Marvel Rivals hero tier list (February 2026): All characters, ranked

With 46 Marvel Rivals heroes to choose from, here is our tier list for Season 6. Our Competitive list will change as nerfs and buffs are inevitable. New heroes will join the fray, and we need to note the ever-shifting meta per season.

Our lists outline the strongest based on their solo performance and how they contribute to winning the objective with their team. It’s important to note however, that no one hero is significantly worse than another. In fact, all heroes are viable so long as you utilize their kit correctly.

Let’s dive into our hero tier list for Marvel Rivals Season 6.

Marvel Rivals: Hero tier lists (Season 6)

Our tier lists are divided into two categories: Quick Match and Competitive.

Our Quick Match is more beginner-friendly, meaning we sorted the best heroes based on their difficulty, impact on a team, and overall usefulness in a casual setting. It’s not taking into account Team-Ups or team compositions. Instead, we have created a list based on how effective a hero is during a single match.

The Competitive tier list takes into account the current season meta, Team-Ups, hero nerfs and buffs, and the ban system.

Marvel Rivals Quick Match tier list

Our Quick Match tier list for casual players is divided into difficulty levels rather than the standard tier list formula that uses letters. Here is a quick rundown of the tiers:

• Beginner: The fun characters that are super easy to use from the offset (like Apex‘s Octane or Overwatch‘s Moira).
• Amateur: Tier with the best characters to use that are easy to master, beginner-friendly, and don’t require much thought or strategy.
• Intermediate: Characters with a higher skill ceiling, but don’t require hours of training to master. These can include heroes that are basic on paper due to their minimal kit but nevertheless require good accuracy, positioning, and spatial awareness.
• Expert: For the toughest characters with the highest skill ceiling to master. They’re often S or A-tier characters. These take a lot of time to get used to and will likely become your main. Their usefulness is transferable into Competitive, but you may not always find them in Diamond plus lobbies due to the ban system or current meta.

Let’s get into our tier list for casual players.

Tier	Hero
Expert	Thor, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Adam Warlock, Storm, Daredevil, Gambit
Intermediate	Doctor Strange, Hela, Magnet, Hawkeye, Mister Fantastic, Winter Soldier, Namor, Psylocke, Invisible Woman, Loki, Groot, Venom, Phoenix, Angela, Rogue
Amateur	Magik, Luna Snow, Moon Knight, Peni Parker, Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Hulk, Black Panther, Human Torch, Black Widow, Emma Frost, Blade, Deadpool
Beginner	Iron Man, Cloak and Dagger, Scarlet Witch, Mantis, Captain America, Iron Fist, Squirrel Girl, Jeff the Land Shark, The Punisher, The Thing, Ultron

Expert tier

Practice makes perfect. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Character	Pros	Cons	Why this tier?
Storm	Decent mobility. While she isn’t a Strategist, Storm supports the team much like Magneto. Capable of buffing damage, Storm can deal decent damage while also boosting her fellow heroes. The Hurricane can distract enemies or pull them closer to her teammates to finish the job. It has a ridiculously quick cooldown and is one of the most powerful ultimates.	Difficult to reposition if you’re spotted. She isn’t as fast as Iron Man, so you may get caught out flying through the air, making her an easier target to shoot down.	While she’s an aerial attacker, she’s best played on the ground. This gives her versatility, but her kit is hard to manage compared to other aerial heroes. She is a supportive DPS pick, meaning you need to play with the team to truly make an impact.
