Polaris After the Nerf: 10 Team Comps That Still Slap (and How to Pilot Them)

Polaris has been the poster child for “too much of a good thing” in Marvel Puzzle Quest. For a long stretch her kit could flood the board with special tiles, chain into itself, and turn routine matches into avalanche wins. The recent nerf clipped those wings: fewer tiles from her passive, a cap on duplication triggers, and a blue that now helps the enemy as much as it helps you. She’s no longer the runaway tile machine… but she’s still a premier enabler when you build around her the right way.

This guide breaks down what changed, how to adjust your playstyle, and—most importantly—the 10 best teams I’ve tested post-nerf. You’ll find AP priorities, match plans, and quick PvP/PvE notes so you can jump right back into winning queues.

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What Actually Changed (Fast Recap)

Electromagnetic Resonance (Green, Passive): Now creates 2 friendly special tiles (used to be 3) when your team matches/destroys a special tile. Still deals a healthy chunk of damage.

Iron Proficiency (Blue, 7 AP): Still a 4-turn stun, but now spawns 4 friendly Strike and 4 enemy Strike tiles. You must manage or overwrite the enemy’s tiles.

Dipolar Balance (Purple, 5 AP): The Particle Accelerator side now triggers once per match/destroy, not endlessly. The Electromagnetic side seeds a small special tile at start of turn only if Blue/Purple/Green are empty of specials.

Bottom line: She’s slower and fairer. You can’t autopilot to infinite snowball, but you can still create steady, durable pressure with smart pairings and tighter AP management.

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How to Play Nerfed Polaris

1. Seed first, stack second. Prioritize establishing a small base of Strike/Attack/Protect tiles early. Then use allies who buff or convert those tiles.

2. Respect enemy Strikes. When you fire Blue, you’re creating their Strikes too. Bring someone who (a) overwrites enemy tiles, (b) steals them, or (c) punishes the opponent for having them.

3. Trigger economy > raw spam. Since duplication has a per-match cap, focus on consistent triggers (steady special creation, safe cascades) rather than chasing one explosive turn.

4. Color coverage matters more. AP efficiency is king now. Pick partners who don’t choke Polaris off Blue/Purple/Green and who can win on off-colors if your tiles get denied.

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The 10 Best Team Comps (Post-Nerf)

Each entry includes why it works, how to pilot, and mode notes.

1) Polaris / America Chavez / Beta Ray Bill

Why it works: Polaris seeds. Chavez jacks up match damage. BRB sustains, shields, and thrives with special tiles on the board.

Pilot: Open with Chavez AP to pressure matches; use BRB for survivability and tile buffs; Polaris maintains a drip of specials. Avoid early Blue if you can’t control enemy Strikes—let BRB cover you first.

Mode notes: PvP & PvE A-tier. Stable, forgiving, wins long fights.

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2) Polaris / Medusa / Carnage

Why it works: Carnage constantly spawns Attack tiles; Medusa heals/loops by matching specials; Polaris turns the faucet from a drip to a stream.

Pilot: Let Carnage do the heavy lifting on tile generation. Use Medusa to keep HP topped and to convert enemy tiles. Polaris passively multiplies value; fire Purple when you’re sure to trigger safely.

Mode notes: PvE S-tier, PvP A-tier (watch for enemy tile clearers).

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3) Polaris / Kitty Pryde / Rocket & Groot (5★)

Why it works: Kitty scales all friendly specials. Polaris provides the specials. R&G bring AP gen and AoE control.

Pilot: Prioritize Kitty buffs; keep a steady supply of specials with Polaris rather than chasing big bursts; spend R&G AP to maintain tempo and punish clusters.

Mode notes: PvE S-tier, PvP A-tier but requires attention to enemy tile wipes.

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4) Polaris / Okoye / Shuri

Why it works: Shuri makes powers cheaper; Okoye boosts team damage; Polaris ensures there’s always value on the board.

Pilot: Build Shuri first to discount; bank Okoye to escalate numbers; let Polaris handle tile economy. Only pop Blue when you’re positioned to overwrite/steal enemy Strikes.

