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Introduction
Cloak, also known as Tyrone Johnson, is a strategic controller character in Marvel Strike Force, renowned for his potent debuffs and strong synergy with his partner, Dagger. First introduced in the comics in 1982, Cloak belongs to several key traits, including Hero, City, Mystic, Controller, New Warrior, and Vigilant. This Marvel Strike Force Cloak Guide will help you understand how to best utilize him in your roster, maximizing his strengths and pairing him effectively with Dagger for optimal gameplay.
His unique affiliation as a Spirit Slayer also allows him to be especially effective against certain types of enemies. Cloak’s abilities are designed to complement Dagger’s powers, making their partnership essential for maximizing their full potential.
Many of Cloak’s abilities are enhanced when Dagger is present on the team, which is a central aspect of his gameplay. To get the most out of Cloak, it’s important to understand how his skills work alongside Dagger’s, creating a powerful duo. This guide will help players make the most of Cloak’s abilities, provide Iso-8 and T4 recommendations, and discuss ideal team synergies, strengths, and weaknesses, so you can optimize his role in your Marvel Strike Force roster.
How to Unlock Cloak
Cloak can be unlocked in Marvel Strike Force through several methods, each with its own requirements. Initially, he was available through offers in the game store, where players could purchase character shards for a limited time to unlock him immediately. Following his initial release, Cloak became available through the Strike Pass, where players could earn luminous credits by completing milestones.
These credits could then be used to open either the luminous Cloak orb or the luminous Dagger orb, each rewarding five shards of the respective character. However, this method received some backlash, particularly from free-to-play players, as it created a situation where they had to choose between unlocking either Cloak or Dagger. Many considered this one of the more controversial character unlock methods in the game.
Currently, Cloak can be farmed in the raid store, where players can either directly purchase five shards or acquire them through a chance in the raid orb. It’s important to note that his shards do not appear with every store reset. There may also be future opportunities to unlock Cloak through other methods, such as special events or milestones, so players should keep an eye on in-game announcements and community discussions for any updates regarding his availability.
Cloak’s Abilities
Cloak’s abilities in Marvel Strike Force are designed to control the battlefield through debuffs and enhance his synergy with his partner, Dagger. Here’s a breakdown of each of his abilities:
Into Darkness
Level: 1
Damage: 80
Umbral Embrace
Level: 1
Damage: 100
Shadow Assault
Level: 1
Damage: 80
Darkforce Conduit
Level: 1
Chance to Steal Health: 50
Basic Ability: Into Darkness
Cloak attacks the primary target for 240% damage and applies offense down to the target. He also assists a random Dagger ally, with the assist being part of the base attack.
Special Ability: Umbral Embrace
This ability has a three-charge cost and an energy requirement of 3. Cloak clears all positive effects from the primary target, then attacks the target for 300% damage. He also applies slow, defense down, and offense down for two turns. If Dagger is an ally, Cloak gains an assist from a random Dagger ally and does an additional 50% damage. Upgrading this ability increases damage and extends the debuff duration.
Ultimate Ability: Shadow Assault
Cloak attacks all enemies for 280% damage and applies three random negative effects, including blind, defense down, disrupted, offense down, or slow. He also applies vulnerable to all enemies, up to a maximum of five. If Dagger is an ally, Cloak attacks all enemies for 380% piercing damage and applies an additional offense down. This ability has a similar effect to Moon Knight’s ultimate, and its animation is particularly striking.
Passive Ability: Darkforce Conduit
At the end of his turn, Cloak has a 50% chance to steal 5% health from the most injured enemy and all adjacent enemies, redistributing it to himself. If Dagger is an ally, Cloak always steals health. Cloak also gains a 20% dodge chance when he has offense up, and all mystic hero allies and New Warrior allies gain 20% focus. This additional focus can benefit mystic heroes using a different ISO-8 class.
Synergy
Cloak’s kit is heavily designed to synergize with Dagger. His abilities, especially his ultimate, deal more damage or apply additional debuffs when Dagger is present. Cloak also assists Dagger during his basic attacks, enhancing their teamwork. Additionally, Cloak and Dagger work well with Deathpool, as her ability to provide energy to mystic allies allows them to use their abilities more frequently. Cloak has a base speed of 120, which contributes to his overall effectiveness in battle.
Iso-8 Recommendations
The recommended Iso-8 class for Cloak in Marvel Strike Force is Skirmisher, thanks to his role as a controller focused on applying debuffs and controlling the battlefield. The Skirmisher class enhances his ability to land critical debuffs, such as offense down, slow, and vulnerable, which are central to his kit. Increased focus from the Skirmisher class makes it more likely that these debuffs will stick to enemies, improving Cloak’s effectiveness.
