Selecting a hero in a hero shooter usually starts with a vibe check. You see Spider-Man, you want to swing. You see Iron Man, you want to blast things from the sky. But in NetEase’s 6v6 brawler, picking a "main" is less about who you like in the comics and more about how much chaos you can actually handle.
Honestly, the question of who should I main in Marvel Rivals depends entirely on your tolerance for high-pressure situations. If you panic when three people dive you at once, playing a Strategist like Luna Snow is going to feel like a horror game. If you have the mechanical aim of a potato, trying to carry as Hela will just result in your team flaming you in chat.
The game doesn't just divide heroes into classes; it divides them into "brain power" categories. Some heroes require you to play 4D chess with the environment, while others just want you to hold down left-click and scream.
The Vanguard Problem: Are You Actually a Leader?
Vanguards are the tanks. In theory, they protect the team. In practice, they are the ones who decide whether a match is won or lost by simply existing in the right spot. If you want to lead the charge, you’ve got two very different paths here.
First, you have the "Wall" Vanguards. Magneto and Doctor Strange are basically mobile fortresses. Magneto is arguably the most consistent pick in the early 2026 meta because his bubble rework made him a nightmare to displace. If you like the idea of standing your ground and laughing as projectiles bounce off your face, Magneto is your guy.
Then you have the "Dive" Vanguards. Venom and Hulk. These are for the players who have zero chill. You aren't "protecting" your team in the traditional sense; you’re protecting them by making the enemy's life a living hell. Venom is particularly oppressive right now. His mobility with the symbiote swing is absurd, and he can sustain himself so well that he basically doesn't need a healer if he's smart.
Don't sleep on Thor, though. He’s more of a brawler. He doesn't have the massive team-wide shields of Strange, but he hits like a freight train. If you’re coming from Overwatch and you played a lot of Reinhardt, Thor will feel familiar but way more lethal.
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Quick Vanguard Cheat Sheet
- Magneto: For the tactician who wants to control the objective.
- Venom: For the aggressive player who wants to be a constant nuisance.
- Peni Parker: For the weirdos who like setting traps and playing "Tower Defense" inside a 6v6 shooter.
Why Everyone Thinks They’re a Duelist (And Why They’re Wrong)
Duelists are the DPS. They get the flashy plays. They get the Play of the Game. They also get killed first.
Most people asking who should I main in Marvel Rivals immediately look at Spider-Man or Black Panther. Look, I get it. Being a "web-head" is the dream. But Spidey is objectively one of the hardest characters to master. If you aren't hitting your combos perfectly, you are basically a fly hitting a windshield. One stun and you're back at the spawn room.
If you actually want to win games instead of just looking cool while losing, Hela is the current Queen of the meta. She is a precision monster. If you have any history with "hitscan" heroes in other games, Hela is your golden ticket. Her Goddess of Death ultimate is basically a "Delete Team" button if you use it from the right angle.
Then there's the melee chaos. Wolverine and Magik are the standouts here. Logan is a tank-buster. He doesn't care if the enemy has a 1000-HP Hulk; he just shreds through health bars with his Adamantium claws. Magik is a bit more technical because of her portals, but once you learn how to flick your camera to escape through a rift, you're untouchable.
The "Hidden" Duelists
There are a few picks that people ignore because they aren't "cool" enough, but they're actually terrifying. The Punisher is basically a turret on legs. If you have decent positioning and a Vanguard who actually shields you, Frank Castle will out-damage everyone else in the lobby combined.
Strategists are the Secret Carry Role
Stop calling them "healers." In Marvel Rivals, if you play a Strategist like a passive heal-bot, you will lose.
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Luna Snow is the poster child for the "Hybrid" playstyle. She heals her team by doing damage. She’s the K-pop queen of the meta for a reason—she can freeze an ultimate-using enemy solid and then immediately top off her Vanguard’s health.
If you want to be truly annoying, play Loki. He is probably the highest-skill-ceiling character in the entire game. You aren't just healing; you're creating illusions, turning into the enemy's own heroes, and gaslighting the entire lobby. A good Loki main makes the enemy team paranoid. They start shooting at shadows because they don't know which one is the real you.
Adam Warlock and Rocket Raccoon are your "Clutch" picks. Rocket is great because he’s tiny and hard to hit, and his Rebirth Beacon is a game-changer. There is nothing more demoralizing for an enemy team than finally killing a Vanguard only for Rocket to bring them right back.
Which Strategist Fits You?
- Invisible Woman: You like stealth and giving your team shields that feel like actual armor.
- Jeff the Land Shark: You want to be adorable while literally eating the enemy team with your ultimate and spitting them off a cliff.
- Mantis: You want to buff your teammates' damage so they feel like gods.
The Counter-Pick Reality
Here is the truth: Maining one single character in this game is a trap. Marvel Rivals is built on the "Team-Up" system. If you're a Magneto main and nobody on your team is playing Scarlet Witch, you are missing out on a massive power boost.
The game rewards flexibility. If the enemy team is running a high-flying Iron Man and Storm, and you’re trying to main a melee-only Black Panther, you’re going to have a bad time. You need to have at least one hero in your pocket that can handle verticality.
Wolverine is a beast, but he can't hit a Storm that's 50 feet in the air. In that scenario, you switch to someone like Winter Soldier or Hela.
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How to Actually Choose
Don't just look at a tier list. Tier lists are for the top 1% of players who have perfect aim. For the rest of us, it’s about "Feel."
Go into the practice range. Spend five minutes with each hero. Some heroes will feel "clunky" to you, and that’s fine. I personally can't stand how Iron Man flies—it feels like steering a wet bar of soap. But for some people, it’s second nature.
If you’re still lost, look at your stats after about 10 hours of play. Who do you have the highest win rate with? It’s usually not the person you want to be good at. It’s usually the person whose kit just makes sense to your brain.
Actionable Steps to Finding Your Main
- Test the "Team-Ups": See which combos you actually enjoy. If you have a friend who always plays Groot, you should probably learn Rocket Raccoon. The synergy is too good to ignore.
- Master One, Learn Three: Pick one hero to be your "S-Tier" main, but make sure you can play at least one hero from the other two roles competently.
- Watch the Kill Feed: If you find yourself constantly dying to a specific hero, go play that hero. You’ll either find your new main, or you’ll learn exactly what their weaknesses are so you can kill them next time.
Marvel Rivals is a game of momentum. Your "main" should be the character that helps you keep that momentum going, not just the one with the coolest costume. Whether you're smashing faces as Hulk or keeping the chaos organized as Invisible Woman, the best main is the one that makes the enemy team want to quit.
Once you've settled on a role, start focusing on your positioning. In 2026, the meta has shifted away from raw aim and toward "map knowledge." Knowing where the health packs are and where the high ground is will matter more than hitting every single shot with Hawkeye. Pick your hero, find your spot, and stop switching every time you die. Mastery takes time, especially when you're dealing with 40+ different power sets.