The whole reason this post exists started with a conversation with my son.

He came to me excited, he was playing Marvel Rivals again. But the excitement quickly turned into frustration as he explained how he wanted to play Gambit… except his team insta-locked the character before he could even click. And then he launched into a full breakdown of team comps, roles, why Gambit matters, why someone else shouldn’t have picked him, and how the match fell apart.

And I’ll be honest, I was lost.

I know my way around tech, cloud platforms, retro dev kits and the occasional Linux compile. But this? This was a different language. A fast, chaotic, superhero‑powered dialect spoken by teenagers at 200 words per minute.

So I decided to fix that for myself, for other parents, and for anyone who’s ever nodded along pretending to understand why a raccoon is yelling at a Norse god.

This is a dad‑friendly crash course to Marvel Rivals, built from that moment with my son, and written so the next time he talks about Gambit getting insta‑locked, I can actually keep up.

The Three Classes (Explained Like You’re Jumping Into a Match Between Meetings)

Marvel Rivals is built around three roles. Once you understand these, the chaos starts to make sense.

Duelists (DPS)

These are the flashy, high‑damage heroes. They’re the strikers, the forwards, the “I can handle this” characters who absolutely cannot handle being punched.

• High damage
• Low health
• Built for 1v1 fights
• Often fast, sneaky, or both

If your kid says “We need more damage,” this is your lane.

Vanguards (Tanks)

These are the big bodies up front. They take hits, start fights, and make space for everyone else to shine.

• Highest health
• Protect the team
• Hold the frontline
• Some dive, some anchor

If your team keeps getting steamrolled, this is the fix.

Strategists (Support)

These are the healers, buffers, controllers, and “glue” that holds a team together.

• Healing, shields, buffs
• Crowd control
• Team utility
• Usually targeted first

If your kid says “Protect the support!” — they mean this person.

Dad-Friendly Glossary (So You Don’t Have to Pretend You Know)

• CC (Crowd Control): Stuns, freezes, knockbacks — basically superhero time‑outs.
• Dive: Fast heroes jumping past tanks to delete the squishy ones.
• Backline: Where supports hide and pray.
• Frontline: Where tanks get punched repeatedly.
• C9: Losing because no one stood on the objective. It will happen to you.
• Ult: The big, flashy “everyone stop what you’re doing” ability.
• Comp: Your team’s hero lineup — and whether it makes sense.
• Instalock: When someone picks a hero instantly, giving you zero chance to choose them.

 Full Character Class Table

Character	Class	Dad-Friendly Description
Adam Warlock	Strategist	Cosmic healer/support who keeps the squad alive.
Angela	Duelist	Divine blade DPS who dives in fast.
Black Panther	Duelist	Pounces in, hits hard, escapes clean.
Black Widow	Duelist	Sneaky assassin who deletes key targets.
Blade	Duelist	Vampire‑hunting melee brawler.
Captain America	Vanguard	Shield‑first protector who anchors the frontline.
Cloak & Dagger	Strategist	Light/dark duo offering utility and control.
Daredevil	Duelist	Close‑range fighter who excels in 1v1s.
Deadpool	Duelist	Chaotic DPS with mobility and self‑healing.
Doctor Strange	Strategist	Space‑bending support who controls fights.
Emma Frost	Strategist	Psychic controller with shields and utility.
Gambit	Duelist	Card‑throwing burst‑damage dealer.
Groot	Vanguard	Tree tank who protects teammates and holds space.
Hawkeye	Duelist	Long‑range sniper who punishes from afar.
Hela	Duelist	Damage dealer with sustain and deadly combos.
Hulk	Vanguard	Big green wall who smashes and soaks damage.
Human Torch	Duelist	High‑mobility fire DPS who burns everything.
Invisible Woman	Strategist	Shielding support who protects the team.
Iron Fist	Duelist	Martial‑arts brawler with burst melee damage.
Iron Man	Duelist	High‑tech ranged DPS with strong mobility.
Jeff the Land Shark	Duelist	Small, fast, bite‑happy damage gremlin.
Loki	Strategist	Trickster support who disrupts and confuses enemies.
Luna Snow	Strategist	Ice‑based healer/support with strong utility.
Magik	Duelist	Teleporting melee DPS with demonic burst.
Magneto	Strategist	Battlefield controller who manipulates metal.
Mantis	Strategist	Pure healer/support who keeps everyone alive.
Mister Fantastic	Vanguard	Stretchy frontline tank with crowd control.
Moon Knight	Duelist	Close‑range brawler who excels in duels.
Namor	Vanguard	Dive tank who crashes into the enemy backline.
Peni Parker	Strategist	Tech support with shields and utility.
Phoenix	Strategist	High‑impact support with healing and control.
Psylocke	Duelist	Psychic assassin with mobility and burst.
The Punisher	Duelist	Heavy‑firepower ranged DPS.
The Thing	Vanguard	Rocky bruiser who absorbs damage and punches hard.
Rocket Raccoon	Duelist	Small, fast, high‑damage pest who harasses enemies.
Rogue	Duelist	Ability‑stealing brawler who adapts mid‑fight.
Scarlet Witch	Strategist	Chaos‑magic controller with huge impact abilities.
Squirrel Girl	Duelist	Swarm‑based DPS who overwhelms enemies.
Spider-Man	Duelist	Agile damage dealer who picks off isolated targets.
Star-Lord	Duelist	Mobile ranged DPS with team buffs.
Storm	Strategist	Weather‑based support with strong area control.
Thor	Vanguard	Heavy frontline bruiser with stuns and sustain.
Ultron	Strategist	Drone‑based controller who shapes the battlefield.
Venom	Vanguard	Aggressive tank who dives and disrupts.
Winter Soldier	Duelist	Reliable ranged DPS with strong mid‑range pressure.
Wolverine	Duelist	Healing brawler who dives into the thick of it.

How to Actually Play Without Embarrassing Yourself

Pick a role your team needs.

If you see no Vanguards, grab one.  

If you see no Strategists, be the adult in the room.

Stick with your team.

Running off alone is how you get deleted by a squirrel.

Play the objective.

Standing on the point wins games.  

Chasing that one low‑health enemy across the map does not.

Switch heroes when needed.

You’re not locked in, adapt like Rogue, not like a dad stuck on the wrong HDMI input.

If you’ve made it this far, you’re already ahead of where I was when my son started explaining why Gambit getting insta‑locked ruined his whole match.

Now, instead of nodding politely and pretending I understand, I can actually follow the conversation and maybe even jump into a match with him without embarrassing myself in the first 30 seconds.

Will I still pick the wrong hero at least once?  

Absolutely.

Will I still get yelled at for missing the objective?  

Almost guaranteed.

But now, when he says “Dad, they insta‑locked Gambit again,” I can smile and say:

“Don’t worry, Dad finally gets it.”

And honestly? That’s the whole point.

This post was written with ❤️ and ☕️