Here’s your Marvel Contest of Champions news brief for Monday, March 1, 2021.
Schedule Notes: The Summoner Sigil Solo Event, Gold Quest, items on a 7-day timer, and the Featured Crystals in the Black-ISO Market reset at Noon EST. Round 2 of the 4-Star Basic Iceman and Super-Skrull Featured Arenas at 1pm EST. The Alliance Quest Series kicks off at 3pm EST. UMCOC Podcast, Live on Discord at 8pm EST.
Contest Realm Podcast Episode 52 is now available.
3/30/31 Update: There is a visual bug with Tier 10 of the Gauntlet. It is not tracking entries and will still show 7/7 after you run the quest. This is just a visual big, if you try to enter more than the intended 7 times, the game won’t let you. It is safe to play the Tier 10 Gauntlet.
Summoners!
Odin has set forth a great challenge for Summoners this March. Complete all 10 levels of Odin’s Gauntlet and prove yourself to be God Tier! Note that this is a rather complex event, so make sure to review all the info below before you get started.
Note that this event runs for 5 weeks (35 days) instead of the usual 28 days.
IMPORTANT EVENT STATS
Total Feathers – 35 Total Caskets – 9 Total Gauntlet Tiers – 10
UNCOLLECTED & ABOVE MAX REWARDS QUICK GUIDE Collect In-Game Mail Purchase Caskets 1-5 Play Tier 6 5x Purchase Casket 6 Play Tier 7 6x Purchase Casket 7 Play Tier 8 7x Purchase Casket 8 Play Tier 9 10x – Purchase Casket 9 Play Tier 10 7x
Note that because Tier 10 will not cost Feathers now, you’ll get an extra 7 runs at Tier 9 in addition to you Tier 10 runs.
HOW TO PLAY
Odin’s Gauntlet is another “entry-fee” type side-quest. Your entry-fee this month is a Feather. You’ll receive 1 Feather at the start of the event in your mailbox. The others will be earned from a daily calendar. You can claim 35 Feathers in total, meaning you can run the event 35 times. Once you use a Feather to start a Gauntlet, it is gone. If you back out of the quest, YOU WILL NOT GET YOUR FEATHER BACK.
The quest itself is called Odin’s Gauntlet. It is a single path quest that costs 0 energy. Completing the Gauntlet will earn you rewards and the unique currency of the month, Uru.
Uru is used to buy the Casket of Ancient Winters, which unlock the higher difficulties of the Gauntlet. There are 10 difficulty levels (Tiers) of the Gauntlet. The higher the Tier, the better the rewards. The Tiers must be unlocked in order.
There are 9 Caskets of Ancient Winters to purchase. They must be purchased in order and can only be purchased once. The Caskets contain rewards and unlock the next Tier of the Gauntlet. For example, Casket 1 unlocks Gauntlet Tier 2. Tier 1 is unlocked automatically at the start of the event.
You will be able to play the highest Tier you have unlocked and the Tier directly below it. For example, once you unlock Tier 7, you can only play Tiers 6 and 7.
The goal is to reach Tier 10. Once Tier 10 is unlocked it stays unlocked. Tier 10 does not reward Uru because there is no need for more Uru once you have unlocked this final Tier.
Summoners who are Conqueror or below will start at Tier 1 in the event.
Summoners with the Uncollected, Cavalier, or Thronebreaker Titles will receive an in-game mail with 120 Uru at the start of the event. This is enough Uru to purchase Caskets 1-5 before you begin running the Gauntlet! Simply purchase the first 5 Caskets and you’ll automatically be able to start on Tier 6. Starting on Tier 6 is very important if you want to maximize your rewards. Make sure to do this before running any Gauntlets. Otherwise you’ll be burning valuable Feathers on the lower tiers.
Remember that it is purchasing the Caskets, not beating the previous Tier that unlocks the next Tier. Furthermore, beating a Tier doesn’t reward enough Uru in one completion to afford the Casket for the next Tier. You’ll have to run each Tier multiple times to earn enough Uru to afford the next Casket.
You are probably wondering how many runs you’ll need to do at each Tier to maximize your Feathers. There are two options, one for Uncollected and above, the other for Conqueror and below.
If you successfully complete Tier 10 of Odin’s Bifrost Gauntlet you will receive the “God Tier” title.
VALHALLA VICTORIES
There are also Vanquishing Blow 24-hour Solo Events to accompany the Side Quest. Be sure to look for the particular milestones criteria each day. There are no Rank Rewards for the Solo Events.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This is an event with a lot of moving parts, so be careful and make sure you double-check your selections so you don’t miss out on rewards. Events like this are often a bit confusing at the start, and sometimes buggy, so I highly recommend you don’t jump in during the first few hours the event is live. Sit back and make sure everything is working as intended before you start to spend your Feathers.
It’s Episode 52 of the Contest Realm Podcast! In this episode Rich and I discuss the v30.1 Release Notes, all the crazy events of Wandavision Episodes 6 and 7, and the Realm of Champions v2.0 update.
