Cosmic Crucible – Team Counters
When I released the Defensive Team Counters article, your feedback was positive but many of you asked that we divide Counters for Cosmic Crucible and Alliance War. The idea behind that request is that content is more user-friendly and that users don’t have to check if the mentioned counter is good enough for the feature they are playing at the moment.
Since my goal is to help MSF players as much as I can, I’ve decided to do what you asked and divide content as you asked. Some teams have the same counters for both Cosmic Crucible and War and the only way to make it easy for you is to duplicate content for those teams.
In our Cosmic Crucible-best Defense Teams article, I suggested what teams are justified to be put in CC Defense. However, some players do not agree with my offensive tactics, so I will write down counters for all viable defense set-ups per each Room. I will write down battle mechanics for each counter in time, but for a start, I will just list all counters for all rooms.
IMPORTANT – the content on this page is not yet finished. You can see all available counters, but the description and combat tactics are not yet written. I will do it in the next couple of days but for now, you can see counters and punch-ups.
Explanation
The names of the teams for which I will suggest counters will be highlighted. Below you will see the list of viable counters. At the Top of the page, you have a list of Teams and with a simple click on the team’s name, you will be instantly transferred to their list of counters with a brief explanation for each counter. Next to each counter team, you will see a symbol representing Punch Ups.
Here is the list of symbols:
- 10% Punch Down – â–¼
- Even match up – ⊜
- 5% Punch Up – â–²
- 10% Punch Up – ▲▲
- 20%+ Punch Up – ▲▲▲
Season 3
Season 3 is about to start. As you all are well aware, 4 stages from Season 2 are identical to Season 3 with a slight addition to other general Rules about reducing Gamma’s stats by 10%. So basically, we will just copy counters for those stages from Season 2 and add the New Warriors equation. Stage 5 and Stage 6 are new. However, Stage 5 is almost identical to Stage 6 in the Ultimate 32 Tournament, so we can use confirmed data from the last week, while for Stage 6 we need new Data, and proposed counters may not be accurate before we have some experience and do some testing when new Season starts.
Also, since we no longer have Stages without effects (Stages 1&2 in Season 2) we will add a new category – “General CC counters against teams unaffected by Stage effects”. This category will provide all CC counters for any defensive team in Rooms that cannot benefit from Room effects and yet they are there.
So, stages 1-6 will have shown counters for teams mentioned in our CC Defense article (there are all teams that can benefit from certain Stages) and we will have counters for all other possible solutions in the new Category.
General CC counters against teams unaffected by Stage effects
