NetEaseMarvel Rivals’ Iron Man is a solid Duelist for those looking into dealing damage while flying in the air. However, you’ll need to know how to use his abilities and utilize them effectively for him to work.
Out of all the Duelists in Marvel Rivals, Iron Man stands out as a character that’s pretty fun to use as his kit essentially allows him to boost into the sky, while also pressuring enemies to go into cover with his AoE abilities.
He’s generally a go-to character if you’re struggling against projectile heroes on the ground, but making sure you stay alive as him can no doubt be tricky.
If you’re looking into making Iron Man your main, you’ll want to make sure you know how to use all his abilities right as well as know his match ups.
Iron Man’s stats in Marvel Rivals
- Class: Duelist
- Health: 250
- Movement: Flight
Iron Man doesn’t have a lot of health, much like other Duelists. However, his overall damage output, combined with his ability to fly infinitely, makes him excellent at poking enemies and pressuring them to retreat, heal up, or go into cover.
March 13 meta changes
Iron Man is a solid hero who’s been sitting in the A-tier of the current meta for a while now. However, the March 13 update has hit him with some nerfs, so there’s a chance he may move down in the future.
All of his Repulsor Blast stage direct hit damages have decreased. Stages 1 and 2 have dropped from 55 to 5, and stage 3 has gone from 65 to 55. However, the spell field damage has also increased, with stages 1 and 2 going from 35 to 50 and stage 3 from 40 to 60.
His Repulsor Blast (Armor Overdrive) damage has also had a nerf, decreasing from 55 to 50, though the spell field damage has increased from 55 to 65.
You can find a full rundown of changes below:
- Repulsor Blast stages 1 and 2 direct hit damage decreased from 55 to 40. Spell field damage increased from 35 to 50. Stage 3 direct hit damage decreased from 65 to 50. Spell field damage increased from 40 to 60.
- Repulsor Blast (Armor Overdrive) direct hit damage has decreased from 55 to 50. Spell field damage has increased from 55 to 65.
Iron Man’s weapons in Marvel Rivals
Iron Man has two weapons, his Repulsor Blast and Unibeam. His Repulsor Blast is a great tool for dealing poke damage from afar, and it even deals AOE damage as well.
His Unibeam is great for melting down enemy HP, dealing a considerable amount of damage to targets.
Repulsor Blast
| Casting | Straight-line projectile that generates a spell field upon impact |
| Special Effect | After firing the one-handed repulsor twice in a row, the next attack will fire two repulsors at once |
| Projectile Speed | 60 m/s |
| Ammo | 100 |
| Critical Hit | No |
| Damage | 55 |
Unibeam
| Casting | Channeled |
| Special Effect 1 | After firing the one-handed repulsor twice in a row, the next attack will fire two repulsors at once |
| Damage | 140 damage per second |
| Beam Length | 25m |
| Ammo | 100 |
| Ammo Consumption | 10/s |
| Critical Hit | No |
NetEaseIron Man’s abilities in Marvel Rivals
As a Duelist, Iron Man’s abilities are shaped around two important ideas: staying mobile in the air and dealing poke damage to enemies.
His Hyper-Velocity allows him to fly quickly in the air while his Micro-Missle Barrage and Armor Overdrive lets him poke down enemies effectively.
| Ability | Details | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Hyper-Velocity | Movement Boost: 100% Maximum Energy: 120 Energy Cost: 15/s Energy Recovery Speed: 10/s | Activate Hyper-Velocity state for swift forward flight |
| Armor Overdrive | Duration: 10s Cooldown: 20s | Activate Armor Overdrive state, enhancing the damage of Repulsor Blast and Unibeam |
| Micro-Missile Barrage | Casting: Scatter-type projectile that generates a spell area upon impact Missiles: 16 Projectile Speed: 15 m/s Range: 2m spherical radius Spell Field Damage: 20 damage per round Cooldown: 8s Special Mechanic: Launch missiles directly beneath Iron Man | When Hyper-Velocity or Armor Overdrive is used, Iron Man can launch a missile bombardment |
| Invisible Pulse Cannon (Ultimate) | Casting: Straight-line projectile that generates a spell field upon impact Energy Cost: 2800 Projectile Speed: 25 m/s Dispersive Spell Field: Length: 15m, Width: 5m, Height: 5m Damage Over Time: 300/s Explosion Radius: 10m spherical radius Explosion Damage: 1000 Spell Field Damage Falloff: 5% falloff at 10m Special Mechanic: As the projectile travels, it creates a dispersive spell field that deals Damage Over Time to nearby enemies | Fire a devastating pulse cannon in the targeted direction, delivering catastrophic damage to the targeted area upon impact |
| Gamma Overdrive (Team-Up Ability) | Duration: 10s Cooldown: 20s Team-up Target: Hulk | Hulk charges Doctor Strange and Iron Man with gamma radiation. When Doctor Strange uses Maelstrom of Madness, he unleashes excess gamma energy. When Iron Man uses Armor Overdrive, he will initiate a gamma upgrade |
Tips to play Iron Man
It’s very important to stay as mobile as possible while dealing as much poke damage from afar, as that’s what Iron Man’s kit is best suited to in Marvel Rivals.
