Every Marvel Rivals Tank Ranked for Season 7 (April 2026)

Marvel Rivals tanks got shaken up hard in Season 7. There are 13 Vanguards in the game as of April 2026, and honestly, the difference between the S tier picks and the bottom of the list feels bigger than it’s ever been. Patch 7.0 buffed some Vanguards into monsters and completely wrecked others. Hulk jumped to S tier overnight. Cap lost his animation cancel and became basically unplayable in ranked. And Deadpool’s Vanguard form? Most banned tank at Grandmaster right now. Nobody saw that coming.

I’ve been grinding ranked since Season 7 dropped on March 20, 2026, and the Vanguard meta looks completely different from Season 6.5. This guide covers all 13 Vanguards, ranked for both competitive (Diamond+) and casual (Bronze through Platinum) play, with full breakdowns on what each hero does well and where they fall apart. If you’ve ever wondered which marvel rivals tanks are actually worth playing right now, this is the list.

Marvel Rivals Tanks Tier List (Season 7 Competitive)

This tier list is built around Diamond rank and above. If you play below Diamond, scroll down to the casual tier list because the meta genuinely looks different at those ranks. A hero being C tier here does not mean they’re unplayable. It means better options exist at high levels of play.

Tier	Heroes	Why They’re Here
S	Deadpool (Vanguard), Groot, Hulk	Meta-defining picks. Strong in every comp and on every map.
A	Magneto, Rogue	Consistent value. Magneto is the solo queue king. Rogue’s ult drain got more valuable.
B	Angela, Doctor Strange, The Thing, Venom, Peni Parker	Solid but situational. Strange fell from his throne. Angela terrorizes casual but gets punished at Diamond+.
C	Captain America, Emma Frost, Thor	Nerfed or outclassed. Cap lost animation cancels. Emma got hit when the meta shifted away from her.

How the Season 7 Patch Changed Marvel Rivals Tanks

This video covers the key Vanguard changes and how they’re playing out in ranked:

Season 7 brought the biggest systemic change since launch. The global ultimate charge rate nerf dropped damage-to-energy conversion from 90% to 70% for Vanguards and Duelists. Passive ult regen went from 12/s to 11/s. That might not sound like much on paper, but in practice it stretched ult windows from roughly 30 seconds to 50+ seconds.

What does that mean for marvel rivals tanks? Heroes with strong base kits (Groot’s walls, Magneto’s shields, Deadpool’s rapid fire) got relatively stronger. Tanks that relied on cycling ults fast to stay relevant (like Thor) got hurt. The triple-support 1-2-3 comp is still the go-to at Diamond+, so if you’re the lone Vanguard, you need to provide consistent value without your ult.

Here are the specific tank changes from Patch 7.0:

• Hulk: Damage-to-ult conversion buffed to 130%. Gamma Burst reworked (2 charges, 6s cooldown each). He’s a damage machine now.
• Doctor Strange: Shield of the Seraphim lost 100 HP (down to 700 from 800). He still works, but you feel the difference when an Iron Man ult breaks through your shield 0.5 seconds earlier than it used to.
• Magneto: Metal Bulwark cooldown increased. Dropped him from S to a high A tier.
• Captain America: Animation cancel tech removed. This gutted his combo gameplay and his competitive viability tanked (pun intended).
• Emma Frost: Additional nerfs on top of an already unfavorable meta. C tier for the first time since her release.
• Angela: Mixed changes. Bonus health increased and ult spear throw damage buffed, but Assassin’s Charge got nerfed. She’s roughly the same overall.

Every Vanguard in Marvel Rivals, Ranked

There are 12 Vanguards plus Deadpool as the game’s only multi-role hero (he can play Vanguard, Duelist, or Strategist). That’s 13 marvel rivals tanks total. Here’s each one broken down.

Deadpool (Vanguard Form) (S Tier)

Yes, the meme hero is the best tank in the game. His Vanguard form switches between close-range sword fighting and ranged pistol play, and that flexibility makes him incredibly hard to predict. The rapid fire mode recharges fast and shreds through enemies. Eight sword dash charges give him mobility that most tanks can’t dream of. And his selfie ability grants full invulnerability, which players use to survive enemy ults and stall for teammate help.

