Awakening Gems are a scarce resource in Marvel Contest of Champions, so you want to spend them on champions whose signature ability is genuinely game-changing. An awakened top-tier champ can be 30-50% more effective — but some champs are great even unawakened. Here’s where to spend your gems in 2026.
Top S+ champions to awaken
The current S+ tier picks that carry the widest range of content — and reward awakening — include Doctor Doom (Mystic), Onslaught and Jean Grey (Mutant), Hercules (Cosmic), Shuri and Ghost (Tech), and Photon or Blue Marvel (Science). These are the champions worth prioritising.
Awaken only with high sig: Aegon
Aegon is a monster — but he depends heavily on a high signature level to ramp his combo counter. Only awaken him if you can pour sig stones in; otherwise the value is limited.
Fine unawakened: Nick Fury
An unawakened Nick Fury already gives strong immediate value, so don’t burn a gem on him if you’re short on sig stones — save it for a champ that needs it more.
How to spend your gems wisely
- Prioritise S+ champs whose signature ability defines their kit (Doom, Hercules, Ghost).
- Don’t awaken sig-hungry champs (Aegon) unless you have the stones to ramp them.
- Skip awakening champs that play fine unawakened — match gems to your roster and goals.