Marvel Strike Force Photon - Theria Games

Introduction

Since the release of Spider-Woman and Nico in May 2022, A-Force was an incomplete team, lacking a pivotal member to round out its roster and enhance its effectiveness in various game modes. This all changed with Marvel Strike Force Photon’s highly anticipated arrival in 2023, when she became the first character to be a central figure in two teams simultaneously: A-Force and Secret Defenders.

Photon is not just a powerful cosmic blaster; her unique abilities and versatile skillset set her apart as a standout character in Marvel Strike Force. Armed with her potent electromagnetic powers, she is capable of dealing massive damage while controlling the battlefield with ease. These abilities allow Photon to disrupt enemy strategies and turn the tide of battle in favor of her team.

Her utility stretches across multiple game modes, but she truly shines in Arena battles, where her ability to target and weaken enemy teams becomes a game-changer. In these high-stakes environments, Photon’s damage output and control over the flow of battle can be leveraged to secure victories, making her an invaluable asset for players looking to improve their Arena performance. Additionally, her role as both a member of A-Force and Secret Defenders offers players the flexibility to build synergies within different teams, increasing her overall value in various team compositions.

With her impressive range of abilities and adaptable role, Photon has quickly solidified her position as a crucial addition to both the A-Force and Secret Defenders teams. She strengthens these factions in ways that other characters cannot, making her an indispensable part of many strategic setups. Whether you’re aiming to dominate in Arena, contribute to your team’s success in other game modes, or simply enhance the effectiveness of your A-Force and Secret Defenders teams, Photon has earned her place as one of the most impactful and versatile characters in Marvel Strike Force.

Photon Details

Photon, also known as Monica Rambeau, is a versatile and powerful character in Marvel Strike Force. She boasts a variety of traits, including Hero, Cosmic, Bio, Blaster, A-Force, and Secret Defender, making her an excellent fit for multiple teams. With a speed stat of 128, she is able to take quick actions during battles, giving her the edge in fast-paced combat situations. As a Blaster, she excels in dealing significant damage while contributing strategically to her team. For ISO-8, Photon is best equipped as a Striker, enhancing her ability to dish out high damage to enemies.

When prioritizing her upgrades, players should focus on her Passive and Ultimate abilities. These provide the most benefit in terms of boosting her overall performance in battles, enabling her to maximize her impact on the battlefield. Photon is primarily available through orbs and special events, allowing players to unlock her as part of their progression in Marvel Strike Force. Her well-rounded attributes and role in both A-Force and Secret Defenders teams make her an essential character for many players seeking to strengthen their rosters.

Is Photon Good?

Photon is a highly versatile and valuable character in Marvel Strike Force, able to contribute to both A-Force and Secret Defenders teams. In the Arena, she plays a crucial role on the Secret Defenders team, where her ability to deal damage and debuff enemies can turn the tide of battle. When it comes to War Offense, Photon is a better fit for the A-Force team, where her healing support helps sustain her teammates.

She is also an excellent addition to teams focused on Dark Dimension and Bio nodes, where her area-of-effect damage abilities prove to be incredibly useful. In Blitz mode, Photon can be a strong choice, especially as the fifth member of an A-Force team, where she further enhances her team’s effectiveness.

Photon’s Charged mechanic, which is similar to Thor’s, is a key feature of her abilities. Once she accumulates five Charged, she unleashes a devastating area attack that not only deals significant damage but also increases the speed bar of Photon and her allies who share the same tags. This makes Photon a powerful support character, particularly for boosting the effectiveness of her team. Additionally, her ability to Blind enemies adds another layer of utility, helping to control the battlefield by reducing enemy accuracy and making her even more of a threat.

Overall, Photon stands out as a very strong character. She brings a combination of energy generation, healing, debuffing, crowd control, and high damage, making her a powerhouse in several game modes. She is especially effective in Alliance Wars, Dark Dimension 6, and Cosmic Crucible, where her contributions can be pivotal to a team’s success. With great stats and impressive speed, Photon is well-equipped to make an impact. For ISO-8, Striker is the recommended choice to maximize her damage output. Her T4 abilities should be prioritized based on whether you intend to use her in Arena, Alliance Wars, or Cosmic Crucible, with each mode requiring different upgrades to get the most out of her.

Photon is an incredible character who fits seamlessly into multiple team compositions, including the newly formed Secret Defenders team with Black Cat and as the official fifth member of A-Force. With her high damage potential, ability to enhance ally performance, and her strong ultimate ability that provides buffs and energy, she is a top-tier character in Marvel Strike Force and a must-have for any serious player.

