Introduction

Black Widow is a highly skilled controller character in Marvel Strike Force, renowned for her exceptional speed, stealth, and her ability to disrupt enemies with precision. In this Marvel Strike Force Black Widow Guide, we highlight how she may not be the highest damage dealer in the game, but her utility and strategic impact in battle make her an invaluable asset. One of her standout features is her ability to control the flow of combat, significantly altering the course of a match with her abilities such as Speed Up and Stun. These abilities can give her team the upper hand, allowing them to act faster and outmaneuver the opposition. Black Widow’s impressive utility doesn’t stop there.

She also has the ability to clear positive effects from enemies, disabling buffs that could otherwise turn the tide in the opponent’s favor. In addition, her ability to steal buffs from enemies further enhances her role as a disruptive force.

These traits make Black Widow a key character in various game modes, including Arena, Raids, and War, where timing and strategy are critical. Her versatility shines as she can not only control the enemy’s actions but also provide support for her allies by improving their effectiveness. Whether you’re looking to debuff enemies, provide strategic speed advantages, or protect your team by taking away powerful enemy buffs, Black Widow’s skill set ensures that she is a valuable and often irreplaceable member of any player’s roster.

These abilities can give her team the upper hand, allowing them to act faster and outmaneuver the opposition. Black Widow’s impressive utility doesn’t stop there. She also has the ability to clear positive effects from enemies, disabling buffs that could otherwise turn the tide in the opponent’s favor. In addition, her ability to steal buffs from enemies further enhances her role as a disruptive force.

These traits make Black Widow a key character in various game modes, including Arena, Raids, and War, where timing and strategy are critical. Her versatility shines as she can not only control the enemy’s actions but also provide support for her allies by improving their effectiveness. Whether you’re looking to debuff enemies, provide strategic speed advantages, or protect your team by taking away powerful enemy buffs, Black Widow’s skill set ensures that she is a valuable and often irreplaceable member of any player’s roster.

Black Widow’s Abilities

Black Widow’s abilities in Marvel Strike Force make her a versatile and valuable asset, especially after her rework, enhancing both her offensive and support capabilities.

Widow’s Bite

Level: 1

Damage: 110

Minus Level Level Up!

Camouflage Tech

Level: 1

Stealth and Debuff self turns: 2

Minus Level Level Up!

Sabotage

Level: 1

Damage: 85

Minus Level Level Up!

Saboteur

Level: 1

Gain percent of speed: 5

Minus Level Level Up!

Her Basic ability, Widow’s Bite, attacks the primary target for damage. If Black Widow is in Stealth, this attack will also copy and clear all positive effects from the primary target. This functionality ensures that Black Widow can remove buffs from enemies while dealing damage, adding to her utility and offensive presence. Additionally, her Basic attack works consistently with her Assist and Counterattack mechanics, further increasing her effectiveness in various scenarios.

The Special ability, Camouflage Tech, allows Black Widow to attack the primary target for damage and chain to adjacent targets. If Hawkeye, Red Guardian, or Yelena Belova is an ally, she will always chain to three adjacent targets. This makes her more versatile offensively, as she can target multiple enemies at once. Notably, Camouflage Tech cannot be blocked, ensuring the damage goes through regardless of the enemy’s defenses.

Black Widow’s Ultimate ability, Sabotage, deals damage to the primary target and applies Stun, making it a powerful control tool. This attack also transfers one positive effect from the primary target to Black Widow, allowing her to benefit from enemy buffs. If Hawkeye, Red Guardian, or Yelena Belova is an ally, the Ultimate can chain to two additional targets for damage, increasing its impact in multi-target scenarios.

