The neon-lit arenas of Marvel Rivals had never been more chaotic. As the year 2026 rolled on, Duelists zipped across the map while Strategists kept teams alive with well-timed heals, but one cry echoed louder than any ultimate ability: “We need more Vanguards!” The player base knew the struggle all too well—the shield-bearing frontliners were few, and their kits felt a little too familiar after hundreds of hours. Yet, hope wasn’t lost. Leaks, fan concepts, and the ever-expanding Marvel universe painted a picture of who might soon stomp into the fray. From vampires to mutants to unbreakable heroes for hire, the wishlist was growing, and the developers at NetEase seemed to be listening.
...
The void in the tank roster had become so glaring that even the game’s own lore felt a little starved. Sure, Doctor Strange could weave mystic shields, but where was the raw terror that only a creature of the night could bring? Let’s be honest—who wouldn’t want to sink their teeth into something truly diabolical?
Whispers around the community pointed to Count Dracula. Not the tuxedoed aristocrat from old films, but a version pulled straight from his Tomb of Dracula days—red armor gleaming, claws dripping with shadow. As a Vanguard, Dracula wouldn’t just absorb damage; he’d make the enemy team feel drained. Siphoning health from opponents to heal himself, commanding swarms of bats to blind attackers, and forming a monstrous shield from his own leathery wings—these were the nightmares players craved. The idea of a vampire lord using hypnosis to disorient entire pushes made every Strategist shiver. With so few mystical tanks in the game, Dracula could be the unholy anchor the roster desperately needed.
But not all frontliners needed dark magic. Sometimes, a mountain of living metal was enough.
Colossus had been on the tip of every mutant fan’s tongue since Magik first stepped through a portal. Piotr Rasputin, the gentle giant made of organic steel, would be the walking fortress Vanguard mains dreamed of. He wouldn’t just stand there—he’d stride into fire with a grim smile, fists clenched, ready to turn an entire enemy team’s focus into a futile punching game. The community theorycrafted his passive: upon defeat, a burst of stored energy would ripple outward, forcing overconfident flankers to back off. And if he could manually revert to his human form to unleash that same seismic wave? Let’s just say it would make dying a winning strategy. Colossus wasn’t just a shield; he was a promise that the X-Men were coming, and they were bringing the heavy metal.
...
Of course, not every Vanguard needed to be a slab of muscle. Some could be the very ground beneath your feet—shifting, swallowing, and reshaping the fight.
Sandman crawled out of Spider-Man’s rogues’ gallery with a kit so versatile it made programmers sweat. Imagine Flint Marko’s body dissolving into a swirling dune, only to reform as a giant sand golem that plows through the objective. As any fan would say, “You can try to punch sand all day, but you’ll just tire yourself out.” That was exactly his Vanguard philosophy. Shaping colossal hammers from his own grains, summoning blinding sandstorms, or simply spreading himself wide to block an entire corridor—Sandman could control space like no other. Every fight would feel like battling a living beach, and the tactical potential was enough to make Duelists think twice before diving.
Then there were the small heroes who carried enormous weight. Because in Marvel Rivals, size wasn’t everything—just ask the tiny girl who could out-tank a Hulk.
Ms. Marvel had no business being a tank, and that’s exactly why players wanted her. Kamala Khan, with her infectious optimism and embiggening punches, would redefine what a Vanguard could be. One moment she’d be a normal teenage shape-shifter; the next, a skyscraper of elastic limbs swatting away projectiles like flies. Her ultimate could turn her fists into crystalline energy constructs—a nod to her newer comic powers—letting her dish out ranged suppression before shrinking back to a nimble brawler. A tiny Vanguard with a heart as big as her fists? The wholesome chaos would be irresistible.
But not all heroes shine. Some wield swords cursed with darkness, and they walk a lonely path.
Black Knight and his Ebony Blade carried the kind of tragic swagger that made edgelord Duelists jealous. As a Vanguard, Dane Whitman would be a mid-range menace—hurling his sentient sword and summoning it back with a whisper, absorbing oncoming fire into the hungry blade, and even cheating death once per battle through the sword’s resurrection curse. He’d be the armored juggernaut who didn’t just block damage but fed on it, turning every absorbed blow into fuel for a devastating counter. Playing against him would feel like dueling a ghost who wouldn’t stay down, and that was precisely the point.
Meanwhile, on the streets of New York, another hero for hire was cracking his knuckles.
Luke Cage, Power Man himself, wasn’t just bulletproof—he was trash-talk proof. The ideal Vanguard for head-on brawls, Cage would laugh off incoming damage while slapping debuffs on overconfident attackers. The Heroes for Hire Team-Up with Iron Fist was already being theorycrafted into a Discord dream. His regeneration could tick like a second health bar, and his signature negotiation tactics—“Would you like to be knocked through this wall or that one?”—could actually weaken enemy damage output for a few seconds. Luke Cage didn’t need flashy effects; he needed a good pair of boots and a lot of patience from the opposing Strategists.
Lastly, there was the cosmic powerhouse who could level the playing field with a single photon blast.
Captain Marvel was the obvious top-tier contender that everyone compared to another legendary tank from that other game. But Carol Danvers wasn’t just a Reinhardt clone. With her Binary form, she could absorb incoming fire and supercharge herself before launching across the map like a human missile. The sheer destructive potential—tackling enemy backlines while soaking up enough damage to make a Venom blush—would force every squad to rethink their positioning. A Vanguard that could fly, go indestructible, and still find time to punch a meteor? The frontlines would never be the same.
...
As 2026’s seasons unfolded, the whispers grew louder. Concept artists posted their takes, streamers begged for fresh shields, and the devs teased silhouettes that looked suspiciously like horns, swords, and giant fists. The Vanguard class was about to burst open, and when it did, every hero on this list—and maybe a few surprises—would be ready to stand between their team and disaster. After all, in a world full of Duelists, someone had to hold the line.