Variant 4 – Chapter 2.1 Guide

Summoners!

Here’s my guide for Back Issues (Variant) 4 – Waning Moon – Chapter 2.1.

General Thoughts: Chapter 2.1 feels like a big step down in difficulty from Chapter 1. If you have a developed 4* roster and understand the nodes, you’re going to have a very straightforward and enjoyable time clearing this content.

MVP Champs: Scarlet Witch, Archangel

Global Node: +400 Attack and Health

Boss: Wolverine with Vigorous Assault (+65% attack increase and unblockable while healing), Picture of Health (Immune to Regen Rate Modification), Backyard Brawler (when defender is pinned against a wall they gain a permanent passive fury and passive armor every 3 seconds increasing their base attack by 10% up to 300% and Armor Rating by 100 up to 1,000), 200% Cornered, and Force of Will.

Basically you need to keep Wolverine from activating a regeneration buff and you’re set for this fight. What is important to remember here is that if you heal block Wolverine, he’s still going to be unblockable if there is an active regeneration buff, even if he isn’t gaining health. Because of that, the safest way to handle him is with a champion that can prevent or nullify buffs.

Scarlet Witch lovers will be happy to know she consistently nullified the regeneration buff and was a fantastic option. Any of the other mystics that can nullify or prevent buffs like Claire Voyant, The Hood, Mephisto, and Ghost-Rider should also be great options.

If you don’t have a good nullify champion, just play it safe, hitting into Wolverine’s block to push him over a bar of power, bait the special, and go back in. You can also use the special intercept method with Hyperion for a quick fight. When he isn’t regenerating you can parry normally.

Lane 1 – Far Left

Defenders: Nick Fury, Claire Voyant, Night Thrasher, Sabretooth, War Machine, Netflix Daredevil, Human Torch

Nodes: Armor, Redoubled Determination, Cornered, Power Efficiency

Team: Scarlet Witch, Sentinel, Archangel, Captain America Infinity War, and Vision AoA.

Tips: Easy Path, nothing complicated from a node and defender standpoint. Bring a mutant for Nick Fury and a bleed-immune for Claire Voyant to make your life easier. You should already have a heal block champion for Wolverine, so you can also use that champion for Sabretooth. I went old-school on this one, using Archangel and Scarlet Witch for most fights. I brought Sentinel for Wolverine, but he never got off the bench as Scarlet Witch got the solo.

Lane 2 – Left-Center

Defenders: Symbiote Spider-Man, Captain America Infinity War, Carnage, Iron Man Infinity War, Human Torch

Nodes: Cornered, Power Efficiency

Team: Scarlet Witch, Sentinel, Proxima Midnight, Corvus Glaive, Vision AoA

Tips: If you have a 4* Corvus Glaive, this path is perfect for him as he can run the entire path, and will be at 2 Charges when you get to Iron Man Infinity War, which is the only defender on this path that you have to worry about. As long as you’re confident with that fight, you’re set, as the rest is pretty easy. Obviously, don’t bring any champions that rely on damaging debuffs as you’ll be dealing with a ton of power gain between the Cornered and Power Efficiency nodes.

Lane 3 – Center

Defenders: Juggernaut, Modok, Invisible Woman, Warlock, Sentry

Nodes: Aggressive Regeneration, Picture of Health

Team: Scarlet Witch, Archangel, Proxima Midnight, Corvus Glaive, and Captain America Infinity War

Tips: This is a super easy path. While you can still use Void to heal block, you can’t reverse healing because the Picture of Health node, so I left him on the bench. AA covered Juggernaut and Invisible Woman, and I used Corvus for Modok, Warlock and Sentry. Other than Warlock, AA is actually great for the whole path, but in the end any of your top 4* damage dealers will get results here.

Lane 4 – Right-Center

Defenders: Bishop, Emma Frost, Medusa, Phoenix, Blue Cyclops, Ebony Maw

Nodes: Masochism, Matador, Power Shield, Oscillate

Team: Wasp, Captain America Infinity War, Archangel, Corvus Glaive, and Scarlet Witch

Tips: You’ve got two nodes here that require some planning, Masochism and an Ebony Maw on Matador. Archangel is an old stand-by for Masochism, but Emma Frost and Medusa aren’t great fights for him, so make sure you have alternative options for those fights. The Maw fight isn’t too bad, you have to wait him out to get your power bar up, but a Captain America IW on Power Shield will do serious damage with his SP2.

Lane 5 – Far Right

Defenders: Crossbones, Venompool, Ant-Man, OG Vision, Blue Cyclops, Ebony Maw

Nodes: Matador, Power Shield, Oscillate

Team: Scarlet Witch, Wasp, Archangel, Joe Fixit, and Captain America Infinity War

Tips: Archangel again shreds this path as his bleed and poisons get around the Power Shield Node. I actually used Joe Fixit against Ebony Maw to see if I could solo him, only took 3 SP1 to get him down.

Recommended Videos:

Jason Voorhees – How to Defeat 2.1 Wolverine

Jump to Chapter Guides:
Chapter 1.1
Chapter 1.2
Chapter 2.1
Chapter 2.2
Chapter 3.1
Chapter 3.2

-Dano357