Red Goblin

Villain| City| Bio| Protector| Spider-Verse| Symbiote| Hive-Mind Bonded with the Carnage symbiote, Norman Osborn became the deadly Red Goblin, a blood-thirsty villain who happily puts allies in harm’s way so he can land massive hits.

Character Abilities

Goblin Assault

– 1 +

Slash N’ Burn

– 1 +

Out For Blood

– 1 +

Scarlet Shredder

– 1 +

Red Goblin’s abilities make him a formidable force in Marvel Strike Force, blending offensive power with critical support for his Hive-Mind allies.

Goblin Assault (Basic): Deals 350% damage to primary and adjacent targets, applies 2 Bleed, and grants 2 Regeneration to Red Goblin and the most injured Hive-Mind ally. Iso-8 follow-up hits for 177% piercing with the same effects.

Slash N’ Burn (Special): Marvel Strike Force Red Goblin attacks for 400% damage, applies Defense Down and 2 Bleed. In Raids, also applies Trauma. Clears negative effects from allies, heals 30% of Red Goblin’s Max Health, and grants 2 Regeneration to him and Hive-Mind allies. 5-turn cooldown; T4 upgrade boosts Trauma and ensures healing.

Out For Blood (Ultimate): Costs 4 energy. Transfers 5 debuffs from Hive-Mind allies to Red Goblin (unless he has Trauma), then copies them to enemies in Raids. Clears Red Goblin’s debuffs, healing him up to 80%. Attacks all enemies for 320% + 125% per positive effect, applies Slow, and prolongs enemy debuffs by 1 turn in Raids. Grants 2 Regeneration to Red Goblin and Symbiote allies. Unavoidable; 4-turn cooldown; T4 increases damage and transfers.

Scarlet Shredder (Passive): On spawn, Red Goblin gains 1 Charged, Defense Up, and 2 Deflect for himself and Hive-Mind allies. In Raids, applies Taunt to highest Health Hive-Mind ally. On turn, heals 20%, gives Taunt and Deflect to that ally, and revives a Symbiote if Charged. If a Taunting Hive-Mind ally drops below 50%, he clears Taunt, applies Safeguard and 2 Deathproof, and gains 30% Speed Bar. Gains 25% Speed Bar on a Hive-Mind ally’s death. Grants +60% Damage and +25% Block Amount to himself and Hive-Mind allies.

Analysis of Red Goblin’s Kit

Red Goblin’s kit positions him as a unique Protector in Marvel Strike Force, offering a blend of protection, damage amplification, debuff application, healing, and a single revive that makes him an essential member of the Hive-Mind team. His design is tailored to support and enhance the Hive-Mind, with his primary role being to protect his allies while also contributing offensively. He consistently applies Taunt to the highest health Hive-Mind ally, typically Venom, due to his naturally high health pool.

Red Goblin's passive abilities boost the entire team, providing a 60% damage increase and a 25% Block Amount increase, significantly improving both the offensive and defensive capabilities of his allies. Additionally, his passive triggers the application of Deflect to all Hive-Mind allies whenever an enemy takes damage from Bleed, which synergizes well with the Bleed effects applied by Hive-Mind members like Carnage and Venom.

Red Goblin excels as both a Protector and support unit. Beyond Taunt, he protects allies by removing Taunt when they drop below 50% health, applying Safeguard and 2 Deathproof, and gaining 30% Speed Bar. He also has a single-use revive for a Symbiote ally, triggered automatically if Charged, restoring 60% of their health. His passive Speed Bar boosts 30% when a Taunting ally is low and 25% when a Hive-Mind ally dies help compensate for his slow base speed of 107.

Offensively, Red Goblin brings strong damage and debuff control. His Basic applies Bleed, while his Special deals AoE damage, inflicts Defense Down and Bleed, and applies Trauma in Raids. His Ultimate is a high-damage AoE that scales with his positive effects and, in Raids, copies debuffs to enemies and prolongs them. This makes him a powerful asset for debuff-heavy strategies. Both his Basic and Special also grant Regeneration, and his Ultimate cleanses and heals based on the number of debuffs removed from himself.

Red Goblin shines in Alliance Raids, especially in Incursion II Bio nodes, where the Hive-Mind team thrives. He offers protection, healing, damage, and debuff manipulation, making him a crucial pick for tough Raid content. While less effective outside of Raids due to Raid-specific bonuses, he still sees some use in War, Cosmic Crucible, and Dark Dimensions. For upgrades, prioritize T4 on his Special, Ultimate, and Passive. Raider is the recommended ISO-8 class, with Striker as a viable alternative. His main limitation is his dependency on the Hive-Mind team and limited revive use per encounter.

T4 Ability Upgrade Priorities

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

The recommended Tier 4 (T4) upgrade priority for Red Goblin focuses on maximizing his effectiveness in Bio Raids with the Hive-Mind team.

Special (Slash N' Burn) is the top priority. Its T4 upgrade extends Trauma to 2 turns in Raids and guarantees a 30% team-wide heal, greatly boosting survivability and crowd control. This makes it critical for both healing and controlling enemy teams.

Ultimate (Out For Blood) comes next. The upgrade increases AoE damage by 70% and enhances debuff transfer and spread in Raids raising it from 2 to 5 negative effects making Red Goblin a powerful debuffer and battlefield controller.

Passive (Scarlet Shredder) is the third priority. It adds +1 Deflect (up to 5) to Red Goblin and all Hive-Mind allies when enemies take Bleed damage, significantly improving team durability over time.

Basic (Goblin Assault) is the lowest priority. Its T4 upgrade boosts damage and enhances Regeneration to the most injured Hive-Mind ally, but its impact is more minor compared to the others.

Optimal ISO-8 Class

The best ISO-8 class for Red Goblin depends on the game mode and your team setup, with Raider and Striker being top choices. Raider is ideal for Raids due to Red Goblin’s frequent multi-target and AoE attacks, increasing the chance to apply Vulnerable and boost overall team damage. Striker is a strong alternative in non-Raid modes, enhancing his basic attacks to stack more Bleeds and apply Regeneration, adding both offensive and support value.

Skirmisher is useful early on for landing debuffs reliably at lower star levels, but becomes less necessary as Red Goblin’s stats improve. While Healer may seem viable due to his support abilities, it’s generally outclassed by Raider and Striker, since the Hive-Mind team already has strong healing. Overall, Raider is best for Raids, Striker for broader support, and Skirmisher can help when building him up. Choose based on game mode, team needs, and Red Goblin’s progression.

Best Teams for Red Goblin

The best and most recommended team for Red Goblin is the Hive-Mind team, which includes Void Knight, Gwenom, Venom, Carnage, and Red Goblin. This team is built around synergies that maximize Red Goblin's effectiveness as the team’s Protector. Red Goblin’s passive ability boosts the team significantly by providing +60% damage and +25% Block Amount to all Hive-Mind allies, greatly enhancing their offensive and defensive capabilities.

He also consistently applies Taunt to the highest health Hive-Mind ally, typically targeting Venom, to provide crucial protection. If the Taunting ally drops below 50% health, Red Goblin clears the Taunt and applies Safeguard and 2 Deathproof, further improving team survivability. Additionally, his passive applies +1 Deflect (up to 5) to all Hive-Mind allies whenever an enemy takes damage from Bleed, which synergizes strongly with the Bleed effects generated by Venom and Carnage.

Red Goblin also offers a single revive, allowing him to bring back a fallen Symbiote ally, which includes all Hive-Mind members. His special ability clears negative effects and heals all Hive-Mind allies, while his ultimate can transfer negative effects from Hive-Mind allies to himself (excluding Stun) and copy them to enemies in Raids, adding additional utility and disruption.

While the Hive-Mind team is the primary focus, Red Goblin’s tags Villain, City, Bio, Spider-Verse, and Symbiote suggest that he could potentially be used on other teams that share these traits. However, the Hive-Mind team remains the optimal setup. Some considerations include a three-piece team of Red Goblin, Void Knight, and Carnage, where Red Goblin’s passive boosts their individual abilities and damage output.

Another mention is a hybrid team of Hive-Mind members plus Ghost Rider and Morbius on City nodes, leveraging the Bleed effects, but again, the full Hive-Mind team is the recommended setup. Red Goblin might also have value in Cosmic Crucible and Dark Dimensions, but these scenarios are less defined compared to his role within the Hive-Mind team.

In conclusion, the Hive-Mind team (Void Knight, Gwenom, Venom, Carnage, and Red Goblin) is the most effective and intended team composition for Red Goblin, fully utilizing his abilities and providing significant team-wide buffs. While Red Goblin’s tag allows for potential use in other teams, his kit is specifically designed to excel in the Hive-Mind setup, particularly in Raids and other game modes.

