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Marvel Rivals is finally here, and with it come tons of new players to the hero shooter genre! If you haven't played one before, you may be wondering what the difference is between classes and how to use them. In this guide, we will break down what to do and what to avoid in each class.
Strategist Heroes
The final class, but equally important to the others, is the Strategist. These characters are your healers, as well as your buff characters. While they can fight, their entire purpose is to keep the team alive by protecting their health bar. Certain characters have the added responsibility of buffing the team or reviving fallen allies.
This is often the least picked class since most players want to fight. This is a much more reserved class, focusing less on combat and more on support. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to maximize your effectiveness.
Make Friends With The Vanguard
Your tanks are doing their part in protecting the team, but they can only take on so much damage before dying. As the team's healers, you can keep that tank alive for significantly longer. This can keep your team alive longer by keeping damage off your lower up targets. Strategists also have low HP themselves, so keeping that Vanguard alive also means keeping you alive. Find your Vanguard in a match and stick with them as much as possible to keep them alive.
Manage Your Revives
Rocket Racoon and Adam Warlock have a very important role of reviving fallen team mates. These are limited, so it's important to know when to use them versus when to save them. Adam Warlock, for example, gets a huge revive as an ultimate. If you spend it on bringing back a single player, it can potentially waste the ability for a time when multiple allies die at the same time.
Your revive placement is also important with Rocket Racoon. You want to hide it enough that opponents can't spot it, but keep it close enough to the action to warrant its use over the standard response. Proper placement let's a fallen ally return to the battle very quickly, which can keep the pressure on and not give your opponent the chance to recover.
Keep Your Head On a Swivel
Try not to get too focused on one or 2 allies to heal. You may have a Duelist that is in major need of healing, but they are out of sight from your other team mates. Be on the lookout for where your team is and if they are in combat. Seconds matter when it comes to healing, and being there to support the team quickly can make the difference between life and death. This includes looking up to check for flying characters what are very vulnerable without cover.
Always Stay With the Team
Other classes have certain situations where going solo could be helpful. As a Strategist, you have no reason to be alone. You can fight, but your hp is super low as well as your damage output, so there's a high chance you never survive combat encounters. If you choose this class, it means you need to give up the primary fighting role and focus on support. If you find yourself alone, don't be afraid to retreat. Its much faster to leave and return with your team than it is to die and respawn.
Furthermore on this idea, try to stay behind your team as much as possible. You want to heal your team while using them as a shield against opponents. If you are killed before your team, they immediately have a disadvantage in combat.
Wrap Up
Keeping these basic tips in mind can help any player be proficient in their role. If you have a specific way you like the play the game, be sure to pick a class that compliments your playstyle. Trying to be a damage dealer as a Vanguard, or be a tank as a Strategist will simply hurt the team more than help them. Stick to your role and fill in missing roles as your team needs them.
If you are a new player to Rivals or the Hero Shooter genre, be sure to check out our best beginner characters guide! It can give you a great starting character to try out each class and practice their roles.