Thor	Great mobility. Consistently high damage. High focus on DPS makes him one of the strongest Vanguards in Marvel Rivals.	Has one of the most difficult kits to master and manage. Combos are tough to execute due to his cooldown. With a focus on damage, Thor doesn’t have a means of supporting his teammates, meaning that you have to rely on the Strategists for any healing, boosting, or shielding.	Thor is incredibly tough to use correctly, being a strange hybrid between a tank and a diver. He is the hardest Vanguard to manage and master, as there’s a clear method with his kit that you cannot simply wing it every match.
Adam Warlock	Can heal an entire team at once, making him the strongest healer on his own. While his charged attack requires pinpoint accuracy, both methods of attack are strong enough to take down Duelists. Highly balanced Strategist that can heal his entire team at once, deal good damage from his charged attack, and revive multiple teammates at crucial moments.	Although he can heal multiple targets at once, his healing is smaller than other Strategists. He’s only strong when centered around teammates. Other times, Adam is incredibly weak in an isolated one-versus-one due to his long-range arsenal.	Adam is the strongest Strategist for his ability to heal the entire team at once, however this means he can easily get overwhelmed as you need to juggle healing and dealing damage with his powerful charged attacks. His ultimate takes more precision than any other Strategist as timing this wrong could easily result in defeat.
Spider-Man	Plays defensively and offensively with his balanced kit that’s appropriate for all ranges. Can deal huge amounts of damage while repositioning. Has the opportunity to initiate or disengage from fights without taking much damage. Difficult to hit due to his high mobility.	Hardest hero to master. Similar to Venom, if you’re not sure what you’re doing, then Spider-Man‘s kit is wasted.	Spider-Man has the trickiest diver kit. While he’s best paired with Venom, Spider-Man’s adaptable mobility is only useful to those who are veterans in third-person and hero shooters. Not recommended for beginners.
Wolverine	Excels at absorbing damage to increase his close-range strength. Easily overwhelms the frontline. Can take away key targets from the fight to give your team an upper hand.	Easily punished for poor positioning. Easy to kill if he gets tunnel vision, running alone, headfirst into a healthy enemy team.	Wolverine feels like a simple character to pick as a classic diver, but it’s incredibly easy to die as him if you don’t know what you’re doing. Wolverine has more strategy to him than Black Panther and Iron Fist, as you need to coordinate your attacks with the Vanguards, acting as a miniature tank yourself. The goal is to overwhelm tanks and to leave Duelists and Strategists alone.
Daredevil	Exceptional enemy tracking. Dominant close-range duelist. Anti-flanker specialist. Low reliance on aim, his kit is more about positioning. Small capture points and choke-heavy maps heavily favor him, especially in coordinated team fights.	Very short effective range. He has to fully commit to fights. Ranged Duelists and poke heavy comps can shut him out before he ever touches a target. He lacks safe disengage tools once his mobility is on cooldown.	Daredevil fights in melee range with low forgiveness. If you mistime an engage, misjudge enemy cooldowns, or overcommit, you die. There is no safe spam or poke playstyle to fall back on. Expert players understand when to rotate early, when to hold corners, and when to give up space. You cannot autopilot him and still provide value like some other duelists.
Gambit	Excellent poke and chip damage. He slowly bleeds enemies out, forcing supports to react and burn resources. Low health enemies are extremely vulnerable once Gambit starts chaining empowered throws. He thrives when teammates capitalize on the pressure and space he creates.	Weaker in close quarters. Tight melee-heavy maps heavily favor brawlers over Gambit. Punished by hard dive comps Heroes that can gap close quickly shut him down if he is isolated. His damage ramps up through ability sequencing, not instant burst.	You must constantly track charged cards, cooldowns, and escape options. One wrong step puts him in dive range and usually results in death. Gambit rewards players who understand team tempo, enemy cooldowns, and map flow.

