“Fewer choices means less skill expression”: Marvel Rivals community grapples with challenges in Strategist role

The Marvel Rivals community is growing rapidly as the hero shooter climbs up the game charts. In less than a month, the game has gained over 20 million players and has become one of the most popular hero-based games in the world. Interestingly, the game doesn't have a role queue, allowing everyone to play any style of character they want. This has resulted in fewer Strategist picks.

The fans were divided following a lengthy post by @Coach_Spilo on X regarding the challenges faced by Strategist heroes in the game. The post deep dives into this role, critiquing the design, dynamics, and impact. The post is in multiple parts and has gained thousands of likes as well as many comments, both in support and against the motion.

One of the paragraphs in the thread is sure to raise eyebrows:

"To make matters worse, a chunk of the supports have limited mobility, which means there isn't a lot of choice with positioning, either. Fewer choices means less skill expression."

Spilo's take on Strategists in Marvel Rivals (Image via X || @Coach_Spilo)

This thread by @Coach_Spilo highlights issues related to the Strategist class. The user critiques the lack of depth, forgiving cooldowns, and low mechanical demand, which make them a lot easier than damage (Duelist) or tank (Vanguard) heroes.

The comments had mixed opinions, with many explaining the importance of Strategists while others disagreeing with Spiloo's take on how easy it is to play a supporting character. @chinchillaxtv seems to agree with the post, simply mentioning that it's what happens in every hero-based game.

@jvcobe left a sarcastic comment saying that they will not read this much text. @Z2506337384 doesn't understand why the Marvel Rivals community hates the support characters and mentioned they are much better than Overwatch 2 support heroes.

Comments from the community (Image via X || @Coach_Splio)

A lot of people seem to be offended by the take. @JumpingBeans101 found the opinion poor coming from an esports coach. @msvixenchan mentions that their main hero Loki is difficult to play. @DeaderSurvival strongly disagreed with the statement related to support characters requiring lesser skill than others.

More comments from the community (Image via X || @Coach_Spilo)

---

What are Strategists in Marvel Rivals?

Strategists are supports and the backbone of the team. They assist their team through healing, utility, and crowd control rather than direct damage. Here are seven Strategists in Marvel Rivals as of now:

• Adam Warlock
• Cloak and Dagger
• Jeff the Land Shark
• Loki
• Luna Snow
• Mantis
• Rocket Raccoon

Note that the game is new and Season 0 is ongoing. Considering this, the hero pool is highly likely to expand with the first season.

---

Read more articles here:

• MR Entangled Moments event guide
• Jeff the Land Shark in MR can use his ultimate to kill opponents instantly