Thor, the Son of Odin and the God of Thunder, charges into Marvel Rivals with a noble mission to safeguard the realms. Armed with divine powers, he plunges into battles, overpowering his enemies while sustaining minimal damage.
Despite his immense strength, many players find it challenging to confront this mighty force. This guide aims to equip you with essential strategies—what to anticipate when opposing Thor, which heroes are best suited to counter him, and the most effective playstyles to adopt for success.
How to Counter Thor
Thor’s primary advantage lies in his ability to dive into enemy backlines and eliminate your Strategists before retreating to safety. His Awakening Rune enhances his powers, granting him temporary health, extended range, and increased damage for his attacks. When he needs to get away, he employs his Storm Surge ability to fly off.
Fortunately, his formidable strength can become his biggest vulnerability if you can obstruct his escape. Opt for heroes who can stun him or use Crowd Control (CC) to keep him from returning to his team while focusing all your attacks on him. This will put you in a strong position.
Several heroes can effectively trap Thor. Here’s a selection from each role:
Countering Thor as a Strategist
As a Strategist, you’ll often be Thor’s target, given that your role is critical in team battles. To maximize your chances of survival, stay close to an ally—either a Strategist or a Vanguard. They can help keep you alive with healing or by drawing Thor’s attention. Additionally, employing a CC ability and coordinating with your teammates can turn Thor into an easy target for your group.
Heroes like Luna Snow and Mantis excel in this role because they can immobilize Thor for brief periods. Notably, Mantis’ Spore Slumber proves more effective against Thor than Luna Snow’s Absolute Zero due to its area-of-effect capability compared to Luna’s aimed projectile.
Be aware that if you attack a frozen Thor while he’s incapacitated by Luna Snow’s Absolute Zero, he will break free immediately.
Countering Thor as a Duelist
As a Duelist facing Thor, your main goal is to shield your Strategists by swiftly depleting his health. A combination of your high damage output and your allies’ CC will be the most effective strategy to achieve this.
Wolverine is an excellent choice against nearly any Vanguard, as his damage ramps up based on the target’s remaining health. If Thor dives into your backline, use Vicious Rampage to dash towards him quickly, and then activate Feral Leap to lift Thor and thrust him away from your Strategists. Once he’s isolated, unleash your claws to drain his health while your team provides healing support.
You can steer the direction you go when employing Feral Leap, allowing you to relocate your opponent strategically.
Even without CC, Punisher remains a solid choice due to his shotgun’s devastating damage at close range. When Thor makes an aggressive move towards your Strategists, stick close to them and unleash a barrage of shots to deter him from another assault.
Countering Thor as a Vanguard
As a Vanguard, your mission is to thwart Thor’s attempts to breach your backline or escape back to his team. Staying alert to Thor’s positioning is key to neutralizing his threats before he can act.
Groot stands out as the most effective Vanguard in this scenario, thanks to his ability to build walls that hinder Thor’s movement. If Thor is on the verge of attacking your backline, quickly drop a wall right in front of him to block his path. If he manages to breach your defenses, create a barrier to separate him from his team so he can’t get support.
Ironically, Thor can even be a formidable counter to himself. When an opposing Thor aims to dive into your backline, you can intercept him with Storm Surge, pushing him away and forcing him to retreat, using up his abilities in the process.