With Marvel Rivals now live globally, we finally have answers to the burning question: Who are the best characters in the game? In this guide, week will break down our tier list for every character. You can't fairly compare characters to each other from different classes, so in this tier list, we are focusing on the Strategist class. If you want see more characters, check out our Vanguard Meta Tier List and Duelist Meta Tier List!
For any tier list to make sense in this style of game, you need to understand the kind of players this list is designed for. Pro players and casual players will play characters very differently, so their rankings can vastly differ. In these tier lists, we are ranking for the average player. This means not brand new to the game, but not a high ranking player either.
Any low tier ratings for characters doesn't mean the character is outright bad. You can play any character in this game, practice them a bunch, and perform well in a match despite a low ranking.
S Tier
A Tier
B Tier
C Tier
C Tier
For the lowest tier in the Strategist class, we have Cloak & Dagger. This dual character has a neat ability of swapping between modes of play, but the character simply does too many things at a mediocre level. As the only C-Tier character, I feel she needs a bigger explanation than others.
For Dagger, your primary healing function is the same as your attack. This means you have to shoot your teammates for healing, and shoot your opponents to deal damage. This can make choosing between the two very difficult in the heat of battle. A team member may need healing, but your shots hit the opponent instead, so your team member is left stranded without your help. Similarly, if an enemy is rushing you and your shots target your team member, you're going to have a tough time surviving. Her abilities are also lackluster for a game that constantly has moving characters.
For Cloak, you lose any healing potential and become more offensive focused. The issue is he is too weak to really win fights, so why even use the mode? His primary attack is similar to Scarlet Witch, so you need to be closer than Dagger to deal damage. Simply put, this character just doesn't stack up to the rest of the cast.
B Tier
For the B Tier, these are characters that are actually very usable. They only fall short in versatility and overall strength compared to S and A Tier. The B-Tier characters are Loki and Mantis.
Loki is a fairly tricky character who aims for deception. Waste your enemies' time shooting clones or a vanishing character. His healing simply doesn't match up to other tiers, making him feel more like a Duelist with some tricks.
Mantis is a fine healers with some optional buff options. The character just doesn't excel in anything she does. Her ultimate is also a weaker version of Luna Snow though, which makes her tough to recommend using.
A Tier
Holding the two A-Tier spots are Luna Snow and Adam Warlock. These are great characters with a lot of strong abilities. They just fall behind the S-Tier characters outperforming them.
Luna Snow is a very strong healer with a lot of damage output. Her ultimate ability makes your team virtually unkillable, making her ideal for a coordinated team push. She could be considered an S-Tier character, but Jeff received some major buffs that make her drop down a tier in comparison.
Adam Warlock is an very unique character with his ability to cacoon himself and revive the entire team. He has a very strong weapon that makes him formidable in combat situations. His self-revive gives you a little wiggle room to make bold plays without risking the team losing their healer. His only drawback is that all of his healing comes from cooldown abilities. This can put your team in a bind when you are stuck waiting on a timer to let you do your job.
S Tier
Our final tier features Jeff the Land Shark and Rocket Raccoon! These are your best of the best characters that shine above the other Strategists.
Jeff has made a huge jump in the tier lists after his latest buffs. His attack rate of fire was dramatically increased, as well as the rate of fire for his healing bubbles. He moves very quickly in his traversal mode, letting him get into ideal positions rapidly. His healing water beam is incredibly powerful. You can single handedly keep a tank alive and make them borderline unkillable. That healing beam also moves through teammates and stretches a very long distance, making him extremely heal efficient. His ultimate ability is arguably the best ultimate in the game. You can pull the entire team off an objective to secure a win, and there is nothing that can stop him. On certain maps, you can easily spit out the entire enemy team off the map for easy team wipes. Jeff just has very few downsides and is an incredible character now.
Rocket Raccoon should be no surprise to most players. The character is extremely versatile and has an amazing ability set. His revive station can be the key to keeping a push from stalling out. His rocket jumps can quickly get him (and Groot) out of bad situations and prevent your death. His healing shots don't require perfect aim, and they bounce multiple times. This makes him perfect for healing flying characters and healing the team in tight corridors. You can also make some fun bank shots off objects to bounce healing to teammates who aren't visible. His weapon is also incredibly strong, making him a force to be reckoned with.
Wrap Up
That's all for this Strategist Meta Tier List! As new characters are added and balance changes are made, we will release updated tier lists for these characters. If you haven't already, be sure to check out our tier lists for Vanguard and Duelist!
