Marvel Rivals: How To Play Thor

Players looking to become the best Vanguards in Marvel Rivals should learn how to play with Thor, one of the best and most versatile frontliners in the game. Thor Odinson is the legendary Norse God of Thunder, but its powers are limited to a few in the game, so it’s best to learn a couple of important facts about this Aesir before diving into any of the game modes.

In this guide, we will summarize abilities, best strategies, combos, and team composition to turn players into the true and Mighty Thor. Let’s start with an ability overview, which will grant players some insight into what each of the skills Thor uses can do and their applications in combat.

Thor Abilities Overview

• Mjolnir Bash: Thor’s basic attack (melee range) press to hit, hold to chain a combo sequence of three blows. It can be blocked by certain abilities (like Captain America’s Shield).
• God of Thunder: Ultimate ability – Thor soars into the sky and charges Mjolnir, then slams the ground for an AoE that deals 240 Damage plus 40 extra damage if the enemy remains for 0.5 in the area. It is important to mention that the initial impact will also affect flying enemies above the AoE up to 20 meters in the air. The extra AoE damage only affects grounded enemies.
• Storm Surge: Thor spins the hammer to fly in the pointing direction, holding down the button will charge and make it fly even further. Pushes back enemies and can be used to smash, interrupt, and throw enemies down a ledge.
• Lightning Realm: Thor creates a bubble AoE with his body as epicenter. Enemies inside the bubble are slowed down (by 30%) and take 40 damage per second. The effect also returns 1 Thorforce per enemy inside the bubble.
• Awakening Rune: Consumes Thorforce to empower Mjolnir Bash, turning it into a mid-range attack, and granting Thor bonus Health, as well as a damaging AoE that damages melee opponents.
• Hammer Throw: Thor throws Mjolnir in the pointing direction, causing 70 Damage on the first impact, and 30 when the hammer returns to his hand. The initial flight speed is slower, but the return speed is faster and cannot be blocked.
• Thorforce (Passive): Thor has a marker of three hammers, that represent Thorforce. Each time Thor uses an ability, he consumes Thorforce and restores 100 Health for abilities that consume 1 Thorforce, and 200 Health for abilities that consume 3 Thorforce.
• Team-Up Bonus 1 – Odinson Reborn: When Hela plays in the same team and kills an enemy, she can immediately make Thor and Loki respawn at base, or grant them a considerable Health boost if alive.
• Team-Up Bonus 2 – Thunderous Deity: When Thor plays alongside Captain America and Storm, he gains an extra 100 to Health, and grants empowering bonuses to his companions. Storm gains an Electric Barrage attack, while Captain America gains bonus movement speed, and his shield is empowered with electricity, causing AoE electric damage to his rivals.

The first thing players need to know about Thor’s abilities is that Thorforce does not particularly condition them. That means they can cast any ability even if Thorforce bar is depleted, but they will not gain the bonus healing that these provide, and that can be a problem for a Vanguard that relies on taking as many hits as possible.

So, players should play smart and take advantage of Thor’s synergy combos. For example: Initiate using Storm Surge to close the gap and enter the fray. Then cast Lightning Realm when fighting against the enemy Vanguards, that way it will automatically restore Thorfoce. Players can use Hammer Throw to secure kills, or Awakening Rune to turn things up a notch, healing for 200 HP and becoming a true menace that no enemy front line will ignore.

On the other hand, players can also use Storm Surge to reposition themselves, even upwards, before casting the God of Thunder ultimate, that way, they can close the gap faster and land a devastating blow on the enemy team. Players can ten use Lightning Realm and create an even more powerful AoE combo. This will guarantee that the enemy frontliners are severed from their Strategist and ranged Duelists, making it harder for them to cooperate.

How To Play Thor In Marvel Rivals

As players might have guessed, Thor specializes in closing the gap, pushing the enemy, and pressuring other Vanguards. He is not as resilient as Hulk or Venom, but he is stronger in both damage and utility. If played correctly, Thor can be quite independent of Strategist healing, but don’t overestimate its sustain capabilities or he will be in a pinch in no time.

