Welcome, heroes, to the ultimate proving ground of teamwork and strategy: the Convoy game mode in Marvel Rivals! In this thrilling mode, one team is tasked with the crucial mission of escorting a payload—be it a cart or other moving object—across the map to a designated endpoint. The other team must dig in their heels and use every trick up their sleeves to halt this advance. When the offensive team captures the objective, it moves forward, even faster if they stay near it. If defenders recapture it, the payload reverses unless an attacker contests. It's a dynamic tug-of-war that demands adaptability and sharp execution.
This guide is your ticket to mastering Convoy, supercharged with the latest intel from the Season 2.5 balance patch. Whether on offense or defense, the strategies herein will help turn the tide of battle. And don't worry about complex jargon; this guide will keep things clear and actionable, using standard in-game role terms: Vanguard (the resilient tanks), Duelist (the high-impact damage dealers), and Strategist (the vital support and healers).
Dominating on Offense
Pushing the convoy successfully requires a potent blend of heroes who can stay on the objective, clear out stubborn defenders, and sustain the offensive momentum. The Season 2.5 update has reshuffled the deck, bringing new powerhouses to the forefront and adjusting the capabilities of established favorites.
Payload Powerhouses: Top Heroes for the Convoy Push
To keep the payload moving, teams need heroes whose kits are tailor-made for maintaining a strong presence, carving a path through enemy resistance, and keeping the offensive pressure high.
Vanguards – Leading the Charge
These frontline titans are essential for absorbing damage and creating space for the team to advance with the payload.
Consistently ranked at the top of Season 2.5 tier lists, Emma Frost is a formidable presence. Her Diamond Form grants crucial crowd control immunity and enhances her melee capabilities, making her incredibly difficult to dislodge from the payload. While Season 2.5 brought nerfs to her Mind's Aegis shield value (from 500 to 400) and increased the cooldown and reduced damage of Carbon Crush, the buff to Telepathic Pulse's range (from 15.5m to 18m) allows her to poke and control space more effectively from the front line. Her ability to soak damage and create openings is invaluable for breaching defensive chokepoints.
Another S-tier Vanguard, Magneto excels at protecting the payload and his team with his mobile shield bubble, which can absorb an infinite amount of damage. The Season 2.5 buff increasing his ring charging speed (from 4s/stack to 3s/stack) means more frequent access to his powerful abilities, enhancing his offensive pressure and utility. This makes him exceptional for maintaining momentum and controlling engagements around the convoy.
While Season 2.5 adjusted his Daggers of Denak damage falloff (nerf) and removed range damage falloff for Maelstrom of Madness (buff), Doctor Strange's core utility remains immense. His Shield of the Seraphim is lauded as one of the game's best defensive tools, capable of protecting the entire team during a crucial push. His portal can create unexpected offensive angles or allow the team to bypass heavily fortified chokepoints, making him a strategic asset for any attacking lineup.
Known for providing team shields and disrupting enemy formations, Hulk is a solid choice for protecting the payload and its escorts. His ability to leap and drag down airborne opponents also makes him a threat to defenders attempting to control high ground, a common defensive tactic.
Duelists – Clearing the Path
These damage dealers are responsible for dismantling enemy defenses and ensuring the convoy's path remains clear.
Consistently S-tier in Season 2.5, Hela's offensive capabilities were further enhanced by a buff to her Nightsword Thorn charge capacity (from 8 to 10). This allows for more sustained damage, which is critical for breaking through fortified defensive lines. Her ultimate, Goddess of Death, can single-handedly turn the tide of a fight and secure a push, especially on more open maps where her projectiles excel.
Hawkeye has emerged as a rising Duelist pick thanks to significant Season 2.5 buffs: increased base arrow damage (32 to 34), buffed Blast Arrow projectile and spell field damage, increased maximum focus (70 to 75), and faster charge speed when aiming. These changes make him a much more consistent and lethal damage dealer, capable of picking off key defensive targets from a distance and thereby easing the payload's advance.
Season 2.5 brought valuable buffs to The Punisher, including reduced movement slow during his ultimate (Final Judgement) and improvements to Adjudication's magazine size (30 to 40), damage (18 to 19), and spread. His enhanced ultimate is better for area denial during a push, and his improved primary fire makes him more dangerous in direct confrontations. He excels at laying down sustained fire to suppress defenders.
