Marvel Rivals gives players a ton of different heroes and villains to choose from, all drawn from its extensive comic book history. As such, knowing which serve as counters to others can mean the difference between a victory and a loss.
Characters in Marvel Rivals are divided into three categories – Duelist, Strategist, and Vanguard. Duelists are raw DPS monsters, outputting damage above all else, usually eschewing tankiness and support options to impart as much hurt onto the enemy team as possible.
Vanguard characters are the first into the fight and tend to have more health and damage reduction options than their counterparts in the other two classes. Strategists bring secondary support options, buffing team damage or healing their more egregious wounds.
Here’s everything you need to know about who to pick up to directly counter the enemy roster.
Best counters for every character in Marvel Rivals
| Character Name | Counters |
|---|---|
| Adam Warlock | Vanguard: Doctor Strange & MagnetoDuelist: Squirrel Girl & Iron FistStrategist: Luna Snow & Mantis |
| Black Panther | Vanguard: Groot, Hulk & VenomDuelist: The Punisher & Winter SoldierStrategist: Jeff the Land Shark, Loki & Mantis |
| Black Widow | Vanguard: Hulk & VenomDuelist: Spider-Man & MagikStrategist: Cloak and Dagger, Jeff the Land Shark & Loki |
| Captain America | Vanguard: Doctor Strange & Peni ParkerDuelist: Black Widow & HelaStrategist: Loki |
| Cloak and Dagger | Vanguard: Captain America, Groot, Hulk & VenomDuelist: Iron Fist & Moon KnightStrategist: Adam Warlock |
| Doctor Strange | Vanguard: Groot, Hulk & VenomDuelist: Black Panther, Magik, Star-Lord & WolverineStrategist: Luna Snow |
| Groot | Vanguard: Captain America, Doctor Strange & MagnetoDuelist: Hawkeye, Hela & The PunisherStrategist: Adam Warlock, Loki and Luna Snow |
| Hawkeye | Vanguard: Captain America, Doctor Strange & MagnetoDuelist: Black Panther, Magik & The PunisherStrategist: Loki, Luna Snow & Rocket Raccoon |
| Hela | Vanguard: Captain America, Doctor Strange & MagnetoDuelist: Hawkeye, The Punisher & Star-LordStrategist: Jeff the Land Shark, Loki & Luna Snow |
| Hulk | Vanguard: Doctor StrangeDuelist: Black Widow, Hawkeye & The PunisherStrategist: Jeff the Land Shark, Loki & Luna Snow |
| Iron Fist | Vanguard: Magneto & Peni ParkerDuelist: Black Widow, Hawkeye & Winter SoldierStrategist: Cloak and Dagger, Loki & Luna Snow |
| Iron Man | Vanguard: Captain America, Doctor Strange & Peni ParkerDuelist: Hawkeye, Iron Fist, The Punisher & Spider-ManStrategist: Adam Warlock, Loki and Luna Snow |
| Jeff the Land Shark | Vanguard: Groot, Hulk, Peni Parker & VenomDuelist: Black Panther, Black Widow, Iron Fist & WolverineStrategist: None |
| Loki | Vanguard: Groot, Hulk, Peni Parker & VenomDuelist: Black Panther, Iron-Man, Iron Fist & MagikStrategist: None |
| Luna Snow | Vanguard: Groot, Hulk, Peni Parker & VenomDuelist: Hela, Magik, Squirrel Girl & Star-LordStrategist: None |
| Magik | Vanguard: Doctor StrangeDuelist: Hawkeye, Hela, Squirrel Girl & The PunisherStrategist: Adam Warlock, Loki & Luna Snow |
| Magneto | Vanguard: Captain America, Groot, Hulk & VenomDuelist: Iron Man, Spider-Man & StormStrategist: Adam Warlock, Loki, Luna Storm & Mantis |
| Mantis | Vanguard: Groot, Hulk & VenomDuelist: Hawkeye, The Punisher & Spider-ManStrategist: None |
| Moon Knight | Vanguard: Captain America & Doctor StrangeDuelist: Black Widow, Hawkeye, Hela, The Punisher & Star-LordStrategist: Rocket Raccoon |
