Marvel Rivals features three distinct class roles for its characters, one of which is the Vanguard. This archetype is regarded as one of the most formidable within the game. Vanguards are characterized by their superior health pools and self-sustaining abilities, enabling them to provide crucial support to their teammates while maintaining their own survival. However, it’s essential to recognize that not all Vanguard characters perform equally against various foes, making team composition and strategy vital.
Fortunately, in Marvel Rivals, the current game balance allows almost any Vanguard character to succeed under optimal conditions. This means with the right allies and effective teamwork, players can achieve victory regardless of their chosen Vanguard. Communication and synergy with fellow teammates can enhance the potential for any Vanguard to shine in the battlefield.
8 Captain America
Assemble The Stars And Stripes
| Vanguard | Difficulty | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captain America | ★★★ |
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Regrettably, Captain America stands out as the least effective Vanguard in the game, primarily due to his minimal damage capabilities. Despite being the leader of the Avengers, he relies heavily on mobility to locate health packs rather than deal significant damage. His shield slam ability allows for a knockback effect but fails to deliver impactful area-of-effect (AoE) damage.
Marvel Rivals provides a five-star difficulty rating for each character, relating to the complexity of their skill sets. For instance, Spider-Man is rated five stars due to his intricate abilities.
Captain America’s shield offers a crucial advantage with protective capabilities and 400 health points, allowing him to reflect projectiles, including powerful Ultimate attacks like Iron Man’s Maximum Pulse. While he can excel in solo engagements against weakened foes, his prolonged ability cooldowns hinder his effectiveness against multiple opponents.
His melee attacks evolve into shield throws for fighting at mid-range, yet the damage dealt is often insufficient for achieving eliminations. Overall, Captain America often faces difficulty securing kills, despite possessing a diverse and engaging skill set.
7 Hulk/Bruce Banner
The Supposed Strongest There Is
| Vanguard | Difficulty | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hulk | ★★★★ |
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The Incredible Hulk is surprisingly underwhelming as a Vanguard, despite his notable strengths. With multiple forms and the ability to endure in fights, he initially seems formidable. However, his limited mobility via a leap ability complicates his task of engaging with enemies effectively.
While Hulk can stun enemies using gamma radiation, unlike other characters who can inflict damage while stunning, this limitation can feel frustrating. With only a minor ranged attack, Hulk struggles to reach opponents effectively.
His considerable size makes him an easy target, and despite having a defensive skill, Hulk often finds himself outmatched, dissipating quickly despite possessing the potential for recovery through his Hulk form. As a result, this leads to frequent damage absorption without much longevity.
6 Penny Parker
It’s Spider Time!
| Vanguard | Difficulty | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penny Parker | ★★★ |
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Peni Parker represents an often underrated Vanguard, showcasing a blend of strong offense and mobility not common among her peers. With her mech suit, she can deploy webbing across maps and navigate walls effectively. Her traps create an excellent defensive option, making her an exceptional choice for controlling crucial zones.
However, Peni Parker’s skill set presents a challenge, as her traps require specific placements to be effective and difficult for enemies to discover. If placed poorly, they become easy targets for opponents, diminishing her overall potential.
Using Peni Parker synergistically with characters like Venom enhances her effectiveness in Marvel Rivals. Their Team-Up ability grants Venom extra health while giving Peni enhanced attack options.
Peni’s ultimate power charges faster than most, allowing her to lay down extensive webbing that heals her while damaging foes. This ability, while not delivering substantial damage, serves more to disrupt and distract enemies in contested areas.
5 Big
Plant-Based Support System
| Vanguard | Difficulty | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big | ★ |
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Among the easier Vanguards to master is Groot, whose unique ability to create plant walls equips him with unmatched defensive capabilities. These walls can effectively block paths, trap opponents, and even thwart enemy Ultimates, making Groot a versatile choice in Marvel Rivals.
While balancing defensive skills with low offensive power, Groot relies heavily on allies that can deliver high damage. Characters like Rocket Raccoon or Jeff the Land Shark can greatly contribute to Groot’s success through combined Team-Up abilities.
Groot’s ultimate ability stuns foes in a broad area, providing momentary control for allies to launch their attacks. However, his limited offensive contributions mean he must work collaboratively to secure eliminations, as agile characters can easily evade his grasp.
4 Magneto
Fear The Wrath Of Mutant Kind
| Vanguard | Difficulty | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magneto | ★★ |
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Magneto demonstrates a strong offensive presence among Vanguards, with some of the highest damage potential in the roster. His basic attacks accumulate a magnetic energy that can be released as a powerful projectile, decimating opponents effectively.
Furthermore, Magneto can create a shield that resists damage entirely for a specific duration. He can also generate protective bubbles that help shield allies, exemplifying a balance between offense and defense that reinforces his role.
Despite a relatively simple toolkit, Magneto thrives in roles where he can deal damage while offering protective options for his teammates, proving to be a considerable threat in combat.
3 Thor
Master The Thor Force To Become A God
| Vanguard | Difficulty | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thor | ★★ |
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Though newcomers may find it challenging to maneuver with Thor in Marvel Rivals, those who perfect his mechanics unlock a powerful character. Relying on Thor Force, a unique resource that accumulates passively, Thor diverges from the norm in gameplay mechanics.
Thor’s skill set encompasses both mobility and damage potential across various ranges, offering him the versatility required for different combat scenarios. An ability requiring Thor Force enables him to enhance his projectiles, turning into ranged heavy hitters.
This resource management presents a complex layer to gameplay. Thor’s longevity in battle is sustained through generating Bonus Health, but exhausting his Thor Force can render him vulnerable. As such, mastering his skills and understanding timing is crucial for maximizing his combat effectiveness.
2 Venom
Fastest And Bulkiest Lethal Protector
| Vanguard | Difficulty | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venom | ★ |
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Venom is known for being one of the most mobile Vanguards, with abilities that let him swiftly traverse the battlefield. He can dive into enemy formations to disrupt strategies and create openings for teammates.
Players may improve their performance by disabling the “Easy Swing”setting, enabling for greater precision during gameplay. Venom’s high damage output, particularly against vulnerable targets, compensates for his slower attack speed, enhancing his effectiveness.
Despite his initial appearance as a straightforward character, Venom’s gameplay involves cunning strategies to outmaneuver opponents. His self-reinforcing health mechanics allow him to survive extended engagements effectively, often resulting in over 1,000 health points with the right setups.
1 Doctor Strange
Unlimited Creativity With The Mystic Arts
| Vanguard | Difficulty | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctor Strange | ★★★ |
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Contemporary gameplay positions Doctor Strange as the most dominant Vanguard in Marvel Rivals, showcasing a blend of high-damage capabilities alongside exceptional defensive skills. His shield is notably robust, effectively countering attacks and Ultimates when played with strategic finesse.
Doctor Strange’s ultimate move is highly effective at stunning multiple opponents simultaneously, giving his team the opportunity to capitalize on his crowd control. Moreover, his portal ability serves as a versatile tool, allowing for fleet adjustments during skirmishes or creating deceptive maneuvers foreign to opponents.
The true artistry lies in Doctor Strange’s capacity to use portals creatively in combat, setting the stage for potent Ultimate combinations with team members. Despite the mobility challenges posed by the Anti-Heal effect, Doctor Strange possesses numerous escape options to mitigate the drawbacks of his mechanics. This unparalleled versatility solidifies Doctor Strange’s status as the premier Vanguard in Marvel Rivals, earning him reliability across various team configurations.
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