Gambit arrived in Marvel Rivals Season 5: "Love is a Battlefield" as a surprise addition to the Strategist roster. Most players expected the kinetic card-throwing X-Men member to join as a Duelist, similar to Daredevil's introduction in Season 4.5. His unexpected Strategist role opens up far more possibilities, though, creating a character who prioritizes helping allies over scoring kills. Known for his charming personality and explosive energy, Gambit brings a unique hybrid playstyle that combines healing, crowd control, and serious damage potential.
This guide covers everything you need to know about mastering Gambit, from his complex card mechanics to advanced combo techniques.
Gambit Overview
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Health | 275 |
| Role | Strategist |
| Difficulty | 4-Stars |
Gambit arguably has the most abilities of any Strategist in Marvel Rivals. His kit revolves around Chronovium-enhanced playing cards that can heal allies, cleanse negative effects, provide buffs, deal damage, knock enemies back, and apply anti-heal debuffs. What makes him particularly complex is his deck-switching mechanic, which lets him alternate between healing-focused and crowd control-focused ability sets.
Strategists typically have lower health pools with purely supportive abilities, but Gambit changes the usual formula. He functions as a semi-DPS hybrid, capable of guarding the backline and protecting other Strategists from flankers while also having strong kill potential when opportunities arise.
Sleight of Hand Resource System
Before diving into individual abilities, you need to understand Gambit's unique resource system. He has two separate resources:
- Regular Ammo: 21 cards for his primary fire, which reloads normally
- Sleight of Hand Cards: Four playing cards displayed below the crosshair that fuel his deck abilities
The Sleight of Hand resource is crucial. These four cards get consumed when you activate deck abilities, and they only regenerate over time. There's no way to speed up their recovery. Overcommitting abilities leaves you without options when your team needs support.
Core Abilities
Kinetic Cards (Primary Fire - LMB/RT/R2)
Gambit launches three kinetic-charged cards in an arc ahead, functioning like a shotgun spread. Each card detonates on impact, creating a single-target explosion that damages enemies and heals allies simultaneously. This dual-purpose primary fire works like Luna Snow's abilities, affecting targets differently depending on whether they're friend or foe.
How It Works:
- Ammo capacity: 21 cards before reload
- The closer you are to your target, the more effective the ability becomes since all three cards will land
- You can consistently land all three cards at roughly 25 meters
- These cards provide strong burst healing when all three connect on allies
- Gambit currently has the highest base healing output of any Strategist
Bayou Bash (Alternate Attack - RMB/LT/L2)
Gambit channels kinetic energy into his bo staff, then slams it into the ground after a sweeping strike. This creates a shockwave that damages nearby enemies and heals allies in the area. You get two charges of this ability.
How It Works:
- Deals damage to enemies in the area
- Heals allies in the area
- Heals Gambit himself (this is the only ability that provides reliable self-healing outside of deck mechanics)
- Has a special interaction when combined with Cajun Charge
When to Use It: On its own, Bayou Bash works best when you're dueling and need to self-heal to stay in the fight.
Cajun Charge (Movement Ability - Shift/Circle/B)
Gambit side-steps forward with his bo staff in hand, dashing a short distance of roughly 10 meters. You get two charges, with each taking about 10 seconds to refresh.
How It Works:
- Great for repositioning
- Omnidirectional, letting you reach high ground
- Useful for escaping sticky situations
- Chains into Big Easy Impact when combined with Bayou Bash
Big Easy Impact (Ability Follow-Up - RMB/LT/L2 during Cajun Charge)
When you use Bayou Bash while dashing with Cajun Charge, Gambit performs Big Easy Impact. He sprints forward while striking with the bo staff, spinning and triggering three kinetic explosions along the path.
How It Works:
- Extends dash range to almost 20 full meters
- Deals damage in three separate hits along the path
- Heals all allies you pass through
- Self-heals for roughly 79 HP (slightly more than standard Bayou Bash)
- Consumes one charge of Bayou Bash
Card Deck System
Gambit can switch between two card decks: Healing Hearts and Breaking Spades. Each deck has a timer for how long it stays active once selected. When you choose a deck, you can use two different abilities from it, referred to as "Raise" and "Flush" options.