| Namor | Vanguard: Doctor StrangeDuelist: Black Widow, Hela & Winter SoldierStrategist: Loki, Luna Snow & Rocket Raccoon |
| Peni Parker | Vanguard: Captain America, Groot, Hulk & VenomDuelist: Hela, Moon Knight, Spider-Man, Squirrel Girl & Winter SoldierStrategist: Loki, Luna Snow & Rocket Raccoon |
| Psylocke | Vanguard: Captain America, Hulk & VenomDuelist: Black Panther, Hawkeye, The Punisher & Spider-ManStrategist: Adam Warlock, Loki, Luna Snow & Mantis |
| The Punisher | Vanguard: Doctor StrangeDuelist: Hawkeye, Hela & Spider-ManStrategist: Loki & Luna Snow |
| Rocket Raccoon | Vanguard: Captain America, Hulk & VenomDuelist: Black Panther, Iron Fist, Magik, The Punisher & Spider-ManStrategist: None |
| Scarlet Witch | Vanguard: Captain America, Groot, Hulk & VenomDuelist: Hawkeye, Hela, Moon Knight & The PunisherStrategist: Jeff the Land Shark, Loki & Mantis |
| Squirrel Girl | Vanguard: Captain America, Groot, Doctor Strange, Peni Parker & VenomDuelist: Black Widow, Hawkeye and HelaStrategist: Adam Warlock, Loki, Luna Snow & Mantis |
| Spider-Man | Vanguard: Doctor Strange & VenomDuelist: Black Widow, Namor, The Punisher & Scarlet WitchStrategist: Mantis |
| Star Lord | Vanguard: Doctor Strange, Magneto & Peni ParkerDuelist: Black Widow, Hawkeye & Squirrel GirlStrategist: Jeff the Land Shark, Loki & Luna Snow |
| Storm | Vanguard: Doctor Strange, Magneto & Peni ParkerDuelist: Hawkeye, The Punisher, Star-Lord & Winter SoldierStrategist: Adam Warlock, Loki, Luna Snow & Mantis |
| Thor | Vanguard: Doctor Strange, Peni Parker & MagnetoDuelist: Hawkeye, Hela, The Punisher & Star-LordStrategist: Jeff the Land Shark, Loki & Mantis |
| Venom | Vanguard: Doctor Strange, Peni Parker & MagnetoDuelist: Hawkeye, Hela, The Punisher & Star-LordStrategist: Jeff the Land Shark & Mantis |
| Winter Soldier | Vanguard: Doctor Strange & MagnetoDuelist: Black Panther, Iron Fist, Spider-Man & WolverineStrategist: Adam Warlock |
| Wolverine | Vanguard: Doctor Strange & MagnetoDuelist: Black Widow, Hawkeye, Iron Man & The PunisherStrategist: Adam Warlock, Loki & Mantis. |
Marvel Rivals counters explained
Adam Warlock
Going up against Adam Warlock and coming out on top is all about stopping him in his tracks by taking him out quickly. Characters with easy hit radiuses like Squirrel Girl are a safe choice, while characters with lots of protection and disruption (like Magneto) also work well.
Black Panther
When it comes to dealing with Black Panther, you have a couple of options on the table. Depending on your playstyle, you can either deal with him at range or get up close and personal with tanky Vanguard characters like Groot and Venom.
Black Widow
Black Widow is a high-skill ceiling champion, so her efficacy will depend on who is in control. That said, her significant damage comes at a distance, and if you play a character that moves quickly and is tough to pin down, you should negate a lot of what she does best. Spider-Man is the best example of this, but other characters who can shift out of sight below the map also work well.
Captain America
As his appearances in the comics and movies make infinitely clear, Cap’ is an out-and-out brawler who is pretty easy to negate with the right pick. His lack of quick distance closers makes him pretty easy to take out at range, particularly as his relatively diminutive shield doesn’t do enough to level the dearth of health he has compared to other Vanguard characters.
