Marvel Rivals Magneto: How to Play, Counter & Abilities

Magneto stands as one of the strongest Vanguard picks in Marvel Rivals right now, thanks to his ability to protect teammates while maintaining significant threat potential. His shield-heavy kit and crowd-control abilities make him particularly effective in organized team play, though he requires good positioning and timing to get the most value.

In this guide, we will look at how to play and counter Magneto in Marvel Rivals along with a few important gameplay tips!

Magneto Stats Marvel Rivals

Magneto excels at controlling space and protecting his team through various shield abilities while building up power for devastating counterattacks. His kit allows him to absorb incoming damage and convert it into offensive potential through his ring system. While rated as a two-star difficulty character, mastering the timing of his abilities and positioning takes practice.

	Magneto
Role	Vanguard
Difficulty	⭐⭐ (2/5)
Health	650
Movement Speed	6 m/s

How to Play Magneto in Marvel Rivals

Position yourself between your team and the enemy at all times – close enough to pressure with Iron Volley but far enough to react to incoming threats.

Iron Volley works best at maximum range. The explosion radius grows with distance, giving you better area control. A direct hit at close range deals about 60 damage, but the splash damage at maximum range can hit multiple targets for 40-45 damage each. Use this to zone enemies away from objectives or force them to change position.

Shield management is your primary job. Metallic Curtain has a short 3-second cooldown, making it your main defensive tool. Watch for important enemy abilities like Hawkeye‘s arrows or Winter Soldier’s high-damage shots and block them. Don’t spam shields – timing matters more than frequency.

Metal Bulwark and Iron Bulwark share a 12-second cooldown. Save these for when teammates are being focused or to absorb high-damage abilities. Each point of damage absorbed generates rings on your back, powering up your Mag-Cannon. Think of these shields as resources – the damage they absorb isn’t wasted, it’s converted into offensive potential.

Mag-Cannon becomes more powerful with more rings. At full rings, it deals significant damage and knocks enemies back significantly. Look for opportunities to:

• Finish off low-health targets trying to escape
• Push enemies off high ground or into your team
• Interrupt key enemy abilities like Winter Soldier’s ultimate
• Create space for your team to advance on objectives

For Meteor M, watch your timing carefully. The ability draws in projectiles to power up the meteor, but overcharging causes it to explode and damage your team. Start charging when you see multiple enemies using projectile abilities, but release before reaching maximum charge (around 800 damage absorbed). This ability works best as a follow-up to team engagements rather than an initiating tool.

How to Counter Magneto in Marvel Rivals?

When playing against Magneto, focus on disrupting his positioning and forcing him to waste shields. Stay spread out to minimize Iron Volley’s value, and try to attack from multiple angles. His shields only work in one direction at a time, so coordinating with your team to pressure him from different sides makes him much less effective.

Pay attention to his ring count – you can see the rings floating on his back. If he has a full set, expect a Mag-Cannon soon and be ready to dodge. After he uses Mag-Cannon, that’s your window to apply pressure since he’ll have no stored damage for follow-up attacks.

During team fights, bait out his Metallic Curtain before using important abilities. The shield only lasts for a few seconds with a 3-second cooldown, giving you a clear window to deal damage.

If Magneto is protecting a specific area, don’t fight him head-on. Take alternate routes or split his attention between multiple threats. Look for opportunities to catch him during rotation between points – he’s most vulnerable when moving to new positions since he can’t effectively shield while repositioning.

Strong Magneto Counters in Marvel Rivals:

• Venom: Cellular Corrosion slows Magneto down, making it hard for him to maintain position. The constant damage from basic attacks pressures shields, while Feast of the Abyss provides sustain through any counter-damage. Keep applying pressure and don’t let him set up in favorable positions.
• Spider-Man: Use Spectacular Spin to stun and prevent shield casting. Quick attacks can burst through remaining shields before Magneto recovers. Stay mobile and attack from unexpected angles.
• Black Panther: Kinetic Charge provides the speed to get around shields. Sprint Rend applies Vibranium marks, making shields break faster. Chain abilities together to maintain pressure and prevent shield recovery.
• Loki: Clone misdirection forces Magneto to waste shields. Teleport abilities let you get behind his defenses. Focus on disrupting his positioning rather than trying to break shields directly.

Venom	Spider-Man	Black Panther	Loki

All Magneto Abilities

Ability Name	Description	Stats & Details
Iron Volley	Fire a volley of magnetic orbs forward. The range of the resulting explosion increases based on distance flown	• Projectile Speed: 80m/s • Charges: 10 • Maximum Distance: 25m • Initial Radius: 1m sphere • Maximum Radius: 3m sphere • Attack Interval: 0.8s • Direct Damage: 35 • Field Damage: 40 (50% reduction at edges) • Cast Type: Single projectile with delayed field
Meteor M	Draw in all materials around to forge an iron meteor that deals massive damage upon impact. Absorbing enemy projectiles can enhance the meteor’s power, yet overloading will cause it to self-destruct	• Absorption Range: 15m sphere • Projectile Speed: 30m/s • Initial Range: 5m sphere • Maximum Range: 8m sphere (after 4s) • Duration: 4s • Base Damage: 100-300 • Damage Bonus: +3 per Energy point • Damage Falloff: 50% at 6m • Energy Cost: 3100 • Absorption: 0.125 per damage (max 800) • Cast Type: Field + projectile
Metallic Curtain	Change the magnetic field around to form a metallic curtain, blocking all incoming projectiles	• Maximum Energy: 100 • Energy Cost: 50/s • Recovery Delay: 1s • Recovery Speed: 11/s • Cooldown: 3s • Cast Type: Directional shield
Metal Bulwark	Conjure a metal shield around a chosen ally. Damage taken will transform into rings on Magneto’s back	• Maximum Range: 20m • Shield Value: 300 • Duration: 2.5s • Cooldown: 12s (shared) • Ring Generation: 1 per 100 damage • Cast Type: Targeted ally shield
Iron Bulwark	Conjure an iron shield around himself. Damage taken will transform into rings on Magneto’s back	• Shield Value: 300 • Duration: 2.5s • Cooldown: 12s (shared) • Ring Generation: 1 per 100 damage • Cast Type: Self shield
Mag-Cannon	Convert the iron rings on Magneto’s back into a Mag-Cannon and launch a metallic mass forward. Higher stacks of rings increase damage, and full stacks knock back enemies	• Projectile Speed: 120m/s • 1 Ring Damage: 40 • 2 Ring Damage: 65 • 3 Ring Damage: 90 • Knockback: 6m at full charge • Cooldown: None (requires rings) • Cast Type: Single projectile
Magnetic Descent	Hold Space to fall slowly	• Horizontal Speed: 6m/s • Descent Speed: 3.5m/s • Cast Type: Movement modifier
Metallic Fusion	Scarlet Witch can infuse Chaos Energy into Magneto to enchant his greatsword. Upon receiving the Chaos Energy, Magneto can unleash its full force, striking down enemies with his enchanted greatsword	• Attack Speed: 0.615s (x2), 0.954s • Projectile Speed: 80m/s • Range: 3m sphere • Projectile Damage: 55 • Field Damage: 30 • Duration: 10s • Cooldown: 30s • Cast Type: Enhanced ability

Success with Magneto comes down to three key factors: positioning, timing, and resource management. Keep your team protected, build rings strategically, and look for moments to turn defense into offense. With practice, you’ll develop a sense for when to play defensively and when to press your advantage.