Important Details:
- Activating any deck immediately consumes one Sleight of Hand card
- Performing a Flush or Raise ability consumes an additional card
- Each full deck combo costs two cards total (half your entire resource)
- You can activate a deck without throwing an ability to gain the passive buff
- If you only have one card, you can still activate a deck for the passive buff, then wait for cards to regenerate before throwing
Healing Hearts Deck (E on PC)
The Healing Hearts deck is Gambit's primary healing kit. When activated, it provides a self-heal effect that continues as long as you hold the card without committing an ability.
Passive Effect: Self-Healing
When you open the Hearts deck before committing an ability, you continuously self-heal as long as you hold the card. This stops as soon as you throw an ability.
Bridge Boost (Flush - E then E)
Gambit fires a full deck of cards forward that bounce between allies on impact. Each ally hit receives healing and a Healing Boost modifier that amplifies any healing they receive afterwards.
How It Works:
- Cards bounce between multiple allies, healing each one
- Applies a stacking healing buff to everyone hit
- Makes your primary fire cards do even more burst healing
- Excellent for team fights and burst healing situations
- If thrown at only one person, it won't bounce and only hits them once
Why This Matters: This ability makes Gambit viable in dual Strategist compositions. The healing boost stacks and applies to everybody simultaneously, making your team much harder to kill.
Purifying Pick-Up (Raise - E then F)
Gambit launches a cluster of cards in an arc ahead. The explosions heal nearby allies and Purify them, removing negative effects.
How It Works:
- Area-of-effect cleanse
- Heals and cleanses at the same time
- Removes crowd control effects like Doctor Strange's Eye of Agamotto ultimate
- Removes debuffs like Winter Soldier's ultimate modifier, damage-over-time effects, and sleep effects
- Cannot remove marks (Spider-Man's mark, Tracer's mark, Black Panther's mark)
Breaking Spades Deck (F on PC)
The Breaking Spades deck serves as Gambit's crowd control and damage kit. When activated, it provides a damage boost (visible as up arrows around your body, similar to Mantis's buff) instead of self-healing.
Passive Effect: Damage Boost
When you open the Spades deck before committing an ability, all your attacks deal increased damage. This brings your time-to-kill on most squishy targets from five cards down to four.
Explosive Trick (Flush - F then F)
Gambit fires a full set of cards forward as a long-range, fast projectile. Cards explode on impact, dealing area-of-effect damage while inflicting Reduced Healing on all enemies hit.
How It Works:
- Long range with fast travel speed
- Splashes and hits multiple targets in an area
- Applies anti-heal debuff
- Easy to land thanks to the large area of effect
Why It's Strong: This is the standout ability in the Spades deck. The anti-heal debuff is extremely valuable for shutting down enemy healing during fights. Throw it at exposed backline healers like Hela to help your Duelists secure kills.
Bidding Barrage (Raise - F then E)
Gambit scatters cards in an arc in all directions in front of him. Explosions damage enemies and launch them upward.
How It Works:
- Area-of-effect damage in front of Gambit
- Knocks up enemies hit
- Great for dealing with mobile divers like Black Panther or Spider-Man
- Easier to guarantee hits on enemies in close range
Ragin' Royal Flush (Ultimate)
Gambit's ultimate lets him lock onto allies within sight and unleash multiple Aces that heal and Purify. You can affect up to three visible targets near Gambit when activated, making it more effective when you're close to multiple teammates. It can also be cast on allies through walls as long as they appear in your line of sight indicator.
