Marvel Rivals lets you play as thirty-three of Marvel’s most iconic heroes, villains, and anti-heroes. Like many other hero shooters, Marvel Rivals split every member of its roster into different gameplay-💙based roles, with the three☂ available in the game at release being Vanguard, Duelist, and Strategist.
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If you’ve played Team Fortress 2 or Overwatch, you probably already know that certain characters in Marvel Rivals are perfect foils to others. Skill ultimately decides whether you beat another player in a game like this, but some heroes have an in-built edge over others. Sometimes, this advantage comes down to one character’s playstyle exploiting weaknesses in another’s toolset, and other times, hero-specific abilities can utterly shred a designated rival if you use them right.
Marvel Rivals‘ meta is still in its larval stage, and there’s a good chance it will go through a few shake-ups as more newcomers join and experienced players discover new strategies. But for now, here are all the hero counters in Marvel Rivals.
All Vanguard counters in Marvel Rivals
Vanguards are for players who want to jump into the heat of battle. Armed with massive health pools and defensive buff𝔍s, Vanguards act as meat shields for their less-bulky allies, drawing in or blocking enemy attacks so their teammates can do their jobs.
Vanguard counters are usually heavy damage dealers or tricksters who can render their prey’s defenses useless. Here are all the best Vanguard Counters in Marvel Rivals.
| Hero | Vanguard Counters | Duelist Counters | Strategist Counters | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruce Banner/Hulk | Doctor Strange, Peni Parker | Black Widow, Hawkeye, Punisher, Hela | Jeff, Loki, Luna Snow | Hulk is Marvel Rivals‘ bulkiest Vanguard, and bringing him down boils down to surviving his insane damage output or staying out of his range. Long-range experts like Black Widow or tanky Vanguards like Doctor Strange are effective, but Hulk’s also incredibly vulnerable to Luna Snow and Mantis’ stunning abilities. |
| Captain America | Dr. Strange, Peni Parker | Black Widow, Hawkeye, Punisher, Hela | Jeff, Loki, Luna Snow | Captain America is hard to fight face-to-face, but he’s pretty limited in non-forward movement options. Use long-range Duelists like Black Widow to take him out before he gets too close or bulkier Vanguards like Doctor Strange can wear down his defenses. |
| Doctor Strange | Hulk, Venom, Groot | Black Panther, Magik, Star-Lord | Luna Snow, Loki | Doctor Strange is one of Marvel Rivals’ most well-rounded Vanguards, but he’s more of a team player than a one-on-one combatant. Vanguards who can tank his Black Magic splash, like Groot and Venom, are your best options, but speedy Duelists like Magik and Star-Lord are great picks, too. |
| Groot | Peni Parker, Dr. Strange, Magneto, Venom | Hawkeye, Punisher, Winter Soldier, Hela, Star-Lord, Storm | Hawkeye, Punisher, Winter Soldier, Hela, Star-Lord, Storm | Groot is a tough nut to crack, especially when he throws down a few walls. Vanguards like Magneto have the health and damage output to go toe-to-root with him, but Duelist mains are better off picking him off at long-range with heroes like The Punisher or Hawkeye. |
| Magneto | Venom, Hulk, Groot, Captain America | Black Panther, Magik, Spider-Man, Scarlet Witch | Adam Warlock, Loki, Luna Snow | Magneto’s built to take hits and hit back harder by re-directing the damage stored in his rings, and his Metallic Curtain can shut down long-range attacks entirely. The best way to deal with the Master of Magnet is to get up close with brawlers like Venom or Iron Fist and drain his mammoth health bar as fast as possible. |
| Peni Parker | Hulk, Venom, Groot, Doctor Strange | Punisher, Hela, Moon Knight, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch | Rocket Raccoon, Loki, Luna Snow | Peni Paker and her SP//dr mech are masters of crowd control, seeding the arena with Spider Mines and sniping incoming foes with her respectable mid-range options. Hard-hitting Duelists like Hela and Moon Knight can grind down her impressive health pool while steering clear of her traps. |
| Thor | Peni Parker, Magnet, Doctor Strange | Hawkeye, Punisher, Winter Soldier, Hela, Star-Lord, Spiderman | Hawkeye, Punisher, Winter Soldier, Hela, Star-Lord, Spiderman | Thor is dangerous at close range and can clear distances scarily fast, but his massive hit-box makes him an easy target for heroes who can out-maneuver him. Doctor Strange is a perfect counter to him since he has enough health to tank his damage and can retaliate reasonably well with his magical spread damage. |
| Venom | Peni Parker, Magnet, Doctor Strange | Hawkeye, Punisher, Winter Soldier, Hela, Star-Lord | I hate to admit it, but Venom, my favorite character, has some glaring weaknesses. The King in Black is fantastic at close-to-mid range, but long-range combat is not his strong suit. Black Widow is especially good at tagging him from far away, but Jeff’s also great at tripping him up when he dives in for a rampage. |
All Duelist counters in Marvel Rivals
Duelists are the most varied class in Marvel Rivals, but their function is to deal damage fast and rack up eliminations. Some Duelists bob and weave into the fray, carving chunks out of their foe’s health bars and ducking away before they can retaliate. Others are better at picking off their foes from vantage points, using the terrain to stay out of harm’s way.
