Season 10 of Marvel Rivals arrived with a balance patch that does more than tweak numbers. The Strategist Ultimate generation nerf alone, dropping healing-to-Ultimate conversion from 70% to 65% and damage-to-Ultimate conversion from 55% to 50%, shifts the entire pace of fights. Dive heroes now get longer windows to punish backlines before defensive Ultimates come online, and the heroes listed here are the ones best positioned to take advantage.
What changed in Season 10 and why does it matter?
The core change is that Strategists build their Ultimates slower. That sounds minor until you realize how many ranked matches are decided by a well-timed defensive Ultimate shutting down a dive. With those Ultimates arriving later, mobile Duelists have more room to operate, and Vanguards that lead aggressive pushes become harder to answer. Every hero on this list benefits from that shift in some way, whether through direct buffs, a more favorable environment, or both.
The best Duelists in Season 10
Marvel Rivals Season 10 Meta: Best Heroes to Pick
Wolverine
Wolverine is one of the clearest Season 10 winners. Savage Claw now deals 18 base damage per hit instead of 15, with percentage scaling tied to Rage also increased. Regenerative Healing Factor now provides a flat 300 Bonus Health on trigger rather than a variable amount based on current Rage, making his survivability more predictable. His Cyclops Team-Up also picked up a small damage increase.
The result is a Duelist who pressures frontlines harder, generates his Ultimate faster thanks to the higher damage output, and survives long enough to keep Rage building. Against high-Health targets, Wolverine is already one of the better options in the game. Season 10 makes him more consistent across the board.
Iron Fist
Iron Fist received one of the more noticeable offensive buffs in the patch. The first four hits of Jeet Kune Do went from 35 to 38 damage, and the fifth strike climbed from 55 to 60. Living Chi now costs 3,100 energy instead of 3,400, which means more Ultimates across a full match.
His Team-Up with The Thing can now trigger its follow-up without The Thing physically present, though the cooldown extended from 8 to 12 seconds. The trade-off is worth it for the added flexibility.
In a meta where Strategists build defensive Ultimates more slowly, Iron Fist's ability to isolate and burst backline targets becomes much more threatening. He already had the mobility for it; Season 10 gives him the damage to finish the job faster.
Star-Lord
Star-Lord picked up buffs across three separate areas. His Regenerative Shield increased from 100 to 125. Element Guns falloff improved from 50% at 25 meters to 60% at 20 meters, which helps when targets back away from his ideal range. Rocket Propulsion now fully recharges in 15 seconds instead of 18, and Blaster Barrage deals 80 damage per second instead of 75.
Star-Lord was already mobile and capable of winning duels. These changes reduce the punishment for playing aggressively, letting him take risky angles without losing as much ground when the trade doesn't go perfectly. For players who want a mobile hitscan-style Duelist, he's one of the stronger options this season.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man might be the biggest Season 10 winner for players who already understand his kit. The cooldown on Amazing Combo dropped from 2 seconds to 1 second. His Parker Power-Up Team-Up with Peni Parker also saw its cooldown cut from 15 seconds to 10.
Spider-Man's entire playstyle depends on chaining Spider-Tracers, pulls, uppercuts, and mobility moves in quick succession. Halving the Amazing Combo cooldown makes those sequences smoother and opens up more options mid-fight. Pair that with Strategists generating defensive Ultimates more slowly, and experienced Spider-Man players now have more windows to enter the backline and secure picks without immediately running into a counter-Ultimate.
The best Vanguards in Season 10
Marvel Rivals Season 10 Meta: Best Heroes to Pick
Emma Frost
Emma Frost is the safest all-around Vanguard pick this season. Her base Health went from 650 to 675. Telepathic Pulse now reaches 20 meters instead of 18, and Carbon Crush travels 8.5 meters instead of 7.
Those range increases matter more than the numbers suggest. Emma can now apply pressure before a fight fully develops, and the longer Carbon Crush makes it easier to reach mobile targets trying to dodge her. She can brawl on the frontline, pressure at range, and punish divers going for the backline, which is exactly the kind of flexibility that holds value across different team compositions.
For ranked players who want a Vanguard that fits into most situations without requiring a specific team setup, Emma Frost is the pick.
Captain America
Captain America benefits from both direct buffs and the meta shift around him. His base Health jumped from 300 to 350. Vibranium Energy Saw no longer loses damage after bouncing. The Thor Team-Up's Voltaic Union duration extended from 7 to 10 seconds, and his Winter Soldier Team-Up provides slightly more movement speed after Stars Aligned.
