground and pound usually works but you'll need god tier champs to make such brutal offensive work. Otherwise, go in high tier fights with lots of patience. Time your attacks well so you don't end up getting SP3d by Hyperion because you weren't paying attention to his power gain.
Prioritize monthly events over Act 4 if you have just begun Act 4. Act 4 isn't going away and neither is Act 5. Your first objective to ensuring that you can actually finish Act 4 is being able to complete Master level monthly quests. And the monthly quests are also a fine way to get those ultra rare T2 Alpha shards.
Build fighting confidence by becoming comfortable fighting champs double, triple or even quadruple your own hero's rating. You don't always need to match the recommended power index of a specific quest to succeed in completing it. Otherwise, Realm of Legends or Labyrinth of Legends won't ever be possible for anyone. Even if you're totally not ready for it, give ROL a shot by engaging Winter Soldier and seeing how much damage you can do. Sooner or later you'll find out that ROL isn't as hard as you imagine it to be. Do the same for RTL and try to get as far as you can without spending any units for revives.
There's much more for me to share but there's just too much information to be packed in one writing. But I believe I've covered the most of the things that will help you get started and reach that point where you have gotten comfortable enough to reach end game content without being very frustrated. Please be compassionate in your feedback as I've basically spent almost a whole day writing this. (Haha, but it's okay if you want to be mean).
I wish you all the best on your journey in The Contest.
Have fun and good luck.
Raffster (aka Valroz)
Hoping this thread stays high on the forums, as there is so much helpful stuff.
I have hard time thinking that beginners even intermediate players will want to read a novel on a game they just recently downloaded.
It's all really good info though, and I hope I'm wrong. Cheers
Thanks so much, mum_m2. Much appreciated. I realize that this is long indeed. I suppose the read will be worth it once new players start to feel the first phase of difficulty. I used to write lengthy guides on another game back in the early 2000s. I'm a journalism graduate but never got to use my degree in the things I did after graduating from college so when I ever have the opportunity to write, I do. Haha.
Peace out.
By the time I did I only got one arena in before I left beginner. Karnak. Ah good times.
I spend way too much time on this game, Mrbeast6000. LIke I said in my post, what matters most is the top 16 champs you have. You can totally be 400K rating but have really bad 16 top champs. I'd rather be 150K rating with excellent top 16 champs.
Here's what I'm working with after 9 months:
Hi supremewarlord,
Truth be told having lots of time is crucial for this game. Grinding in the arena in the beginning is almost mandatory because it's the only way you can get the 4*s and resources without spending a truckload of money on units to buy champions. If you have time on the weekends it would be ideal to at least get one basic champ each week until you build enough teams to get a basic champ 2x/week.
I hope you will find the rest of the guide informative and can help you progress avoiding the potholes I stumbled on when I first started.
Good luck.
Thanks for the kind words, caligarelinquo. Much appreciated feedback. I hope that the ultra long info can still help you wherever you're at in your journey.
Thanks so much for the kind words. Much appreciated.
This is really a very good info for most of us. Really I thank you for that.
And I noticed one more thing. Someone said about their game play.
I wish to share my game play too..
Since, January 2017 I'm playing this game. I got 21- 4 stars and 2- 5 stars. Now only I reached level 47 and total rating is 99K.
Problem is, that I don't have even one mutant 4 star.
Suggest me, how to get 4 star mutant champ. Thanks..
Why bother when you have Medusa and DUPED Star-Lord?!
Anyway,it depends on crystal RNG,I don't have a single skill 4*.
So,When you open another 4* crystal or summat',You might get a Mutant.
I wish i knew that earlier
Thank you for the kind words, Kesurendra,
There is no sure way to get any specific mutant in this game unless Kabam makes a paid for offer for a specific champ. That comes around like 1x a year if we're lucky at all.
Everything you get from crystals are all random. There is absolutely no way we can be sure what we're going to get. Sometimes we can get extremely luck (like when you got Medusa) or extremely unlucky (when you got Kamala Khan).
To succeed in this game you need lots of patience, and if you want to progress faster than the average active player, have some money to spend on deals that makes the most sense for your current level.