I swear, half the time I queue up as a Vanguard in Marvel Rivals these days, I feel like a T-Rex trying to swat a pterodactyl out of the sky. My fists are ready, my health bar is chunky, but the only thing I’m tanking is my own plummeting self-esteem as Human Torch and Storm dance around above me, pelting my oversized hitbox with fireballs and lightning bolts. It’s 2026, Season 2 is just around the corner, and yet I’m still lumbering on the ground like it’s the Stone Age. Someone get me a slingshot. Or a tank with a gun. Please.
Let’s rewind a bit. Ever since the second half of Season 1: Eternal Night Falls, the game’s been injecting flying Duelists into the meta like they’re going out of style. First we got Human Torch. Then Iron Man and Storm got some love in the balance patches. Now every other match looks like an Avengers-themed air show, and the only person on the ground with any real range is Peni Parker. Don’t get me wrong, I love Peni. Her mines turn chokepoints into amusement parks for explosions. But let’s face it: her "ranged support" is mostly lobbing webs and hoping someone trips over a glowing dot. Against a half-decent Torch who hovers just out of reach, I might as well be shooting Nerf darts.
Some well-meaning souls on the forums (bless their heart) keep telling me that Vanguards aren’t supposed to deal with airborne threats—that’s what Duelists are for. Sure, in a perfect world, my backline Hawkeye would swap to hitscan and delete that flaming menace in two seconds. But we’re in solo queue, baby! Coordination is a myth, and the Punisher on my team is busy trying to 1v1 a wall. So here I am, a giant metal man or a rage-filled monster, staring at the sky while my teammates’ corpses pile up around me. The frustration is real, and it’s been bubbling for three seasons now.
We’ve tried creative workarounds. One of my buddies swears by Doctor Strange’s float-up trick—levitating for a pathetic few seconds and frantically waving his cape at Johnny Storm like it’s a flyswatter. It works roughly 1% of the time, but when it does, the dopamine hit could power a small city. I’ve even pulled off a miracle or two with Groot, but usually only because the enemy flyer forgot they had a vertical axis and dipped low enough to eat a wooden fist. That’s not strategy; that’s hoping your opponent forgot how to play. We need real options, not happy accidents.
So what’s the solution? Like any desperate community, we’ve turned to leaks and datamines, praying to the Marvel gods for salvation. The whispers say The Hood might join the roster as a Vanguard. The Hood! The guy with two pistols and a demonic cloak. If those leaks are accurate, we could finally have a tank who can shoot back without needing to ground-pound or rely on gimmicks. I’m already imagining floating up to Iron Man and unloading a full clip into his smug arc-reactor. It’s not a fix for every aerial nuisance, but it’s a start. Give me a ranged Vanguard with any kind of hitscan or even a half-decent projectile and I’ll be the happiest bullet sponge in the multiverse.
In the meantime, I’ll keep queuing up, keep shaking my fist at the sky, and keep hoping NetEase sees my pain. Maybe Season 2 will bring a hero who lets tanks fight back without feeling like a ground-bound dinosaur. Until then, I’ll be down here, planting mines and dreaming of a day when every Vanguard main can look up and actually do something about it.
Quick vent session highlights (a Vanguard player’s diary):
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🔹 Peni Parker – Only real ranged tank, but relies on traps. Against a flyer who never lands, you’re just a big, red distraction.
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🔹 Doctor Strange – Levitation gamble. Works on distracted Torches; results may vary.
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🔹 Groot – Wooden arms can reach if the enemy pilot is daydreaming. Not recommended against anyone with object permanence.
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🔹 The Thing – I love clobbering, but even the most glorious punch can’t reach a guy 20 meters up.
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🔹 Magneto – Mid-range pokes exist, but they feel more like polite suggestions than actual threats.
Wishlist for future Vanguards (NetEase, if you’re listening):
| Desired Trait | Why I Need It |
|---|---|
| Hitscan weapon | So I can actually hit a moving target without relying on prayer. |
| Vertical mobility | If I can’t shoot up, let me at least fly up and smack someone. |
| Anti-air utility | A hook, a net, a gravity tether—something to ground those flying nuisances. |
| Passive: “Birds Aren’t Real” | Just a fun suggestion. |
Look, I’m not saying the game is broken. Marvel Rivals is still a ridiculously good time, and the devs have been crushing it with content updates. But when your role is to soak damage and control space, and half the enemy team can simply ignore your space by existing three meters above your head, something’s gotta give. So here’s to The Hood, to future patches, and to the eternal hope that one day I can look a Storm main in the eye and say, "Not today, lightning lady. Not today."