Hyper-Velocity allows him to stay mobile by flying across the terrain quickly, which means you should be using it to either reposition yourself as fast as possible or to get out of any sticky situations you find yourself in.
netease / dexertoSince Iron Man is a flying character, keep yourself in the air as this will make you a harder target for enemies to hit. Do be careful however of hitscans that can get an easy shot at you if you stay immobile or move around too predictably.
Additionally, his kit can easily deal poke damage from long-range, so make good use of it by playing behind your Vanguards. It’s best to poke down enemies to low health to allow either your Vanguard or other teammates in the frontline to finish them off.
Do remember, since Armor Overdrive buffs the damage on your weapons and lets you use your micro-missiles, make sure to activate it before engaging into team fights or while using Hyper-Velocity to disengage.
One way you can contribute to the fight easily is to fly yourself into a flank unnoticed. Once you’ve set up in a certain spot of the map, wait until the team fight starts. When this happens, look for any vulnerable target and start blasting them with your primary fire, Unibeam, as well as missiles if necessary.
netease / dexertoBy the time you do get caught, run away, and simply repeat the steps above. Don’t forget to jiggle around buildings or platforms to give yourself more cover. The key is to poke the enemy team and finish them off whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Best team comp
While Iron Man already deals a ton of damage, to begin with, he can be even more viable when paired with certain heroes. Below is a list of characters that synergize well with the flying Duelist:
- Hulk
- Mantis
- Adam Warlock
- Moon Knight
Hulk
Marvel GamesHaving a Hulk in the team as Iron Man is like a blessing. Not only can he create space and distract enemies so that Iron Man can chip away at their health from afar, but their Team Up allows the Duelist to deal more damage thanks to the Gamma Upgrade. This should make it easier for Iron Man to wipe out enemies during team fights.
Mantis
netease / marvelAs an S-tier healer, Mantis generally works in pretty much every comp, including one that includes Iron Man. Typically, many other healers would struggle to heal Iron Man due to his mobility and having to hit their shots. This isn’t the case with Mantis, as she can just give him an orb and damage boost – and repeat the same thing once Iron Man’s health gets too low.
Adam Warlock
netease / marvelThe reason Adam Warlock is a solid hero to play with Iron Man is similar to Mantis. He doesn’t need to hit his shots to heal – with just a button press, the Duelist could get his health topped up quickly. In addition, Adam is capable of giving him instant protection when he’s getting focused or trying to initiate a fight.
Moon Knight
NetEase GamesAt first glance, Moon Knight’s kit looks as if it was designed to counter deathball comps. However, when paired with Iron Man, both of them could give a lot of pressure to the enemy team by poking them from afar. While Moon Knight lacks one-shot potential, Iron Man’s AoE abilities could help the two sweep off enemies quickly.
Best counters
No matter how much fun Iron Man is to play, he’s not immune to some weaknesses. So, if you’re struggling to take him down in the sky, it’s recommended to use these heroes below to counter him:
- The Punisher
- Hawkeye
- Iron Fist
- Doctor Strange
The Punisher
Marvel GamesThe Punisher may not be an S-tier hero in terms of the Season 1 tier list, but he’s incredibly effective in taking down Iron Man. His hitscan weapon makes it easier to pressure Iron Man while he’s flying in the air. Not to mention, he could also set up his turret and delete him quickly during the fight if entirely uncontested.
Hawkeye
NetEaseAnother solid counter is Hawkeye, a long-ranged hero capable of shooting still images of enemies while dealing a ton of damage from his arrows. A good Hawkeye can simply position himself on a high ground to shoot Iron Man in the sky before he can do anything. Because of his range, he doesn’t have to put himself at risk during the team fight to take Iron Man down.
Iron Fist
netease / marvelSure, Iron Fist is in a tough spot right now, but that doesn’t mean he’s completely useless. This is mainly because he could lock onto Iron Man and unleash his combos on him, even when fleeing in the air. He could be a solid pick if you know how to use him right.
Doctor Strange
NetEase GamesDoctor Strange is one viable tank that can work in a lot of different comps. Not only that, but he’s also great at countering Iron Man due to his massive shield. He’s the perfect hero to tank his damage and block his ultimate, which could end up saving a lot of the squishy heroes in the team.
So, that sums up everything you need to know about how to play Iron Man effectively in Marvel Rivals, including all his abilities, tips, and matchups. While you’re here, check out guides for other Duelists as well if you’re still struggling to pick your main, such as Psylocke, Squirrel Girl, and Winter Soldier.
