Spider-Man Guide: How to Play, Combos, & Counters

Spider-Man Overview

Peter Parker is Marvel Rivals one of most complex Duelists. Spider-Man thrives on mobility and combo potential, using his web-slinging abilities to outmaneuver opponents and create openings for his team. His kit revolves around planting Spider-Tracers on enemies and then following up with enhanced attacks, making him a character with a high skill ceiling.

	Value
Health	250 HP
Role	Duelist
Difficulty	Hard (5/5)

How to Play Spider-Man in Marvel Rivals

Positioning and Playstyle

Spider-Man's extreme mobility requires a different approach to positioning compared to most heroes:

• Offensive Positioning: Use your web swing to constantly change elevation and angles of attack. Set up on high ground where you can observe the battlefield and drop down on unsuspecting targets. Spider-Man excels as a "third-party" fighter – wait for enemies to engage your teammates, then swing in from unexpected angles to disrupt their formation. You should always be looking for flanks. Think of yourself as an Assassin in a MOBA game – your job is to create pressure by appearing where enemies least expect it.
• Approach Patterns: Vary your entry patterns to stay unpredictable. Some effective approaches include:
  • Wall-run approach: Use wall-running to navigate around obstacles and flank from side angles
  • High-to-low dive: Web-Swing to high ground, then drop down for a surprise attack
  • Multi-swing approach: Use successive Web-Swings to rapidly change direction mid-air, making your trajectory hard to track
• Defensive Positioning: When not engaging, utilize wall-running and high ground to stay out of enemy sightlines. Unlike iron fist who needs to find walls to escape, your Web-Swing allows you to retreat in virtually any direction. Always have an escape route planned, and don't be afraid to disengage quickly with a well-timed web swing if you're taking too much damage.
• Health Management: With only 250 HP, you can't afford to take sustained damage. After each engagement, swing to safety and find a support player for healing before re-engaging.

• Bunny Hopping Technique: Master the "b-hop" technique by canceling your web swings with normal web shots followed by jumps to maintain momentum. Here's the exact sequence:
  • Start a Web-Swing
  • Before the swing animation completes, shoot a normal web (cancels the animation)
  • Jump immediately to retain momentum
  • Repeat the process to chain multiple b-hops

This advanced movement technique is crucial for Spider-Man players as it allows you to cover enormous distances quickly, making you nearly impossible to track and giving you superior escape options compared to most heroes. When perfected, you can traverse entire maps without losing momentum.

Ability Management

Spider-Man's kit revolves around the strategic use of his Spider-Tracers and follow-up abilities:

• Spider-Tracer Application: Your Web Cluster applies Spider-Tracers to enemies, which enhances your other abilities against them. Always try to tag priority targets with these before engaging fully, but remember that Get Over Here! functions differently against traced targets.
• Web-Swing Management: Keep track of your Web-Swing charges (maximum of three). Don't waste all charges getting to the fight – save at least one for emergency escapes.
• Get Over Here! Decision Making: This ability functions differently based on whether your target has a Spider-Tracer. Without a tracer, it pulls enemies to you (ideal for displacing enemies from objectives), while with a tracer, it pulls you to them (perfect for closing gaps). Think carefully about which outcome you want before applying a tracer.
• Amazing Combo Usage: This uppercut launches enemies into the air, making them vulnerable and disrupting their aim. It deals increased damage to traced targets and can be followed up with primary attacks.
• Animation Canceling: Learn to animation cancel by using a tap of Web-Swing followed immediately by a normal web shot.

