Without any doubt, Marvel remains the ruler of entertainment for superhero content. Fans can expect Marvel to dominate as they expand the MCU and feature heroes and villains that have never had a chance to be on the big screen. The gaming industry has also had its share of well-received titles like Marvel's Spider-Man and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. Even mobile gaming fans have plenty of Marvel-style games to choose from, the most popular being Marvel Contest of Champions and Marvel Future Fight.
In Marvel Contest of Champions, players choose from hundreds of different heroes and villains to fight off the forces of evil. Aside from selecting a hero/villain, players must also pick Masteries that'll either make or break their team. But, players can only choose a select number of them, so choosing the right ones is critical if they want to win.
8 Offense - Precision
- Increases Critical Rating of All Champions
New players may seem drawn to invest their Mastery points into Greater Strength or Lesser Precision/Cruelty since they are unlocked early on, but the main goal of all players is to unlock Precision and Cruelty. Precision affects the Critical Rating of all Champions, which means even a 3-Star Champion can dish out a massive amount of damage with each hit.
While Strength or Greater Strength increases overall Damage Rating, it isn't nearly enough damage compared to Critical Damage. So by investing 5 Mastery points into Precision, players will boost all of their Champions Critical Rating by 425.
7 Offense - Cruelty
- Increases Critical Damage of All Champions
Maxing out the Precision Mastery means nothing if a player doesn't also invest in Cruelty as it increases Critical Damage Rating. Cruelty will increase Critical Damage by 475 points at max level, so Champions like Red Hulk, Hulk, and Abomination can deal massive amounts of damage thanks to their Critical Boost synergies.
Newcomers to Marvel Contest of Champions that want to take their overall Critical Damage Rating to a new level can invest in Lesser Cruelty as it increases it by 150 points. But, later on, players should reinvest these Mastery points to a better slot as the number of Mastery attributes is limited.
6 Defense - Salve
- Passively Recover Health for 60 Seconds
One of the best defensive abilities a Champion can have in MCOC is Healing, which is why any 5-Star Champion with a Healing ability is considered the best by the community. Salve is a must-have Mastery in the Defense Tree since it heals Champions for the first 60 seconds of a match.
While it only heals 4 HP, it amounts to 240 HP recovered, which can turn the odds in a player's favor. But, players should keep in mind that this Mastery doesn't affect Robot-type Champions like Ultron. Fortunately, some Champions have specific abilities that cater to Robot-type characters, so players should consider using them if they plan to use a Robot Champ.
5 Defense - Recovery
- Increases Health Recovery from Any Source
Undoubtedly, the most important Mastery for players to max in Marvel Contest of Champions is Recovery since it increases Health Recovery from any source (passive, buff, or ability-based). Once players max this Mastery, all of their Champions will receive an increase in healing by 15% throughout the entire match.
As players can expect, Salve's passive Health Recovery is also affected by this Mastery, making it even more effective. Champions with passive Healing abilities like Wolverine or Iron Man benefit the most from Recovery, so players deciding to invest in it should consider using an all-healing team.
4 Defense - Block Proficiency
- Increases Block Proficiency
Most casual players tend to "button mash" their way to win a match, ignoring one of the most crucial mechanics of Marvel Contest of Champions (and any Fighting game): Blocking. Players who master the art of Blocking will be able to survive against fights that may seem impossible to beat, all thanks to Blocking since it reduces the incoming damage by quite a bit.
The Block Proficiency Mastery further reduces the incoming damage by 15% (once maxed). But, of course, this Mastery is only helpful if a player knows how to Block efficiently. Fortunately, players can practice their Blocking skills by re-playing easier campaign stages or in the various timed events.
3 Defense - Stand Your Ground
- Increases Block Break Resistance
Even if a player masters the art of Blocking, there will always be a slight chance that a rival Champion breaks the Block, thus causing the player's Champion to get knocked down. In Marvel Contest of Champions, that's called Block Break, and some Champions have specific synergies that increase the chance of Block Break.
That's where Stand Your Ground becomes a crucial Mastery to max, as it increases the chance of resisting Block Break. Once maxed, a Champion has a 50% chance of resisting Block Break. Some players decide not to invest in this Mastery as they find it useless later in the game, but for new players, this Mastery can be clutch in certain situations.
2 Proficiencies - Limber
- Reduces Stun Duration
One of the most annoying Debuffs in Marvel Contest of Champions is Stun, which leaves a player's Champion vulnerable to attacks. On top of that, some Champions have abilities that can stun-lock a character for 5 seconds which is more than enough to K.O them.
And even though the Proficiencies Mastery tree doesn't have too many options that benefit a player, there are two that are well worth a player's Mastery points. The first Mastery players should master is Limber since it reduces the duration of Stun by 48% (once maxed). This Mastery would be very helpful in Marvel's Spider-Man, especially for the Electro boss fight, due to his skills that stun the player.
1 Proficiencies - Stupefy
- Increases Stun Duration
As already mentioned, Stun is one of the worse Debuffs a player's Champion can receive, which is why Stupefy is a must-have for any player. Stupefy increases Stun duration by .5 seconds (once maxed), allowing the player to dish out quite a bit of damage before their rival recovers.
Players can take full advantage of stunning a Champion by following up with a Skill attack or even an Ultimate, leaving the opposing Champion either K.O'ed or close to it. But, of course, not all Champions can Stun, so players should choose their team lineup carefully beforehand.
Marvel Contest of Champions is available now for Android and iOS.