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Introduction
Absorbing Man is a Villain, Global, Mystic, Protector character in Marvel Strike Force, and an essential member of the Masters of Evil team. In this Marvel Strike Force Absorbing Man Guide, he plays a pivotal role as a tank, drawing enemy attacks and shielding his allies.
As a key component for unlocking a future legendary character, Absorbing Man is an important addition to any roster. His abilities focus on taunting enemies, removing negative effects from his team, and converting harmful debuffs into beneficial ones, making him an excellent choice for supporting his allies in battle. His unique kit shines in the Cosmic Crucible game mode, where he can excel in maintaining control and enhancing the performance of his team.
However, to maximize his effectiveness in other game modes, he may require specific team compositions and ISO-8 upgrades. Leveraging his strengths and synergies with the right characters is essential for getting the most out of Absorbing Man in Marvel Strike Force.
How to Obtain Absorbing Man
Absorbing Man can be obtained in Marvel Strike Force through Materialistic Orbs and by participating in the Crusher of Heroes event. Materialistic Orbs provide a chance to acquire character shards, which can be opened using in-game currency. The Crusher of Heroes event is a limited-time event that offers additional opportunities to earn Absorbing Man shards through several in-game activities. These activities include completing raid battles, participating in alliance war battles, and spending power cores to gain extra event points.
The event begins on Thursday, February 9th, and is structured as a milestone event, where players accumulate points through these actions to unlock various rewards. Absorbing Man’s initial unlock occurs at 3 stars, with enough shards provided through the event to reach this level. Players can also work towards obtaining a 4-star Absorbing Man by achieving additional milestones within the event, requiring extra effort and participation. The Crusher of Heroes event is available for a limited time, so players must actively engage to maximize their chances of unlocking Absorbing Man and advancing his star level.
Abilities
Absorbing Man’s abilities in Marvel Strike Force are designed to make him a durable tank and a valuable protector for his team, particularly within the Masters of Evil faction and in Cosmic Crucible.
Brick Bash
Level: 1
Damage: 80
Wrecking Ball
Level: 1
Damage: 100
Diamond in the Rough
Level: 1
Damage: 150
Hardened Criminal
Level: 1
Fill Speed Bar: 30
His Basic – Brick Bash attack targets the primary enemy and clears two positive effects from them, excluding Stealth and Taunt. If the target has Vulnerability, Absorbing Man gains Deflects, with a T4 upgrade increasing the number of Deflects to five. This ability can also trigger counterattacks and assists, though it deals less damage than the basic attack.
His Special – Wrecking Ball ability costs 4 energy and is available on his first turn. It allows him to copy and clear all negative effects from his Masters of Evil allies, flipping those effects into positive ones on himself. He also applies Offense Down to the primary target for 2 turns and clears Taunt from all allies. In Cosmic Crucible, Absorbing Man gains Taunt for 2 turns, and a T4 upgrade increases the number of negative effects he copies and clears.
Absorbing Man’s Ultimate ability, available on his first turn, clears all negative effects from himself. In Cosmic Crucible, he also heals himself and applies Deflect and Immunity to himself and all Masters of Evil allies. With a T4 upgrade, this attack also increases the damage dealt to the primary target by 100%.
His Passive – Hardened Criminal provides Taunt on spawn, grants him 3 Deflects, and allows him to copy and clear one positive effect from the attacker (excluding Stealth and Taunt) when hit. He gains Defense Up, up to a maximum of 3, and in Cosmic Crucible, he receives an additional 30% Resistance. If his health drops below 50% while taunting, he removes Taunt and fills his Speed Bar by 30%. Additionally, in Cosmic Crucible, he heals for 5% of his max HP when he blocks. On offense in Cosmic Crucible, he grants 4 counters to Titania, with the T4 upgrade providing an extra 30% Resistance.
In summary, Absorbing Man’s kit is centered around tanking damage, clearing debuffs, and applying buffs to his team. His abilities provide a combination of defense and offense support, making him especially effective in Cosmic Crucible and a strong asset to the Masters of Evil team.
