In Marvel Rivals, the Duelist role is among the most exciting, allowing you to execute impressive moves to defeat opponents. While the thrill of racking up kills and making it onto the MVP board is appealing, mastering the Duelist can be quite challenging.
Transitioning from a competent Duelist to an exceptional one, especially in higher ranks, takes considerable practice. If you play primarily as a Duelist and want to elevate your performance, consider these tips to accelerate your progress.
Get Behind Enemy Lines More Often
There are two main play styles for Duelists in Marvel Rivals. One involves staying near allies and trading damage; the other is aggressively diving behind enemy lines to sow chaos. While both methods are valid, I recommend focusing on the second approach.
While securing kills is vital for a Duelist, creating space for your team is equally important. A tank can easily feel overwhelmed trying to fend off enemy Vanguards while also sustaining hits from DPS who are receiving constant healing.
Thus, as a Duelist, you must breach enemy lines to take out their support or DPS, allowing your team to reclaim space. If you merely trade hits, you risk losing to an enemy Duelist who will eventually target you and your support.
To become a top-tier Duelist, you need to step away from your team’s comfort zone and engage the enemy’s backline. This principle stands true for many shooters where the Duelist is expected to utilize mobility and damage to craft opportunities for their team, and Marvel Rivals is no exception.
Play With Aggression
Though you may find success playing defensively and scoring kills, this strategy won’t propel you to higher ranks. If you observe a professional Duelist, you’ll see that they take risks and make plays that could backfire but offer significant rewards if successful. For example, if you spot two enemies low on health, you might hesitate to rush in because they’re grouped and you fear getting killed.
As a Duelist, you often possess high-damage abilities combined with excellent mobility, unlike Vanguards or Strategists. Characters like Psylocke or Spider-Man can leap in, secure quick kills, and retreat. This creates a significant advantage for your team, potentially turning a 5v4 or 5v3 situation in your favor, allowing you to seize objectives.
Remember, your role is to create space and offer strategic advantages. You can’t achieve this by allowing low-health enemies to live while you attempt to play it safe. Only a Duelist has the means to quickly reach targets and escape safely—leverage that skill to your team’s advantage.
Focus on Isolated Targets
Throughout a match in Marvel Rivals, there will be times when enemies make poor positional choices and stray too far from their team. In those moments, as a Duelist, you should seize the opportunity and swiftly eliminate isolated targets.
These are essentially free kills that can lead to a significant advantage for your team. Eliminating a support or DPS can cripple the enemy team, even if it means briefly leaving your teammates behind; these isolated kills can significantly impact the game over time.
By taking the enemy team down from 5v4 to 5v3, for example, they may have to regroup, allowing you to gain more control over objectives. As you consistently build these advantages, your winning chances will increase. However, only a Duelist can afford to make these plays that involve disconnecting from the group, thanks to their superior mobility and damage.
Make The Most Out Of Your Mobility
While honing your aim as a Duelist is essential, it’s just one part of improvement. Leveraging your mobility more effectively can elevate your gameplay. Every Duelist character has some mobility tools that can be employed to disrupt the enemy team.
For instance, you can flank the enemy and start attacking one of their targets. Once they shift their focus to you, utilize your mobility skills to draw them away from their team. In many cases, especially among less experienced players, they’ll chase after you, opening up a 1v1 opportunity.
Once you secure that kill, immediately use your mobility tool to return to your teammates before the rest of the enemy team regroups. Mastering this strategy will yield more kills and consistently put the enemy team at a disadvantage, increasing your chances for victory.
Focus On Supports Before Anything Else
Many average Duelists in intermediate ranks tend to target tanks since they appear easier to hit. However, to rise to a higher level as a Duelist, you need to make smarter target selections, and focusing on Strategists or supports should be your priority.
This is because, landing headshots isn’t effective if the enemy can heal immediately afterward. When you target supports, it disrupts the enemy’s strategy and forces them to confront you without the safety net of healing, potentially leaving them vulnerable.
Most supports lack offensive capabilities, making them easier prey for a DPS like you. This approach aligns with the first tip, emphasizing the need for diving into the enemy’s backline. When you do, prioritize taking out the supports, then shift your focus to the DPS, leaving tanks struggling without the support they rely on.
Protect Your Healers
While diving into enemy territory and creating space, be aware that the opposing Duelist is likely doing the same. Your healers will be vulnerable, and your tank can’t watch over them at all times.
As a Duelist, it’s your duty to ensure your healers remain safe when the enemy confronts your backline. Losing a healer can have dire consequences for the entire team, especially when you return from a dive at low health, making you easy prey. Additionally, an absent healer leaves your tank exposed and can jeopardize your objectives.
Always keep your healer in your sights, stay close when not diving, and be ready to protect them if needed. If possible, communicate with your healer and let them know they can call for help. Many Duelists fail to do this, choosing to chase kills instead of safeguarding their healers.
However, exceptional Duelists prioritize their healers’ safety, which is crucial for advancing in rank.
Practice Hitting Consistent Headshots
As you progress as a Duelist, you’ll need to prioritize landing headshots over body shots. While it’s acceptable to focus on body shots initially, high damage output will only serve you well so long. As you advance in rank, you’ll encounter more skilled players who can effortlessly take you down.
For instance, opponents like Black Widow or Hawkeye can eliminate you in one shot with their headshots. Your best counter to this is to match their precision. You can practice headshot accuracy in the practice range or by using third-party software like Aimlabs.
This principle also applies to players who dive into the backline, as landing headshots on supports can swiftly take them out before they can heal. Dedicate time to hitting 100 headshots daily against a target using characters like Black Widow and Psylocke before jumping back into actual matches to fast-track your development as a Duelist.
Learn Counter Strafing
This advanced technique is primarily employed by high-ranked Duelists. The basic idea is to move in the opposite direction of where you aim. For example, if you’re looking left, move right.
This makes you a more difficult target to hit while improving your accuracy. Given the high mobility in Marvel Rivals, characters will frequently dart around, often moving in the opposite direction of your shots. Attempting to follow them with your aim will likely prove ineffective.
By employing Counter Strafing, you can keep your aim fixed on your opponent even as they move, assisting you in landing shots accurately. If they stand still while you’re Counter Strafing, their shots will miss while yours hit.
This skill is an invaluable asset for any Duelist, as they often engage in direct confrontations more than other team members. You can practice this skill either through specialized software like AimLabs or simply by playing more games. The key is to learn and master it quickly, as it can propel you from being an average Duelist to a strong contender.