Duelist counters also come in many shapes and sizes. Some have the health they need to survive an initial assault, but others have tools that can shut Duelists down before they can get a hit. Here are all the best Duelist counters in Marvel Rivals.
| Hero | Vanguard Counters | Duelist Counters | Strategist Counters | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Panther | Groot, Venom, Hulk | Punisher, Winter Soldier | Jeff, Loki, Mantis | Black Panther is a jack-of-all-trades, but he’s so all-rounded that anyone can handle him. Tank his damage with Groot or Venom, take him out at a distance with Punisher, or stun him with Mantis. It’s your choice. |
| Black Widow | Hulk, Venom, Peni Parker | Spider-Man, Magik, Black Panther, Star-Lord, Iron Fist | Adam Warlock, Loki, Luna Snow | Black Widow is fantastic at picking off foes from a distance, but she doesn’t have many ways to dispatch heroes who’ve closed the gap. Agile heroes like Spider-Man and Venom can stay out of her crosshairs long enough to get in close and take her out. |
| Hawkeye | Magneto, Doctor Strange, Venom, Hulk | Spider-Man, Black Panther, Star-Lord, Magik | Loki, Luna Snow | Hawkeye can deal massive damage, even by Duelist standards, so do everything humanely possible to stay out of his crosshairs. Most Vanguards have the health to survive a frontal assault, but I’d recommend picking hard-to-pin-down heroes like Star-Lord or Loki and attacking him from above or the side. |
| Hela | Magneto, Doctor Strange, Venom, Hulk | Spider-Man, Black Panther, Star-Lord, Magik | Adam Warlock, Loki, Luna Snow | Hela is a literal goddess in long-range combat, so it’s best to fight fire with fire and pick her off at a safe distance. If you aren’t down to play Hawkeye, be ready to tank her damage with a Vanguard like Captain America or weave around her with a speedy Strategist like Jeff. |
| Iron Fist | Magneto, Venom, Peni Parke | Black Widow, Hawkeye, Punisher, Winter Soldier | Adam Warlock, Loki, Luna Snow | As a dedicated Venom main, Iron Fist is the bane of my existence, but he’s not invincible. Fighting this martial arts master directly is a bad idea, so I’d stick with Strategists like Luna Snow or Loki, who can avoid his attacks through speed or deception and chip away at his health pool. If that doesn’t work, pop him at long range with The Punisher or Winter Soldier. |
| Iron Man | Dr. Strange, Peni Parker, Captain America | Hawkeye, Punisher, Winter Soldier | Adam Warlock, Loki, Luna Snow | Iron Man’s near-unlimited flight capabilities make it almost impossible to take him out with close-range heroes. Thankfully, long-range specialists like Black Widow or the nearly-as-mobile Star-Lord can quickly shoot him out of the sky. |
| Magik | Dr. Strange, Peni Parker | Hawkeye, Punisher, Winter Soldier, Black Widow | Adam Warlock, Loki, Luna Snow | Magik is a close-range queen, so fighting her face-to-face is a terrible idea. Stay at long or medium range and pick her off with The Punisher or Squirrel Girl, and be reading for when she starts teleporting to close the distance. |
| Moon Knight | Captain America, Magneto, Dr. Strange | Black Widow, Hawkeye, Punisher, Winter Soldier, Spider-Man | Rocket Raccoon, Loki, Luna Snow, Jeff | Moon Knight has more than earned his place at the peak of Marvel Rivals’ meta. The Champion of Khonsu can close distances fast and has tools to fend off every flavor of attack, so anything goes. Bulky Vangiards, long-range Duelists, and crowd-controlling Strategists are your best options here, so make your choice and pray. |
| Namor | Dr. Strange, Magneto | Punisher, Spider-Man, Star-Lord, Hela, Black Widow | Adam Warlock, Loki, Luna Snow, Rocket Raccoon | Namor is excellent at fending off attacks at close and long range, but the King of Atlantis struggles to fend off assaults from mid-range. Vanguards with projectile options like Doctor Strange and Magneto are great picks, while Strategists who can shut down his damage output can render him useless. |
