Marvel Rivals has officially entered Season 3, and players are eager to know who stands at the top and who’s falling behind.
Meta picks are always a cornerstone of competitive games, especially in hero-shooters like Overwatch 2 and Valorant. Marvel Rivals is no exception.
Vanguards (or Tanks) have always served as the frontliners in Marvel Rivals. They’re built to soak up damage and protect the backline from incoming divers. A good team composition starts with a solid Vanguard. Without one, your team’s foundation crumbles.
Here’s my personal tier list of all Vanguards in ranked Diamond and above:
Marvel Rivals Season 3 Vanguard tier list (Diamond+)
Marvel Rivals Season 3 Vanguard Tier List
S-Tier Vanguards
Emma Frost
Despite the nerf to her primary attack, Emma Frost remains a stalwart meta pick for Vanguards in Season 3. Her hybrid potential is still unmatched, as she can switch from a poke playstyle to an anti-dive peeler.
Thanks to her portable shield and Diamond Form, she can absorb most of the enemy team’s damage, but she’s not ideal as a solo tank. She needs a second tank to support her, otherwise, she ends up feeding ultimate charge to the enemy.
Magneto
As usual, nothing beats the Master of Magnetism in the overall meta. Magneto remains an essential pick even after three full seasons since Marvel Rivals launched. His kit is perfectly built to protect allies while also applying pressure on the frontlines.
A good Magneto can still deny a barrage of enemy Ultimates, like canceling Cloak & Dagger’s or Punisher’s ult. He can even shut down Luna Snow’s ultimate if the timing is right.
Most of the time, he’s a self-sustaining hero who can survive long fights. With his shields and bubbles, he cycles through his defenses effortlessly, making him nearly unstoppable. Unfortunately, he’s weak against dive heroes like Black Panther, a skilled Hulk, The Thing, and Emma Frost.
Hulk
Hulk has been doing great lately, especially in Season 3. With the addition of Phoenix, there’s more poke potential in the meta, so divers like Hulk can destabilize those setups with ease.
Thanks to his Gamma Bubbles, he can protect himself and his teammates from dangerous ultimates like Jeff the Shark’s or Iron Man’s. He also thrives in brawl compositions, so if the enemy team leans into poke, just bulldoze straight into their Helas and Hawkeyes.
A-Tier Vanguards
Peni Parker
Peni has rapidly climbed the ranks after her new team-up ability with Rocket Raccoon, which gives her an extra Peni Nest. She’s becoming more of a problem for Dive comps. Her hidden mines and unbreakable webs are still a bit busted.
A good Peni knows how to reposition with her web zips and lure enemies into her mines. She can also deny most ultimates that aren't CC-immune with her secondary web skill, like those from Black Panther, Doctor Strange, and Wanda.
However, she’s not as effective solo, so pairing her with another tank is the best move.
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange has always been in a tricky spot in the meta. Sometimes he’s good, sometimes he’s bad, but most of the time, he’s picked for clutch portal plays in crucial moments.
Not many people realize that Doctor Strange is still viable in higher elo. He’s more than just a taxi. He’s effective against Dive comps thanks to his Maelstrom of Madness explosions and his dangerous Eye of Agamotto ultimate.
The Thing
Surprisingly, Ben Grimm has jumped to A-rank this season (from C-Tier) thanks to a new buff that adds a nifty anti-air punch.
He can now leap and throw fists mid-air. If it connects, he disables flying heroes and knocks them to the ground, ready for another charged punch. This new move also helps him chase down escaping enemies,so low-mobility heroes like Adam Warlock and Luna Snow better watch out.
He’s still an ult battery if he’s the only tank on the team, but when paired with a good shield tank like Magneto or Doctor Strange, they’re an unstoppable combo.
B-Tier Vanguards
Venom
Venom is still decent, but he’s not a major threat in high-level play. He’s mostly just annoying, with his tentacles doing "tickle damage." But true Venom mains know that’s not the point. His job is to split up the enemy with his buffed Cellular Corrosion, which weakens anyone caught in his symbiotic web.
In a dive comp though, Venom doesn’t bring much value when tanks like The Thing or Hulk do the job better.
His biggest issue is that he’s selfish. His kit is all about his own survival, and he doesn’t offer much team support, making him not a great pick most of the time.
Captain America
As painful as it is to say this, even as a Cap main myself, he's not doing well in higher elos. Enemy tanks are usually running Emma Frost or The Thing, which makes Cap’s skirmishes ineffective. He constantly gets smashed, stunned, locked down, or grabbed. His lack of survivability and a weak shield don’t help.
Still, on a good day, a solid Captain America can harass enemy supports and survive long enough to matter. His ultimate can also help the team contest objectives and turn the tide at the right moment.
Thor
Thor's recent rework traded survivability for more burst damage. He can now threaten frontline enemies with his Mjolnir Dash, but the health trade-off makes him more vulnerable.
Thor remains viable, but he demands skill to unlock his full potential. Otherwise, he’d just be a free Ultimate resource. A good player can maximize Thorforce to punish grouped enemies. Unfortunately, his Ultimate still feels underwhelming since launch.
C-Tier and below Vanguards
Thor
Thor is in a weird spot, sadly. Even with buffs to his ability canceling and free hammer throws, he’s just not a great pick against teams that thrive on dishing out damage. Most of the time, he just feeds ult charge.
Don’t get me wrong, he’s still viable. Against poke-heavy teams with heroes like Black Widow, Hela, Hawkeye, or Phoenix, Thor can be effective. But he can’t hold his own solo. He needs a second tank to get value.
Groot
Groot isn’t doing well this season. He’s just too slow and lacks any mobility options. Against a good Wolverine, he’s a walking ult charge. Even with his annoyingly placed walls, his large hitbox makes him an easy target for DPS.
To make Groot work, he needs a second tank and maybe a flying hero to help capitalize on his wall placements. A bad Groot can ruin team flow, but a good one knows exactly how to make life miserable for the enemy.
And that’s about it. These are my personal rankings for the current Vanguard meta in Marvel Rivals Season 3. While tier lists are always subjective, I feel confident, especially as a higher-elo player, that these heroes are right where they belong in today’s competitive landscape.
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