Intermediate tier

The damage dealers. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Character	Pros	Cons	Why this tier?
Doctor Strange	Great mobility. Excellent absorber of damage. Self-sufficient tank. Great survivability, making Strange one of the hardest heroes to kill. Fantastic at blocking Hela’s ultimate.	Slower movement when his Shield of the Seraphim is active, requiring teammates to be near him so he isn’t flanked in this vulnerable state. Difficult to use due to a surprisingly high skill ceiling. Requires strategy, especially when teleporting the team.	Doctor Strange is relatively easy to understand, but it’s difficult to master his kit. It’s quite easy to throw as this tank if you play him purely defensively. Doctor Strange is meant to get kills, although it’s hard to do so if you’re relying on your shield if facing a highly aggressive composition.
Hela	Hela is difficult to track and kill, regardless of your accuracy. She deals great damage with every ability, alongside being the best hero in long-range battles. She’s hard to spot during her ultimate. Has a versatile kit that deals a good amount of damage mid-to-long-range.	Has a more challenging kit to master, so it may take you a while to learn how to correctly use each ability and be impactful on a team. Requires accuracy.	Hela requires absolute precision and excellent positioning to truly make an impact on a team. While Hela continues to be one of the best characters in Marvel Rivals, she isn’t recommended for new players, as you need to know the best way to counter heros, what their roles are, and how the game works before handling such a powerful weapon.
Magneto	Acts as the primary protector of the entire team, providing barriers to everyone. Difficult to kill. Ensures the battlefield is safe for heroes to reposition, retreat, or push with his barrier placement.	Barriers require strategy rather than strictly placing them on a critically low teammate. His ultimate is difficult to use effectively.	Magneto is a challenging Vanguard for its defensive kit alone. He takes a lot of strategy and patience to use, so he’s not for the diving kind. This character needs to pay attention to his teammates at all times and correctly aid a friend when they need his shields most. This requires you to focus more with Magneto than other Vanguards.
Hawkeye	Best hero to use if you enjoy getting headshots. Capable of one-shotting Duelists and Strategists. Effective at pressuring the opposition. Excellent at quickly shooting down flying heroes.	You need to be highly accurate to use him. Terrible fighting close-range, making Iron Fist, Wolverine, and Black Panther his worst nightmare. Restricted movement and slow firing rate.	Hawkeye is a balancing act of managing his limited movement with highly accurate headshots. You need to be consistent with his bow while simultaneously keeping an eye out for divers looking to take you and Strategists out of the match.
Mister Fantastic	Decent mobility with excellent range and damage output. Has a very balanced kit that supports his teammates with shields and his presence, alongside being able to keep the Combines Hulk form with Venom’s long reach in a manageable kit.	Has a weak ultimate. His kit is predictable, making him easy to counter when ignoring his Reflexive Rubber form.	Mister Fantastic acts like a small tank, making him difficult to use if you always pick DPS characters. His method of attack is to absorb damage and throw it back at his enemies. This means you need to think before you attack rather than mindlessly running in.
Winter Soldier	Can defend his team and himself from mobility heroes. Easily wins one-versus-ones against all roles. Has a highly versatile kit with a powerful ultimate.	Terrible long-range. Slow mobility. Limited to three rounds per magazine, meaning accuracy is important to use Winter Soldier effectively.	With three rounds per mag, Winter Soldier requires precision at all times. He has a versatile kit that’s capable of killing anyone, but this puts pressure if you can’t keep track of how the game’s going. You need to be everywhere at once, adapting to each play the enemy team attempts to throw at you.
Namor	Sel-sufficient Duelist. Distracts enemies, allowing himself and the team to deal damage to opposing heroes who aren’t paying attention. Large AoE ultimate. Great damage at all ranges.	While he can temporarily protect himself, he is trapped within this animation, meaning enemies can quickly kill him as soon as he exits his safety net. His octopus sentries are somewhat useless.	Similar to Hela, Namor requires excellent accuracy. He’s self-sufficient, putting a lot of pressure on you as these types of DPS heroes are expected to be the kill leaders.
Psylocke	Easy-to-use ultimate that can one-shot enemies within its radius. Best solo hero as you can quickly navigate the map, ambush unsuspecting enemies, and retreat for health without being spotted. Great at flanking or hiding within the objective to stall time.	Can be killed quickly if you don’t have Psychic Stealth available. Healing from Strategists isn’t guaranteed with this pick.	Psylocke requires more strategy than other Duelists as she can turn invisible. You cannot rely on this to solve all problems, so use it wisely. She easily moves around the map, but it’s unlikely you will get the heals you need, meaning you have to deal with whatever comes your way as you stray from your team to pick off the backline.
