Tony Stark, as we all know, is a brilliant engineer, the Iron Man suit testament to his capabilities. Flexible and reliable, Iron Man is also a fantastic Dualist in Marvel Rivals, where he excels in keeping constant pressure on his enemies with long range attacks, the ability to fly freely to avoid taking damage and launch sneak attacks, and a tide-turning Ultimate.
What are Iron Man’s Abilities?
Repulsor Blast (Primary Attack – Left Click / Right Trigger) – Your bread-and-butter. You’ll use this attack more than any other, and when powered up with Armor/Gamma Overdrive it will pay you back in spades. Deals area damage too, so focus soft targets that are grouped up for maximum effect.
Unibeam (Right Click / RB) – This sustained beam deals lots of damage to single targets, but it also gives enemies a straight line to you, making it easy to determine where you are. Use it when an enemy needs to be removed, particularly pesky Strategists and Dualists.
Invincible Pulse Cannon (Ultimate – L3+R3) – A very powerful, but relatively slow-moving super. Because Iron Man can fly freely, part of its incredible power is that enemies may not be aware of where it’s coming from until it’s much too late to escape. Choose your moment carefully, strike enemies who don’t see you, and you’ll be able to clear the enemy team more often than not.
Hyper-Velocity (B / Circle) – Switch to maximum boosters and fly very fast for a short period. Excellent for getting back into the action after being knocked out, or running away from combat to live to fight another day.
Armor Overdrive (Y / Triangle) – On a significant 20 second cooldown, Armor Overdrive (and the team-up Gamma Overdrive) amplify Iron Man’s Repulsor Blast and Unibeam damage. You’ll definitely notice a difference, and you should be using this every time the cooldown is up.
Micro-Missile Barrage (A / Cross) – While using Hyper-Velocity or Armor Overdrive, use Micro-Missile Barrage to launch a volley of explosive projectiles, dealing damage in a small area.
Gamma Overdrive (Team-Up Ability: Passive) – When teamed up with Hulk, Armor Overdrive is upgraded into the more powerful Gamma Overdrive.
How Should I Play Iron Man?
Iron Man is one of very few characters with free flight. Outside of Hyper-Velocity, Iron Man doesn’t move particularly fast, but if you keep moving many of your enemies will have a hard time taking you down. There are certain characters to watch out for, including Star Lord, as his high damage output and near hit-scan weapons can tear you to shreds if you let him.
Attack from the skies and stay hidden from enemies, particularly when using your Ultimate: Invincible Pulse Cannon. Use it in key moments and pair it with Invisible Woman’s Ultimate to ensure enemies don’t see the shot until it’s too late. Or pair up with Groot’s Ultimate to have all your enemies gathered in one spot, for maximum damage.
Use Armor Overdrive whenever possible, as it increases your area damage, letting you chunk down enemy targets quickly, particularly when they are gathered around objectives. Use Hyper-Velocity to engage or retreat quickly, and use Micro-Missile Barrage to get extra area damage while flying fast or while bombarding enemies with Armor Overdrive.
Iron Man is relatively straightforward, but very powerful, so stay moving, fly high, and teach them not to mess with Tony Stark.