Iso-8 Recommendations
When selecting ISO-8 classes for Absorbing Man in Marvel Strike Force, there are several good options depending on his role and the game mode. The Fortifier class is a strong choice, as it enhances his durability, providing additional barriers and boosting his Health, Armor, and Resistance. This is particularly beneficial for Absorbing Man’s role as the team’s tank, especially in game modes outside of Cosmic Crucible where he will be absorbing much of the enemy’s attacks.
The Striker class is also an excellent option due to his ability to trigger follow-up attacks. Each counterattack, assist, and ISO-8 attack allows him to clear positive effects from enemies and gain Deflects if the target has Vulnerability. As a Striker, Absorbing Man can do more damage, improve his sustainability, and further enhance his defensive capabilities by gaining more deflects, which help heal him.
For players focusing on Cosmic Crucible defense, particularly in Room 3, the Skirmisher class is a solid choice. This class allows Absorbing Man to clear even more positive effects from enemies with his basic attack. Pairing him with Titania as a Fortifier gives him additional counters, taunts, and applies Vulnerability to enemies, increasing his effectiveness in that specific room. While Raider is another potential option, it may not be as optimal since Absorbing Man is more focused on soaking damage rather than dealing single-target damage. The Raider class does provide 100% crit damage, but it’s better suited for other characters with more offensive roles.
In general, it’s important to consider the ISO-8 composition of the entire Masters of Evil team to ensure synergies are maximized. For offense, Striker is the best option, while for Cosmic Crucible defense, Skirmisher paired with Titania as a Fortifier works well. Overall, Health, Armor, and Resistance should be prioritized when selecting ISO-8 for Absorbing Man, with adjustments based on team composition and game mode.
T4 Ability Priorities
When prioritizing T4 upgrades for Absorbing Man, the Special – Wrecking Ball ability should be the highest priority. The T4 upgrade enhances this ability by allowing Absorbing Man to clear and copy all negative effects from Masters of Evil allies, rather than just two. This improvement significantly boosts his support role, as it enables him to flip a larger number of negative effects into positive ones, which is beneficial in any game mode.
The Ultimate – Diamond in the Rough ability is the second highest priority. The T4 upgrade increases the damage dealt to the primary target by 100% and, in Cosmic Crucible, applies Deflect and Immunity to himself and all Masters of Evil allies. This is crucial in Cosmic Crucible, ensuring that the team is protected from negative debuffs and that their positive buffs remain intact.
The Passive – Hardened Criminal ability comes next in priority. The T4 upgrade grants an additional 30% Resistance in Cosmic Crucible and provides 4 counters to Titania on Cosmic Crucible Offense. While this is useful for Titania’s crit mechanics, its effects are limited to Cosmic Crucible and may not be as impactful as the upgrades for the Special or Ultimate abilities. It should be considered if Absorbing Man is being used in Crucible-focused teams.
Lastly, the Basic – Brick Bash ability has the lowest priority for a T4 upgrade. The T4 upgrade adds an extra deflect when attacking a target with Vulnerability, which is helpful but not as critical as the other upgrades. This upgrade is most useful if Absorbing Man is equipped as a Striker and will be using his basic attack more frequently.
In summary, the recommended T4 upgrade priority for Absorbing Man is Special > Ultimate > Passive > Basic, with the Special ability offering the greatest impact on his role as a support tank. The Ultimate follows closely behind for its defensive advantages, especially in Cosmic Crucible, while the Passive and Basic abilities, although useful, are more situational.
Team Synergies
Absorbing Man is a core member of the Masters of Evil team, designed to provide strong protection and support, particularly in Cosmic Crucible. As a protector, he offers a pre-taunt, drawing enemy attacks away from his allies, and his abilities are centered around clearing negative effects and flipping them into positive ones. His ultimate provides Deflect and Immunity to the Masters of Evil team in Cosmic Crucible, further strengthening their resilience. Additionally, his passive on Cosmic Crucible Offense grants 4 counters to Titania, enhancing her effectiveness during the battle.
