The best vanguards in Marvel Rivals

Key recommendations

• Vanguards are key frontline powers in Marvel Rivals, crucial to initiating battles and creating opportunities for teammates.
• Selecting the right Vanguard is key, as each has unique abilities and playstyles that suit different team compositions.
• Characters like Captain America, Thor and Groot offer different strengths and weaknesses, making them essential to master.

Vanguard in Marvel Rivals they play a critical role in any team's composition, acting as front-line powers that combine durability with disruptive capabilities. These characters excel at initiating battles, absorbing damage, and creating opportunities for teammates to capitalize and deal maximum damage. Their presence can often turn the tide of a match as they dictate both offensive and defensive strategies.

Selecting the right Vanguard is not an easy task, however, as each character has their own unique set of abilities that set them apart from each other. Some are better at absorbing damage as tanks, while others excel at playing the objective with zone protection. Regardless of preference, Vanguards are an essential class to master, so it's important to understand which ones are the most effective picks.

8 Captain America

I needed more ice time

• Health: 650
• Difficulty: 3/5
• First Appearance: Captain America Comics #1 (1940)

The First Avenger is probably one of Marvel's most recognizable characters, so it might surprise some fans to discover that he's perhaps one of the weakest in Marvel Rivals. He's a melee-focused Vanguard whose kit revolves around his famous shield, which he can raise to protect himself and his allies from damage. However, the shield only has 400 HP and depletes quite quickly in the heat of battle. At least it reflects projectiles back at enemies, compensating for its lower health.

With weaker defensive capabilities compared to other vanguards, it might be reasonable to expect his damage output to take a hit, but he falters there as well. His movement is excellent as he dashes and jumps quickly into action, but his attacks are lackluster and more of a nuisance to enemies than a serious threat. Even with Ultimate active, which heals and boosts his team's movement, he can quickly be overwhelmed by enemy Duelists on objectives.

7 Thor

The Power of a God is missing

• Health: 600
• Difficulty: 3/5
• First Appearance: Mystery Journey #83 (1962)

God of Thunder packs a serious punch, as he has some of the highest damage potential of his fellow vanguards. Thor wields his trusty Mjolnir, which he can use to strike down enemies, advance, or throw at greater distances. Players looking to master Thor's kit must commit to harassing the enemy team as they look to deal large amounts of burst damage.

Despite his divine nature, Thor is still far from invincible. He has relatively low health compared to other vanguards, and it's easy to get stuck due to his limited movement options. Unless he's awakened, which gives him an extra 200 HP, he's unlikely to be able to face the attack for sustained periods of time.

6 Bruce Banner/Hulk

Decent damage, but easily thwarted by duelists

• Health: 200 / 800 / 1550
• Difficulty: 4/5
• First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk #1 (1962)

Hulk can sometimes seem like a simple character, looking like an angry green giant, but his developers Marvel Rivals gave it more nuance. He has three forms that players can change into by building his Ultimate: Bruce Banner, Hero Hulk, and Monster Hulk. Playstyles vary between each take, with Bruce Banner having a Gamma Ray gun to fire at enemies, while Hero Hulk focuses on melee and personality.

He's a difficult character to master (hence the difficulty level), and managing his forms can be frustrating at times, especially when he warps back into Bruce Banner. His damage is decent, but his range and speed let him down, as any Duelist with a bit of range on their attacks can throw Hero Hulk back at Bruce in a few hits. From there, he's a sitting duck ready to be eliminated.

5 Groot

A well-rounded vanguard that can control the map

• Health: 850
• Difficulty: 2/5
• First Appearance: Stories to Amaze #13 (1960)

While it may seem simple at first, Groot's gameplay has a unique level of complexity. His abilities allow him to place thorny walls on the map, meaning he can split up objectives or channel enemies through certain areas. They can double much-needed cover in open areas, and when Groot stands next to them and attacks, they deal bonus damage to enemies or heal allies.

As for his health, it's nothing to scoff at either. With 850 HP and ways to regain it himself, Groot is pretty self-sustaining, making him a perfect anchor for an objective. Pair him with a well-played healer and he should be able to hold his objectives pretty well. Its key limiting factor is its normal attack, which deals decent damage but has no critical hit chance. Otherwise, it's an incredibly well-rounded Vanguard, worthy of a spot on the team.

4 Parker pens

Queen of the Spider Robots

• Health: 650
• Difficulty: 4/5
• First Appearance: Edge of Spider-Verse #5 (2014)

Peni Parker is perhaps the best character in Marvel Rivals for zone denial. Her Bionic Spider Nest ability covers an area with Cyber-Webs, providing Heal over Time and a Movement Boost. As long as it is placed somewhere out of sight for enemies to destroy, Peni can easily anchor an objective. That said, if the Spider's Nest is destroyed, Peni can stand out due to her large body and relatively lower health for a Vanguard. It's important to keep him guarded at all times, something Peni should be able to do with her heavy blast cannons.

In his cybernets, spider drones are scattered, and Peni can shoot them quite often. When placed in difficult spots, they can easily catch an enemy unawares and deal decent damage, especially if stacked in a high-traffic area. Her Ultimate allows her to clear and claim an objective by placing Cyber-Webs and launching enemies into the air, making her an easy target for friendly Duelists.

3 Magneto

Use metal for protection and destruction

• Health: 650
• Difficulty: 2/5
• First Appearance: X-Men #1 (1963)

Magneto strikes a perfect balance between a defensive and offensive character. He can summon a Metal Curtain, which blocks all incoming projectiles and is wide enough to cover him and some allies. It doesn't have a health bar like Captain America or Doctor Strange, instead relying on a short cooldown, so players have to make sure they're not under fire until it's over, as movement is quite restricted.

If players want individual protection, then Magneto can summon shields around allies and himself, with damage taken being converted into metal rings on Magneto's back. These rings can be turned into a Mag-Cannon, which deals decent ranged damage, and the Ultimate is great at dealing heavy damage to a group of enemies in a group.

2 Doctor Strange

Shield bearer and portal maker

• Health: 650
• Difficulty: 2/5
• First Appearance: Strange Tales #110 (1963)

Sorcerer Supreme reigns supreme when it comes to frontline tank damage. His Shield Of The Seraphim ability projects a gigantic 800 HP circular shield that blocks all incoming projectiles. Strange can also levitate for short periods of time, meaning he can even shield players from the air if they need him. However, his utility makes him stand out as he can summon a portal across the map, allowing allies to quickly navigate the battlefield or trick enemies into a death trap.

However, he doesn't skimp when it comes to offense, as his normal attacks deal consistent damage that charges a powerful blast that can hit multiple enemies at once. His ultimate is also respectable, as it separates the souls of enemies from their bodies, the damage done to them transferring to their physical selves.

1 Venom

You symbiotically shut down the entire team

• Health: 800
• Difficulty: 1/5
• First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (1988)

Venom is the perfect mesh between a tank and a DPS focused character and is a good fit for any front line team. Marvel Rivals. With 800 health and the ability to regenerate some in an instant, Venom is incredibly self-sufficient in the heat of battle. If the going gets tough, he can always move away with his quick movement, something that many other forwards lack.

His move isn't just good for running away though, as it's mostly used to instigate fights with unsuspecting enemies. Couple that with his Cell Corrosion ability that slows enemies and his normal attack that deals a large amount of damage and Venom can single-handedly disrupt a group of enemies. With the right player at the helm, Venom can be nearly immortal and a serious threat to any enemy team.