Possible Defensive Teams in Stage 1 (click on the team’s name to scroll to the team):
- Astonishing X-Men
- Black Order
- Rebirth
- Secret Avengers + Kestrel
- Gamma
- Young Avengers
- Bionic Avengers
- Hero Asguardians
- Death Seed
- Invader
- Darkhold/Dormhold
- Darkhold+Apocalypse
- Dormammu + Heroes for Hire
- Dormammu + Young Avengers
- Dormammu + Hero Asgardian
- Masters of Evil
- Tangled Web + 2
- Infinity Watch
- Underworld
- Unlimited X-Men
- Wakanda
- War Dogs
Astonishing X-Man
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- Black Order ▲▲▲
- Bionic Avengers â–¼
- Unlimited X-man ▲▲▲
- Gamma ▲▲▲
- Death Seed ▲▲▲
- Eternals+2 ▲▲▲
- Infinity Watch ▲▲▲
- Skill Raid team ⊜
- Darkhold ▲▲▲
- Tangled Web+2 ▲▲▲
- War Dogs ▲▲▲
- Wakanda ▲▲▲
- Weapon X â–²
- Hero Asgardian ▲▲
- Young Avengers â–²
Black Order
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- New Warriors ▲▲
- Black Order â–²
- Infinity Watch ▲▲▲
- Unlimited X-Man ▲▲▲
- Darkhold ▲▲▲
- Gamma ▲▲▲
- Death Seed ▲▲▲
- Wakanda ▲▲▲
- War Dogs ▲▲▲
- Weapon X ▲▲▲
- Tangled Web+2 ▲▲▲
Rebirth
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- Darkhold/Dormhold ▲▲▲
- Infinity Watch ▲▲▲
- Unlimited X-Men ▲▲▲
- Gamma ▲▲▲
- Death Seed ▲▲▲
- Rebirth â–²
- Wakanda ▲▲
- War Dogs ▲▲▲
- Tangled Web+2 ▲▲▲
- Weapon X ▲▲
- Eternals+3 ▲▲▲
- New Warriors ▲▲▲
- Hero Asgardians ▼▼▼
- Raid Skill Team â–¼
Secret Avengers + Kestrel
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- Eternals +3 ▲▲▲
- Weapon X ▲▲
- Infinity Watch ▲▲▲
- New Warriors ▲▲▲
- Darkhold ▲▲▲
- Unlimited X-Man ▲▲▲
- Gamma ▲▲▲
- Death Seed ▲▲▲
- Wakanda â–²
- War Dogs ▲▲▲
- Tangled Web+2 ▲▲▲
Gamma
- Masters of Evil ▼▼
- Unlimited X-Man ▲▲
- Red Guardian, Doctor Doom + 3 New Warriors ▼▼
- Dormhold ⊜
- Weapon X ▼▼▼
- Eternals + Dormammu â–¼
- Tangled Web +2 ▲▲
- Dormammu+Apocalypse+Doctor Doom+2 ▲▲
Young Avengers
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- A-Force + Doctor Doom ⊜
- Darkhold ▲▲▲
- Weapon X â–²
- Unlimited X-Men ▲▲▲
- New Warriors ▲▲▲
- Eternals+Rhino+2 â–²
- Young Avengers â–²
- Gamma ▲▲▲
- Death Seed ▲▲
- Wakanda â–²
- War Dogs ▲▲▲
- Tangled Web+2 ▲▲▲
Bionic Avengers
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- Infinity Watch ▲▲▲
- Unlimited X-man ▲▲▲
- Gamma ▲▲▲
- Death Seed ▲▲▲
- Wakanda ▲▲▲
- War Dogs ▲▲▲
- Weapon X ▲▲▲
- X-Factor+Zemo â–¼
- Bionic Avengers â–²
- Darkhold ▲▲▲
- Tangled Web+2 ▲▲
- Skill Raid team â–²
- Rebirth ▲▲▲
- Invaders ▲▲▲
Hero Asguardians (a totally unpredictable team on Stage 1 in Tournament because everything depends if Valkyrie triggers passive or not. If she triggers it they will have full buffs for at least 3 turns making things impossible for most of their counters)
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- Eternals +3 ▲▲
- Gamma ▲▲▲
- Death Seed ▲▲
- Infinity Watch ▲▲▲
- Wakanda â–²
- War Dogs ▲▲▲
- Hero Asgardian â–²
- Darkhold ▲▲▲
- Skill Raid team â–²
- Rebirth ▲▲
Death Seed
- Masters of Evil ⊜
- Unlimited X-Men ▲▲▲