The correct approach to most game modes is to always lead the charge alongside the other front liners, that’s if there’s another Vanguard in the team. The ideal composition is: 2 Vanguards, 1 Melee duelist, 1 Ranged Duelist, 1 Support Strategist, 1 Healier Strategist, but since this is not always the case, Thor can act as a Melee Duelist and Vanguard all in one.

Players will need to constantly engage and disengage if they want to become successful Thor players, its not only dangerous to lead the charge without a team backing them up, but also counterproductive, as the enemy team will take Thor’s absence as a signal to attack. So, don’t overextend. Think of Thor as a Tank with higher mobility and attack power, but don’t think it’s a one-man army or it will end in failure.

Let’s take a look at each game mode and Thor’s strategy in more detail:

Convoy Mode

During Defense, associate with other frontliners, like Hulk, Venom, Peni Parker, or Magneto. Since Thor has less defense than other Frontliners, pairing up with Magneto who combines ranged attacks and support skills will turn the duo into an unstoppable force, and it will be really hard for an enemy team to deal with them unless they attack together, or rivals like Jeff The Land Shark pull them out of the zone. The greatest menace for Vanguards like Thor is overwhelming tactics, so stick close to the area and the team’s Strategist to reinforce the defense.

If the initial objective is lost, and there’s no other option but to prevent the enemy from pushing the payload, Thor can switch to initiator and lead the charge to push melee Duelists and Vanguards away from the mobile objective, that way the rest of the team can target them easily. Players can use Storm Surge both as initiator and exit strategy, so keep that in mind.

During Offense, push the enemy front liners to target Thor, and associate with Captain America, Venom, or Winter Soldier, to carry on a successful skirmish tactic. Retreat when needed, and never attack with Thor alone, since there’s a risk of getting isolated and then being sent to respawn untimely. If Thor is accompanied by Hela and Loki, he will be at his peak of power and can revive each time Hela kills an enemy. But there’s a rare chance that he is also accompanied by Hulk, Captain America, and Storm, forming the strongest team for Offensive modes.

Once the area is liberated, accompany the target and take cover behind it to mitigate damage from ranged dealers. This will force the enemy to send its vanguard to kick Thor out of this cozy mobile cover, and send melee Duelists and Vanguards to do the job. Take this chance to use Lightning Realm and Awakening Rune to sow terror among them, and increase casualties among the Rival team.

Domination Mode

Domination is similar to other modes since it requires taking an area and maintaining it for a certain amount of time. This leaves Thor with few chances to make use of its privileges as a hybrid melee/range tank, and it will not perform so well. Thor becomes an easy target when keeping an area, and it’s best to associate with Vanguards with more mitigation like Hulk or Venom. But if Thor is alongside Magneto, then that’s a different story. Both of them are the perfect duo to control a zone in Domination Mode, and only enemies with great AoE skills like Jeff and Psylocke can be a true menace for them.

Magneto will cover for Thor’s mitigation issues with its shielding abilities, and Thor will cover for Magneto’s slow attack speed and overwhelm vulnerability by orbiting him and impeding the enemy from swarming him. This duo has caused more than one team to rage quit, so keep this composition in the pocket in case the need arises. Moon Knight can be another good partner since its fast and versatile kit can help Magneto and Thor deal with flankers.

Convergence Mode

During Defense, stick to other Vanguards and never lose sight of the goal: preventing enemies from taking the designated zone. Moving first is a great advantage for Thor, since he can choose the best zone to protect the area and move accordingly if the enemy tries to flank him. Try to associate with Strategists and other Vanguards and always protect the range of Duelists, who will be looking for Thor each time they feel overwhelmed.

During Offense, accompany Duelists and other Vanguards, and never lose sight of them. Thor is a team player, not a chaser or a puller, and needs to initiate for the team to create a successful opening. Remain vigilant of rivals using Iron Fist or Psylocke to harass the team’s Duelists and Strategists. Hawkeye, Mantis, Jeff, Cloack & Dagger, and Luna Snow need to be prioritized, as they are most vulnerable to these flank attacks. Use Lightning Realm near them and take refuge inside to prevent Melee Duelists from getting away with easy kills.

