7 of the best Marvel Rivals team comps for all skill levels

Putting together the best Marvel Rivals team comps is heavily dependent on who you’re playing with in the multiplayer game, so we went about this task a little differently

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Putting together the best Marvel Rivals team comps is heavily dependent on who you’re playing with in the multiplayer game, so we went about this task a little differently. Sticking to a specific, six-person team composition is almost impossible if you’re playing with random people. However, we’ve broken down how each unit works in relation to the others to help give you ideas about how to play with specific characters – Hulk with Dr Strange, for example, or why, if you see an ally change to Iron Fist, it might be a good idea to bench Adam Warlock for Luna Snow. It’s worth trying different character combos to see what you enjoy the vibe with the most.

Our Marvel Rivals team comps guide lists seven teams – some general, some character-specific – and how and why they work well, and we’ve stuck to a standard 2-2-2 format, with two Vanguard, two Duelists, and two Strategists.

• Read more: Marvel Rivals tier list - The best Duelists, Vanguards, and Strategists

Hulk and Smash team

Hulk is the most important part of this team. His Gamma Charge team-up ability passively boosts Iron Man’s enhanced basic attacks and Dr Strange’s Maelstrom of Madness, and he can actively team up with Wolverine to launch the lil’ guy into a crowd of enemies, though don’t forget you both need to initiate this action

He angy / NetEase/GLHF

Wolverine and Iron Fist can heal themselves and, as melee fighters, can cover each other, which smooths over one of Wolverine’s biggest problems. Jeff gets an ice damage ability from Luna that slows targets, and Luna can use an area-of-effect ability that damage foes and heals allies thanks to Iron Fist. Even with Iron Fist and Wolverine together, you ideally want Dr Strange nearby to shield and use Maelstrom of Madness. Hulk’s gamma shields are a nice bonus as well.

Duelists

• Iron Fist
• Wolverine

Vanguard

• Hulk
• Dr Strange

Strategists

• Luna Snow
• Jeff the Land Shark

Rabid Raccoon team

Rocket Raccoon’s Ammo Overload powers this team. The ability gives Winter Soldier and Punisher infinite ammo and increased rate of fire so long as they stay within a certain distance from Rocket Raccoon. Having Groot on the team gives Rocket a defensive boost when the two team up, and Groot’s shields let you shape the battlefield, keeping the Duelists safe and walling off the opposing team’s escape routes. Mantis is here for additional healing and, more importantly, to buff Punisher’s and Winter Soldier’s damage output. 

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The second Vanguard slot is less important, though since your team is operating as a close unit, Peni Parker is a useful pick. She excels at controlling specific, limited areas and is hard to get rid of.

Duelists

• Punisher
• Winter Soldier

Vanguard

• Groot
• Peni Parker (or free slot) 

Strategists

• Rocket Raccoon
• Mantis

The All-Stars team

This one has no special team-up abilities. We’re just going for playability and power. Hela and Moon Knight are two of the most powerful Duelists – though Hela requires good aim – while Strange and Magneto have the best defensive potential. Luna keeps a constant stream of healing and can freeze particularly troublesome opponents, while Mantis swaps between supplementary heals and ally buffs. Her own attack is useful as well, and she can even put a single target to sleep. Crowd control, damage, continuous healing and shields – truly all you need. 

Tough to balance, but fantastic once you know how / NetEase/GLHF

Duelists

• Hela
• Moon Knight

Vanguard

• Dr Strange
• Magneto

Strategists

• Luna Snow
• Mantis

Hela team

This one is highly specific – hence the name – but it has strong potential for someone who’s good at playing Hela. We’re pairing her with Winter Soldier – a sturdier unit who can fight up close and at distance – to cover for her fragility and precision aim requirements, and while Thor and Loki aren’t are favorite Vanguard and Strategist, respectively, there’s a good reason they’re here. 

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Hela’s team-up ability revives them when she defeats a foe, or, if they’re still alive, she grants them overhealth. Hela can defeat non-Vanguard units in two or three hits, so she’s a strong source of overhealth for her allies. Thor powers up Captain America, who can rush in to clear the way for Winter Soldier and disrupt enemies, and Cloak and Dagger keep everyone safe with heals for you and debuffs for the opposing team.

He's pretty useful when he can't die / NetEase/GLHF

Duelists

• Hela
• Winter Soldier

Vanguard

• Thor
• Captain America

Strategists

• Loki 
• Cloak and Dagger

Surprise team

Marvel Rivals’ maps give you plenty of opportunities to surprise the opposing team, especially if you’re invisible or swing in from nowhere to throw everything into chaos. The latter is Venom’s job, who, with shields from Magneto and healing over time from Mantis, can sweep behind enemy lines to deal with squishier units – Strategists especially – without fear of getting swamped and defeated. 

Cloak and Dagger support the team with healing and invulnerability, and their presence also gives Moon Knight the chance to go invisible for a time. Mantis can use her remaining life orbs to buff his attack to make the most of that team-up ability while it lasts. Spider-Man is here for strategic target strikes with his debuff and strong follow-up, though if things get dicey, Venom’s team-up ability lets Spider-Man disperse crowds for a few seconds to help him get away.

Duelists

• Moon Knight
• Spider-Man

Vanguard

• Venom
• Magneto

Strategists

• Cloak and Dagger
• Mantis

And poof, she's gone / NetEase/GLHF

Psylocke team

This is another specific team built around a single character, as the name suggests, but it works well anyway. Magneto gives Psylocke some much-needed defense with his shield, and you can handle that in two ways. One is where Psylocke ventures out under protection, engages the enemy for a short time, and retreats, though you could also be more aggressive and stay in combat for longer. Magneto would keep an eye on Psylocke and reapply his shield when he can. Peni Parker’s drawback – that her web is easily avoided – is a boon on Psylocke teams. Place it in open areas to drive the opposing team into smaller side passages, where they have a harder time escaping Psylocke. Groot can do something similar with his walls.

• Read more: Marvel Rivals update 20241210 patch notes: Dr. Strange exploit shut down

We listed Magik just for the unpredictability her portals and demon add, but if you want someone a bit more reliable, you could swap her out for Punisher or – the self-sustaining option – Iron Fist. Mantis keeps Psylocke buffed and healthy with her life orbs, and Luna Snow is a strong source of backup healing, with some extra damage and crowd control as well.

Duelists

• Psylocke
• Magik

Vanguard

• Magneto
• Groot or Peni Parker

Strategists

• Mantis
• Luna Snow

The “Hey this worked really well” team

This team comes to you by virtue of a random match while I was testing abilities. Adam Warlock’s ultimate and his team-up ability with Star Lord – the former revives downed allies and the latter gives Star-Lord and Mantis a free revive – remove most of the issues with Star-Lord and let him be a constant nuisance for the opposing team. Calculated risk taking and smart positioning let you flank enemies and pick off weaker units while the rest of the team does their thing.

Turns out not letting allies die is a useful feature / NetEase/GLHF

Groot blocks corridors, shields allies, and can trap opponents for Star-Lord to whittle down, and Venom and Iron Fist are an effective way to punch through the enemy ranks. This particular team used Jeff the Land Shark for our second Strategist, though Mantis’ widespread healing, damage buffs, and free revive thanks to Adam, is probably the better choice.

Duelists

• Star-Lord
• Iron Fist

Vanguard

• Venom
• Groot

Strategists

• Adam Warlock
• Mantis (or Jeff the Land Shark)