Agatha Harkness

Villain| Global| Global| Support| Darkhold| Nightstalker One of the most powerful witches alive, Agatha Harkness is a centuries-old survivor of the Salem Witch Trials who uses her potent spells to debilitate her enemies.

Character Abilities

Assist/Counter Info

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Witchcraft

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Binding Enchantment

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Runescape

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Salem Survivor

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Marvel Strike Force Agatha Harkness is a powerful Mystic support and damage dealer.

Her Basic ability, Witchcraft, deals piercing damage and adds bonus damage against Mystic enemies, while granting Deflect to herself and all Darkhold and Nightstalker allies. The T4 upgrade boosts this damage further.

Her Special, Blinding Enchantment, deals piercing damage and applies Slow; if the target is already Slowed or Stunned, she delivers bonus attacks and can apply Stun, with a T4 that increases all piercing damage by 60%.

Her Ultimate, Runescape, hits all enemies with piercing damage, follows up with two bonus attacks, applies Heal Block and Offense Down, heals her team, and grants Barrier based on her Max Health. It also Stuns the highest damage Hero Mystic Blaster or Controller (except Odin, who is immune), and the T4 increases Barrier strength.

Her Passive, Salem Survivor, grants 2 Deathproof on spawn and activates powerful support when an ally drops below 30% Health clearing Disrupted, flipping 4 negative effects, applying buffs, and granting Barrier. She also provides 25% Drain to Darkhold and Nightstalker allies and applies Stealth to any ally with Taunt at the end of a turn. Additionally, she has a finishing passive that triggers when an enemy drops below 30% Health, dealing piercing damage, flipping 3 buffs, applying Disrupted, and giving Deflect to her team—making her a reliable finisher and strong defensive asset.

T4 Priority

Agatha Harkness's T4 upgrades can greatly enhance her performance, especially within Darkhold and Nightstalker teams. Prioritizing the right T4s is key to maximizing her effectiveness in battle.

The Salem Survivor (Passive) T4 upgrade is the highest priority for Agatha, particularly when using her in Darkhold and Nightstalker teams. The 25% Drain it provides to all Darkhold and Nightstalker allies is essential for the team's sustain in extended fights, as these teams often lack consistent healing. The Drain allows them to heal based on the damage they inflict, significantly increasing their longevity in battle.

The Runescape (Ultimate) T4 is also a high priority. This upgrade increases the Barrier amount by 20%, further improving the team’s survivability, especially in longer fights. The additional stun applied to the highest damage Hero Mystic Blaster or Controller adds valuable crowd control, making this Ultimate even more impactful against key threats in the Arena.

The T4 upgrades for the Witchcraft (Basic) and Blinding Enchantment (Special) abilities are generally considered lower priority in comparison to the Passive and Ultimate. While these upgrades enhance Agatha's damage output, damage is not her primary role within the Darkhold and Nightstalker teams. If resources are limited, it is advisable to focus on the Passive and Ultimate T4 upgrades first, as they provide more significant benefits to the team's overall performance, supporting both offensive and defensive needs.

Iso-8 Class

Raider is the recommended Iso-8 class for Agatha Harkness due to the multi-hit nature of her Ultimate and Special abilities. These abilities give her more chances to trigger the Raider class's bonus attacks, enhancing her damage output. Furthermore, pairing her with Doctor Strange, whose passive ability boosts Agatha's crit chance and crit damage, makes this synergy even more powerful. Doctor Strange’s passive grants her a 50% crit chance and 50% crit damage, which increases to 90% crit chance and 200% crit damage when she’s using the Raider class. This combination is particularly effective against high-armor targets, as Agatha’s kit focuses on piercing damage.

Skirmisher is another potential Iso-8 class for Agatha Harkness, as it boosts the application of negative effects, which is an important part of her kit. However, with her Focus stat significantly increased after the Nightstalkers rework, Skirmisher is less necessary. Additionally, testing has shown that Skirmisher does not function with Wong's counterattack, making it a less effective choice for Agatha.

Healer is a viable option for Agatha, especially on a Nightstalkers team. The level 3 Healer Iso-8 allows Agatha to clear Vulnerable effects from her allies, providing additional support and enhancing the team’s survivability.

Overall, the best Iso-8 class for Agatha Harkness depends on the team composition and specific game mode. Raider is a strong all-around choice, while Skirmisher and Healer can be more niche options depending on the team’s needs.

Team Synergies

Agatha Harkness's kit synergizes exceptionally well with both the Darkhold and Nightstalkers teams, amplifying their strengths and mitigating their weaknesses, making her a pivotal character in both offensive and defensive strategies.

Darkhold Synergy: Amplifying Mystical Power
Within the Darkhold team, Agatha's contributions enhance both their offense and defense. A key aspect of her role is the 25% Drain she provides to all Darkhold allies through her passive ability, Salem Survivor. This passive healing is essential as the Darkhold team lacks consistent healing options. The Drain, combined with Scarlet Witch's healing and potentially Dormammu’s support, ensures the team can sustain prolonged battles in challenging game modes like Raids and Arena.

Agatha also supports the Darkhold team's defenses with her ability to provide Barrier through her Ultimate ability, Runescape, and her passive ability when an ally falls below 30% health. This, along with the team's high Resistance, makes them incredibly durable, able to withstand significant damage. The T4 upgrade for Runescape further amplifies the Barrier, making it an even stronger defensive tool.

