Marvel Rivals Doctor Strange guide: Abilities, how to play, and more

Marvel Rivals Doctor Strange is one of the strongest Vanguard class heroes in the game. He is quite tanky, and as a Vanguard, he gets access to abilities that allow him to claim and control space on a map. He has a moderate skill-floor, however, he does have quite a high skill-ceiling.

Doctor Strange's abilities require precise thought to use, and when we consider abilities, such as the Pentagram of Farallah, players definitely need to have good game sense to make proper use of it. That said, he is undoubtedly a great character to kickstart your journey as a Vanguard and understand the core concepts when it comes to playing as a tank in the game.

Our Marvel Rivals Doctor Strange guide will provide you with a detailed brief on all his abilities, playstyle, and the best possible ways to make use of his entire kit. To know more, read below.

Editor's Note: The content featured in this guide has been updated to the latest patch deployed by NetEase Games 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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Marvel Rivals Doctor Strange: All abilities

Marvel Rivals Doctor Strange is a Vanguard character (Image via NetEase Games)

Here is a list of Doctor Strange's abilities in the game:

Ability	Effect
Cloak of Levitation (Lshift)	Ascent and then enter a brief state of sustained flight
Maelstrom of Madness (E)	Release Dark Magic to deal damage to nearby enemies
Pentagram of Farallah (F)	Open portals between two locations, enabling all units to travel through them
Shield of the Seraphim (RMB)	Create a protective barrier against damage
Eye of Agamotto (Q)	Separate nearby enemies’ souls from their bodies. Damage dealt to their Souls is transferred to their physical bodies
Daggers of Denak (LMB)	Cast Daggers of Denak forward
Price of Magic (Passive)	Dark Magic accumulates with every hit on an enemy. If Dark Magic is not released, Doctor Strange will enter Anti-Heal.

How to play as Doctor Strange in Marvel Rivals?

Mobility

Marvel Rivals Doctor Strange's Cloak of Levitation ability (Image via NetEase Games)

Doctor Strange is one of the few heroes that can freely fly across the map in the game by using his Cloak of Levitation ability. This can be quite useful to reach other teammates during times of need.

Playstyle

Marvel Rivals Doctor Strange Daggers of Denak ability (Image via NetEase Games)

Playing as Doctor Strange in Marvel Rivals takes clever distribution of resources. This is because the hero is a Vanguard who can shield allies from enemy attacks. His primary attack also has great damage, so it's all about knowing when to go full offense and when to play defensively.

Doctor Strange's primary fire, Daggers of Denak, makes for a lethal offensive projectile. However, with each use, you build up Dark Magic, thanks to the character's passive. If it builds up to 100 points, you will take negative healing meaning that healing up would damage you. In terms of playstyle, you need to practice the Daggers of Denak for Doctor Strange in Marvel Rivals. The weapon has great potential because of its high damage, but each use fills you up with Dark Magic, so you have no time to miss your shots.

This means it's essential to release the Dark Magic with the (E) ability, Maelstrom of Madness, which damages enemies in a limited area. However, during a match, you'll also need to protect allies who need to heal up before going back into battle. This is when your team is on a backfoot, and you need to regroup and rethink the approach.

Marvel Rivals Doctor Strange Pentagram of Farallah ability (Image via NetEase Games)

Furthermore, it is also important for you to exercise caution when using Doctor Strange. For instance, his Pentagram of Farallah has a cooldown of over two minutes, which means you need to use it scarcely.

Use the Shield of the Seraphim to create a barrier between your opponents and your teammates blocking out any attacks. The shield has an impressive 800 health, but it takes a long time to recharge once broken, so use it wisely.

Ultimate

Doctor Strange's Ultimate in Marvel Rivals is the famous Eye of Agamotto. This ability expels a powerful wave of mystic energy, stunning all enemies that come in contact with in an effective radius of 10 meters. Furthermore, it all deals 60 damage to every enemy it hits, making it a great way to stall points, and eliminate teams by initiating a combo with other heroes in the game.

A good way to exercise the Eye of Agamotto is to use the Cloak of Levitation to fly over your opponents and get as close to them as possible. Once you're close to most of them, you can go ahead and fire off the ultimate.

