Symbiote Six
Introduction
Symbiote Six is a team for the Arena game mode, and as we all know, Arena teams are always strong across all game modes—making investment in them a top priority for every player. The team consists of three new characters—Quicksilver (Symbiote), Toxin, and Riot—alongside two reworked veterans: Knull and Venom.
Knull, who was originally unlocked through the first iteration of Battleworld, remains one of the most powerful characters in the game, so his inclusion in this team is a welcome surprise. This move also hints at future potential for other Battleworld exclusives like Sentry and possible new team synergies. Among the five, only Knull is Mystic, while the other four are Bio. All five are Symbiote Six and Symbiote characters, and all except Knull are also part of the Spider-Verse. Knull and Venom fill the Controller role, Quicksilver (Symbiote) and Toxin are Brawlers, and Riot is a Protector. Knull is a Cosmic character, Quicksilver (Symbiote) is Global, and the remaining three—Venom, Toxin, and Riot—are City characters. Only Quicksilver (Symbiote) is classified as a Hero, while the other four carry the Villain trait.
Team Members
(left to right) with links to Character Pages
Utility
- Arena
This is a team designed to dominate Arena in the coming period, and their exceptional kits will certainly make that possible. However, Symbiote Six won’t just be the strongest team in Arena; as we’ve seen with previous Arena teams, they tend to be top-tier across every game mode. You’ll be using them not only in Arena, but also in Crucible and War, where they stand among the best teams available.
It’s also likely they’ll play a key role in upcoming Breaker Events, Tower modes, and even Battleworld. For example, they will be important for Breaker Event: Silver Surfer, where players can use them in Symbiote missions. With the third iteration of Battleworld approaching, don’t be surprised if Symbiote Six is crucial there as well.
Individually, these characters are also excellent choices for Dark Dimension. Venom, Toxin, and Riot can be used in City missions, Knull is a powerful pick for Cosmic, and Quicksilver (Symbiote) fits perfectly in Global missions. This means Symbiote Six are built to be a dominant force throughout MSF, not just in Arena. For that reason, the best advice is to invest in them and level them up as much as possible—your resources spent on this team will pay off across the game.
Team Placement & Turn Order
We’ll position Riot as the team’s protector who spawns with Taunt in one corner of the formation. Next to him, we’ll place Venom. In the center goes King in Black—Knull, who is often the strongest member for many players. On the opposite side of our part of the battlefield, we’ll put Toxin and Quicksilver (Symbiote), with Quicksilver (Symbiote) occupying the other corner.
This setup provides the best protection for the two crucial characters, Quicksilver (Symbiote) and Toxin, by keeping them as far apart as possible and away from immediate threats. Knull, thanks to his durability and importance, holds the central position, while Venom—who is generally less critical compared to the others—sits next to the protector, Riot. This formation maximizes the team’s defensive potential and keeps your key damage dealers safer throughout the battle.
Turn Order:
- Quicksilver (Symbiote) – 132 Speed
- Toxin – 130 Speed
- Riot – 128 Speed
- Knull- 127 Speed
- Venom – 107 Speed
Iso-8 Classes
- Quicksilver (Symbiote) – Raider / Striker
- Toxin – Striker / Skirmisher
- Knull – Raider / Striker
- Venom – Striker
- Riot – Raider / Fortifier
Quicksilver (Symbiote) plays first on his Symbiote Six team, opening with his Ultimate ability that attacks all enemies, making Raider an excellent Iso-8 choice for him. This setup maximizes his damage potential and allows him to apply Vulnerable to any targets he crits, setting up the battlefield for the Strikers who follow in turn order. When running a full Symbiote Six lineup, Quicksilver (Symbiote) should ideally be a Raider to get the most out of this synergy.
He also has a strong Iso-8 attack, which steals 10% of the enemy’s Health and redistributes it to himself, so Striker is another viable option, especially if you want to boost his single-target damage. As a Striker, his multi-target damage will be a bit lower compared to Raider, but his survivability will be noticeably higher. If you do choose to use Quicksilver (Symbiote) as a Striker, you’ll want another character to go before him and apply Vulnerable so he can exploit it with his Iso-8 attack, or you’ll need to make sure the enemy team isn’t blocking assists—then you can run Quicksilver (Symbiote) as a Striker and Toxin as a Skirmisher for a strong combo. Ultimately, the choice depends on your team composition and the specific matchup, but Raider is generally the top pick for maximizing his Arena impact.
Toxin is a very fast character, but he doesn’t take the first turn on the team, which makes Striker a strong Iso-8 class choice for him. He can benefit from attacking targets that already have Vulnerable, thanks to Quicksilver (Symbiote), who plays before him and applies Vulnerable with his attacks (he should be Raider). Additionally, since Toxin passively assists all his Symbiote Six allies, in matches where assists aren’t blocked, it can be useful to run him as a Skirmisher, while most of the other team members are Strikers. This creates a powerful Striker-Skirmisher combo.
However, many current meta teams against whom you’ll be using Symbiote Six—whether in Arena, Crucible, or War—often have mechanics that block assists, making Skirmisher less effective in those matchups. Ultimately, the best Iso-8 class for Toxin depends on the situation, but in most cases, Striker will be the preferred choice, or possibly even Raider for extra crit potential. Don’t forget that Toxin can apply Ability Block with his Iso-8 attack to targets with Exposed, making Striker an especially solid option for maximizing his impact.
For Knull, the best roles are Raider or Striker. As a Raider, he can hit multiple enemies with his attacks, maximizing the damage output. As a Striker, his follow-up attacks apply additional Darkness, which accelerates the damage opponents deal to each other. Since the effectiveness of the Striker’s follow-up attack relies on whether the target is Vulnerable, we’ve decided to go with the Raider role for now, but this decision is not final.
Venom is an excellent Striker because he can use a follow-up attack to fill his Speed Bar and thus play more often. The more turns he takes, the more he applies Heal Blocks to enemies. This allows him to apply Counter to his allies more often, thanks to his Passive. And whenever someone from this team has Counter, that character also gets a +15% Crit Chance (through Venom Passive), so the overall team damage grows.
Riot can be an excellent choice for the Raider Iso-8 class, as all of his abilities target multiple enemies, allowing you to boost his potential damage through increased crits and vulnerability application. On the other hand, if you want a more defensive and mitigation-focused version of Riot, giving him the Fortifier Iso-8 class will further enhance his durability. As the team’s primary protector, Riot spawns with Taunt and will absorb most enemy attacks, so extra barriers and mitigation from Fortifier can make him even harder to take down. This flexibility lets you tailor Riot’s role to fit your team’s needs—either maximizing his offensive output or reinforcing his ability to shield his allies.
Especially if Riot has a lower number of Yellow and Red stars—in other words, if he doesn’t have Diamonds yet—the Fortifier Iso-8 class might actually be the better option for him. With less base health and stats, the extra mitigation and barriers from Fortifier will help him survive longer and better fulfill his role as the team’s protector. This way, he can more reliably absorb damage and keep his Symbiote Six allies safe, even when his raw stats aren’t fully maxed out.
