Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme
Doctor Steven Strange is no ‘stranger’ to the unknown (pun intended). A master of the mystic arts, Dr Strange and his disciples are Earth’s primary bastion against dark forces that seek to invade the world from other dimensions and universes.
In Marvel’s Midnight Suns, that’s certainly the case with the demonic Lilin, led by the cunning Lilith who in turn serves a more menacing fallen God, Chthon. With every passing second, Lilith continues to find chinks in Earth’s arcane defences, exploiting her alliance with Hydra to achieve her goals.
There is no rest for Dr Strange here, and his immense magic knowledge and abilities make him an indispensable member of the Midnight Suns. As a magic wielder, Dr Strange is quite frail and defenceless up close. On the other hand, he provides crucial support and destructive capabilities when given time and space.
With that in tow, here’s how to play Dr Strange effectively in the game.
Dr Strange’s Cards and Abilities
Knowing his bio, Dr Strange is an obvious support character that can dish out tons of damage and provide important buffs to allies. Depending on your chosen deck, Dr Strange can be a vital source for generating Heroism too. Here is how his abilities and cards fare in-game.
Passive Abilities
Dr Strange’s passive abilities are:
- Greater Good (Rarity: Common)
- 50% chance of generating 1 Heroism after every turn
- Unlocked at Level 2 Friendship
- Greater Good II (Rarity: Rare)
- 50% chance of generating 2 Heroism after every turn
- Unlocked at Level 4 Friendship
As you can see, Dr Strange allows free Heroism to be gained after you’ve finished your turn, making room for powerful Heroic attacks or spells to be used on the next one.
Attack Cards
When it comes to his Attack Cards, he has two at his disposal:
- Winds of Watoomb (Rarity: Common)
- Generates 1 Heroism
- Effects:
- Knockback
- Quick
- Bolt of Balthakk (Rarity: Rare)
- Generates 1 Heroism
- Effect:
- Enhanced damage when used at 4 Heroism (+75% Offence Damage)
Ideally, Dr Strange’s basic attacks aren’t the best when compared to others like Hulk and Wolverine. That being said, they serve their purpose in thinning out Minions while generating Heroism for the next turn.
Skill Cards
As a mighty support character, Dr Strange’s Skill Cards are what makes him shine most, as seen here:
- Agamotto’s Gaze (Rarity: Common)
- Generates 2 Heroism
- Draws the last 2 Attack Cards played to be used again (does not refund Card Plays)
- Starts the next turn with 4 Card Plays (instead of 3)
- Blessings of the Vishanti (Rarity: Common)
- Generates 2 Heroism
- +50% Offence Damage for all cards in the hand until they are played or discarded
- Astral Meditation (Rarity: Rare)
- Generates 2 Heroism
- Restores 1 Combat Item used during the mission
- +2 Redraws
- Effect:
- Exhaust
- Vapours of Valtorr (Rarity: Epic)
- Generates 2 Heroism
- Applies Concealed to Dr Strange or an ally
Dr Strange is capable of assisting the whole team with different advantages that can turn the tide of a battle. Additionally, each of them generates 2 Heroism which adds up quickly during subsequent turns.
Heroic Cards
Dr Strange’s Heroic Cards are his most powerful spells that are viable for either crowd control or single-target attacks, depending on which ones you pick:
- Axe of Angarruumus (Rarity: Common)
- Consumes 2 Heroism
- Applies 2 Weak
- Effect:
- Enhanced damage when used at 4 Heroism (+150% Offence Damage)
- Crimson Bands of Cyttorak (Rarity: Rare)
- Uses 2 Heroism
- Applies Bind to a single target
- Shield of the Seraphim (Rarity: Epic)
- Consumes 3 Heroism
- Applies 1 Resist to Dr Strange and his allies
- Effect:
- Enhanced Resist when used at 6 Heroism (+1 additional Resist)
- Seven Suns of Cinnibus (Rarity: Legendary)
- Consumes 3 Heroism
- Damages every enemy affected by your chosen target area
- Effect:
- Enhanced damage when used at 5, 7, or 9 Heroism respectively (cumulative +100% Offence Damage at each stage)
Each Heroic Card suits different circumstances and builds. In fact, they can synergise with other heroes like Captain America or Iron Man too. Whether you’re surrounded by goons or up against a fearsome Boss, Dr Strange is equipped with the right Heroic Cards for the job.
How to Play Dr Strange
For engagements, Dr Strange is a flexible combatant. His cards cover all battle aspects to a certain degree but don’t truly specialise in any. This makes him a compatible support hero for anyone on the Midnight Suns’ roster.
However, Dr Strange’s flexibility doesn’t fit with the traditional Tank-Damage-Healer relationship that many casual players are accustomed to. Apart from that, he is primarily a ranged caster and does not have great survivability when being ganged up by melee enemies.
As such, Dr Strange will require protection and distractions from other heroes in order to be played to his full potential. Thus, here’s a general summary of his strengths and weaknesses:
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| + Helps generate Heroism consistently + Offers various battle utility + Supplements focused attacks on single enemies by way of buffs/ debuffs | – Limited defensive capabilities – Tricky for beginners to maximise his use |
In terms of hero team-ups, Dr Strange’s deck can be built to prioritise different team setups:
- Buffing allies or debuffing enemies for damage-dealing heroes to take advantage of
- Card examples:
- Blessings of the Vishanti, Axe of Angarruumus, Crimson Bands of Cyttorak
- Hero examples:
- Blade, Captain Marvel, Iron Man
- Card examples:
- Supporting heroes that can aggro multiple enemies
- Card examples:
- Vapours of Valtorr, Shield of the Seraphim, Seven Suns of Cinnibus
- Hero examples:
- Wolverine, Hulk, Captain America
- Card examples:
- Creating openings for heroes to utilise Heroic Cards more often
- Card examples
- Winds of Watoomb, Agamotto’s Gaze, Astral Meditation
- Hero examples
- Spider-Man, Nico Minoru, Scarlet Witch
- Card examples
By tweaking Dr Strange’s deck appropriately, you will find it easier to win battles effectively in the game, moving forward.
Nurturing the Magic
Dr Strange is undoubtedly one of the most incredible magic users in the game, letting you go toe-to-toe with Lilith’s nightmarish followers. However, it can be quite the task for you to fully unlock his impressive prowess if you don’t spend the time to improve your Friendship level with the former neurosurgeon.
Engage with Dr Strange in the activities that he is interested in, done by way of Hangouts and Havens. The activities that he enjoys most are:
- Deep Conversation (Hangout)
- Meditation (Hangout and Haven)
- Reading by the Fire (Hangout)
- Exploring the Grounds (Hangout)
- Mushroom Picking (Haven)
Dr Strange also likes to do other activities such as Birdwatching and Painting, but these aren’t as adored as those that were mentioned earlier. To keep things simpler, avoid doing these activities with Dr Strange:
- Playing Video Games (Hangout)
- Pool Lounging (Hangout)
- Working Out (Hangout)
When you’ve managed to get Dr Strange’s Friendship to level 5, his Challenge Mission will finally be unlocked. The Challenge Mission is the only way for you to acquire Dr Strange’s Legendary Heroic Card, Seven Suns of Cinnibus – assuming you would want it for your preferred Dr Strange card deck, of course.
Regardless of how you line up Dr Strange’s cards, though, he definitely deserves to be recognised as one of the most integral members of the Midnight Suns in the game.
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