Photon Abilities (at Maximum Level)

Photon’s abilities at their maximum level make her a formidable force in Marvel Strike Force, offering high damage output, crowd control, and powerful support for her team.

Light Show

Level: 1

Damage: 80

Aurora Blast

Level: 1

Damage: 80

Full Spectrum Flash

Level: 1

Damage: 100

Radiant Light

Level: 1

Gain Charged: 2

Her Light Show [Basic] attacks the primary target for 360% damage, plus 5% of the target’s Max Health, while also clearing 3 positive effects. Additionally, Photon gains +1 Charged, which is crucial for powering up her other abilities. This attack is especially useful against enemies with high Max Health, such as those encountered in Raids or Dark Dimension, allowing Photon to deal substantial damage while stripping buffs.

Photon’s Aurora Blast [Special] targets the primary and adjacent enemies for 360% damage and applies Blind and Slow, while also clearing all Deflect and Minor Deflect buffs. On War Offense, it provides an added benefit by healing Photon and all Secret Defender and A-Force allies for 30% of Photon’s Max Health. This attack also boasts +1,000% Extra Focus and cannot be blocked, ensuring its effectiveness in reducing enemy defenses and leaving them vulnerable on her first turn.

Full Spectrum Flash [Ultimate] is Photon’s powerful area attack, hitting all enemies for 450% damage and applying Offense Down for 2 turns. It also provides crucial buffs, applying Defense Up for 2 turns to herself and all allies, as well as Speed Up for 2 turns to herself and all Secret Defender and A-Force allies. Additionally, it generates 1 Ability Energy for Photon and all Secret Defender and A-Force allies, enhancing their ability to use their abilities more frequently. This ability combines strong damage with essential buffs and energy generation, making it an invaluable part of Photon’s kit.

Her Radiant Light [Passive] gives Photon incredible utility. Upon spawn, she gains 2 Charged. For each Ultimate ability used by an A-Force or Secret Defender ally, she gains +1 Charged. When Photon reaches 5 or more Charged, she unleashes a powerful attack on all enemies for 360% damage and fills the Speed Bar for herself and all Secret Defender and A-Force allies by 20%, after which she loses 5 Charged. This ability also makes Photon an excellent counter against enemies with Blind, lowering their Accuracy by an additional 100%, ensuring that even high-Accuracy characters like Apocalypse or Zombie Iron Man are rendered ineffective when Blinded.

Her Speed is also protected from reduction unless affected by Slow, which counters abilities like Emma Frost’s Passive. Photon and her A-Force and Secret Defender allies gain +30% Damage and +15% Max Health, with an additional +30% Damage for Photon and her Secret Defender allies in Arena. On War Offense, Photon heals herself and all A-Force allies for 5% of her Max Health on turn, while also preventing any Speed Bar reduction for herself and all A-Force allies until she takes her turn.

Photon’s abilities offer a combination of high damage, strategic debuffs, healing, and Speed control, making her a standout character in several game modes, particularly in teams that rely on synergy, such as A-Force and Secret Defenders. Her Charged mechanic further amplifies her damage potential and provides crucial buffs to her allies, ensuring she remains a top-tier character for any player looking to optimize their roster.

Best T4 for Photon

When deciding on which T4 abilities to prioritize for Photon in Marvel Strike Force, it’s important to consider the game modes you’re focusing on whether it’s Arena, Alliance Wars, or Cosmic Crucible. Here’s a breakdown of the best T4 upgrades for Photon:

The Passive (Radiant Light) ability should be the first T4 upgrade if you plan on using Photon in Arena. This upgrade increases Photon’s damage and the damage of her entire team by +30% in Arena, which is a significant boost, especially for the Secret Defenders team. For new and mid-range players who are focused on improving their Arena performance, this T4 upgrade is crucial, as it dramatically increases the team’s effectiveness. However, for veteran players with maxed-out characters like Apocalypse and Super Skrull, this T4 may not be as impactful, since Photon and Doctor Strange are likely to be replaced in some team compositions. Despite this, it remains an essential upgrade for those focused on Arena battles.

The Ultimate (Full Spectrum Flash) ability should be your next T4 priority after the Passive. This T4 not only boosts the damage output of Photon’s area attack but also applies Defense Up and Speed Up for two turns to the entire team. This is a great upgrade because it provides utility for all game modes, offering both strong damage and vital buffs for Photon and her allies. If you don’t plan to use Photon in Arena, this T4 upgrade is still highly valuable, as it benefits her performance in War Offense and Cosmic Crucible.