Use other area-damage abilities with the help of your allies to finish off your opponents for good, and don't shy away from hitting them with the primary fire while you're at it.

Best team-ups for Doctor Strange in Marvel Rivals

1) Hulk (Vanguard)

Hulk is a great duo for Marvel Rivals Doctor Strange (Image via NetEase Games)

Hulk, Iron Man, and Doctor Strange are part of the Marvel Rivals team-up called Gamma Charge. Hulk, being the team-up anchor, grants the other heroes special abilities. Doctor Strange receives his ability called Gamma Maelstrom.

When this team-up is active, Hulk charges Doctor Strange with Gamma radiation, and whenever Strange uses Maelstrom of Madness, he unleashes Gamma Maelstrom. Furthermore, this takes away Strange’s passive, and he is no longer cursed with anti-heal upon reaching peak Dark Magic.

2) Spider-Man (Duelist)

Spider-Man is a great duo for Marvel Rivals Doctor Strange (Image via NetEase Games)

Spider-Man is excellent when paired up with Doctor Strange in Marvel Rivals. Primarily, Strange can absorb a lot of incoming damage with his Shield of Seraphim, enabling Spider-Man to get close to his enemies to deal damage.

Furthermore, Doctor Strange has a unique ability in the game called Pentagram of Farallah. This allows him to create two portals anywhere on the map, which is excellent for a character like Spider-Man who can use it to get in the heat of battle, deal damage, and get out.

An interesting combo to try with Spider-Man and Doctor Strange also involves Strange’s portals and Spidey’s Get Over Here! ability. Strange can place one of his portals outside the map, and Spidey can pull enemies inside it to essentially throw them out of the map to their deaths.

Also read: 5 best heroes to duo with Doctor Strange in Marvel Rivals

Best counters for Marvel Rivals Doctor Strange

1) Wolverine (Duelist)

Wolverine is a counter to Marvel Rivals Doctor Strange (Image via NetEase Games)

Wolverine is one of the best counters to Doctor Strange in Marvel Rivals. His Feral Leap ability easily brings the flying Strange to the ground, who can then be dealt lethal damage by Logan’s Berserk Claw Strike. This is even better if he is paired with Hulk, activating the Fastball Special team-up.

Furthermore, Wolverine can tank a lot of incoming damage from Doctor Strange with his Regenerative Healing Factor passive, and Undying Animal ability.

2) Star-Lord (Duelist)

Star-Lord is a counter to Marvel Rivals Doctor Strange (Image via NetEase Games)

Star-Lord can be picked to counter Doctor Strange in Marvel Rivals for multiple reasons. Firstly, his agility allows him to go toe-to-toe with Strange’s movement in the game while also enabling him to dodge and weave the daggers and spells cast by the magician.

Furthermore, he can dish out a lot of damage within seconds, taking down Strange’s Shield of Seraphim, and making him and his team vulnerable. Additionally, with his ultimate, Galactic Legend, Star-Lord can lock onto Strange, completely negating his movement and dealing massive damage. His ultimate, with free flight, also allows him to dodge Strange’s Eye of Agamotto, and deal lethal damage from afar.

Also read: 5 best heroes to counter Doctor Strange in Marvel Rivals

Marvel Rivals Doctor Strange Lore

The Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange is extremely popular amongst fans of the franchise. Here are details of his in-game lore:

"Respected surgeon Stephen Strange was forced to seek a different path when his hands were injured in a terrible accident. Devoting himself to the mystic arts, Strange became this dimension's first line of defense against supernatural threats — the Sorcerer Supreme. Sensing a massive temporal disturbance, Doctor Strange performed an arcane ritual to protect his reality. The spell failed, and Strange and his Sanctum Sanctorum became trapped within the Mirror Dimension. Lost in the timestream, Strange uses his mystic mastery to free himself for short spans of time in order to join the fight."

That's all there is to know about Marvel Rivals Doctor Strange. He does need a fair amount of practice before you can become good at using him. However, even as a beginner, we believe that Doctor Strange fits the profile of a Hero who can have major impact without doing much.

For more related news, stay tuned to Sportskeeda's Esports section. If you're interested, you can check out our other hero guides below:

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Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh