All Marvel Rivals Roles Explained

Every hero in the Marvel Rivals roster fits into one of three clearly defined roles: Duelist, Vanguard, and Strategist. Each role serves a specific purpose during combat, creating strong team synergies that help secure objectives and overwhelm opponents. Below, we’ll break down how all Marvel Rivals roles function and how you can use each class effectively to gain an edge in matches.

Duelist

Duelists are the most straightforward class to grasp. They are the primary damage dealers on the team and are tasked with finishing enemies and securing eliminations. This role often emphasizes high mobility, allowing Duelists to flank grouped-up teams and deliver explosive burst damage. Heroes such as Iron Fist, Black Panther, Spider-Man, and Iron Man are standout examples, as they offer consistent DPS alongside multiple movement tools.

Not all Duelists focus on close-range combat. Some are better suited for ranged DPS roles, including Black Widow with her sniper rifle, The Punisher wielding dual firearms, and Moon Knight using his boomerangs. While these characters generally lack the extreme mobility of melee-focused Duelists, they compensate with superior range, making it easier to kite enemies and deal damage safely from a distance.

Here are all the current Duelist characters so far:

• Black Panther
• Black Widow
• Hawkeye
• Hela
• Iron Fist
• Iron Man
• Magik
• Moon Knight
• Namor
• Psylocke Title.png
• Scarlet Witch
• Spider-Man
• Squirrel Girl
• Star-Lord
• Storm
• The Punisher
• Winter Soldier
• Wolverine

Vanguard

As their name suggests, Vanguard characters lead the charge by standing at the front of the team. Their job is to absorb enemy damage and act as large, durable targets that draw attention away from their allies. Simply put, Vanguards are the tank class of Marvel Rivals. Each Vanguard has tools to block, reduce, or absorb damage, such as Magneto’s shield, Venom’s massive health pool, Groot’s vine-based barriers, and Doctor Strange’s protective spells. These abilities allow them to hold objectives and keep enemies at bay.

What truly defines the Vanguard role is crowd control. Every Vanguard hero has access to abilities that can stun, root, knock up, or otherwise disrupt enemy movement. When used effectively, these tools make key targets vulnerable and can completely shift the momentum of a fight. A well-played Vanguard can initiate engagements, control space, and create prime opportunities for their teammates to secure kills.

The following are all the playable Vanguard characters:

• Captain America
• Doctor Strange
• Groot
• Hulk
• Magneto
• Peni Parker
• Thor
• Venom

Strategist

Strategists deal less damage than Duelists and lack the raw durability of Vanguards, but they are among the most crucial heroes in any team composition. This role focuses on supporting allies through healing, buffs, debuffs, and other utility effects that can turn the tide of battle. Each Strategist offers a unique approach to team support.

For instance, Adam Warlock excels at strong direct healing and even has the ability to revive fallen teammates. Luna Snow, on the other hand, provides slower, passive healing through her aura, which can be switched to a damage-boosting effect when offensive pressure is needed. Some Strategists bring utility beyond healing, such as Loki’s disguises and invisibility abilities that disrupt enemies and create confusion during fights.

Strategists have significant playmaking potential, whether by negating enemy damage with timely healing or enabling devastating team wipes through perfectly timed buffs and debuffs.

These are all the Strategist characters we have so far:

• Adam Warlock
• Cloak & Dagger
• Jeff The Land Shark
• Loki
• Luna Snow
• Mantis
• Rocket Raccoon

Truly mastering your favorite heroes goes beyond understanding their individual abilities. It also requires knowing how they fit within a team and how their strengths complement other roles. By learning the deeper team dynamics of Marvel Rivals, you’ll be able to coordinate better, execute stronger strategies, and win matches more consistently.