Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls presents a unique 4v4 fighting experience where character selection order dictates specific roles: Leader, Shooter, Vertical, and Assault. Evaluating the roster requires considering how each fighter performs within these designated roles, as versatility and specialized strengths significantly impact their effectiveness. Some characters may excel in a particular slot while being less suitable for others, influencing their overall standing.
The game features an "ease of use" star rank for characters, but a more nuanced evaluation reveals that not all characters are created equal. A character placed in a C-tier may not be objectively weak but could suffer from a lack of versatility, excelling only in a specific role. Conversely, higher-tier characters might offer broad utility but lack the specialized niche of a lower-tier counterpart.
The tier list, subject to updates based on balance patches, trending picks, and DLC, currently places The Champion in a separate tier due to his unique mechanics. The main roster is categorized as follows:
Champion-Tier: None
S-Tier: Magik, Blade, Magneto, Hulk, Spider-Man
A-Tier: Storm, Loki, Carnage, Iron Man, Star-Lord, Doctor Doom, Ms. Marvel
B-Tier: Ghost Rider, Deadpool, Green Goblin, Captain America, Black Panther, Wolverine
C-Tier: Peni Parker, Danger
Character Roles and Top Performers
Best Leaders
Hulk stands out as a top Leader due to his defensive capabilities and offensive pressure. By activating his Gamma radiation unique while an opponent is down, he can significantly boost his attacks and speed, forcing opponents onto the defensive and punishing aggression with powerful counters. Other strong Leader choices include Magik, Blade, Black Panther, and Spider-Man, each offering unique gimmicks. Magik's portals and Blade's kunai, especially when combined with projectile assists, provide unpredictable offensive options. Ms. Marvel is noted for her agility and straightforward moveset, though she is considered more basic compared to higher-tier fighters. Highly technical characters like Green Goblin and Storm may perform less effectively until players master their complex mechanics, such as Green Goblin's varied grenade effects and glider-based moveset.
Characters in lower tiers often have specific drawbacks. Captain America's shield throw is slow and ineffective, and his counter requires precise timing. Iron Man is effective at range but vulnerable up close. Peni Parker's randomized projectiles and large mech body pose consistency issues. Ghost Rider can be neutralized by overfilling his heat gauge, and Deadpool's healing rate is insufficient for his playstyle.
Best Shooters
Speed and range are paramount for effective Shooters. Characters in the higher tiers possess quicker and more potent projectiles. Iron Man boasts the game's best projectile, while Magneto and Doctor Doom offer swift and impactful options. Magik's fireball is fast but smaller than Magneto's, impacting its effectiveness. Multi-hit projectiles, like those from Green Goblin and Peni Parker, can suffer from reduced hit consistency. Blade's rapid-fire bullets place him in B-tier. Black Panther's spear throw is too slow and easily dodged. Ghost Rider's ranged assist is an anomaly, launching opponents into the air for unique combo opportunities.
S-Tier Shooters include Iron Man, Magneto, and Doctor Doom. A-Tier consists of Magik, Loki, and Ghost Rider. Blade, Captain America, Storm, Danger, Deadpool, Ms. Marvel, Star-Lord, Spider-Man, Carnage, and Green Goblin are in B-tier, with Black Panther, Peni Parker, Hulk, and Wolverine in C-tier. Captain America and Deadpool are D-tier Shooters.
Best Verticals
Vertical assists often share similar mechanics in launching opponents and dealing damage, with rankings influenced by execution speed and range. Blade and Hulk possess large hitboxes on their anti-air assists, making them highly effective. A-tier characters execute their moves quickly, while B-tier options are generally reliable. Green Goblin's small anti-air projectiles are easily dodged, and Danger requires close proximity for her assist to connect, placing them lower in the rankings. Danger is at the bottom of the Vertical tier list.
S-Tier Verticals are Blade and Hulk. A-Tier includes Deadpool, Ghost Rider, Magik, Storm, and Ms. Marvel. B-Tier comprises Iron Man, Loki, Wolverine, Captain America, Star-Lord, Spider-Man, Peni Parker, Magneto, Doctor Doom, Carnage, and Black Panther. Green Goblin is C-tier, and Danger is D-tier.
Best Assaults
Magik's Assault assist, which creates three hard-to-avoid fiery pillars by slamming her sword into the ground, is considered the best in this category. While dealing slightly less damage than others, its ease of connection and combo setup potential make it highly valuable. Other strong Assault characters include Blade, Spider-Man, and Loki, offering cross-up capabilities, opponent repositioning, and damaging combos. Peni Parker has high damage potential but suffers from randomness in her gadget selection, which can lead to missed hits. Danger's drill assist has damage falloff, diminishing its effectiveness in this role. Ms. Marvel's spinning attack and Doctor Doom's orbital laser are considered too slow, although Doctor Doom's assist can be effective with proper setup.
S-Tier Assaults feature Magik, Magneto, Hulk, Storm, Spider-Man, and Carnage. A-Tier includes Green Goblin, Iron Man, Blade, Loki, and Star-Lord. Captain America and Deadpool are in B-tier. Black Panther, Ghost Rider, Wolverine, and Peni Parker are C-tier. Doctor Doom, Danger, and Ms. Marvel are D-tier.
The Champion: A Unique Case
The Champion operates outside the standard roster due to his distinct solo-focused mechanics and assist functionality. He excels as a standalone fighter, with his Crowd Pleaser bar filling through combat or assist button usage. Upon filling, he can unleash a Supernova Slam, transforming into Supernova form and summoning clones. The Champion boasts high-damaging supers, long-range normals, and an effective command grab, making him powerful even when used in assist slots. His place in competitive tournaments remains uncertain, but for now, he remains in a class of his own.