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Introduction to Ebony Maw
Ebony Maw is a highly versatile and powerful legendary character in Marvel Strike Force, known for his strategic value across all game modes. As a key member of the Black Order faction, Ebony Maw excels in support and control, making him an essential asset to any team. This Marvel Strike Force Ebony Maw Guide highlights why he is considered one of the top legendary characters in the game, offering immense utility for players aiming to build a well-rounded and dominant team.
His abilities allow him to mitigate damage, provide sustain, and weaken opponents, ensuring he can cripple enemy teams while keeping his own in fighting shape. This makes him a highly sought-after character, often ranked among the top three legendary characters in the game. Ebony Maw unlocks at 5 stars through the “Black & Ebony” legendary event, a challenging event that requires players to assemble a strong team of Inhumans and the legendary character Black Bolt.
Successful completion of this event will grant players access to one of the most impactful characters in Marvel Strike Force, making him a must-have for both new and experienced players looking to enhance their roster.
How to Unlock Ebony Maw
To unlock Ebony Maw in Marvel Strike Force, you must participate in the “Black & Ebony” legendary event, which is one of the more difficult legendary events in the game. The event requires specific characters and a strategic approach to succeed.
The key requirement to attempt the Ebony Maw event is Black Bolt, a legendary character who must be at least 5 stars. In addition, you will need four other Inhuman characters to complete the team.
While any four Inhumans can be used, some are better suited for the event than others. Yo-Yo is a strong choice, though she can be difficult to obtain as she is primarily found in premium orbs. Crystal is available in the Arena Store and is a solid option for the event. Quake is another viable pick, available in the Arena Store and through campaign energy farming. Karnak can be obtained from the Nexus 8-6 campaign node. Miss Marvel is available through the Mystic 2-6 campaign node.
The recommended team power for the event depends on whether you aim for a 5-star or 7-star unlock. For the 5-star unlock, a team power of around 130,000 is recommended if you do not have Yo-Yo. In some cases, a higher team power of 150,000 to 200,000 may be needed. For the 7-star unlock, you will need a significantly higher team power, ranging from 270,000 to 300,000.
The Ebony Maw event is challenging, and you may need to attempt the battles multiple times. Focus on building a strong Black Bolt, as he will serve as the primary damage dealer for your team. Target Heimdall, Hela, and Thor to make the battles easier. Save your abilities for when Sif taunts to avoid wasting them. Karnak’s ultimate is crucial for shutting down Sif’s taunt, so make sure he lands it successfully. Pay close attention to the order of enemies, as some pose a greater threat than others. If one of your characters is wiped out early, consider restarting to improve your chances of success.
For the final unlock, it’s recommended that your characters be at least level 65, gear tier 11, and have level 6+ abilities.
The Inhuman team is not particularly useful outside of the event, so it’s advised to invest only what you need to in them to complete the event. On the other hand, the Asgardian team, used to unlock Black Bolt, will offer more utility across other areas of the game.
By following these guidelines and assembling a strong team, you should be well on your way to unlocking Ebony Maw and adding this powerful legendary character to your roster.
Ebony Maw’s Abilities
Ebony Maw’s abilities make him a versatile and powerful character in Marvel Strike Force, excelling as both a support and control character. Here’s a breakdown of his abilities:
Needle Storm
Level: 1
Piercing: 30
Insidious Whisper
Level: 1
Defense Up Turns: 1
Force Transfusion
Level: 1
Steal Health Percent: 3
Envoy of Thanos
Level: 1
Gain Deathproof: 2
Basic Ability (Needle Storm)
Ebony Maw attacks the primary target and performs additional strikes. At level 6, this ability executes two bonus attacks. A Tier 4 upgrade (T4) adds another strike. However, this ability is not a high priority for a T4 upgrade, as Ebony Maw’s special and ultimate abilities are more impactful in most situations.
Special Ability
Ebony Maw applies defense up to himself and all allies while applying offense down to all enemies for two turns at ability level 6. A T4 upgrade increases the duration of the defense up effect to two turns. This ability is a high priority for a T4 upgrade, as the benefits of increased defense for his team and offense down for enemies are crucial for his overall effectiveness.
Ultimate Ability (Force Transfusion)
Ebony Maw’s ultimate steals health, bypassing heal blocks, and applies a slow for two turns. It also manipulates the speed bar, filling it for himself and his allies while reducing it for enemies. The speed bar manipulation increases by 5% for each Black Order and Thanos ally on the team. A T4 upgrade increases the speed bar for allies and further reduces the enemy speed bar, making this upgrade mandatory for maximizing his effectiveness. The healing from this ability is capped at a percentage of Ebony Maw’s health.
