Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order was the surprise Nintendo Switch-exclusive continuation to the storied Marvel-based action-RPG series. It brings the alliance back together to fight Thanos and his minions and brings together members of the Avengers, Defenders, Champions, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, and even the Fantastic Four in the DLC
One of the keystone battle tactics in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is the Synergy Attack. It takes the specialties of different superheroes and combines them for a devastating attack on the villains and minions that assail them. However, not all Synergy Attacks were created equal, and each one has its strengths and weaknesses in the world of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3.
Updated on September 18th, 2021 by Josh Davison: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order is still the most recent and graphically updated large-scale Marvel superheroes title to have been released on the Switch. The Midnight Suns game on the horizon will hopefully supplant and even improve upon the idea of large-scale action with several Marvel superheroes at the player's disposal. However, until then, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is what is out there, and it's very enjoyable. One of its centerpiece mechanics is the Synergy Attack, which allows two heroes to work together and unleash a devastating assault on the dangerous enemies found throughout the game. However, choosing which heroes to use and what Synergy Attacks to prioritize can become a complicated prospect.
14 Ricochet Creates A Nexus Of Dangerous Projectiles
Richochet is a fairly basic variety of Synergy Attack. It requires a character with the Rapid-Fire trait and a character with either the Safeguard, Area Assault, Barrage, and/or Whirlwind trait. The end result is an area of effect attack that launches projectiles around the room to hit whatever targets are in the area.
Most Synergy Attacks are AoE-type attacks, but the best ones have more coverage or are more focused than Richochet. While all Synergy Attacks are powerful, and Richochet is by no means a useless ability, one has to be the least good. That dubious honor, unfortunately, falls upon Richochet.
- Rapid-Fire Heroes: Black Widow, Deadpool, Doctor Doom, Elektra, Elsa Bloodstone, Falcon, Gambit, Gamora, Invisible Woman, Magneto, Miles Morales, Punisher, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man, Venom Wasp
- Heroes with Safeguard, Area Assault, Barrage, and/or Whirlwind: Black Panther, Blade, Cable, Captain America, Colossus, Crystal, Daredevil, Drax, Elektra, Gamora, Ghost Rider, Iron Man, Loki, Luke Cage, Mister Fantastic, Moon Knight, Morbius, Ms. Marvel, Nightcrawler, Punisher, Rocket & Groot, Spider-Gwen, Star-Lord, Storm, Thor, Wolverine, Wasp
13 Crash Sweeps The Room With Smashing Attacks
This Synergy Attack is a bit more thorough in its area of effect than Richochet, and it requires two heroes with the Area Assault and/or Barrage trait. With a name like Crash, one is probably expecting something pretty spectacular, and, while this one isn't one of the best, it does deliver somewhat.
The end result is a series of quakes that hit throughout the room. It's still a little too indirect and not quite thorough enough to be a higher-tier attack, but it's a start. That said, being able to spread out further than Richochet puts Crash in a higher position than the previous Synergy Attack.
- Heroes with Area Assault and/or Barrage: Black Panther, Blade, Colossus, Daredevil, Drax, Elektra, Gamora, Ghost Rider, Iron Man, Luke Cage, Mister Fantastic, Moon Knight, Morbius, Ms. Marvel, Nightcrawler, Punisher, Rocket & Groot, Spider-Gwen, Thor, Wolverine
12 Element Barrage Fires Off A Full Tornado
Element Barrage requires a character with either the Barrage or Area Assault trait and a hero with either an Elemental (Burn, Shock, or Freeze) or Whirlwind trait. It creates either an elemental tornado or a series of slashing attacks of the character's element. The idea is that the Barrage or Area Assault character is spreading out the Elemental or Whirlwind character's power.
This attack is a solid option and can give some much-needed focus to the Synergy Attack, making it a decent choice against bosses and mini-bosses. It can be a little difficult to direct, but it's still a worthwhile attack choice when dealing with a boss.
