Peak One Above All player Dash SK (No. 1 Spider-Man on Xbox) breaks down a simple system to win more drafts and more fights: the combat triangle. If you learn to read enemy comps and swap accordingly, you will climb.
The combat triangle at a glance
- Dive beats Poke
- Poke beats Brawl
- Brawl beats Dive
Not every hero fits perfectly. Some are hybrids or flex between roles. Use the triangle as your default lens, then adjust for the exceptions below.
Poke – what it is and how to beat it
Common poke heroes: Hela, Phoenix, Punisher, Winter Soldier, Storm, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Human Torch, Namor, Moon Knight, Scarlet Witch
Off-angle poke: Psylock, Star-Lord
Counterpick rule: pick Dive to pressure poke, especially stationary casters like Hela and Phoenix.
Good dive answers to poke
- Duelists: Black Panther, Psylock, Magic, Iron Fist, Spider-Man
- Tanks for dive synergies: Captain America, Hulk, Venom
- Shield anchors vs poke: Doctor Strange, Magneto
Do not play Thing, Penny, Thor into heavy poke. You will get melted walking in. If they also run anti-dive tanks (Thing, Penny, Emma), mirror with your own poke comp instead of forcing bad dives.
Special poke exceptions
- Namor, Winter Soldier, Scarlet Witch can punish dive. Respect them and consider pivoting to shield tanks or your own poke line.
Flyers – how to shut them down
If they run two or more flyers, stack anti-air poke and chase tools.
Strong picks vs flyers: Hela, Punisher, Phoenix, Iron Man, Storm, Torch, Ultron
Skill aim options: Hawkeye, Widow
Underrated answer: Star-Lord
- Great off-angles and survivability
- Ult reliably deletes flyers
- Flexible peel against divers
Tanks should bring pull downs or grounding when possible, or play around shield cover to cut air LOS.
Brawl – what it is and how to beat it
Common brawl heroes: Hulk, Thing, Thor, Iron Fist, Magik, Mister Fantastic, Wolverine
- Iron Fist and Magik can also dive, but their sustain makes them core brawlers.
Counterpick rule: pick Poke and kite
- Great kite picks: Hawkeye, Black Widow, Moon Knight
- Keep distance, land autos and abilities consistently, do not let brawl touch you
- Star-Lord is king of kiting melee brawlers, with mobility and AoE pressure
Winter Soldier note
W. Soldier punishes both Dive and Brawl
- Bursts tanks, skirmishes in the scrum, and pokes brawl off approach
- Value hinges on landing flicks consistently
Dive – what it is and how to beat it
Common dive heroes: Spider-Man, Black Panther, Captain America, Psylock, Iron Fist, Hulk, Venom, Magik
Counterpick rule: pick Brawl plus anti-dive poke
- Tanks: Emma, Hulk, Thing, Thor
- Poke that checks dive: Namor, Scarlet Witch, Winter Soldier
- Penny with Rocket team up is a hard dive counter
- Brawl duelists that lock divers: Iron Fist, Mister Fantastic, Wolverine, Magik
Pro tip: Star-Lord is excellent peel vs dive
- Barrage threatens divers on your backline
- Ult hard counters highly mobile targets
The Hela rule – never let her freecast
Dash’s no. 1 point: Hela is the best carry in the game when ignored. If she is uncontested, she will 20-0 your team.
- Do not pick Thing or Thor into her
- Do pick Spider-Man, Black Panther, Venom and friends who can reach and pressure her
- Make “touch Hela” a team call every fight
Tank drafting do’s and don’ts
- Into heavy poke: bring Strange or Magneto for shields, or dive-synergy tanks like Cap, Hulk, Venom
- Do not pick Thing, Penny, Thor straight into full poke lines
- Versus flyers: prefer grounding tools or shield paths that break their LOS
How to use the triangle in ranked
- Learn at least two heroes in each category so you can pivot mid-match
- Start the map on a plan, then swap if you stall at a choke or get farmed by the same threat
- Ask yourself every fight: are we losing to poke, brawl, or dive right now
- Counterpick the problem, not your pride
Quick reference
- Dive beats Poke: pick BP, Psylock, Magik, IF, Spidey
- Poke beats Brawl: pick Hela, Phoenix, Punisher, Iron Man, W. Soldier
- Brawl beats Dive: pick Emma, Hulk, Thing, Thor plus Namor, Wanda, W. Soldier
Flyers: play Hela, Punisher, Phoenix, Iron Man, Storm, Torch, Ultron, or Star-Lord to hunt and peel
Hard counters: Penny + Rocket team up is one of the best anti-dive answers in the game
Source: Dash SK – How to counterpick enemy team comps
What is the combat triangle in Marvel Rivals?
The combat triangle is the core matchup logic: Dive beats Poke, Poke beats Brawl, and Brawl beats Dive. It’s a simple framework for deciding swaps mid-game.
Which heroes are considered Poke?
Hela, Phoenix, Punisher, Winter Soldier, Storm, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Human Torch, Namor, Moon Knight, and Scarlet Witch. Psylock and Star-Lord can also flex into off-angle poke.
What counters poke heroes like Hela or Phoenix?
Dive characters such as Black Panther, Psylock, Magik, Iron Fist, or Spider-Man. Tanks like Captain America, Hulk, or Venom work with them, while Strange and Magneto provide shield cover.
Which poke heroes counter Dive instead?
Namor, Scarlet Witch, and Winter Soldier are poke picks that punish divers. Be careful diving into them, especially if paired with anti-dive tanks.
How do you deal with flyers?
Use poke/anti-air picks like Hela, Phoenix, Punisher, Iron Man, Storm, Torch, and Ultron. With good aim, Hawkeye or Widow also work. Star-Lord is underrated and one of the best anti-flyer choices.
Who are the main Brawl heroes?
Hulk, Thing, Thor, Iron Fist, Magik, Mister Fantastic, and Wolverine. They thrive in close combat and extended fights.
What counters Brawl comps?
Poke characters that kite them—Hawkeye, Widow, Moon Knight, Phoenix, or Star-Lord. Keep them at range and punish before they close distance.
Which heroes are Dive characters?
Spider-Man, Black Panther, Captain America, Psylock, Iron Fist, Hulk, Venom, and Magik. They excel at collapsing on backlines and punishing immobile poke.
What counters Dive?
Anti-dive brawlers and tanks: Emma Frost, Hulk, Thing, Thor.
Anti-dive poke: Namor, Wanda, Winter Soldier.
Penny with the Rocket team up is a strong hard counter.
Why is Hela called the best character in the game?
Because if she’s left to freecast, she outputs unmatched damage and snowballs fights. Dash stresses to always pressure Hela, or she will carry the game uncontested.
What is Dash’s top “pro tip”?
Learn at least two heroes in each category (Dive, Poke, Brawl) so you can swap depending on the enemy comp. This flexibility is what wins ranked games.
