Moon Knight, acting as Khonshu’s avatar, stands out as one of the top duelists in Marvel Rivals. He mainly functions as a sniper-like adversary, inflicting damage from hidden spots. His abilities are straightforward, revolving around two main mechanics: bounce attacks and rapid movement. When these two mechanics are combined without interruption, they create a highly lethal combination.
Similar to Peni Parker’s Spider-Mines and Namor’s squids, Moon Knight wields a potent tool that boosts his killing power: the ankhs. His primary and alternate attacks resemble a barrage with bounce capabilities, drawing shots toward the center for enhanced impact, effectively granting him auto-aim with significantly increased damage. Thus, understanding how to confront this dynamic damage-dealing hero can be crucial in certain encounters.
How to Counter Moon Knight
Moon Knight’s primary strategy involves accessing remote, hidden areas on the map using his mobility, setting up an ankh in concealed locations surrounded by enemies, and unleashing a torrent of attacks. The ankhs represent the most hazardous part of his arsenal, quickly obliterating any hero caught in their range, often before they even realize what has transpired.
Additionally, his ultimate ability, Hand of Khonshu, serves as a game-changer. It allows him to open a portal above enemies, unleashing a flurry of highly damaging talons. After being upgraded in Season One, this ability is a formidable force that can easily dismantle objectives and backlines. The absence of an effective counter strategy further solidifies its overpowering nature.
To effectively counter Moon Knight, focus on a few key steps: destroy the ankhs, identify his attack location, and ensure he can’t escape.
Your goal should be to prevent him from establishing himself in critical positions. If he does manage to get there, make sure he doesn’t linger for too long.
If he’s constantly on the move, he becomes nearly ineffective, and since his horizontal movement is limited, you can typically corner him on the majority of maps.
As for his ultimate move, while there’s little you can do to stop it, it’s best to anticipate its use (usually around objectives) and quickly move out of its effective range.
How to Counter Moon Knight as a Vanguard
Moon Knight is all about dealing massive damage, making the Vanguard class particularly suited for soaking up most of his hits. If he sets up an ankh, it becomes your duty as a Vanguard to hunt it down and destroy it since you’re often the only role capable of neutralizing the threat before it escalates.
When it comes to hero-specific strategies, characters like Doctor Strange and Magneto can really bother Moon Knight as they can completely block his shots with their shields. While they might lack the range and offensive power to take him down directly, they serve as excellent defensive assets for the team.
Hulk makes for another strong counter against Moon Knight. Not only is he a melee powerhouse capable of reaching Moon Knight with his leaps, but he can also utilize his stun ability, Radioactive Lockdown, to immobilize him and prevent his escape.
Magneto’s Metal Bulwark and Iron Bulwark abilities can completely neutralize the damages from Moon Knight’s ultimate.
How to Counter Moon Knight as a Strategist
Countering Moon Knight as a Strategist requires extra effort, especially when he catches you off guard. However, consistent movement and regular strafing will generally keep you safe from most of his attacks. Since he often avoids the standard range of a Strategist, you don’t need to actively seek him out.
Fortunately, mobility is where Strategists excel. But be vigilant when you hear an ankh being set up nearby and aim to evade that area as quickly as possible. If you’re able to locate Moon Knight, stunning abilities like Mantis’s Spore Slumber or Luna Snow’s Absolute Zero can restrain him for a quick takedown.
Ultimately, your strategy should focus on constantly maneuvering and outhealing the damage he dishes out. Moon Knight aims to disrupt team synergy and isolate Strategists, so the more stealthy you remain, the less effective he becomes.
How to Counter Moon Knight as a Duelist
Moon Knight’s ankhs present a serious challenge for Duelists with their high damage and ability to distract during confrontations. The real hurdle is getting to him, as he can defeat you before you reach him or escape if you do get close. Therefore, your best bet is to observe and identify his location, then attempt to sneak up on him.
Once you engage, he often has little choice but to defend, so it’s crucial to apply pressure immediately.
With this strategy in mind, it’s clear that assassin heroes like Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Iron Fist excel at taking him down.
However, do keep in mind that he can deploy an ankh at the last moment to flee, so swift action is essential to secure a kill.
Additionally, Moon Knight’s projectile attacks make him vulnerable to aerial Duelists like Storm and Iron Man. They can evade his slower talents by moving unpredictably and don’t need to worry about ankhs, as these only attach to surfaces. Therefore, having Iron Man or Storm in your lineup offers a reliable counter to Moon Knight.