Team T4’s
Essential
- Quicksilver (Symbiote) – Passive, Ultimate, Special, and Basic
- Toxin – Passive, Special, Basic, and Ultimate
- Knull – Passive, Ultimate, Special, and Basic
- Venom – Passive and Basic
- Riot – Passive, Special, and Ultimate
Quicksilver (Symbiote)
Passive – When Quicksilver (Symbiote)’s Passive is fully upgraded, he brings crucial advantages to the Symbiote Six team. On every Symbiote Six ally’s turn, he passively fills the Speed Bar for himself and all Symbiote Six allies by 7%. If he has at least two Symbiote Six allies, enemies can only gain bonus Speed through positive effects, meaning they’re prevented from passively increasing their Speed in the battle.
This upgrade is extremely important, as it allows the Symbiote Six team to continuously gain Speed Bar every time any team member takes a turn. In Arena, when combined with the Battlefield Effect that Quicksilver (Symbiote) applies, this upgrade becomes even more impactful, doubling the Speed Bar gain and giving the team a huge momentum advantage (and enemies cannot prevent it). Preventing opponents from passively boosting their Speed stat is also a key factor in Symbiote Six’s ability to dominate many top teams.
Ultimate – Deal increased damage and clear Revive Once and Charged from all enemies. This is crucial when facing teams that rely on Revive and Charged mechanics, as it prevents them from bringing characters back to life or benefiting from those powerful buffs, giving your team a significant advantage in battle.
Special – Deals a bit more damage and, if he has at least two Symbiote Six allies, applies Silence and Disrupted to both the primary and secondary targets. This upgrade is especially important, as it significantly boosts Quicksilver (Symbiote)’s control over the battlefield, making it much harder for opponents to use their key abilities or maintain buffs. It’s a key enhancement for maximizing his impact in tough matchups.
Basic – Deals slightly more damage when using Basic and steals 10% Health from the primary target, redistributing it to himself (up from 5% Health). This upgrade not only increases his overall damage but also significantly improves his sustain, allowing him to heal more from each use of his Basic or Iso-8 attack.
Toxin
Passive – Gains powerful control effects against enemy Mythic characters. Whenever an enemy drops below 50% health or uses their Special Ability, if that character has Exposed and is Mythic, Toxin applies Trauma for 2 turns. Additionally, if Toxin has at least two Symbiote Six allies, then in Arena, enemies with Exposed who normally cannot gain Trauma can now gain it (though this does not bypass Immunity).
This is an excellent upgrade for matchups against Mythic characters, as it allows the Symbiote Six team to apply Trauma even to those who are usually immune (Odin), giving them a strong edge in key Arena battles.
Special – Increased damage and, most importantly, apply Stun for 2 turns to the primary target. This upgrade gives Toxin, and by extension the entire Symbiote Six team, much stronger control over the battlefield, allowing them to lock down key enemies and swing the fight in their favor.
Basic – Deals slightly more damage and applies Ability Block to targets that have Exposed. This effect also carries over to his Iso-8 attacks, so as a Striker, whenever Toxin attacks a target with both Vulnerable and Exposed, he will also apply Ability Block with his follow-up Striker attack. This upgrade significantly boosts Toxin’s control potential, allowing him to reliably shut down enemy abilities and strengthen the overall control the Symbiote Six team brings to a fight.
Additionally, whenever Toxin assists or counterattacks, he will also apply Ability Block to targets with Exposed, since this upgrade affects his Iso-8, Counter Attack, and Assist actions as well. Given that Toxin frequently assists his teammates and can gain Counter through Venom, this makes him a constant threat to shutting down enemy abilities throughout the battle.
Ultimate – Deal increased damage and, if any target has Exposed, he will transfer positive effects (except Taunt) from that target to himself before the attack. This upgrade allows Toxin to buff himself even further right before unleashing his Ultimate, making him more powerful and giving him an extra edge in battle.
Knull
Passive – Enemies cannot become Empowered. This crucial upgrade enhances Knull’s performance across all game modes, including Arena, Crucible, War, Battleworld, Raids, and Dark Dimension. Against opponents like Mephisto or Apocalypse, they will be unable to enter their Empowered state. Consequently, Mephisto cannot use his Empowered Abilities at the beginning of the fight, and Apocalypse will be unable to use his Empowered Basic after performing his Ultimate.
This is especially impactful against Mephisto, as he won’t just be deprived of his Empowered Abilities; he also cannot lose Empowered status since he never acquires it. When Mephisto typically loses Empowered, he casts the Mark of Mephisto Battlefield Effect on his team, which grants a bunch of benefits, and in addition to that he buffs his team with Safeguard, Offense, and Defense Up, Deathproofs, and removes all Vulnerable effects from his allies. Additionally, Mephisto applies Trauma, Offense, and Defense Down, and Bleeds to the opposing team. With Knull in play, he will be unable to execute any of these actions.
Ultimate – Knull’s Ultimate deals increased Piercing Damage and applies Trauma for 2 turns to all enemies. Trauma is a valuable addition to his already powerful Ultimate. Since Knull flips Immunity with his Battlefield Effect to Disrupted, the Trauma will prevent opponents from removing Disrupted status, meaning they won’t be able to buff themselves.
Special – If Knull does not have Trauma, he transfers all negative effects from all allies to himself. Because Knull is immune to Trauma (he cannot be affected by it), this mechanism will always activate. This upgrade is highly effective, as Knull will subsequently flip all the negative effects and transfer 3 random positive effects from himself to each ally. Additionally, Knull will deal extra Piercing damage with his Special.
Basic – Knull’s Basic attack deals additional Piercing Damage and always Mind Controls a random enemy with Darkness to attack the most injured enemy (previously a 50% chance). When playing as Knull, it is advantageous for us to make enemies attack each other, causing self-inflicted damage, making this upgrade particularly beneficial.
Venom
Passive – If we upgrade Venom’s Passive to the max, he will play much faster because he will gain +10% Speed (up to a max of +30%) on the turn. So after 3 turns, his Speed will be 30% higher until the end of the fight, which is an essential upgrade. He will also increase Crit Chance to himself or any teammate by +15%, as long as they have a Counter.
When Venom’s Passive is fully upgraded, he also gains powerful effects for the team. If Venom has at least two Symbiote Six allies, Brawler and Controller enemies cannot spawn with Offense Up. Additionally, until Venom takes his first turn, he lowers the Crit Chance of all enemies by 100%, completely preventing them from landing critical hits at the start of the battle. These effects make Venom a strong defensive asset for the team, helping to neutralize early threats and reduce incoming damage.
Basic – With Maxed Basic, Venom will get increased damage. But, more importantly, he will also get +20% Speed Bar whenever he uses his Basic, it works on his Iso follow-up attacks. This is why Striker is an excellent class for him. So it can often happen that after any move in which Venom attacks the target with Vulnerability, it fills his Speed Bar for +40% (after he uses Basic) or +20% (after he uses Special or Ultimate).
Riot
Passive – Riot gains the ability that the first time he or a Symbiote Six ally drops below 50% health, if he does not have Trauma, he will transfer all negative effects from that ally to himself, clear all negative effects from himself, heal for 5% of his Max Health per effect cleared, and apply 2 Deathproof to himself. Even without this upgrade, Riot already reduces the duration of Trauma by 2 on himself and that ally who falls below half health for the first time, meaning that in most cases he will lose Trauma (unless he happens to have 3 stacks at that moment) and then be able to transfer and cleanse all debuffs.
