This guide contains our rankings for the Tank Heroes in Marvel Rivals and, while you can't fairly compare characters between different classes, we are focusing on the Vanguard class in this tier list. If you want to see more characters, check out our Strategist Meta Tier List and Duelist Meta Tier List, where we rank the Supports and DPS in their own classes!
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
C Tier
Season 8.5 Overview
This is a full Season 8.0 update to the tier list based on:
- The metagame at end of Season 8.0
- Balance adjustments for Season 8.5
- Changes to Team-Ups for Season 8.5
- New Season 8.5 Hero: Cyclops
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 lower tier rating.
C Tier
doctor-strange has reached his lowest point yet. With the dive meta in full force, being a frontline tank just isn't helpful. His biggest utility is his portals, but you can just swap characters, portal, and swap back. That isn't the hallmarks of a good character, but rather a tool you pull out on occasions. Lower ranks will still have a great time with him, but the higher up the ranks you go, the less you see him.
B Tier
To the surprise of everyone, Captain America got a major nerf with the removal of his animation cancel tech. Despite that, he has still showed decent performance across the meta. High ranking players definitely make better use of him, but the general playerbase uses him as a distraction and stall tool more than anything. Since he found some usage, he deserves more than C-Tier now.
Between a nerf to his ultimate and his dual pistols, Deadpool can't get a break from bans. He has been a top tier tank for a while, overcoming past bans, but this one really is making a dent in his viability. He's still good, but not the beast he was before. With that said, he's bumping down to A-Tier.
With the changes in season 7.5, Peni Parker has crept up to a low A-Tier position. She now can have an extra web on the field, it overheals more, and the webs move faster when shot. The biggest upgrade here is the extra web, which gives her more places to hide mines and buff the playing field for her. The faster nets are also helping against these quick dive characters like Black Cat.
A Tier
Another tank to get solid buffs this season is Rogue. Her playrate previously has been pretty low considering she relied on the perma-ban Gambit team-up. Now that Gambit got a nerf and Rogue got a buff, the two are seeing much more play together. It’s been enough of a shift to bump her into A-Tier!
In a season full of big nerfs, Angela managed to pick up some major buffs! Between the buffs and a favorable meta, Angela's time to shine may be upon us at last!
After an exciting debut as the next best tank, Devil Dinosaur immediately got hit with the typical ner character nerfs. It doesn't make him terrible, but he's definitely not the monster he previously was. Losing the ability to knock down fliers is a huge hit, but it was a necessity so those characters had any chance of seeing meta play again. After all is said and done, Dino has landed in a low A-Tier position this season.
So here's The Thing that's tricky. Thing isn't a meta pick, even after his buffs, but he is steadily seeing more play. He's more of an off-meta, surprise pick you pull out to counter specific strategies. This makes him hard to rank in the meta as a whole since your experience may highly vary. Since he's been trending upward, I think its fair to consider him a low A-Tier at this point.
Thor has gotten a buff nearly every season since his initial rework. In his current state, he's a bit of a sleeper pick. If you get the hang of his unique playstyle, he can be a brawling menace for opponents to deal with. His latest buffs in season 5.5 give him enough mobility in his awakened state to bring him up to A-Tier.
S Tier
Magneto has been a solid tank pick for a while now, but his buffs with season 8.5 make him one of the best (again). It may not seem like much, but giving a good tank a solid buff alongside nerfing other dominant tanks has made perfect situation for him to thrive.
Finally, Emma Frost landed some notable buffs after her string of bad fortune. The biggest asset change for her is decreasing her shield redeploy time, which makes her much more viable as a Frontline tank. Not only that, she got a nice boost to her team-up with Luna Snow (but someone actually has to play Luna to get that boost). It's a great time to pick up Emma again if you're looking for a tank.
Venom is another tank that is seeing a bump up in tiers this season thanks to the return of dive. With healers getting less ults to spam and dive being more reliable, jumping the backline is now viable again, even if only for a distraction. Venom has been getting small buffs over the last few seasons, so it's no surprise to see him doing well all of a sudden.
The biggest winner of the season 7.0 balance update is Bruce Banner (Hulk). Gaining a second Gamma Blast is game changing. You can use one to jump in close, and one to escape. You could also use 1 to simply let you push opponent's harder before jumping out, or even have an extra opportunity to protect yourself when retreating. It's really no surprise to see Hulk at the top of the metagame, so he clearly belongs in S-Tier.
Groot has a similar place as Hulk, where an added "immovable" text in season 5.5 made him significantly stronger. Being a reliable anchor helps teams to better defend objectives. His walls can separate opponents from their healers, which is a huge asset in a 3 healer meta as it gives you an opportunity to secure kills. In other words, Groot is irreplaceable.
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!