Additionally, Skirmisher allows Cloak to apply the Vulnerable debuff with his Iso-8 attack, which is especially important since he applies Vulnerable with his ultimate ability. The class also provides a useful mechanic for removing positive effects from enemies, which complements Cloak’s special ability that clears buffs from his targets. This makes Cloak especially effective against enemies who rely on buffs to enhance their performance.
When paired with Dagger, the Skirmisher class provides excellent synergy. Cloak’s ability to assist Dagger on basic attacks allows for a “triple tap” effect, where one character is a Skirmisher and the other is a Striker, increasing the overall damage output. Cloak’s assist attacks on basic actions make the Skirmisher class even more valuable for his role on the team.
While Skirmisher is the optimal recommendation, there are other considerations. Enhancing Cloak’s health is beneficial due to his high dodge chance, which can improve his survivability, allowing him to stay in the fight longer and apply more debuffs. Some players may experiment with the Raider class, which can allow for a double vulnerability stack, though this comes with some risk. The Striker class is another potential option, though Dagger is typically better suited to Striker, some players find both Cloak and Dagger effective in this role.
Ultimately, the Skirmisher class is generally the best choice for Cloak, given its ability to bolster his debuffing capabilities and provide key synergy with his abilities and Dagger.
T4 Ability Recommendations
When upgrading Cloak’s abilities with T4 materials in Marvel Strike Force, it’s important to prioritize those that enhance his overall effectiveness in battle. Here’s a breakdown of the recommended T4 upgrades:
The Passive Ability: Darkforce Conduit is a high-priority T4 upgrade as it significantly boosts both Cloak and his team’s capabilities. The upgrade grants +40% increased focus for all Mystic Heroes and New Warriors, and +20% dodge chance when Cloak has Offense Up. This increased focus allows Mystic Heroes to potentially use different ISO-8 classes, while the dodge chance improves Cloak’s survivability.
This upgrade also makes Cloak more effective in raids, as it reduces the speed bar of enemies when they gain offense down. Additionally, it enables Cloak to steal health from the most injured enemy and redistribute it to himself or his team, further improving his utility. This passive also provides a 15% damage increase for New Warrior allies in raids, making it crucial for both raids and other game modes.
The Special Ability: Umbral Embrace should also be considered a high-priority T4 upgrade. It increases the damage dealt by 100% and extends the duration of the slow, defense down, and offense down debuffs from one to two turns. Since this ability is a single-target attack that applies multiple debuffs, upgrading it makes Cloak more effective at shutting down a primary target. Additionally, the special clears all positive effects from the target, making it a key tool for neutralizing enemies.
The Ultimate Ability: Shadow Assault is a valuable T4 upgrade that boosts Cloak’s offensive potential. This upgrade increases the piercing damage by 100 and, if Dagger is an ally, adds another 60 piercing damage. It also increases the number of random negative effects applied from one to three, ensuring that Cloak can hit all enemies with more damaging debuffs. The T4 upgrade also guarantees an offense down debuff if Dagger is present, further enhancing the synergy between them. This upgrade is particularly powerful when Cloak is paired with Dagger.
The Basic Ability: Into Darkness is considered a low-priority T4 upgrade. The primary benefit of upgrading this ability is an increase in damage, but since this ability is not used frequently in battle, it doesn’t provide as much value compared to his other abilities. Most players will rely on Cloak’s special and ultimate abilities more often, making this upgrade skippable.
Summary
In conclusion, the most important T4 upgrades for Cloak are his Passive and Special abilities, followed by his Ultimate ability. The Basic Ability is generally not worth upgrading with T4 materials. While some players may have an abundance of T4 materials and choose to upgrade all of Cloak’s abilities, focusing on the Passive and Special abilities will provide the greatest impact on his effectiveness in combat.
Team Synergies
Cloak’s effectiveness in Marvel Strike Force is greatly enhanced when paired with the right teammates, as his abilities are designed to synergize with specific characters. The most notable synergy is with Dagger, as their abilities complement each other to create a powerful offensive and defensive duo. Cloak assists Dagger on his basic attack, allowing for increased damage, and many of Cloak’s abilities, such as his special and ultimate, are enhanced when Dagger is present.
Their ultimate abilities become especially potent when used together, delivering significantly more damage. Additionally, their kits create a “triple tap” effect when one is a Skirmisher and the other is a Striker, making their synergy even more effective. For these reasons, Cloak and Dagger are most effective when paired together and should not be separated.