Next week in Marvel Contest of Champions brings us the release of v30.1 and the launch of the March 2021 events.
I hope you and your family are staying safe during these difficult times.
Alliance Wars Seasons We are currently in the Alliance War Season 24. Rewards eligibility locked on Friday, February 19 at 6pm EST, and the season will conclude on Tuesday, March 2. Season 25 is expected to begin on March 17.
Full Roster Availability (No AW/AQ): 100% Champion Availability starting at 2pm EST on Sunday, February 28 through 2pm EST on Monday, March 1.
Sunday, February 28: Sunday Arenas begin at 1pm EST. 100% Roster Availability begins at 2pm EST. The Alpha Arena begins at 6pm EST.
Monday, March 1: The Summoner Sigil Solo Event, Gold Quest, items on a 7-day timer, and the Featured Crystals in the Black-ISO Market reset at Noon EST. Round 2 of the 4-Star Basic Iceman and Super-Skrull Featured Arenas at 1pm EST. The Alliance Quest Series kicks off at 3pm EST. UMCOC Podcast, Live on Discord at 8pm EST.
Tuesday, March 2: Incursions Milestones reset at 1pm EST. Alliance War Season 24 ends with the conclusion of today’s war attack. Rewards should be issued 12-16 hours following the conclusion of the season.
Wednesday, March 3: February events conclude and March events begin at 1pm EST. The Tier 4 Basic Arena begins at 6pm EST.
Thursday, March 4: Round 1 of the 4-Star Basic Professor X Arena and To Be Announced Featured Arenas begin at 1pm EST.
Prepare to journey across the Nine Realms in March, as an Asgardian adventure awaits! The All-Father himself, the mighty Odin is set to join the Contest, as is the villainous Mangog. Expect to see v30.1 available for download on March 1 or 2, with monthly events beginning March 3 at 1pm EST.
V30.1 HIGHLIGHTS EQ – Sins of the Father SQ – Odin’s Bifrost Gauntlet Odin Mangog Buffs: Civil Warrior, Angela, Masacre, & The Hood International Women’s Day Boss Rush Bug Fixes & Improvements
EVENT QUEST
In March’s Event Quest, “Sins of the Father,” Odin has scheduled a tournament to test the strength of his fellow Asgardians, but the return of his longtime nemesis Mangog forces All-Father into battle.
ODIN’S BIFROST GAUNTLET
Compete in Odin’s Gauntlet to earn special currency and rewards throughout the month. We’ve just got the high-level details at this time, but here’s what we know so far.
There will be a Daily Calendar that gives Feathers, these will be your entry fee into the Gauntlet Quest. The Quest will have 1 path and cost 0 energy to complete.
Completing the quest will earn you Uru, which is the special monthly currency. You spend Uru in a store called Odin’s Armory, where you purchase something called a Casket of Ancient Winters, which unlocks the next tier of the Gauntlet. This event sounds like some sort of solo Incursions, where each tier you unlock has better rewards and more difficult fights.
In addition to the Gauntlet Quest there will be a special title if you can beat Tier 10, as well as Valhalla Victory Daily Solo Events that reward shards and signature stones for completing Vanquishing Blows targets.
This seems like another complicated, multi-part side-quest that will require a full breakdown, so stay tuned for a detailed post early next week.
ODIN
Odin is a Cosmic Champion and well-known as both the ruler of Asgard and Thor’s father. Odin possesses the immense cosmic power of the Odinforce, a power so great he must enter the Odinsleep to recover from its use.
Odin has all the standard abilities of Asgardians, but he is greatly enhanced by the Odinforce. He has super-human strength, stamina, and durability. His healing factor can repair almost any wound and makes him immune to Earthly diseases. He wields a spear named Gungnir in battle and has defeated powerful cosmic entities such as Thanos, Silver Surfer, and Annihilus. His exact age is unknown, but his adventures date back tens of thousands of years.
Odin first appeared in Marvel Comics in 1962 in Journey Into Mystery #85 and was created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby. This issue also contained the first appearances of Heimdall and Balder. He has made over 500 appearances in the main 616 continuity, almost all in Thor related titles. In the MCU, Odin has appeared in the 3 Thor movies and is played by legendary actor Anthony Hopkins.
Want to read some Odin comics? Check out a list of his Comic Appearances.
MANGOG
March’s other champion is the villainous Mangog, sworn enemy of Asgard. Mangog is a Mystic Champion, and feeds on negative psychic energy to increase his powers.
In the comics, Mangog draws his powers from thoughts of hate and desires of vengeance. He is actually the physical manifestation of a race wiped out by Odin long ago. It is said that as long as there is hate in the universe, Mangog can never truly be destroyed. He wields this power in the form of mystical energy, making him immensely powerful, even when facing off against the likes of Thor and Odin.
Mangog first appeared in Thor #154 in 1968 and has about three dozen appearances in Marvel Comics. He was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Mangog has not appeared in the MCU as of yet.
Want to read some Mangog comics? Check out a list of his Comic Appearances.
Hopefully Civil Warrior will now have some quality damage to pair with his solid utility.
