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From mastering Thor’s lightning-charged Thorforce to utilizing Team-Up abilities like Rocket Raccoon’s Ammo Overload with The Punisher, Marvel Rivals players have discovered strategies for dominating the battlefield. Tips offered on forums and social media emphasize the significance of map awareness, timing ultimates (such as Luna Snow’s response to opposing pushes), and staying with allies to optimize synergy.
Newcomers and pros alike have embraced these tactics, honing their talents to get dubs in modes like Convoy and Domination. Pros also recommend warming up in the Practice Range to strengthen reflexes before ranked matches, something that increases win rates.
Despite these intelligent strategies, a subtle but repeated mistake is quietly making players lose matches in ranked lobbies and it’s quite simple – picking your favorite character.
Marvel Rivals players need to embrace Counter Picks to win matches
In Marvel Rivals, the joy of playing as your favorite hero, such as Spider-Man swinging across the battlefield or Thor unleashing thunderous might, often tempts players to instantly lock in their comfort picks regardless of the other team’s composition.
Analyzing enemy team heroes to pick a hero. Image by VideoGamer.
Insta Lock the character you want to grind Lord for. Image by VideoGamer.
High skill players are slashing lower tier players in lobbies using alt accounts. Image by VideoGamer.
However, this instalock strategy is a trap that costs matches, particularly in competitive mode. The game’s design, with its broad roster of Duelists, Vanguards, and Strategists, is built around smart counter-picking, where hero choices can change the odds against even the most competent opponents.
Sticking to favorites undermines Marvel Rivals’ central rock-paper-scissors dynamic. For example, a team relying heavily on melee divers like Black Panther fails against ranged opponents like Hawkeye or Hela, who can kite and punish from afar. Similarly, a Groot who’s building walls and blocking enemy paths can be shredded by high-mobility flankers like Wolverine, who can get around and shred him in seconds.
So the best advice here by players like MarvelRivalsMerchant is to pick a hero at the beginning of the round, stay near the spawn area and open the scoreboard to look at the heroes the enemy team has picked. Once you analyze your opponents, counter pick a hero that can target their most powerful character so you can easily help your team disrupt the opponent’s strategy.
Players who fail to adapt leave their teams vulnerable, requiring teammates to overcompensate for obvious flaws, such as a lack of healing versus sustain-heavy enemies or no response to aerial threats like Storm. The option to shift characters in the middle of a match is a blessing, but many people waste it by prioritizing familiarity over common sense. Remember, in Marvel Rivals, winning isn’t about conquering one hero, rather it’s about outwitting the opponent.
About the Author
Marvel Rivals
- Platform(s): macOS, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- Genre(s): Fighting, Shooter