He’s the most banned Vanguard at Grandmaster and above. The Season 7 nerfs barely touched his effectiveness. If you can learn his kit (and it does have a high skill ceiling), he’s the strongest solo carry tank in the game.

Groot (S Tier)

Groot thrives in the slower Season 7 meta. Among all marvel rivals tanks, he absorbs the most damage per match. His Thornlash and Ironwood walls provide positional control that’s more valuable when fights last longer between ult windows. The Ironwood wall buffs from previous seasons made him genuinely threatening. He can deny enemy tanks consistent healing, absorb absurd amounts of damage, and dish out more punishment than most people expect from a “defensive” tank.

Groot absorbs an average of 35,079 damage per match according to MetaBot.gg stats. That’s the highest of any hero in the game. In coordinated play where your team calls wall placements, he’s arguably S+ tier. In solo queue, he drops a bit because random teammates walk into your walls and flame you for it.

Hulk (S Tier)

The 7.0 buff turned Hulk into a monster. His damage-to-ult conversion went up to 130%, so he generates ultimate charge faster than any other Vanguard even after the global nerf. The Gamma Burst rework gave him 2 charges with a 6-second cooldown, turning him into a pressure machine that never lets up.

Hulk requires good game sense to play well. You need to know when to go in and when to back out, because his tankiness relies on getting healing from your Strategists. Without support he reverts to Bruce Banner, which is basically a death sentence. But with competent healers behind him, Hulk is a wrecking ball.

Magneto (A Tier)

Magneto is the most consistent Vanguard for solo queue ranked climbing. Period. His shielding, poke damage, and crowd control generate value without requiring any team coordination. You don’t need your Strategists to pocket you. You don’t need your Duelists to follow up on anything. You just play your game and provide value.

He dropped from S to A tier because of the Metal Bulwark cooldown increase in 7.0, but he’s borderline S tier still. His ultimate deals enough damage to delete ulting supports like Luna Snow and Invisible Woman, which is huge in a meta where support ults win fights. Magneto plus Groot is the best dual-tank pairing when running 2-2-2.

Rogue (A Tier)

Rogue’s ability to drain enemy ults became way more punishing after the global ult charge nerf. Think about it: you steal someone’s ult progress, and now they need 50+ seconds to build it back instead of 30. That kind of tempo swing can decide a fight before it even starts. The tradeoff is that Rogue has to get right in your face to do anything, so poke comps that keep their distance just kite her all day.

Running her with Gambit changes everything. The powered-up punches from their Team-Up heal Rogue on hit, which patches up her biggest weakness. Without Gambit? You’re basically hoping your healers keep you alive through aggro plays, and that’s a coin flip in solo queue. Gambit catches bans more than almost any other hero, so plan around not always having him.

Angela (B Tier)

Angela is the only flying Vanguard in Marvel Rivals, and that aerial mobility creates a massive gap between her casual and competitive performance. Below Diamond, players struggle to deal with a tank that attacks from the sky. She swoops in, bullies someone with her spear impale, and retreats to her healers before anyone reacts. At Diamond+, opponents know how to track her and punish her predictable dive patterns.

Season 7 gave her more bonus health and a stronger ult spear throw, but nerfed her Assassin’s Charge. Net result: she’s roughly where she was in Season 6.5. Good for casual ranked, iffy for competitive.

Doctor Strange (B Tier)

Strange went from a perma-pick to a situational option in Season 7, and that’s a big deal. Multiple seasons of being the default solo queue anchor, and now he’s sitting in B tier because the shield nerf (800 to 700 HP) stacks on top of every other Vanguard getting buffs around him. His shield is still the biggest one in the game, and you can still eat entire enemy ults with it if you time the block right. Eye of Agamotto (his portal) is irreplaceable because literally no other hero can teleport your whole team across the map.

Below Diamond, Strange is still your best friend. Point, shield, shoot. Repeat until you win. His floor is so high that even a bad Strange game creates value for the team. At Diamond+ though? People play mobile comps that get around his shield, and then he’s just a slow guy with mediocre DPS standing in the middle of the fight.

The Thing (B Tier)

The Thing climbed back into B tier thanks to dive comps making a return in Season 7. His passive immunity to knockbacks and displacement means dive heroes like Wolverine can’t just throw him around. His punches hit hard and his Yancy Street Charge can completely nullify enemy mobility abilities.