CHAMPION BUFFS
The champion buffs for Angela, Masacre, The Hood, and Civil Warrior will go live as soon as you update to v30.1. Angela and Masacre are the value updates, while The Hood and Civil Warrior are receiving more substantial changes. Look for updated champion spotlights for The Hood and Civil Warrior coming soon.
I’ll give you one guess which fight Dragon from the UMCOC Podcast designed.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY BOSS RUSH
The Boss Rush is back! Once again, the International Women’s Day Boss Rush features 6 fights designed by the community. This year’s Boss Rush features Sorcerer Supreme, Black Widow, Jubilee, Tigra, Storm Pyramid X, and Elsa Bloodstone.
BUG FIXES & IMPROVEMENTS
● A new tab will display information on long running events and deals in the Social Hub so the information is easier to access and doesn’t get lost in the read mail.
● Undo Button: Fixed an issue where players were unable to undo after traversing an already cleared Node.
● Angela: Fixed issue where Angela’s SP2 would occasionally miss if chained after cancelling from a Heavy Attack.
● Abyss of Legends – Brand of the Abyss VI Buff: Updated description to specify Unstoppable and Unblockable are not affected by Ability Accuracy alteration.
● Professor X: Fixed issue where all attacks were not classified as psychic attacks.
● Professor X: Updated info page to reflect that Channeling Vigilance and Surge Special Cost reduction do not work against Psychic Shielding.
● Daredevil (Classic) and Daredevil (Hell’s Kitchen): These two Champions now cannot “miss” when attacking.
● Ghost, Daredevil (Classic), The Hood: Updated ability descriptions to reflect how these Champions interact with “Psychic Attacks.”
● Emma Frost, Professor X, Stryfe: Updated attack descriptions to indicate which Attacks are classified as “Psychic Attacks.”
● Loki: Fixed issue where Loki would not steal and copy Prowess Buffs.
● Spider-Ham: Fixed issue where the SP2 pie projectiles would be facing the wrong way as a defender.
● Scientific Method Buff node: Fixed issue where the Fury potency was based on the defender’s attack rating instead of the attackers.
● Cosmic Ghost Rider: Fixed issue where the third hit of SP2 would occasionally whiff.
● Blade: Fixed issue where Blade’s sword and shurikens would clip into the camera during SP3 animation.
● Æegon: Fixed issue where Aegon would spam on-screen callouts.
● Thor (Ragnarok): Updated info page to specify only 2 “Boon of the Gods” can be active at a single time.
● Beast (Beauty and the Beast synergy with Elsa Bloodstone): Fixed issue where Beast would lose the Fury Buff if he had a Combo Shield.
● Red Goblin: Fixed issue where Symbiote Buff would expire instead of going on a 15-second timer.
● Magneto (House of X): Added icon to the pre-fight ability screen.
● Phoenix: Fixed issue where SP1 and SP2 flame hits were considered physical instead of a projectile.
● Psycho-Man: Fixed issue where the block VFX would appear when dashing back
● Gameplay: Fixed issue where the game would momentarily pause when interacting with the screen during the Run-In phase of a fight.
● King Groot: Fixed issue where King Groot could not use the Furys from Sasquatch’s Giant Challengers Synergy to shrug off Spectre.
● Medusa and Vision (Aarkus): Updated info page to specify Armor Shatter reduces Ability Accuracy instead of “cannot activate”.
● Sixth Sense buff: Fixed issue where Sixth Sense was unaffected by Ability Accuracy.
● Guardian: Fixed issue where the Armor-Up cooldown was not triggering in certain scenarios.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I know Odin has been a highly requested champion for a very long time, so I’m quite happy he is finally joining the Contest. Boss Rushes are always a good time, but I think I’m most excited to see the Gauntlet challenge. There has been talk about a “Solo Dungeons/Incursions” mode for a while, and this seems like a step in that direction. I’m looking forward to seeing how it all plays out.
If you plan on clearing some difficult content in Marvel Contest of Champions this March, you’ll need to know when all your champs will be available. Here is the full schedule of 100% Roster Availability Windows (no AQ/AW) for the month. All times are EST, 2pm is based off of the approximate end of AW attack.
Sunday, February 28 at 2pm EST – Monday, March 1 at 2pm EST
Sunday, March 7 at 2pm EST – Monday, March 8 at 2pm EST
Sunday, March 14 at 3pm EST – Monday, March 15 at 2pm EST
Tuesday, March 16 at 2pm EST – Wednesday, March 17 at 3pm EST
Tuesday, March 23 at 2pm EST – Thursday, March 25 at 2pm EST
Tuesday, March 30 at 3pm EST – Thursday, April 1 at 2pm EST
Here’s your Marvel Contest of Champions news brief for Thursday, February 25, 2021.
Schedule Notes: Round 1 of the 4-Star Basic Iceman Arena and Super-Skrull Featured Arenas begin at 1pm EST. Incursions Milestones reset at 1pm EST. The Lunar New Year event ends at 7pm EST.
Frontline: MCOC 