Mastering the Strategist Role in Marvel Rivals Gameplay

When Marvel Rivals first launched, the Strategist role had the fewest characters among the three available positions. Despite this, it remains the most crucial role in the game, as no team can achieve victory without a Strategist. They serve as the backbone for Duelists and Vanguards, providing essential support that can turn the tide of battle.

Each Strategist comes with a distinct set of abilities tailored to various play styles, but they all share a critical function: powerful healing capabilities for the team. However, while you’re focused on healing, it’s vital to stay aware of your surroundings.

You’ll Be the Target

Picture this: you’re aiming to take down an enemy, hitting your targets, yet one of their team members keeps healing them. Your instinct will likely be to eliminate that healer first, and this is generally how opponents approach battles against Strategists.

In the game, it’s a widely recognized strategy to prioritize eliminating Strategists so the rest of the team can take on the remaining foes. This makes you a primary target, so stay mindful of your positioning to avoid enemy attacks and flanking maneuvers.

Even as support, you’re a vital player in every encounter, as the team relies on you to succeed. Your survival is paramount compared to the other roles.

Focus on Healing Allies First

As a Strategist, you’ll have a special feature on your screen that displays the health status of your teammates, even through walls. Here’s how to interpret it:

• If the ally’s aura is in a normal color, it means they are barely injured.
• A yellow aura indicates they’re damaged, typically having an HP bar between 50% and 90%.
• A red heart marked with “critical” signals very low health.

While you’re in a support role, you can still damage foes, but that should be your second priority. Your main job is ensuring your allies are safe and healthy before you launch any attacks. This may require you to spend the majority of your time healing, but it’s essential for your team’s success.

Sync Up Your Ultimates

Many Strategists possess ultimate powers that can dramatically influence the battle, but they can easily become ineffective if not used wisely. To maximize the effectiveness of these skills, you must time their use perfectly and communicate with your team. For instance, there’s little benefit in wiping out several enemies with Jeff’s ultimate if your team is unprepared to advance afterward.

Likewise, using healing ultimates like Luna Snow’s or Mantis’ isn’t smart unless your team is ready to capitalize on it right away. As a Strategist, you’re responsible for monitoring both your team’s positioning and their ultimate abilities before using yours.

Stick Together in Combat

During gameplay, it’s common for you to be the first to respawn after your team is wiped out. In such scenarios, it’s often best to wait for your teammates to respawn and regroup with them before heading back to the objective. There are some exceptions, though.

If you’re playing as a slower character like Adam Warlock or Loki, you might start moving out early, as your faster teammates can catch up. Conversely, a fast Strategist like Luna Snow, Mantis, or Jeff can afford to wait a little longer before joining the fray without losing valuable time.

Your Effort Level is Up to You

In addition to being the game’s most critical role, the Strategist also offers varied levels of challenge. The characters differ greatly in skill requirements, with some needing precise positioning, while others enable you to simply stand back and heal from afar.

Here’s a list of Strategist characters ranked from easiest to hardest:

1. Jeff
2. Cloak And Dagger
3. Mantis
4. Rocket Raccoon
5. Adam Warlock
6. Luna Snow
7. Loki