He still has problems though. His defensive damage reduction requires a teammate nearby, and he has almost no self-sustain. He’s terrible against flying enemies. And he lost his Team-Up with Invisible Woman, which was a big part of his kit in earlier seasons. In casual play he’s actually a menace because opponents can’t focus him down as a team.

Venom (B Tier)

Venom swings in, punches someone in the face, and swings back out before the enemy team can react. That’s his entire gameplay loop, and it works well when you execute it properly. Symbiotic Resistance converts missing health into bonus health, so he basically gets a second health bar if you pop it at the right moment. His primary attacks can also crit, which most people forget about. A Venom with good aim actually chunks pretty hard.

The problem? Gambit. Gambit’s kit cleanses Venom’s ult status effect instantly and gives enemies a clean escape from his pressure. As long as Gambit exists in the meta (and he’s one of the strongest Strategists), Venom has a natural counter that limits his ceiling.

Peni Parker (B Tier)

Peni Parker has a 59.2% win rate at a 1.0% pick rate according to MetaBot.gg (March 2026). That’s classic low-pick-rate inflation. The small group of players who main her are really good with her and inflate the win rate. She’s not actually the best tank in the game.

She lost the Rocket Raccoon Team-Up that made her dominant in earlier seasons, and without it she’s back to being a niche zone controller. Her Bionic Spider-Nest and Arachno-Mines are strong for area denial, but she lacks the flexibility that S and A tier tanks bring to different situations.

Captain America (C Tier)

I don’t know what NetEase was thinking with this one. Removing Captain America’s animation cancel tech gutted his identity. His entire combo gameplay relied on canceling animations to chain shield throws with punches, and without it he feels clunky and slow. He went from a mobile, well-rounded off-tank to arguably the worst Vanguard in competitive play.

He can still hold objectives and protect teammates at a basic level. But in a ranked match where you could pick Magneto, Groot, or Hulk instead, there’s no good reason to lock Cap right now. He needs a rework or his cancels back.

Emma Frost (C Tier)

Emma hit C tier for the first time ever in Season 7. She got nerfed again in 7.0 on top of the meta already shifting away from her. Her Diamond Form is still strong on paper (invulnerable to displacement, chokeslam grab, wall-bounce kick), but the long cooldown between forms means she’s a short-range bruiser for most of the fight. That makes her vulnerable to poke-heavy comps that dominate the current meta.

She’s still hard to deal with if the Emma player is genuinely good and has a team comp built around her. But recommending her to someone looking for a ranked tank in Season 7 would be irresponsible.

Thor (C Tier)

Thor’s rework hurt more than it helped. He doesn’t provide anything to the team besides damage, and other tanks do damage while also bringing shields, walls, or crowd control. His burst can still delete unprotected Strategists, and his AoE ultimate can swing a fight on an objective. But in a meta where your team needs you to create space and protect teammates, Thor falls short.

In the right hands he’s always going to be viable because raw damage output solves a lot of problems. But you can put up damage numbers and still lose because your team had no frontline protection. If ranked is the goal, pick someone who helps teammates stay alive, not just someone who hits hard.

Marvel Rivals Tanks Tier List (Casual: Bronze to Platinum)

The casual meta for marvel rivals tanks is a completely different world. Heroes that need team coordination tank (pun intended) in the rankings, and simple-to-play picks that bully uncoordinated lobbies jump up. This is how the Vanguards actually perform when your teammates won’t group up:

Tier	Heroes	Why
S	Doctor Strange, Angela, Groot, The Thing	Easy to play or hard to punish at low ranks.
A	Hulk, Deadpool, Rogue	Strong but need more game knowledge to maximize.
B	Magneto, Venom, Emma Frost	Effective but players often misuse their kits.
C	Captain America, Thor, Peni Parker	Niche or too skill-dependent for casual play.

Strange runs casual lobbies because his gameplay is just “shield goes up, enemies stop hurting your team.” His portal bails out teams that have no idea how to rotate. Angela farms kills below Diamond because most players straight up can’t track a flying tank. And The Thing? He walks at people, punches them, and nobody below Plat focuses fire well enough to take him down before he gets heals.

How to Pick the Right Tank in Marvel Rivals

Marvel Rivals tanks fall into four general playstyles. Figuring out which type your team actually needs right now beats memorizing any tier list.

