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When used effectively, Doctor Strange can be a top-tier character in Marvel Rivals. His ultimate ability has the potential to change the game, especially when timed well. With the strategic use of portals and his formidable skills, he can be a tough opponent to face.
Beyond his unique powers, Doctor Strange excels at absorbing damage thanks to his protective shield. If you’re going to take him on, you’ll need to find ways to bypass his defenses. Here are some effective strategies to counter Doctor Strange.
How to Counter Doctor Strange
One of the most critical aspects of countering Doctor Strange is finding a way to overcome his Shield of the Seraphim.
The Shield of the Seraphim creates a large shield with 800 HP.
To effectively deal with him, you should either focus on breaking down the shield with characters known for high damage output or attempt to flank and hit his teammates from behind.
Whatever strategy you choose, ensure that your team is on board as well.
Also, be wary that melee characters usually struggle against Doctor Strange due to his Maelstrom of Magic, which can inflict significant dark magic damage based on its charge level.
Ranged characters are ideal for taking on Strange, provided you can bypass his shield first.
Keep an eye on his anti-heal effect: when Doctor Strange delays his Dark Magic, a purple anti-heal indicator will show up beside his health bar, preventing his teammates from healing him. Make sure to take advantage of this whenever possible.
How to Counter Doctor Strange as a Strategist
Fortunately, Doctor Strange relies on his shield to protect his team, so backline strategists don’t need to worry too much about him attacking them directly.
However, when his ultimate ability comes into play, you’ll want to be prepared. There are several approaches you can take to counter Doctor Strange as a strategist.
First, Luna Snow is an excellent choice against Strange. Given his size and slower movement, he is quite vulnerable to her Absolute Zero attack, which can freeze him.
If you time a hit with Absolute Zero perfectly as he activates his ultimate, you can completely cancel his ability.
Adam Warlock is also a viable option for taking on Doctor Strange. His healing comes with a cooldown, allowing him to dish out damage in between heals for his team.
If your team is coordinated against Strange, Adam’s secondary attack, Cosmic Cluster, can significantly damage Strange’s shield and is quite easy to land.
How to Counter Doctor Strange as a Vanguard
If you’re playing as a dive vanguard, Doctor Strange shouldn’t be much of a threat to you unless he cleverly defends his team. If he’s concentrated on the main front lines, you should be fine.
However, other frontline vanguards can effectively challenge Strange.
Doctor Strange prefers melee attacks with his Maelstrom of Madness, making Peni Parker’s Bionic Spider-Nest filled with Arachno-Mines very useful to slow him down and reduce melee damage.
Peni’s Cyber Web-Snare can also neutralize Strange’s Ultimate.
Groot is also a strong candidate against Doctor Strange, but it requires some skill. Walling him off is beneficial; however, he might just fly over the barriers if his Cloak of Levitation isn’t on cooldown.
Even if Strange manages to fly away, it exposes him to additional damage from ranged attackers.
If you’re strategic and aware of Strange’s ability cooldowns, you can easily trap him with no escape routes.
Pushing him away using Magneto’s Mag-Cannon to prevent his ultimate from harming teammates is another effective tactic.
How to Counter Doctor Strange as a Duelist
The best tactic you can employ as a duelist is to displace Doctor Strange. Characters like Winter Soldier and Wolverine excel in this area, with Winter Soldier having a slight advantage since he focuses on ranged combat.
Winter Soldier’s Bionic Hook can effectively pull Strange away from his allies.
Combining Bionic Hook with Groot’s walls or other immobilizing skills can lead your team to swiftly eliminate Strange.
As noted, long-range duelists are best suited for engaging Strange, allowing them to either inflict damage on his shield or flank him successfully. Punisher is particularly effective at quickly damaging Strange’s shield with his turret setup.
Even though dive heroes like Magik or Iron Fist are less effective against Strange directly, they can operate from a distance, picking off targets and minimizing any damage their shield would typically absorb.
