Marvel Rivals Groot guide: Abilities, how to play, and more

Marvel Rivals Groot is a Vanguard Class Hero. As a Vanguard, his main objective is to claim space from enemy players and prevent them from taking control of strategic locations of the map, such as the objective point, certain areas in higher elevation, and so on. Groot is quite a simple character, and his abilities are straightforward.

We believe that Marvel Rivals Groot is a beginner-friendly character, and mastering him is a great way to understand the unique aspects of this fast-tempo hero-shooter.

That said, this article will proivde a detailed brief on the fan-favorite Vanguard and all his ablities. To know more, read below.

Editor's Note: 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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Marvel Rivals Groot: All abilities

Marvel Rivals Groot character overview (Image via NetEase Games)

Groot is quite an easy character pick in Marvel Rivals. As stated above, abilities are straightforward, and you can easily meet the requirements of your role by creatively combining them. Here's a detailed look into all his abilities:

Abilities	Effect
Vine Strike (LMB)	Launch vines to attack enemies.
Spore Bomb (RMB)	Throw an explosive Spore Bomb that splits into multiple small explosive spores.
Strangling Prison (Q)	Fire a massive vine cluster that pulls nearby enemies to its center and imprisons them.
Thornlash Wall (LShift)	Target a location and grow a Thornlass Wall. When Awakened, it strikes nearby enemies attacked by Groot and his allies.
Ironwood Wall (E)	Target a location and grow an Ironwood Wall. When Awakened, it grants Bonus Health to Groot when nearby enemies take damage.
Furious Flora (V)	Perform a combo with his arms, and the third strike will slightly Launch Up the hit enemy airborne
Flora Colossus (Passive)	Wooden walls near Groot will Awaken, activating an extra effect.
Friendly Shoulder (Team Up)	Rocket Raccoon can ride Groot's shoulder receiving damage reduction.

Categorized as a one-star difficulty character, Groot is quite a fun and easy-to-learn character in Marvel Rivals. His skill ceiling is quite low, but that doesn't make him a bad character, but one that is accessible to players of different calibers. All in all, we do believe that he is quite a powerful vanguard in the game, and when used right, he can easily ruin the enemy team's synergy and coordination.

How to play as Groot in Marvel Rivals?

Mobility

Groot does not have a ton of mobility. You can use his Walls as a means to get high ground in certain areas of the map. However, he lacks mobility tools.

Playstyle

Groot has a massive 900 HP health pool and if you want to play this Hero, you should be the player leading your team into battle. His primary and secondary attacks aren't too strong, however, if you can find the sweet spot of hitting combos with his other abilities, you will be an undefeatable force.

Marvel Rivals Groot Ironwood Wall ability (Image via NetEase Games)

Both of Groot's walls, i.e., the Ironwood Wall and the Thornlash Wall offer unique advantages to the character. They don't merely deny space but also assist Groot in dealing damage and controlling a high-traffic space.

One of the easiest and best combos you can execute with this Hero is by boxing your enemies with both the Ironwood Wall and the Thornlash Wall. Both these abilities will aid you in killing the foes, and the former will also help you regain the HP that you'll be losing in such an encounter.

Ultimate

Groot's Ultimate, Strangling Prison, is a fantastic engagement tool to squeeze in all the enemies in the ability's effective radius together. Strangling Priison deals up to 200 HP damage and is paired with a combo of either your team's attacks or the aid of your Walls, you can easily wipe out squishy Duelists and Strategists at the flip of a button.

Best team-ups for Groot in Marvel Rivals

1) Rocket Raccoon (Strategist)

Rocket Racoon is a great duo for Marvel Rivals Groot (Image via NetEase Games)

Groot, Jeff the Land Shark, and Rocket Raccoon together form the team-up in Marvel Rivals called Planet X Pals. When this team-up is active, Rocket can ride on Groot’s shoulders which grants them damage reduction.

Groot, being the Team-up anchor, receives +150 max health. It is important to note that this stat boost for Groot is active throughout the season whether Planet X Pals is active or not.

2) Iron Fist (Duelist)

Iron Fist is a great duo for Marvel Rivals Groot (Image via NetEase Games)

Iron Fist is one of the best Duelists in Marvel Rivals who can deal massive amounts of damage up close. However, to get close he needs the help of a Vanguard. Groot is best paired with Iron Fist as he can create a lot of space using his Thornlash and Ironwood walls.

Moreover, Groot’s ultimate, Strangling Prison, can imprison and pull enemies to one place, making them easy targets for Iron Fist.

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

Best Marvel Rivals Spider-Man Groot counters

1) Iron Man (Duelist)

Iron Man is counter to Marvel Rivals Groot (Image via NetEase Games)

Groot struggles against airborne characters like Iron Man. His Thornlash and Ironwood walls are pretty much useless against Iron Man who can fly over them using Hyper Velocity and attack from above.

Additionally, Iron Man’s Armor Overdrive state and his ultimate, Invincible Pulse Cannon can deal massive amounts of damage in seconds, which is difficult for Groot to shield or absorb.

2) Spider-Man (Duelist)

Spider-Man is a counter to Marvel Rivals Groot (Image via NetEase Games)

Spider-Man is particularly powerful against Groot owing to his advanced movement mechanics and fast-paced playstyle. Groot has a slow movement speed and is an easy target for Spider-Man who can easily get up close, deal damage, and swing away.

Moreover, Spider-Man’s Web Swing, Get Over Here!, and Thwip and Flip allow him to dodge Groot's vines effectively, making it problematic for Groot to find value. Furthermore, Spidey’s ultimate, Spectacular Spin is very easy to land on Groot which stuns him and makes it easy for Spidey and his team to take him down.

Read more: 5 best heroes to counter Groot in Marvel Rivals

Marvel Rivals Groot Lore

The fan-favorite character from Guardians of the Galaxy also has quite a rich lore behind him. Here's a glimpse into the story behind Groot in Marvel Rivals:

"He is Groot, a flora colossus from the branch world of Planet X capable of manipulating plant matter and regrowing his damaged body from a single splinter. The hero at the heart of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Groot may not have many words to say, but his actions always speak for themselves. Groot accompanied Star-Lord and Rocket on a scouting mission to Klyntar, where they became stranded after their ship was shot down. Klyntar's dark king, Knull, now seeks to corrupt Groot's regenerative powers in an effort to cultivate the ultimate symbiote."

That's all there is to know about mastering Groot in Marvel Rivals. Our detailed guide will help you dominate your games, and the more you play this character, the better you will be able to play as a Vanguard in-game.

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Edited by Sijo Samuel Paul