Red Goblin in Different Game Modes

Raids are where Red Goblin shines, especially in Incursion II Bio nodes. His passive grants Hive-Mind allies +60% Damage and +25% Block Amount, boosting both offense and defense. He applies Taunt to the highest Health ally (usually Venom) and provides strong healing, debuff clearing, and Trauma through his Special. His Ultimate copies and prolongs negative effects, and his revive mechanic restores a fallen Symbiote with 60% health. These traits make him a key figure in high-difficulty Raid content.

In Dark Dimension, his debuff application, healing, and scaling AoE damage make him a solid pick, especially alongside other Hive-Mind or Symbiote allies. His utility in extended fights adds value in this mode.

In Cosmic Crucible, Red Goblin is more situational but can be effective against summon-heavy teams. He’s best used within a Hive-Mind setup. In Alliance War, he performs well in similar scenarios but may struggle against fast teams like Weapon X due to his lower speed. In Arena, he’s rated ★★★☆☆ viable but not top-tier mainly limited by his speed. Overall, Red Goblin thrives in Raids and can contribute in other modes with proper team synergy.

Farming Red Goblin

To farm Red Goblin in Marvel Strike Force, the main method is through the Cosmic Crucible Store. You can use Cosmic Crucible Credits, earned by participating in Cosmic Crucible matches, to purchase Red Goblin's character shards.

Previously, Red Goblin was available through special events, such as the February 2024 monthly login reward event, where players could acquire him for free by logging in daily throughout the month. However, this event has concluded. Additionally, during the "Paint the Town Red" event in February 2024, players had the opportunity to unlock Red Goblin by progressing through the Paint the Town Red Milestone event, which also included daily milestones, such as the "Red-Handed" milestone where players could earn points by participating in raid battles with specific characters like Void Knight, Gwenom, and Red Goblin. Red Goblin shards were also available in Ruby Red Orbs obtained through these milestones and through spending power cores, but this event has also ended.

Beyond these past events, Red Goblin’s shards may appear in special offers or future in-game events. To stay updated, regularly check the Cosmic Crucible Store and be on the lookout for any new events or special offers that feature Red Goblin as a reward.

Conclusion

Red Goblin is a key member of the Hive-Mind team in Marvel Strike Force, built to dominate Bio nodes in Incursion Raids II. As both a protector and damage amplifier, he boosts team survivability and offensive power through Taunt, Trauma, healing, and debuff control. His synergy with Void Knight, Gwenom, Venom, and Carnage makes him essential for maximizing the Hive-Mind team's performance. While a four-piece team with Super Skrull can handle current content, Red Goblin is expected to be vital for future, tougher Raid tiers.

Outside of Raids, Red Goblin has situational value in Cosmic Crucible, Alliance War, and Dark Dimension, particularly against summon-heavy teams. However, his slower speed and raid-focused abilities limit his impact in faster-paced modes. Red Goblin shards are mainly available in the Cosmic Crucible Store, with past limited-time availability through events. For players focused on Raid content, especially Incursion Raids, building Red Goblin is highly recommended to unlock the full potential of the Hive-Mind team.

Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q)

🛡️ What role does Red Goblin play in Marvel Strike Force?

Red Goblin is a Protector and support hybrid who enhances the Hive-Mind team with healing, damage amplification, debuff control, and a one-time Symbiote revive. He’s especially strong in Bio Incursion Raids.

⚔️ Is Red Goblin more of a tank or damage dealer?

Both! While he protects key allies using Taunt and revive mechanics, he also boosts team damage by +60% and has strong AoE attacks that scale with positive effects.

🧪 Where does Red Goblin perform best?

Red Goblin excels in Raids, particularly Incursion II Bio nodes, where his abilities are fully optimized. He also sees some use in Cosmic Crucible, Dark Dimension, and Alliance War.

📊 What is the best ISO-8 class for Red Goblin?

Raider is best for Raids due to his multi-target attacks and synergy with Vulnerable. Striker is great in other modes to enhance Bleed stacking. Skirmisher can help early on, but Healer is not recommended.

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Angelo P

Angelo P, a passionate gamer who’s all about Dota and RPGs, especially those with captivating stories. Since 10 years old, Angelo has been playing Dota and found the competitiveness of players to be very enjoyable. For RPGs, he has a strong preference for games that have a good story. Current favorites are Metaphor and Triangle Strategy. Angelo believes that gaming is more than just playing, it's about experiencing stories that stick with you long after the game is over. Login Please login to comment 0 Comments Inline Feedbacks View all comments