Summary
- Avoid pairing Magneto & Doctor Strange because their shields overlap, leading to limited team utility.
- Iron Man & Storm together are easily targeted by hitscan characters due to both flying, leaving the ground undefended.
- Don’t pair Venom & Scarlet Witch for redundant debuffs; instead, diversify debuff effects for a stronger team dynamic.
Marvel Rivals is a game packed full of characters, all of whom bring something unique to the table, and while many can combine their abilities and powers to help fend off the enemy team, there are some individuals who, truthfully, don’t work all too well together. Whether it’s because they fill the same role or simply get in one another’s way in combat, some pairs just don’t match up, and considering how competitive the game has become, it can help to know what duos are worth avoiding to have the best chance of securing a win.
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It does need to be prefaced this doesn’t mean these characters on their own are bad. Far from it, it’s just that having them on the same team can be a little bit of a waste when there’s the potential to use others who can make a team more formidable and reliable overall. With that being said, it’s time to look at the Marvel Rivals characters that players should avoid having on the same team when possible.
1
Magneto & Doctor Strange
While One Shield Is Great, Two Can Be A Little Overkill
While having two tanks on a team, especially in ranked, can already be a little bit of a gamble, the reason having these two particular Vanguards active at the same time can be an issue is because they both pretty much fill the same role. Both Strange and Magneto excel at keeping their teammates safe with their shields, and since both their shields are already pretty bulky, it means a second one really isn’t all that necessary.
Instead, teaming up one of these two with other Vanguards such as Venom, who can slow down enemies, or Peni, who can set booby traps around the map, allows the team to cover more ground rather than being too defense-focused.
2
Storm & Iron Man
Iron Man And Storm Can Throw The Enemy Team Off Their Game Individually, But Together, They Can Be Easily Swatted Down
Storm and Iron Man are the only two Duelists who can stay airborne indefinitely without needing to activate an ability to do so, and while that makes them very hard for the enemy to hit, having two at the same can make this more of a disadvantage. While one on their own can help to diversify the enemy fire between the ground and the air, having Iron Man and Storm together means hitscan characters, like the Punisher, can simply aim for the skies and deal tons of damage in the process.
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Iron Man and Storm can act as dangerous distractions for the opponents to deal with when on their own, but as a duo, it can leave the grounded teammates a little light on support, especially the healers who don’t have as many allies to hide behind.
3
Iron Fist & Spider-Man
Both Iron Fist And Spider-Man Are Very Difficult Heroes To Use Who Can Easily Get Ambushed, So There’s No Point In Doubling The Risk
Simply put, Spider-Man and Iron Man are characters whose game plan revolves around getting in, dealing as much damage as possible, and getting out before things end up getting too crazy. However, this also makes them a little risky to use, since well-coordinated enemy teams will easily be able to gang up on them and melt their health bars in a matter of seconds when concentrating all of their firepower onto these highly mobile characters.
While one of these guys can cause a problem for the enemy team, two at the same time can be quite unreliable, since they could easily be taken out as soon as they enter the battle, taking out most of a team’s damage dealers in one go. At the same time, it also means there are fewer DPS characters on the team pumping out consistent damage throughout the match considering these two are both hit-and-run characters, which allows the opposing team to advance much more easily.
4
Black Widow & Captain America
Black Widow And Captain America Essentially Cancel Out One Another’s Abilities When Used Together
Black Widow’s main gimmick is that she can seamlessly switch between melee and ranged combat at will. She additionally relies a lot on her mobility through her Fleet Foot ability, but since Captain America already possesses this ability, and is far more durable than Black Widow, it means there’s already someone mobile enough to get into the action quickly while also dealing tons of damage along the way.
Considering Hawkeye also tends to be more effective than Black Widow at range, this essentially means that she and Cap don’t exactly bounce off one another all that well, since there’s no reason to use her if he’s already on-task. However, if Captain America is out of the picture, then this allows Black Widow to be the one who can jump in and cause chaos now and again instead.
5
Mister Fantastic & Winter Soldier
With Extremely Similar Abilities, Mister Fantastic And Winter Soldier Essentially Fill The Same Role
Mister Fantastic and Winter Soldier are two Duelists who can deal a lot of damage, but who are also a little slower than some of their counterparts. Bucky only has three shots in his revolver and fairly lengthy cooldowns on his abilities, while Mister Fantastic has a sluggish main attack and the Reflexive Rubber ability which limits his overall movement when activated. As a result, while one can work wonders in a team composition, two of them can make the overall damage output a little inconsistent.
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Additionally, these two guys have pretty similar kits considering they can both pull enemies towards them and also possess more or less identical ultimate abilities, which is another reason why finding characters who are less alike and more diverse can help in catching the enemy team by surprise.
6
Venom & Scarlet Witch
It Can Be Better To Have A Team That Can Throw Out Multiple Debuffs On The Enemy Rather Than Only One
Considering the sheer amount of debuffs characters can throw out in Marvel Rivals, it can help to diversify the effects that heroes are able to utilize when on the same team. In the case of Venom and Scarlet Witch, both are capable of slowing down enemies with their abilities, so it doesn’t add all too much to the team to have them both on the battlefield at the same time.
If Venom has already been picked, then Duelists such as Wolverine, who are more based around durability, or Star-Lord, who can get in and deal plenty of damage quickly, can be more useful to take advantage of his Cellular Corrosion ability. Alternatively, Vanguards such as Doctor Strange and Magneto can be good pairings for Wanda by keeping her covered with shields and defenses while she throws out damage from afar.
7
Invisible Woman & Loki
For More Consistent Healing, It’s Better To Avoid Pairing Up Loki And Invisible Woman
While Invisible Woman and Loki can both provide some decent healing to teammates, they also both possess abilities that allow them to turn invisible, encouraging them to sneak off now and again to either regenerate health or attack a few enemies from behind. This means that having them both on the same team as dedicated healers can be a little less consistent and effective than if other Strategists filled at least one of these two spots.
For example, since Rocket can propel himself through the air to dodge bullets, and Cloak & Dagger can deal consistent damage to anyone who gets close, it means they are healers who can afford to stay in the thick of the fight, which isn’t a luxury that Loki and Invisible Woman can always afford. Therefore, having one or the other will often prove to be the most reliable strategy rather than pairing them together.
Third-Person Shooter
Action
Multiplayer
- Released
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December 6, 2024
- Developer(s)
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NetEase Games