The meta context matters here. Season 10 toned down several sustain and anti-dive tools that previously made it difficult for aggressive Vanguards to reach enemy backlines. Mobile Duelists like Iron Fist, Star-Lord, and Spider-Man now have stronger reasons to see play, giving Captain America teammates who can follow his engagements and punish the same targets together.
Cap works best in coordinated dive compositions. In solo queue, his value depends more on how well your Duelists can follow up.
Deadpool (Vanguard)
Vanguard Deadpool received several changes aimed at making his early game more consistent. His upgraded Dual Desert Eagles retain more damage at maximum falloff. The Ban Hammer now heals for 35 Health per second instead of 25, and releasing The Ban Hammer or The Big Test grants 300 Bonus Health instead of 200.
The most important change is Upgrade!: Deadpool now needs only 75% of the previous XP requirement for each upgrade level. Deadpool becomes significantly stronger once he starts hitting upgrades, so reaching the first one sooner creates a compounding advantage. Season 10 makes that scaling process noticeably faster, which was the main barrier to him being consistently viable.
The best Strategists in Season 10
Marvel Rivals Season 10 Meta: Best Heroes to Pick
Loki
Loki enters Season 10 as one of the more reliable Strategist options despite the class-wide Ultimate generation nerf. Mystical Missile now provides 15 healing on a direct hit instead of 10. Deception restores 30 Health per second while Loki is in stealth, up from 20.
The extra self-healing addresses one of his weaker areas: recovering after taking damage without burning through defensive resources. His kit already covers a lot of ground through clones, Regeneration Domain, off-angle healing, and God of Mischief, which can copy another hero's Ultimate and give the team a second high-impact ability during a fight.
Loki fits into multiple team compositions rather than requiring a specific setup, which makes him a strong secondary Strategist pick regardless of what the enemy is running.
Invisible Woman
Invisible Woman received a mixed adjustment rather than a straight buff. Orb Projection's return healing dropped from 45 to 40. However, Veiled Step now has a one-second window after entering Invisible state where taking damage doesn't immediately break stealth.
That one-second protection is more meaningful than it sounds. Previously, a diving hero could immediately cancel her escape by landing a hit right as she activated stealth, leaving her exposed with no good options. The new window gives her time to reposition and survive the initial burst.
In a season where Wolverine, Iron Fist, and Spider-Man are all expected to see more play, having a Strategist who can survive dive pressure more reliably and disrupt those dives with her toolkit is genuinely useful.
Deadpool (Strategist)
Strategist Deadpool shares the faster Upgrade! progression with his Vanguard counterpart, and it matters just as much here. His base Health increased from 250 to 275. Deadpool In Your Area now has a 10-second cooldown instead of 12.
The key to playing Strategist Deadpool effectively is understanding that Deadpool In Your Area has a limited radius. It works best when teammates are actively fighting close to him, not as a passive healing tool for a spread-out team. Players who can manage his upgrade order and keep their team nearby can snowball fights once Bouncing Bobblehead and other abilities start receiving improvements.
Season 10 hero comparison at a glance
How should you build your team around the Season 10 meta?
The Season 10 meta rewards teams that can apply pressure before defensive Ultimates arrive. That means pairing at least one mobile Duelist with a Vanguard who can lead the dive. Emma Frost and Captain America are the best Vanguard options for that style, with Emma offering more flexibility and Cap offering more raw coordination payoff.
For Duelists, Wolverine covers the frontline brawling role while Iron Fist, Star-Lord, and Spider-Man each handle backline pressure from different angles. Running two of these together creates consistent dive threat that Strategists now have a harder time answering.
On the Strategist side, Loki is the safest pick across most compositions. Invisible Woman becomes more valuable specifically against dive-heavy enemy teams. Deadpool Strategist is the highest-ceiling option if your team understands how to play around his upgrade system and limited healing radius.
Season 10 has only just launched, so the ranked meta will keep shifting as players adapt. For a broader look at where every hero stands right now, the Marvel Rivals Season 9 tier list covers the previous season's rankings in detail, which is useful context for understanding how much the balance has moved. You can also check the full Season 10 buffs and nerfs breakdown for every hero change in the patch, and browse the complete Marvel Rivals strategy guide collection for builds, tier lists, and more as the meta develops.