With Marvel Rivals now live globally, we finally have answers to the burning question: Who are the best Heroes in the game? In this guide, we 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, which refers to Diamond rank and above.
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. If you are a new or more casual player, the Meta can look very different than at higher competitive levels. For a more casual take on the meta, check out our Vanguard Casual Tier List!
S Tier
A Tier
B Tier
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.
C Tier
For Vanguards, each character has really found a solid use in the meta in one way or another. None of them are bad characters in the current meta. Due to this, it doesn't feel right to assign any of them to C-Tier.
B Tier
To single out the lowest character of Vanguard, we have Peni Parker. Her mines can be devastating if used correctly, and her web net can counter divers, but she suffers from a few problems at the moment. Her largest issue is her giant critical hits zone. She is very easy to kill if you have decent aim. Her other issue is her webs can be quite buggy at times, preventing you from zipping around like you want to. Finally, Magneto and The Thing are very popular tanks, and they both can trigger her mines without dying. With mines being her primary damage source, it makes it difficult for her to be effective when they can just be negated.
A Tier
Locking in our A-Tier are Thor, Captain America, The Thing, Venom, and Bruce Banner. These Vanguards 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.
Thor has grown to be the favorite brawler pick for many players. He is great for rushing and putting pressure on the backline or ranged characters. His abilities give him small bursts of bonus health, which can help him survive a bit without healer aid. His awakened state lets him mow down small HP characters that can't escape him. He's definitely a contender for S-Tier, but he is very slow and can get ruined very quickly with some focused DPS pressure on him.
Venom is back at the top end of the meta, but it isn't just because of his kit alone. Spider-Man is a wildly popular character right now, and the team-up with Venom is making the duo extra potent. It gives Spider-Man a kill confirm move to help him lock in kills without needing help. Venom's armor regen makes him very difficult to kill quickly, so he makes for a good option to interfere with the back line, making their healers have a difficult time keeping everyone alive. In the current meta, Venom has become a unkillable nuisance that just swings out before you can kill him. When you need simple disruption or Spidey support, he's a solid pick.
The Thing is the newest Vanguard to Rivals, and he has already made an impact on the meta. His rush down strategy is similar to Thor in that he can pressure weaker opponents who can't escape. His charged punch does a great deal of damage, which helps to quickly take down opponents who thought they had a little more time to run away. His immovability gives Vanguard a new way of fighting against Wolverine, as well as protecting against sneaky plays like a Spider-Man pull off a ledge. Time will tell if the meta will adapt to counter this wrecking ball, but I think he is locked in as a solid tank pick. His biggest drawback right now is getting blocked in by Groot, which is a death sentence each and every time it happens.
Captain America has finally found some solid meta usage after his numerous buffs. He mainly gets used as a stall technique or back line interference. When he jumps around the objective, especially with his ultimate, he becomes incredibly annoying to get rid of. He can constantly stay on point to prevent offense from moving the objective, or to keep the point alive during overtime as your team recovers. If the back line is unprotected, he works well to rush down healers and separate them from their team. Simply put, Cap is a great pick for acting as an annoying mosquito your opponent has to constantly put up with.
Bruce Banner wraps up our A-Tier, and I imagine many of you are confused why Hulk isn't in S-Tier. Ultimately, Hulk was S-Tier because of his incredible Team-Up with Doctor Strange and Iron Man. Now that the team-up has been heavily nerfed, he isn't nearly as necessary to play. Plus with the addition of The Thing, Hulk now has some competition for his role. He is still a strong character, don't get me wrong. He just isn't the monster he was at the start of the season.
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 is back on top! His shielding has made him effectively a second Doctor Strange, but with a bit more range. His shields are time based, not damage based, so he can always hold an area no matter how much damage he is taking. His ultimate is the big shift that has pushed him back into S-Tier. Players have discovered he is the perfect counter for big healer ults like Cloak & Dagger since he soars into the air and aims down to wherever the healer pauses. The absorbing power of his ult also is a great way to negate big moves from your opponent, letting you stall for your team while they heal up and reset.
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!