Absorbing Man has strong synergies with Titania, particularly in Cosmic Crucible. His passive grants Titania additional counters, which can significantly improve her damage output, especially as she applies Vulnerability, allowing Absorbing Man to gain more Deflects. When Absorbing Man is a Skirmisher and Titania is a Fortifier, the two work well together, with Titania gaining counters to adjacent enemies and applying Vulnerability to them. This combination enhances Absorbing Man’s durability and offensive capabilities.
Absorbing Man also synergizes well with other Masters of Evil characters like Kang the Conqueror, Ultron, and Moonstone. The team is a powerful force in Cosmic Crucible, capable of punching up against strong meta teams. Ultron can extend Absorbing Man’s Defense Up buffs, improving his Armor and Resistance, making him even harder to take down. Additionally, the Masters of Evil team is necessary for unlocking a future legendary character, making Absorbing Man’s role within the team all the more crucial.
Outside of the Masters of Evil team, Absorbing Man can still function effectively as a standalone pre-taunting tank. He works particularly well in teams with healing, such as those featuring Maria Hill, and can fit into other team compositions like the Eternals, Secret Avengers, or Dark World teams. His ability to clear negative effects makes him versatile, though he may require specific support to reach his full potential outside of Cosmic Crucible. Absorbing Man is also a viable option in Alliance War Offense, Avengers Tower, and Dark Dimension, though he may not be as effective without synergies from other characters.
Absorbing Man’s best synergies are with characters who can apply Vulnerability, as this allows him to gain more Deflects. He pairs well with characters that can provide healing, additional buffs, or counters, which help sustain him in battle. His ability to flip bleeds into regeneration also supports his survivability. Characters like Nobu and Deadpool are great partners, as they can provide healing, buffs, and the speed Absorbing Man needs to overcome his slower pace.
In summary, Absorbing Man excels as a tank within the Masters of Evil team, especially in Cosmic Crucible, and has synergies with Titania and other team members like Ultron. Outside of this team, he can still be a valuable standalone tank in teams with healing, buffs, and vulnerability application, though he is most effective with specific support. His best synergies involve characters that provide Vulnerability, healing, counters, and speed.
Gameplay Tips
Absorbing Man is a powerful pre-taunting tank, making him a valuable asset in many game modes where you need a character to absorb incoming damage. His ability to draw enemy fire right away can be strategically used to protect your more fragile allies.
He is a key member of the Masters of Evil team, designed to support the team, especially in Cosmic Crucible, where his abilities shine. In Cosmic Crucible, he provides additional benefits like increased resistance and healing when blocking, as well as his ultimate, which grants Deflect and Immunity to himself and his allies. His special ability is also essential for clearing and flipping negative effects from allies, turning them into positive effects, which can turn the tide of battle.
Absorbing Man’s basic attack works particularly well against enemies with Vulnerability, allowing him to gain additional Deflects. If he’s equipped with the Striker ISO-8 class, his basic attack becomes even more effective, providing extra damage and enhancing his sustainability. His Special Ability is one of his most important tools, as it clears debuffs and can remove Taunt from allies or apply Offense Down to enemies, making it a versatile and strategic ability. Be sure to use it when you want to shift the momentum in your favor.
When paired with Titania and Ultron on the Masters of Evil team, Absorbing Man’s abilities complement theirs well, with Titania applying Vulnerability to boost his deflects and Ultron extending his defense buffs. Outside of the Masters of Evil team, Absorbing Man can be used as a pre-taunting tank in other teams like Eternals, Secret Avengers, or Dark World, especially when paired with healers like Maria Hill to make up for his lack of sustain. His Fortifier ISO-8 class is particularly useful for increasing his durability outside of Cosmic Crucible, while Skirmisher is recommended for Cosmic Crucible, especially in Room 3.
For his T4 upgrades, prioritize his Special Ability to maximize its effectiveness in all game modes, followed by his Ultimate Ability to improve his performance in Cosmic Crucible. The Passive Ability T4 upgrade should be considered next, especially for its value in Cosmic Crucible Offense, where it grants counters to Titania. Be mindful of his slow speed, and consider pairing him with characters who can boost his Speed to make him more effective. His lack of AOE damage means he’s better suited for single-target engagements, so focus on maximizing his tanking and debuff-clearing capabilities.
