Piecing Together Marvel Puzzle Quest: Cloak & Dagger

Tyrone Johnson and Tandy Bowen prove that heroes come in all shapes and sizes. The dynamic duo, known in super hero circles as Cloak and Dagger, bring both crippling darkness and purifying light to the villains of New York City’s seedy streets.

We talked with D3 Go! Producer Josh Austin about Cloak and Dagger’s abilities and the new mechanics they bring to “Marvel Puzzle Quest.”

Marvel.com: Cloak and Dagger are a really interesting choice for our next playable characters. And when I say characters, they actually fight as one, like Rocket and Groot right?

Josh Austin: Correct, Cloak and Dagger do fight as one in “Marvel Puzzle Quest” like Rocket and Groot but for this duo the player can flip between the two in battle!

Marvel.com: They actually switch positions during fights? What exactly do you mean by that?

Josh Austin: Cloak and Dagger actually swap places when using one of their abilities. The other two powers that don’t involve switching characters change depending on who is in the foreground, making the background character’s power a Passive. Cloak has a new power that reduces the power levels of one target opponent! Cloak and Dagger are also the first character that the player can swap between powers to see the unlisted powers in the roster. More characters will get this new roster treatment, but for now, Cloak and Dagger are the first character you don’t have to go into game to see the alternate power!

Marvel.com: Ok these two are introducing some cool new mechanics here. Let’s talk about their kit. Can you break it down for us?

Josh Austin: The first ability when Dagger is in front is called Light-Knives and it costs eight Yellow AP. Dagger fires several light-knives from her fingertips, cleansing the enemy of evil and darkness. She deals damage to the target and removes enemy Strike, Protect, or Attack tiles. If no such tiles exist, the damage is dealt to the enemy team instead.

When Dagger is in front, the second power is called Child of Darkness and it’s a Black Passive that doesn’t cost any AP. For this power, Cloak emanates darkness from within his pocket dimension, instilling the field with a cold sense of dread. At the start of the turn, if there are Black tiles on the board, this ability creates a Red Attack tile. If not, this power will convert basic tiles to Black.

The last ability with Dagger in front is called Pocket Dimension and it costs six Purple AP. Cloak and Dagger retreat into Cloak’s pocket dimension to launch a sneak attack. Deals damage and replaces Cloak and Dagger’s powers with new powers. If there are Black tiles on the board, this power costs three AP less, to a minimum of three.

The first ability with Cloak in front is called Child of Light and it’s a Yellow PASSIVE for zero AP. For this ability, Dagger emanates an aura of Living Light, cleansing the battlefield and fending off Cloak’s hunger. At the start of the turn, if there are Yellow tiles on the board, restore health to Cloak and Dagger, otherwise converts basic tiles to Yellow.

The second ability with Cloak in front is called The Darkness Hungers and it costs eight Black AP. Cloak creates a Black Countdown tile that targets the front enemy. While this tile is on the board, that enemy loses all levels in all powers, to a minimum of one.

The third ability with Cloak in front is called Pocket Dimension and it costs six Purple AP. For Cloak’s version, Cloak and Dagger retreat into Cloak’s pocket dimension to launch a sneak attack. Deals damage and replaces Cloak and Dagger’s powers with new powers. If there are Black tiles on the board, this power costs three AP less, to a minimum of three.

Marvel.com: Man these two sound like two of the most complex characters yet! But there’s tons of potential here for really cool interactions. What are the best times to have Cloak in front? And Dagger?

Josh Austin: Both stances benefit each other with AP generation. Having Dagger in front is better for removing enemy special tiles, but having Cloak in front not only gives access to his level lowering power, but the ability to heal Cloak and Dagger making the second stance great for players that need to heal during the fight.

Marvel.com: And it seems like Pocket Dimension was designed specifically to ensure the two can switch out fairly easily when needed. That feels like it’s going to be central to their play style.

Josh Austin: Definitely, the player can utilize both to build up the right AP for the board before swapping, or to change the tide of the battle in the player’s favor.

Marvel.com: While we know Cloak and Dagger don’t need anyone else to get by, who might be able to help them out best in a scrap?

Josh Austin: The best characters to team Cloak and Dagger up with would be anyone that benefits from friendly power activation. One of the best combinations [has] been Carnage (Cletus Kasady) and Medusa (Inhuman Queen). This offers a very high rate of special tile placement from Carnage maxed with Medusa’s healing when matching special tiles. Anytime too many enemy special tiles are placed from Carnage, Cloak and Dagger’s Light-Knives can remove most, if not all with ease.

Marvel.com: When can we play them for ourselves?

Josh Austin: Cloak and Dagger will be available on Thursday, April 6. They will debut in the Hearts of Darkness event running from April 6-10. The dynamic duo will also be available in their Vault for The Hunt that is running from April 9-14.  Cloak and Dagger’s Versus Tournament is called Double Jeopardy and runs from April 13–16.

Pick up Cloak and Dagger when they drop April 6 here and stay tuned to Marvel.com for more “Marvel Puzzle Quest” news and interviews.