Started Marvel Rivals day one. Made every mistake possible. Fed my brains out for the first 50 hours before things clicked. Now I’m Diamond with 400+ hours, mostly on support.
This guide is everything I wish someone told me when I started. No fluff, just the stuff that actually matters.
Understanding the Three Roles
Marvel Rivals has three roles. Learn what each does before you queue.
Vanguard (Tanks)
Your job is to create space and absorb damage. You’re not a DPS. Stop chasing kills.
Good Vanguards:
- Doctor Strange - Aggressive, team teleport, big shields
- Magneto - Slow but hits hard, great shields
- Venom - Dive tank, hard to kill, high damage
Bad habit to avoid: Playing too passive. Vanguards need to make plays, not hide behind corners.
Duelist (DPS)
Kill stuff. That’s it. But kill the right stuff.
Priority targets:
- Enemy Strategists (healers)
- Low health enemies
- Isolated targets
- Other Duelists
Good Duelists for beginners:
- The Punisher - Simple, effective, assault rifle + shotgun
- Star-Lord - Mobile, forgiving, good damage
- Hela - If you can aim, she deletes people
Bad habit to avoid: Tunnel visioning on tanks. You’re not killing that Venom. Go find the Luna Snow.
Strategist (Support)
Keep your team alive. Deal damage when you can. Die last.
Good Strategists for beginners:
- Luna Snow - Best all-around healer, great ult
- Adam Warlock - Resurrection ult, second life passive
- Rocket Raccoon - Resurrection beacon, armor packs
Bad habit to avoid: Only healing. You have damage abilities. Use them. A dead enemy can’t hurt your team.
First Settings to Change
Default settings are bad. Change these immediately.
Crosshair
Default crosshair is huge. Make it smaller:
- Crosshair size: 3-5
- Color: Cyan or green (visible on all backgrounds)
- Center dot: On
Sensitivity
Start low, adjust up. I run 800 DPI with 4.5 in-game. Find what works for you, but lower is generally better for precision.
Audio
- Turn down music
- Turn up enemy footsteps
- Enable directional audio if you have headphones
Graphics
If you’re getting frame drops:
- Turn off motion blur (always)
- Lower shadows
- Cap framerate to your monitor’s refresh rate
Your First 10 Hours
Don’t jump into ranked. Seriously.
Hours 1-3: Try Every Role
Play at least 3 heroes from each role. Figure out what clicks. I thought I’d be a Duelist main. Turns out I’m a support player. You won’t know until you try.
Hours 3-7: Find Your Main
Pick 2-3 heroes to focus on. One from each role ideally. You’ll get autofilled sometimes.
My recommendations:
- Vanguard: Doctor Strange or Venom
- Duelist: Star-Lord or Hela
- Strategist: Luna Snow or Rocket Raccoon
Hours 7-10: Learn the Maps
Map knowledge wins games. Know where health packs are. Know the flank routes. Know where snipers sit.
The payload maps have specific choke points. Learn them. That’s where fights happen.
Team-Up Abilities
This is what makes Marvel Rivals different from Overwatch. Certain hero combinations unlock bonus abilities.
Best Team-Ups for Beginners
Luna Snow + Iron Fist (Dragon’s Chill)
- Adds CC and healing to Iron Fist
- Luna gets a bodyguard
Rocket Raccoon + Winter Soldier (Ammo Overload)
- Winter Soldier gets infinite ammo
- Disgusting damage output
Invisible Woman + The Thing (Fantastic Four)
- Thing gets bonus health
- Sue gets protection
Magneto + Scarlet Witch (Metallic Fusion)
- Magneto gets a massive AoE attack
- Almost feels like an ult
Check the team-up menu in hero select. It shows all combinations.
Ranked Tips
Don’t play ranked until you’re comfortable with at least 2 heroes per role.
Climbing Basics
- Bronze to Gold: Mechanics matter most. Just hit your shots and use abilities correctly.
- Gold to Platinum: Positioning matters. Stop dying in stupid places.
- Platinum to Diamond: Team play matters. Group up, combo ults, peel for supports.
Role Queue vs Open Queue
Role queue is more balanced. Open queue is chaos. Start with role queue.
Dealing with Toxicity
Mute and move on. Arguing in chat loses games. I’ve never seen someone type “you suck” and then win.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Chasing Kills
You got someone to 10 HP. They ran behind their team. Let them go. Chasing into 5 enemies gets you killed.
Mistake 2: Ignoring Objectives
This isn’t team deathmatch. Stand on the point. Push the payload. I’ve lost games where my team had more kills but never touched the objective.
Mistake 3: Ult Hoarding
Your ult charges fast. Use it. A mediocre ult now is better than a perfect ult never.
Mistake 4: Not Grouping
Stop trickling in one by one. Wait for your team. 6v6 is winnable. 1v6 is not.
Mistake 5: Blaming Teammates
Even if they’re bad, focusing on their mistakes tilts you. Focus on what you can control.
Quick Tips by Role
Vanguard Tips
- Use natural cover between engagements
- Call out when you’re diving so your team follows
- Peel for your Strategists when they’re getting dove
- Your job is to make space, not get kills
Duelist Tips
- Flank when your tanks engage
- Target Strategists first
- Don’t 1v1 tanks unless they’re low
- Use high ground when available
Strategist Tips
- Position behind your Vanguards
- Heal the person taking damage, not the full health Duelist
- Save defensive cooldowns for dives
- You can deal damage too, don’t just healbot
What to Do When You’re Losing
- Check team comp - Do you have a main healer? A main tank?
- Switch heroes - Counter their carry
- Group up - Stop fighting 3v6
- Focus one target - Call it out, everyone shoots them
- Save ults for combo - Coordinate with team
Sometimes you just lose. It happens. Queue again.
More Marvel Rivals Content
- Marvel Rivals Codes - Free skins and rewards
- Marvel Rivals Tier List - All 45 heroes ranked
Related Hero Shooters
- RIVALS Codes - Roblox competitive shooter
- Blue Lock Rivals Codes - Anime sports action