Finally, be sure to experiment with different team compositions and ISO-8 classes to find the best strategy for your playstyle. Absorbing Man excels in Cosmic Crucible, Alliance War, and Avengers Tower, but without the right support, he may not perform as effectively in other game modes. Keep testing and adjusting his role based on your needs to unlock his full potential.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Absorbing Man is a powerful tank and support character, especially within the Masters of Evil team. His pre-taunt ability allows him to absorb damage right from the start, protecting his teammates in many game modes. His synergy with the Masters of Evil makes him an essential member, particularly in Cosmic Crucible, where his abilities are at their strongest. He excels at buff and debuff manipulation, clearing negative effects from allies and flipping them into positive ones, while also applying Offense Down to enemies.
His durability is enhanced by high armor and resistance, along with the ability to gain Deflects, which help mitigate incoming damage. As a Fortifier, Striker, or Skirmisher, Absorbing Man can enhance his survivability, increase his damage, and manipulate buffs more effectively. He can also provide critical counters to Titania on Cosmic Crucible Offense, making him a key asset in that game mode. His versatility also extends to other modes like Alliance War Offense, Avengers Tower, and Dark Dimension.
However, Absorbing Man does have some weaknesses. His reliance on team synergies means that he is less effective outside of the Masters of Evil team, and he lacks AOE damage, making him more suited for single-target engagements. Without specific support characters providing buffs, healing, or speed, he can be vulnerable. His lack of sustain outside of Cosmic Crucible, where he benefits from healing on blocks, can leave him exposed in other game modes.
Absorbing Man is also slow, which limits his ability to use his abilities effectively, especially against faster enemies. Some of his abilities are situational, such as his passive and ultimate, which are more valuable in Cosmic Crucible. His basic attack and ultimate also have limited damage potential, particularly against single targets. His minions are vulnerable and can be easily destroyed, further limiting his overall effectiveness in non-Crucible modes. Additionally, his ISO-8 class needs to be adjusted based on the game mode and team composition to maximize his potential.
In summary, Absorbing Man is a strong and versatile tank within the Masters of Evil team, excelling in Cosmic Crucible with his abilities to manipulate buffs and debuffs, soak damage, and support his allies. However, he is less effective as a standalone character and requires specific support, particularly in other game modes where his healing and synergy with teammates are limited. His pre-taunt, durability, and debuff-clearing abilities make him a powerful asset, but his slow speed, lack of sustain, and situational abilities can hinder his performance if not properly supported.
Game Mode Performance
Absorbing Man excels in Cosmic Crucible, especially when paired with the Masters of Evil team. His ultimate ability grants deflect and immunity to himself and Masters of Evil allies, making it an essential tool for this game mode. Additionally, his special ability is valuable for clearing and flipping negative effects from allies, enhancing his utility.
He benefits from increased resistance (+50%) and healing on blocks (5% of his max HP), further solidifying his role as a durable tank. In Cosmic Crucible Offense, he provides four counters to Titania on spawn, contributing to the overall strength of the team. The synergy within the Masters of Evil team allows Absorbing Man to punch up against more powerful meta teams, making him a crucial asset for defense and offense in this mode.
In Alliance War, Absorbing Man can be effective on offense, and potentially on defense, particularly if you can bait enemies into using Wakanda against him. His minions can also be useful in Alliance War, providing additional support for his team. In Blitz, Absorbing Man’s slower speed makes him less effective, and he may require additional support to survive in this fast-paced mode. Similarly, in Dark Dimension, while he can be used, his performance may be limited without the right support. He may need healing from characters like Deadpool and could benefit from pairing with characters that increase his survivability.
In Raids, Absorbing Man’s focus on defense and buff manipulation might make him less effective, as his abilities are better suited to team synergies rather than raw damage output. Without specific support characters, his impact in Raids may be limited. His performance in Arena is more debatable; his pre-taunt ability could be a liability against certain teams, such as those with Black Cat or Apocalypse, who can counter his taunt. Absorbing Man might also struggle to cleanse negative effects from Apocalypse due to the Trauma debuff, further limiting his effectiveness. For Arena, players might prefer using other characters like Quicksilver over Absorbing Man, as mirroring an opponent’s team with him may not be an optimal strategy.
