Marvel Strike Force Maria Hill - Theria Games

Overview

Maria Hill is a skilled and strategic character in Marvel Strike Force Maria Hill, classified as a Hero, Global, Skill, and Support character, with strong affiliations to S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Secret Avengers. As Nick Fury’s trusted second-in-command, she brings a wealth of experience and tactical acumen to the battlefield, assisting her allies in high-stakes combat situations.

Maria Hill’s role in the game extends beyond just providing direct combat support; her abilities are crucial in organizing and executing strategic plans that can turn the tide of battle. She was added to Marvel Strike Force in mid-2021 and immediately became a fan-favorite, known for her versatility and effectiveness in a variety of team compositions. Her primary skills include calling in S.H.I.E.L.D. care packages, which provide essential resources to her team, as well as deploying special agents to eliminate high-priority targets with precision.

This makes her a versatile and reliable character, capable of adapting to many different team setups and fight scenarios. Her support and leadership abilities make her an indispensable asset, especially in missions that require a balance of damage output and strategic buffs. Whether working alongside fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agents or as part of the broader Secret Avengers faction, Maria Hill’s expertise and tactical mindset ensure that she stands out as an essential character in any player’s roster.

How to Unlock and Obtain Shards

To unlock Maria Hill in Marvel Strike Force, players need to collect a total of 100 shards in order to reach 3 stars and make her a more powerful asset to their team. Her shards are primarily available in the Alliance War Store, where players can purchase them for 1,375 Alliance War Credits per 5 shards. This allows players to gradually unlock her by earning Alliance War Credits through participating in Alliance War battles.

Additionally, Maria Hill’s shards have been available through various orbs, including Premium Orbs, Basic Orbs, Mega Orbs, Milestone II Orbs, and Ultimus Orbs, giving players multiple avenues to gather her shards. These orbs offer randomized rewards, so players can earn a variety of characters, including Maria Hill, which makes them an important part of shard collection over time. Maria Hill was also featured in two dedicated blitz events, during which players could participate in the blitz format to earn additional shards through scoring points.

These events provided an accelerated way for players to gather her shards while engaging in blitz battles. For those looking to bypass the grind, Maria Hill was also available for direct purchase for 800 power cores, enabling players to unlock her more quickly without waiting for orb drops or event participation. With a combination of strategic event participation, orb acquisition, and store purchases, players have several opportunities to unlock Maria Hill, adding her valuable support and strategic abilities to their roster. Whether you’re focusing on Alliance War or blitzing through events, unlocking Maria Hill offers a significant advantage to your team.

Abilities

Maria Hill’s abilities in Marvel Strike Force showcase her role as a versatile support character with strong synergy with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Secret Avenger allies.

Close Range Support

Level: 1

Damage: 80

Overwhelming Firepower

Level: 1

Damage: 120

S.H.I.E.L.D. Care Package

Level: 1

Damage: 80

Fury’s Right Hand

Level: 1

Gain Resistance: 5

Her Basic ability, Close Range Support, allows her to attack the primary target for 340% damage at level 7. Additionally, she provides Deflect to the most injured non-summoned ally, and if that ally is a Secret Avenger, they also gain Regeneration. This makes her a crucial asset for keeping allies alive while dealing damage.

Her Special ability, Overwhelming Firepower, has an energy cost of 3 and starts with 3 energy. At level 7, this ability summons 3 S.H.I.E.L.D. Troopers to the battlefield, while also applying Offense Up, Defense Up, and Deathproof to the summoned Troopers. Maria Hill attacks the primary target for 400% damage, with all summoned S.H.I.E.L.D. Troopers assisting in the attack. She also applies Defense Down to the primary target. If Sharon Carter is an ally, this attack gains an additional +500% Extra Focus, making it more accurate. This attack is unavoidable and cannot be blocked, ensuring the damage lands on the target.