Cloak and Dagger
In a similar vein to Adam Warlock, Cloak and Dagger need some wiggle room to get the most out of their toolkits. That does open up some weaknesses and you can get at them with champions that close the distance quickly or move in an unpredictable fashion.
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange is one of the strongest characters in Marvel Rivals in terms of match-ups, so it can be a little challenging to know who to put up against him. Your best bet is tanky Vanguards, who can soak up the worst of his effects, or up close and personal heroes who can disrupt his output.
Groot
Groot, as you might expect from an anthropomorphic tree, is tough and difficult to bring down. That said, there are some decent options in each category. Duelist players should stick with ranged characters, while Vanguards have options like Magneto, who can go toe-to-toe in terms of damage absorption while dishing out more than Groot is able to.
Hawkeye
It can be really hard to get up close to Hawkeye without taking a ton of damage, so you’ll want to make life as difficult for the person playing him as possible. Loki is an excellent pick as he’s just so hard to pin down, while very tanky Vanguards should have enough in the tank to break through to his backline and stop him from being effective.
Hela
Hela is a fierce competitor and strong counter to many of the game’s best champs, so picking correctly against her is more important than usual. Ranged Duelists are always handy, while Strategists like the ever-annoying (adorable) Jeff the Land Shark will render significant portions of her toolkit useless.
Hulk
The Hulk might not have anything shocking in his bag of tricks, but good lord, he is formidable to bring down. As such, your best bet is to run with a pick that can deal as much damage as possible, preferably from far away. The Punisher is consistently one of our favorite picks in this situation.
Iron Fist
Iron Fist has blown the community away with his overall prowess, but there are some ways to mitigate his most devastating features. For Strategists, you’ll want to look out for picks like Loki and Mantis, who can avoid damage and CC very well more generally. Peni Parker is probably the best overall pick in this situation, though you may be limited against other champions if you go down that route.
Iron Man
Iron Man can fly pretty consistently in any given game of Marvel Rivals, so a lot of the close and personal beat-em-up heroes are rendered relatively useless. Hawkeye, The Punisher, and Doctor Strange are the most decisive choices right now, and they should make surprisingly short work of Tony Stark.
Jeff the Land Shark
Don’t be fooled by his remarkably cute appearance, Jeff the Land Shark is one of the best overall picks in the game right now. Very tanky characters do okay against him because he doesn’t have the damage output to dispatch them in a timely manner, while melee beasts like Wolverine can make short work of the fight if they can get their hands on little Jeff.
Loki
The Norse God of Tricks is an absolute nightmare to kill, purely because he has so many out-of-pocket tools that are hard to predict for the average player. Champions that shut him down or suppress him are the best bet, while characters like Venom can pick him off before he has a chance to react.
Luna Snow
Luna Snow isn’t going to be in the thick of combat, but it’s essential to take her out, or she will have the potential to sustain the entire enemy team. As such, you’ll want range on your side or a hero who is able to dive the back line safely and quickly. If you do, it’s possible to make pretty short work of Luna.
Magik
As is often the case with melee-focused heroes in Marvel Rivals, your best bet is often to take them out from range. Magik is no exception, and characters like The Punisher will be your best bet for some time to come. Failing that, easy-hit picks like Squirrel Girl should have plenty in the tank to dispatch her before she gets too close.
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Magneto
Despite being very strong in his own right, Magneto is one of the easiest characters to counter right now. Vanguard players need to out-tank him, while Duelists should go for high-movement picks like Spider-Man. Tricky Strategist options also work well, so you should have plenty on the table when draft time arrives.
Mantis
Mantis is a weird champion in that her greatest areas of contribution are considerably less noticeable than traditional supports or damage dealers. Tanks tend to have an easy time against her, so load in with a character like Groot or Hulk and you should be absolutely fine to ignore her for most of the match.
