How to counter Doctor Strange in Marvel Rivals

Doctor Strange in Marvel Rivals is one of the most difficult Vanguards to defeat. This is because he can block almost all incoming damage with his mystical shield ability and deal a lot of damage despite running the role of a tank in the team. It is important to counter this hero early in the game to provide your team with more space on the map while fighting for the game objective.

Doctor Strange in Marvel Rivals has a devastating ultimate ability that can turn the tides of war with ease. This area-based ability can lock out players and disorient anyone in range and be used to secure crucial kills. These are the exact situations that you need to keep a lookout for to ensure victory in online matches — be it casual or ranked games.

This article will highlight the best characters you can pick to counter Doctor Strange in Marvel Rivals.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author’s personal opinion. Furthermore, The contents of this guide have been updated to the latest patch deployed on January 25, 2025. This article will be further updated as a new balance update goes live for Marvel Rivals in the near future.

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The heroes that can take down Doctor Strange in Marvel Rivals

1) Psylocke

The hero, Psylocke (Image via NetEase Games)

Psylocke comes under the Duelist category of heroes in Marvel Rivals. Her abilities do a high amount of damage to her opponents. Psylocke also has some amazing mobility options that can make her a very difficult hero to play against in Marvel Rivals.

Doctor Strange can struggle quite a bit against Psylocke, as she can deplete his shield from far away using her Psionic Crossbow and Wing Shurikens. Then, she can get close to him using the Psi-blade dash or the Psychic Stealth. This can also create the perfect opportunity for her to use the Dance of the Butterfly as Doctor Strange's low mobility will get him caught in a very tricky situation.

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2) Iron Fist

The hero, Iron Fist (Image via NetEase Games)

Iron Fist is another Duelist in Marvel Rivals that is quite menacing to face off against. He is a close-range brawler who does tons of damage to his enemies. Iron Fist also has some very unique mobility options like triple jump and wall running that aid him in becoming a little more creative.

As of now, Iron Fist is one of the scariest heroes to go up against. When it comes to facing off against Doctor Strange, he can quickly get in his face and melt his health. The triple jump combined with the K'Un-Lun kick could be the perfect initiation tool for his duel against Doctor Strange. After that, he can activate Dragon's Defense and make his punches even faster. Once again, due to Doctor Strange's low mobility, he ends up falling prey in this duel.

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3) Thor

The hero, Thor (Image via NetEase Games)

Thor comes under the Vanguard category of heroes in Marvel Rivals. With the help of his abilities, he can do damage to the enemies in both close and medium-ranged scenarios. Thor's Storm Surge also offers a decent amount of mobility to the players.

When it comes to the current Vanguard selection, Thor is among the better picks in the game. Against Doctor Strange, he stands a good fighting chance. Thor can use the Awakening Rune to do some long-ranged damage and then get close and personal with the Storm Surge and push through Doctor Strange's Shield. Then, the Mjölnir Bash should be decent enough to inflict enough damage to take him down.

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4) Black Panther

The hero, Black Panther (Image via NetEase Games)

Black Panther is a Duelist hero in Marvel Rivals. His abilities allow him to become a brawler and do a good deal of damage to the opponents. The coolest aspect of Black Panther is his mobility. By using the Spirit Rend and Spiral Kick, players can get very creative with his movement. On top of these, he can also wall run vertically on structures and perform a double jump, almost allowing him to pounce on his enemies from above like an actual panther.

Doctor Strange can be in quite the trouble against Wakanda's king. Black Panther can use his Spear Toss to do some damage from long range and then get close using the Spirit Rend. It can help him get through Doctor Strange's shield or even reach him above if he tries to levitate. This can then be followed by the Spinning Kick and the standard Vibranium Claws.

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5) Iron Man

The hero, Iron Man (Image via NetEase Games)

Iron Man is one of the few Duelist heroes that has continuous flight. With his abilities, he can take many long-range duels and is perfect for maps that provide many elevations. Iron Man also has incredible mobility that helps get out of tricky situations very quickly. His Invincible Pulse Canon is one of the strongest ultimates in Marvel Rivals.

You might be interested in: 5 best heroes to counter Mantis in Marvel Rivals

The strongest aspect of Iron Man is how he provides the player with both close and long-range options. Against Doctor Strange, he can use the Repulsor Blast to deplete his shield's health from long range. Then, he can activate his Armor Override to enhance his damage output. After this, the best option in a close-range duel would be to shred his health quickly using the now-enhanced Unibeam.

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The biggest weakness in Doctor Strange's defenses is that his shield can block incoming damage only from a certain direction. Since the shield does not cover all sides, you can launch flanks and quickly eliminate him. However, such a strategy would require the team to take out the support players from the opponent team first. This is one of the simpler strategies but you can experiment with other combos to separate the sorcerer from his team.

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