Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Orderwas the surpriseNintendo Switch-exclusive continuation to the storiedMarvel-basedaction-RPG series. It brings the alliance back together to fight Thanos and his minions and brings together members of the Avengers, Defenders, Champions, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, and even the Fantastic Four in the DLC
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One of the keystone battle tactics inMarvel Ultimate Alliance 3is the Synergy Attack. It takes the specialties of different superheroes and combines them for a devastating attack on the villains and minions that assail them. However, not all Synergy Attacks were created equal, and each one has its strengths and weaknesses in the world ofMarvel Ultimate Alliance 3.
Updated on September 18th, 2021 by Josh Davison:Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order is still the most recent and graphically updated large-scale Marvel superheroes title to have been released on the Switch. TheMidnight Sunsgame on the horizon will hopefully supplant and even improve upon the idea of large-scale action with several Marvel superheroes at the player’s disposal. However, until then,Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3is what is out there, and it’s very enjoyable. One of its centerpiece mechanics is the Synergy Attack, which allows two heroes to work together and unleash a devastating assault on the dangerous enemies found throughout the game. However, choosing which heroes to use and what Synergy Attacks to prioritize can become a complicated prospect.
14Ricochet Creates A Nexus Of Dangerous Projectiles
Richochet is a fairly basic variety of Synergy Attack. It requires a character with the Rapid-Fire trait and a character with either the Safeguard, Area Assault, Barrage, and/or Whirlwind trait. The end result is an area of effect attack that launches projectiles around the room to hit whatever targets are in the area.
Most Synergy Attacks are AoE-type attacks, but the best ones have more coverage or are more focused than Richochet. While all Synergy Attacks are powerful, and Richochet is by no means a useless ability, one has to be the least good. That dubious honor, unfortunately, falls upon Richochet.
13Crash Sweeps The Room With Smashing Attacks
This Synergy Attack is a bit more thorough in its area of effect than Richochet, and it requires two heroes with the Area Assault and/or Barrage trait. With a name like Crash, one is probably expecting something pretty spectacular, and, while this one isn’t one of the best, it does deliver somewhat.
The end result is a series of quakes that hit throughout the room. It’s still a little too indirect and not quite thorough enough to be a higher-tier attack, but it’s a start. That said, being able to spread out further than Richochet puts Crash in a higher position than the previous Synergy Attack.
12Element Barrage Fires Off A Full Tornado
Element Barrage requires a character with either the Barrage or Area Assault trait and a hero with either an Elemental (Burn, Shock, or Freeze) or Whirlwind trait. It creates either an elemental tornado or a series of slashing attacks of the character’s element. The idea is that the Barrage or Area Assault character is spreading out the Elemental or Whirlwind character’s power.
This attack is a solid option and can give some much-needed focus to the Synergy Attack, making it a decent choice against bosses and mini-bosses. It can be a little difficult to direct, but it’s still a worthwhile attack choice when dealing with a boss.
Shockwave is a Synergy that can be performed by any two characters with the Bash and/or Charge trait. Bash and Charge heroes can also perform Shockwave by combining with a Safeguard or Launch Hero. There is also the corner case where a Bash and Slam hero can perform Shockwave.
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Like Crash, it’s another area of effect attack in which the two heroes create a massive, well, shockwave that hits all enemies in the surrounding area. It beats out Crash, though, by sweeping the area in one fell swoop as opposed to intermittent quake-type attacks. That single and thorough attack can really be quite a live-saver compared to something that doesn’t immediately sweep the room. Crash just doesn’t quite live up to Shockwave.
10Eruption Blasts Villains Across The Room
Eruption is a Synergy betweena Marvel herowith the Slame trait and another character with the Explosive trait. These two heroes create a massive explosion that sweeps the area. The concept lies in the Slam character spreading out the Explosive character’s weapons.
This is another strong area of effect attack that can knock down hordes of enemies and deals a lot of damage. It’s a destructive move that can turn the tide of battle in the right situations. Eruption is also a visually impressive move that’s thoroughly fun to watch too.
9Coalesce Fires Off An Elemental Whirlwind
Coalesce requires a hero with the Whirlwind trait and any Elemental trait. It creates an elemental Whirlwind that tears through the surrounding area and heavily damages anyone in its path. The player can control the direction of the resulting attack for its duration.
This is a powerful and focused attack that can be useful against bosses and minibosses unlike many of the other Synergy Attacks. Being more multi-purpose is something that gives Coalesce the edge over the previously discussed Synergy Attacks.
This attack requires a hero with the Bash, Charge, and/or Slam trait and someone else with any Elemental trait. This Synergy creates another Whirlwind-like attack with a larger range than the prior similar moves. That greater range means that Catalyst can sweep up some of the minions that are likely backing up the main boss in a room.
This one isn’t quite as sweeping as other attacks such as Eruption and Shockwave, but it can focus its damage while still hitting a relatively large area. Its ability to focus on a boss enemy while still damaging their henchmen is what sets it apart from Coalesce.
7Scatter Shot Spreads Out Explosive Weapons On Your Enemies
The Scatter Shot attack is a Synergy between twoheroes with the Rapid Fire traitand is very similar to the Ricochet Synergy with one significant difference: Scatter Shot’s projectile attacks explode. That gives it a definitive edge over Richochet and doles out more devastating damage.
This increases the area affected by the Scatter Shot attack and boosts its usefulness. It also makes it more likely to knock down and stun enemies, giving the Marvel heroes some precious moments to press the attack and maintain an advantage.
6Surge Launches Enemies Into The Air
Surge is a Synergy Attack created by two heroes with the Launch trait or a hero with the Launch trait with a hero of an Elemental trait. It’s another sweeping attack like Shockwave but has the added benefit of shooting enemies into the air, leaving them off-balance for further attacks once the Synergy is finished.
It’s both an area of effect and a stunning attack that leaves an opening for the player’s heroes to lay into the bad guys. Keeping enemies stunned is an indispensable advantage inMarvel Ultimate Alliance 3, as one would be surprised how quickly some of the mob enemies can deal out damage.
5Reflect Sweeps Out A Laser Blast From The Heroes
Reflect is a Synergy between a hero with the Beam trait and another character with the Barrage, Safeguard, Area Assault, and/or Whirlwind trait. The resulting attack spreads a beam of energy over the surrounding area, becoming a fairly targeted yet still wide-sweeping attack.
For a better visual,think of what Captain Americaand Iron Man do during the big New York fight in2012’sMarvel’s Avengers. The ability to aim and direct the beam is what gives this Synergy Attack an edge over many of the prior discussed moves. It’s also a tad less chaotic than the whirlwind-type moves, making it more focused.
