Duelists are the damage dealers of Marvel Rivals. They’re likely the heroes that top the DPS charts and have the most kills. They get all the glory and recognition in every match, while Vanguards and Strategists do all the dirty work.
Having said that, Duelists aren’t all about dealing damage. They still have specific roles that need to be fulfilled. Some do this job better than others and can overcome any deficiencies they have regarding their DPS output.
Of course, some Duelists are good at one thing and one thing only: dealing damage.
These are the best Duelists in Marvel Rivals.
These are the best of the best when it comes to Duelsists in Marvel Rivals. They deal the most damage, provide the most utility, or do a combination of both.
Remember whenStormwas one of the worst heroes in the game? Good times; now she’s one of, if not the, best.Thanks to an impressive amount of buffs this season, Storm utilizes her DPS/support hybrid role to dish out serious damage while buffing your allies.Best of all, her ability verticality allows you to always be in the best position to buff your teammates, attack enemies, and stay out of harm’s way.
Death, taxes, andHelabeing strong.Despite some balance changes in Season 1, she remains as effective as ever. She’s nowhere near as strong as she was during Season 0, but if you’re looking for an excellent Duelist who excels at pure damage, look no further.
Star Lordis one of the most aggressive heroes in Marvel Rivals, not just excelling as a diver but as a pesky thorn in your opponent’s side.His ability to appear out of nowhere, deal serious damage, and safely escape harm’s way makes him an effective Duelist.Plus, his ult is as potent as ever.
Another Marvel Rivals hero who has escaped the bottom tier,Namorhas established himself as an excellent Duelist in Season 1.His turrets can no longer be ignored, his Team-Up with Luna Snow is incredibly powerful, and his damage profile is better than you realize.He’s no longer a meme pick; he’s an incredibly effective disrupter.
AGAIN! AGAIN!There are few thingsWinter Soldier isn’t good at. His overall DPS is second to none, he offers excellent support and crowd control, he can close the gap to enemy heroes, and his ultimate is absolutely devastating.The only thing against Winter Soldier, I’d argue, is that he has a bit of a higher skill ceiling than someone like The Punisher, but if that’s his only knock, then he definitely deserves this spot in S Tier.
They may not be the best of the best, but you can’t go wrong with any of these Marvel Rivals Duelists. In the right hands, they’ll dominate the battlefield, regardless of skill level or competitive tier.
Magikis notoriously difficult to play, but once you master her, she’s a force on the battlefield.The biggest reason for her inclusion in the A Tier is the buffs she’s been given this season.Her toolkit helps you be a proper diver and a brawler who can stay in the heat of battle without constantly retreating to safety.
Wolverineis undoubtedly a monster that dominates any 1v1 matchup, so what’s keeping him back from being S Tier?He has one job that he excels at: being the tankbuster. While that’s an incredibly important job, he’s nowhere near as effective elsewhere.Is it controversial to say that Wolverine isn’t S Tier? Yes, but that’s my honest opinion.
Psylockeis one of the hardest heroes to play in Marvel Rivals, thanks partly to how squishy she is.She’s best played as someone who can use her mobility and stealth to your advantage, sneaking in and out of danger to pick enemies off one by one.Her ultimate is as devastating as ever, especially since it makes her invulnerable.
IsHawkeyeanywhere near as broken as he was in Season 0? No. Is he still incredibly strong? You bet.No heroes is as capable of dealing out massive damage out of nowhere like Hawkeye.His Season 1 nerfs keep him out of S Tier, but he’s still a strong hero.
Spider-Manremains notoriously difficult to play, but if you master him, you’ll be handsomely rewarded.He remains one of the best divers in the game, more than capable of taking out enemies in the blink of an eye before retreating back to safety thanks to his impressive mobility.His ultimate is still incredibly effective against a large group of heroes.
They won’t be as good as the heroes in S Tier and A Tier, but they’re more than capable of getting the job done in specific circumstances. Don’t be surprised if you see specialists exclusively playing these heroes performing well competitively.
The only thing holdingBlack Pantherback is how detrimental it is to miss your attacks.Few divers are as effective as him at taking out backline enemies, and Black Panther’s combo attacks can eliminate an enemy in the blink of an eye.However, if you fail to pull off that combo, you can be easily killed.
One of the most surprising stats I noticed aboutMoon Knightis his poor win rate.On paper, he has all the tools necessary to do well: a great ultimate, impressive ranged damage, and strong mobility.That said, it does not necessarily translate into constant success, so for now, he’s in B Tier.
My personal favorite,The Punisheris the ultimate “shoot first and ask later” hero in Marvel Rivals.He lacks the burst of someone like Hela or Hawkeye, and his mobility isn’t the best despite having a grapple hook, but he’s still really good at sustained firepower and has a strong ultimate.The Punisher is solid, but there are better options.
Iron Manstill suffers from being susceptible to being shot out of the sky, but he’s had some nice buffs as of late to improve his damage output.His mobility is still lacking, though, and the best thing Iron Man has going for him is that The Punisher, his hardest counter, is also in B Tier. That’s why I have him here. If they can improve his survivability or mobility, he absolutely belongs in higher tiers.
While not outright bad, these Marvel Rivals Duelists will struggle across most skill levels.
This one hurts. I love Squirrel Girl, and I think that she’s more than capable of providing good damage from the backline.That being said, she’s better off as a support Duelist since she lacks the offensive output compared to other Duelists, and her ultimate, despite receiving some buffs, still leaves something to be desired.
Iron Fistmay be the internet’s most hated Marvel Rivals hero, but truth be told, he’s nowhere near the best in-game.The reality is that he’s outclassed by Black Panther and Spider-Man.
Human Torchis a bit tricky. NetEase has done a great job of staying true to the hero’s flavor, but this doesn’t always translate to good gameplay.Human Torch’s biggest boon is his Team-Up with Storm, but on his own, he requires too much setup for not enough payoff.
Every now and then, you might be able to pubstomp with these Marvel Rivals Duelists in lower brackets, but that’s the exception, not the norm.
Scarlet Witchis the ultimate pub stomp hero.Her auto attack is easy to aim and her ultimate can do a devastating amount of damage. There’s just some key issues: first, her ultimate isheavilytelegraphed and easy to avoid.Second, she’s still relatively squishy and dies relatively easily.
One of the newest Duelists in Marvel Rivals,Mister Fantastic, isn’t exactly lighting up tier lists.He’s more of a supportive Vangaurd than anything else, only his toolkit is more about taking damage than preventing it.Sure, he can grow his health pool, but he’s ultimately as bullet sponge that goes down too easily with focus fire. He also has already received buffs in Season 1.5, and I expect more coming in Season 2.
The more things change, the more they stay the same forBlack Widow.I remember how people thought she’d be overpowered on release. They were wrong.Black Widow remains a worse version of Hawkeye despite receiving numerous buffs to her toolkit. She’s too locked into a sniper role without the ability to one-shot enemies.
