Knowing where to spend shards, gear, and gold is the most important skill in Marvel Strike Force. This guide explains how to prioritise your roster.
Build in Teams of Five
Power is meaningless if it's spread across half-built characters. Always invest toward completing a meta team of five that you can use in a specific mode — Arena, War offense, War defense, or Raids.
Where to Spend Shards
Use the Character Shards Calculator to see how far you are from the next star tier. Concentrate shards on the characters that finish a usable team first, rather than chasing single high-profile names.
Power and Gated Nodes
Raids, Incursions, and many events gate nodes behind a power requirement. The Power Goal Calculator shows the gap between your current team power and a node target so you can plan gear and level investment.
Investment Order
For a given character, the biggest power jumps usually come from:
- Gear tier (promotions) — the largest single source of power
- Levels — capped by your commander level
- Ability upgrades — unlock and improve skills
- ISO-8 and Red Stars — refine stats and raise the star ceiling
FAQ
How do I decide which characters to invest in?
Follow what completes a usable team of five for a mode you play, and favour characters that stay relevant across Arena, War, and Raids.
What raises character power the most?
Gear tier promotions give the biggest jumps, followed by levels, abilities, ISO-8, and red stars.
Should I chase every new character?
No. Finish the teams you're already building before starting new ones, or you'll end up with many weak characters.