Passive Ability
On spawn, Ebony Maw gains regeneration, death proof, and immunity if Thanos is on his team. If Thanos does not have the Reality Stone, Ebony Maw grants him additional regeneration and death proof. When a hero controller enemy dies, Ebony Maw gains a charge that applies immunity to all allies and a barrier. This passive also increases the resistance of Black Order members. A T4 upgrade to this ability enhances the barrier’s effectiveness and boosts the resistance of Black Order characters. While useful, this ability is not as high a priority for T4 upgrades compared to the special and ultimate.
Synergies
Ebony Maw has strong synergies with certain characters. Paired with Thanos, he provides death proof, immunity, and regeneration for two turns, as well as a 25% speed bar boost to Thanos. With Call, he grants precision and increases crit rating. Pairing him with Air Walker increases the attack rating when Black Tongue and Falter debuffs are on an enemy. With Invisible Woman, Ebony Maw gains power when an enemy misses.
These abilities, particularly his special and ultimate, make Ebony Maw an essential character in Marvel Strike Force, highly effective across all game modes. His ability to control enemy speed, provide sustain to his team, and manipulate the battlefield makes him a must-have for any roster.
Recommended T4 Upgrades
For Ebony Maw in Marvel Strike Force, prioritizing the right Tier 4 (T4) upgrades is key to maximizing his effectiveness. Here’s a guide on the most impactful upgrades:
The Special Ability should be your highest priority for T4. Upgrading this ability extends the duration of the defense up buff for two turns for both Ebony Maw and all allies, while also applying offense down to all enemies for two turns. This combination of defense up for your team and offense down for your enemies is essential for mitigating damage and controlling the battlefield, making it a top-tier upgrade.
The Ultimate Ability (Force Transfusion) is another mandatory upgrade. The T4 upgrade enhances the ability by increasing the speed bar of allies by 5% for each Black Order and Thanos ally on the team, while also decreasing the speed bar of enemies by 5% for each Black Order and Thanos ally. This speed manipulation provides a significant advantage, allowing your team to act faster while slowing down the enemy. The ultimate also offers healing and applies slow to enemies for two turns, further adding to its importance.
The Passive Ability (Envoy of Thanos) comes next, though it is a lower priority for T4. This upgrade increases the resistance of Black Order members and improves the effectiveness of the barrier. It can be particularly useful when facing certain enemies, such as Proxima Midnight, but it is not as crucial as the upgrades for the special and ultimate abilities. It’s recommended to focus on other T4 upgrades for Black Order members before investing in this one.
The Basic Ability (Needle Storm) is generally the lowest priority for T4 upgrades. While the T4 upgrade adds an extra strike, this ability is less impactful compared to his special and ultimate abilities. Given that his special and ultimate provide more value, especially when paired with Thanos, the additional damage from the basic ability T4 is not as significant and is considered the least recommended upgrade.
In summary, prioritize the special and ultimate abilities for T4 upgrades, as they offer the most substantial benefits to Ebony Maw’s performance. The passive is a secondary priority, and the basic ability is not recommended for a T4 upgrade due to its limited impact.
Ebony Maw’s Role in Different Game Modes
Ebony Maw is a highly versatile character in Marvel Strike Force and plays a valuable role across various game modes, excelling in multiple situations.
In Arena, Ebony Maw is especially crucial when facing teams with Phoenix, as he acts as a direct counter due to his ability to apply a barrier and ability block to hero controllers. This prevents Phoenix from using her special ability to steal health. As a key member of the Black Order team, he contributes significantly to the strength of this top-tier arena team. Even if not paired with the full Black Order, his defense up and offense down abilities make him a useful addition to other teams, boosting his overall utility.
In Raids, Ebony Maw is a valuable asset, particularly in Ultimus 7. His sustain and regeneration abilities help teams survive the long, grueling battles. When paired with Thanos, he provides energy to Thanos, allowing him to use his special more frequently. His passive ability, which applies a barrier and ability block when hero controllers die, makes him especially effective in lanes with these enemies. A team composition featuring Ebony Maw, Thanos, Symbiote Spider-Man, Carnage, and Black Bolt is particularly effective in raids.
In Dark Dimension, Ebony Maw shines, particularly in the later stages. His healing and health redistribution abilities are crucial for surviving the challenging environment, where enemies have large health pools. His barrier ability, triggered by the death of hero controllers, is a key asset in Dark Dimension, and his ability to steal health from enemies, which is not capped like his healing, makes him a formidable damage dealer. Often paired with Minerva, Ebony Maw’s ability to steal health synergizes well with her own health-draining abilities, making them a powerful combo.