Her Passive ability, Saboteur, provides Black Widow with several key benefits. On spawn, she applies Offense Up to herself and all Skill Military allies for two turns, boosting her team’s damage output. On War Defense, if Spider-Man (Big Time) is an ally, Black Widow gains Stealth and Speed Up for two turns, while her Ultimate ability applies Speed Up and Immunity to all Skill Military, Avengers, and Infestation allies, and Stealth to herself. This makes her highly resilient on the defensive side. Furthermore, Saboteurensures Black Widow always gains Assist Now, and if she’s in Stealth, she will copy and clear all positive effects on the target during an assist or counterattack.

Overall, Black Widow’s kit makes her a well-rounded character, excelling in both offensive and support roles with an emphasis on control. Her ability to remove buffs, apply Speed Up and Immunity, and disrupt enemies with Stun makes her a valuable addition to any roster. Whether used to boost her team’s performance or disrupt the opposition, Black Widow’s versatility ensures she remains a powerful and strategic character in Marvel Strike Force.

Synergies

Black Widow is a flexible character who can be incorporated into various team compositions in Marvel Strike Force, thanks to her versatile abilities to provide Speed Up, clear positive effects, and disrupt enemies. These traits make her a highly desirable ally for many characters, offering both offensive and support value. One of her strongest synergies is with the Skill Military team, which includes Hawkeye, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, and Punisher.

This team benefits from Black Widow’s abilities, as her Ultimate now transfers a positive effect from the primary target to herself, and applies Speed Up and Immunity to Skill Military, Avengers, and Infestation allies, along with Stealth to herself when Spider-Man (Big Time) is an ally on War Defense. This makes her especially effective in War Defense situations. Furthermore, Yelena Belova’s improvements, including an unblockable Special and a Passive that grants 100% Accuracy to all Skill Military allies with Speed Up, pair perfectly with Black Widow’s Speed Up abilities. Red Guardian’s ability to apply Speed Up on spawn ensures the team’s effectiveness, as they become immune to Blind and gain enhanced accuracy.

In addition to her synergy with Skill Military, Black Widow is also a valuable member of the Avengers team, which includes Captain America, Hawkeye, and Hulk. Her Special, Camouflage Tech, chains to three adjacent targets if Hawkeye is present, increasing her offensive capabilities. This synergy makes the Wave 1 Avengers team a solid choice, particularly for War Defense, where their combination of control and damage output is formidable.

For Defenders, pairing Black Widow with Symbiote Spider-Man provides additional utility. Symbiote Spider-Man adds a stun to the team and brings high damage output, complementing Black Widow’s control-focused abilities.

Additionally, Black Widow’s ability to provide Speed Up to any ally makes her a valuable addition to various other teams. She is particularly effective with high-damage characters like Hulk, Thor, and Wolverine. By increasing their speed, Black Widow helps Hulk and Thor unleash their powerful attacks more frequently, while also assisting Wolverine by clearing the Slow debuff, allowing him to perform at his peak potential.

With her ability to take on both offensive and support roles while emphasizing control, Black Widow’s synergies with multiple teams make her a valuable and strategic asset in Marvel Strike Force, ensuring her place as a key member of any roster.

Best Uses for Black Widow

Black Widow’s versatility makes her a valuable asset across many game modes in Marvel Strike Force. Her speed, utility, and ability to control the battlefield with abilities like Speed Up and Stun ensure she remains a strategic option in a variety of situations.

In Arena, Black Widow excels at disrupting enemy strategies. Her Speed Up ability allows her team to act more quickly, while her Stun can disable key enemy characters, giving her team a significant advantage. Additionally, her ability to steal buffs from enemies can weaken opponents, further tipping the scales in her team’s favor and making her an essential part of an Arena squad.

When it comes to Raids, Black Widow’s skillset is invaluable, particularly against bosses or enemies that heavily rely on buffs. Her ability to clear positive effects and apply Stun can neutralize enemies that could otherwise slow down progress. While her damage output is not the highest, her control over the enemy team’s abilities makes her a strategic addition to any Raid team.