| Psyclocke | Dr. Strange, Magneto, Peni Parker, Venom | Black Widow, Hawkeye, Spider-Man, Iron Fist | Rocket Raccoon, Loki, Luna Snow | Scarlet Witch can deal an unholy amount of damage to opponents at all ranges, but her damage tends to creep up, not shoot up. Unless she’s got her Ultimate ready (and trust me, you’ll know when that happens), take this witch out at long-range with Hawkeye or the Punisher. |
| Scarlet Witch | Groot, Venom, Hulk | Punisher, Hela, Moon Knight, Winter Soldier | Jeff, Loki, Mantis | Scarlet Witch can deal an unholy amount of damage to opponents at all ranges, but her damage tends to creep up, not shoot up. Unless she’s got her Ultimate ready (and you’ll know when that happens), take this witch out at long-range with Hawkeye or the Punisher. |
| Spider-Man | Peni Parker, Groot, Dr. Strange | Scarlet Witch, Namor, Punisher, Star-Lord, Hawkeye | Jeff, Loki, Mantis | Spider-Man is one of the fastest heroes in MArvel Rivals, but you can pick him off quickly if you pin him down. Hit-scanning long rangers like Punisher can tag this spider reasonably well, and Strategists with stun potential like Mantis can hold him in place long enough to land a killing blow if he zips too close. |
| Squirrel Girl | Peni Parker, Groot, Dr. Strange, Captain America | Punisher, Hela, Black Widow, Hawkeye | Loki, Luna Snow, Jeff | Squirrel Girl can cut health bars down in seconds with her insane acorn spread shots, but she’s not as mobile as her namesake. Zero in on her with Vanguards, who can tank her damage or hit her where she can’t hit back with a mobile Duelist. |
| Star-Lord | Dr. Strange, Magneto, Peni Parker | Hawkeye, Winter Soldier, Hela, Star-Lord, Spider-Man | Jeff, Loki, Luna Snow | Storm is a rare example of a support-based Duelist, but she needs to fly pretty close to the battlefield to land hits with her spread-happy lightning. Really, anyone can counter her if she gets in too close, so be ready to punish her as soon as she comes down to earth. |
| The Punisher | Dr. Strange, Magneto, Peni Parker, Venom | Punisher, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Iron Fist, Spider-Man, Psylocke | Jeff, Loki, Luna Snow | The Punisher is a peerless king in long-range combat, so it’s challenging to get close enough to deal a killing blow to this hardened veteran. Tanking his damage with Vanguards like Hulk is the best option, but you can also outflank him with fast Duelists like Iron Fist or Spider-Man. |
| Storm | Dr. Strange, Magneto, Peni Parker | Hawkeye, Winter Soldier, Hela, Star-Lord, Spider-Man | Adam Warlock, Loki, Luna Snow | Storm is a rare example of a support-based Duelist, but she needs to fly pretty close to the battlefield to land hits with her spread-happy lightning. Really, anyone can counter her if she gets in too close, so be ready to punish as soon as she comes down to earth. |
| Winter Soldier | Dr. Strange, Magneto, Peni Parker | Black Widow, Hawkeye, Punisher, | Adam Warlock, Jeff, Luna Snow | Winter Soldier is built to kill at close range, and his “GET OVER HERE” Arm Hook makes fighting him at mid-range dangerous. Stick with Vanguards who can survive blasts from his shotgun or long-range Duelists that can pop him at a safe distance. |
| Wolverine | Dr. Strange, Peni Parker | Hawkeye, Punisher, Winter Soldier, Black Widow | Adam Warlock, Loki, Luna Snow | Wolverine is the best at what he does: getting in close and tearing people to shreds with his claws. Even Vanguards can fall if Wolverine’s on them, so stay at mind-to-long range and pick him off with someone like Doctor Strange or Black Widow. |
All Strategist counters in Marvel Rivals
Strategists are Marvel Rivals’ resident healers and supporters, using their skills to keep their teammates alive. Unfortunately, they aren’t very durable, so they usually n🏅eed to hang in the back behind their teammates so they don’t get ganged up on by opponents who remember the golden rule: always attack the healer.