Invisible Woman	Can deal two forms of healing, either from her projectiles (base attack) or by placing Guardian Shields that she can use to heal herself. Balanced kit that offers good ticking damage. A wide range of attacks as a Strategist, with the opportunity to boop enemies off the map or deal a finishing blow to critically low Duelists and Vanguards. Good mobility with the added bonus of turning invisible, letting her safely reposition. Small and manageable cooldowns.	Minimal damage from her base attack against all classes. Needs to stick with the team at all times. Weak in a one-versus-one.	Invisible Woman can deal consistent damage and healing, but it’s in her shield and ultimate where her difficulty starts. Strategists’ ultimates require precise timing, perfectly executed at a moment your team needs it most. She’s often played as a supportive DPS, and if you’re picking her for this reason, you should cast your eyes to Adam Warlock or Luna Snow instead.
Loki	Excellent at wasting enemies’ time with his clones. You can confuse enemies further by switching between clones, making you a hard target to track and kill. He has the best survivability of all Strategists.	Deals minimal damage if clone numbers have depleted. Forced to play at the back; otherwise, your position will be revealed, and you will be punished for overextending. His kit could easily be replaced by Punisher’s turrets or Parker’s mines. Compared to other Strategists, there’s a lot to manage and keep track of as Loki.	Loki’s difficulty to kill makes him an attractive pick, but you shouldn’t hide away and rely on his clones. This means you need to manage your clones and healing, keep repositioning, and help your team instead of retreating from the enemy line of sight. This makes him a tougher Strategist to manage compared to others.
Groot	Excellent at closing off enemies’ line of sight or holding a position. Can trap enemies with his walls. Has a powerful ultimate that disrupts plays and enemy ults.	While he has a very balanced kit, Groot is far weaker than other tanks (both defensively and offensively). One of the easiest Vanguards to kill as long-range heroes (Hawkeye, Iron Man, Hela, or Black Widow).	His wall placements are crucial in utilizing his kit correctly. Acting similarly to building in Fortnite, you can manipulate the walls, but this takes time and practice to perfect. He’s weaker than other Vanguards, but his kit is strong in the right hands, making him a hero with strategy and being two steps ahead of the opposition on his mind at all times.
Venom	Near impossible to kill due to Venom‘s ridiculously high health pool. Has armor when critically low, making him self-sufficient. The perfect distraction for your Duelists to get into prime positions, be it to flank, ambush, or secure the objective. An absorber of damage. Can kill multiple enemies at once with his ultimate, best placed on the objective when the opposing team is trying to capture/move it.	Limited movement and abilities that lower his overall threat level. Surprisingly hard to master even though his abilities are rather basic. Although he has a high health pool, a weak Venom can die incredibly fast, quickly becoming a throw pick.	Venom has an incredibly easy kit to understand, but this makes him a throw pick in the wrong hands. Many beginners may feel like Venom is perfect for them because of his high health pool, but he will get picked off quickly if you continue to run in on your own.
Phoenix	Phoenix excels at constant pressure through fire-based abilities that wear teams down over time. Her abilities deny space effectively, making her great at holding objectives and chokepoints. She can contribute safely from a distance without needing to hard commit. Enemies that clump or ignore positioning take massive value loss against her kit due to her passive.	Poorly timed ultimates can be wasted or punished heavily. Without abilities available, her threat level drops sharply.	Her abilities are intuitive and easy to understand at a basic level. She can recover from small mistakes better than Expert heroes. Clear win conditions. Hold space, apply pressure, and punish grouping, which makes her game plan easy to grasp. Skilled players gain more value, but newer players are not instantly punished for every error.
Angela	Angela excels in extended fights where she can keep pressure on a single target. Effective against squishy targets. She can contest space confidently and hold her ground against most Duelists.	Stuns and knockbacks disrupt her momentum hard. She provides little value before fights actually begin. Experienced opponents can read and prepare for her approaches.	Angela sits at Intermediate difficulty because she teaches core brawler fundamentals without overwhelming the player. She rewards smart positioning and timing, while remaining approachable for players moving beyond beginner heroes.
Rogue	Her effectiveness comes from timing and target choice more than mechanical precision. She thrives in messy mid-fight scenarios where trades favor her over time. She can pressure tanks or peel for teammates when needed. She can steal abilities to bring new dimensions in the teamfight catching the enemy offguard.	Mobile or ranged Duelists can deny her value if she cannot stay in range. Short, explosive team fights reduce her strength significantly. Overextending without support still leads to fast deaths.	Rogue is Intermediate difficulty because she rewards solid fundamentals and smart engagement choices while giving players enough survivability.

