Summary
Once you reach Diamond in competitive mode inMarvel Rivals, you might start seeing a hero ban system implemented in your matches. This happens when everyone in the match is Diamond or above. At first, this task can prove somewhat daunting, as it’s not always clear what the best heroes are to ban.
That’s why we’ve created this list, which has a handful of great options that are always worth banning in your matches. Of course, as the meta changes from season to season, some new heroes might emerge as good ban options, but these heroes are always great choices.
Strategist
Support Ultimate
Though Luna has gone up and down in the meta over the course of Marvel Rivals' run, her ultimate is incredibly powerful and can counter a lot ofdifferent abilities and ultimatesin the game. This can prove extremely frustrating to play against at times.
There are, of course, some abilities that can counter Luna’s ult like Magneto’s and Iron Man’s. But, if you don’t have these options at your disposal, banning Luna to get one overpowered support ult off the battlefield is always a surefire bet.
Duelist
Aggressive Backline Flank
Wolverine has enjoyed peaks in the meta and downfalls, but ultimately, the reason to ban Wolverine, especially at lower Diamond ranks, is that a lot of strategists and other backline players don’t always know how to counter or deal with him. If you’re playing against a really aggressive Wolverine, it can be game-changing.
Plus, a lot of the time, having an enemy Wolverine on the battlefield can force Vanguards to switch (like Doctor Strange for example), and can often force your team comp to change from two-two-two to some less-than-ideal combination. Banning Wolverine, while not always necessary, can be helpful in this regard and allows you to play the team composition you want.
Headshot Damage/Hard Counters
Namor is always a super solid option to ban, as he sees a lot of play at high ranks, and can prove really destructive with his headshot damage. However, the biggest detriment to playing against a Namor on the other team is that he hard counters a lot of other heroes.
For example, switching to Namor can force your Spider-Man or Black Panther off the hero. This goes for Scarlet Witch, Iron Man, Storm, and even the Human Torch as well. Frankly, most fliers struggle against Namor or even high-mobility backline duelists, thanks to his auto-aim turrets.
Vanguard
Walls/Crowd Control
At the end of the day, Groot is in no way overpowered. Typically, he’s been one of the more balanced heroes out there. However, playing against Groot’s walls can prove taxing and difficult, and can force some of your duelists to switch off heroes like Winter Soldier or Magik.
Unless you have someone on your team who feels strongly about playing Groot, it’s not necessarily a bad idea to ban him straight away. This is usually an unexpected pick, and can often force the other team to rethink their entire strategy.
Ultimate
Storm has been completely overpowered at times, and at other times, completely ineffectual. However, unless you have strong strategist counter-ultimates at your disposal, Storm’s ultimate can prove incredibly frustrating to play against.
Frankly, a lot of ultimates in Marvel Rivals are frustrating because they’re largely one or two-hit kills, especially for squishy backline duelists and strategists. In some ways, using Storm’s ultimate correctly takes very little skill, but can prove devastating. So, banning Storm early can allow your strategists and duelists to play more offensively, rather than saving their ultimates for counter-defense.
Headshot Damage
Unless you have someone on your team who’s incredibly good at Hawkeye, Hela is still the number one headshot hero in Marvel Rivals. Even when nerfed at times, her headshots can prove devastating in the right hands. Plus, having a Hela on the enemy team can force a lot of counter-swaps on your team.
For example, one of the bestteam-up abilitiesin the game is the Iron Man-Hulk-Doctor Strange Gamma Charge combination. However, if the enemy team has a Hela, your Iron Man is going to be forced to switch. Frankly, with a Hela on the other team, most fliers will have to counter-swap, which can prove frustrating. Plus, her ultimate is annoying to play against.
Aggressive Backline Flanker
Similar to Wolverine, Spider-Man is usually a helpful ban for your strategists. A really good Spider-Man can quickly take out your backline and swing away in a matter of seconds. So, unless you’re prepared to peel for your supports as a duelist constantly, banning Spider-Man is a good choice.
However, as mentioned previously, Spider-Man also has a hard counter in Namor. So, even if your team doesn’t choose to ban Spider-Man, or wants to spend their bans on more hard-to-counter heroes, just make sure you switch to Namor if you need to counter him.
Ultimate/Versatility
Winter Soldier has always been one of the best duelists in Marvel Rivals. He has an incredibly versatile kit that gives him both medium and long-range attacks, he can ground fliers easily, and move vanguards out of position thanks to his hook. Ultimately, banning him is always a super solid option, especially at high levels of play.
The Winter Soldier’s ultimate can also prove incredibly difficult to play against depending on your team composition. Unless you have a Groot who can wall him off successfully during his ultimate, you might find your entire team wiped in a matter of seconds.
Cloak & Dagger sees a lot of play and is one of the most powerful strategists in the game. If played correctly, Cloak & Dagger can not only heal incredibly well but function as almost a flex duelist at times. Plus, their ultimate is incredibly powerful.
Just like Luna, banning Cloak & Dagger takes one support ultimate off the field, which not only can help counter other ultimates, but inflict damage and be used aggressively. Banning Cloak & Dagger guarantees that you won’t ever have to play against three hard-counter support ults.
Banning The Invisible Woman serves the same purpose as banning Cloak & Dagger and Luna Snow: again, you’re getting one support ultimate off the battlefield. The Invisible Woman can also prove quite tough to play against as she can counter a lot of backline duelists thanks to her invisibility passive and Psionic powers.
So, if you’re planning on playingaggressive dive duelistslike Psylocke, Black Panther, or Iron Fist, you might want to consider convincing your team to ban The Invisible Woman. If you can ban her alongside Cloak & Dagger or Luna Snow, the enemy team will have very little support ultimates left to work with.
