Why Peni Parker is Marvel Rivals’ Neatest Tank So Far

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As a seasoned gamer with over two decades under my belt, I must say that I’ve seen my fair share of hero shooters, and the class dynamics in Marvel Rivals have certainly piqued my interest. Coming from a time when characters were more one-dimensional, it’s refreshing to see the depth they’ve managed to infuse into these iconic Marvel figures.

The debate about character roles is one that has been around since the dawn of multiplayer gaming, and I can’t help but appreciate the creativity with which the developers have approached tank characters in Marvel Rivals. From the hulking monstrosity that is Hulk to the agile and cunning Venom, each tank offers a unique playstyle that caters to different strategies.

However, it’s Peni Parker that truly stands out. With her environmental traps and stealthy tactics, she denies most tank tropes and adds an element of strategy that is often lacking in other games of this genre. Her abilities are reminiscent of a seasoned spider-trapper, leaving enemies ensnared and vulnerable while I pick them off one by one.

In all honesty, it’s about time someone put the ‘fun’ in ‘functional’ when it comes to tanks, and Peni Parker has certainly done just that. If only she could lay a trap for those players who insist on camping at chokepoints with their shields up… I might just have to invite them over for tea some day.

A continuous topic of debate in the world of Marvel Rivals revolves around character roles or classifications. In this game, Marvel heroes are categorized as Vanguards, Duelists, and Strategists (roughly equivalent to tanks, damage dealers, and healers). However, some controversy has arisen over whether certain iconic characters fit the class that best represents their in-game abilities.

As someone who’s spent countless hours immersed in the world of hero shooter games, I can’t help but feel a sense of anticipation and excitement for the dynamic gameplay that Marvel Rivals promises to deliver. Having played my fair share of these games, I’ve come to appreciate the nuances that make each class unique and strategically valuable on the battlefield. However, it’s always been a bit of a letdown when classes like tanks don’t live up to their potential due to a lack of support from other classes.

However, in the budding world of Marvel Rivals, I’m intrigued by the fresh perspective that Peni Parker brings to the tank role with her unique playstyle. As one of the five Vanguards currently available in the game, she offers a breath of fresh air and a glimpse into what could be an innovative approach to traditional class dynamics. With my years of gaming experience under my belt, I eagerly await the evolution of these classes as Marvel Rivals matures and grows, and I’m excited to see how Peni Parker’s tank gameplay continues to shape the battlefield.

Marvel Rivals’ Vanguards All Have Their Strengths and Weaknesses

In the game ‘Marvel Rivals’, there are many more Duelists compared to Vanguards and Strategists. Given that Vanguards lack a healer on their team, they’re often found needing one. Consequently, tanks rarely get instant lock unless someone particularly loves that character. However, each tank comes with its unique charm, and specific situations can make them more beneficial than others.

  • Beginning a match as Bruce Banner and having to pop an Ultimate to become Hero Hulk is exceptionally creative, especially when there’s also a Monster Hulk form to transform into with subsequent Ultimates, but the Hulk’s move set isn’t tremendously dynamic between Hero and Monster besides an MCU-inspired World Breaker grab.
  • Groot can be terrific in any Marvel Rivals game mode due to his wooden wall constructs and how inventive players have become with their placements; meanwhile, Groot also takes advantage of Team-Ups with Rocket Raccoon and Jeff the Land Shark, who can sustainably heal Groot while mounted on his shoulder.
  • Thor is arguably the beefiest tank who never seems to drop health even when a healer isn’t around, and he’s also superb at dishing out damage while also imbuing Storm and Captain America with Thorforce buffs.
  • Marvel Rivals’ Venom is essentially Spider-Man if he was a tank and lacked ranged projectile options, which results in a character who can get in and out of dicey encounters hastily but thrives in the midst of the action when he has access to his clutch Symbiotic Resilience ability.
  • Besides Doctor Strange’s meme-worthy Pentagram of Farallah portal tech, the Sorcerer Supreme is a fairly basic tank with a huge mystic shield he projects.
  • Magneto and Doctor Strange go hand-in-hand as tanks whose shields do the brunt of their kit work; similar to how Doctor Strange generates Dark Magic from damage dealt to enemies, Magneto generates rings on his back that can then be hurled at enemies.
  • Captain America makes sense as a tank given that he wields a vibranium, energy-absorbing shield, and yet the role takes away from the projectile-ricocheting potential he might’ve had if he was a DPS character instead.

How Marvel Rivals’ Peni Parker Subverts Common Vanguard Tropes

In contrast to typical tank characters in Marvel Rivals, Peni Parker’s combat style primarily focuses on setting up environmental traps that hinder and trap enemies, rather than relying on traditional tank mechanics like shielding. Instead of functioning as a conventional shield, Peni deploys a Bionic Spider-Nest drone, Cyber-Web Snare, and Arachno-Mines on the battlefield to either harm or slow down enemies, making them vulnerable.

Instead of standing firm with a shield against an entire team of opponents, Peni operates strategically. She can also momentarily trap enemies in sticky threads, similar to Mantis’ Spore Slumber ability that renders enemies unconscious temporarily, and her Spider-Sweeper Ultimate is a swift, expansive burst of SP//dr’s abilities, popping opponents as she moves. It’s interesting to note that unlike other tanks, Peni doesn’t have an obvious defensive move aside from staying within her webs; instead, she focuses on controlling a point or blocking enemy entry into choke points.

On Yggsgard’s Throne Room map, Peni is exceptionally powerful because of its tight corners and narrow entryways that allow SP//dr to utilize her skills strategically and covertly. However, Convergence/Convoy maps are not favorable for Peni as the objective constantly changes location, making her carefully set traps ineffective.

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2025-01-02 22:04