Shield Tanks (Doctor Strange, Magneto) put up barriers and give your team a safe spot to play from. Good for poke comps and for games where you need a stable anchor. Solo queuing and nobody’s peeling for your Strategists? Magneto fixes that by himself.

Dive Tanks (Venom, Angela, Rogue) fly or swing into the enemy backline to make life miserable for their supports. High risk, high payoff. If your team doesn’t follow up when you go in, you’re going to melt in the enemy backline with nobody to blame but yourself. I’ve typed “?” in chat at enough dying Venom players to know.

Brawlers (Hulk, The Thing, Thor) want extended close-range fights. They deal heavy damage but need healing support to stay alive. Hulk is the best brawler right now because his ult generation is absurd.

Flex/Zone Controllers (Groot, Peni Parker, Deadpool) bring unique utility that doesn’t fit neatly into the other categories. Groot controls space with walls. Peni locks down areas with mines and webs. Deadpool does literally everything because his kit is overloaded.

All Marvel Rivals Tanks: Health, Role, and Difficulty

Here’s a quick stat sheet for every Vanguard. I keep checking these numbers every patch because HP determines how long you can stand in the fire before you need to back out or grab heals. The difficulty column is my own rating based on how much you need to know about the game before the hero actually pays off for you.

Hero	HP	Playstyle	Difficulty	S7 Tier (Comp)
Angela	500	Dive (aerial)	Medium	B
Captain America	550	Off-tank / Flanker	Hard	C
Deadpool (VG)	550	Flex	Hard	S
Doctor Strange	500	Shield / Anchor	Easy	B
Emma Frost	500	Brawler / Anti-dive	Hard	C
Groot	600	Zone Control	Medium	S
Hulk	600	Brawler	Medium	S
Magneto	550	Shield / Poke	Medium	A
Peni Parker	500	Zone Control	Hard	B
Rogue	500	Dive / Brawler	Hard	A
The Thing	700	Brawler	Easy	B
Thor	550	Damage Tank	Medium	C
Venom	550	Dive	Medium	B

On paper, The Thing’s 700 HP makes him the tankiest Vanguard. But that number alone is misleading. Groot soaks over 35,000 damage per match on average (per MetaBot.gg) because his walls act as extra health for the whole team. And Hulk’s base 600 HP is whatever, because his ult heals him to full and turns him into Monster Hulk with buffed stats. Don’t pick your tank based on HP alone.

Vanguard Team-Up Abilities That Matter in Season 7

Team-Ups are a core mechanic in Marvel Rivals that most tier lists ignore when ranking tanks. Some Vanguards become completely different heroes when their Team-Up partner is on the team. Here are the ones that actually affect tank picks in Season 7:

Team-Up	Heroes	Effect	Impact on Tank Play
Gamma Charge	Hulk + Iron Man + Dr. Strange	Free damage boost for all three	Strong reason to run 2-2-2 with Hulk and Strange together
Fastball Special	Hulk + Wolverine	Hulk launches Wolverine at enemies	Dive initiation tool, pairs well with Hulk’s S-tier status
Amorous Allure	Rogue + Gambit	Powered-up punches with healing	Makes Rogue A+ tier. Problem: Gambit gets banned constantly
Planet X Pals	Groot + Mantis	Groot benefits from Mantis proximity	Extra sustain for Groot in coordinated play
Metallic Chaos	Magneto + Scarlet Witch	Bonus magnetic synergy	Niche but strong when both are available

The Rogue + Gambit combo is the Team-Up that matters most for any Vanguard. Without Gambit on your team, Rogue sits comfortably in A tier. Add Gambit and her punches start healing her, which solves the one problem that keeps Rogue from being broken: staying alive in melee range. The issue? Gambit eats bans like nobody else. You can’t build your tank strategy around a hero that’s unavailable half your games.

Groot + Mantis is quieter but it matters. Having a Mantis on your team gives Groot extra staying power, and he’s already the hardest Vanguard to kill. The Gamma Charge trio (Hulk, Iron Man, Doctor Strange) is the strongest argument for running 2-2-2 on certain maps instead of the usual 1-2-3.

