Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Using X-Factor

Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Using X-Factor

New to the Versus series is the ability to trigger X-Factor once per any match. This ability, triggered by hitting all the attack buttons at once, augments your character's attack and speed from 130% to 230% depending on the character! This ability can only be triggered while your character is standing on the ground. It is denoted by a glowing red aura that emanates from your active character. It will also boos t the recovery speed of your allies and increase their attack and speed as well, were you to switch to them. It will also prevent your characters from incurring chip damage, a great defensive boon. This is also used to balance the playing field when a person is down to their last character and their opponent still has at least one ally remaining.

Like anything powerful, X-Factor has its limitations. It cannot be activated while in the air, immediately after being hit or while performing a Lvl. 3 Hyper Combo. However, it can be used to cancel a number of other attacks that your character can perform. These are: basic, special, command moves, Hyper Combos  with the noted exception) and while guarding.

The duration of X-Factor and its boost depend on the number of characters that your team has remaining. This will also increase the boost that that character will receive from X-Factor. The rule of thumb here is “the higher the risk, the more rewarding”. With a full team, X-Factor will last 10 seconds, at two it will last 15 seconds and when you are at your last character, it will last 20 seconds. The remaining duration of X-Factor is shown on the active character's health bar. It is shown as a diminishing red bar around the character's health.

Using X-Factor
Much like other advanced techniques in a fighting, there are a number of ways to properly use X-Factor. The most common use one will find in online matches will be to interrupt and extend combos as well as overcoming stun locks.

The second use one would see X-Factor used in is defensive. As mentioned earlier, this eliminates chip damage. Activating it and guarding against a Multi-hit hyper combo will ensure your character's survival, even against someone like Galactus.

The third mode is to be used for healing. X-Factor will replenish a character's chip damage much more quickly than usual. Remember that fighting games are very fast paced and 10 to 20 seconds is a long time in them. Still, if you have a solid, healthy character and one or two who are severely injured, this is a great use of X-Factor.

Proper use of X-Factor, like blocking, can change the tides of any match. Remember that there are no guidelines for the uses of it. Looking at something like this is to be done on a case-by-case basis. Think about your style of play and figure out the basic conditions that you'd trigger it under (not to mention practicing how to trigger it to begin with!). Test it a bit under the dummy in training mode then hop online and give your thoughts a real run for their money.