Mode notes: PvP A-tier, rewards patient AP planning.

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5) Polaris / Wiccan / Cloak & Dagger

Why it works: Board control + passive creation = reliable triggers for Polaris’ kit. Wiccan/C&D manipulate colors/AP and keep the board cooperative.

Pilot: Use Wiccan to stabilize AP and suppress threats; C&D reshapes the board to feed Polaris’ triggers; hold Blue until you can net-positive special placement.

Mode notes: PvE A-tier, excels on boards with weird distribution.

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6) Polaris / Juggernaut (3★) / Carnage

Why it works: Budget bruiser trio. Juggs creates Protects, Carnage creates Attacks, Polaris multiplies the mess.

Pilot: Get Juggs online early for survival; Carnage supplies offense; Polaris keeps the flow going. Great for mid-tier rosters or progression nodes.

Mode notes: PvE A-tier, PvP B+, fantastic Iso efficiency.

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7) Polaris / Shang-Chi / Chavez

Why it works: Shang-Chi feasts on cascades and efficient AP bursts; Polaris gives you the special-tile density to find those windows; Chavez magnifies every match.

Pilot: Fish for safe cascade lines; time Shang-Chi shots when your Strike stack is decent; Chavez keeps match math in your favor.

Mode notes: PvP S-tier when piloted crisply; PvE A-tier.

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8) Polaris / Immortal Hulk / Beta Ray Bill

Why it works: BRB protects, IH punishes, Polaris maintains pressure. Great into teams that rely on AoE or chip—you’ll outlast and out-tick.

Pilot: Lead with BRB shields; let IH do attrition damage; use Polaris to keep Attack/Strike density respectable. Fire Blue sparingly—only when you can bury enemy Strikes under BRB’s protection or overwrite them soon after.

Mode notes: PvP A-tier into brawls; PvE A-tier for long nodes.

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9) Polaris / Bishop / Chavez

Why it works: Bishop profits when enemies gain AP from their Strikes or when they lean into tile shenanigans; Polaris ensures there are always Strikes to interact with; Chavez ensures every match counts.

Pilot: Don’t rush Blue—you don’t want to hand AP/Strikes to a team that can exploit them first. Instead, build Chavez and Bishop lines, then flip Blue when you have overwrite or burst ready.

Mode notes: PvP A-tier into tile creators; otherwise B+.

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10) Polaris / Thanos (5★) / Chavez

Why it works: Thanos wins waves with AoE punishments; Chavez accelerates match lethal; Polaris keeps hits relevant between powers.

Pilot: Classic PvE plan: snowball the first kill, let Thanos cascade the rest. Polaris stabilizes your specials so you aren’t naked after wave transitions.

Mode notes: PvE S-tier, PvP B+ (matchup dependent).

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Quick Picks by Mode

Fast PvP: Polaris / Shang-Chi / Chavez; Polaris / BRB / Chavez

Safe PvP Brawls: Polaris / Immortal Hulk / BRB; Polaris / Okoye / Shuri

Boss & Long PvE: Polaris / Kitty Pryde / R&G; Polaris / Medusa / Carnage; Polaris / Thanos / Chavez

Budget PvE: Polaris / Juggernaut (3★) / Carnage

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AP Priorities & Micro Tips

Don’t auto-cast Blue. If the enemy can leverage Strikes faster than you (or you lack overwrite tools), delay until BRB shields are up, Medusa is ready to convert, or you have a cascade lined up to immediately match out their strongest tiles.

Purple for punctual triggers. Post-nerf, Particle Accelerator only procs once per match/destroy—still good, just don’t spend AP chasing a fantasy chain. Use it when you have a board where one reliable extra tile pushes you across the finish line.

Value “off-color” winners. Your third teammate should often be someone who wins on Red/Yellow/Black so you maintain pressure while Blue/Purple/Green are being contested.

Think density, not flood. Your goal is 4–8 meaningful specials that survive a few turns—not the 15-tile oceans of old Polaris.

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Polaris After the Nerf: 10 Team Comps That Still Slap (and How to Pilot Them)

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