Another valuable teammate for Cloak is Deathpool, who provides ability energy to Mystic allies, enabling Cloak to use his abilities more frequently. This energy boost greatly enhances Cloak’s control and damage output, allowing him to perform his role more effectively. Deathpool’s passive ability benefits Cloak and Dagger without being dependent on specific team compositions.
Cloak is also a member of the New Warriors team, which provides strong synergy. His passive ability grants 20% additional focus to New Warrior allies, improving their chances to land debuffs. In raids, this focus boost is particularly helpful, and the New Warriors team also gains a 15% damage increase, further enhancing Cloak’s effectiveness when part of this team.
Additionally, Cloak’s passive ability increases focus for Mystic Heroes, making him a useful addition to teams that include characters from this class. The extra focus enables Mystic characters to potentially use different ISO-8 classes, and Cloak’s role in these teams is especially valuable in the Mystic section of Doom raids.
Beyond these core synergies, Cloak can also be used in City teams for Dark Dimension, where he can work alongside characters like Spider-Man, Symbiote Spider-Man, and Ghost Spider. While Cloak’s City trait makes him viable in these teams, his synergy is not as strong in this setup. He can also complement heroes like Silver Surfer and Adam Warlock on teams where additional damage and debuffs are needed.
Team Compositions
For optimal performance, a New Warriors Team is the most effective composition for Cloak, as it maximizes his passive ability and overall synergy. This team can include Cloak, Dagger, Deathpool, and other New Warriors when they are released. Additionally, Cloak can be included in a Mystic Raid Team alongside powerful Mystic characters like Silver Surfer, Adam Warlock, and Doctor Doom, with Deathpool providing the energy boost. Lastly, Cloak is useful in the City section of Dark Dimension, where he can work with Web Warriors and other characters that provide debuffs.
In summary, Cloak’s team synergies are centered around Dagger, New Warriors, Mystic heroes, and Deathpool. His abilities work best when paired with these characters, making them key to maximizing his effectiveness in various game modes.
Gameplay Tips and Strategies
To effectively utilize Cloak in Marvel Strike Force, it’s essential to understand his role, abilities, and synergies. Cloak is a strategic controller who thrives when paired with the right teammates, especially Dagger. The synergy between Cloak and Dagger is critical to their effectiveness, as many of Cloak’s abilities are enhanced when Dagger is present, and vice versa. Their kits are designed to work together, with Cloak assisting Dagger on basic attacks and their ultimate abilities becoming significantly stronger when used as a pair. Separating them will reduce their overall potential, so it’s vital to keep them together whenever possible.
As a controller, Cloak’s main role is to apply debuffs to enemies, such as offense down, slow, defense down, and vulnerable. Use his abilities to control the battlefield by disabling key enemy champions. His special ability, which clears positive effects from enemies, is especially useful for disrupting enemy strategies. Additionally, his ultimate ability applies multiple debuffs, including vulnerable, which benefits both Cloak and his allies by setting up powerful follow-up attacks.
To ensure Cloak’s debuffs land reliably, prioritize his focus. Equip him with the Skirmisher Iso-8 class to boost his focus stat, which increases the likelihood of landing debuffs. His passive ability also grants additional focus to Mystic heroes, which is particularly useful in raids and can even allow mystic allies to use different Iso-8 classes. This synergy with other mystic heroes makes Cloak a strong asset in Mystic-focused teams.
Strategically, Cloak’s abilities should be used at the right times. His special ability should target enemies with positive effects, especially in longer fights, as the T4 upgrade extends debuff durations to two turns. His ultimate ability is best used when you want to apply multiple negative effects across the enemy team, helping to set up additional attacks. Be mindful of his passive ability, which allows him to steal health from enemies and redistribute it to himself, improving overall team survivability.
Cloak’s assist with Dagger’s basic attacks should also be taken advantage of. The assists not only deal more damage but also help spread debuffs, further enhancing his control on the battlefield. Pair Cloak with Skirmisher Iso-8 to maximize his debuffing potential, while also considering pairing him with Dagger’s Striker Iso-8 for additional synergy and maximum effectiveness.
When considering team composition, Cloak works best when paired with other members of the New Warriors team, as they benefit from his focus boost. He also synergizes well with Mystic heroes, like Deathpool, Silver Surfer, and Adam Warlock, who can take advantage of the additional focus. Cloak can also be used in the City section of Dark Dimension, alongside heroes like Spider-Man and Symbiote Spider-Man.