How to Counter Each Tank in Marvel Rivals

Playing against the enemy tank matters as much as playing your own correctly. If you main Vanguard, you should know exactly where your hero falls apart so you can avoid getting farmed. And if you play Duelist or Strategist, this table tells you how to shut down the enemy frontline without guessing.

Tank	Countered By	Why
Deadpool (VG)	Scarlet Witch, focused CC	High HP but vulnerable when selfie is on cooldown
Groot	Wolverine, Magik	Dive heroes bypass walls and pressure Groot directly
Hulk	Blade (anti-heal), kiting	40% healing reduction from Blade guts Hulk’s sustain loop
Magneto	Flankers, shield break heroes	Shield has downtime. Pressure from multiple angles breaks him
Rogue	Poke comps, range advantage	She has to get in melee range. Keep distance and she can’t do anything
Doctor Strange	Dive comps, mobility heroes	Shield is static. Mobile heroes get around it easily
Venom	Gambit	Gambit’s cleanse neutralizes Venom’s ult instantly
Angela	Hitscan DPS, tracking aim	Flying makes her easy to hit if you can track her. Big hitbox in the air
The Thing	Flying heroes, range	Can’t touch you if you stay airborne. Zero ranged options
Emma Frost	Poke, staying out of Diamond Form range	Without Diamond Form she’s squishy. Bait the cooldown, then punish

Biggest counter interaction in Season 7: Blade into Hulk. Blade’s healing reduction got doubled to 40% in this patch, and Hulk lives or dies based on whether his Strategists can keep pumping heals into him. A Blade that sticks on your Hulk basically turns off his sustain loop. If you see Blade on the enemy team and you’re playing Hulk, either ban him in draft or consider swapping to Magneto or Groot who don’t depend on constant healing to function.

Best Tanks by Map Type

Map geometry matters for tanks more than for any other role. A tank that dominates on a tight choke point map can feel useless on an open control point. Here’s the quick reference:

Convoy maps (payload push/stop): Groot and Magneto are kings here. Groot’s walls block payload sightlines and create chokepoints where none exist. Magneto’s shield protects the team while they push or hold. The Thing also shines because his brawling works well in the tight spaces around the payload.

Convergence maps (control point): Hulk and Deadpool dominate point fights because they can sustain through extended brawls on the objective. Doctor Strange’s portal lets your entire team rotate to contested points faster than the enemy. Peni Parker’s mines and webs are strong for point defense but less useful on attack.

Domination maps (multi-point): Mobility matters more here. Venom, Angela, and Rogue can rotate between points quickly. Groot struggles because his walls are less effective when the fight moves away from them. If your team needs to hold two points, consider running 2-2-2 with Magneto on one point and Groot on the other.

Best Tank Team Comps for Season 7

Picking the right marvel rivals tanks for your team composition is half the battle. The dominant comp at Diamond+ is 1-2-3 (one Vanguard, two Duelists, three Strategists). In that format, you need your solo tank to be independently strong. Groot and Magneto are the safest picks for this. If you’re running 2-2-2, Magneto plus Groot is the strongest dual-tank pairing against triple-support comps.

Some specific combos that work well in Season 7:

1. Groot + Hawkeye + Gambit + Luna Snow + White Fox + Blade: The standard 1-2-3 poke comp. Groot’s walls create angles for Hawkeye. Blessing of the Kumiho between White Fox and Luna Snow adds charm CC to poke lanes.
2. Magneto + Groot + Doctor Strange + Iron Man + Gambit + Luna Snow: The 2-2-2 alternative for maps where a second tank creates value. Strange’s portal survives his shield nerf. Iron Man’s buffs make aerial pressure viable.
3. Hulk + Wolverine + Magik + Cloak and Dagger + Luna Snow + Gambit: Dive comp that exploits the slower ult windows. Hulk generates ult fast even after the nerf. Wolverine and Magik pressure healers who can’t ult-cycle as quickly.

Tank Tips for Climbing Ranked

Playing marvel rivals tanks in ranked is different from quick play. I’ve played through Gold to Diamond on Vanguard over multiple seasons. Some things I learned the hard way:

Focus on two stats: Damage Mitigated and Objective Time. High damage mitigated means you’re absorbing enemy cooldowns and protecting your team. High objective time means you’re actually doing your job on the point or payload. KDA matters less for tanks than for any other role.

