To be a Vanguard in Marvel Rivals, you need to embrace the role of a frontline defender, acting as a strong shield for your team. There are eight Vanguards in the game, but some are noticeably tankier than others. In this guide, we’ll highlight the four best Vanguards with the highest survivability in Marvel Rivals Season 1.
Table of Contents
1. Venom
| Abilities That Make Venom a Strong Vanguard | Details |
| Symbiotic Resilience | Grant 100 Bonus Health and convert 120% of lost Health into Bonus Health. |
| Venom Swing | Launch webbing forward for 30m radius. |
Why does Venom have high survivability in Marvel Rivals?
- He can generate stronger shields the lower his health gets, making him exceptionally hard to kill.
- Great at diving into enemy lines.
Venom is an exceptionally durable Vanguard in Marvel Rivals, thanks to his natural strength and ability to generate shields. His Symbiotic Resilience (E) skill is his core defensive ability, granting him a shield based on his missing health. The lower his health, the greater the bonus health he generates. This mechanic makes him one of the most powerful tanks in the game.
Venom’s playstyle also revolves around diving into enemy lines to disrupt their healers and strategies. He can endure sustained damage from the entire enemy team, activate his shield to absorb hits, and retreat using Venom Swing when the shield is about to break. With his high survivability, Venom is great at breaking enemy formations and forcing opponents to react, creating opportunities for his team to engage. Even with minimal healing from Strategists, he can dive in and hold his ground effectively.
2. Doctor Strange
| Abilities That Make Doctor Strange a Strong Vanguard | Details |
| Shield of the Seraphim | Create a protective barrier against damage. |
| Cloak of Levitation | Doctor Strange can float and stay in the air for a short time. |
Why does Doctor Strange have high survivability in Marvel Rivals?
- Has the largest shield in the game.
- Can float while keeping his shield up.
Next is the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange, who is currently the most popular Vanguard, boasting the highest pick rate in competitive play at a staggering 19.3%. Why is he the top choice? Simply put, he is an incredibly strong tank with a highly valuable kit for his team.
His Shield of the Seraphim is his standout ability, letting him deploy the largest shield in the game. This shield provides cover for all teammates behind him. Not only does this shield offer massive protection, but he can also hold it as long as its durability lasts. It can even block powerful ultimates, including Hela’s and Scarlet Witch’s, making Doctor Strange an important frontline protector.
Additionally, Doctor Strange also has a mobility skill that lets him float while keeping his shield up, boosting his survivability by allowing him to move while protected. Although he doesn’t have Venom’s healing ability, his large shield and mobility make him one of the hardest Vanguards to defeat.
3. Magneto
| Abilities That Make Magneto a Strong Vanguard | Details |
| Metallic Curtain | Creates a magnetic field to form a metallic wall, blocking all projectiles. |
| Metal Bulwark | Creates a metal shield around an ally. Any damage they take turns into iron rings for Magneto. |
| Iron Bulwark | Creates an iron shield around himself. Damage taken turns into iron rings for Magneto. |
| Mag-Cannon | Turns Magneto’s iron rings into a cannon to fire a metal mass. More rings increase damage, with full rings knocking enemies back. |
| Metallic Fusion | Scarlet Witch infuses Magneto’s greatsword with Chaos Energy, letting him unleash a powerful strike. |
Why does Magneto have high survivability in Marvel Rivals?
- Has multiple shield layers with short cooldowns, making him extremely hard to take down.
- Can share shields with teammates and becomes stronger when paired with Scarlet Witch.
The father of all mutants, Magneto, rises as one of the strongest tanks in Marvel Rivals. Taking him down is no easy task, as he possesses multiple layers of shields that keep both himself and his teammates alive. His Metallic Curtain (Shift) skill is a powerful defensive ability that fits any team composition. With only a 3-second cooldown, this skill makes Magneto incredibly difficult to kill, allowing him to refresh his protection constantly.
What truly elevates his survivability are his Metal and Iron Shield Bubble abilities (E and F), which give him extra layers of protection These shields make him nearly unbreakable, especially with healer support. He can also share the shields with teammates, offering more assist to his mutant allies.
His Mag-Cannon (RMB) also improves his survivability. When fully charged, it knocks enemies back by 6 meters, giving Magneto a way to escape when he’s in danger. Pairing Magneto with his daughter, Scarlet Witch, makes him even more formidable, thanks to their Metallic Fusion team-up ability. This synergy allows Magneto to form a devastating sword that deals massive damage, proving that sometimes, the best defense is a strong offense.
4. Groot
| Abilities That Make Groot a Strong Vanguard | Details |
| Flora Colossus | Nearby wooden walls awaken, gaining extra effects. Right-click during wall-building to extend walls. |
| Thornlash Wall | Grows a Thornlash Wall at a target spot. Awakened walls strike nearby enemies that are hit by Groot or allies. |
| Ironwood Wall | Grows an Ironwood Wall at a target spot. Awakened walls grant Groot Bonus Health when he or allies deal damage nearby. |
Why does Groot have high survivability in Marvel Rivals?
- Builds wooden walls that block enemy movement and deal damage when attacked.
- Gains bonus health from his Ironwood Wall ability when placed correctly.
Groot rounds out this list as the final entry. His Flora Colossus ability makes him an incredibly tough opponent to bring down. He is the go-to Vanguard when a team desperately needs a frontliner who can disrupt enemy attacks and hold the line.
Groot’s core strength lies in his wooden wall abilities. His Thornlash Wall (Shift) can block both enemy movement and projectiles, while also striking nearby enemies. When used strategically, this ability can frustrate opponents while dealing decent damage.
However, what truly makes Groot one of the most survivable Vanguards in Marvel Rivals is his Ironwood Wall (E). Many players misuse this ability, but when positioned correctly—preferably blocking enemy paths, and beside Groot—it serves as a lifeline. By continuously attacking enemies near the wall, Groot can awaken it, granting himself bonus health and making him even harder to kill. With his wall abilities on short cooldowns, Groot is both tough and disruptive, making him a key protector in any team setup.
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- Marvel Rivals: 6 Best Heroes to Play for Beginners
- How to Fix Marvel Rivals Practice Range Issue: Can’t Enter or Load Error
- Marvel Rivals: How to Get Free Units in Season 1
These four Vanguards—Venom, Doctor Strange, Magneto, and Groot—stand out for their exceptional survivability in Marvel Rivals Season 1. Each brings unique defensive capabilities to the battlefield. Their durability and defensive skills make them essential for teams needing a strong frontline. The upcoming addition of The Thing as a new Vanguard will reveal if he can outshine the tanks in this list. We will see!
