Vanguards are Marvel Rivals’ version of Tanks, the characters that distract the enemy and soak the damage so your softer, more high-damage-dealing characters can focus on what they do best. Every Vanguard hero that falls under this classification is a high-HP character that can sufficiently block damage for their team, but they all function differently in terms of play style. A couple have even left some players confused on how to use them. Hulk is one such hero.
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Anyone remotely familiar with Big Green here will probably expect him to play like an unstoppable wall. However, Hulk’s meant to be played as a brief shielder who fights alongside his team or a dive tank that jumps past enemy lines to cause disruption. He has his strengths and weaknesses, but you can teach everyone not to make you angry by understanding the nuances of his mechanics and showing off just what his incredible strength can do.
Keep his Incredible Leap charged
Although Hulk is a close-range Tank, his Incredible Leap ability (activated by jumping) can be charged to increase how far he travels. This is the cornerstone of his play style as it enables him to dive in and lay the smackdown on some enemies. I strongly recommend keeping this ability charged as often as possible so you’re always prepared to jump into the fray or escape if need be.
Aim for flying enemies
Flying heroes can be a real pain to deal with in Marvel Rivals (Editor’s note: Flying enemies always suck). No matter if your team has decent aim or an expert Venom player, splitting the opposition’s attention is disruptive. You can keep the skies clear of enemies with the Hulk simply by leaping at them. He’ll automatically grab and drag a target down if he makes contact during a jump. Remember to get some free punches in as you’re both sailing down to the ground. If you miss, make sure to press the jump button again while near a wall to cling to it. I played an embarrassingly large amount of matches before I realized the Hulk could even grab onto walls, and now I do it pretty often. It’s a lot easier to hit a flying enemy when jumping off a wall than it is to jump from the ground.
Don’t stay behind enemy lines too long
Hulk might be one of the beefiest characters with his large health pool, but he isn’t invincible. All it takes is one well-timed stun when you’re surrounded to take you out of Hulk form. After diving in to target Strategists or any other low-health heroes, you should leap back to join your team. They’ll need you on the frontline to soak up damage and occasionally shield them with his Indestructible Guard ability.
Radioactive Lockdown is his most versatile ability
Out of everything the Hulk can do, Radioactive Lockdown projectile is one of my favorites. An enemy hit by this ability will be stunned for two seconds, and the only way to cancel it is if they’re then hit by his Heavy Blow normal attack or Gamma Burst projectile. Neither his Monster Hulk exclusive World Breaker nor other teammate attacks will deal damage and remove the stun status.
That might make it sound worse than a stun ability such as Luna Snow’s Absolute Zero, but there are still some great uses. Here are a few ways I’ve been able to make the most out of Hulk’s Radioactive Lockdown:
- Canceling an enemy’s ultimate
- Briefly taking a troublesome enemy out of a fight
- Eliminating an enemy that was flying over a hole/edge of the map
- Giving myself two seconds to charge Incredible Leap and escape
- Using that time to transform into Monster Hulk. His other abilities reset after transforming, so you can immediately stun them again or someone else if you’d like
Remember to use Bruce Banner’s Gamma Grenade
My fellow D.Va mains from Overwatch will find a key similarity between the bunny mech gamer and our angry green giant here. Instead of dying when his health reaches zero, the Hulk will revert to his very vulnerable Bruce Banner form. You’ll need to charge up your ultimate to Hulk out again and get back in the fight.
While his gun will be the primary method, his Gamma Grenade is also a great tool for this purpose. Not only does it dish a bit of damage and generate ultimate charge, but it can also launch enemies or even yourself. What makes the ability even more useful is that hitting yourself with it will add to the charge as well. If you’re surrounded by enemies when turning into Bruce Banner, throwing the grenade at your feet is the best option.
Monster Hulk’s World Breaker grab is useful in specific situations
Watching the Hulk smash the hell out of Loki in The Avengers might be one of the most memorable moments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That fantastic scene is paid tribute to in Marvel Rivals through his Monster Hulk-exclusive World Breaker ultimate move. Unfortunately, it isn’t all that effective.
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World Breaker is a five-second attack that deals five hits at a measly 40 damage each. This pales in comparison to other Vanguard ultimates that can hit multiple enemies, and especially to some Duelist heroes such as the possibly-broken Moon Knight Ultimate. His normal attack in his weaker Hero Hulk form can inflict twice as much damage in the same amount of time. He earns a 30-percent damage reduction during the cinematic attack, although he can still be easily shredded by other enemies and reverted to the Bruce Banner form. Many players write this off as a pointless move. While it arguably is in general usage, I’ve found that it shines during the following situations:
- Right before the Monster Hulk form times out to get in a bit extra damage.
- During a 1v1 or at most 1v2 fight while diving.
- Stalling an enemy for a guaranteed five seconds.
- To further divide attention during team-wide fights, because the opposing team will likely start all shooting the big green guy that’s smashing their support. Your team’s healer might need to focus on you during this time.
As tempting as it is to go out and smash everyone, the Hulk is a team player. His kit allows him to dive and disrupt the enemy team or fight alongside his own to soak up damage. You’ll rack up the wins, or at least earn an SVP, by playing to his strengths and intended purposes.
Marvel Rivals is free to play on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows.
