Polaris

Hero| Global| Controller| Mutant| X-Factor| Immortal X-Men| Anniversary Elite The daughter of Magneto, Polaris uses her magnetic Mutant powers to bolster ally barriers and prevents the enemy from recovering from their wounds.

Character Abilities

Assist/Counter Info

– 1 +

Sanguine Iron

– 1 +

Electrostatic Field

– 1 +

Reverse Polarity

– 1 +

Mistress of Magnetism

– 1 +

Marvel Strike Force Polaris brings strong control, disruption, and support, especially within the X-Factor team. Her Passive removes Deflects when X-Factor allies crit and applies Bleed when allies with Barrier are hit. It also boosts X-Factor allies’ health, barrier, and Focus in War Offense, and reduces enemy Crit Chance in Crucible with Immortal X-Men allies.

Her Basic damages multiple enemies, applies Bleed, and grants Barrier to the most injured ally. The T4 upgrade improves damage and Barrier, but isn’t top priority.

Polaris’ Special deals high damage especially to Bleeding targets grants Barrier, and guarantees a crit. Its T4 boosts damage and piercing effectiveness.

Her Ultimate pulls enemies together, deals damage, applies Disrupted, and flips Regen to Bleed especially effective against regen-heavy teams. It can’t be blocked or countered, and gains +1000% Focus if Multiple Man is an ally. The T4 upgrade increases damage and expands the Bleed flip.

Synergy and Team Composition

Polaris is an essential member of the X-Factor team in Marvel Strike Force, and her abilities are intricately connected to the team’s mechanics, particularly excelling in War Offense. The synergy within the core X-Factor faction is significant, with an emphasis on critical hits, which are central to maximizing their effectiveness.

The X-Factor Core (Longshot, Shatterstar, Multiple Man) relies on critical hits for synergy. Longshot boosts crit chance and grants +20% speed bar to the team on crits, while Shatterstar increases crit damage and provides team-wide barrier when a crit occurs.

Polaris supports this by removing Deflects from the most injured enemy on X-Factor crits and applying Bleed when enemies hit barriered allies synergizing well with Shatterstar’s barrier.

The optimal turn order is Shatterstar, Longshot, Multiple Man, then Polaris. For ISO-8, Raider suits Longshot, Shatterstar, and Polaris due to crit reliance, while Multiple Man benefits from Fortifier for added survivability.

Polaris adds key disruption through her ultimate, flipping Regen to Bleed especially effective with Multiple Man’s bonus Focus. Her basic also grants Barrier to the most injured ally, boosting the team’s durability and cohesion.

Potential fifth members for the X-Factor team include Silver Surfer, Zemo, Yo-Yo, Kestrel, and Namor, each offering synergy or utility especially in War Offense.

With Polaris, X-Factor excels in War Offense due to crit-based speed boosts, barrier generation, and strong damage output, making them effective against regen-heavy teams like Sinister Six and Marauders. Polaris boosts this by removing Deflects and applying Bleed.

However, the team is crit-dependent and vulnerable to early control or anti-crit teams like Skill Military and Shadowlands. They’re strongest in War Offense, decent in Blitz and RTA, but less effective in Raids due to lack of healing and in Dark Dimension due to limited tag utility.

While not top-tier in Arena, certain substitutions can improve performance. Polaris' T4 passive also shows promise for Crucible, making her vital to the team’s full potential.

Iso-8 Recommendations

Raider is the top Iso-8 choice for Polaris, boosting crit chance and damage to support X-Factor’s synergy around critical hits triggering speed bar gain, barrier, and deflect removal. It fits well with Longshot and Shatterstar, maximizing the team’s offensive potential.

Fortifier is a solid alternative for added survivability, providing extra barrier that helps Polaris apply Bleed when she or allies are attacked.

While Raider is generally preferred, Fortifier can work in modes where durability matters. The best choice depends on your strategy, game mode, and playstyle.

T4 Ability Priority

Next → Back

Recommended T4 order: Special > Passive > Ultimate > Basic.

  1. Special (Electrostatic Field) – Top priority. Adds +30% damage, +40% piercing vs. Bleeding targets, and guarantees crits great synergy with the X-Factor team’s crit mechanics.
  2. Passive (Mistress of Magnetism) – Valuable for War Offense, adding +5% max health and barrier to Polaris and X-Factor allies. Optional outside of War.
  3. Ultimate (Reverse Polarity) – Boosts damage and flips all Regen to Bleed (instead of two). Useful vs. regen-heavy teams but not essential unless you face them often.
  4. Basic (Sanguine Iron) – Lowest priority. Adds moderate damage and more barrier, but impact is minor unless heavily investing in Polaris.

