Marvel Rivals has a vast cast of heroes, villains, and everything in between for players to play. Whether you want to pick up a mutant, a self-made savior, or a monstrosity of some kind, NetEase’s new hero shooter probably has the thing you’re looking for.
The Vanguard class incorporates all the tanks of Marvel Rivals such as Thor, Doctor Strange, and Hulk – protectors and divers who don’t let the enemy damage dealers near your healers or try and dive the enemy healers and wreak havoc in the backline. But which Vanguard is the best in Marvel Rivals?
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Marvel Rivals Best Tanks
Before we dive into it, let’s take a look at the list of the best Tanks.
- 8. Captain America
- 7. Thor
- 6. Hulk
- 5. Groot
- 4. Peni Parker
- 3. Magneto
- 2. Venom
- 1. Doctor Strange
8. Captain America
The First Avenger takes the last spot on the list – at least for right now. Sadly, Steve Rogers’ abilities don’t really provide anything for his teammates. His shield is fairly small, he can’t give out buffs outside of his ultimate, and he doesn’t really have any other utility in his kit. While he can dive the backline easily, he doesn’t have as much damage as Duelists or even other Vanguards, and if you can’t execute his full combo properly, you’ll have a hard time hunting down anything that’s not a lone healer.
His mobility is also a bit lacking, as running fast is not that effective, so once Cap gets in, he has a hard time getting out. He can tank a lot of damage with healing, but once his opponents shift their focus, he can just be ignored.
However, his win rate is positive, sitting at 51%, according to Rivals Tracker. His win rate also improved by almost one percent in the past couple of weeks, but the biggest issue still remains: there are other Vanguards that can do what he does but a bit better.
7. Thor
Thor is a Vanguard that plays more like a Duelist but with more Health and less outright damage. The Odinson can dive into the enemy team and dish out a ton of pain while also taking it as his abilities give him bonus Health. He can also waste the opposing team’s time for a long with his ult and his second ability, and if he turns on his Unbound Runes, he can destroy almost any enemy in his path outside of someone with a pocket healer.
The biggest issue Thor has is that he doesn’t provide any utility to his teammates and can be focused down easily. While he has a ton of damage and can stay alive on his own for quite a while due to his low Cooldowns, thanks to the Thorforce mechanic, he still needs help from his healers to tank as much as he can. Nevertheless, he has a 52% win rate according to stats sites, so you can definitely get some W’s with him.
6. Hulk
While Hulk has been rising in popularity among pro players, he suffers from the same issues as the two heroes mentioned before him. The Green Giant can make his way into the fight effectively and can stay alive for long, but he’s just a meat shield, even in his Worldbreaker form. He does have some utility with his shield and his CC and can lock down targets. He also has hidden durability due to the fact that he can’t be hurt when he transforms from Banner to Hulk, but enemies can also just ignore him and put the focus back on him once he turns into one of the forms.
Hulk has a 51% win rate on Rivals Tracker, but his play rate is the lowest out of all the Vanguards, so players generally don’t find his playstyle as fun as other tanks.
5. Groot
A great Groot should be higher up on the list, but if you don’t master the Floral Colossus’ walls, you won’t be able to bring out everything that’s in him. This is shown in his 49% win rate, as if you don’t know what you’re doing, you won’t be able to support your team as much as with other heroes.
Still, Groot can be an invaluable asset to a team. If you know where to lock down certain chokepoints and traversal areas on maps, you can make the life of your opponent’s hell. His long-range basic attacks make him a good threat to midrange heroes, and Groot’s Ultimate is also very straightforward and can turn the tides of battle.
4. Peni Parker
The premier lockdown hero of Marvel Rivals has the highest win rate of all Vanguards in Marvel Rivals. Peni Parker can make it impossible for the enemy team to capture points or get through certain areas in the map. Also, Peni can be an answer to some of the more mobile heroes in the game, like Iron Fist or Spider-Man, thanks to her Cyber-Web Snare. This skill can also interrupt channeled abilities like Scarlet Witch’s ultimate, which can be clutch in certain situations.
However, Peni is much weaker if enemies can take her out from outside her webs. If she faces something like a Hawkeye that can pick her off without ever entering her area of influence, she becomes much less useful.
3. Magneto
Magneto has some great utility in his kit, like Iron Curtain, which can block projectiles and is big enough to protect his allies (sorry, Cap). He also has invaluable shields that can stop enemy Duelists from taking out your Strategists and other backliners, which can make or break certain situations. His Ultimate, Meteor M, absorbs projectiles as well, so it’s another tool that can be used to shut down some of the most dangerous abilities in Marvel Rivals.
Magneto’ biggest weakness is his slow damage and movement speed, as well as lack of a dash or other gap closer. He is also much stronger when his daughter, Wanda is involved, as their Team-Up boosts the damage of Magneto significantly, which makes her a pick that’s often seen alongside him.
2. Venom
While Venom sits at the bottom of the win rate statistics with 47%, he can still provide insane value. He is THE tankiest Vanguard of Marvel Rivals, capable of diving in and surviving on his own for several seconds, buying time for his healers to arrive or his team to catch up. He is also the most mobile of the class, thanks to his swing, and can deal with other tanks with his Ultimate.
His Team-Up also makes Peni Parker and Peter Parker stronger, granting them the ability to explode into symbiotic tendrils. While Venom needs some setup and provides limited utility by himself, with the right circumstances, he can be insanely hard to deal with.
1. Doctor Strange
Taking the first spot on our list is the Sorcerer Supreme himself, Stephen Strange. Boasting the highest play rate of any Vanguard, he was picked 223 thousand times in the last period – comparatively, Magneto is second with 162k.
This makes sense, as Doctor Strange has one of the most fun abilities in the game with his portals. He is also the premier shield tank of Marvel Rivals, as Shield of the Seraphim covers a huge area and can be used fluidly in the heat of battle. His damage is also fine for a tank, as weaving Daggers of Denak and Maelstrom of Madness can get a healer’s attention if needed. Alongside all that, Strange has one of the best team-fighting Ultimates in the game, as the Eye of Agamotto can shut down entire teams if they group up. All in all, Doctor Strange has everything you’d want from a tank, so he takes the top rank!
Tanks in Marvel Rivals are an invaluable asset to any team. They provide utility as well as damage, so be sure to pick at least two (instead of six Duelists)!