Her Ultimate ability, S.H.I.E.L.D. Care Package, costs 5 energy and starts with 3 energy. At level 7, it clears all negative effects from herself and all Avenger and Skill allies. Maria Hill also provides +3 Deflect (up to a maximum of 5) and Immunity to herself and all Secret Avenger allies. She heals herself and all Skill allies by 35% of her Max Health and heals all non-Skill allies by 20% of her Max Health. In addition to these supportive abilities, she attacks all enemies for 350% damage, offering a solid offensive component to her utility.

Maria Hill’s Passive ability, Fury’s Right Hand, provides a 50% chance to heal the most injured ally by 5% of her Max Health whenever herself or any ally performs a Block. In Raids, this healing always occurs, ensuring consistent support during these challenging battles. Furthermore, she grants +40% Resistance to herself and all Secret Avenger allies, which is increased to +80% Resistance in Raids, boosting the team’s ability to resist negative effects.

Together, these abilities make Maria Hill a key character for players looking to provide strategic support, healing, and control on the battlefield.

Team Recommendations and Synergies

Maria Hill is a key member of the Secret Avengers team in Marvel Strike Force, which includes Captain America (Sam) and Sharon Carter. This trio forms a powerful core, with each member complementing the others’ abilities. Maria Hill synergizes exceptionally well with Captain America (Sam), also known as Captain Sam, due to his ability to provide team-wide Deflect, which pairs well with her passive ability, Fury’s Right Hand.

This passive has a chance to heal the most injured ally whenever a Block occurs, so the Deflect provided by Captain Sam enhances this healing potential. Captain Sam also provides Speed Up to Avenger and Skill allies, boosting the team’s overall performance in combat. His speed, along with Sharon Carter’s, ensures that they can act quickly, followed by Maria Hill, ensuring a well-timed team synergy.

Sharon Carter adds another layer of synergy to the team. Maria Hill’s Special ability, Overwhelming Firepower, gains +500% extra focus if Sharon Carter is an ally, making the attack unavoidable and unblockable. Sharon also excels in debuffing the enemy and clearing positive effects, which enhances the team’s overall control over the battlefield. Additionally, Maria Hill’s role in a Secret Avengers team expands well when paired with Kestrel. The combination of Nick Fury, Kestrel, and the Secret Avengers creates a well-rounded and effective team. Kestrel benefits from the support of these characters, while Nick Fury’s summons fuel her damage output, making them a formidable combination.

Maria Hill also has synergy with Nick Fury, as she shares the S.H.I.E.L.D. tag, which enhances her collaboration with other S.H.I.E.L.D. characters, particularly in missions requiring a strong support foundation. In Doom Raids, the Secret Avengers team, including Maria Hill, excels in the Skill nodes, making them essential for success in this challenging game mode. Maria Hill’s Ultimate ability clears negative effects from all Avenger and Skill allies, allowing her to work seamlessly with other Skill characters outside the Secret Avengers team, providing her team with a boost to both control and sustain.

In War Offense, the combination of Secret Avengers can be particularly effective, as they have the ability to control the battle with stuns and ability blocks. This control, alongside their general versatility, makes them a reliable choice across various game modes. Captain America (OG) might also be a promising addition to this team, as his synergy with Maria Hill’s passive can further enhance the team’s sustainability. Previously, the Secret Avengers team, including Shang-Chi and Kestrel, was used in Doom Raids, showing their adaptability and strength in different team compositions.

Overall, the Secret Avengers team, with Maria Hill at the helm as a support and control character, provides excellent team synergy with both sustain and disruption. With Sharon Carter acting as a controller and Maria Hill as a support character, this team is well-rounded and highly effective in various scenarios.

Iso-8 Recommendations

The most viable Iso-8 class for Maria Hill in Marvel Strike Force is Healer. This class is ideal for her, as it allows her to fulfill her primary role of supporting her team and significantly enhancing their survivability. By selecting the Healer Iso-8, Maria Hill can maximize her potential, providing consistent healing and buffs to her allies during battle. Using any other Iso-8 class is not recommended, as it would limit her ability to fully support her team in the way she is intended to.