In Alliance War, Ebony Maw is a key member of the Black Order team, enhancing both offensive and defensive capabilities. His ability to apply defense up to allies and offense down to enemies makes him a valuable asset in the war. However, to fully maximize his potential, the full Black Order team is required, as his abilities synergize best when he is alongside all other Black Order characters and Thanos.
In other modes, Ebony Maw is effective in Blitz due to his versatile kit and is also useful in Cosmic Crucible. His abilities lend themselves well to most game modes, making him a flexible and reliable character to have on your roster.
In summary, Ebony Maw is a versatile character that can fill various roles across different game modes. As a key member of the Black Order, his sustain, control, and damage mitigation make him an essential character, adding value to almost any team. His ability to control the battlefield while providing support and damage makes him a must-have for players across all stages of the game.
Team Compositions
Ebony Maw is a highly versatile character in Marvel Strike Force, and there are several team compositions that highlight his strengths, whether you’re looking to unlock him or use him effectively across various game modes.
To unlock Ebony Maw, you must use a team of five Inhuman characters, one of whom must be Black Bolt. Black Bolt is essential for unlocking Ebony Maw and should be the strongest character on the team, as he is responsible for dealing most of the damage. Other recommended Inhumans include Crystal, who is available in the Arena Store, Quake, available in the Arena Store and Heroes 6-6 campaign node, Karnak, who can be obtained through Nexus 8-6, Miss Marvel, available in Mystic 2-6, and Yo-Yo, an excellent but hard-to-obtain character found in premium orbs.
For the initial 5-star unlock, a team power of around 130,000 is recommended if you do not have Yo-Yo, but some suggest 150k or 200k. For the 7-star unlock, a team power of 270,000 to 300,000 is needed.
Once you have unlocked Ebony Maw, he becomes a key member of the Black Order team, which is considered one of the top teams in the game. A full Black Order team includes Ebony Maw, Thanos, Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, and Cull Obsidian. This team is particularly strong in Arena, Alliance War, and certain raids. To maximize Ebony Maw’s abilities, it is crucial to use the full Black Order team, as his passive abilities are enhanced when paired with Thanos, who also gains a speed boost. The Black Order team is effective both offensively and defensively in Alliance War.
In Raids, a strong team composition featuring Ebony Maw includes Thanos, Symbiote Spider-Man, Carnage, and Black Bolt. This setup is especially effective in Ultimus 7 raids, as it provides sustain, damage, and control. Ebony Maw’s healing and control abilities are particularly useful when paired with Thanos, who can provide additional energy for more frequent ability use.
Ebony Maw also excels in Dark Dimension, particularly when paired with Minerva. The duo is effective because both characters can steal significant amounts of health from the enemy team, making them a powerful combo. A team consisting of Ebony Maw, Minerva, Phoenix, Symbiote Spider-Man, and Thanos is also commonly used in Dark Dimension for its ability to sustain and deal large amounts of damage.
Beyond these core team compositions, Ebony Maw is a versatile character that can be integrated into various teams, especially in situations where there are hero controllers. His passive ability makes him a strong asset when facing these types of enemies.
For optimal team building, focus on strengthening Black Bolt when unlocking Ebony Maw and consider the synergies between Ebony Maw and Thanos to get the most out of his abilities. To maximize Ebony Maw’s effectiveness, prioritize T4 upgrades for his special and ultimate abilities. Lastly, focusing on the Black Order team is essential for unlocking his full potential.
By using these team compositions and strategies, you can fully unlock and utilize Ebony Maw’s power across all game modes, from unlocking him to dominating in arena, raids, and Dark Dimension.
General Tips and Strategies
To unlock Ebony Maw in Marvel Strike Force, you’ll need a team of five Inhuman characters, including Black Bolt, who is essential for the event as a legendary character. Other Inhumans that can be used include Crystal, Quake, Karnak, and Miss Marvel, though Yo-Yo is also a great addition, but she’s difficult to obtain. For a 5-star unlock without Yo-Yo, a team power of around 130,000 is recommended, though some suggest up to 200,000. For a 7-star unlock, aim for a team power of 270,000 to 300,000.
Black Bolt will be your primary damage dealer, so it’s essential to make him the strongest member of your team. Keep in mind that Inhuman teams aren’t ideal for long PvE encounters, which makes the Ebony Maw unlock event challenging. If you have Yo-Yo, the event will be significantly easier because she has great synergy with the Inhumans. During the unlock event, focus on eliminating Hela and Heimdall early, especially for the 5-star unlock.
When it comes to general gameplay strategies, prioritize T4 upgrades for Ebony Maw’s special and ultimate abilities. The special ability provides defense up and offense down, while the ultimate grants healing and speed manipulation, both of which are highly valuable. The passive ability is useful but less crucial, and the basic ability is the lowest priority for T4 upgrades.
Ebony Maw is a versatile character and can be used across most game modes. He has strong synergies with Thanos, as his presence on a team with Thanos provides buffs and extra speed bar at the start of a battle. To fully maximize his potential, it’s best to use Ebony Maw on a complete Black Order team, which includes Thanos, Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, and Cull Obsidian. Ebony Maw can also be effective against hero controller characters like Phoenix, thanks to his passive ability, which applies a barrier and ability block.
In specific game modes, Ebony Maw is particularly useful in Arena as a counter to Phoenix due to his ability to apply a barrier and ability block. He’s a key member of the Black Order team, one of the top-tier teams in Arena. In Raids, Ebony Maw provides sustain and control, especially in lanes with multiple hero controllers. His healing and ability to control enemies make him invaluable in raids. Ebony Maw is also highly effective in Dark Dimension, particularly in later stages where enemies have higher health. His healing, health redistribution, and barrier abilities make him a solid choice. In Alliance War, he plays a crucial role both offensively and defensively as part of the Black Order team.
For additional tips, be strategic about when to use abilities. For instance, save Black Bolt’s ultimate for Heimdall when he spawns after Hela. In the Ebony Maw unlock event, focus fire on Hela first, then Loki, followed by Thor. Pay attention to RNG, such as Karnak landing his disrupt on Sif—if your characters are wiped out early or Karnak’s disrupt doesn’t land, restarting the battle may improve your chances. By following these strategies, you’ll increase your success rate during the unlock event and maximize Ebony Maw’s effectiveness across various game modes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Ebony Maw is a highly versatile and powerful legendary character in Marvel Strike Force, essential for both new and experienced players. As a key member of the Black Order team, his abilities make him a valuable asset in various team compositions and game modes.
Ebony Maw excels across multiple game modes, including Arena, Raids, Dark Dimension, and Alliance War. He stands out as one of the most versatile legendary characters, making him a great addition to any roster. To unlock Ebony Maw, you’ll need a team of five Inhuman characters, with Black Bolt being a mandatory member. Other useful Inhumans include Crystal, Quake, Karnak, and Miss Marvel, while Yo-Yo is a strong but difficult-to-obtain character. The unlock event can be challenging, especially if Black Bolt is not your strongest character, so it is recommended that he be prioritized. Strategy and some luck with Random Number Generation (RNG) are important to succeed in the event.
As for team compositions, Ebony Maw is a core member of the Black Order, which is a top-tier team in the game. For Raids, a powerful combination includes Ebony Maw, Thanos, Symbiote Spider-Man, Carnage, and Black Bolt, providing sustain and control. In Dark Dimension, Ebony Maw is often paired with Minerva for health-stealing synergy. A team of Ebony Maw, Minerva, Phoenix, Symbiote Spider-Man, and Thanos is effective in later stages of Dark Dimension.
For gameplay strategies, focus your T4 upgrades on Ebony Maw’s special and ultimate abilities. The special is crucial for providing defense up and offense down, while the ultimate’s speed manipulation offers a significant advantage. Ebony Maw’s synergy with Thanos is especially valuable, as it provides Thanos with buffs and an extra speed boost at the start of the battle. He also serves as a direct counter to hero controllers like Phoenix, due to his ability to apply barrier and ability block. Timing abilities and prioritizing targets is essential, particularly during the unlock event.
In specific game modes, Ebony Maw is a key member of the Black Order in Arena, where he can counter Phoenix effectively. In Raids, he provides sustain and control, especially in lanes with multiple hero controllers. In Dark Dimension, his healing and health redistribution abilities make him a top choice. He is also crucial for both offensive and defensive Black Order teams in Alliance War.
Overall, Ebony Maw is considered one of the best legendary characters in the game due to his versatility and effectiveness across game modes. He is well worth investing in, particularly his special and ultimate abilities, as well as the Black Order team to maximize his potential. Even without a full Black Order team, Ebony Maw remains useful thanks to his strong kit.
In summary, Ebony Maw is a game-changing character who can significantly enhance your performance across various game modes in Marvel Strike Force. By understanding his abilities, synergies, and the best team compositions, you can effectively utilize him to achieve success in the game.