This upgrade is excellent for team sustain and mitigation, as both the ally who drops below 50% HP and Riot himself will be cleansed of debuffs, Riot will be further buffed, and he will heal. It greatly increases the Symbiote Six team’s survivability in critical moments.
Special – It deals slightly more damage and reduces the duration of all negative effects on himself and all Symbiote Six allies by 2. In Arena, if he has at least two Symbiote Six allies, this effect extends to all allies, not just Symbiote Six. This is an outstanding upgrade, as it allows the Symbiote Six team—and any variations including them in Arena—to reliably shake off debuffs, no matter what the enemy throws at them.
Ultimate – With his Ultimate at max level, Riot deals increased damage and spreads all negative effects from the primary target to the secondary targets (except Stun). Since Riot first prolongs the duration of negative effects on the primary target before spreading them, this upgrade becomes even more valuable—he’s able to distribute already-extended debuffs to multiple enemies. Additionally, if Riot has at least two Symbiote Six allies, his Ultimate will also apply Trauma to both the primary and adjacent targets. As a result, after using his Ultimate, several opponents will be heavily debuffed and afflicted with Trauma, making it much harder for them to cleanse those negative effects.
Recommended
- Venom – Ultimate and Special
- Riot – Basic
Venom
Ultimate – Venom Ultimate will clear all negatives from himself and the most injured ally if it is maxed. It will also do more damage. It is a practical upgrade for removing negatives from Hive-Mind and Symbiote Six characters.
Special – With a maxed Special, Venom will apply 3 Bleed for 2 turns (up from 1 turn) and apply Ability Block for 2 turns (up from 1 turn) on the primary target. He will prolong all negativities on the primary target by 1 (except Ability Block, Stun, and Trauma). This is a good upgrade because Venom can extend debuffs on the selected target.
Riot
Basic – Deals slightly more damage and now always applies Offense Down to both the primary and secondary targets (up from just a 50% chance). This ensures that any enemies hit by Riot’s Basic will consistently have their offensive power reduced. This guaranteed Offense Down also applies to his Iso-8, Counter Attack, and Assist actions, making this a solid upgrade for controlling enemy damage output throughout the fight.
Red Stars and Diamonds
Getting 7 Red Stars on the new characters Quicksilver (Symbiote), Toxin, and Riot shouldn’t be complicated, as long as you open Elite Red Star Orbs when he is featured there. Knull and Venom are older characters so plenty of players might have them at high Red Stars already.
You could also get Red Stars for them from the Incursion Campaign:
- 7 Red Stars for Knull – Echoes of the Abyss
- 7 Red Stars for Venom – Incursion 7-9
When the Quicksilver (Symbiote), Toxin, and Riot becomes farmable and free-to-play players are able to collect 7 Yellow/Red Stars for them, we also recommend using Diamonds for them (at least 3 Diamonds, ideally 5).
You can earn up to 5 Diamonds for Knull through the Echoes of the Abyss event, which is a recurring event that seems to return to the game about once a month. Because of this, obtaining Knull’s Diamonds is consistently possible through this event.
For the Venom, we also recommend a minimum of 3 Diamonds. Ideally 5.
Diamonds priority:
- Quicksilver (Symbiote)
- Knull
- Riot
- Toxin
- Venom
Farming Locations
- Knull – Echoes of the Abyss
- Venom – Character Store (Age of Fear), Heroes 3-9
On Spawn Buffs and Crucial Passive Effects In Battle
Team On Spawn buffs: Immunity, Barrier for 30% of Riot’s Max Health
Quicksilver (Symbiote) On Spawn Buffs: 2 Evade
Knull On Spawn Buffs: Defense Up (2 turns)
Riot On Spawn Buffs: Taunt (3 turns)
Symbiote Six:
- On Symbiote Six ally turn, Quicksilver (Symbiote) fills Speed Bar for self and all Symbiote Six allies by 7%
- The Speed and Focus can only be reduced by negative effects
- Hive-Mind Haste Battlefield Effect (Arena):
- Non-summoned Symbiote Six characters cannot have their ability to fill the Speed Bar for self and allies prevented
- When any on-summoned Symbiote Six character fills the Speed Bar, the amount filled is doubled
- +100% Drain
- On Symbiote Six ally Turn, Toxin gains Assist Now
- If Toxin has 2 Symbiote allies, when an enemy drops below 50% or uses their Special Ability:
- Flip all positive effects to Bleed + apply Exposed to that character
- If that character has Exposed, flip all Charged to Bleed + apply Heal Block for 3 turns. If that character is Mythic, apply Trauma for 2 turns
- Knull will have 100% Asist Chance
- Knull gain +40% Speed. Everyone else gains +15% Speed and Piercing
- Knull cannot gain Trauma, Stun, or Slow. His Speed Bar cannot be reduced
- +10% Drain and +10% Speed for each enemy with Darkness, up to a maximum of +50%
- The entire team gains Defense Up for 2 turns on each Venom’s turn
- While Riot has Taunt, he cannot gain Stun
- The first time Riot or a Symbiote Six ally drops below 50% health:
- Reduce the duration of Trauma on Riot and that ally by 2
- If Riot does not have Trauma, transfer all negative effects from that ally to self + clear all negative effects, then heal self 5% per negative effect cleared
- Riot Barrier that ally for 30% of his Max Health + applies Safeguard for 2 turns, Immunity for 2 turns, and 2 Deathproof
Enemies:
- Can only gain bonus Speed through positive effects
- Cannot generate Barrier
- If Toxin has 2 Symbiote Six allies, enemies with Exposed:
- Cannot gain Deathproof, Stealth, or Evade
- In Arena, if they normally could not gain Trauma, those enemies can now gain Trauma (this does not ignore Immunity)
- Have their Assist Chance and Resistance lowered by 100%
- Cannot become Empowered
- Enveloping Darkness Battlefield Effect:
- On the enemy’s turn, apply +1 Darkness to that enemy + flip Immunity on that enemy
- On the enemy’s turn end, apply +1 Slow, up to a maximum of 3 to that enemy
- Enemies with Darkness:
- Cannot gain Speed Up
- Lower Damage Reduction, Damage, and Resistance by 25%
- If Venom has 2 Symbiote Six allies:
- Brawler and Controller enemies cannot spawn with Offense Up
- Until Venom takes their first turn, lower the Crit Chance of all enemies by 100%
Team Mechanics
Symbiote Six is a formidable team within the Marvel Universe, bringing together some of the most powerful and notorious symbiote-bonded characters. The team’s roster includes Knull, Venom, Quicksilver (Symbiote), Toxin, and Riot. United by their connection to the symbiote hive, these characters combine their unique abilities to create a group that excels in both offense and defense, making them a significant force in any conflict.
As a team, Symbiote Six stands out for its adaptability, relentless aggression, and remarkable teamwork. Their symbiote bonds grant them enhanced strength, speed, and resilience, while also allowing them to share power and heal one another in battle. This synergy makes them incredibly difficult to take down, as they can recover from damage quickly and turn the tide of battle through coordination and shared abilities.
In the Marvel lore, the Symbiote Six represent the dark side of super-powered alliances—an unpredictable and often uncontrollable force that can rival even the strongest superhero teams. Their presence is often associated with chaos and transformation, challenging heroes to face not just individual threats, but the might of the symbiote collective working in unison. As a result, Symbiote Six is both feared and respected, embodying the raw, primal power of the symbiote legacy in the Marvel Universe.