- Infinity Watch â–²
- Gamma ▲▲▲
- Death Seed ▲▲▲
- Tangled Web + 2 ▲▲▲
- Darkhold â–²
- New Warriors ▲▲▲
- Rebirth ▼▼
Invaders
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- Eternals +3 ▲▲
- Gamma ▲▲▲
- Death Seed ▲▲
- Infinity Watch ▲▲▲
- Wakanda â–¼
- War Dogs ▲▲▲
- Hero Asgardian â–¼
- Darkhold ▲▲▲
- Skill Raid team â–¼
- Rebirth â–¼
Darkhold/Dormhold
- Masters of Evil â–²
- New Warriors ▲▲
- Dormhold â–²
- Darkhold â–¼
- Gamma â–²
- Death Seed â–¼
- Unlimited X-Men + Emma ▲▲▲
- Tangled Web+Undying ▲▲
Darkhold+Apocalypse
- Masters of Evil â–²
- New Warriors ▲▲
- Dormhold ▼▼▼
- Unlimited X-Men + Emma â–¼
- Tangled Web+2 ▲▲
- Death Seed ▼▼▼ (only if Wong has the lowest damage in Darkhod)
Dormammu + Heroes for Hire
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- New Warriors ▲▲▲
- Weapon X + Dormammu/Doctor Doom ▲▲▲
- Infinity Watch â–¼
- Unlimited X-Men ▲▲▲
- Darkhold/Dormhold ▲▲▲
- Gamma ▲▲▲
- Death Seed ▲▲▲
- Wakanda ▲▲▲
- War Dogs ▲▲▲
- Tangled Web+2 ▲▲▲
Dormammu + Young Avengers
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- New Warriors ▲▲▲
- Darkhold/Dormhold ▲▲▲
- Young Avengers+Dormammu â–²
- Gamma ▲▲▲
- Death Seed ▲▲▲
- Wakanda ▲▲▲
- War Dogs ▲▲▲
- Tangled Web+2 ▲▲▲
- A-Force+Dormammu â–²
Masters of Evil
- Masters of Evil â–²
- Darkhold/Dormhold â–¼
- Infinity Watch ▼▼
- Unlimited X-Men ▲▲▲
- Gamma ▲▲
- Death Seed ▲▲
- War Dogs â–²
- Tangled Web+2 ▲▲
- Eternals+3 â–¼
Tangled Web + 2
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- New Warriors ▲▲▲
- Deathseed ▼▼
- Unlimited X-Men ▲▲▲
- Tangled Web+Undying/Eternals â–²
- Eternals+Baron Zemo+Emma+Loki ▲▲
- Infinity Watch â–¼
- Dark Hunters+Dormammu ▼▼▼
- Dormhold â–¼
- Young Avengers+Dormammu (dependent on RNG) â–²
Infinity Watch
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- Darkhold/Dormhold â–²
- Infinity Watch â–²
- Unlimited X-Men â–¼
- Gamma â–²
- Apoc+Eternals+2 ▲▲▲
- Apoc+Deathseed ▲▲
Underworld
- Masters of Evil ▲▲
- New Warriors ▲▲▲
- Eternals+3 â–²
- Infinity Watch â–¼
- Darkhold â–¼
- Unlimited X-Men ▲▲▲
- Gamma ▲▲▲
- Death Seed ▲▲
- Wakanda â–¼
- War Dogs ▲▲▲
- Tangled Web+2 ▲▲▲
Unlimited X-Men
- Masters of Evil ▲▲
- New Warriors â–²
- Apoclaypse+Eternals+Quicksilver+1 â–²
- Unlimited X-Men+Emma ▲▲▲
- Dormhold ▼▼▼
- Infinity Watch ▼▼▼
Wakanda
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- Eternals + 3 ▲▲▲
- Gamma ▲▲▲
- Infinity Watch ▲▲
- Darkhold ▲▲
- Death Seed â–²
- Unlimited X-Men ▲▲▲
- Weapon X ⊜
- Tangled Web+2 ▲▲▲
- Young Avengers ⊜
- Bionic Avengers ▼▼▼
War Dogs
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- Eternals + 3 â–²
- Gamma ▲▲
- Infinity Watch â–²
- Darkhold â–²
- Death Seed ⊜
- Unlimited X-Men ▲▲▲
- Weapon X ⊜
- Tangled Web+2 ▲▲▲
Stage 1 – Portable Shield Device
Possible Defensive Teams in Stage 1 (click on the team’s name to scroll to the team):
- Gamma (Hulk Fortifier)
- Gamma + Apocalypse
- Skil Team + Baron Zemo
- Eternals (Both Fortifier) + Apocalypse +Doctor Doom + Red Guardian
- Unlimited X-Men