In War, Black Widow’s versatility truly shines, both in War Offense and War Defense. Players have long recognized her value in War, even before her recent rework. Her synergy with the Skill Military Team makes her a powerful choice, as the team can effectively control enemies with Speed Up, Stun, and Disrupt. Additionally, Black Widow’s ability to clear Taunts helps her team bypass difficult War Defense setups.

Her presence in Wave 1 Avengers makes her a strong option for War Defense, where her Speed Up boosts her allies’ attack speed, and her Stun can disable enemy actions. When paired with Hawkeye, Black Widow can quickly disable key targets and control the flow of battle. Moreover, Black Widow’s reworked kit, especially with the addition of Yelena Belova’s anti-Blind passive and Red Guardian’s Defense Up, has made the Skill Military Team a strong counter against popular War Defense teams like Taskmaster and Mercenaries.

In Campaigns, Black Widow is required for certain nodes, specifically those tied to the Wave 1 Avengers team. While she might not be the primary damage dealer in this lineup, her presence is essential for completing specific Campaign stages, such as Heroes Campaign 7-3.

For the Skillitary Event, Black Widow plays a crucial role as one of the key characters required for the event’s completion. Her involvement in these types of events makes her a necessary character for players looking to progress in certain limited-time activities.

Lastly, Black Widow proves valuable in Greek Raids, particularly in Greek Raids 4.3, where her utility in controlling enemy buffs and providing speed advantages helps ensure a smoother raid experience.

Overall, Black Widow’s broad utility across multiple game modes, from Arena to Raids, War, and Campaigns, makes her a must-have character for any roster. Her ability to control the pace of battles, support her allies, and disrupt enemies cements her place as a powerful asset in Marvel Strike Force.

T4 Priority

Black Widow’s abilities are well-rounded, making her a versatile and valuable character in Marvel Strike Force. The decision on which T4 upgrades to prioritize depends on individual player needs and roster development. Below is a breakdown of her T4 abilities and their potential impact.

The highest priority T4 for Black Widow is her Special: Camouflage Tech. At Level 5, it clears one negative effect from each SKILL MILITARY, AVENGER, and INFESTATION ally, and applies 2 turns of Immunity to herself and all INFESTATION allies. This upgrade significantly enhances her support capabilities, especially in War Defense teams, where survivability is crucial. The short cooldown of Camouflage Tech, combined with Black Widow’s high speed, ensures that these effects can be applied consistently, making her team more resilient and better able to endure tough battles.

Sabotage also provides valuable enhancements, particularly for War Defense teams. At Level 5, it replicates the effects of her Special ability—specifically Speed Up and Immunity—when Spider-Man (Big Time) is an ally. This synergy makes Black Widow a more formidable force, significantly boosting her team’s offensive power and survivability. If you’re focusing on War Defense with Spider-Man (Big Time) in your roster, this T4 upgrade becomes crucial.

Saboteur T4, at Level 4, provides an additional +20% Speed Bar when Black Widow is in Stealth. This upgrade further increases her already impressive speed, allowing her to take turns more frequently. While this is not as high a priority as her Special or Ultimate upgrades, it can still be helpful in various game modes where quick actions are essential, allowing her to perform more reliably in controlling the battle’s pace.

Finally, Widow’s Bite T4, at Level 6, increases her damage to the primary target by +60. However, this is considered a low priority T4 for Black Widow. While increased damage is always a positive, Black Widow’s primary value lies in her utility and control abilities rather than raw damage output. Prioritizing her Special and Ultimate ability upgrades will provide a greater overall boost to her effectiveness in supporting her team and disrupting enemies.

While these T4 priorities are generally recommended, the best choices for your Black Widow may vary based on your specific roster and the game modes you focus on. If Black Widow is not part of your War Defense team, her Ultimate T4 might be less critical, and you may want to focus more on her Special and Passive upgrades.

