5 best heroes to duo with Doctor Strange in Marvel Rivals

Doctor Strange in Marvel Rivals has one of the strongest shield abilities that can mitigate a large amount of incoming damage. Although the shield should be used tactically instead of depending on it completely, it can be a life-saving tool that can help allies retreat and block some of the highest damage abilities from the opponent team.

Doctor Strange in Marvel Rivals has become a staple Vanguard character in the game. Apart from the obvious ability to tank damage, this hero can also disable opponents with his ultimate ability. This makes enemies vulnerable to incoming attacks and can be the perfect opportunity for your squad to score a bunch of eliminations and take control of the match objective.

This article will highlight the most effective characters that you can pick with Doctor Strange to make the most of the Vanguard hero.

Editor’s Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author’s opinion. Furthermore, the contents of this guide have been updated to the latest patch deployed on March 13, 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 best duos for Doctor Strange in Marvel Rivals

1) Hulk

The hero, Hulk (Image via NetEase Games)

Hulk comes under the Vanguard category of heroes in Marvel Rivals. His abilities allow him to become a brute that can get in the enemies' face to do damage. Hulk also has a decent amount of mobility as he can use his Incredible Leap to quickly traverse the map. Interestingly, Hulk has two lives. When an enemy downs Hulk, he will then transform into Bruce Banner, who can still be used to fight.

As of now, Hulk is the only hero that offers a team-up ability to Doctor Strange. With Hulk on the squad, the Sorcerer Supreme's Maelstrom Madness is enhanced. When the team-up happens, you can see Doctor Strange release excess gamma radiation with an explosion to do more damage.

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2) Hela

The hero, Hela (Image via NetEase Games)

Hela is one of the many Duelist heroes in Marvel Rivals. Her abilities let her do a great amount of damage from a long range. Hela's standard Nightsword Thorn is possibly one of the strongest in the game.

This is also the case for her ultimate ability, Goddess of Death, which can be an absolute game changer. Lastly, her Astral Flock is a great escape tool and can help her get out of many tricky situations.

Doctor Strange can be quite useful to a great Hela user. The simplest way to make this duo work is by using the Shield of Seraphim to provide Hela with a damage-absorbing tool. With the help of this, she can easily keep using her Nightsword Thorn to damage the enemies at the cost of not losing any health.

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3) Punisher

The hero, Punisher (Image via NetEase Games)

Punisher is a Duelist in Marvel Rivals. He is one of the simpler heroes to play in the game. Punisher uses his assault rifles and shotgun to damage enemies. He can also place a Culling Turret and arm it to shoot enemies constantly.

Currently, Punisher is one the strongest Duelists in the game and he can shoot his weapons behind the cover of Doctor Strange's Shield of Seraphim. The same can be done while placing the Turret. This will make it very difficult for enemies to break in and get close.

Another way to increase the impact of Punisher's weapons is by setting up one of Doctor Strange's portals in a sneaky position for the former to shoot enemies through.

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4) Hawkeye

The hero, Hawkeye (Image via NetEase Games)

Hawkeye is one of the most troublesome Duelists to face off against in Marvel Rivals. His Piercing Arrow does a great deal of damage and can even kill enemies in a couple of hits. Hawkeye also has some mobility options wherein he can use his Skyward Leap to double jump.

Doctor Strange can help Hawkeye in a very simple way. Yet again, the Shield of Seraphim can be used to create a cover. Hawkeye can then use his Piercing Arrows to deal a decent amount of damage and multi kills. The portal can also prove to be quite helpful here. However, things can get extremely difficult for both heroes if the enemies manage to get near them.

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5) Winter Soldier

The hero, Winter Soldier (Image via NetEase Games)

The Winter Soldier is yet another Duelist hero in Marvel Rivals. With his abilities, he can engage in close and long-range battles. Winter Soldier's Roterstern does a great deal of damage and is one of the few weapons in the game that can kill enemies with a few bullets. That said, the weapon has just three bullets, and therefore, headshots will make a lot of difference.

You may be interested in: Marvel Rivals Season 2 will see new team-up skills alongside the existing ones

With Doctor Strange, Winter Soldier can make his bullets count. The Shield of Seraphim can be a great cover for him to inflict damage onto the enemies. Doctor Strange's Eye of Agamoto can also be followed by Winter Soldier's Kraken Impact to continue his damage streak. However, these will need to be timed properly.

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Doctor Strange in Marvel Rivals can control the entire pace of a match with his abilities when used correctly. This Vanguard hero primarily requires support from Strategists to sustain as long as possible on the battlefield. Having a dependable Duelist on the frontlines also helps as they can take cover behind your shield while dishing out lethal damage.

Your team can also form a complete strategy around Doctor Strange's ultimate ability. Taking team fights after having this ability ready can help you rake in wins with ease. However, Strange is vulnerable to crowd control spells and flanks since his shield can only block damage only from a single direction at a time.

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