Like many Hero shooters,Marvel Rivalsrequires strategic planning and coordination. Like a complex game of rock, paper, and scissors,each Hero has strengths and weaknesses that can change the course of a match depending on who you choose to play as.
As befitting a competitive game, one Hero may have an advantage over another, and vice versa. Players may often encounter an opponent stronger than them, and might choose a different character with an inherent advantage over them.
Since Marvel Rivals allows you to swap heroes at any point in the game, it’s helpful to knowwhich certain character counters another so that you can take down any pesky enemies that may be giving you and your team a hard time.
The most general rule of thumb I’ve found is that characters who are on the opposite sides of the range spectrum often counter each other. Heroes whose Ultimates render another’s useless can also be considered a counter.
This list is based on research done online and a few hours of playing through matches and testing. As the game evolves and the roster of characters grows, so may this list.
As a Vanguard, your job is to block damage from your enemies for your teammates so they can do their jobs properly. You serve as a distraction and damage sponge, and it’s within your and your team’s best interest to stay alive.
Most Vanguard Heroes have minimal ranged capabilities, so generally, Heroes who out-range and outrun them tend to be counters.
Vanguard Counters
Duelist Counters
Strategist Counters
Explanation
Doctor Strange, Peni Parker
Black Widow, Hawkeye, Punisher, Hela
Jeff, Loki, Luna Snow
While the Hulk can be a formidable foe and has surprising mobility with his leap, he has to rely on his fists and his face to contribute to his team. During a fight, your best chance is to deal damage to him from as far away as you can. Ranged Heroes like the Punisher can quickly melt him down (if also paired with Rocket’s Ammo Invention Team-Up ability)
Captain America
America’s favorite Boy Scout is a brawler who can be easily taken out of range if you focus your efforts on him. He’s nothing without his shield, so any ability or attack that disables him will make short work of him. Doctor Strange’s Ultimate completely bypasses Cap’s shield, too.
Doctor Strange
Hulk, Venom, Groot
Black Panther, Magik, Star Lord
Luna Snow, Loki
Coming from a Doctor Strange player, he is one of the strongest characters in the game because of his burst damage and tanky shield. However, once you catch him on his own, he’s pretty defenseless. Tanky Vanguards like Venom can make his Dark Magic purge meaningless, or melee Heroes like Iron Fist can easily pummel him to pieces.
Peni Parker, Dr. Strange, Magneto, Venom
Hawkeye, Punisher, Winter Soldier, Hela, Star Lord, Storm
Adam Warlock, Loki, Luna Snow
Groot is surprisingly hard to take down but struggles with dealing meaningful damage. Tanks who can outpace his damage-dealing while matching his survivability can beat him.
Venom, Hulk, Groot, Captain America
Black Panther, Magik, Spider-Man, Scarlet Witch
Not a very attractive pick because he’s one of the easiest characters to counter. You can out-tank him or pick Duelists with high mobility like Spider-Man.
Peni Parker
Hulk, Venom, Groot, Doctor Strange
Punisher, Hela, Moon Knight, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch
Rocket Raccoon, Loki, Luna Snow
Peni thrives when she’s set up strong fortifications with her Spider Nest and mines. Ranged Heroes (e.g. Punisher) and Heroes with flight (Iron Man) can easily destroy Peni’s most powerful tool.
Peni Parker, Magnet, Doctor Strange
Hawkeye, Punisher, Winter Soldier, Hela, Star Lord, Spiderman
Jeff, Loki, Mantis
The God of Thunder can easily be pinned down, as his only form of defense is his bonus health. Any hero who has an immobilizing or ranged attack can easily take Thor down.
Hawkeye, Punisher, Winter Soldier, Hela, Star-Lord
Jeff, Loki, Mant
One of the best characters in the game and the best tank, so countering Venom is a little tough now. Any ranged pick would be solid, and since he has his tentacles, it can be easily avoided if you also have high mobility.