Agatha's high base Focus stat allows her to reliably apply debuffs like Slow and Stun. This Focus boosts synergy with other Darkhold members, such as Heartless and Wong, who capitalize on enemy debuffs to inflict additional damage. Furthermore, her passive grants a 50% Focus boost to the entire team, ensuring that debuffs land consistently.

Her Witchcraft (Basic) attack deals additional damage to Mystic targets, making Agatha a powerful counter against prevalent Mystic threats in the Arena, especially teams featuring characters like the Eternals. Agatha's Runescape Ultimate also stuns the highest-damage Hero Mystic Blaster or Controller, effectively neutralizing threats like Silver Surfer and Cosmic Ghost Rider, which are common on top Arena teams.

Nightstalkers Synergy: Hunting in the Shadows
Agatha Harkness integrates seamlessly into the Nightstalkers team, augmenting their overall effectiveness. The 25% Drain from Agatha’s passive is especially vital here, as Nightstalkers often rely on prolonged battles. This constant healing allows the team to remain aggressive and outlast their enemies without succumbing to damage.

Her ability to provide Barrier and Stealth further enhances the Nightstalkers' survivability, enabling them to stay in the fight longer and execute their offensive strategies with greater success. Agatha’s Slow and Stun effects, combined with debuffs from other Nightstalkers like Blade and Moon Knight, create a robust control synergy that disrupts the enemy team's actions, giving the Nightstalkers more control over the battle.

Overall Impact: A Vital Addition
Agatha Harkness is a critical component of both the Darkhold and Nightstalkers teams. Her unique ability to provide sustain, defense, control, and focused damage solidifies her as an invaluable asset in various game modes, ensuring that both teams are top contenders in the current meta.

Building Agatha Harkness

Successfully building Agatha Harkness in Marvel Strike Force involves understanding her abilities, optimizing her gear and skills, and leveraging her synergies with Darkhold and Nightstalker teams. This guide will help you maximize her effectiveness in various game modes, ensuring she becomes a formidable force on your roster.

To unlock Agatha Harkness in Marvel Strike Force, players must participate in milestone events like "Witches Coven" or purchase her shards through in-game offers or orbs. To maximize her potential, she should be geared to at least Tier 14 using items like Mystic Books.

Key T4 ability upgrades include Salem Survivor (for healing via Drain) and Runescape (for stronger Barriers and Stun), while her Basic and Special upgrades are lower priority.

The Raider Iso-8 class is ideal due to synergy with her multi-hit abilities, though Skirmisher and Healer are situationally useful. Higher Red Stars significantly boost her healing and shielding, making her even more impactful. She shines most on Darkhold and Nightstalkers teams, where her support and control make these lineups highly competitive in modes like Arena and Blitz.

Dark Dimension Prospects

Agatha Harkness shows strong potential in Marvel Strike Force’s Dark Dimension thanks to her healing (via 25% Drain), Barriers, and control effects like Stun and Slow. These abilities make her especially effective in early Dark Dimension stages (1–3), where gear requirements are lower and team sustain is critical. Her Mystic damage can also help against Mystic enemies in specific nodes. However, her usefulness declines in later stages (4–5 and beyond) due to strict trait requirements and high gear demands, which may require alternative team setups that don’t fully benefit from her synergy. For best results, prioritize her gear and key T4 upgrades, and be ready to adjust teams based on evolving meta and stage-specific needs.

Conclusion

Agatha Harkness is a powerful support character in Marvel Strike Force, especially effective in Darkhold and Nightstalkers teams due to her healing, barriers, and control abilities. She performs well in modes like Arena and Blitz, with potential in early Dark Dimension stages, though her high gear demands and team-specific synergy may limit late-game versatility. Key build priorities include T4 upgrades for her passive and ultimate, and the Raider Iso-8 class for synergy with multi-hit attacks. While she’s a strong investment for players focused on those teams, others may prefer more flexible options based on their roster and goals.

Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q)

🧙‍♀️ Who is Agatha Harkness?

Agatha Harkness is a centuries-old witch from the Salem Witch Trials era, known for her mastery over mystic arts. In Marvel Strike Force, she serves as a support character with abilities that enhance healing, provide barriers, and apply debuffs, making her a valuable asset in various team compositions.

🔓 How Do I Unlock Agatha Harkness?

Agatha Harkness can be unlocked through special events such as “Witches Coven” and “Arcane Witchery,” which offer her character shards as milestone rewards. These events typically involve participating in Blitz battles and spending Power Cores to progress through milestones. Additionally, you can acquire Agatha Harkness shards through special offers in the in-game store, often requiring real-money purchases. Agatha Harkness orbs are also available in the Supply Store, providing opportunities to obtain her shards along with other valuable resources.

🧬 Which Iso-8 Class Should I Use?

Raider: Recommended due to her multi-hit ultimate and special abilities, which synergize well with critical hit bonuses. This class enhances her overall effectiveness. ​
Skirmisher: Can be considered to enhance the application of negative effects. However, Agatha's high Focus stat after the Nightstalkers rework makes this less necessary.
Healer: Particularly useful when playing Agatha on Nightstalkers teams, as it allows her to clear Vulnerable effects from her allies and adds additional support.

⚠️ What Are Agatha's Limitations?

Gear Requirements: Advancing Agatha to higher Gear Tiers requires significant investment, which might compete with other Mystic characters.
Team Composition: While Agatha synergizes well with Darkhold and Nightstalker teams, these teams may not be optimal for all Dark Dimension stages.