Alright, champ, huddle up! The Season 2.5 patch on May 30th, 2025, definitely stirred the pot, like Hulk in a china shop! It dropped a new hero, Ultron (though he's a Strategist, his flighty nature shakes things up for us tanks), a fresh map called Hellfire Gala - Arakko, and a whole heap of hero balancing. We're laser-focused on what this means for your game as a Vanguard, the unshakeable anchor of your team.
The developers didn't just throw darts at a board with these changes. We saw some Vanguards like Magneto and Doctor Strange get a leg up, while tanks who were previously riding high, like Captain America and Groot, got taken down a peg. And Thor? He got a full-blown makeover. This wasn't random. Before this patch, Captain America and Groot were often top dogs, really running the show in a lot of matches. The patch directly hit their ability to stay in the fight and control areas—Cap lost some health, his shield takes longer to start recharging, and his ultimate costs more, while Groot's damage output and wall availability were reduced. At the same time, Magneto got quicker ring charges for more firepower, and Doctor Strange can now dish out damage more reliably from further away. Thor's rework is clearly aimed at shifting how he plays entirely. It all points to a deliberate move to shake up who's viable on the frontline, maybe to stop just a few tanks from being the default pick and to make sure the tank roster can handle new threats like airborne heroes.
The New Battlefield: Tanking in the Current Meta
Being a Vanguard now? It's a whole new ball game, especially with heroes like Ultron and other flyers buzzing around like angry wasps. Here's the sitrep on what it takes to be a top-tier tank in Season 2.5.
If you can't look up and effectively shoot up, or at least protect your team from above, you're going to have a hard time. This often means more "poke" damage flying around – lots of smaller, consistent hits from range. So, as a tank, you need to think about how you're going to deal with that sustained fire, not just big burst attacks.
This shift has a ripple effect on what makes a tank valuable. Since many tanks can't easily swat those flyers themselves, you'll be relying more on your Duelist teammates to handle the air patrol. This means your ability to help your damage-dealers do their job becomes even more critical. Can you shield them so they can aim freely? Can you lock down the ground enemies so your DPS can focus upwards? Can you use crowd control to make grounded targets easier pickings? Tanks who bring something to the table against flyers, or who can seriously enable their team to do so, are golden. We're talking about Peni Parker's webs snagging people out of the air, Emma Frost's abilities to disrupt or hit airborne targets, Magneto's metal shards, or Doctor Strange's massive shield. Even Hulk's leap can be a surprise anti-air tool. It's not just about how much damage you can take or deal anymore; it's about how you help your team neutralize these new sky-high threats.
And the maps themselves can make this even trickier. The new map, Hellfire Gala - Arakko, is a Convoy map, where you're escorting a payload. These types of maps often have long, open sightlines along the payload's path. When you combine open skies with enemies who can fly, it's a recipe for a miserable time if you're a grounded tank with short range. So, on maps with lots of vertical space, whether it's Arakko or older ones like Yggsgard, the flyer problem gets amplified. Tanks who can make their own cover, like Groot with his walls or Magneto with his Metallic Curtain, or those who can use the limited existing cover really well, become that much more important.
Tank Tier List: Season 2.5 Power Rankings
Drumroll, please! After sifting through the patch notes, the data, and the screams of joy (and agony) from the community, here's how your favorite Vanguards are stacking up RIGHT NOW. Remember, pal, this is about who's generally strongest in the current climate, but your skill can always flip the script!
| Tier | Hero Name | Quick Rationale (Post-Patch/Meta) |
|---|---|---|
| S | Peni Parker | Excellent anti-flyer capabilities, very strong new team-up with Rocket, excels in poke/area denial. |
| S | Doctor Strange | Significant buffs to damage consistency, massive shield is invaluable against flyers and poke. |
| A | Magneto | Buffed ring speed enhances poke/CC, superb shielding utility in the current meta. |
| A | Emma Frost | Rebalanced but still a powerful brawler with good CC and some anti-air utility. |
| A | Thor | Divisive rework; reduced survivability but potential for high burst. Strong Hela team-up helps. |
| B | Groot | Nerfs to damage and wall uptime reduce dominance, but area control and ult remain impactful. |
| B | Hulk | No direct changes; Incredible Leap offers niche anti-air. Vulnerable if kited or focused by flyers. |
| B | Venom | Unchanged kit is still potent for dive; new HP-boosting team-up. Dive is harder in current meta. |
| C | Captain America | Survivability and ultimate nerfs hit hard; struggles significantly against flyers and poke. |
| C | The Thing | Pure brawler with limited range/mobility; faces extreme difficulty in the flyer/poke meta. |
Vanguard Deep Dives: Know Your Titans
Now, let's get into the nitty-gritty for each of these frontline behemoths.
Magneto (The Master of Magnetism!)
Patch Impact & Current Standing: Erik got a nice little tune-up in the May 30th patch, pal! They increased the charging speed of his rings for his Mag-Cannon (that's his alt-fire) from 4 seconds per stack down to 3 seconds per stack. This means you're dishing out that area-of-effect damage and knockback more often, which is a sweet deal for controlling space and poking enemies. In a meta where keeping enemies at bay with poke damage and having strong shields are super important (you can thank all those flyers for that!), Magneto is feeling pretty good. He's a solid A-Tier pick right now, and honestly, in the right hands and with the right team composition, he could even be knocking on S-Tier's door.
Magneto's Core Abilities
Iron Volley
Mag-Cannon
Metallic Curtain
Meteor M
Primary Fire: 40 damage projectiles + 40 explosion damage at center • Alt Fire: AoE knockback using Iron Rings • Shift: Energy-based projectile blocking shield • Ultimate: Absorbs projectiles to create devastating meteor
- Feather that Metallic Curtain! Don't just hold it down until it breaks or you're out of energy. Flick it up to block key abilities or big bursts of damage, then let it recharge. Smart energy management is the key to being a great Magneto.
- Your Bulwarks are ring factories! Shield an ally who's taking poke damage, or pop your own if you're under pressure. Then use those free rings from the absorbed damage to fire back with your Mag-Cannon!
- Meteor M is an ult-eater! You can use it to absorb things like Iron Man's big chest laser or Punisher's turret fire. Time it right, and you can turn their biggest plays into your biggest weapon, then drop it on their heads!
Doctor Strange (The Sorcerer Supreme!)
Patch Impact & Current Standing: Stephen got some serious love in this patch cycle! The damage falloff on his Daggers of Denak has been reduced, meaning they'll hit harder at medium to longer ranges. Specifically, the falloff now starts at 10 meters and only reduces to 80% of max damage at 20 meters, whereas before it dropped to 62.5%. Even better, the range damage falloff on his Maelstrom of Madness (that AoE burst) has been completely removed, making it more reliable for clearing out enemies or dealing damage in a scrum. These changes are putting him back in the big leagues, easily S-Tier for many players and analysts.
Separates enemies' souls from their bodies in a 10m radius, stunning them for 3s and dealing 60 damage. A fight-winner when timed correctly!
- Portal plays win games! Use Pentagram of Farallah to move your entire team to an unexpected angle for an attack, get your sniper a safe but deadly sightline, or even to quickly retreat and regroup. Be creative!
- Shield dance with that Shield of the Seraphim. Don't just hold it up until it breaks. Pulse it – bring it up to block a key burst of damage or an important ability, then drop it to let it regen and save its health. Conserving that shield is vital.
- Manage your Dark Magic! Maelstrom of Madness is your main way to dump it and avoid the anti-heal curse. Use it when you've got a good chunk of magic built up and enemies are nearby.
Peni Parker (The SP//dr Sensation!)
Patch Impact & Current Standing: Peni didn't get any direct buffs or nerfs to her numbers in the May 30th patch, but she did get some really important bug fixes. They sorted out an issue where having multiple Peni Parkers stack their Cyber-Webs could lead to crazy amounts of overflow healing turning into Bonus Health way beyond what was intended. Even without direct buffs, Peni is absolutely CRUSHING IT right now. Many players and analysts are putting her firmly in S-Tier. A huge reason for this is her new team-up with Rocket Raccoon, called "Rocket Network" or "Tech Pals." This awesome synergy gives Peni a second Bionic Spider-Nest that works alongside her original one, effectively doubling her area denial and drone output when Rocket is the anchor.
Peni Parker's Arsenal
- Layer your webs! Create a sticky minefield that enemies will dread walking into. Place Arachno-Mines within your web patches to make them harder to see and destroy.
- Use Cyber-Bond not just to get around, but to aggressively pull yourself onto unsuspecting enemies or to quickly retreat to the safety of your nest.
- Web-snaring practice! Master the art of yanking flyers out of the air – it's a game-changing skill in Season 2.5.
Thor (The God of Thunder!)
Patch Impact & Current Standing: Thor got a BIG rework on May 30th, a complete overhaul of how he plays! The headline change is his Hammer Throw (right-click). It's now a standard ability with a 6-second cooldown, and instead of costing Thorforce, it actually generates 1 Thorforce when you hit an enemy with it. The trade-off is that the damage on the Hammer Throw itself is lower now – 45 damage when it flies out, and 20 when it returns (it used to be 70/30). His survivability also took a direct hit. The Bonus Health he gets from consuming Thorforce is down from 100 to 75 per charge, and the maximum Bonus Health he can have is now 150, down from 200. This has really shifted his playstyle. Many players feel he's now an "Awakening Rune bot," meaning his gameplay revolves heavily around building Thorforce just to spam his Awakening Rune ability.
Emma Frost (The White Queen!)
Patch Impact & Current Standing: Emma saw a mixed bag of changes on May 30th. On the plus side, her Telepathic Pulse range was increased from 15.5 meters to a nice 18 meters, letting her build her psychic energy from a bit safer distance. However, her survivability in Diamond Form took a hit: the shield value of Mind's Aegis dropped from 500 down to 400. Additionally, in Diamond Form, her Carbon Crush ability now has a longer cooldown, up from 5 seconds to 6 seconds, and her Crystal Kick deals less damage – 40 on a direct hit (down from 50) and 90 if you kick an enemy into a wall (down from 100). She was a meta-defining tank before this patch, and she's still very powerful. These nerfs seem aimed at toning down her overall dominance without completely removing her from viability.
Emma Frost Changes
Groot (The Flora Colossus!)
Patch Impact & Current Standing: Our favorite talking tree took a bit of a pruning in the May 30th patch. His Vine Strike damage per hit is down from 70 to 65, which means a little less poke. More significantly, the cooldown on his Ironwood Wall (his main defensive wall) has been increased from 8 seconds up to 12 seconds. He was definitely S-Tier for many players before these changes, a real powerhouse. These nerfs will likely drop him down a notch to A-Tier or a high B-Tier. He's still very impactful with his Strangling Prison ultimate and his general area denial, but he'll be less oppressive than he was.
Groot's Wall Management Strategy
Your main defensive tool. 600 HP wall that grants you Bonus Health when Awakened. Use to split enemy teams, protect flanks, or cut off escape routes. The longer cooldown means you must be more strategic about placement.
Offensive 250 HP walls that deal 60 damage every 0.5s when Awakened. Perfect for combo plays with Strangling Prison or controlling objectives. Use both charges strategically for maximum area denial.
3.5-second imprisonment that pulls enemies in. Follow up immediately with Thornlash Walls around trapped enemies for devastating damage combos. This is your team fight winner.
Hulk (The Green Machine!)
Patch Impact & Current Standing: The big green guy, Hulk, didn't get any direct buffs or nerfs in the May 30th patch specifically affecting his abilities or stats. He's just been doing his smashing thing. However, in this new "flyer meta," Hulk's Incredible Leap ability, which can be used to jump up and knock airborne enemies down to the ground, gains some extra situational value. It's a unique tool that not many other tanks have. That said, he's still a massive target, very easy to hit, and can be kited by mobile enemies or focused down by sustained ranged fire. He's likely a solid B-Tier pick – he can be a real menace if he gets in close or catches a flyer off guard, but he has clear weaknesses.
Hulk's Transformation Phases
Captain America (The First Avenger!)
Patch Impact & Current Standing: Cap took a real beating from the nerf bat in the May 30th patch, folks. His base HP was reduced from 600 down to 575. The delay before his shield (Living Legend, his right-click block) starts to recover after he stops using it was increased from 2 seconds to 4 seconds. And the energy cost for his ultimate, Freedom Charge, went up from 2800 to 3100, meaning you'll get it less often. These nerfs are a significant hit to his survivability and his overall tempo. He was already a tank that required a high degree of skill to play effectively, and now it's even tougher. He's likely sitting in C-Tier in the current meta. He struggles against flyers because he has no real way to deal with them, and his dive playstyle is much less sustainable with these nerfs.
