The newest hero has crash-landed into Marvel Rivals’ metagame. The Merc with a Mouth, Deadpool (Alejandro Saab, Disney Twisted Wonderland The Animation), is here, and he brings a ton of gameplay with him. This is due to his unique status as the first character to be playable in more than one class. And in fact, he can be played in all three classes.
Now, before you get any funny ideas, no, you cannot have all three Deadpools on a team. When one is chosen, the others are removed from the pool. Given that there are no distinguishing visual cues between the different versions, having multiple versions running around would be far too confusing for players to deal with. And then there’d be the noise.
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Deadpool talks more than any other character in the roster. He talks to himself, those around him, and even speaks to Galacta at times. And the vast majority of what he says exists on the spectrum between annoying and cringe. Making Deadpool even harder to tolerate is how hard Saab leans into his delivery. The over-the-top nature of the character is crammed to bursting in virtually every line. He’s just too much.
Deadpool fights with pistols and katanas as the latest Marvel Rivals character.
So, how different are the versions of Deadpool? The bulk of their abilities function in similar ways; each role, however, receives special effects that make it more in line with what the class wants to do. This helps players get used to the core of his kit, whether playing as him or playing against him.
Deadpool’s primary fire is a pair of pistols. They shot at a good rate and do solid damage. When in the specialist role, his pistols also heal his allies when hit. Much like Blade, Deadpool’s pistols can be swapped for a katana. When he does this, his attack not only changes, but his first ability does as well.
Both modes of his primary feel good to use. The animation when swapping between them is very quick, making swapping frequently feel good, even during a rapidly evolving fight that requires numerous swaps.
The three versions of Deadpool are similar, with different special effects.
When in pistol mode, Deadpool’s first ability is an AOE attack. The duelist’s version hits enemies and can be juggled for multiple attacks. The specialist version has the same functions, but also heals allies. The vanguard doesn’t get an attack but rather gains a deployable shield that protects allies within its radius from harm.
Getting a handle on the juggle aspect of this ability will be key to getting the most out of Deadpool. The effects are good, but they really come out when you can keep them going for the extra time.
When Deadpool is wielding his katana, this ability is replaced with a dash attack. The Duelist/Vanguard version of this attack can be repeated either two or three times, respectively, on hit. The specialist version cannot be repeated, but heals in an AOE instead. This is probably the least exciting part of Deadpool’s kit(s). It functions well and can help him stay in the thick of things when he wants to be there.
Deadpool’s AOE powers are good, but tough to pull off.
Deadpool’s second power is an AOE taunt. In the Duelist role, the attack additionally hinders sight and tanks hits. In the Specialist role, it does damage over time to enemies and heals allies. For Vanguard, it hinders enemy vision while it drains health from enemies and increases the rate of fire for his primary weapon. (Either pistols or katana)
These AOE powers are good, though the specialist version can be tougher to get full use out of, as it can require Deadpool to be closer to a big fight than he may wish to be.
To help the Merc with a Mouth get to where he needs to go, he has a double jump that can spring him off of walls and enemy heads, as well as leaping in mid-air. Duelist gains health and deals damage when he lands on enemies this way. The Specialist version harms enemies and heals allies when they are used for bouncing, and the Vanguard just damages enemies when bouncing on them.
The surest sign players will see of a truly experienced Deadpool player will be one who actually utilizes this ability. Remembering to wall-bounce or spring off enemies for better movement and effect feels like the kind of extra that can save you in a pinch, but few will remember it is there.
Deadpool’s ultimates feel good, but don’t tend to have a fight-shifting potential like other ultimates.
Deadpool’s passive takes the form of his healing factor. When he goes a few seconds without taking damage, he begins to regain his health. If Deadpool is especially low on health to start, he heals at an accelerated rate.
Lastly, we have Deadpool’s ultimate, which has some special characteristics to it. When he lands his abilities, he builds up style. When his style reaches S rank, his ultimate will be charged. This rewards players who can land his powers consistently, making him much more dangerous in the hands of an experienced player.
The Duelist version of his ultimate taunts a target and makes it so that if the target misses an ability, they take damage. The Specialist version has all these functions, plus it heals Deadpool and nearby allies, as well as granting bonus health for each time the target takes damage from the ability. The Vanguard taunts the target, grants Deadpool bonus HP and healing, as well as additional healing when the target misses with one of its abilities.
These ultimates feel good, but don’t tend to have the fight-shifting potential that other ultimates do. But given the fact that his charge rate seems better than other characters when you are hitting abilities, and it makes sense for these aeffects to not be too powerful.
A mid-match upgrade system improves your abilities as you fight.
As if all of the above weren’t enough, Deadpool also has his own upgrade system. As he fights his way through a match, an experience bar under his health fills. When it is full, he can pull out a book and gain an upgrade, improving each of his abilities in turn. Pulling out the book does not stop the battle, but it does cover up your screen, so it’s best to wait until a lull to upgrade.
With different roles and alternate abilities depending on which of his primary weapons he’s using, Deadpool is easily the most complex hero yet to come to the game. He’s going to take a lot of practice to learn, but it looks like his solid kit(s) will be worth it for those who invest the time.
Marvel Rivals is available now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