The arrival of the Symbiote Six is set to reshape the Arena in Marvel Strike Force, introducing a team that thrives on chaos, synergy, and relentless aggression. Led by Knull, the so-called King in Black, this squad features Venom, Riot, Toxin, and Quicksilver (Symbiote) – each bringing their own unique strengths to the team, but truly reaching their potential when fighting together.
Symbiote Six are Arena specialists, engineered to challenge and surpass some of the most dominant teams like the Fantastic Four (MCU), Blue Marvel, and Professor Xavier. Their design doesn’t just make them a threat in Arena, but also in Alliance War and Crucible, where their combination of resilience, control, and damage allows them to take on even the most established defenses. However, they aren’t without weaknesses – certain cosmic threats, such as Annihilus and his Cosmic Control Rod, can still disrupt their strategies.
This team stands out for its ability to maintain two Battlefield Effects simultaneously—Knull’s effect hampers the enemy side, while Quicksilver (Symbiote)’s Hive-Mind Haste empowers their own. This synergy gives the team unparalleled sustain, frequent turns, and the ability to keep the pressure on their opponents. Thanks to Quicksilver (Symbiote), the squad’s Speed Bar is constantly filled, ensuring they play often and dominate the flow of battle, a crucial advantage in a turn-based game like MSF.
Each member plays a vital role: Quicksilver (Symbiote) is the engine of the team, providing Speed Bar, healing, and redistributing damage so no one member becomes an easy target. His Hive-Mind Haste Battlefield Effect (which can be activated only in Arena) ensures their speed cannot be suppressed, doubles their Speed Bar gains, and grants them extra healing through Drain. Toxin is the team’s primary source of damage, constantly applying Bleed effects and punishing enemies who expose their weaknesses with debilitating debuffs like Exposed, which prevents key survival buffs and can even inflict Trauma on Mythic foes.
Riot serves as the team’s shield, soaking up early aggression with high Health and Resistance. He protects his allies by gaining Taunt, sharing negative effects, and healing himself and the team, which makes breaking through their defenses a real challenge. Riot’s synergy with Toxin allows negative effects to spread rapidly through enemy ranks, compounding the pressure the Symbiote Six can exert.
Altogether, the Symbiote Six are more than just a collection of powerful individuals—they are a masterclass in coordinated offense and defense, bringing a new level of tactical depth and ferocity to the Arena. Their arrival signals a new era where strategic synergy and relentless teamwork can topple even the mightiest opponents.
Quicksilver (Symbiote)
Quicksilver (Symbiote) is a unique and dynamic character in the Marvel Universe, merging the incredible speed of Pietro Maximoff—better known as Quicksilver—with the power and adaptability of a symbiote. This version of Quicksilver is the result of his bonding with a symbiote entity, granting him not only his signature super-speed but also the additional abilities and resilience that come with symbiote physiology.
As Quicksilver (Symbiote), Pietro’s already impressive speed is taken to another level, allowing him to move and react faster than most heroes or villains can perceive. The symbiote enhances his agility and reflexes, and provides him with new offensive and defensive capabilities, such as shapeshifting and increased durability. This combination makes him a formidable force on the battlefield, able to dodge attacks, strike multiple enemies in rapid succession, and adapt his fighting style as needed.
The character also introduces interesting dynamics within the Marvel universe, as the symbiote amplifies both Quicksilver’s strengths and his inner struggles. The partnership tests Pietro’s willpower and sense of identity, as he must learn to balance the symbiote’s hunger for chaos with his own desire to protect others and do what’s right. Quicksilver (Symbiote) thus adds a fresh and exciting twist to the classic speedster archetype, making him a standout hero with both raw power and complex depth.
Quicksilver (Symbiote) is a Brawler and the cornerstone of the Symbiote Six team, especially when it comes to Arena battles. He brings crucial momentum to the team by fueling their Speed Bar and healing, while also redistributing damage taken among allies. This unique ability offers subtle protection, making it much harder for opponents to focus down a single Symbiote Six member.
One of Quicksilver (Symbiote)’s defining features is his Battlefield Effect, Hive-Mind Haste, which he applies to the allied side in Arena on his first turn using his Ultimate. This effect prevents Symbiote Six characters from having their Speed Bar filling turned off, doubles the effectiveness of Speed Bar gain, and grants the team extra sustain through Drain. These advantages make the team both faster and harder to take down.
Quicksilver (Symbiote) also has a versatile kit: he can steal a percentage of Health from one or more enemies and redistribute it to himself or his allies, reduce enemy Speed Bar, apply Silence and Disrupted to opponents, grant Immunity to his team, reduce the duration of all positive effects on enemies (providing an answer to Safeguard), and clear Revive Once and Charged buffs from all enemies. On top of all that, he gains two Evade, both on spawn and at the start of every turn, making him difficult to hit.
A key aspect of his passive ability is that on every Symbiote Six ally’s turn, he passively fills everyone’s Speed Bar by 7% – or 14% if his Battlefield Effect is active. At the end of any turn, he heals himself and all Symbiote Six allies for 2% of his Max Health, giving the team constant Speed Bar boosts and excellent sustain. His passive also prevents enemies from gaining bonus Speed or generating Barrier, and his team’s Speed and Focus cannot be reduced by negative effects, making counters like Emma Frost ineffective against them.
All these traits make Quicksilver (Symbiote) a vital and irreplaceable member of the Symbiote Six, ensuring the team stays fast, resilient, and difficult to control in any battle.
When Quicksilver (Symbiote) uses his Basic, he attacks the primary target for 300% damage and steals 10% of their Health, redistributing it to himself. This healing effect bypasses Heal Block, ensuring he always benefits from it. If he is forced to attack a Symbiote Six ally, he deals reduced damage and does not reduce that ally’s Max Health. This attack cannot be blocked or dodged.
On Iso-8/Counter Attack/Assists, he attacks the primary target for 225% damage plus 17% Piercing, and steals 10% of the target’s Health, redistributing it to himself. This healing effect bypasses Heal Block. If he is forced to attack a Symbiote Six ally, he deals reduced damage and does not reduce that ally’s Max Health.
Special costs 5 Ability Energy and can be used on Quicksilver (Symbiote)’s first turn. With this ability, he attacks the primary target for 350% damage and reduces their Speed Bar by 10%. He then chains to up to four adjacent targets, dealing 350% damage and reducing their Speed Bars by 10% as well. If Quicksilver (Symbiote) has at least two Symbiote Six allies, he also applies Silence and Disrupted to both the primary and secondary targets. Counterattacks can break this chain. This attack cannot be blocked or dodged.
With his Ultimate, Quicksilver (Symbiote) applies Immunity for 2 turns to himself and all Symbiote Six allies. He then attacks all enemies for 400% damage, clears Revive Once and Charged from every enemy, and steals 5% of each target’s Health, redistributing it among all Symbiote Six allies—this healing effect bypasses Heal Block. If he has at least two Symbiote Six allies, he also reduces the duration of all positive effects on all enemies by 2 and applies Slow and Silence for 2 turns to all enemies.
