Table of Contents
Wolverine is a Duelist in Marvel Rivals who specializes in hunting down and eliminating high-health targets. His percentage-based damage, grab ability, and self-healing make him the ultimate tank buster.
What makes Wolverine special is how he can grab an enemy, pull them away from their team, and quickly cut them down. He can move fast, do lots of damage quickly, and stay alive longer than you'd expect.
Wolverine Overview
Wolverine performs best when targeting enemy tanks. He can flank around to catch vanguards off-guard or directly pressure the frontline. Here are his basic stats:
 | Stats |
|---|---|
| Health | 350 |
| Movement Speed | 7 m/s |
| Role | Duelist |
Wolverine Abilities in Marvel Rivals
| Ability | Input/Key Bind | Description |
|---|---|---|
 Savage Claw | Primary Fire (Left Click) | Basic attack that deals 15 damage per strike plus 1.5% of target's max health, with an extra 0.045% damage per rage point. Comes in a four-hit combo. |
 Vicious Rampage | Secondary Fire (Right Click) | Dash forward 7.5m and strike for damage. 3-second cooldown. Deals same percentage damage as Savage Claw. |
 Feral Leap | Shift | Jump forward to grab the first enemy hit, dealing 35 damage on grab and 35 on impact. Enhances primary attack to Berserker Claw Strike for 4 seconds. 12-second cooldown. |
 Undying Animal | E | Reduce incoming damage by 40% for 5 seconds. 16-second cooldown. |
 Last Stand | Q (Ultimate) | Knock enemies up, then slam them down for massive damage. Damage scales with rage level. |
 Berserker Rage | Passive | Build rage by attacking or taking damage. Max 100 rage. Increases damage of all abilities. |
 Regenerative Healing Factor | Passive | When health reaches zero, gain 150-300 bonus health based on rage level. 90-second cooldown (reduced by 10s per elimination/assist). |
| Metal Cannonball | Team-Up (with Hulk/The Thing) | Hulk or The Thing can throw Wolverine at enemies, activating Berserker Claw Strike upon landing. |
Ability Management
- Savage Claw (Primary Attack): Start by aiming for tanks since your damage is based on enemy health. A full combo is 4 hits. Each hit builds rage, which makes your attacks stronger. Your primary attack is most effective against high-health targets, so always prioritize tanks when possible.
- Vicious Rampage (Right Click): Use this ability often since it has only a 3-second cooldown. It helps you move around, reach targets, dodge attacks, and builds rage when you hit someone. You can also use it to cancel the delay after your fourth primary attack. This ability is great for both mobility and maintaining your rage meter.
- Feral Leap (Shift): This is your key ability for grabbing tanks. To make sure you grab someone, be very close to them, aim for their middle body, and try to grab tanks and pull them toward your team.
- Undying Animal (E): Always use this before jumping into a fight to take less damage. This helps you survive long enough to finish your combo and escape.
- Last Stand (Ultimate): Works best when your rage meter is full. You can use it to cancel enemy ultimates, pull tanks into their backline to damage multiple enemies, or drag enemies toward your team for them to finish off.
- Berserker Rage (Passive): Your rage builds when you attack or take damage. At full rage (100), you do much more damage. This passive is what makes Wolverine so deadly against tanks.
How to Play Wolverine in Marvel Rivals?
Positioning and Playstyle
Playing Wolverine might seem simple, but you need a plan. Unlike other Duelists who mainly focus on squishier targets, Wolverine should focus on tanks.
- Gameplay Pattern: Playing Wolverine follows a pattern. First, move forward to pressure the enemy tanks. Then build your rage meter through attacks. When the moment is right, grab them with Feral Leap. After grabbing them, take them away or to your team and slice them up. Finally, get out when things get dangerous. When playing Wolverine, your job is to make enemy tanks uncomfortable.
- Good Positions for Wolverine include behind walls or corners where you can peek out. Look for places where you can see tanks but aren't in the open. Always have spots with easy escape routes.
- Approach Patterns: Don't just run straight in. Instead, use Vicious Rampage to move forward, hit the tank a few times. Another option is to circle around using map objects, get behind tanks, and grab them. You can also wait for your team to attack, then go in when enemies are distracted.