In raid strategies, Cloak is particularly useful due to his passive ability, which grants a dodge chance when he has offense up. His synergy with Deathpool is important, as her ability to generate energy for mystic allies allows Cloak to use his abilities more frequently. Cloak should be geared to at least tier 15 for the Doom 2 raids to maximize his effectiveness in that mode.
Don’t forget about Red Stars—they can significantly enhance Cloak’s abilities, increasing his damage output, survivability, and focus. Make sure to take advantage of the increased drop rates for red stars when Cloak is released to boost his performance.
Adapt Cloak’s Iso-8 and team composition to the game mode you are playing, whether it’s raids, war, or Dark Dimension. Experiment with different combinations and strategies to determine what works best for you. Prioritize upgrading his passive and special abilities with T4 materials first, followed by his ultimate ability, while the basic ability can be skipped unless you have an excess of T4 materials.
Finally, Cloak is highly effective in Doom raids, particularly in the Mystic section, where his abilities can control enemies and support his team. With Deathpool providing energy, Cloak can become a key player in these challenging raids.
By following these tips and strategies, you can effectively use Cloak to control the battlefield, disrupt enemies, and help lead your team to victory in Marvel Strike Force.
Strengths
Cloak in Marvel Strike Force is a highly versatile and powerful character with a range of strengths that make him an asset to many teams. As a debuff specialist, Cloak excels at applying a variety of negative status effects to enemies, including offense down, slow, defense down, and vulnerable. These debuffs can significantly disrupt enemy strategies, making them more vulnerable to attacks. Cloak’s high focus stat, which is further enhanced by his passive ability and Iso-8 upgrades, ensures that his debuffs reliably land on enemies. His passive ability provides +40% increased focus for himself and all mystic and New Warrior allies, improving the debuffing capabilities of his entire team.
One of Cloak’s most notable strengths is his synergy with Dagger. Their abilities are designed to complement each other, with Cloak assisting Dagger on basic attacks and both characters’ ultimate abilities becoming significantly more powerful when used together. They are intended to be used as a pair, and separating them greatly reduces their effectiveness. Their synergy extends beyond just their abilities, as Cloak’s special and ultimate abilities deal additional damage and apply more debuffs when Dagger is an ally.
Cloak is also a team player, providing vital support to his allies. His passive ability grants additional dodge chance when he has offense up, helping to increase his survivability. He can also heal allies through his passive health steal, which allows him to redistribute health from the most injured enemy to himself and his team. Additionally, Cloak’s passive increases the focus of mystic hero allies, enabling them to land their debuffs more reliably.
Cloak’s versatility is another strength. He is effective in various game modes, particularly in the Mystic section of Doom raids, where his abilities to control the battlefield through debuffs and healing come in handy. Cloak can also be used in the City section of Dark Dimension and works well on New Warrior and Mystic teams, making him a valuable asset in multiple team compositions.
When it comes to offensive capabilities, Cloak is capable of dealing significant damage. His special ability clears all positive effects from a primary target while applying a slow, defense down, and offense down, making him great for neutralizing strong enemies. His ultimate is an AOE attack that can deal piercing damage and apply multiple negative effects to all enemies, and if Dagger is present, it gains an additional damage boost. With the right T4 upgrades, Cloak’s piercing damage becomes particularly formidable.
In raids, Cloak’s abilities shine even brighter. His passive provides increased focus to mystic heroes, which can allow them to use different Iso-8 classes. The dodge chance he gains when having offense up makes him more durable in raids, and New Warrior allies gain 15% more damage in these settings, further enhancing Cloak’s utility. His health steal further contributes to team survivability, making him a reliable teammate in challenging raid environments.
Cloak also benefits from his strong animations, making him fun to use while showcasing his powerful abilities. Additionally, Cloak’s synergy with Deathpool is significant, as Deathpool’s ability to provide energy to mystic allies allows Cloak to use his abilities more frequently, improving his overall performance.
Overall, Cloak’s combination of debuffing abilities, synergy with key allies, team support, offensive power, and versatility makes him a valuable character in Marvel Strike Force, capable of excelling in a wide range of scenarios.
Weaknesses
Cloak in Marvel Strike Force has several notable weaknesses that can impact his performance if not managed carefully. His reliance on Dagger is one of his main drawbacks, as his effectiveness is significantly diminished without her. Many of his abilities are enhanced when paired with Dagger, and without her, his damage output and utility are reduced. For example, his passive health steal has only a 50% chance to trigger without Dagger, and it only redistributes health to himself instead of the entire team, diminishing its impact.