In Arena, his Ultimate also clears all Battlefield Effects from the allied side and applies his unique Battlefield Effect, Hive-Mind Haste, which cannot be cleared or replaced and lasts until six characters—both allies and enemies—have taken their turns.
While Hive-Mind Haste is active:
- Quicksilver (Symbiote) and non-summoned Symbiote Six allies cannot have their Speed Bar gain for self and allies prevented
- The amount of Speed Bar filled is doubled
- And all Symbiote Six allies gain +100% Drain
This attack is unavoidable, cannot be blocked, and costs 5 Ability Energy – can be used on the first turn.
Through his Passive, Quicksilver (Symbiote) gains 2 Evade both on spawn and at the start of each turn, making him consistently difficult to target. On every Symbiote Six ally’s turn, he fills the Speed Bar for himself and all Symbiote Six allies by 7%, ensuring the team plays more frequently.
If he has at least two Symbiote Six allies, then at the end of any turn, he heals himself and all Symbiote Six allies for 2% of his Max Health and then redistributes the squad’s total health evenly among all members. Additionally, enemies can only gain bonus Speed through positive effects and cannot generate Barrier. The Speed and Focus of Quicksilver (Symbiote) and each of his allies can only be reduced by negative effects, making them highly resistant to common control strategies.
Toxin
Toxin is a fascinating character in the Marvel Universe, known for being one of the most powerful symbiotes. He is the offspring of Carnage and, by extension, a “grandchild” of Venom, making him part of the symbiote family tree that has shaped many pivotal storylines in Marvel comics.
The Toxin symbiote first bonded with NYPD officer Patrick Mulligan, creating a unique dynamic. Unlike many symbiotes that push their hosts toward violence and chaos, Toxin and Mulligan strive to use their combined powers for good. This partnership explores the constant struggle between the symbiote’s primal urges and the host’s moral compass. Toxin’s abilities include superhuman strength, agility, shape-shifting, and the power to generate tendrils and webbing. He also inherits the strengths of both Venom and Carnage, making him exceptionally versatile in combat.
Toxin stands out among symbiotes because he constantly battles his own darker instincts, with his hosts often trying to maintain control and use the symbiote’s powers responsibly. This internal conflict adds depth to his character, as he is neither purely heroic nor entirely villainous. In the Marvel Universe, Toxin represents the potential for redemption among symbiotes and the idea that even those born from chaos can choose their own path.
Toxin is a Brawler and the primary damage dealer of the Symbiote Six team. His kit is built around not only dealing massive damage but also disrupting and controlling opponents through a range of powerful effects. One of Toxin’s signature mechanics is the Exposed debuff, which he passively applies to enemies whenever they fall below 50% Health or use their Special ability. This Exposed status opens up a range of additional effects: for example, when Toxin uses his Basic attack on a target with Exposed, he applies Ability Block, shutting down their key abilities.
Toxin’s Ultimate ability becomes even more potent if the target has Exposed, allowing him to transfer positive effects from the primary or adjacent targets onto himself. Enemies afflicted with Exposed are heavily penalized—they cannot gain Deathproof, Stealth, or Evade, cannot assist their teammates, have reduced Resistance, and in Arena, even those who would normally be immune can receive Trauma.
Toxin is also a strong finisher: any character he defeats cannot be revived, and every time he gets a kill, he passively removes negative effects from himself and fills his Speed Bar, allowing him to stay in the fight and strike again quickly. He further supports his team by gaining Assist Now on every Symbiote Six ally turn, making him a reliable source of extra attacks throughout the battle.
With his Special, Toxin can apply Stun to an opponent, and his Ultimate scales damage based on the number of positive or negative effects on himself. He is also capable of applying Bleed, ensuring sustained pressure on the enemy team. Toxin’s combination of high damage, frequent assists, crowd control, and the ability to cripple or finish off key opponents makes him not only a devastating attacker but also a strategic controller in the Symbiote Six lineup.
Toxin’s Basic attacks the primary target for 320% damage and prolongs the duration of all negative effects on that target—except for Ability Block, Stun, and Trauma—by 1 turn, up to a maximum of 3 turns. If the target has Exposed and does not already have Ability Block, Toxin applies Ability Block, making it much harder for the enemy to use their abilities. If Toxin is forced to attack a Symbiote Six ally, he deals reduced damage, does not reduce their Max Health, and that ally remains eligible to be revived.
On Iso-8/Counter Attack/Assist, Toxin attacks the primary target for 240% damage plus 17% Piercing, and prolongs the duration of all negative effects—except Ability Block, Stun, and Trauma—by 1 turn, up to a maximum of 3 turns. If the target has Exposed and does not already have Ability Block, Toxin applies Ability Block. If Toxin is forced to attack a Symbiote Six ally, he deals reduced damage, does not reduce their Max Health, and that ally can still be revived. This means that his Iso-8, Counter Attack, and Assist are practically identical to his Basic attack in terms of effects and utility.
Special costs 5 Ability Energy and can be used on Toxin’s first turn. When activated, he gains Offense Up for 2 turns and applies Stun for 2 turns to the primary target. He then attacks the primary and adjacent targets for 325% damage, applying 3 Bleed to each.
On defense, instead of hitting the usual primary target, this attack specifically targets the Controller enemy with the highest Damage, ignoring both Taunt and Stealth. This makes the ability extremely powerful on defense, as Toxin can reliably disable and damage the most threatening Controller enemies, regardless of Taunt or Stealth. The attack is unavoidable and cannot be blocked, ensuring it lands every time.
Toxin’s Ultimate costs 5 Ability Energy and can be used on his second turn. With this ability, he attacks the primary and adjacent targets for 350% damage, plus an extra 10% damage for every positive and negative effect he has on himself, and then clears all positive effects from those targets.
If any of the targets have Exposed, Toxin first transfers 2 positive effects (except Taunt) from them to himself before attacking. This attack cannot miss, making it a reliable way to strip buffs from opponents and turn them into an advantage for Toxin.
Through his Passive, Toxin brings a mix of offense, control, and utility to the Symbiote Six team. Any character defeated by Toxin cannot be revived, making his kills permanent and denying enemies a second chance. On every Symbiote Six ally’s turn, Toxin gains Assist Now, ensuring he frequently joins in attacks and contributes extra damage.
Whenever Toxin gets a kill, he clears all negative effects from himself and fills his Speed Bar by 10%, allowing him to stay active and dangerous. If Toxin has at least two Symbiote Six allies, he passively targets weakened or active enemies: whenever an enemy drops below 50% Health or uses their Special Ability, Toxin flips all of their positive effects to Bleed and applies Exposed. If that enemy already has Exposed, he flips all Charged effects to Bleed and applies Heal Block for 3 turns; if the character is Mythic, he also applies Trauma for 2 turns. In Arena, these actions gain an extra 300% Focus, making them extremely difficult to resist.
Additionally, with two Symbiote Six allies, enemies with Exposed are heavily penalized: they cannot gain Deathproof, Stealth, or Evade, and in Arena, even those who would normally be immune can now receive Trauma (though Immunity still protects against it). Their Assist Chance and Resistance are also reduced by 100%, making them far more vulnerable to control effects.
Knull
Knull is a powerful supervillain in the Marvel Universe, best known as the god of the symbiotes. After he appeared, he quickly became one of the most significant threats to Marvel’s heroes, especially those connected to the symbiote lineage, like Venom.