Despite nerfs in Season 2.5 to his third Repulsor Blast projectile damage (50 to 45) and Armor Overdrive's maximum Bonus Health (100 to 50), Iron Man's flight and potent area damage, especially his Unibeam, remain valuable for dislodging defenders from high ground or applying pressure to chokepoints ahead of the payload. However, players will need to manage his positioning more carefully due to his reduced survivability.
Strategists – Sustaining the Push
These support heroes are the lifeblood of any successful offensive, keeping the team healthy and enabling aggressive plays.
Luna Snow remains a top-tier Strategist. Season 2.5 saw her Light & Dark Ice healing amount and damage per round increase from 20 to 22, and her Absolute Zero now grants 50 Bonus Health per enemy hit. Though the energy cost of her ultimate, Fate of Both Worlds, increased (4500 to 5000), its fight-swinging potential for healing through intense pushes is still unmatched. Her ability to sustain multiple allies on the payload is critical.
Celebrated for his high utility, including area healing and the game-changing ally revival, Rocket Raccoon is a strong offensive support. Although his Repair Mode direct hit healing was slightly nerfed in Season 2.5 (55 to 50) and the potent Ammo Overload team-up was removed, his overall package of healing, damage contribution, and clutch revive potential keeps him highly valuable for pushes that require sustained support.
While not directly changed in Season 2.5, the Fantastic Four team-up she's part of saw a cooldown increase on its components. Nevertheless, her consistent healing output, area control with Psionic Vortex, and mobile shield (Psionic Barrier) make her a solid choice for supporting an aggressive payload push, protecting allies as they advance.
| Hero Name | Role | Key S2.5 Offensive Strengths for Convoy Push | Synergistic S2.5 Team-Up(s) Example(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emma Frost | Vanguard | Diamond Form CC immunity & melee, Telepathic Pulse range for poke/control. | Mental Projection (Psylocke/Magneto) |
| Magneto | Vanguard | Mobile shield bubble for payload, increased ring charge speed for ability uptime, area control. | Mental Projection (Emma/Psylocke) |
| Hela | Duelist | Increased Nightsword Thorn capacity for sustained damage, powerful ultimate for breaking defenses. | Ragnarok Rebirth (Loki/Thor) |
| Hawkeye | Duelist | Buffed damage & focus for consistent ranged picks, enabling safer pushes. | Chilling Assault (Luna Snow) |
| Luna Snow | Strategist | Buffed healing/damage on primary, bonus health on Absolute Zero, powerful (though costlier) AoE healing ult for sustained pushes. | Chilling Assault (Hawkeye) |
| Rocket Raccoon | Strategist | Versatile healing, revive potential, good damage contribution. | Rocket Network (Peni Parker) |
Game-Changing Team-Up Combos for Attack
Team-Up abilities can transform a struggling push into an unstoppable advance. The Season 2.5 patch brought significant changes, removing some old favorites and introducing or adjusting new synergistic power plays.
This powerhouse combination sustains pushes with amplified healing while providing incredible pick potential through Ice Arrow's crowd control capabilities.
Aggressively breaks stalemates on the payload by displacing defenders, disrupting ultimate abilities, and creating chaos for advancing teams.
Iron Man's increased damage output breaks enemy shields and secures eliminations while Ultron provides simultaneous support and sustained utility.
Holding the Line on Defense
Stopping the enemy convoy is an art form, requiring control of key map areas, vigilance against surprise back-captures, and smart tactics to delay enemy regrouping. A steadfast defense can frustrate even the most determined attackers.
Best High-Ground Holders
High ground is a defender's best friend, offering superior sightlines and a tactical advantage to control chokepoints and the payload's path. Heroes who excel here typically boast strong ranged damage, area denial capabilities, or excellent survivability and escape tools.
Frequently cited for his ability to deny areas from high ground, Iron Man's flight grants him easy access to prime vantage points. Despite the Season 2.5 nerfs to his Repulsor Blast and Armor Overdrive, his capacity to apply consistent pressure from above with his Unibeam and Micro-Missiles remains a potent defensive asset. He can effectively force attackers off the payload or into disadvantageous positions, though careful positioning is now even more critical due to his reduced survivability.