Cloak also faces a superior miasma requirement for advancing to gear tier 14, which is shared by other characters like Deathpool, potentially creating a bottleneck for resources and slowing his progression. Additionally, his ability to apply vulnerability is limited by the vulnerability stacking mechanics, as it doesn’t stack with the Skirmisher Iso-8 class. This means players can’t achieve double vulnerability stacks from a single attack, limiting the value of this Iso-8 class on him. To compensate for this, other Iso-8 classes, like Raider, may be needed.
A lack of reliable healing is another issue for Cloak, especially when he is not paired with Dagger. His ultimate ability can heal allies, but this is not always available, and without Dagger, he lacks a consistent healing source. Cloak also requires a high investment of T4 materials to reach his full potential, particularly for his passive and special abilities. While his basic ability is skippable in terms of T4 upgrades, the need to focus on his other abilities can strain T4 resources.
While Cloak can deal decent damage, he is not a primary damage dealer. His strengths lie more in control and debuffing, meaning he may not be as effective as other characters in dealing heavy damage. He also has difficulty handling flying characters, which can require additional support from other team members to take down. Furthermore, Cloak’s abilities can sometimes result in overkill, such as when his special ability eliminates the primary target before debuffs can spread to adjacent enemies, wasting some of the potential impact.
Cloak’s effectiveness is also tied to his specific teammates, as he performs best when paired with characters that can leverage his debuffs and control, particularly within New Warrior and Mystic teams, and especially alongside Dagger and Deathpool. This makes him less effective in teams that do not align with his strengths. Additionally, as a new character, Cloak’s optimal strategies and synergies are still being refined, meaning players may need to experiment with his best team compositions.
Cloak can also face red star issues, as acquiring the necessary red stars to maximize his abilities can be difficult due to the random nature of red star orbs, although his drop rates may be increased during his release period. Finally, while Cloak can be a strong character, he can be killed quickly if the enemy team focuses on him and his dodge chance doesn’t trigger. His situational offense up buff, which improves his dodge chance, is not always available, meaning his survivability can fluctuate.
In summary, while Cloak brings a lot of strengths to the table, including debuffing, synergy with specific teammates, and utility in various game modes, his weaknesses—particularly his dependence on Dagger, limited healing, and need for high investment—must be carefully considered when deciding how to use him effectively on your team.
Conclusion
Cloak is a powerful and versatile character in Marvel Strike Force, but his effectiveness is closely tied to team composition and investment in his abilities. His synergy with Dagger is paramount, as many of his abilities are significantly enhanced when they are paired together. Without Dagger, Cloak’s potential is diminished, particularly in terms of damage output and utility. Cloak excels at applying multiple debuffs, including offense down, slow, defense down, and vulnerable, which allows him to control the battlefield and weaken enemies. His high focus stat and passive ability, which boosts the focus of mystic allies, ensure that his debuffs land reliably, making him a reliable controller in any team.
In addition to his debuffing abilities, Cloak provides valuable team support, including the ability to heal allies, steal health from enemies, and redistribute it to himself and his team. His passive also grants a dodge chance when he has offense up, improving both his survivability and his team’s effectiveness. However, Cloak requires careful consideration when it comes to Iso-8 selection. The Skirmisher class can be useful for enhancing his focus, though its synergy with his vulnerability application is limited. Raider or Striker classes might be better choices depending on the overall team composition.
Cloak is especially effective in raids, particularly in the Mystic section of Doom raids, where his debuffs, focus boosts, and synergy with Deathpool make him an asset. His ability to support mystic allies with increased focus and dodge chance allows him to function as a vital piece of a well-rounded team. However, Cloak is resource-intensive and requires significant investment in T4 abilities and gear, particularly in acquiring superior miasma, which is also needed by other essential characters like Deathpool. This can create a bottleneck in resources, especially in the early stages.
On his own, Cloak has limitations. He is not a primary damage dealer and lacks a reliable source of healing outside of his ultimate ability, which has a long cooldown. His standalone performance is significantly reduced without Dagger, especially when it comes to healing and consistent damage output. Cloak is also designed to work best as part of the New Warriors team, where he can leverage the full benefits of team synergies. He also fits well into mystic teams, alongside characters like Deathpool, Silver Surfer, and Adam Warlock.
Overall, Cloak is a high-potential character who can be a valuable addition to your roster, especially in Doom raids and future content. His strengths lie in debuffing, controlling the flow of battle, and supporting his team. However, to maximize his potential, players will need to invest in the necessary resources and build teams that complement his abilities. His reliance on Dagger and the resource-intensive nature of his upgrades are important factors to consider when planning how to use him effectively.