- Unlimited X-Men + Red Hulk + Emma
Gamma (Hulk Fortifier)
- Masters of Evil ▲▲
- Unlimited X-Man ▲▲
- Dormhold ▼▼
- Weapon X â–¼ â–¼
- Eternals + Dormammu/Apocalypse â–¼
- Tangled Web +2 â–²
Gamma + Apocalypse
- Masters of Evil â–¼
- Gamma + Apocalypse ▲▲
- Unlimited X-Man +Apocalypse ▲▲
- Dormhold ▼▼▼
- Eternals + Dormammu + Apocalypse â–²
- Tangled Web +2 â–²
Skil Team + Baron Zemo
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- Eternals +3 ▲▲▲
- Weapon X ▼▼
- Darkhold ▲▲
- Unlimited X-Man ▲▲▲
- Gamma ▲▲▲
- Death Seed â–²
- Wakanda â–²
- War Dogs ▲▲▲
- Tangled Web+2 ▲▲▲
Eternals (Both Fortifier) + Apocalypse +Doctor Doom + Red Guardian
- Masters of Evil + Apocalypse ▲▲▲
- TW+2 ▲▲▲
- Darkhold + Apocalypse â–²
Unlimited X-Men
- Masters of Evil ▲▲
- New Warriors â–²
- Unlimited X-Men+Emma ▲▲▲
- TW+Apocalypse+1 ▲▲▲
- Apoclaypse+Eternals+Quicksilver+1 â–²
- Dormhold ▼▼▼
- Infinity Watch ▼▼▼
Unlimited X-Men + Red Hulk + Emma
- New Warriors â–²
- MoE â–²
- TW+Apocalypse+1 ▲▲
Stage 2 – Resurrection Protocols
Possible Defensive Teams in Stage 2 (click on the team’s name to scroll to the team):
Unlimited X-Men
- Masters of Evil ▲▲
- New Warriors ▼▼▼
- Apoclaypse+Eternals+Quicksilver+1 â–²
- Apocalypse+TW+Quicksilver ▲▲▲
- Unlimited X-Men+Emma ▲▲
- Dormammu+Nick Fury+Kestrel+Shang Chi+Sam Wilson (NF starts with Special, Sam Wilson starts with ultimate – invented and shown public by Walking Hate – great CC) â–¼
- Dormammu+Nick Fury+Kestrel+Shang Chi+Sam Wilson (NF starts with Ultimate – full RNG but it grants that Shang Chi will hit Rogue with more than 12 buffs, without Offense UP, and with a chance to be crippled by Rogue – even I couldn’t calculate the chance because Rogue should hit the mob with the highest Speed and in that moment that should be NF summon, but in practice, Rogue can cripple literally anyone including Nick Fury which is impossible – invented and used by me because I don’t know how to properly use the first version and have steady win rate in even conditions) â–¼
Astonishing X-Men
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- Black Order ▼▼
- Unlimited X-man ▲▲▲
- Gamma ▲▲▲
- Death Seed ▲▲▲
- Eternals+2 ▲▲▲
- Infinity Watch ▲▲▲
- Rebirth â–¼
- Skill Raid team ⊜
- Darkhold ▲▲▲
- Tangled Web+2 ▲▲▲
- War Dogs ▲▲▲
- Wakanda ▲▲▲
- Weapon X ▼▼
- Hero Asgardian ▼▼
- Young Avengers ▼▼
X-Factor+Silver Surfer/Kestrel/Quicksilver
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- Black Order ▼▼
- Unlimited X-man ▲▲▲
- Gamma ▲▲▲
- Death Seed ▲▲▲
- Eternals+2 ▲▲▲
- Infinity Watch ▲▲▲
- Darkhold ▲▲▲
- Tangled Web+2 ▲▲▲
- War Dogs ▲▲▲
- Wakanda ▲▲▲
- Weapon X â–¼
- Young Avengers ▼▼
Uncanny X-Men
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- Black Order ▼▼▼
- Unlimited X-man ▲▲▲
- Gamma ▲▲▲
- Death Seed ▲▲▲
- Eternals+2 ▲▲▲
- Infinity Watch ▲▲▲
- Darkhold ▲▲▲
- Tangled Web+2 ▲▲▲
- War Dogs ▲▲▲
- X-Factor+Zemo/Kestrel ▲▲
- Wakanda ▲▲▲
- Weapon X â–¼
- Young Avengers â–¼
X-Force
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- Black Order â–²