Amateur tier

Those with potential. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Character	Pros	Cons	Why this tier?
Magik	Great at targeting Duelists and Strategists that hang on the backline. Overwhelms enemies by getting in their face and teleporting around in between swinging her greatsword. Decent range during her close-quarter battles.	You need to perfect your timing with Magik, so you don’t die quickly. Her kit has more strategy than simple hack and slash.	Similar to Venom, Magik shouldn’t be used just to run at people. In the wrong hands, she will continue to die without getting any picks. She requires a bit of thought before you charge into the backline, and her teleportation shouldn’t be used haphazardly.
Luna Snow	Great mobility to move around the map and reach objectives quickly. Halt enemy movement by freezing them into place. Pair this with damage from yourself and teammates to punish movement heroes or time it when enemies are trying to push the objective as the match is ending (in your favor). Her ultimate deals damage buff or quickly heals anyone in her dancing radius, making her an invulnerable boosting target that can turn the tables of a fight in your team’s favor.	Can be caught out in the opening or isolated quickly if the team doesn’t play near her. Her weapons require precision, making her a tougher Strategist to use for this alone.	While Stratagists need to survive throughout a match, it’s the most important part of playing Luna specifically. Her ult can switch the tides in your favor, putting pressure on her to save the game if it’s heading towards defeat.
Moon Knight	High damage when you combine his Ankhs and Crescent Darts. Great mobility. Can fight at all ranges. Excellent in a one-versus-one situation. Ult pairs well with Groot’s.	There are more powerful characters that do what Moon Knight does but better (Hela, Hawkeye, and Storm).	Moon Knight has a balanced kit that you need to manage correctly to truly make an impact on a team. He’s more versatile than others, but he isn’t a diver. He’s a good pick if you’re looking for kills while staying near your team for heals.
Peni Parker	Wide range of abilities that allow Peni to play defensively or offensively, depending on your current objective. Great util that can punish any attempt at pushing the objective. Provides damage while simultaneously supporting her teammates with her unique util.	Has the weakest ultimate. Slow mobility, making her easy to target compared to other tanks.	Peni has a great kit, but her ultimate is incredibly weak. She’s quite easy to master, but you could get focused because of her limited mobility. We often see her standing around the objective, relying on her mines and spider webs to do most of the work.
Star-Lord	Great mobility. Hard to kill if you’re using his kit correctly. There’s room for errors with his fast-firing-rate weapons. Easy to use and fun.	Doesn’t deal good enough damage to Vanguards to truly make a difference in a team fight. You cannot play Star-Lord mid- to long-range unless you’re inside his ultimate.	While Star-Lord is difficult to master due to his range of mobility, he is decent for those looking to dart around on the floor (just like Tracer). He is fun to use and has great survivability, but if you want to truly make a difference with him, then you need to master his Rocket Propulsion (how he can fly up into the air).
Rocket Raccoon	Tiny hitbox, increasing his overall survivability. Great movement. Revives a teammate in a safe and secure position, away from danger. Can provide armor alongside health to support fellow heroes.	Inconsistent healing and damage output. More focused on damage than healing, which is odd for a Strategist. Isn’t strong enough as a solo Strategist.	Rocket Raccoon is a good pick for those who aren’t great at aiming, but he requires good reflexes to adapt to whatever is in front of him. His tiny hitbox makes him difficult to kill, but you need to balance healing, damaging, and reviving all at once.
Hulk	Good mobility. A great distraction tank that can absorb damage while leading enemies away from your teammates who are focused on the objective. Great at handling isolated fights. Pairs well with Thor.	Outside of his ult, Bruce is the easiest Vanguard to kill due to his spongey exterior. His attacks will often leave you out in the open.	Hulk seems like a good pick for aggressive tanks that like to get close to an entire team, but he can easily throw the game if he isn’t playing with his teammates.
Black Panther	Decent mobility. Easy to use. Rewards aggressive playstyles with higher damage output the lower his health is. Great at picking off Strategists on the backline.	Weak when facing two or more enemies. You won’t get healing from Strategists, so you need to learn where healing packs are so you don’t die when infiltrating the backline.	Black Panther has more limited mobility than Iron Fist and Spider-Man, acting as a calmer, more patient version of Wolverine instead. He’s easy to use and doesn’t require too much thinking, but you need to be aware of your team’s and health pack positions throughout the match. You can use Black Panther to push the backline or to protect your Strategists.
Human Torch	Excellent mobility that feels somewhere between Iron Man and Storm. Good at controlling space as he can ward away enemies and lure them into your teammates’ line of sight.	Weaker ultimate than most. Although he’s a flying hero, he is strongest in close-range battles.	Human Torch is a good middle ground between Iron Man and Storm., He deals similar damage to Iron Man but has mobility similar to Storm. His ultimate is harder to aim with compared to Hela’s, but he’s a decent pick if you’re looking for an aerial fighter.
Black Widow	Decent mobility to rush to the objective or into an advantageous position. Widow has good weapons for all ranges. Great damage from her rifle.	Easy to kill if caught standing still. Average health pool. Accuracy is key.	Like Hawkeye, Black Widow spends a lot of time standing still, making her more susceptible to attacks from divers. She has a versatile kit similar to Winter Soldier, but is less impactful on a team.
Emma Frost	Strong crowd control tools. She excels at disrupting enemies and setting up team fights. Works well in coordinated comps that capitalize on control. Value comes from ability timing rather than aim.	She is not built to secure fast eliminations. She relies on teammates to fully convert her control.	Abilities are easy to understand and apply. Small mistakes are not instantly fatal. Ideal for players learning team fight flow.
Blade	Strong close-range damage. Blade punishes enemies who let him get in. Healing allows him to stay active in fights longer. Simple aggressive playstyle. Effective against squishy backline targets.	Experienced players can read his dives. Stuns and slows him down hard. Large sightlines reduce his impact.	As Blade gets in, pressure targets, and sustains through damage. Low combo complexity. Mistakes are softened by sustain. Teaches melee fundamentals, positioning, and timing without overload.
Deadpool	Can become any class, so a versatile hero to learn. Can catch enemies by surprise with his abilities. Constant pressure and harassment disrupt enemy plans. Healing and resets let him stay active. Can poke, dive, or brawl depending on the situation.	His kit encourages risky plays. Effectiveness drops without good target focus. Chaos becomes readable with experience.	Survivability allows recovery from bad plays. Apply pressure and force mistakes. Minimal mechanical barrier. Has a decent learning curve for every class.