Knull is an ancient cosmic entity who existed before the light of creation. Displeased with the birth of the Celestials and the creation of the universe, he forged the first symbiote—a living weapon known as All-Black the Necrosword—and later created the symbiote race by spreading his darkness throughout the cosmos. Knull views himself as a god of darkness and destruction, opposing all forms of light and life.
Throughout Marvel’s stories, Knull has waged war against gods, Celestials, and superheroes alike. His influence is felt not only through the physical threat he poses but also through the corruption and control he exerts over countless beings via his symbiotes. His most notable storyline is the “King in Black” event, where Knull invades Earth with an army of symbiotes, challenging the entire Marvel Universe.
Knull’s legacy is deeply intertwined with the mythos of Venom and the symbiotes, revealing the dark origins of these creatures and expanding their role in Marvel’s cosmic landscape. His character imbues the Marvel Universe with a sense of cosmic horror and epic scale, making him a memorable and formidable villain.
Knull is a formidable powerhouse who poses a significant threat to his enemies with a diverse range of techniques that can dismantle enemy teams using his multi-faceted abilities. He is immune to Trauma, Stun, and Slow, making his Speed Bar invulnerable and allowing him to control the pace of the battle. His Passive ability prevents enemies like Apocalypse and Mephisto from becoming Empowered, giving Knull an immediate advantage.
Knull’s dominance is further enhanced by his Darkness mechanic. Every ability he uses applies Darkness, which can stack indefinitely and cannot be resisted. This Darkness forces affected enemies to attack an ally during their turn, with the damage of that attack increasing for each stack of Darkness. Additionally, Darkness reduces the target’s Damage and Resistance, prevents them from gaining Speed Up, and allows Knull to heal during his turn, with the healing amount increasing for every enemy affected by Darkness.
The situation only worsens for Knull’s foes. His Ultimate Ability activates the Battlefield effect known as Enveloping Darkness. When this effect is active, enemies gain +1 Darkness on their turn, have their Immunity reversed, and receive +1 Slow.
As a finishing touch, Knull unleashes a symbiote to do his bidding. The first time he uses this ability in a match, Knull’s Special summons Carnage (Enraged), who is significantly stronger than a typical summon. This enraged version of Carnage immediately gains Safeguard for 2 turns and Defense Up for 2 turns. Additionally, he has a modified version of Carnage’s kit, which deals increased damage and applies Trauma.
Knull’s Basic Ability applies Darkness to the primary target, then attacks both the primary and adjacent targets with Piercing damage while applying Slow. Afterward, Knull uses Mind Control on a random enemy affected by Darkness, forcing that enemy to attack the most injured opponent. The controlled character receives a damage bonus of +20% for each Darkness effect applied to them, up to a maximum of +200% damage. If Knull is forced to attack an ally, he does not apply Darkness to that ally. Additionally, if the ally is a Symbiote Six character, Knull will deal reduced damage to them and will not reduce their Max Health. This Basic attack cannot be blocked or dodged.
If Knull does not have Trauma (and he cannot have it), his Special (cost 5 Ability Energy, can be used in the first turn) transfers all negative effects from each ally to himself, then flips all negative effects applied to him. After that, Knull copies three random positive effects from himself to each ally, excluding Stealth and Taunt. This means he cannot drive his protectors into Stealth with Taunt, preventing them from protecting others and exposing other characters to enemy attacks by applying Taunt to them. After performing these actions, Knull heals for 15% of his Max Health.
Next comes the offensive aspect of the Special: Knull attacks the primary and adjacent targets with Piercing damage, applying +1 Darkness to each target. This attack is Unavoidable and cannot be blocked.
The first time Knull uses his Special in a match, he summons one Carnage (Enraged) ally. The summoned Carnage gains Safeguard for two turns and Defense Up for two turns. This version of Carnage has abilities similar to the standard Carnage but is significantly stronger. His Ultimate attack applies Trauma (which the standard Carnage does not do) and passively fills the Speed Bar for himself and Knull (but not for Symbiote allies) when opponents drop below 25% Health. The summoned Carnage does not have a Raid bonus on its Special ability.
If Knull is not Exhausted, he clears all Battlefield Effects on the enemy side and applies the Battlefield Effect “Enveloping Darkness” to that side with his Ultimate (cost 6 Ability Energy, can be used in the first turn). The Enveloping Darkness Battlefield Effect helps Knull continuously apply Darkness to opponents and slow them down.
Enveloping Darkness:
- On enemy Turn, apply +1 Darkness to that enemy + flip Immunity on that enemy.
- On enemy Turn End, apply +1 Slow, up to a maximum of 3 to that enemy.
- This Battlefield Effect lasts until cleared or until the end of the match.
Characters killed by Knull cannot be Revived. Upon spawning, Knull’s Passive grants him Defense Up for two turns and applies +1 Darkness to the enemy with the highest damage. On his turn or an ally’s turn, Knull heals for 5% of his Max Health per enemy afflicted with Darkness. If his health is full, he instead gains a Barrier equal to 5% of his Max Health for each enemy with Darkness. This passive self-heal significantly enhances Knull’s sustain, making him an excellent choice for Raids and Dark Dimension, where we face a bunch of enemies at the same time, and Knull can easily apply Darkness to multiple opponents.
Knull passively gains +50% Assist Chance, plus an additional 15% Assist Chance for each Villain ally and another 15% for each Symbiote ally. For instance, if he is on a team with three Villain characters (one of whom is a Symbiote), Knull can easily exceed 100% Assist Chance. This scenario can occur in the Arena if he is paired with three Annihilators (all Villains) and Gorr (a Symbiote), giving Knull a total of +105% Assist Chance.
He also gains +10% Speed for each Symbiote ally, while Symbiote allies receive +15% Speed and +15% Piercing damage. This can considerably impact Arena compositions, especially if Knull is paired with Gorr.
Knull passively prevents opponents from becoming Empowered, which particularly affects characters like Mephisto and Apocalypse. I’ve detailed how Knull impacts Mephisto in the section discussing his T4 Passive upgrade, which is significant.
Knull cannot gain Trauma, Stun, or Slow, and opponents cannot reduce his Speed Bar.
Darkness:
- On Enemy Turn, if that enemy has Darkness, Mind Control that enemy to attack the most injured enemy. This attack gains +20% Damage for each Darkness on that enemy, up to a maximum of +200% Damage.
- Enemies with Darkness cannot gain Speed Up.
- Gain +10% Drain and +10% Speed for each enemy with Darkness, up to a maximum of +50%, for self and all Symbiote allies.
- Lower Damage Reduction, Damage, and Resistance by 25% for all enemies with Darkness.
- This effect cannot be resisted.
Overall, the Darkness debuff is potent and has a considerable effect on opponents while simultaneously buffing Knull and his Symbiote allies. As opponents accumulate Darkness, they deal damage to themselves, and their Speed Up is prevented, along with a reduction in damage and resistance. Knull and his Symbiote allies can gain up to +50% Drain and Speed based on the number of Darkness effects present on opponents. Best of all, Darkness cannot be resisted, ensuring that Knull consistently applies it.
These factors make Knull a META character who can easily enhance many teams significantly.