Alternatively, Skirmisher can also be a good Iso-8 class for Maria Hill, especially when paired with specific team synergies. In this case, Maria Hill can apply the Vulnerable status effect on enemies, which benefits allies like Sharon Carter, who can take advantage of it to reduce the enemy’s speed bar and further control the matchup. Maria Hill’s abilities, such as her Basic, Special, and Ultimate, always hit the target, making her a valuable addition to a Skirmisher setup, allowing her to contribute both offensively and strategically.

Regardless of the chosen Iso-8 class, enhancing Maria Hill’s Health and Armor is crucial for improving her survivability. Her healing abilities scale with her max health, so having a higher health pool allows her to heal more effectively and keep her team in top condition during longer battles. Boosting her armor also adds to her durability, ensuring she can stay on the battlefield to provide support when needed most.

T4 Ability Prioritization

For Maria Hill in Marvel Strike Force, prioritizing T4 ability upgrades should focus on her Ultimate and Passive abilities first, as they are essential for maximizing her effectiveness in battle.

Her Ultimate, S.H.I.E.L.D. Care Package, should be the top priority. Upgrading this ability increases its damage from 280 to 350, but more importantly, it upgrades the cleanse from clearing one negative effect to clearing all negative effects from Maria Hill, as well as from all Avenger and Skill allies. This is her main cleansing ability, and removing all debuffs significantly enhances her battle efficiency. The ability to cleanse all negative effects is particularly valuable in Doom Raids, where enemies frequently apply debilitating debuffs.

The next priority should be her Passive, Fury’s Right Hand. This upgrade increases the chance to heal the most injured ally by an additional 15%, raising it from 10% to 25% of Maria’s Max Health. With Passive Level 5, Maria’s passive healing more than doubles, making it a crucial upgrade for sustaining the team. Since her healing is triggered by Deflects and Blocks, which can be provided by allies like Captain America (Sam), this upgrade ensures she can maintain team survivability throughout battles. Ignoring this upgrade would limit her full potential as a support character.

Following these two upgrades, consider upgrading her Special, Overwhelming Firepower. This upgrade summons 3 S.H.I.E.L.D. Troopers instead of 2 and increases the damage dealt by 100%. While Maria Hill is primarily a support character, the extra trooper and increased damage output can be helpful, especially in raids where her team might need additional firepower. However, this upgrade is not as critical as the Ultimate and Passive upgrades and can be considered when resources allow.

Finally, her Basic ability, Close Range Support, can be considered a luxury upgrade. This T4 upgrade ensures that Maria will always apply Deflect to the most injured non-summoned ally, rather than relying on a 50% chance. While the upgrade improves her healing output by guaranteeing Deflect, it is not as essential as the other upgrades. Since Deflect is available from other sources in the game, this upgrade is less crucial and can be skipped if resources are limited.

In summary, prioritize upgrading Maria Hill’s Ultimate and Passive abilities for maximum team support and healing, followed by the Special and finally the Basic if resources permit. This upgrade path ensures Maria Hill fulfills her role as a powerful support character, maximizing her effectiveness in various game modes.

Red Stars

When it comes to Red Stars for Maria Hill in Marvel Strike Force, upgrading her Red Stars can significantly enhance her performance, especially if you plan to use her in key game modes like the Dark Dimension. It is recommended to prioritize upgrading Maria Hill’s Red Stars if you have ample Silver Promotion Credits, particularly if you plan to use her extensively as part of the Secret Avengers team. A fully upgraded Maria Hill with high Red Stars will increase her survivability and support capabilities, which are essential in difficult content.

Players like Philosopher have aimed for 5 Red Stars on Maria Hill, as she is primarily a support character whose effectiveness can be significantly boosted with higher Red Stars. However, it can take quite a while to unlock the necessary Red Stars for Maria Hill, as obtaining them may require a large number of orbs. Philosopher also pointed out that while a 5 Red Star Maria Hill can be a great test for her potential, a smaller health pool might limit her impact, making her underwhelming without a higher star level.