The Special (Aurora Blast) ability upgrade increases the damage output of this area-of-effect (AoE) attack. In addition, on War Offense, it heals A-Force and Secret Defender allies for 30% of Photon’s Max Health. This upgrade adds a level of sustain to both teams that is rarely seen with other characters, making it a strong choice for players focused on boosting their War Offense strategies. The healing effect also makes this a great T4 for teams that need both damage and sustainability.

Upgrading Photon’s Basic (Light Show) ability isn’t strictly necessary, but it does increase the damage output and allows Photon to clear an additional positive effect from the enemy, flipping 3 buffs instead of 2. While it doesn’t affect the Charged mechanic and is a single-target attack, it can be useful if you have spare T4s and want to maximize her damage output. However, this upgrade is not as critical as the others and can be skipped unless you have already maxed out her other abilities.

In summary, prioritize Radiant Light (Passive) first for Arena, followed by Full Spectrum Flash (Ultimate) for overall utility across game modes. The Aurora Blast (Special) is great for War Offense, and the Light Show (Basic) upgrade can be skipped unless you’re aiming for full optimization.

Best ISO-8 for Photon

For Photon in Marvel Strike Force, the most recommended ISO-8 class is Striker. This class is chosen by 86% of active players, and for good reason. Striker enhances Photon’s damage and grants her the ability to perform extra attacks. These additional attacks are key in rapidly increasing her Charged count, which is crucial for maximizing her damage potential. Additionally, these attacks have a chance to clear buffs on enemies, making her even more effective at disrupting enemy teams. Given that Photon benefits from frequent basic and ISO attacks to charge up, Striker is ideal for maximizing her potential and ensuring she remains an offensive powerhouse.

Alternatively, Skirmisher is another viable option, particularly if you’re focusing on increasing Photon’s Focus. This class boosts her ability to apply negative effects and remove positive effects from enemies, which can be especially useful when Photon is paired with A-Force in War Offense. In this context, Skirmisher can help flip enemy buffs more effectively.

While Black Cat is generally better as a Striker due to her ability to counter, Photon can work well as a Skirmisher alongside Robbie Reyes, preparing the field for Black Cat and other heavy hitters like Apocalypse. However, when Photon is part of the Secret Defenders team, additional Focus isn’t as necessary since she benefits from Ghost Rider’s (Robbie Reyes) Passive, which provides extra Focus for the team.

In summary, Striker is the optimal ISO-8 class for Photon to maximize her damage and Charged mechanic, but Skirmisher can be a good choice in specific situations, especially in War Offense.

Best Photon Team

In Marvel Strike Force, Photon is a versatile character who fits well into two primary teams: Secret Defenders and A-Force.

The Secret Defenders team, which includes Black Cat, Ghost Rider (Robbie), Ms. Marvel (Hard Light), and Doctor Strange, excels in Arena mode, where they benefit from synergy bonuses that enhance each member’s abilities. This team is currently one of the most versatile in the game, delivering strong results across all game modes. In Arena, Secret Defenders can dominate due to their solid kits and unique synergy, which allows them to be highly effective against a variety of opponents. They also can defeat Gamma teams in War, making them formidable in that mode as well.

All members of the team leverage Charged mechanics, which means they gain Charged in different ways and, upon reaching five Charged, can perform powerful special moves. The team’s passive stat buffs further enhance their effectiveness in any mode, allowing for significant punch-ups against stronger enemies. While fighting against a Mirror Match in Arena is common, as other players often use characters like Apocalypse or Super Skrull in place of Photon or Doctor Strange, Secret Defenders remain a top-tier choice for multiple game modes, including War and Cosmic Crucible.

On the other hand, A-Force, consisting of Captain Marvel, Spider-Woman, Jessica Jones, and Nico Minoru, is particularly strong for fast, offensive attacks. They are especially effective against tough defensive teams like Heroes for Hire, Death Seed, and Unlimited X-Men. A-Force shines in War Offense, where their ability to launch rapid and potent attacks allows them to break through some of the toughest defenses.

With the addition of Photon, A-Force becomes even more formidable, making them a strong option for players focused on War. However, A-Force isn’t the go-to team for all situations. If you have a semi-built A-Force team, Photon can certainly slot in and boost its power. But if you don't, it might be better to focus on building the Secret Defenders team, which has broader utility and synergy.

When deciding between A-Force and Secret Defenders, it's important to consider your priorities. While having two strong teams can be beneficial, the developers have designed Photon to complement A-Force in War, while Secret Defenders may be the better all-around team for most other modes. If your focus is primarily on War, A-Force with Photon can be a strong offensive choice. However, for more balanced gameplay across various modes, Secret Defenders is the more versatile team.

Which team to focus on: A-Force or Secret Defenders?