Venom
Venom is one of Marvel’s most iconic and complex characters, best known as both a formidable villain and an anti-hero. Venom is the result of the merging between an alien symbiote and its human host, most famously Eddie Brock. The symbiote originally bonded with Spider-Man, granting him enhanced powers, but after their separation, it found Eddie, and together they became Venom.
As Venom, Eddie possesses superhuman strength, agility, and the ability to shape-shift parts of his body, often forming tendrils or weapons. Venom can also camouflage himself and is immune to Spider-Man’s spider-sense, making him a particularly dangerous adversary. While Venom started out as a villain driven by a shared hatred for Spider-Man, over time, he evolved into a more nuanced anti-hero, often fighting to protect innocents and battling even greater threats.
Venom’s character explores themes of duality, inner struggle, and the desire for redemption. The relationship between Eddie and the symbiote is central to the story, with both characters influencing each other’s actions and morality. Venom has become a fan favorite, spawning his own comic series, animated appearances, and movies, solidifying his status as a major figure in the Marvel Universe.
Venom is a Controller who excels at inflicting massive Bleed effects on his enemies and taking frequent turns—especially in Arena battles. Thanks to the Battlefield Effect provided by Quicksilver (Symbiote), opponents cannot prevent Symbiote Six characters from gaining Speed Bar, allowing Venom and his Symbiote Six team to play more often, but especially him because he, as Striker, can fill his Speed Bar by 20% (40% if Battlefield Effect is on) on each Iso-8 attack. Venom can apply a variety of interesting debuffs and spread negative effects across the enemy team.
He’s also capable of clearing negative effects from himself and the most injured ally, prolonging the duration of negatives on enemies, and flipping positive effects on enemies into negatives. Importantly, while Venom has at least two Symbiote Six allies, he prevents Brawler and Controller allies from spawning with Offense Up. In addition, until he takes his first turn, Venom reduces enemy Crit Chance by 100%, effectively preventing them from landing critical hits.
Venom is a self-sustaining character who can heal himself on his turn and grant Defense Up to himself and his Symbiote allies, also on his turn. With each turn he takes, Venom gains +10% Speed (up to a maximum of +30%), meaning he becomes faster and faster as the battle goes on. This combination of utility, survivability, and escalating speed makes Venom a powerful and versatile member of the Symbiote Six team.
Venom’s Basic strikes the primary target for 280% damage, flipping two positive effects on the target into negative effects. This attack also applies Bleed and Heal Block, making it particularly disruptive for opponents. Additionally, using Basic fills Venom’s Speed Bar by 20%, helping him take turns more often. The attack cannot be dodged. If Venom is forced to attack a Symbiote Six ally, he deals reduced damage and does not reduce that ally’s Max Health.
Special costs 4 Ability Energy and can be used on Venom’s first turn. With this ability, he attacks the primary target for 380% damage, applying Ability Block for 1 turn, Heal Block for 2 turns, and 3 stacks of Bleed for 2 turns. After the initial attack, he performs a bonus attack on the same target for another 380% damage, and prolongs the duration of all negative effects—except Ability Block, Stun, and Trauma—on the primary target by 1, up to a maximum of 3. This attack cannot be dodged. This means that the 3 Bleed and Heal Block effects initially applied by the first attack will be extended to last for 3 turns. Of course, if the target has other negative effects on them—aside from Ability Block, Stun, and Trauma—Venom will also extend those effects by one additional turn.
With his Ultimate, Venom attacks the primary and adjacent targets for 320% damage, applying Heal Block and Offense Down to each for 2 turns. He then spreads all negative effects from the primary target to all adjacent targets, except for Stun, which cannot be spread. After the attack, Venom clears all negative effects from himself and the most injured ally. This attack cannot be dodged. Ultimate costs 6 Ability Energy and, like Special, can be used on his first turn.
Through his Passive, Venom gains several powerful effects that boost both his survivability and his team’s resilience.
On turn, Venom heals for 15% of his Max Health and applies Defense Up for 2 turns to himself and all Symbiote allies. He also gains +10% Speed each turn, up to a maximum of +30% Speed as the battle goes on. Whenever an enemy gains Heal Block, Venom applies Counter to himself or to a random ally who doesn’t already have Counter. Since Venom frequently applies Heal Block through all his abilities, this means he will often grant Counter to himself and his allies.
While Venom or any Spider-Verse ally has Counter, those characters gain +15% Crit Chance, increasing their offensive potential. If Venom has at least two Symbiote Six allies, Brawler and Controller enemies cannot spawn with Offense Up, and until Venom takes his first turn, he reduces all enemies’ Crit Chance by 100%.
These passive effects make Venom an excellent answer to Alpha Strike teams—those built around extremely fast and powerful damage dealers like Daimon Hellstrom, designed to wipe out opponents before they can react. Thanks to Venom’s Crit Chance reduction and Offense Up prevention, he can effectively shut down these high-damage strategies and give his team a fighting chance.
Riot
Riot is a menacing and formidable symbiote, recognized as one of the offspring of Venom. Born from the same alien lineage that gave rise to other infamous symbiotes like Carnage and Toxin, Riot embodies the wild and unpredictable nature of the symbiote hive. What distinguishes Riot among his kind is his sheer physical power and his role as an enforcer within the symbiote family.
Riot is characterized by his imposing stature and the ability to morph his body into a variety of devastating weapons, such as massive hammers, sharp blades, and crushing tendrils. This makes him a particularly dangerous opponent in any battle, capable of overwhelming his enemies with brute force and relentless attacks. Like all symbiotes, Riot can quickly adapt to threats, using his shape-shifting abilities to both attack and defend, and his rapid healing factor allows him to recover from injuries that would be fatal to most beings.
Within the symbiote hive, Riot is often seen as a natural leader of chaos, driving other symbiotes into frenzies and amplifying their aggression. His presence signals a shift toward raw, unrestrained power—a force that is difficult to contain or control. Riot’s connection to the hive mind also means he acts with a pack mentality, fiercely protective of his own kind and merciless toward outsiders.
He represents the darker side of symbiote existence: a living weapon born out of survival instinct, constantly seeking dominance and asserting the primal will of the symbiote race. His story is one of power, adaptability, and the relentless pursuit of supremacy within the ever-shifting web of symbiote relationships.
Riot is a Protector who excels at shielding his Symbiote Six team, cleansing debuffs from his allies, and greatly enhancing the team’s overall sustain and mitigation. He passively gains Taunt on spawn, and as long as he has Taunt, he is immune to Stun. Upon gaining Taunt, he also applies Immunity and Barrier to the entire team, giving them a strong defensive start.
The first time he or a Symbiote Six ally drops below 50% health, Riot reduces the duration of Trauma by 2 on both himself and that character. If the affected ally does not have Trauma, Riot transfers all their other negative effects to himself, then clears all negative effects from himself and heals for 5% per effect removed. This means Riot can passively cleanse debuffs from each ally and himself whenever any of them first fall below half health, while also recovering a significant amount of health.
Riot is an unusually fast Protector, capable of prolonging and spreading negative effects from primary to secondary targets, while also dealing impressive damage and applying Trauma to enemies. With his Special, he can actively reduce the duration of negative effects on himself and his Symbiote Six allies, and in Arena, if he is with at least two Symbiote Six members, he extends this effect to the whole team. He can also apply Defense Up to the Symbiote Six, further boosting their survivability.