Strategist counters are go▨od at taking out their opposition before they can build up the momentum they need to unleash their best abilities.
| Hero | Vanguard Counters | Duelist Counters | Strategist Counters | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Warlock | Dr. Strange, Magneto, Captain America | Black Panther, Magik, Punisher, Star-Lord, | Jeff, Loki | Once he gets going, Adam Warlock becomes one of Marvel’s Rivals’ most effective Strategists. The keywords here are “once he gets going’; hit him fast with heavy-damage dealers like Venom and Iron Fist to shut him down before he renders his team functionally immortal. |
| Cloak & Dagger | Venom, Hulk, Peni Parker, Captain America | Spider-Man, Iron Fist, Magik, Punisher | Mantis, Luna Snow | With their signature swapping ability, Cloak and Dagger can instantly twist the tables on you, so you’ll want to hit them fast and hard. Use heavy hitters like Captain America or Iron Fist to get in close and wail on them before they can escape. |
| Jeff the Land Shark | Venom, Hulk, Peni Parker | Black Panther, Magik, Punisher, Spider-Man, Iron Man | Cloak and Dagger, Loki | Jeff the Land Shark is hard to take down, mainly because his teammates will probably do everything they can to protect him. Melee-focused duelists like Wolverine can make quick work of him, and Cloak and Dagger’s Dark Teleportation can render his Ultimate useless. |
| Loki | Venom, Peni Parker, Hulk, Doctor Strange | Black Panther, Magik, Namor, Spider-Man, Iron Fist | Mantis, Luna Snow | Loki is frustratingly good at keeping you on your toes with his duplicates and ability to turn incoming damage into healing with his Regeneration Domain. Use Strategists like Luna Snow and Mantis to shut him down before he can get his buffs going or heavy hitters like Venom to take him down. |
| Luna Snow | Venom, Hulk, Peni Parker | Punisher, Star-Lord, Hela, Magik | Jeff | Luna’s at her best skating around the edge of combat, healing her allies from a distance, and dancing around her opponents. Throw off her groove by getting in her face or snipping her with Peni Parker, Hela, or Magik. |
| Mantis | Venom, Hulk, Peni Parker | Black Panther, Magik, Punisher, Spider-Man, Iron Fist | Mantis, Luna Snow | Mantis’ abilities work best at close range, especially her Slumbering Spores, which can turn a rampaging front-line fighter into an easy target. Lock in with a mid-or-long-range Duelist like the Punisher or Spider-Man and take her down outside grabbing range. If Slumbering Spore’s on cooldown, Vanguards can zip in and squish her. |
| Rocket Raccoon | Venom, Hulk, Peni Parker | Black Panther, Magik, Punisher, Spider-Man, Iron Fist | Luna Snow, Mantis | Rocket Racoon is a sprightly Strategist, but he’s also one of the frailest in the game. Chase him down with damage-dealers like Hulk, the Punisher or Spider-Man and bag this varmint before he can cause too much trouble. |
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Published: Jan 8, 2025 12:33 pm