When deciding which team to focus on in Marvel Strike Force, Secret Defenders is generally considered the superior choice. This team is one of the strongest and most versatile in the game, performing well across nearly every game mode. Secret Defenders are built to dominate in Arena, where their synergy allows them to effectively counter a variety of enemies. They are also capable of defeating powerful teams like Gamma in War, making them a top-tier choice for competitive gameplay. While they aren't as strong in Raids, Secret Defenders excel in all other modes, making them the team of the year in MSF for their overall utility and effectiveness.

On the other hand, A-Force is a solid team for War, but they aren’t quite considered a "meta" team for general gameplay. A-Force specializes in fast offensive attacks, which allows them to handle challenging defenses such as Heroes for Hire, Death Seed, and Unlimited X-Men. With Photon added to the team and Spider-Woman at 7 red stars, A-Force can take on powerful teams like Gamma, Infestation, Darkhold, Deathseed, H4H, and Infinity Watch. However, they struggle against Knowhere, New Avengers, and Secret Defenders with Apocalypse unless punching down significantly. A-Force is primarily a War team, while Secret Defenders are strong across all game modes except for Raids.

For most players, the recommendation is to focus on Secret Defenders once you've unlocked all the necessary characters. This team can help you climb to the top 20 in Arena and provide excellent results in other modes as well. If you already have a semi-built A-Force, you can include Photon in the team, but it's best not to prioritize A-Force over Secret Defenders unless your focus is specifically on War offense. Building up characters like Apocalypse, Black Cat, Robbie (Ghost Rider), Ms. Marvel (Hard Light), and Quicksilver should be prioritized before focusing on Photon or other A-Force members. A-Force can serve as a secondary team unless you're specifically War-focused.

How to Unlock Photon

To unlock Photon in Marvel Strike Force, players can participate in various events and milestones that offer opportunities to earn her shards. Photon was initially made available through the Asgard 2004 event, where players could unlock her by participating in Blitz battles. Winning these battles and opening Godly Power Orbs contributed to earning points towards unlocking Photon. During the event, each Blitz battle earned 75 points until players reached 84,000 points, after which each battle was worth 25 points. The full character unlock was achieved at Milestone 16, which required 102,000 points. Reaching 124,000 points granted additional Photon shards.

Photon was also available through free shards in Season Two of the Battle Pass. By consistently completing daily and weekly objectives, players could earn additional shards. Although spending Power Cores to refresh energy and gain points was not required, it was an option for those looking to speed up the process.

To maximize progress, completing full Blitz rotations each day is key to acquiring enough points for unlocking Photon. Additionally, certain characters like Doctor Strange and Sylvie granted bonus points during these events, and having Photon already unlocked in the event also provided additional points. Players could also aim to increase Photon’s Red Star rank by opening Red Star Orbs to further strengthen her once unlocked. Lastly, Strike Pass content included shards for other characters like Ms. Marvel (Hard Light), which could be useful for building other teams.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Photon is a powerful and versatile character in Marvel Strike Force, and focusing on the right strategies can help unlock and maximize her potential. The Secret Defenders team, which includes characters like Black Cat, Ghost Rider (Robbie), Ms. Marvel (Hard Light), and Doctor Strange, is generally considered more versatile and superior to A-Force, making it the primary team to prioritize. A-Force can be a secondary focus, especially if war offense is a priority for your team.

Photon has been unlockable through events, with the Asgard 2004 event being a key one, where players could earn her shards by participating in Blitz battles and reaching specific milestone goals. Completing full Blitz rotations is essential to maximize points, and battling in Blitz—rather than winning—is sufficient for earning points toward unlocking her. Photon’s T4 upgrades should be prioritized based on your game mode focus. For Arena, upgrading her Passive (Radiant Light) first, followed by her Ultimate (Full Spectrum Flash), is recommended. The Special (Aurora Blast) is valuable for War offense, while the Basic (Light Show) is the least essential for upgrades.

For her ISO-8, Striker is the most recommended class, as it boosts Photon’s damage output and supports her Charged mechanic. Skirmisher is another viable option, particularly in situations where Focus is needed. To maximize Photon’s effectiveness, aim to obtain high Red Stars. Keep an eye on events and milestones offering Photon shards, and take advantage of Power Cores to refresh energy during these events. You can also acquire free shards through daily and weekly objectives. Utilizing specific characters like Doctor Strange and Sylvie can provide additional bonus points during events.

Additionally, make sure to use store upgrades to acquire the necessary gear and resources to strengthen Photon and your teams. Building Blitz teams with optimal codes can also help maximize your Blitzing effectiveness, ensuring you’re earning the maximum amount of points and rewards during events. With these strategies, Photon can become a key asset in your team, especially within the versatile and powerful Secret Defenders lineup.