You're standing on the edge of the Tokyo 2099 map, staring down a team that’s basically a wall of health bars and shields. Your team looks at you. You look at the character select screen. If you're like most people, you probably just hover over Venom or Magneto because they look cool. But honestly, picking the right Vanguard in this game isn't just about who has the biggest HP pool. It's about knowing which hero is going to actually hold the line and which one is just going to be a massive, green ultimate-battery for the enemy team.
Marvel Rivals doesn't call them "tanks." They call them Vanguards.
It's a subtle distinction, but a huge one for how you play. Some of these guys are meant to sit there and soak up every scrap of lead the enemy throws, while others are essentially fat DPS characters who thrive on chaos and backline diving. If you’ve been struggling to climb the ranks, it’s probably because you’re treating every tank the same. You can’t play Peni Parker like you play Thor. You just can’t.
The Meat Shields and Shield Tech
Let's talk about the actual protectors first. These are the heroes you want when your supports are getting bullied or when you need to literally stop a push in its tracks.
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Magneto is basically the gold standard for "all-rounder" Vanguards right now. He’s not the flashiest, but his ability to cycle shields for himself and his allies is incredible. His kit revolves around timing. If you just spam your abilities, you're dead. But if you time that shield to catch a Punisher ult? You're a hero. Plus, if you have a Scarlet Witch on your team, his Metallic Fusion team-up turns his greatsword into a literal death machine. It’s one of those rare instances where a tank can actually out-damage a duelist if the conditions are right.
Then there’s Doctor Strange. If Magneto is about timing, Strange is about geometry. His Dark Dimension shield is massive, but it has a health bar. You have to be careful. You can't just leave it up and hope for the best. The cool thing about Strange is his Eye of Agamotto. It’s basically a "stop hitting my team" button that stuns enemies in a cone. It’s perfect for shutting down a diving Black Panther or a Rogue who thinks she’s being sneaky.
Groot is... well, he’s Groot. He’s a wall. Literally. His ability to spawn wooden walls to block off chokepoints is arguably the most annoying thing to deal with in the entire game. If you're playing against a good Groot on a map like Yggsgard, you’re going to spend half the match just trying to find a way around him. He’s slow, though. Really slow. If you get caught out of position, you’re basically just a very large piece of kindling.
The Dive Squad: Tanks That Don't Want to Protect You
This is where people get confused. They see a tank icon and expect a shield. But characters like Venom and Hulk don't care about your personal space or your safety. They want to be in the enemy's face.
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Venom was the king of the beta, and even after some nerfs, he’s still a menace. He has so much "white health" (temporary shields) that he can dive into a group of five people, cause absolute chaos, and zip out with a web-swing before anyone can actually kill him. His Symbiotic Bond team-up with Peni Parker and Spider-Man is also low-key broken if your team actually coordinates. It gives Spidey and Peni explosive spikes that just ruin anyone's day who tries to get close.
Hulk (Bruce Banner) is a weird one. You start as Bruce, you go Hulk, and if you're good, you go Monster Hulk. He’s all about the leap. You have to treat Hulk like a heat-seeking missile. You leap in, you use your Radioactive Lockdown to stun a key target—usually their healer—and you punch until they stop moving. The problem is that Hulk is a huge target. If you don't have a Luna Snow or a Jeff the Land Shark pocketing you, you’ll turn back into Bruce Banner faster than you can say "Hulk smash."
Why Peni Parker is the Most Misunderstood Tank
I see so many people play Peni Parker wrong. They try to play her like a frontline brawler. She isn't. Peni is a "zoning" tank. You’re playing a tower defense game while everyone else is playing a hero shooter.
Your whole kit is about your Spider-Nest and your mines. You find a spot, you set up your web, and you tell the enemy "you can't come here." If they step on your web, your drones eat them. If they try to dive you, you use your stun. She’s surprisingly hard to kill if she stays on her webs because she gets constant healing and a massive HP boost. But the second you step off that web? You’re just a girl in a fragile robot.
The "Fat DPS" Category: Thor and Captain America
Sometimes you don't need a shield. Sometimes you just need someone who can take a punch and give one back twice as hard.
- Thor: He’s a brawler through and through. His whole mechanic is about building up Thorforce and then spending it to go absolutely ballistic with lightning. He lacks the utility of Magneto, but he makes up for it in pure, unadulterated pressure. If a Thor is diving your backline, you have to deal with him immediately or your supports are gone.
- Captain America: Cap is the most mobile tank in the game. He can dash, he can double jump, and he can reflect projectiles with his shield. He doesn't have the "stopping power" of Groot, but he’s great for harassing snipers or chasing down low-health targets. His ultimate is basically a "let's go" button that buffs the whole team’s speed and health. It’s simple, but it wins games.
Winning with All Tanks Marvel Rivals: Practical Strategies
If you want to actually win your games, stop auto-locking your favorite Marvel character and look at what your team needs.
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If your team is running a "dive" comp with Magik and Black Panther, pick Venom or Hulk. You need to go in with them. If you pick Groot and stay on the payload while your DPS are a mile away, you're going to lose.
Conversely, if you're on defense and the enemy is aggressive, Groot or Magneto are your best friends. Use the environment. Use the walls. In Marvel Rivals, the maps are destructible, which means a tank that can create new cover (like Groot or Peni) is worth their weight in gold.
Don't forget the Team-Up abilities. They are not just flavor text. If you see a Rocket Raccoon on your team, pick Groot. The damage reduction Rocket gets while sitting on your shoulder makes him nearly unkillable, and he’ll keep you healed in return. It’s a symbiotic relationship that most solo-queue players completely ignore.
Your Next Steps for Mastering Vanguards
- Identify your style: Do you like being an immovable object (Groot/Peni) or an unstoppable force (Venom/Hulk)? Stick to one for a few days to learn the cooldown rhythm.
- Watch the supports: A Vanguard is only as good as their healer. If you find yourself dying constantly, check if you've outrun your support's line of sight. This is the #1 mistake Hulk players make.
- Learn the counters: If the enemy has a Magneto who is blocking everything, stop shooting the shield and swap to someone like Thor who can get in his face and ignore the projectiles.
- Practice the Team-Ups: Go into the training room with a friend and see exactly how much extra damage Magneto’s enchanted sword does. It will change how you play the neutral game.
The meta in Marvel Rivals shifts fast, but the core fundamentals of the Vanguard role stay the same. You aren't just there to take damage; you're there to dictate where the fight happens. Control the space, and you'll control the match.