- Heroes with the Barrage and/or Area Assault Trait: Black Panther, Blade, Colossus, Daredevil, Drax, Elektra, Gamora, Ghost Rider, Iron Man, Luke Cage, Mister Fantastic, Moon Knight, Morbius, Ms. Marvel, Nightcrawler, Punisher, Rocket & Groot, Spider-Gwen, Thor, Wolverine
- Heroes with an Elemental (Burn, Shock, or Freeze) and/or Whirlwind Trait: Black Widow, Crystal, Doctor Doom, Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider, Hawkeye, Human Torch, Iceman, Loki, Miles Morales, Phoenix, Star-Lord, Storm, Thor, Wasp
11 Shockwave Tosses Around The Bad Guys
Shockwave is a Synergy that can be performed by any two characters with the Bash and/or Charge trait. Bash and Charge heroes can also perform Shockwave by combining with a Safeguard or Launch Hero. There is also the corner case where a Bash and Slam hero can perform Shockwave.
Like Crash, it's another area of effect attack in which the two heroes create a massive, well, shockwave that hits all enemies in the surrounding area. It beats out Crash, though, by sweeping the area in one fell swoop as opposed to intermittent quake-type attacks. That single and thorough attack can really be quite a live-saver compared to something that doesn't immediately sweep the room. Crash just doesn't quite live up to Shockwave.
- Bash and/or Charge Heroes: Black Panther, Blade, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Colossus, Cyclops, Daredevil, Deadpool, Drax, Elektra, Elsa Bloodstone, Falcon, Gamora, Ghost Rider, Hawkeye, Hulk, Human Torch, Iceman, Iron Fist, Invisible Woman, Iron Man, Luke Cage, Magneto, Miles Morales, Mister Fantastic, Morbius, Ms. Marvel, Phoenix, Psylocke, Punisher, Spider-Gwen, The Thing, Thor, Venom, Wolverine, Wasp
- Safeguard and/or Launch Heroes: Blade, Cable, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Colossus, Crystal, Cyclops, Falcon, Iron Fist, Invisible Woman, Moon Knight, Psylocke, Venom, Wolverine
- Slam Heroes: Black Widow, Colossus, Drax, Falcon, Gamora, Hulk, Iceman, Luke Cage, Miles Morales, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, Nightcrawler, Rocket & Groot, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man, The Thing, Thanos, Wasp
10 Eruption Blasts Villains Across The Room
Eruption is a Synergy between a Marvel hero with the Slame trait and another character with the Explosive trait. These two heroes create a massive explosion that sweeps the area. The concept lies in the Slam character spreading out the Explosive character's weapons.
This is another strong area of effect attack that can knock down hordes of enemies and deals a lot of damage. It's a destructive move that can turn the tide of battle in the right situations. Eruption is also a visually impressive move that's thoroughly fun to watch too.
- Slam Heroes: Black Widow, Cable, Colossus, Drax, Falcon, Gamora, Hulk, Human Torch, Iceman, Luke Cage, Miles Morales, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, Nightcrawler, Rocket & Groot, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man, The Thing, Thanos, Wasp
- Explosive Heroes: Black Widow, Deadpool, Elektra, Gambit, Hawkeye, Psylocke, Rocket & Groot
9 Coalesce Fires Off An Elemental Whirlwind
Coalesce requires a hero with the Whirlwind trait and any Elemental trait. It creates an elemental Whirlwind that tears through the surrounding area and heavily damages anyone in its path. The player can control the direction of the resulting attack for its duration.
This is a powerful and focused attack that can be useful against bosses and minibosses unlike many of the other Synergy Attacks. Being more multi-purpose is something that gives Coalesce the edge over the previously discussed Synergy Attacks.
- Whirlwind Heroes: Crystal, Loki, Star-Lord, Storm, Wasp
- Elemental Heroes (Shock, Freeze, or Burn): Black Widow, Crystal, Doctor Doom, Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider, Hawkeye, Human Torch, Iceman, Loki, Miles Morales, Phoenix, Star-Lord, Storm, Thor
8 Catalyst Is A Focused Assault On A Boss Bad Guy
This attack requires a hero with the Bash, Charge, and/or Slam trait and someone else with any Elemental trait. This Synergy creates another Whirlwind-like attack with a larger range than the prior similar moves. That greater range means that Catalyst can sweep up some of the minions that are likely backing up the main boss in a room.
