It is clear that the game “Marvel Rivals” has taken the world by Storm…or Winter Soldier, or my favorite: Venom. You see what I did there? Anyway, with all of the different options in this game, there are yet some characters whose best strategies are to be discovered.

One of these might even be the Lethal Protector himself, though it still isn’t decided. Venom is meant to be one of the easier characters to play, yet pulling an ace with him can be quite challenging against a good team. As a symbiote main myself, I think I can provide you with Venom 101.

The first thing to note is that Venom is a solo tank. His role in a team is to absorb a lot of damage and to annoy the enemy team as much as possible by diverting their attention so the rest of the friendly team can finish the job. Some Venom players immediately target the rear of a team’s offense so that healers become separated. This is generally considered the right strategy, but often Venom players do not space their landings correctly and die instantly. This process becomes rinse and repeat until their kill-death ratio and blocked damage is far too low.

Let’s break down Venom’s kit into three categories: attacks, movement and heals. That’s pretty much all there is to the character.

Venom has three main attacks. The first would be his standard attack, where he unleashes tendrils that can hit opponents from nearby to mid-distance and can even strike at airborne enemies. This attack has no cooldown and unlimited firing, making it very difficult to avoid. As a Venom player, you should use this attack to wear down opponents and cause them to panic. Sometimes the strategy might be to attack several players and deplete their health so your teammates can take them out. Other times it would be appropriate to chase one enemy down until you’ve beat them. In either case, you should train your ability to land headshots with the tendrils.

The next form of attack is one of my personal favorites: Cellular Corrosion. This attack physically latches onto all nearby enemies, causing them to slow down. If they are unable to break free in time, they take damage. This is a great way to gain the advantage and create an opening for you and your whole team.

The third attack is called Frenzied Arrival. This is where Venom can dash to the ground from a height and cause some damage while launching enemies upward. This move is also great for mobility, often combined with Venom’s ability to swing. A good strategy might be to swing into battle and use Frenzied Arrival to smash into battle.

You might think of Venom as some Hulk-esque character, but the truth is he has always been very sneaky. To reflect this trait in Rivals, he has the ability to crawl or run on walls and ceilings. Not a lot of Venom players use this move optimally, where they can wait for the arrival of an opponent before ambushing them or use it as a means to create a flank for the team. 

Finally, Venom has the ability to heal. Currently, he has a bigger health bar due to seasonal bonuses. He can heal through an ability called Symbiotic Resilience. Basically, he gains bonus health when activated that increases based on how low his health bar is at the time the ability is triggered. Imagine being a poor healer, thinking you were just about to finish Venom off and then suddenly his health bar looks much bigger. This ability carries Venom’s ability to become unstoppable.

You can imagine all the ways to combine the moves of Venom. The best attack strategy for when your team is pushing would be to swing, land, attack, use Corrosion and then at the right time activate your bonus health. You should focus on depleting the health bars of your enemy to make it easier on your teammates. 

Speaking of teammates, if you are playing with Venom on your team, it is important that you strategize with him for maximum effect. 

As a Duelist your job is to pick off enemies that are focused on Venom one-by-one. If you instead target another long-distance Duelist, you would defeat the entire purpose of Venom being there in the center for you. Another thing you should do is use Venom as cover when possible. It’s important that the whole team stays alive, and Venom mains understand that, trust me. 

If you are a Strategist, you should definitely be healing Venom. I have played far too many matches where the healers ignored me because they think Venom’s bonus health is enough to get him through. It is important to note that his ability to generate bonus health is merely a cushion so that he has time to retreat and heal. A good Venom main knows when to disengage and return to his team to strategize and get healed. If you, as a healer, are able to stay on Venom while he pushes the offense then there is a 90 percent chance of clearing the entire enemy team. 

That’s about all of the basics of Venom in Marvel Rivals. There are plenty of other strategies I have been working on that might be useful to experienced players. Right now, I am enjoying the winter Venom skin, which allows me to stay cool…and lethal.