Venom (The Lethal Protector!)
Patch Impact & Current Standing: Venom slithered through the May 30th patch without any direct changes to his personal kit or abilities. However, his Team-Up landscape saw a significant shift. The popular "Symbiote Bond" team-up, which he shared with Spider-Man and Peni Parker, is GONE. This was a powerful enabler for dive compositions. On the bright side, Venom got a brand new team-up called "Symbiote Shenanigans" with Jeff the Land Shark. When this team-up is active, Venom, as the anchor, gets a very nice +150 Max HP boost, and Jeff gains the ability to shoot out healing tendrils to allies. Venom is still a very potent dive tank, primarily due to his incredible survivability from his Symbiotic Resilience ability.
Grants 100 Bonus Health plus an additional 120% of Venom's lost Health as Bonus Health. The lower your health when activated, the more bonus health you gain!
The Thing (It's Clobberin' Time!)
Patch Impact & Current Standing: Ben Grimm, The Thing, didn't see any direct ability or stat changes in the May 30th patch notes that were provided. As a pure, close-range brawler with limited ranged options and mobility, The Thing is likely having a very tough time in the current flyer and poke-heavy meta. He's probably sitting in C-Tier, needing a very specific team composition and map to even be considered viable. His base HP isn't explicitly stated in the recent patch details, but he's traditionally one of the higher HP Vanguards.
Tanking 101: General Wisdom for the Frontline in Season 2.5
Beyond individual heroes, let's talk big picture strategy for absolutely DOMINATING as a tank in this wild Season 2.5.
You can't always shoot those flyers down yourself, pal. Your job as a tank is often to enable your DPS to do their job. If you're playing Magneto or Doctor Strange, your shield is a godsend for your hitscan heroes – give them that safe window to take aim and bring down the aerial threats. If you're Peni Parker, actively use your webs to try and ground those flyers.
- Positioning is more critical than ever - use cover!
- Don't become a free ultimate charge battery
- Some tanks CAN fight flyers directly: Peni's webs, Hulk's leap, Emma's abilities, Magneto's projectiles
- Enable your DPS teammates to handle aerial threats
Essential Team Synergies
The Evolving Definition of "Tanking"
Traditional tanking in many games often implies just soaking up as much damage as possible on the absolute frontline. But in Marvel Rivals Season 2.5, especially with the flyer and poke meta, that's becoming a difficult and sometimes ineffective way to play. If damage is coming from multiple angles, including way above you, or from ranges you can't contest, just face-tanking isn't the answer.
We're seeing tanks who provide broader utility rising in value – heroes like Doctor Strange and Magneto with their massive team-shielding capabilities, Peni Parker with her area denial and anti-flyer webs, or Emma Frost with her crowd control. "Tanking" in Season 2.5 is becoming less about being an immovable object and more about being a versatile enabler and a smart mitigator of damage. It's about making smart, aggressive plays when the opportunity arises, protecting key teammates from specific threats, and controlling space in ways that counter what the enemy team is trying to do. Adaptability and understanding how to support your team against the current threats are absolutely key.
"Tanking in Season 2.5 is becoming less about being an immovable object and more about being a versatile enabler and a smart mitigator of damage."
Final Pep Talk: Go Get 'Em!
Alright, that's the full briefing, champ! You've got the intel on every Vanguard, the strats for the current meta, and hopefully, the mindset to make it all happen. The battlefield's changed a lot with Season 2.5, but so have you – you're now armed with a whole lot more knowledge!
Remember, these tier lists and guides are here to help you understand the landscape, not to be an unbreakable bible. Your personal skill, how well you communicate and synergize with your team, and the specific situation in any given match can make any tank shine. So get in there, apply what you've learned today, and show 'em what a real frontline leader looks like!
Let me know how your games go! I'm always here to help you analyze, adapt, and climb those ranks. Now, go make some noise on that payload, in those control points, and show everyone the power of a well-played Vanguard!