I am totally confused. Please explain suicide squad?

Javel1na

I read all this talk about suicide squads and I feel like this is some weird dream because I never have used one. What is a suicide squad and how exactly do you use it?
Are you talking about Arena and saying that used specials are carried over into the next match?
Are you saying that the same AI characters are using up specials in GW in one battle, just like my characters are used up, and this carries over and the AI adds a new character every time you kill one?
Please someone explain step by step what a suicide squad is and how exactly to use it? I can't remember seeing an explanation in a guide.

int3ns1fy

Suicide squads are for GW - you send in crap toons which will get wasted by your opponents, with the goal that the AI will blow cooldowns on them. You then need them all to die quickly so that cooldowns aren't up again when your main squad engages them. Thus allowing your main squad to deal with them more easily.

Javel1na

I am missing something? So this all happens in the same battle? Then you have say 2 or 3 A squad toons left and they have to deal with the A I! Are you saying in the next node/battle there is a benefit if you made it through the previous battle with at least one suicide squad member?
I definitely let characters die in one battle so my better characters can come back in the next battle, but I am not understanding how cooldowns transfer between battles for the AI. If I kill Sid in one battle, the AI still has him in the next at full power.

I am sorry I just have a blind spot in my brain here, could someone explain it step by step? i.e. on second battle in GW facing so and so I put in a b c and d as characters, etc

int3ns1fy

It has nothing to do with future battles, it's for the same battle. You send in the suicide squad first, AI blows your opponent's major cooldowns, then your sucide squad dies. Then you go back into the same battle with your best team, but now you have it easier as your enemy has used a lot of their best abilities. Note that your suicide squad has to all die (so there shouldn't be any good toons in there) - if you retreat it won't work.

Jedi2407

A suicide squad strategy only applies to a single battle, not across battles in GW. You use it when facing a tough opponent who has particularly nasty set of special abilities. A suicide squad consists of your characters that aren't really viable, but that won't die in one AoE hit. Going against a level 70 squad, that usually means a squad of 3-4 characters around level 40 (no need to fill up all 5 slots with suiciders). As you run that battle, the AI will use the special attacks, taunts, special abilities, etc. against your suicide squad. Your squad all dies, hopefully soon after the AI uses their specials. Now you re-enter the same battle with your "A team." Their special abilities are now all on cool down for several turns and your A Team wipes them up.

scuba

Here is a low level suicide squad in action. When the next team goes in all the specials just ran will be in cooldown. Suicide squads only work in GW.
Credit for video to @Ouchie
https://youtu.be/XAcZC4gGJKQ

Javel1na

First of all, I apologize to int3ns1fy for not understanding, I am sorry, It should have been so obvious. My only excuse for my mental lapse is that I couldn't imagine the AI not resetting! That is awesome. Thank all of you for explaining it carefully! Ok, so my redundant summary definition:

Suicide squad: in the SAME battle only. Used in GW only. A team of lesser "B" toons (such as level 40 or otherwise inferior characters) is sacrificed as a suicide squad by putting them in the battle. The enemy characters use up their cooldowns- killing every last one of the "B" team. Now when starting the same battle over, the AI's toons will still be on cooldown, giving your fresh "A" team the advantage. This is not a retreat done using the retreat button. The suicide squad must die.

Carbrenash

I use a "suicide squad" to knock out a key guy on the other team sometimes instead of just to burn their cool downs. Sometimes I accomplish both.

It's all about making sure main team comes out of each battle healed and cool off...if they can start a tough one 5 on 4, it makes a huge difference sometimes.