Absorbing Man is particularly valuable in any mode that requires a pre-match taunter and can be used in Avengers Tower, where his tanking abilities shine. Overall, his effectiveness varies depending on the game mode and team composition. He is most powerful with the Masters of Evil, especially in Cosmic Crucible, but outside of this team, he requires additional support such as healing, speed, or buffs from other characters to be effective.
His lack of sustain outside of Cosmic Crucible remains a significant weakness, making him less viable in modes where self-healing is crucial. When paired with teams that can provide healing or buffs, like the Eternals, Secret Avengers, or Dark World, he can still perform well as a standalone tank.
Conclusion
Absorbing Man is a niche character in Marvel Strike Force, excelling in a specific role as a tank and support, particularly within the Masters of Evil team. His greatest strength is in Cosmic Crucible, where his abilities are designed to synergize with the team, providing valuable buffs and powerful support. As a pre-taunter, he draws enemy attention early in the match, helping protect his allies.
His ultimate grants deflect and immunity to himself and his Masters of Evil teammates, and his special ability allows him to clear and flip negative effects into positive ones. Additionally, on Cosmic Crucible Offense, he provides four counters to Titania on spawn, further enhancing the team’s synergy. With the right setup, the Masters of Evil team, with Absorbing Man, can punch up against meta teams in Cosmic Crucible, making him a key asset in that mode.
Outside of Cosmic Crucible, Absorbing Man’s effectiveness heavily depends on team synergies and support characters. He struggles as a standalone character and requires teammates who can provide healing, buffs, or speed. Without this support, Absorbing Man is vulnerable and can be easily overwhelmed. Characters like Deadpool and Nobu can help mitigate his weaknesses, but without them, his performance drops significantly. Absorbing Man is not designed for dealing significant damage; his role is to absorb attacks and support allies, which means his value in non-synergistic teams is limited.
Absorbing Man’s performance varies across game modes. He can be useful in Alliance War on offense, and potentially on defense if you can bait enemies into using Wakanda against him. In Blitz, his low speed makes him less effective, and he may struggle without additional support. He can be used in Dark Dimension, but again, he needs healing support, such as from Deadpool, to be truly effective. His utility in Raids is limited because his kit is more focused on defense and buff manipulation than raw damage output. In Arena, his pre-taunt can be a liability against certain meta teams, especially those featuring Black Cat or Apocalypse, and he cannot cleanse Trauma, which reduces his effectiveness.
Absorbing Man’s ISO-8 class should be tailored to the team composition and game mode. Fortifier increases his survivability, Striker allows him to do more damage and gain deflects, while Skirmisher enhances his ability to copy and clear positive effects from enemies. His strengths lie in his pre-taunt, his ability to manipulate buffs and debuffs, and his high durability. However, his weaknesses include a lack of self-healing, reliance on synergies, and slow speed. His ultimate and passive abilities are particularly valuable in Cosmic Crucible, while his basic attack T4 is less critical.
Upgrading his special and ultimate abilities with T4 materials enhances his effectiveness. The special upgrade allows him to copy all negative effects from allies instead of just two, while the ultimate upgrade applies deflect and immunity to all Masters of Evil allies in Cosmic Crucible. The passive T4 increases resistance for the Masters of Evil team, making it a helpful upgrade, though less essential than the special and ultimate. The basic attack T4 is the least important upgrade.
In conclusion, Absorbing Man is a powerful and versatile character when used within the Masters of Evil team in Cosmic Crucible, but his potential outside of this context is limited. Players should focus on optimizing his synergies in that game mode, while understanding that his effectiveness in other game modes relies on specific team compositions, ISO-8 classes, and T4 upgrades. With the right setup, Absorbing Man can be a strong tank and support character, but without the necessary support, he may struggle to reach his full potential.