Iso-8 Class

The Skirmisher class is the best Iso-8 class for Black Widow, as it enhances her ability to control the battlefield and maximize her utility. Black Widow’s kit revolves around applying debuffs such as Stun, Bleed, and Ability Block, and the Skirmisher class significantly boosts the potency of these debuffs. This makes her more effective at weakening enemies and disrupting their actions, allowing her team to gain a significant advantage.

Additionally, Black Widow’s ability to steal buffs from enemies synergizes well with the Skirmisher class. By stripping away positive effects from opponents and applying stronger debuffs, she can cripple the enemy team, further enhancing her disruptive role.

Although Black Widow is not a tank, the Skirmisher class offers survivability benefits through increased Focus and Resistance, making her slightly more durable in combat. This added durability allows her to continue supporting her team with control and utility, especially in longer battles where consistent performance is key.

While other Iso-8 classes could provide alternative benefits, the Skirmisher class aligns perfectly with Black Widow’s core abilities, maximizing her effectiveness in both offensive and support roles across various game modes.

Farming Black Widow

Black Widow has been a highly sought-after character in Marvel Strike Force since the game’s launch. Initially, players had limited options for obtaining her character shards, primarily relying on Premium Orbs or lucky pulls from other orbs. However, there are now more consistent ways to farm Black Widow, making it easier for players to unlock and upgrade her.

The most reliable method to farm Black Widow is through Heroes Campaign 7-3, which was introduced in Chapter 7 of the Heroes Campaign. This node focuses on City characters, and players must use City-affiliated characters to complete the nodes. To maximize success, it’s recommended to use a team of Defenders, such as Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and either Daredevil or Symbiote Spider-Man. Miss Marvel is also a useful fifth character to include. Completing Heroes 7-3 with three stars will reward players with Black Widow character shards, making it the most dependable farming method.

In addition to Heroes Campaign 7-3, players can also acquire Black Widow shards through other means. Premium Orbs still drop Black Widow shards, though the chances are low. Occasionally, Black Widow Packs are offered by Scopely, which include her shards and can be a worthwhile investment for players willing to spend money to accelerate their farming. Furthermore, special events may feature Black Widow shards as rewards, providing another opportunity to collect her.

Black Widow is an essential character for a variety of game modes, including Arena, Raids, War (both Offense and Defense), Campaigns, Skillitary Event, and Greek Raids 4.3. Her abilities to provide Speed Up, clear positive effects, apply Stun, and steal buffs make her a versatile and powerful ally in many different scenarios. She works particularly well with Skill Military and Wave 1 Avengers teams, making her a key character for players focusing on these synergies.

Farming Black Widow will significantly strengthen your roster and unlock new strategic possibilities, ensuring she remains a valuable asset in various game modes throughout Marvel Strike Force.

Conclusion

Black Widow is a versatile and valuable character in Marvel Strike Force, excelling in various game modes due to her speed, control abilities, and synergy with multiple teams. Her ability to control the battlefield and disrupt enemy strategies makes her a key asset in both offensive and defensive roles.

One of the most reliable ways to farm Black Widow shards is through Heroes Campaign 7-3, which is the primary method for obtaining her character shards. Black Widow excels in Arena, Raids, War, and several Campaigns and events, where her utility in providing Speed Up, applying Stun, clearing positive effects, and stealing buffs proves crucial in shifting the tide of battle.

She works particularly well with teams such as Skill Military, Wave 1 Avengers, and Defenders, where her control abilities amplify team synergy. For Iso-8, the Skirmisher class best complements her kit, enhancing her debuff effectiveness and buff-stealing capabilities, making her even more disruptive in battle. When prioritizing her T4 upgrades, it is recommended to focus on her Special ability, which provides significant support to her team, followed by her Ultimate ability if she is used on War Defense alongside Spider-Man (Big Time) for maximum synergy.

Overall, Black Widow’s strengths lie in her ability to control the battlefield, disrupt enemy strategies, and support her allies. Her Speed Up, Stun, Bleed, and buff-stealing abilities make her a crucial asset for any player looking to enhance their roster and performance in Marvel Strike Force.