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iron fist is a close-range Duelist, capable of delivering devastating combos that can eliminate enemies before they have time to react. Unlike most Duelists who rely on ranged attacks, Iron Fist gets up close and personal.
His combination of mobility, close-range attacks, and survivability has made him a popular pick for players who enjoy "in-your-face playstyle". However, mastering this kit requires an understanding of his attack combos. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about how to play Iron Fist in Marvel Rivals, along with his detailed combos, team compositions, and counters.
Iron Fist Overview
Iron Fist excels at ambushing isolated targets and taking down enemy Strategists. While he has incredible mobility and burst-damage potential, his relatively low health pool means you need to be smart about engagements.
 | Stats |
| Health | 300 HP |
| Role | Duelist |
| Difficulty | Hard (4/5) |
How to Play Iron Fist in Marvel Rivals
Positioning and Playstyle
Playing Iron Fist requires understanding when to engage and disengage:
- Offensive Positioning: Unlike ranged Duelists, Iron Fist needs to get up close to deal damage. Use your triple jumps and wall running to approach from unexpected angles - preferably from above or behind. Set up on high ground before fights and scout enemy positions. Look for isolated targets or vulnerable backline heroes.
- Defensive Positioning: When not engaging, stay near walls and vertical surfaces that allow you to quickly escape with wall runs. Position yourself close enough to your team that you can receive healing but far enough that you can take separate angles. On defensive points, hold areas where you can quickly engage on enemies and retreat to safety.
- Engagement Timing: Time your attacks with your team's pressure. Going in alone will often result in the entire enemy team turning to focus you down. Wait for your frontline Vanguards such as venom or thor to engage or for your team to apply pressure, then strike when enemy attention is divided. This is important for Iron Fist as his effectiveness decreases dramatically when focused by multiple enemies.
A common mistake newer Iron Fist players make is over-committing to fights. Remember that creating space and forcing enemies to look at you (even without securing kills) provides value by allowing your team to push forward.
Target Priority
Understanding who to focus will maximize your impact in matches:
- Isolated Targets: Any separated enemy is a prime target, regardless of role. Iron Fist excels in 1v1 situations.
- Support Characters: Strategists should be your highest priority targets. Their lack of mobility makes them vulnerable to your attacks, and eliminating them removes healing from the enemy team.
- Flying Heroes: Unlike many melee characters, Iron Fist can chase flying heroes like iron-man and storm with his air mobility. Don't be afraid to pursue them when they think they're safe and flying too close to the ground.
- Ranged Duelists: Characters like hawkeye, Black Widow, and Punisher are dangerous at range but vulnerable up close. Close the gap quickly using your mobility and they'll struggle to escape.
- Avoid Tanky Vanguards: Unless they're low health, avoid engaging Vanguards as you will end up wasting a lot of time which could have been converted into useful engagements.
Iron Fist Combos in Marvel Rivals
Iron Fist's kit enables several powerful combinations:
- Dragon's Defense > Empowered Attacks > K'un-Lun Kick (gap close) > Basic Attacks
- Basic Attacks > Dragon's Defense > Empowered Attacks > K'un-Lun Kick > Wall Run to high ground > Harmony Recovery > Re-engage
- Living Chi > Dragon's Defense > Empowered Attacks > K'un-Lun Kick > Dragon's Defense (reduced cooldown) > Repeat
- Flying Chase: Jump > Basic Attacks > Jump to follow > Basic Attack > Jump > Basic Attack > K'un-Lun Kick (Can help you cover over 60m of distance in air)
How to Counter Iron Fist in Marvel Rivals
Iron Fist's biggest vulnerabilities are his lack of ranged options and his reliance on cooldowns for survival. When his Dragon's Defense and K'un-Lun Kick are on cooldown, he becomes much more vulnerable.
Effective Counters:
- peni parker: Her mines and drones create no-go areas for Iron Fist.
- wolverine: His sustained damage and self-healing makes him a poor matchup for Iron Fist in prolonged fights.
- loki: His illusions make him extremely difficult to pin down and eliminate
- luna snow: Her freeze effects can stop Iron Fist's momentum and make him an easy target
- groot: His ultimate can really cause problems for Iron Fist.
- Coordinated Teams: Perhaps Iron Fist's biggest counter is simply teams that stay grouped and peel for each other. When enemies turn and focus you together, your effectiveness diminishes dramatically.
To counter Iron Fist effectively, force him to use his Dragon's Defense early, then focus him before it comes back up.
Best Team Composition for Iron Fist
Iron Fist performs best when paired with heroes that complement his aggressive, close-range playstyle:
- luna snow: Iron Fist's team-up ability "Dragon's Chill" empowers Luna Snow, allowing her to create a Chi-infused frost ring that knocks back enemies, slows them, and heals allies.
- Dive Tanks: Pairing with venom, Thor, or bruce banner creates a devastating dive composition that can overwhelm enemy backlines.
- Mobile Duelists: Black Panther, Wolverine, or Spider-Man create chaos that divides enemy attention, giving Iron Fist openings to secure kills.
- Ranged Support: Having long-range damage dealers like Hawkeye or Black Widow helps soften targets for Iron Fist to finish.
Remember that when playing Iron Fist in Marvel Rivals, patience and timing are key. Rather than rushing in alone, coordinate with your team, create chaos, and capitalize on openings.