- When to Attack: Choose your moments carefully. Attack when the tank is away from their healers. Wait until after they've used their defensive abilities. Make sure your rage meter is high for maximum damage. The best time to commit with Feral Leap is when enemy tanks are focused on your team rather than you. This gives you a better chance of landing the grab and pulling them into a bad position.
Target Priority
Wolverine's target priority is different from other Duelists. While characters like Spider-Man or Black Panther focus on backline supports, Wolverine should hunt down tanks.
Your priority targets as Wolverine should be:
- Vanguards (Tanks) > High-Health Non-Tanks > Isolated Supports > Other Duelists
Remember that attacking 250 HP characters is not efficient. Your percentage-based damage will do significantly less to them compared to 600+ HP tanks. Even when fully raged, you'll do much more damage to a tank than to a squishy target in the same amount of time.
Wolverine Ability Combos in Marvel Rivals
Knowing the right combos is key to playing Wolverine well. Here are the most effective ones:
Basic Tank Buster Combo: Pop Undying Animal (E) for damage reduction -> Dash in with Vicious Rampage (Right Click) -> Land 4 Savage Claw hits (Left Click) -> Feral Leap (Shift) -> Unleash Berserker Claw Strikes to finish them off
Tank Abduction Combo: Use Vicious Rampage (Right Click) to get behind a tank -> Immediately Feral Leap (Shift) to grab them -> Unleash Berserker Claw Strikes (You can even do this combo by sneaking behind, and in that case, you can start with Feral Leap directly)
Ultimate Combo: Build up to max rage -> Pop Undying Animal (E) -> Use Last Stand (Q) on enemy tank -> Drag the tank into their backline or pull them toward your team
Animation Cancel DPS Boost: Start your Savage Claw combo -> After the fourth hit (during the delay) -> Use Vicious Rampage to cancel the delay -> Immediately start another Savage Claw combo
How to Counter Wolverine in Marvel Rivals?
Wolverine's main weaknesses are his need to get close to enemies and his reliance on grabbing tanks with Feral Leap. Despite having 350 HP and damage reduction, he can be taken down quickly if focused by multiple players. The best way to deal with Wolverine is to keep your tanks aware of his position.
Another weakness is that Wolverine struggles against movement-limiting abilities. If you can slow him down, freeze him, or stun him, he becomes much easier to deal with. Also, since his damage depends on enemy health, he's not very effective against non-tank characters.
Heroes that counter Wolverine effectively:
- Namor: Turrets make it hard for Wolverine
- Mantis: Sleep ability stops Wolverine's combos completely
- Winter Soldier: Hook ability grabs Wolverine and sets him up for easy elimination
- Luna Snow: Freeze abilities prevent Wolverine from using his mobility
- Peni Parker: Webs and nests control where Wolverine can move
Best Team Composition for Wolverine
Wolverine needs teammates who can either help him survive longer or follow up when he grabs enemy tanks. Since he jumps into dangerous situations, having healers is important. He also works well with "dive" characters who can jump in with him, or tanks who can make space for him to operate.
His team-up with Hulk and The Thing adds another way for him to get into the fight, so these characters are particularly good partners. Teammates who can slow or stun enemies also help Wolverine finish off his targets.
Here are characters that work well with Wolverine:
Strategists: You can pair him with healers such as Luna Snow, and even Invisible Woman works really well with him.
Vanguards: Apart from bruce banner and The Thing, who have team-up ability with Wolverine, there are several others Vanguard that works well with him. Personally, I prefer having tanks that can dive in with me and create some space, such as venom and thor.
Duelists: Mostly characters that can dive in with you can work well, such as spider-man and magik. Other meta DPS characters can also go well with Wolverine, such as Hela and namor
Best Wolverine Settings
| Setting | Recommended Value |
|---|---|
| Mouse Horizontal Sensitivity | 2 |
| Mouse Vertical Sensitivity | 2 |
| Invert Horizontal Look | Off |
| Invert Vertical Look | Off |
| Allied Health Bars | On |
| Mouse Acceleration | Off |
| Mouse Smoothing | Off |
Conclusion
Wolverine is a specialized character with a clear role - making enemy tanks miserable. While not overly complex mechanically, mastering his playstyle requires patience, positioning awareness, and knowing the right moment to strike.
Focus on building rage, isolating enemy frontliners, and creating space for your team. With practice, you'll be able to completely dismantle enemy frontlines, forcing them to play defensively or switch off tanks entirely.