Since Defending teams move first, there’s a high chance that Thor can position himself in the best possible place but if that doesn’t happen, it will be left vulnerable to enemy flanking tactics. Check for allies covering Thor’s back, if they disappear, then he is most vulnerable and should reposition himself before it’s too late. Use Storm Surge to get out of ganks.

How To Counter Thor In Marvel Rivals

Thor has a major flaw that makes him quite vulnerable to overwhelming tactics: its lack of mitigation. So, we will teach players how to exploit this vulnerability and the best ways to counter Thor in each of the different game modes.

Keep in mind that Thor is a versatile Vanguard, and can become quite annoying at close and mid-range. His capability to throw Mjolnir, Pushback, and fly away when he is overwhelmed makes it quite hard to deal with. And in the worst-case scenario, he will pop out of nowhere and cast God of Thunder, wiping the entire team in a single attack. So watch for attacks from the high ground.

Convoy Mode

During Defense, take advantage of those precious extra seconds to move first and take an elevated position with a clear view of the target area. Snipers like Black Widow and Hawkeye are particularly effective against Thor. Mid-range Duelists like Punisher, Star-Lord, and Jeff the Land Shark can overwhelm Thor easily. Psylocke using her Dance of the Butterfly can turn him into mince meat faster than any other hero.

During Offense, pay attention to Thor’s quips, he is quite chatty and makes a lot of noise, so there’s a good way the team might figure out where he is coming from. Pay special attention to God of Thunder, since this ultimate will wipe the team out if they are not prepared. Thor can jump into the air twice thanks to Storm Surve and his ultimate, so that can make it harder to distinguish a true ult attack from a feint. Use fast range Duelists like Punisher or Star-Lord to keep him moving, and try to bait him away from the rest of the team.

Domination Mode

It is quite easy to deal with Thor in Domination since he will not be moving around too much. Baiting him out of the area or flanking him will do the trick, but watch out: he can switch into a mid-ranged attacker using Awakening Rune, and dealing with him can be problematic when he is empowered by Thorforce.

Picking high-mobility Duelists and mid-range attackers with fast overwhelm attacks like Star-Lord and Winter Soldier can help to deal with Thor in Awakening mode. But watch out for the rest of the team: best to lure him away before attacking.

Convergence Mode

During Defense, as with Convoy mode, those extra seconds to position near the target area are precious. Against Thor, this can be used to bait him out of his comfort zone. Using Hawkeye or Black Widow, for example, there’s a high chance to force Thor to chase them out (if they don’t have Spiderman in the team as well), and this will give the team the advantage they need to evacuate the rivals from the target area. Thor will be protecting Duelists and Strategists, so if he moves away from them, entertain him enough time to wipe out the rest of the team.

During Offense, flanking becomes the best option here, as Thor will be most likely protecting Strategists and pairing with Magneto, Hulk, or Venom to defend the zone. If the player using him is smart, they will try to outmaneuver flanking attempts and pushback rivals as they approach. Keep away when Thor casts Lightning Realm, as it will not only empower him but damage attackers that try to single him out.

Best Team Composition For Thor In Marvel Rivals

Thor greatly benefits from playing with Magneto, Rocket Raccoon, and Jeff The Land Shark, since they have great support skills that can help him defend or attack. But if players want to have the best possible results, the best composition to accompany Thor is Hulk, Hela, Loki, Captain America, and Storm.

Hulk has great mitigation and is a powerful tank, that can compensate for Thor’s weaknesses. Loki and Hela have great bonuses when playing with Thor, and Hela can resurrect Thor and Loki faster (or heal them to near full health) each time she kills an enemy. Finally, Captain America and Storm are greatly empowered while playing with Thor, thanks to its Team-Up passive Thunderous Deity.