Target Priority

Spider-Man's unique mobility and combo potential give him specific advantages against certain targets:

1. Isolated Squishy Targets: Look for separated low HP characters. Your full combo can eliminate these heroes before they can react if executed properly. When you spot a squishy character separated from their team, they should become your immediate focus. Spider-Man excels at these 1v1 scenarios where his combo potential can be fully realized.
2. Support Characters: Strategists should be your highest-priority targets in team fights. Your mobility allows you to bypass frontlines and reach these backline heroes.
3. Distracted Ranged Threats: Ranged characters with high damage like Hawkeye or the Punisher are dangerous to Spider-Man at a distance but extremely vulnerable when you dive them, especially when they are focused on your team.
4. Objective Defenders: Characters holding positions on objectives are perfect targets for your Get Over Here! ability without applying a Spider-Tracer first. Pull them off the objective to create space for your team to capture. This is especially effective in Convoy and Domination modes, where displacing even a single defender can create the opening your team needs.
5. Ability-Channeling Heroes: Your Get Over Here! can interrupt many channeled abilities and ultimates. Saving your Get Over Here! Specifically for these moments can completely negate high-impact abilities.
6. Low-Health Retreating Enemies: Your Web-Swing allows you to chase down enemies who are attempting to retreat. When you see enemies below 40% health trying to escape, consider pursuing them – especially if they've already used their movement abilities.
7. Flying Heroes: Unlike many ground-based Duelists, you can effectively challenge airborne heroes like Iron Man, Storm, and Star-Lord.

Spider-Man Combos in Marvel Rivals

Spider-Man's combat revolves around several key combo sequences:

• Web Cluster → Get Over Here! → Amazing Combo → Basic attacks → Web Cluster

• Venom Team-Up Combo: Web Cluster → Get Over Here! → Amazing Combo → Venom Suit Expulsion
• Escape Combo: Amazing Combo (to create space) → Web-Swing → B-hop technique (web cancel + jump repeatedly)
• Ultimate Setup: Web-Swing to high ground → Web Cluster → Get Over Here! → Spectacular Spin

• Ultimate Combo Wombo (Venom Edition): Web Cluster → Get Over Here! → Amazing Combo → Venom Suit Expulsion→ Spectacular Spin

Note: We will keep updating this section with new combos.

How to Counter Spider-Man in Marvel Rivals

Spider-Man's low health pool and reliance on precise execution make him vulnerable if caught out of position. When his movement abilities are on cooldown, he becomes much easier to eliminate.

Effective Counters:

• Iron Fist: He can follow Spider-Man in the air, and his mobility allows him to chase Spider-Man when he tries to escape.
• Peni Parker: Her mines and drones create zones Spider-Man struggles to navigate, and her CC abilities can lock him down during his combo attempts.
• the Punisher: His shotgun can deal massive damage to Spider-Man at close range if he catches him while his Web-Swing is on cooldown.
• Wolverine: His healing outpaces Spider-Man's damage output in prolonged fights, and his lunging attacks can catch Spider-Man mid-combo.
• Vanguards with CC: Characters with cc can interrupt Spider-Man's combos with their crowd control abilities.
• winter soldier: Probably the hardest ranged Duelist to kill as a Spidey!
• Squirrel Girl: Her Web Bomb (when paired with Spider-Man) can ironically be very effective against enemy Spider-Men by immobilizing them mid-swing.
• Hitscan Characters: Heroes with instant-hit weapons can target Spider-Man during his predictable swing arcs if they have good aim.

Best Team Composition for Spider-Man

Spider-Man performs best when paired with heroes that complement his disruptive, high-mobility playstyle:

• venom: Their "Symbiote Bond" team-up ability gives Spider-Man access to Suit Expulsion, a powerful AoE attack that can finish off enemies after Spider-Man's combos. This significantly increases his kill potential.
• squirrel girl: Their "Esu Alumnus" team-up gives Squirrel Girl a Web Bomb that can immobilize enemies, making them easier targets for Spider-Man's follow-up attacks.
• luna snow: Her healing abilities help mitigate Spider-Man's low health pool, allowing him to take more risks with his engagements.
• Dive Partners: Heroes like Venom, Black Panther, or Wolverine who can dive with Spider-Man create chaos that divides enemy attention, giving Spider-Man more freedom to operate.

Spider-Man is the perfect example of "high risk, high reward" gameplay in Marvel Rivals. Mastering his movement and combo potential requires significant practice, but few heroes can match his ability to appear from nowhere, eliminate a key target, and disappear just as quickly. Remember that your greatest strength is unpredictability – constantly change your angles of attack and never establish patterns that enemies can predict.