Talk:Luke Cage (Hero for Hire)/@comment-184.155.0.126-20170912065930

I'm fairly disappointed in how people think Luke Cage is a damage dealer. And no. He's not. There are far better options for dealing damage than Luke Cage (Deadpool, Psylocke, Blade, Gamora, Scarlet Witch, Black Panther, just to name a few), People see his high AP moves and immediately their brain shuts off to go 'hurr numbers', discounting that Witch, who self generates Purple AP for 6300+ damage and a 5 turn stun, or Deadpool who has the same cost, but blows a full 12000 damage with a Point based method of instant KO (who Witch can help in executing to basically cheese a fight). It's worth noting that Witch is also opposite to Luke's colors, so... possible two man team for those Events PvPs

No. Cage came with a very distinct passive, and that's Unbreakable, Protect tiles don't just keep Luke safe, they keep your entire TEAM safe, which is perfect for those members on your roster who tend to be much squishier and attrition your opponent to death. Note, this makes most 166 hero matches do a minimum 1 by default, so only power firing (or strike builders) will be able to puncture this Harlem Hero for Hire (Keep your opponents in mind when you decide to let Luke take the streets), Mix him in with the 3* Strange, who damages and teamheals in retaliation for this very act and you're messing with disturbing forces beyond our control. The purple and blue actives help round out the colors too.

While the ultimate build is in your hands, and relies on who or what you specifically plan to use Cage with, the most reliable all rounder in PvE/PvP is 3/5/5. And here's why.

1. Righteous Uppercut requires 5 normal matches wiith Jab, Jab, Cross' combo only needing 4

2. There are far more black tile generating moves in the 3* tier than yellow (Doom and Iron Fist to name two)

3. JJC compounds. Collecting 18, 24, or 30 black AP before beginning your combo can spread 4k punches as needed through the enemy team in bigger bursts,

4. Righteous Uppercut is reliant on Cage's ally count. Reducing Unbreakable's power can bear the risk of still having Cage's allies fall and result in generally weaker uppercuts, while JJC maintains its power whether alone or with friends.

5. With the above, the stun has intense utility. The countdown tile lasts for 4 turns. Leaving a single opponent remaining and stunning continuously turn after turn in addition to the boosted damage can lead to a bunch of free turns, especially if you manage to match blacks within those turns.

Other people in this section have already been quoted as to how insurmountable Cage is to the wrong teams and any weekly or event boosts will turn his usual protect tiles into even beefier ones, to create insane lastability that could chew through PvE with low effort or be an intimdating PvP defender that makes half as good of a deterrent as any shield.

In short, think broader when determining who to pair Luke with. He's not a damage dealer, but he makes an effective coat for any of your own damage dealers who may not have the health to make it over unusually long games. If your opponent doesn't have any strike builders, Doctor Strange would be a searing roadblock as any fired powers will counter with damage and give a full team heal to use with the beefed up defense. Keep an eye out for enemies with abilities that hit for several doses of small damage like Sentry's World Rupture, Elektra's Crippling Blow, or anyone who relies on small attack tiles, as the Protect tile will muffle each individual hit. Most importantly, watch out for characters who steal special tiles as it will harm you in the long run. Like's high power moves can outdo most characters who try to form their own defense walls with good burst potential.

Luke isn't as super as the supers, but he knows how to take a hit. Use that to your advantage.