Beginner tier

When fun is the only thing on the agenda. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Character	Pros	Cons	Why this tier?
Iron Man	Great mobility. He’s hard to shoot out of the sky without a Hela, Hawkeye, or Storm. Powerful ultimate.	Weak standard weapons mean enemies can often ignore him until he executes his ultimate. If you have bad movement while focused on shooting, then you’ll likely be shot down by long-range heroes. His usefulness is limited to his ultimate.	Iron Man is great fun for those looking to fight from the sky. He has the best mobility in the game, one that is easy to master.
Cloak and Dagger	Effective at all ranges as her heals lock onto teammates. Similar to Venom, Cloak and Dagger is unkillable if used properly. You need to perfectly blend both defensive and offensive gameplay by swapping between the characters depending on what’s happening in front of you.	One of the more challenging Strategists to play, as you’re basically two heroes in one. Timing is crucial to the hero. If you neglect one side of Cloak and Dagger, then it’s highly likely you won’t be effective in either the healing or damage department.	The ability to auto-lock onto teammates to heal them is incredibly useful, making Dagger the easiest Strategist to master if you’re only looking to heal your teammates. Cloak lets you quickly escape and reposition, increasing your survivability as a healer.
Scarlet Witch	Hard to kill and incredibly easy to use. Capable of killing multiple enemies at once as her equipment doesn’t require a reload. Her ultimate can one-shot anyone inside her radius.	Scarlet has the loudest ultimate in existence, which is easy to shoot down during its long wind-up animation.	Scarlet Witch is the easiest DPS hero as her attacks lock onto anyone within range. She’s the best character to use if you’re new to the game and want to learn how everything works before finding your main.
Mantis	Really easy to master. Best starting Strategist to use in Marvel Rivals. Can stop enemies in their tracks, which is highly effective against mobility heroes like Spider-Man or Iron Fist. Strong enough to protect the team as the only healer and is decent at one-versus-ones against any Duelist.	Limited to four heals at a time. Requires more strategy than other healers as you need to choose who to heal at a time.	Mantis is the easiest Strategist to use, as she has a very simple kit focused solely on healing.
Captain America	Can effectively block damage that nullifies strong weapons like Hawkeye’s bow. A mini tank, Captain America is the protector as he moves around to absorb damage while leading his team to victory.	His dash and leap make his movement somewhat predictable, allowing the opposition to quickly punish you if pushing or retreating from a fight. Unless you’re playing with a team that can synchronize their attacks and ultimate, then Captain America’s Freedom Charge will likely be wasted.	Captain America is a nice middle ground between Hulk and Doctor Strange, as you can run at enemies with your shield equipped, lowering the risk of being punished for overextending.
Iron Fist	Great damage that only increases the lower your health goes. Excels in defensive and offensive playstyles. Easily kills long-range Duelists and Strategists.	Can die quickly if you don’t know how to use him. As you cannot guarantee heals, it’s challenging to use his Harmony Recovery, meaning you may need to rely on Strategists more than you normally would as a flanking hero.	Out of all the divers, Iron Fist is the easiest to try out as his attacks lock on when you’re close enough.
Squirrel Girl	Accuracy isn’t needed to be effective with Squirrel Girl as her attacks ricochet off walls, landing on distracted enemies. Easy to use. Has decent mobility with her leap. Excellent util that synchronizes with teammates.	Limited in close-range battles against stronger diver-style heroes (Spider-Man, Black Panther, or Wolverine).	Squirrel Girl is the Junkrat of Marvel Rivals, where aim isn’t required to usethis character.
Jeff the Land Shark	Jeff can be an absolute menace on the battlefield if he times his ultimate correctly to throw them off the map. Fantastic mobility. Can heal and hide, making him an impossible target to track during his Hide and Seek ability.	Super weak due to his tiny health pool, so you can’t be out in the open for long. Slower healing than others. Healing Bubble placement is crucial because of this.	Jeff is a lot of fun when it comes to his mobility, but this is where his usefulness ends.
The Punisher	Balanced, making him easy to use. Turret can distract enemies and waste their time. His ultimate deals good damage.	Overall damage isn’t as effective as other Duelists, making him weaker than other heroes. Limited movement, making him an easy target to punish for peeking.	The Punisher is a balanced character that almost acts as the default or starting hero in Marvel Rivals. He’s easy to understand and is a good pick for those moving to this game from a first- or third-person shooter.
The Thing	Good close-range fighter who overwhelms enemies and forces the focus onto him. Great counter to Wolverine, Black Panther, and Hulk. His highly aggressive attitude makes him a punishing force to the backline, acting like a large diver. His charge, although hard to control, can disrupt plays in a smaller radius.	Struggles against countering flying heroes (Human Torch, Storm, and Iron Man), making him a weaker Vanguard as he has more hard counters than others. Has lower survivability than others as he puts himself in harm’s way where healers cannot save him in time. His charge is difficult to control.	The Thing is a lot of fun if you’re looking to get your hands dirty, charging headfirst into every enemy. He’s a mix of Thor and Hulk, but has a simpler kit, making him a great starting pick before moving on to more difficult Vanguards.
Ultron	Great range to snipe enemies out. After the recent buff, two drones help with healing. Ultron can contribute from a distance and does not need to fully commit to fights. Even inexperienced players can have a meaningful impact quickly.	Heals are slower compared to other healers. Poor placement makes him easy to collapse on. Lower carry potential at high skill levels. Low mobility.	Ultron is Beginner difficulty because he delivers reliable value with minimal complexity. He lets new players focus on learning the game itself, not fighting their own hero. He’s also good with pokes, so the player doesn’t need to focus on healing manually.

Marvel Rivals Competitive tier list

Marvel Rivals hero tier list for competitive has been determined by characters’ buffs, nerfs, their kit, overall effectiveness depending on team comps, and current meta.

Here is what each tier means:

• S tier: Characters listed here always make an impact as they’re the best in the current meta. Play them across all ranks.
• A tier: Solid characters in their own right, but they require you to main them to master their kit. They’re the glue that holds the team together.
• B tier: These characters have an impact if the composition caters to their kits.
• C tier: Average character kits; they do the job, but their impact lowers as you ascend the ranks.
• D tier: Play these characters casually, as every other character outperforms them.

Tier	Hero
S	Doctor Strange, Storm, Hela, Magneto, Thor, Rocket Raccoon, Invisible Woman
A	Winter Soldier, Namor, Luna Snow. Adam Warlock, Psylocke, Wolverine, Star-Lord, Cloak and Dagger, Mantis
B	Mister Fantastic, Groot, Loki, Hulk, Spider-Man, Magik, Peni Parker, Captain America, Black Panther, Iron Man, Hulk
C	Moon Knight, Hawkeye, Human Torch, Venom, The Punisher, Iron Fist, Squirrel Girl, The Thing
D	Black Widow, Jeff the Land Shark, Scarlet Witch