With his Vantage Connection zipline, The Punisher can readily access and command high ground. The Season 2.5 buffs to his damage output and ultimate further enhance his defensive capabilities. A well-positioned Punisher can transform high ground into a lethal killzone, his hitscan weaponry proving effective against both grounded and aerial threats. His ultimate can lock down a significant area around the payload when deployed from an elevated position.
As a natural sniper, Hawkeye excels on maps featuring long sightlines and ample high ground. The substantial buffs he received in Season 2.5 significantly increase his threat level. From a high perch, he is ideal for picking off key offensive targets, especially Strategists or exposed Duelists, thereby stalling pushes before they can gain momentum. His Blast Arrow also serves as an effective area denial tool.
| Hero Name | Role | Key S2.5 Defensive Strengths for High Ground | Ideal Maps/Situations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Man | Duelist | Flight for access, Unibeam for sustained damage, Micro-Missiles for area denial. | Maps with clear aerial sightlines (e.g., Yggdrasill Path). |
| The Punisher | Duelist | Zipline for access, strong hitscan damage, impactful ultimate for area denial. | Chokepoints visible from high ground (e.g., Midtown). |
| Hawkeye | Duelist | Long-range pick potential, Blast Arrow for zoning, buffed S2.5 damage. | Long sightlines, maps with sniper perches (e.g., Central Park). |
| Ultron | Strategist | Flight (implied), potential for ranged support/damage from safety. Nano-Ray via team-up. | Positions overlooking team fights, needing sustained support. |
| Storm | Duelist | Flight, AoE CC/damage from abilities, buffed ultimate damage. | Areas where payload is forced through predictable paths. |
| Peni Parker | Vanguard | Mobility to reach high ground, ranged firepower, Spider-Nest for area control/early warning. | Defending objectives with multiple approach angles. |
Shutting Down Back-Caps
A sneaky back-cap, where one or more offensive players bypass the main defense to capture the payload or a checkpoint, can unravel an otherwise solid defensive effort. Prevention hinges on acute map awareness, strategic hero positioning, and clear communication.
Key Heroes & Abilities for Back-Cap Prevention
Her traps and mines (Arachno-Mines, Bionic Spider-Nest) are exceptional for area denial and providing early warnings of flankers. Placing these on common flank routes or near unattended sections of the payload track can alert the team to back-cap attempts and damage or deter the intruders. Her Spider-Nest can also serve as a stationary watch post.
Strategic placement of Loki's illusions on flank routes can provide crucial information or briefly stall a would-be back-capper. A roaming Loki can utilize stealth to safely scout for flankers, and his Regeneration Pads can support a defender tasked with watching these routes.
- Spider-Man - High mobility for quick rotations
- Psylocke - Psychic Stealth and Psi-Blade Dash
- Captain America - Sprint and slam capabilities
- Black Widow - Surveillance drones and mines
- Resource allocation dilemma
- Weakened main defensive front
- Risk of overextension
- Communication dependency
Smart Respawn-Stall Tactics
After decisively winning a defensive team fight, pushing forward—cautiously—to delay the enemy team's regrouping and subsequent approach to the payload can burn precious time off the attacker's clock. This tactic, often referred to as "staggering" enemy respawns, is about controlling space and dictating the pace of re-engagement.
Strategic Pushing Guidelines
- Control strategic ground ahead of the objective - Force enemies to fight for every inch on your terms
- Identify and hold key choke points - Every map features inherently difficult areas for attackers
- Focus fire and stagger kills - Eliminate isolated enemies attempting to rush back
- Know when to fall back - Recognize the line between tactical stall and overextension
Your Convoy Victory Lap
Mastering the Convoy mode in Marvel Rivals is a journey of continuous learning and adaptation. The heroes and strategies outlined here, updated for Season 2.5, provide a strong foundation, but true dominance comes from understanding how to flex these tactics based on your team's composition, the specific map, and the ever-changing flow of the game.
Remember to communicate with your team, coordinate your abilities, and always be thinking one step ahead of your opponents. Now, take this knowledge, rally your squad, and go claim your victory on the payload path!