Other players, like GoofyRexxi, have targeted 4 Red Stars for Maria Hill, considering this a solid level for her support role. GoofyRexxi noted the challenge of pulling higher Red Stars for certain characters, like Captain America (Sam), but highlighted that even at 4 Red Stars, Maria Hill remains a strong character within the team. ValleyFlyin experienced a 3 Red Star pull for Maria Hill during a Red Star opening, illustrating that while it’s possible to pull lower star versions, the character still performs decently at these levels.

In general, MobileGamer365 emphasizes the importance of having sufficient Yellow and Red Stars for characters like Maria Hill, as their effectiveness in high-level content greatly improves with star upgrades. Therefore, investing in her Red Stars, particularly if you plan to use her in endgame content like the Dark Dimension, is a solid strategy to make her more impactful and ensure she fulfills her support role more effectively.

Game Modes

Maria Hill performs well across various game modes in Marvel Strike Force, especially when paired with the Secret Avengers team.

In Doom Raids, Maria Hill and the Secret Avengers excel in the skill nodes. Her synergy with Captain Sam and his team-wide deflect enhances her passive ability, Fury’s Right Hand, which heals the most injured ally when any ally blocks. This makes her an essential character for completing Doom Raid skill nodes. Many players find it relatively easy to complete these nodes with the characters already available, especially with Maria Hill’s strong support abilities.

In Alliance War, Maria Hill is a strong asset for War Offense. Her special ability, Overwhelming Firepower, clears negative effects from her team, which is particularly useful in controlling the battle. However, she may not be as effective on War Defense, as her summons could potentially provide the opposing team, such as Ax-Men or Symbiotes, with turn meter advantages, turning her summons into a disadvantage in certain matchups.

In Real-Time Arena (RTA), the Secret Avengers team, including Maria Hill, might struggle against top-tier teams like Infinity Watch. However, they can be effective when punching down on older or power-crept teams, offering solid performance in these situations.

Maria Hill’s Dark Dimension performance benefits from her summons, which provide additional support. To maximize her effectiveness in this mode, it’s recommended to give her as many Red Stars as possible, increasing her survivability and support capabilities.

In Cosmic Crucible, Maria Hill is likely to be a useful character, though her exact performance will depend on the specific matchups and team compositions. In Blitz, Maria Hill is certainly usable, contributing to her team’s strength in this fast-paced mode.

Overall, Maria Hill shines in War Offense and Doom Raids, and while she may not always be the top choice in RTA or War Defense, she is versatile and effective across many game modes. Her support abilities, combined with strong synergies with other Secret Avengers, make her a valuable asset in various team compositions.

Controversies

Maria Hill’s release in Marvel Strike Force was surrounded by several controversies, particularly regarding issues with her initial launch. Players experienced various bugs and problems, which led to frustration within the community. Additionally, the pricing of her initial offers sparked debate, with the $50 cost being considered too steep by many. Some players felt that spending that amount on characters like Captain Sam or Sharon Carter was more justifiable, but they didn’t see the same value in Maria Hill.

In terms of Power Core availability, Maria Hill was briefly offered in the supply store for 900 Power Cores for 10 shards, later being reduced to 800 Power Cores for 10 shards. This was done before any official announcements were made regarding her availability through alternative methods. The situation was compared to the release of Moondragon, who was similarly available for Power Cores before her event, leading to speculation that Maria Hill might be released as a milestone event character. Some players viewed the Power Core offers as a way for the game to drain resources, adding to the overall dissatisfaction.

Another point of contention was the Red Star availability. When Maria Hill was first released, she was not available in Red Star Orbs, meaning players who unlocked her through Power Cores did so without the opportunity to add Red Stars to her character. This led to further frustration, as players were unable to maximize her potential right away.

Lastly, bugs continued to plague Maria Hill’s character post-release, adding to the overall frustration surrounding her launch. There was also some controversy surrounding the Silver Samurai, though discussions about this were notably limited due to the sensitive nature of the topic.