S tier

The best of the best. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Character	Game Mode	Strategy	Offense / Defense	Hero matchup
Doctor Strange	All	Portal makes for unique plays and unexpected flanks and positioning. His ultimate also stuns enemies close, leaving them vulnerable for a team wipe. Doctor Strange is vital for setting up many winning strategies. He’s one of the best Vanguards for his barriers, being able to effectively protect his team (even from ultimates coming from airborne units).	Defense	Magneto
Storm	All	One of the most frequently banned characters, Storm has a similar playstyle to Hela. She’s best used in the back to build up her ultimate. It’s one of the strongest in the game. Even if you cannot down an enemy in it, it’s an effective zoning ultimate that can easily win you the point or match. Her mobility is excellent, too; utilize it by playing with angles and map positioning.	Offense	Winter Soldier
Hela	All	One of the most frequently banned characters, Hela’s potential damage output is incredible. Thanks to the ability to fly, she tends to be difficult to kill and has long range. She can also outmaneuver opponents with her transformation. Keep her at a distance and unleash havoc from afar.	Offense	Wolverine
Magneto	Domination	Deliver poking damage from mid-range whenever you’re not handling your shield management. Ensure your squishy allies (Strategists and Duelists with lower HP) are protected with your shields during heavy damage ultimates. Aim to support your team with bubble management by prioritizing their protection. Magneto can be a good replacement as the main Vanguard if Doctor Strange gets banned.	Defense	Doctor Strange
Thor	Domination	Mastering Thor means to properly manage his Thorforce. Play him aggressively and keep an eye on utility management to make the most of his HP boosts and ability enhancements. Use combos by melee hitting often to chain his abilities to pummel enemies on their own.	Both	Hulk
Rocket Raccoon	All	His survivability is strong, as he has the smallest hitbox. He’s agile and has extra mobility with his rocket boosters and wall climbing movements. This makes him difficult to kill. Support your team in the back with healing and armor providing, and have good map awareness so you can effectively bring allies back immediately upon death using his beacon. Stay low with him.	Both	The Thing
Invisible Woman	Convoy / Convergence	Invisible Woman is a well-rounded Strategist, able to set up a character kill with her pull and push back abilities. She can escape from danger easily and turn the tide of battle with every pop of her ultimate. Keep her alive by utilizing her kit properly.	Both	Captain America

A tier

Some solid units here. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Character	Game Mode	Strategy	Offense / Defense	Hero matchup
Winter Soldier	All	Incredibly powerful kit; the only downside is limited ammo. He’s a killing machine, able to win one-vs-one fights with his burst damage. He can win matches on his own, pulling enemies off of maps and disrupting their momentum and ultimates. Know which fights you can win with him to grant your team an advantage.	Offense	Storm
Luna Snow	All	Has high survivability due to her small hitbox and speed. She can self-heal, freeze enemies, and damage or heal within a space encompassing allies. Her kit has various benefits. She’ll leave a mark in any battle.	Defense	Iron Man
Adam Warlock	All	Cannot be used as a main healer due to a lack of consistency, but his kit has some of the best abilities across the Strategists. Soul Bond can negate deaths caused by Iron Man’s ultimate if timed properly. He can revive himself and his team, and his heal boosters are regenerative over time. Use his charge attack to eliminate low-health enemies and balance this out with support/heals when needed.	Defense	Thor
Psylocke	Convoy / Convergence	Incredible flanker, ideal for picking off the back line. Stay out of sight with his invisibility abilities and isolate enemies, especially squishy targets, using her attack and dash combos. Her ultimate can cancel out other ultimates, such as Mr Fantastic’s.	Offense	Loki
Wolverine	Convoy / Convergence	Wolverine is entirely situational. You’ll be using him to evaporate Vanguards, so target them exclusively because he gets stronger the more blows he delivers.	Offensive	Hela
Star-Lord	All	Star-Lord has great mobility. Utilize it properly to deliver punishing combos. His whole kit is centered around this, so you should be maneuvering all over the map, quickly eliminating squishy units. Jump in the air, boost around, play with angles, and chase down low HP enemies. You should not be getting hit with him.	Offense	Rocket Raccoon
Cloak and Dagger	All	Extremely balanced character since they’re two-in-one. Cloak provides consistent healing with her default attack with additional healing boosts as her abilities. As Dagger, you can punish low HP enemies and can escape combat easily. Their ultimate is great for zoning, keeping enemies off of a point to secure a win.	Offense	Black Panther
Mantis	All	A Strategist who can both support/heal and damage/boost. While she can’t provide consistent healing, her other abilities make up for it by boosting her allies or herself to overpower the enemy team. Her enhancing abilities make her extremely viable, and she can survive one-vs-one encounters with her sleep manipulation where your team can then body the flanker/unit.	Offense	Iron Fist