As damage dealers, duelists vary in what they can do, and so do their counters. Close-quarters Heroes with high mobility will most likely win against a ranged Hero, but a ranged Hero will win against a melee Hero with low mobility.
Black Panther
Groot, Venom, Hulk
Punisher, Winter Soldier
At the current state of the game, Black Panther isn’t really strong. Depending on who you play, you can engage him in melee and tank his damage withGrootorVenom, or shoot him down with a ranged Hero.
Black Widow
Hulk, Venom, Peni Parker
Spider-Man, Magik, Black Panther, Star-Lord, Iron Fist
Black Widow’s power is highly dependent on player skill, and as a sniper, she does best at a distance. Heroes, like Spider-Man, can quickly close that gap and deal with her up close and personal.
Magneto, Doctor Strange, Venom, Hulk
Spider-Man, Black Panther, Star-Lord, Magik
Loki, Luna Snow
Hawkeye can hold his own both at range and in melee, so you’ll need to make it tricky for him to pin you down. Loki can use his Illusions to distract him, or Vanguards with a high health pool like Venom can easily stop him.
When two ranged Duelists face each other, it all comes down to skill. Countering Hela just requires you to have better aim than her with snipers or a great healer like Jeff the Land Shark. Any close-range Hero who can dive and run her down can also make short work of the Goddess of Death.
Magneto, Venom, Peni Parker
Black Widow, Hawkeye, Punisher, Winter Soldier
Iron Fist has blown the community away with his insane damage output, but it’s still possible to counter him. Your best bet is to use champions with crowd-control abilities like Mantis, Hulk, or Peni so that you can pin him down.
Dr. Strange, Peni Parker, Captain America
Hawkeye, Punisher, Winter Soldier
Iron Man’s flight renders himalmostuntouchable for melee Heroes. Unless you have some insane plays, then your best shot is to pick a ranged Hero. Doctor Strange can easily block Iron Man’s Ultimate, and Punisher or Hawkeye can shoot him down.
Dr. Strange, Peni Parker
Hawkeye, Punisher, Winter Soldier, Black Widow
She’s a melee-focused Hero, so you’ll need to take her out from range. The Punisher or Squirrel Girl can easily get her in their sights and take her out from a safe distance.
Moon Knight
Captain America, Magneto, Dr. Strange
Black Widow, Hawkeye, Punisher, Winter Soldier, Spider-Man
Rocket Raccoon, Loki, Luna Snow, Jeff
So far, I haven’t seen many people play Moon Knight, but from what I’ve seen, he struggles with 1v1s against other ranged duelists, so Black Widow or Hela might be a good pick.
Dr. Strange
Punisher, Spider-Man, Star-Lord, Hela, Black Widow
Adam Warlock, Loki, Luna Snow, Rocket Raccoon
Namor is pretty strong when he relies on his octopus turrets. If you can take them out, then you’ll rob him of a good time.
Dr. Strange, Magneto, Peni Parker, Venom
Black Widow, Hawkeye, Spider-Man, Iron Fist
Psylocke works best when she gets the drop on you, so a good counter relies on a good ranged Duelist. Luna Snow’s Ultimate can out-heal Psylocke’s Ultimate, too.
The Punisher
Punisher, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Iron Fist, Spider-Man, Psylocke
You might notice that the Punisher appears a lot on this list, and that’s because he’s easily the best-ranged option in the game. You’ll need to be very tanky (Venom) or nimble (Iron Fist) to outlast him. You might just need another Punisher to take him out.
Scarlet Witch
Punisher, Hela, Moon Knight, Winter Soldier
Wanda is a little underwhelming because she lacks range and does chip damage as her primary attack. You’ll need a tank like Venom to withstand her attacks while also being able to outmaneuver her.