In addition to his defensive skills, Riot can heal himself, regain Taunt, and lower the offensive potential of enemies by applying Offense Down. This combination of protection, sustain, debuff control, and team support makes Riot an essential pillar of the Symbiote Six, ensuring the team remains resilient in the face of heavy opposition.
With his Basic, Riot attacks the primary target for 300% damage and applies Offense Down, then chains to one additional target for another 300% damage and applies Offense Down to them as well. If Riot is forced to attack a Symbiote Six ally, he deals reduced damage and does not reduce that ally’s Max Health. The chain attack can be interrupted by a counterattack, and this attack cannot be blocked.
On Iso-8/Counter Attack/Assist, Riot attacks the primary target for 225% damage plus 17% Piercing and applies Offense Down. The same rule applies—if forced to attack a Symbiote Six ally, he deals less damage and does not reduce Max Health.
Riot’s Special costs 4 Ability Energy and can be used on his first turn. With this ability, he attacks the primary and adjacent targets for 400% damage. He then reduces the duration of all negative effects on himself and all Symbiote Six allies by 2 and applies Defense Up for 2 turns to the team. In Arena, if he has at least two Symbiote Six allies, he extends the negative effect reduction to all allies, not just Symbiote Six. Afterward, Riot heals himself for 15% of his Max Health and gains Taunt. This attack cannot be blocked.
After using Ultimate Riot attacks the primary target for 375% damage and prolongs the duration of all negative effects—except Ability Block, Stun, and Trauma—by 1 turn. It then rebound chains to four additional targets, each for 375% damage. All negative effects from the primary target are spread to the secondary targets, except for Stun, which cannot be spread.
If Riot has at least two Symbiote Six allies, he also applies Trauma for 2 turns to both the primary and all secondary targets. The chain can be broken by a counterattack. This attack is unavoidable and cannot be blocked. Riot’s Ultimate costs 7 Ability Energy and, like his Special, can be used on his first turn.
Passive grants Riot powerful protective abilities right from the start of battle. On spawn, he gains Taunt for 3 turns, Barrier himself and all Symbiote Six allies for 30% of his Max Health, and applies Immunity to the team.
The first time he or a Symbiote Six ally drops below 50% health, Riot reduces the duration of Trauma by 2 on both himself and that ally. If Riot does not have Trauma, he transfers all other negative effects from the affected ally to himself, then clears all negative effects from himself and heals for 5% of his Max Health for each effect removed. He also Barrier that ally for 30% of his Max Health and grants them Safeguard for 2 turns, Immunity for 2 turns, and 2 Deathproof.
Additionally, as long as Riot has Taunt, he cannot be stunned, making him a steadfast protector for his team.
Combat Tips & Tricks
Symbiote Six is a team specialized for Arena, but as is often the case with such Arena specialized squads, their strength carries over into all other PvP and PvE game modes. This means they will have a significant impact on the game as a whole, not just the mode for which they were designed. Symbiote Six are exceptionally strong, fast, and durable, combining top-tier damage output with excellent mitigation and control. This makes them well-equipped to handle many elite teams across various game modes.
In the context of Arena, the full team of five works together to efficiently defeat most opposing squads. However, to achieve absolute dominance in Arena, pairing Symbiote Six with some of the game’s top plug-and-play characters—such as Annihilus, Maestro, Professor Xavier, or Blue Marvel—will be key. One aspect that sets Arena teams apart from others is that, to unlock the full potential of their abilities, characters only require two team allies, unlike Crucible or War teams, which always need three. This flexibility allows for greater strategic variety and customization.
Another unique feature of the Symbiote Six is their built-in safeguard against mind control mechanics, particularly those of Professor Xavier. Whenever a Symbiote Six member is forced to attack one of their own allies, the damage dealt is significantly reduced and does not permanently lower the ally’s Max Health. This means the affected ally can fully heal afterwards, and their maximum HP remains intact. This clever mechanic ensures that mind control strategies are much less effective against them, reinforcing their position as a top-tier Arena team.
What truly sets the Symbiote Six apart in Arena is the Battlefield Effect applied by Quicksilver (Symbiote) at the very start of the battle when he uses his Ultimate. This unique effect allows the team to fill their Speed Bar even if opponents prevent it, and it even doubles the amount of Speed Bar they gain. For example, Quicksilver (Symbiote) normally fills the Speed Bar of himself and all Symbiote Six allies by 7% on every ally turn, but with the Battlefield Effect active, this increases to 14%. When Venom uses his Basic or Iso-8 attack, he gains 20% Speed Bar—doubled to 40% with the Battlefield Effect. Toxin fills his Speed Bar by 10% upon a kill, which becomes 20% if the effect is active. In addition, the Battlefield Effect grants the team +100% Drain, letting them heal back a substantial amount based on the damage they inflict.
Quicksilver (Symbiote) almost always plays first, using his Ultimate to apply this Battlefield Effect to his side. His Ultimate also clears Revive Once and Charged from all enemies, steals 5% Health from all enemies and redistributes it among his team, reduces the duration of all positive effects on enemies by 2, applies Slow and Silence to all enemies, and grants Immunity to his team. This is a powerful opener that can often decide the flow of battle—unless opponents are able to prevent Quicksilver (Symbiote) from taking his first turn.
Here’s where a critical detail comes in: the Symbiote Six team is immune to Speed stat reduction (so counters like Emma Frost don’t work against them) and can prevent enemies from boosting their own Speed stat (meaning teams like Fantastic Four (MCU) can’t passively increase their own and the Speed of their allies at the start of battle). However, the Symbiote Six can still be affected by Speed Bar manipulation—enemies can reduce the Symbiote Six’s Speed Bar or boost their own Speed Bar. While Quicksilver (Symbiote) is fast (Speed 132), some characters are even faster—like Storm (Mighty) with Speed 133, who can play before him, use her Ultimate to reduce the Immunity duration on Symbiote Six (which they have on spawn), and apply Slow to the whole team. Her Ultimate cannot be dodged, so Quicksilver (Symbiote)’s initial 2 Evade won’t help. This slows down the entire team and opens the door for other fast opponents to play before Quicksilver (Symbiote), potentially controlling him before he can unleash his Ultimate. Even Franklin Richards, with Speed 131 (just one less than Quicksilver (Symbiote)), could play before if Quicksilver (Symbiote) is Slowed, apply his own Battlefield Effect that Quicksilver (Symbiote) cannot replace until its duration ends, and lock the Symbiote Six team out of their key advantages.
Because of this, for peak performance in Arena, it’s best to run three or four Symbiote Six members alongside one or two powerful plug-and-play characters who can prevent enemy Speed Bar manipulation, block Speed Up buffs, block Slow on our team, or bypass enemy protectors with Taunt. Professor Xavier, for example, is an ideal choice for this kind of support. Annihilus is always great to have, and he will provide a huge and crucial impact.
In summary, while Symbiote Six brings a host of powerful advantages to Arena and can dominate many matchups, pairing them with Professor Xavier and/or other META characters is the recipe for top-level performance. Their synergy, speed, and sustain make them a force to be reckoned with, but smart team-building and strategic choices will unlock their full potential against the toughest opponents.
If you have any questions about Symbiote Six team or need any help with MSF feel free to reach out to us via our Discord:
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