B tier

Wreak havoc on the battlefield. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Character	Game Mode	Strategy	Offense / Defense	Hero matchup
Mister Fantastic	All	Acts as a tanky Duelist, he can sponge quite a bit of damage protecting the team and getting out of action safely. Use him as a distraction by staying alive long enough to distrupt the enemy’s momentum and get their attention.	Defense	Magik
Groot	Convoy / Convergence	Highly defensive unit, great for protecting teammates and separating enemies for easy pickings off using his walls. His ultimate is ideal for setting up team wipeouts – follow it up with most Duelist ultimates.	Defense	Moon Knight
Loki	All	Hard to kill with his body double abilities. His ultimate can turn the tide of battle depending on which enemy he copies. Big heals and big plays are possible with his kit, making him viable across all ranks.	Defense	Psylocke
Hulk	Domination	Excellent survivability. Can jump into brawls within the enemy team and exit from them unscathed. The Hulk won’t go down easily as he has two lives, making his survivability better than other Vanguards. He can also stun enemies and provide shields for himself and the team. His kit is versatile.	Defense	Thor
Spider-Man	All	One of the most agile characters. Capitalize on his unpredictable movement. He’s difficult to kill and best used to isolate squishy enemy units in one-vs-one encounters. Zip around to lock in on unsuspecting or fleeing enemies and make use of combos. Do the fly-by uppercut, pull them towards you, cluster and repeat. Remember that if you can’t get close enough to an enemy unit for any reason, pull them towards yourself to make the fight one-vs-one or within the vicinity of your team.	Offense	Venom
Magik	All	Heavy attack damage, usually has no problem killing a target solo and escaping easily using teleportation. Knowing when to push an enemy and turn back towards your team is important when using her.	Offense	Mister Fantastic
Peni Parker	All	Hide Peni’s web nests around corners and stack the webs for a lot of damage and buffs (healing and movement speed). Make the most of the nesting field you’ll accumulate by bodying incoming fire to keep the nests active. Pop your ultimate to extend this field of effect, especially on capture points. Play with angles because Peni can punish teams tunneling in areas, forcing them to split up or hold off on pushing.	Offense	Groot
Captain America	All	Captain America is a secondary Vanguard, best played by flanking the backline. Use his shield to protect your team, but especially during these chases, to block, immobilize, and deflect abilities before eliminating Strategists.	Offense	Invisible Woman
Black Panther	Convoy / Convergence	Incredibly quick character whose passive encourages him to be in the thick of fights even at low HP. Utilize his kit to the max by stringing combos with his abilities, dealing non-stop damage to isolated targets you jump into. Use his unpredictable movement to confuse enemies and flee from fights that aren’t one-vs-one.	Offense	Cloak and Dagger
Iron Man	All	Reposition quickly with his jets, play corners with his default attack, and combo his ultimate with other immobilizing ultimate, such as Groot’s, for team wipes.	Offense	Luna Snow
Namor	Convoy / Convergence	Get out of combat with his protective barrier, distract enemies with his summons, spam his unlimited default attack to build up ultimate charge, and corner enemies in chokeholds for easy pickoffs.	Offense	Wolverine

C tier

He’s good, but not good enough. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Character	Game Mode	Strategy	Offense / Defense	Hero matchup
Moon Knight	Convoy / Convergence	Moon Knight’s Ankhs deal heavy damage, but enemies will have more awareness of them in higher ranks. Moon Knight is best used out of sight, poking damage until he can use his ultimate which should be used in conjunction with another hero’s immobilizing ultimate.	Offense	Groot
Hawkeye	Convoy / Convergence	One of the most difficult characters to play effectively because of the accuracy needed for his default attack. The majority of his abilities is to aid him lining up shots, so if you have good aim, you’re golden. Just keep your distance against enemies who can take you out in close combat.	Offense	Hulk
Human Torch	All	Play unpredictably using his mobility and movement speed and keep to the skies to play with angles.	Offense	Loki
Venom	Convoy / Convergence	A damage sponge that fills up the enemies’ ultimate gauge quickly if played wrong. Disrupt their momentum by being a brick wall to their advancements.	Defense	Spider-Man
The Punisher	All	The Punisher has a very basic kit involving heavy machinery. He’s balanced but outmatched by other Duelists. His movement is limited, but his ultimate is good for zoning if you are unable to pick anyone off.	Offense	Mantis
Iron Fist	Domination	Another situational pick, Iron Fist has to get into the enemy’s face to be effective. He can get easily punished and singled out for this type of gameplay, but he can be viable if you’re quick with his combos and know when to initiate fights and when to flee. But for a safer option, learn to play Magik instead.	Offensive	Mantis
Squirrel Girl	All	Her attack is splash damage, so you can’t aim with her properly. Her ultimate is handy as it locks onto enemies, so use it when the enemy team is stacked on each other since they will likely be unable to escape. Use Squirrel Blockade to further isolate a singular unit. Your team can punish them now that they’re immobile.	Offensive	Rocket Raccoon
The Thing	All	Use The Thing to shut down enemies who target specific characters. An ideal example of this is Wolverinem who will be trying to take down your Vanguard. The Thing can only really be countered by enemies outside of his area of attack, so switch out if you’re up against any airborne unit.	Offense	Hawkeye

D tier

She’s not taking any shots in this current meta. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Character	Game Mode	Strategy	Offense / Defense	Hero matchup
Black Widow	All	Best used for zoning since getting picks or utilizing her well enough to make her worthwhile is a challenge. Has to be a lone wolf at the back, away from your team. Very limited kit.	Offense	Star-Lord
Jeff the Land Shark	All	Has great survivability since he’s such a squishy unit. Only ever good for his ultimate in lower ranks. Must play extremely passively to survive across ranks.	Defense	Thor
Scarlet Witch	All	Consistent damage, albeit nowhere near every other Dualist. She is way too loud during her ultimate and usually gets taken out easily with no results.	Offense	Doctor Strange

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