This one isn't quite as sweeping as other attacks such as Eruption and Shockwave, but it can focus its damage while still hitting a relatively large area. Its ability to focus on a boss enemy while still damaging their henchmen is what sets it apart from Coalesce.
- Heroes with Bash, Slam, and/or Charge: Black Panther, Black Widow, Blade, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Colossus, Cyclops, Daredevil, Deadpool, Drax, Elektra, Elsa Bloodstone, Falcon, Gamora, Ghost Rider, Hawkeye, Hulk, Human Torch, Iceman, Iron Fist, Invisible Woman, Iron Man, Luke Cage, Miles Morales, Mister Fantastic, Moon Knight, Morbius, Ms. Marvel, Nightcrawler, Phoenix, Psylocke, Punisher, Rocket & Groot, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man, The Thing, Thanos, Thor, Venom, Wolverine, Wasp
- Elemental Heroes (Burn, Shock, or Freeze): Black Widow, Crystal, Doctor Doom, Doctor Srange, Ghost Rider, Hawkeye, Human Torch, Iceman, Loki, Miles Morales, Phoenix, Star-Lord, Storm, Thor
7 Scatter Shot Spreads Out Explosive Weapons On Your Enemies
The Scatter Shot attack is a Synergy between two heroes with the Rapid Fire trait and is very similar to the Ricochet Synergy with one significant difference: Scatter Shot's projectile attacks explode. That gives it a definitive edge over Richochet and doles out more devastating damage.
This increases the area affected by the Scatter Shot attack and boosts its usefulness. It also makes it more likely to knock down and stun enemies, giving the Marvel heroes some precious moments to press the attack and maintain an advantage.
- Rapid Fire Heroes: Black Widow, Deadpool, Doctor Doom, Elektra, Elsa Bloodstone, Falcon, Gambit, Gamora, Invisible Woman, Magneto, Miles Morales, Punisher, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man, Venom, Wasp
6 Surge Launches Enemies Into The Air
Surge is a Synergy Attack created by two heroes with the Launch trait or a hero with the Launch trait with a hero of an Elemental trait. It's another sweeping attack like Shockwave but has the added benefit of shooting enemies into the air, leaving them off-balance for further attacks once the Synergy is finished.
It's both an area of effect and a stunning attack that leaves an opening for the player's heroes to lay into the bad guys. Keeping enemies stunned is an indispensable advantage in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, as one would be surprised how quickly some of the mob enemies can deal out damage.
- Launch Heroes: Blade, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Crystal, Cyclops, Falcon, Iron Fist, Invisible Woman, Moon Knight, Psylocke, Venom, Wolverine
- Elemental Heroes (Burn, Shock, or Freeze): Black Widow, Crystal, Doctor Doom, Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider, Hawkeye, Human Torch, Iceman, Loki, Miles Morales, Phoenix, Star-Lord, Storm, Thor
5 Reflect Sweeps Out A Laser Blast From The Heroes
Reflect is a Synergy between a hero with the Beam trait and another character with the Barrage, Safeguard, Area Assault, and/or Whirlwind trait. The resulting attack spreads a beam of energy over the surrounding area, becoming a fairly targeted yet still wide-sweeping attack.
For a better visual, think of what Captain America and Iron Man do during the big New York fight in 2012's Marvel's Avengers. The ability to aim and direct the beam is what gives this Synergy Attack an edge over many of the prior discussed moves. It's also a tad less chaotic than the whirlwind-type moves, making it more focused.