- Unlimited X-man ▲▲▲
- Gamma ▲▲▲
- Death Seed ▲▲▲
- Eternals+2 ▲▲▲
- Infinity Watch ▲▲▲
- Darkhold ▲▲▲
- Tangled Web+2 ▲▲▲
- War Dogs ▲▲▲
- X-Factor+Zemo/Kestrel ▲▲
- Uncanny X-Men ▲▲
- Invaders ▲▲▲
- Rebirth ▲▲▲
- Wakanda ▲▲▲
- Weapon X â–²
- Young Avengers ▲▲
All other possible teams – look at the first Category
Stage 3 – Creeping Spiders
Possible Defensive Teams in Stage 3 (click on the team’s name to scroll to the team):
Tangled Web + Eternals + Apocalypse
- New Warriors â–¼
- Tangled Web+Apoc+Cable/Kang â–²
Tangled Web+Eternals
- New Warriors ▲▲▲
- 2 Tangled Web+Undying+Dorm/Nova â–²
- 2/3 Tangled Web+Emma+Dorm/Nova+/1 ▲▲▲
Tangled Web + Eternals + Emma
- New Warriors ▲▲▲
- Tangled Web+Apoc+Emma ▲▲▲
Tangled Web + Red Guardian/Kingpin + Dormammu/Doctor Doom
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- New Warriors ▲▲▲
- Unlimited X-Men â–²
- Tangled Web+Undying/Eternals ▲▲
Stage 4 – Vibranium Tuning
Possible Defensive Teams in room 4 (click on the team’s name to scroll to team):
War Dogs
- Master of Evil ▲▲▲
- Darkhold/Dormhold ▼▼
- Eternals+Echo+Kestrel+Apoc/Nova ▼▼▼
Mystic Wakanda
- Master of Evil ▲▲▲
- Darkhold/Dormhold â–¼
- Eternals+Echo+Kestrel+Apoc/Nova ▼▼▼
Stage 5 – Building Momentum
Possible Defensive Teams in room 5 (click on the team’s name to scroll to team):
Darkhold + Apocalypse
- Darkhold + Dormammu/Apocalypse â–²
- Unlimited X-Men (without Sunfire) +Apoc â–² (by Axen)
- TW+Undying+Apoc ▲▲
- MoE+Dormammu â–¼
Gamma
- New Warriors ▲▲▲
- Tangled Web+Apoc+DD▲▲
- Gamma â–²
- Darkhold + Dormammu/Apocalypse â–¼
Tangled Web+Undying+Emma/Apoc
- New Warriors ▲▲
- Tangled Web+Dormammu/Apoc+Emma
Underworld
- Masters of Evil ▲▲
- New Warriors ▲▲▲
- Eternals+3 â–²
- Infinity Watch â–¼
- Darkhold â–¼
- Unlimited X-Men ▲▲▲
- Gamma ▲▲▲
- Death Seed ▲▲
- Wakanda â–¼
- War Dogs ▲▲▲
- Tangled Web+2 ▲▲▲
Invaders
- Masters of Evil ▲▲▲
- Eternals +3 ▲▲
- Gamma ▲▲▲
- Death Seed ▲▲
- Infinity Watch ▲▲▲
- Wakanda â–¼
- War Dogs ▲▲▲
- Hero Asgardian â–¼
- Darkhold ▲▲▲
- Skill Raid team â–¼
- Rebirth â–¼
Stage 6 – Fated Reunion
Possible Defensive Team(s) in room 6 (click on the team’s name to scroll to team):
Rebirth
- Masters of Evil ▲▲
- Darkhold/Dormhold ▲▲
- Infinity Watch ▼▼
- Unlimited X-Men â–²
- Gamma ▲▲
- Death Seed â–²
- Rebirth â–²
- Wakanda â–²
- War Dogs ▲▲
- Tangled Web+2 ▲▲▲
- Weapon X â–¼
- Eternals+3 ▲▲
- New Warriors ▲▲▲
Conclusion
This List will be updated constantly. I believe we addressed all viable Cosmic Crucible defensive set-ups, but in case I forgot something, feel free to contact me and share your ideas. As you can see some counters for War and Cosmic Crucible are almost the same, but some are totally different.
With neverending changes and new teams, the list will need a constant update definitely, so it is best to bookmark it and check when you need help. Marvel Strike Force is constantly changing so I can’t promise that the list of counters will remain the same for a long time.
Until next time!