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In Marvel Rivals, Strategists serve as the essential backbone of any team, expertly combining healing, support, and tactical utility to ensure allies remain in the fight. Characters such as Luna Snow and Rocket Raccoon have consistently set the standard with their dependable healing abilities and crowd control tactics, while Adam Warlock’s versatile playstyle brings a refreshing element of adaptability to the mix.
The latest Season 2.5 introduces a new Strategist, Ultron, who dares to challenge the status quo. Breaking away from the mold of conventional support characters, Ultron presents a unique blend of duelist and strategist elements. His ability to soar through the skies—the first of its kind for a Strategist—combined with drone-based healing positions him as a standout character.
While initial responses have been varied, Ultron’s impressive damage output and strategic positioning truly elevate him to a game-changing status when wielded by adept players. Here’s how you can play him to dominate lobbies.
Ultron abilities in Marvel Rivals
Ultron is a flying two-star difficulty healer and carries a wide arsenal of healing capabilities, thanks to his drones in Marvel Rivals. When you use his drones, he becomes a force to be reckoned with and becomes quite a challenge for enemies to avoid. All of his abilities are listed below:
Ultron’s ability kit
| Abilities | Description |
|---|---|
| Encephalo-Ray | Unleash a burning energy beam. |
| Dynamic Flight | Fly quickly in the direction of movement and then enter an Accelerated state. |
| Imperative: Patch | Commands a giant drone to follow an ally, constantly healing allies within its radius, with additional healing for the designated ally. |
| Imperative: Firewall | Summons drones to grant bonus health to nearby allies, centered on Ultron and the ally marked with Imperative: Patch. Great for holding objectives. |
| Rage of Ultron (Ult) | Summons Ultron Drones to fire Encephalo-Rays, which can either damage enemies or heal allies. |
| Nano Ray (Team-Up with Iron Man) | Enhance his Encephalo-Ray to Nano Ray that pierces through characters, dealing massive damage to enemies while healing allies. |
How to use Ultron in Marvel Rivals
Ultron is a beast with a hybrid kit that combines long-range damage, quick mobility, and critical support to win matches.
Soar into the battlefield using Ultron’s levitating powers. Image by VideoGamer.
Ultron will be unleashed in Rivals on May 30. Image by VideoGamer.
Heal your allies by summoning Imperative Wall. Image by VideoGamer.
Use your ultimate to unleash Ultron’s real power on your enemies. Image by VideoGamer.
Ultron’s main weapon is his Encephalo-Ray, a charged energy beam that is more powerful than Iron Man’s Unibeam and can go farther than Emma Frost’s strikes. Hold the trigger to tighten the reticle, then release for a tremendous burst—the final pulse deals the greatest damage, so avoid spraying and praying. Headshots on squishy Duelists like Scarlet Witch or Spider-Man should be taken from a medium to long range. Stay back to prevent being jumped by melee heroes like Wolverine, and keep an eye on your ammo to avoid reloading in an unsafe location. You are a sniper, not a brawler, so play cautiously.
To stay mobile, use Dynamic Flight. This ability grants you a rapid dash in any direction, followed by eight seconds of free flight and 50 overshields for three seconds. Use it to get to high ground on maps like Yggsgard or Tokyo 2099, where you can rain down beams and spot opponent flanks. It’s also your escape card; use it to avoid divers like Iron Fist and counters like Mister Fantastic, whose elastic arms may still tag you in the air. While hovering, relay enemy positions to your crew, but don’t go too far; you’re durable but not Hulk-level tanky.
Imperative: Patch is the place to go for help. It dispatches a drone to a teammate, providing consistent healing with additional juice for the selected ally. Drop it on diving Vanguards like Thor or flankers like Black Panther when they’re under pressure. Follow it with Imperative: Firewall, which grants 85 overshields to allies around you or your Patch drone for three seconds.
This combo makes your team extremely difficult to kill during objective engagements, such as holding a capture point. Just don’t use both abilities on cooldown—save them for when your squad is in the middle of the action, and stay elevated to keep drones within range.
When it’s time to go, unleash Rage of Ultron, your ultimate. It spawns a swarm of drones that fire Encephalo-Rays, delivering AoE damage to opponents while healing allies nearby. Drop this bad boy in team fights on payloads or control positions to annihilate enemy backlines while keeping your crew safe. Time it to counter major enemy ults like Magneto’s or Doctor Strange’s for maximum havoc. If you’re playing with Iron Man, the Stark Protocol Team-Up equips you with a piercing Unibeam that destroys enemies while healing friends, making it ideal for coordinated pushes.
To win, use a semi-aggressive Ultron strategy. Combine with divers like Hulk or fliers like Storm, and keep Patch and Firewall at full strength. Look out for burst-damage counters like Hela or chasers like Star-Lord, and employ Dynamic Flight to stay slippery. Focus on objectives, snipe from above, and use your ultimate to swing fights. You’re the ultimate hybrid—you deal damage, save lives, and control the sky.
About the Author
Marvel Rivals
- Platform(s): macOS, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- Genre(s): Fighting, Shooter