Be the shot-caller. Say “group up on me” before pushing. Ping targets. A tank that leads turns six randoms into something resembling a team. Most players in Gold and Platinum will follow a Vanguard who moves with purpose. They just need someone to follow.

Don’t swap after two losses. This is true for all marvel rivals tanks, not just the S tier ones. Pick a tank, commit to it, learn the matchups. Magneto into Groot into Deadpool every three deaths doesn’t help anyone. The hero isn’t the variable. Your positioning and ability timing are.

Best Tanks for Beginners in Marvel Rivals

If you’re new to the Vanguard role or hero shooters in general, some tanks have way more forgiving learning curves than others. Starting with a complex hero like Deadpool or Emma Frost is a recipe for frustration.

Doctor Strange is the easiest tank to learn. Shield up, shoot, shield up again. His Shield of the Seraphim blocks damage in a huge area and recovers fast. You don’t need fancy combos or deep game knowledge. Just stand with your team, block damage, and use your portal when your team needs to reposition. He’s S tier in casual for a reason.

The Thing is the second-best option for new tank players. Simple kit, clear brawler identity. Walk at people, punch them, use your charge to close gaps. His passive immunity to knockbacks means you don’t get bullied by displacement abilities while you’re still learning. He’s forgiving because his 700 HP pool gives you time to make mistakes and recover.

Magneto is a good next step once you’re comfortable in the role. He teaches you how to rotate between cooldowns (shield up, poke, bubble allies) without punishing your mistakes as brutally as Hulk or Cap do when you mistime an ability. And his whole kit rewards smart positioning, which is probably the number one thing separating Gold Vanguards from Diamond ones.

Stay away from Deadpool, Captain America, Rogue, and Emma Frost until you’ve logged at least 50+ hours playing Vanguard. Those heroes rely on animation cancels, specific combo strings, and matchup knowledge that you can only build over time. Picking them early teaches you bad habits because you’ll blame the hero when you lose instead of recognizing your positioning was wrong.

FAQ: Marvel Rivals Tanks

How many tanks are in Marvel Rivals?

Marvel Rivals has 12 Vanguards plus Deadpool as a multi-role hero who can play Vanguard, totaling 13 playable tank heroes as of Season 7.

Who is the best tank in Marvel Rivals Season 7?

Deadpool (Vanguard form), Groot, and Hulk are the top three tanks in competitive play. Hulk received major buffs in the 7.0 patch. For solo queue, Magneto is the most reliable pick because he doesn’t need team coordination.

What is the best tank for solo queue in Marvel Rivals?

Magneto at Diamond+, Doctor Strange below Diamond. Magneto generates value from shields and poke without needing teammates. Strange’s simple shield-and-shoot gameplay makes him forgiving for less experienced players.

Is 2-2-2 or 1-2-3 better for tanks in Marvel Rivals?

At Diamond+ the 1-2-3 comp (1 tank, 2 DPS, 3 support) dominates because triple Strategist ult cycling is too strong. Below Diamond, 2-2-2 works fine because teams can’t coordinate triple support rotations anyway.

Why is Captain America bad in Season 7?

NetEase removed his animation cancel tech. His combo gameplay relied on canceling animations to chain attacks, and without it he feels slow and clunky. He went from well-rounded off-tank to one of the lowest-performing Vanguards in ranked.

What changed for tanks in the Season 7 patch?

The biggest change is the global 20% ultimate charge nerf. Vanguards convert damage to ult energy at 70% instead of the previous 90%. This slowed ult cycling and made tanks with strong base kits (like Groot and Magneto) more valuable than ult-dependent tanks (like Thor).

That covers every one of the marvel rivals tanks currently in the game. For the full Marvel Rivals tier list covering all roles, check our separate guide. If you want to understand how the ranked system works and what rewards you can earn, see our Marvel Rivals ranks guide. And for more on the maps you’ll be tanking on, read our Marvel Rivals maps breakdown.

If you need a LoL smurf account for when you need a break from Marvel Rivals ranked, we have those too.

Tier placements pulled from MarvelRivals.gg Season 7 tier lists and MetaBot.gg hero stats (March 2026). Win rate and pick rate data cross-referenced with RivalsMeta.com. Community takes sourced from r/MarvelRivals and various Discord servers.

Updated: April 2026