Moon Knight
Moon Knight is a bit of an enigma and he isn’t getting a ton of play right now, though much of that trend may relate to how many heroes counter him in the current build. Black Widow and Hela are devastating in a 1v1, while Captain America has little trouble dealing with everything that Moon Knight has to offer.
Namor
Namor is relatively strong across the board, and no individual heroes stand out as hard counters to the way he plays. That said, picking options for who can outstrip him for damage is a great option, with Black Widow and Hela probably being the best examples of that trend.
Peni Parker
Peni Parker is a weird one to counter directly against because she doesn’t do anything particularly outlandish that needs addressing. Her high health pool is her greatest strength, so go with any of the big damage Duelists in the table and all will be well the next time you meet.
Psylocke
Psylocke has a lot of potential counters to watch out for and you should be able to find yourself a sensible option regardless of which role you prefer. Strategists work noticeably well to negate her primary abilities, while the best Duelists will also find it relatively easy to bring her down quickly.
The Punisher
The Punisher is easily the best long-range option in Marvel Rivals, so getting anywhere near him to take him out can be an uphill battle. Very tanky characters are a solid choice, while high movement options also work well, becoming tough to hit except against the very best players around.
Rocket Raccoon
One of Rocket’s most significant advantages is that he’s physically small and it can be challenging to hit him consistently on high-skill ranged heroes. Instead, go for brutal melee specialists like Black Panther, and you should make short work of him. Though, why you’d want to do that to such an adorable animal is beyond me.
Scarlet Witch
Arguably the lore’s strongest character from the existing roster, Scarlet Witch has been a little underwhelming in the current meta. Range is not her friend, while characters like Jeff the Land Shark and Venom (who can get close without being exposed) should find it easy to expose her soft underbelly.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a tough character to pick up and play, but get good with his movement and you’ll stop many of the heroes in Marvel Rivals from being able to do much at all. Your best bets are picks like Venom, Scarlet Witch, and The Punisher, with the goal being to pin him down and dispatch him quickly when unaware.
Squirrel Girl
Squirrel Girl blew the meta wide open in the game’s earliest days, but things have leveled out since then, and her lack of movement options makes her relatively easy to counter. High damage or long-range options usually come out on top, while the Tankiest champs in the game should be able to get past most of her attacks.
Star-Lord
Star-Lord gives players a nice balance between immediate playability and a high skill ceiling, but he is also weak against quite a few of the current roster. Doctor Strange, Peni Parker, Loki, Luna Snow and Jeff the Land Shark all work very well, massively reducing his ability to be effective in a fight.
Storm
Storm is arguably being slept on right now, but a lot of the discussion around her weaknesses relates to how easy she is to counter, rather than her actual kit. Choices from all three class types work well, including Doctor Strange, Adam Warlock, and Hawkeye, so stay out of the way of her major abilities, and you should be fine.
Thor
The God of Thunder is a bit of a beast if given free rein, but he is also one of the easier heroes to pin down early. Doctor Strange is a great option, mixing a high-health pool with damage, flight, movement and mitigation that should give you more than enough to negate Thor’s best features.
Venom
Arguably the best character in the entire game right now, finding someone who can counter Venom directly is a little bit like looking for a needle in a haystack. We’ve gone with ranged picks alongside tanky options, with tricky additions like Jeff the Land Shark for good measure.
Winter Soldier
Winter Soldier is another bruising melee champion who can cause a lot of problems behind the back line. If you want to take him out early, any ranged champion should work okay. Failing that, Adam Warlock does an excellent job of curbing his most egregious excesses, and you should be able to heal through the worst of his output.
Wolverine
Wolverine needs to get up very close to the enemy to get anything out of his limited toolkit. If he does, he’s devastating, so you’ll have to do everything in your power to make sure that doesn’t happen. Range is your friend again, so try and drop him early and at a distance to start racking up the kills.
That’s all there is to know about counter-picking in Marvel Rivals! Make sure to check out our guide to earning XP quickly, or our complete look at how to earn ranked rewards.