Spider-Man
Peni Parker, Groot, Dr. Strange
Scarlet Witch, Namor, Punisher, Star-Lord, Hawkeye
Spider-Man has a really high skill curve and ceiling. Your best bet is to pin him down with crowd control, so Venom, Peni, or Mantis could stun him. Tanks are also tough for any Spider-Man to chew on.
Squirrel Girl
Peni Parker, Groot, Dr. Strange, Captain America
Punisher, Hela, Black Widow, Hawkeye
Loki, Luna Snow, Jeff the Land Shark
Squirrel Girl has the meta in a vice grip at the beginning of the game’s release because of her ridiculously high damage output. However, while she excels in spamming the battlefield with explosive acorns, she struggles in melee range and when she’s outgunned. Once again,Punishermight be your best pick.
Dr. Strange, Magneto, Peni Parker
Hawkeye, Winter Soldier, Hela, Star-Lord, Spider-Man
Star-Lord is a great DPS character for beginners to start with, but he’s weak against tanks and healers who can outpace or negate his damage. Doctor Strange, Peni, Luna, and Jeff can easily reduce his combat effectiveness. In fact, Loki might be an excellent counter because he can steal Star-Lord’s Ultimate and take out several squishies.
People are saying Storm is slept on, but I think she’s underwhelming the way she is. You can counter her by staying out of her AOE and fighting her outside of her effective range. Hawkeye is a good pick.
Winter Soldier
Black Widow, Hawkeye, Punisher,
Adam Warlock, Jeff, Luna Snow
If you have a Winter Soldier on the enemy team, things are going to hurt a lot. You’ll need to fight him with better range (Punisher) or mitigate his damage with Adam Warlock.
Wolverine is, unfortunately, very weak in the current meta, as he relies on being up close and personal to do anything meaningful at all. Range is your best bet, so drop him before he even gets close.
Strategist
As healers and supports who do the very important (and often thankless) work of keeping the team alive, Strategists are often the main target during most team fights.
When playing a Strategist, your best chances of survival are staying with your team, as it’s incredibly hard to win in a 1v1 fight against a Vanguard or Duelist.
Adam Warlock
Dr. Strange, Magneto, Captain America
Black Panther, Magik, Punisher, Star-Lord,
Jeff, Loki
Fighting an enemy, Adam Warlock, means preventing him from getting any momentum at all by taking him out early. Squirrel Girl is a safe choice.
Cloak and Dagger
Venom, Hulk, Peni Parker, Captain America
Spider-Man, Iron Fist, Magik, Punisher
Similar to Adam Warlock, Cloak and Dagger need space to work. Get up close and personal with Iron Fist, Spider-Man, or Venom.
Jeff the Land Shark
Venom, Hulk, Peni Parker
Black Panther, Magik, Punisher, Spider-Man, Iron Man
Cloak and Dagger, Loki
Currently public enemy #1 for many players, Jeff is a massive threat not just for his efficient healing but also his annoying Ultimate. His damage output isn’t great, so a tank can outlast him while a melee character like Wolverine can make short work of him.
Venom, Peni Parker, Hulk, Doctor Strange
Black Panther, Magik, Namor, Spider-Man, Iron Fist
Because of the many tricks up his sleeve, a good Loki player is hard to kill. Heroes who get up close and personal with suppressive powers likeVenomorHulkcould give his puny god a run for his money.
Punisher, Star-Lord, Hela, Magik
Because of her potential to sustain the entire enemy team, you’ll need to take her out as quickly as you may with range or a Hero who can dive the backline safely and quickly. Punisher and Iron Fist come to mind.
Black Panther, Magik, Punisher, Spider-Man, Iron Fist
Mantis can be a pretty strong healer and damage dealer, but since her Life Orbs deal healing over time, all you need is a diving DPS or Tank to mitigate that.
Rocket Raccoon
Luna, Mantis
Because of his small size, Rocket is a slippery character to pin down. You’ll need melee characters with dashes to keep up with him, so a Psylocke or a Black Panther might give him a hard time.
