Similar to the movies and comics, Magneto’s an absolute powerhouse on the battlefield in Marvel Rivals. Being able to manipulate metal in his favor, Magneto excels in mid-range combats. On top of his already-buffed kit of deadly offenses, the character’s equipped with defensive abilities as well, making him nearly impossible to stop for his enemies.
If Magneto falls into the right hands, he can dominate the enemy team, quickly changing the pace of the entire game. That being said, there are a few weaknesses that players can exploit. For a detailed guide on how to counter Magneto in Marvel Rivals, read on.
Countering Magneto
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+ 6Firstly, Magneto’s a Vanguard. Boasting a relatively higher health pool than Duelists and Strategists, he already creates pressure. You’ll mainly find Magneto playing in the front lines not because of his damage, but also because he can create protective barriers to defend his teammates from incoming damage.
In cases where his positioning’s compromised (since he’s not exactly the fastest character), Magneto can use Magnetic Descent to reposition quickly. Some abilities you’ll commonly find the character use include the Iron Volley, a high damage-dealing projectile of orbs.
Magneto also uses protective abilities like the Metal and Iron Bulwark, where the former allows him to create a protective bubble around his allies, and the latter makes a protective bubble around himself. Finally, his Ultimate (Meteor M) will enable him to absorb all metallic projectiles within a certain area to deal a devastating blow.
How to Counter Magneto
Selecting characters that disrupt his positioning or capitalize on his movement limitations is a great choice. Additionally, characters who can bypass his protective abilities can also make a huge difference. Below, we’ll be looking at some characters who possess the above-mentioned traits.
1. Doctor Strange (Vanguard)
click to enlarge + 6Being a Vanguard like Magneto, Strange can close the health gap. Additionally, due to his ability to manipulate space and time in his favor, he acts as one of the most efficient counters to Magneto’s metallic-based abilities.
On the movement side of things, Strange can easily open portals (Pentagram of Farallah) to reposition quickly, making it complicated for Magneto to harm the character with his deadly blows.
Due to his attributes, Stephen can fight him in ranged combats, allowing him to capitalize on abilities like Daggers of Denak, Maelstrom of Madness, and Eye of Agamotto to deal devastating damage to Magneto, quickly depriving him of his health. From the defensive side of things, he can use his Shield of the Seraphim, essentially creating a protective shield in front that absorbs all incoming damage from his enemies.
2. Storm (Strategist)
click to enlarge + 6Although Storm may seem like an unlikely counter to Magneto due to her health bar and fundamental role of being a Strategist—she’s quite the opposite.
This is primarily due to her movement and the ability to stay airborne. Through her impeccable speed, she can dodge Magneto’s incoming attacks—also disrupting his positioning in some cases, allowing her allies to capitalize on the opening. Due to being airborne, she can avoid Magneto’s orbital offenses while being able to reposition mid-air.
On the offensive side of things, Storm uses abilities like Wind Blade and Bolt Rush to deal consistent damage through her orbitals, allowing her to assist her team in taking down the metal shredder. Through her Ultimate, the Omega Hurricane, Storm can teleport to a selection location to release a devastating hurricane, dealing massive damage to her opponents instantly.
3. Black Panther (Duelist)
click to enlarge + 6One of Magneto’s biggest weaknesses is his movement, due to which players have to be cautious of their positioning while playing him. Additionally, his kit supports ranged attacks, but bringing him into close encounters weakens him. By playing with Black Panther, you can capitalize on both of these shortcomings.
By using his Vibranium Claws coupled with his abilities, he can instantly become a menace for Magneto. Thanks to his movement, Black Panther can also bypass his offensive strategies, disallowing him to reposition.
4. Scarlet Witch (Duelist)
click to enlarge + 6Scarlet Witch is one of the most efficient counters against Magneto—and for good reason. Due to her ability to bend reality according to her will, she can easily bypass Magneto’s metal-manipulating abilities, making her gain a significant advantage over him.
Additionally, the character’s ranged combat style, coupled with her telekinetic blasts (which aren’t necessarily countable through his magnetic abilities), makes her all the more deadly for Magneto.
Lastly, she can also act as a support according to the situation. Due to her mind-affecting abilities, Scarlet can efficiently disable Magneto, disallowing him to use his abilities and leaving him vulnerable for herself and her allies to take advantage.
5. Spider-Man (Duelist)
click to enlarge + 6Although Spider-Man is a tough character to use, he’s arguably one of the best counters to Magneto in Marvel Rivals. Due to his web-slinging abilities, he can stay airborne for a long time, allowing him to maneuver Magneto’s incoming AoE attacks easily.
Due to his impeccable mobility, Peter can easily break through the magnetically offensive strategies that Magneto plants for him. Thanks to his webbing abilities, he can also pull Magneto out of his current position, disrupting his gameplay and making him prone to consistent damage from the webster.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Marvel Rivals and Guides page.