Looking to begin your Marvel Rivals journey by dipping your toes into the support role pool? Or maybe you’re a vanguard/duelist main setting out to expand your hero repertoire for the sake of making your teammates lives easier out there on the battlefield? Either way, Rivals’ lineup of strategists has something on offer for everyone - and if you’re not sure where to begin, look no further! Below, I’ve listed every strategist available in the game, from easiest to pick, all the way down to the most difficult to master.
Note: This list takes into account elements including survivability, kit complexity, overall team value, platform differences, and hero skill ceiling, and should also not be taken as a deep dive into each individual hero’s ability options and playstyles.
10. Rocket Raccoon
Starting out nice and easy here, Rocket’s kit feels almost perfectly tailored to players just beginning to branch out into the support role. There’s not a whole lot to keep track of, especially when compared to other strategists appearing elsewhere on this list. You’ve got your primary attack and your secondary healing orb volley, the latter of which doesn’t require too much precision on the part of the player to get results – although landing a shot directly onto a teammate yields more efficient health gain (climb walls for positioning advantage).
Additionally, Rocket’s B.R.B device may be employed to revive a recently downed ally, and his ultimate slaps some bonus health on the team while buffing all outgoing damage. He’s fun to play, easy to get used to, and can make a noticeable impact mid-match without a whole lot of effort. It’s also worth noting that many Rocket players out there focus entirely on spamming healing orbs, barely putting out any damage or pressure whatsoever (if any at all). For the sake of your team’s sanity, don’t be this Rocket player.
9. Jeff the Land Shark
The one true mascot of Marvel Rivals (sorry Galacta), Jeff the Land Shark is a solid general strategist pick – despite what your team’s Iron Fist might be yelling in chat. Our adorable little buddy’s primary attack provides decent healing for teammates and damage output for foes, with a cooldown-controlled secondary fire that packs a surprising amount of offensive impact while simultaneously knocking opponents up and back into the air.
Jeff can be played conservatively from a distance or, as is more often the case, hyper-aggressively – mercilessly harassing the weaker links within the enemy team’s chain (don’t forget to top up your allies’ health pools, though). Thanks to an effective escape ability that allows for both wall-climbing and self-healing, as well as a hero-devouring ultimate that can significantly shift the flow of battle, becoming one with the ways of the land shark spells absolute misery for the other team.
8. Cloak & Dagger
Essentially two heroes for the price of one, each with abilities primarily revolving around either healing (for Dagger) or damage (for Cloak) – juggling both buffs and debuffs in the thick of combat. Boasting a sizeable lock-on range for basic attacks/heals and a truly disruptive ultimate ability, Cloak & Dagger is the kind of can’t-go-wrong strategist great for filling an empty team support slot – especially for those who might struggle with landing crucial shots in dicey situations. While not necessarily more complex than the above list entries (and still falling well within the “easier” side of the strategist roster), I feel the alternating hero mechanic naturally nudges this hero ever-so-slightly ahead on the difficulty scale.
7. Ultron
Ultron is… an unusual strategist, to say the least. Deciding where to drop this guy on the list was harder than I expected, and even now I’m still not convinced this is the correct placement. While Ultron Is technically one of the easier support heroes to play, largely due to his embarrassingly basic ability lineup and permanent flight, his effectiveness fluctuates from player to player – relying heavily on the individual’s ability to consistently land shots on mobile targets (as well as effectively managing passive healing drone placement for allies), which is slightly trickier to pull off for console players. He’s very much three-parts duelist and one-part healer, and this alone is enough to send at least two of your teammates into panic mode when selected.
6. Invisible Woman
Sue’s a safe bet for any and all occasions, a versatile hero with some seriously strong survivability and escape options at her disposal - especially after the recent series of balance patches. With invisibility (obviously), easy-to-handle shield utility (both for herself and other team members), decent crowd control skills (pushing or pulling enemies), and a notoriously game-halting “circle of immortality” ultimate, Invisible Woman does it all without forcing the player to break a sweat or worry too much about having to deal with a flanking duelist solo. Unless, of course, you’re up against a cracked Black Panther or Daredevil player.
5. Luna Snow
Luna Snow is undoubtedly one of the most powerful (and frequently picked) strategists in the entire game, and she shines brightest in the hands of someone who (much like the already-mentioned Ultron) has the skill to land consistent and precise shots on enemy heroes. If this sounds like you, get ready to put some big numbers up on the scoreboard rivalling many of the duelists and other support players on your team for damage and healing respectively. Skating around maps with increased mobility, healing two allies at once via an attachable Idol Aura snowflake, buffing or healing your teammates with one of the most annoying ultimates in the entire game, and momentarily freezing enemy players in their tracks is just extra icing on the cake.
4. Mantis
While picking up Mantis, it can be easy to forget you’re playing a support hero. Her damage output potential is no joke, as is her ability to briefly knock an enemy out cold on their feet. The reason she’s sitting here at number four mainly stems from how her healing works, consuming Life Orb resource pips to heal allies (or buff her own damage) over time instead of serving up a once-off flat value per shot. Even though her particular playstyle will definitely not sit well with many out there, I’d highly recommend duelist mains at least give her a shot. And yes, much like the above two heroes, her ultimate is up there as possible candidate for most hated in the entirety of Rivals – buffing movement speed and unloading massive heals for the team.
3. Gambit
The newest addition to Marvel Rivals’ strategist roster, and perhaps a controversial placement at this position on the list, Gambit’s hefty kit is largely reliant on the player mastering and memorizing specific damage-dealing/healing combo moves – reflected in the two types of card decks he can alternate between (Hearts for healing and Spades for damage, consuming Sleight of Hand pips in the process). Gambit is a fantastic, highly versatile middle-ground pick for players who want to keep teammates alive while dishing out pain at the same time. Just make sure you understand his fundamentals (and his slightly confusing ultimate description) before jumping straight into competitive.
2. Loki
Loki’s playstyle focuses on maximizing healing and damage through his core clone placement technique. Plopping these copies down strategically for essentially triple the firepower (or heals) feels satisfying as hell, but truly meaningful and impactful plays can be tricky to pull off. These clones are totally immobile, to boot, making them easy targets for rivals – although you’re thankfully able to swap places with your surviving doppelgangers to escape the immediate scene when things get too hot to handle.
1. Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock has always felt like somewhat of a niche pick, and if you see a fellow teammate insta-lock this hero, chances are they’re either godawful with him or a legend – there is no in-between. Adam’s kit demands situational awareness from the player, solid skill proc management skills (as his primary support ability has a charge limit), and above-average accuracy when going on the offensive. His revival ultimate also necessities some degree of either team communication or excellent timing on the part of the user, and more often than not you’ll see this ability going to waste in many of your matches (regardless of whether you’re in Quick Match or Competitive).