Peni Parker may not be the most common choice in Marvel Rivals, but she shines as a formidable Vanguard on certain maps and modes. Unlike other heroes in a similar role, she excels as a strategist, positioning herself strategically and deploying traps that catch her opponents off guard.
Peni utilizes three main traps that make her a master at controlling objectives: mines, web snares, and her signature Spider-Nest. If you fall victim to any of these traps, you might find yourself immobilized or watching your health drop significantly from her explosives. As a result, it’s essential to figure out how to counter Peni when she becomes nearly impossible to take down.
How to Counter Peni Parker
Even though Peni doesn’t possess a shield or methods to generate extra health like other Vanguards can, she is capable of traversing and standing on web strands that restore health over time. Additionally, she can use these strands to pull herself toward a target, making it her primary escape mechanism.
What truly sets Peni apart is her powerful Cyber-Web Snare, which is a significant threat to any dive character in Marvel Rivals. This projectile can snare an enemy for almost a second, providing enough time to eliminate any Duelist or Strategist, especially if they’re low on health or lack support.
Getting caught in Peni’s Bionic Spider-Nest usually leads to disaster due to the hidden mines and Spider-Drones that can rapidly deplete your health. Inside her Spider-Nest, she experiences increased movement, health regeneration, and her mines remain invisible until they detonate. Therefore, the key to effectively countering Peni Parker lies in locating and destroying her Spider-Nest. This nest is the source of her power and represents her primary vulnerability. Once it’s gone, Peni faces a significant cooldown of 15 seconds before she can deploy another, leaving her substantially weakened.
Utilizing distance and mobility can also work in your favor; Peni’s primary attack, while having unlimited ammo and decent range, has low damage output. If you can dodge her snares by strafing, her ranged abilities won’t pose a threat.
During Peni Parker’s Ultimate Ability, you can largely avoid her attacks by staying out of her extended web strands. If you notice she is alone during her ultimate, try to take her down, as it will immediately dispel all the strands created within that time.
How to Counter Peni Parker as a Vanguard
If you main a Vanguard and want to take down Peni Parker, think about using Doctor Strange or Magneto. Not only are they among the top tanks in the game, but they both have a strong advantage — a large-radius shield that can block all of Peni’s long-range attacks, including her primary fire and Cyber-Web Snare.
For close-range Vanguards like Hulk, Thor, or Groot, it may be more challenging to counter Peni directly, but there are still effective strategies you can use. Hulk’s Indestructible Guard ability offers him immunity to Peni’s Nest and mines, allowing him to deal some damage and retreat until his barrier is ready again. Meanwhile, Thor’s Storm Surge ability can push Peni out of her Nest’s range, leaving her open for follow-up melee strikes.
Keeping Peni isolated will make it harder for her to escape, and once she is cut off, she lacks the offensive and defensive skills to stand a chance against most Vanguards. In general, it’s best to maintain a distance from Peni Parker and utilize your defensive tactics, like shields and bonus health, to mitigate her traps.
How to Counter Peni Parker as a Strategist
Aside from her Cyber-Web Snare, Peni Parker doesn’t pose much of a threat to Strategists, as she lacks both the speed and damage to chase down and eliminate healers. Her ability to temporarily stun from a distance can be dodged easily with minimal movement.
Due to her large size and slow speed, she is highly vulnerable to immobilization. Abilities like Luna Snow’s Absolute Zero and Mantis’ Slumbering Spore are particularly effective against her. Additionally, Cloak and Dagger’s Terror Cape can be a game changer, as the blinding effect can disrupt Peni’s ability to attack or ensnare targets from afar.
Do not venture too close to Peni Parker’s Spider-Nest, as the lingering drones can swiftly take you out.
How to Counter Peni Parker as a Duelist
Even though Peni Parker is a strong counter to melee, dive, and assassin heroes like Spider-Man and Iron Fist, several Duelist characters can effectively take her on. Wolverine, for instance, is an excellent counter because he is the game’s strongest anti-Vanguard hero; once he disconnects her from her Nest, it’s essentially game over for her.
Besides Wolverine, Peni is particularly vulnerable to aerial Duelists like Iron Man and Storm. Because her long-range attacks are projectiles, they lose speed as they travel, making it easier for you to dodge and avoid them as long as you maintain distance.
Moreover, if you can deliver solid and high single-shot damage, characters like Hela, Hawkeye, Namor, Winter Soldier, and Black Widow become a nightmare for Peni. It’s simple to score headshots against her, and since she lacks any last-ditch defenses like bonus health or shields, you can eliminate her quickly before she has a chance to escape or recover.