- Beam Heroes: Cable, Captain Marvel, Cyclops, Doctor Doom, Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Rocket & Groot, Thanos
- Heroes with Safeguard, Barrage, Area Assault, and/or Whirlwind Trait: Black Panther, Blade, Cable, Captain America, Colossus, Crystal, Daredevil, Drax, Elektra, Gamora, Ghost Rider, Iron Man, Loki, Luke Cage, Mister Fantastic, Moon Knight, Morbius, Ms. Marvel, Nightcrawler, Punisher, Rocket & Groot, Spider-Gwen, Star-Lord, Storm, Thor, Wolverine, Wasp
4 Mega Blast Is The Ultimate Hero Sweeping Attack
The Mega Blast is a Synergy combination created by a hero with a Burn, Shock, Burst, or Beam trait and someone else with the Explosive trait. It creates a clustered explosion that deals a lot of damage over the surrounding area. It's another visually spectacular move as well, which scores it some style points.
This is also another good sweeping attack that can really dole out the damage to a lot of enemies, yet its clustered nature still allows the player to try and hit someone hard in the epicenter of the attack. It's overall a sweeping move, but its multipurpose nature makes it really useful.
- Heroes with Burn, Shock, Burst, and/or Beam Trait: Black Widow, Cable, Captain Marvel, Crystal, Cyclops, Doctor Doom, Doctor Strange, Gambit, Ghost Rider, Hawkeye, Human Torch, Iron Fist, Iron Man, Loki, Magneto, Miles Morales, Moon Knight, Phoenix, Psylocke, Punisher, Rocket & Groot, Scarlet Witch, Star-Lord, Storm, Thanos, Thor
- Explosive Heroes: Black Widow, Deadpool, Elektra, Gambit, Hawkeye, Psylocke, Rocket & Groot
3 Resonant Blast Creates A Vast And Dangerous Energy Orb
The Resonant Blast requires two heroes with the Beam trait. Together, the characters create a large orb of energy that damages anything within it. This is another attack that is both focused and sweeping, making it versatile. Most of the very best Synergy Attacks in the game have that quality.
This makes it another attack that is useful while dealing with a lot of minions or when the player has to bring down a boss. Even leaving bosses aside, the tougher henchmen enemies can take some work to bring down as well, so attacks like this have more usage than one might initially expect.
- Beam Heroes: Cable, Captain Marvel, Cyclops, Doctor Doom, Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Rocket & Groot, Thanos
2 Calamity Is A Focused Exploding Tornado
This is a Synergy created by a hero with the Whirlwind trait and another personality with the Whirlwind, Slam, Burst, Launch, and/or Bash traits. The two heroes together create a tornado that explodes, which is pretty terrifying to think about. Yet, it's also really fun to watch too.
This one gets a lot of points for style, but it also earns its slot by being a focused attack that can still do some high damage to any number of minions that get caught in its path. However, the ability to control the tornado is what makes it devastating for a boss enemy.
- Whirlwind Heroes: Crystal, Loki, Star-Lord, Storm, Wasp,
- Heroes with Bash, Burst, Slam, and/or Launch Trait: Black Panther, Black Widow, Blade, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Colossus, Crystal, Cyclops, Doctor Doom, Drax, Elsa Bloodstone, Falcon, Gambit, Gamora, Hulk, Human Torch, Iceman, Iron Fist, Invisible Woman, Iron Man, Loki, Luke Cage, Magneto, Miles Morales, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, Nightcrawler, Phoenix, Psylocke, Punisher, Rocket & Groot, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man, Storm, The Thing, Thanos, Venom, Wolverine, Wasp
1 Tremor Is A Sweeping Attack With A Devastating Center
Finally, there is the Tremor, which is an attack created by two heroes with the Slam trait. It's a great move for a boss battle, as it deals a ton of damage at the epicenter of the Tremor. However, it can still help with large amounts of enemies, as it staggers anyone in the wider area.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 doesn't offer many really focused and target Synergies compared to the area of effect attacks. With that in mind, Tremor becomes a solid choice for being a bit of both and perhaps the best targeted Synergy Attack in the game.
- Slam Heroes: Black Widow, Colossus, Drax, Falcon, Gamora, Hulk, Iceman, Luke Cage, Miles Morales, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, Nightcrawler, Rocket & Groot, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man, The Thing, Thanos, Wasp