Prioritize Special first, then Passive or Ultimate based on your mode focus. Skip Basic unless maxing her out.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Polaris Strengths:

Polaris is a strong controller with powerful debuffs and synergy within the X-Factor team. Her ultimate applies Disrupt, flips Regen to Bleed, and groups enemies—great against sustain-heavy teams like Sinister Six and Black Order. She applies Bleed consistently across her kit and benefits from strong barrier synergy, gaining and triggering effects from barriers on herself and allies.

In War Offense, she grants X-Factor allies +15% max health, +10% max barrier, and +70% focus, ensuring debuffs land reliably. Her special always crits, can’t be blocked, and delivers solid damage. Combined with high focus and HP, Polaris boosts both the survivability and offensive power of X-Factor, making her a key War Offense asset.

Polaris Weaknesses:

Polaris depends heavily on X-Factor synergy; outside that team, her value drops. Her speed is below average, which can delay her impact early in fights, though X-Factor’s crit-based speed bar gain helps compensate.

Polaris relies heavily on X-Factor synergy and critical hits to trigger her passive, which can be inconsistent if enemies have Deflects or if crits don’t land. She's vulnerable to buff removal or flip from characters like Thanos or Emma Frost. While her high focus and War Offense buffs are strong, they may be excessive given X-Factor’s already reliable debuff application.

Her survivability drops outside War Offense, limiting her usefulness in Raids or Dark Dimension, especially without significant investment. The Strike Pass unlock can delay her availability for free-to-play players, and her red stars are more important than for other X-Factor members.

Overall, Polaris is a strong disruptor in War Offense, but her performance in other game modes is less reliable due to her dependence on crits, team synergy, and speed.

Overall Assessment and Is She Worth It?

Polaris is a strong controller who enhances the X-Factor team, especially in War Offense. Her abilities apply Disrupt, Bleed, and pull enemies together, while flipping regeneration to bleed, making her a powerful counter to healing-based teams. She boosts health, barrier, and focus for X-Factor allies, and removes Deflects on crit, increasing overall team damage.

Her value is highest when paired with Longshot, Shatterstar, and Multiple Man, rounding out their synergy. However, her impact is mostly limited to War Offense, and her usefulness in Raids, Dark Dimension, or Arena is less impressive due to team and tag restrictions.

Polaris is gated behind the Strike Pass, which delays availability for free-to-play players. She may also need high star levels to perform well. For those focused on War Offense and invested in X-Factor, she’s worth the resources. Otherwise, a slower, long-term unlock may be the better path.

Combat Tips and Tricks

Polaris is a strategic controller best used with the X-Factor team, especially in War Offense. Start fights with her ultimate (Reverse Polarity) to pull enemies together, apply Disrupt, and flip regeneration to bleed great against healing teams like Sinister Six or Black Order. Follow with her special (Electrostatic Field) to deal piercing damage, especially to bleeding targets.

Use her basic throughout the fight to apply bleed and barrier, supporting both offense and survivability. Her passive removes Deflects on X-Factor crits, enhancing Longshot and Shatterstar’s speed bar and damage.

Polaris also boosts health, barrier, and focus for non-summoned X-Factor allies, increasing their effectiveness in War. Equip the Raider Iso-8 for better crit synergy, and prioritize T4 upgrades for her passive, ultimate, and special.

For flexible team comps, consider Zemo as a fifth member to trigger early crits. However, beware of enemy Deflects, which can block your team’s momentum. Practice in Blitz or RTA to refine rotations and team matchups.

Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q)

How do I unlock Polaris? 🗝️

Polaris is unlocked through the Strike Pass 🎟️, needing 45 shards. Free-to-play players may need to wait or purchase premium tiers.

What team does Polaris belong to? 👥

She’s a core member of the X-Factor team, working best with Longshot, Shatterstar, and Multiple Man.

What game mode is Polaris best in? 🎯

Polaris shines in War Offense 🛡️ due to her buffs, debuffs, and strong synergy with X-Factor.

Best Iso-8 class for Polaris? 🛠️

Raider is preferred for crit synergy 🎯, with Fortifier as a defensive alternative 🛡️.

Which T4 upgrade should I prioritize? ⚙️

Prioritize her Special (Electrostatic Field) for crits and damage ⚡, then Passive for War buffs, Ultimate for regen flipping, and lastly Basic.