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 Vanguard class. If you want see more characters, check out our Strategist 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 high ranking and competitive players. This means a less experienced or new player may have a very different experience playing these higher tier characters, or lower tier might be really good for you.
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 tier rating.
S Tier
A Tier
B Tier
C Tier
C-Tier
For our lowest tier, we have Hulk. He isn't an unplayable character, but he has enough standout weaknesses that he doesn't hold up against his fellow Vanguard. While he can be easy to jump around quickly with, he lacks attacking speed and range. He can't keep up with the fast moving cast of the game or attack at a range when opponents create any distance between you. His critical flaw is his transformations. You rarely see Bruce Banner survive a fight after losing the Hulk form. This transition strictly increases the time it takes for you to respawn and to return to point. Furthermore, you spawn as Bruce Banner, meaning you have to waste time after each death transforming back to Hulk. The game simply as stronger Vanguard that can fight with melee, but without all of the downsides. Being able to jump around doesn't make the character worth playing over other Vanguard.
B-Tier
Peni Parker stands as our only B-Tier Vanguard. She is much stronger at lower ranks or casual play, but her tricks don't work as well in competitive play. Most of her strength comes from laying mines down. An experienced team won't fall for the traps as easily. They will either avoid them, destroy them, or swap to a character that counters the mines entirely. Her ultimate is really only good to lay out a bunch of those mines, so it doesn't have a high impact like other characters have. The one benefit the mines do offer is a distraction for the enemy team to have to handle. She does have the benefits like fast web movement, an unlimited magazine for her weapon, and a web snare to trap enemies. These upsides make her notably better than Hulk, but not as good as the other Vanguards.
A-Tier
Locking in our A-Tier is Thor, Captain America, and Venom. These Vanguard are all strong picks for most team comps, and they serve important roles in different ways. They aren't as consistent or flexible as the S-Tier Vanguard, but they still hold their own and won't often let you down.
To start, Venom is the easiest Vanguard to use. His instant armor generation give him the technical largest health bar of any character in the game. You can use this as a clear "halfway point" for your health that can signal if you should run or finish the fight. His web swing gives you a rapid point of entry or retreat, which can be great for baiting out enemy ultimate abilities. His own ultimate ability is his most lackluster aspect since it can't kill. It only cuts enemy health in half, so you don't consistently get good value.
Thor is a bit more complicated than other Vanguard, but mastering his abilities can make you live for significantly longer. By managing his charges effectively, you can keep pressure on opponents with his dash attack, or enter his god mode for extra health and damage. Like Venom, his ultimate ability is very lackluster. It has very little range and is often a non-factor during matches. A major benefit for Thor is his synergy with Hela. With her being a popular S-Tier competitive character, Thor can get free revives with their team up! The ability for your team to get a free revive on a tank is incredibly strong.
Captain America rounds out the A-Tier, and is best brawler Vanguard in the game. He does require a great amount of skill and practice to be good with since he has limited range capabilities. His shield is not only a great way to block incoming damage, but it also reverses projectiles and even some ultimate abilities! His sprint ability makes him constantly mobile, allowing him to put high pressure on opponents. It also allows him to constantly be evasive, which helps preserve the health of his shield. He does have a much better ultimate than Thor or Venom, especially with that voice line that strikes fear into all opponents... ASSEMBLE! Besides his high skill curve, the character doesn't have many downsides besides low ranged abilities.
S-Tier
Holding the top spots in our S-Tier are Magneto, Doctor Strange, and Groot! These Vanguard are the best of the best, and can be used in nearly any team comp to significantly support the team. Each of these characters also stand out at being especially good at supporting the team with large barriers to shield behind.
Magneto was S-Tier during the beta, and he still is at a competitive level. His standout abilities are his shield bubbles. Instead of being linked to the amount of damage they can absorb before breaking, they are time based. This means you can hold out against any number of opponents and yield the same result. A strong Magneto player will be able to capitalize on this to maximize the amount of Iron Rings they can shoot throughout the match. His shield wall is also a great option to protect the entire team from team pushes and ultimates. His own ultimate is a great crowd control option, and it gains damage based on how many shots it absorbs before it crashes down. Magneto is overall a very well rounded, strong Vanguard that competitive players can utilize significantly better than the average player can.
Doctor Strange has one of the most powerful abilities in the game: his portal. With a coordinated or aware team, you can sneak your entire team behind enemy lines to break past tough choke points. You can also use unique angles to open up special lines of sight for your team, or allow your team a faster route to the objective after dying. His shield can absorb a large amount of damage and has a wide range of protection for your allies. With his flight ability, you can utilize this shield to negate the ultimate abilities of characters like Hela by literally putting a barrier over them. His ultimate ability can completely stop a major push, or help your team move in, but you have to get dangerously close to use it. Doctor Strange is simply one of the best options for offering a great mix of protection and utility.
Groot is one of the most infuriating Vanguards you can play. In the wrong hands (like casual players), he can constantly wall off opponents, making it impossible to finish them off in a fight and letting them regroup. For a competitive player though, he can strategically use his walls to separate opponents from their healers, or stop large threats before they hurt the team. He has the highest base health of the Vanguard, and is one of the best characters for taking damage head on. His ultimate ability works perfectly with a coordinated team, as it groups up your opponents and stuns them. This can let your team focus fire, or combo with you using a second ultimate to team wipe.
Wrap Up
That's all for this Vanguard Meta Tier List for competitive players! 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 Strategist and Duelist!