Ultimate Effects
When unleashed, Gambit creates an aura of aces around himself and affected allies, providing:
- Immediate Healing: All affected allies receive healing over time
- Purify: Instantly cleanses all negative effects (stun, Reduced Healing, crowd control)
- Kinetic Transfer State: Affected allies gain:
- Increased Movement Speed
- Unique Jump Boost
- Enhanced attacks with additional single-target explosive damage on each hit
- Ultimate Ability Charge Acceleration
- End Explosion: When the ultimate ends, Gambit deals damage to all enemies around him (this effect isn't mentioned in the tooltip)
Activating the ultimate also destroys destructible objects around Gambit.
How to Use the Ultimate
Going Offensive: Activate before pushing objectives or engaging fights. The movement speed, jump boost, and damage amplification give your team a significant advantage. Characters who struggle with movement (Punisher, Wolverine, Winter Soldier, Groot) benefit enormously from these buffs.
Playing Defensive: Save it to counter enemy ultimates. If your allies get locked down by Doctor Strange's ultimate or another major crowd control ability, Ragin' Royal Flush immediately breaks them out and turns the fight around. It functions like an uno reverse card against enemy ultimate abilities.
Ace of Aces Team-Up
Gambit serves as an anchor for a Team-Up ability with Magneto called "Ace of Aces." This mirrors how Magneto previously performed sword strikes in his Team-Up with Scarlet Witch during Season 0.
How It Works
Gambit channels his kinetic energy to charge Magneto's greatsword. When Magneto activates this ability:
- Iron Volley gets replaced with Ace Greatsword
- The projectile attack explodes upon striking enemies
- The explosion leaves residual kinetic energy within targets
- This residual energy inflicts secondary damage after a brief delay
Passive Bonus
When paired with Magneto, Gambit gets a slight healing boost to his abilities, providing stronger team support when both mutants combine their power.
Why It's Worth Running: This Team-Up dramatically increases Magneto's damage output, giving him greater effectiveness as a primary Vanguard with extended range. It lets Magneto adopt a more aggressive playstyle reminiscent of his earlier days in the game.
Playstyle Guide
Beginner Level: Core Positioning
Stay Close to Your Team: Gambit's shotgun-style primary fire requires proximity to land all three cards. Position close enough to teammates for maximum healing output while staying able to chip damage at enemies.
Healing Comes First: Even though Gambit has high kill potential, you should prioritize healing over damage in most situations. Your team needs consistent support more than occasional kills.
Watch Your Cards: Never spam deck abilities. Always keep at least two Sleight of Hand cards available during team fights so you can burst heal when needed.
Intermediate Level: Deck Management
Default to Hearts Deck Flush: The bounce healing with healing boost should be your go-to ability in team fights. Keeping your frontline buffed with healing amplification makes them extremely difficult to take down when you focus healing on them.
Apply Anti-Heal at the Right Moment: When you spot an exposed enemy healer or a target getting pocket-healed, throw your Explosive Trick to apply Reduced Healing. This helps your Duelists secure kills more efficiently.
Hold Decks for Passive Buffs: You can activate either deck without throwing an ability. Use Hearts for self-healing while poking, and Spades for damage boost in duels.
Advanced Level: Ultimate Tracking and Positioning
Track Enemy Ultimates: Learn which enemies have their ultimates ready. When fight-winning ultimates like Groot, Doctor Strange, or Winter Soldier are available, position further back to avoid getting caught.
Reserve Cards for Cleanse: When major crowd control ultimates seem likely, keep two cards available specifically for Purifying Pick-Up. Countering an ultimate with a basic ability provides the largest value swing possible in the game, immediately putting your team at ultimate advantage.
Keep an Escape Ready: Gambit folds quickly under pressure thanks to his 275 HP pool. Always have an escape option available before engaging heavily. His card range is surprisingly far, letting him support from a safer distance when necessary.
Combos
Healing Combo: Frontline Support
This combo maximizes healing output for your frontline:
- Activate Hearts deck (E)
- Use Bridge Boost flush (E again) to apply healing buff to frontline
- Dash in with Cajun Charge
- Perform Big Easy Impact (Bayou Bash during dash) while rotating to hit allies with every spin
- Use remaining dash charge to escape if needed
Damage Combo: Assassination
This combo maximizes kill potential on squishy targets:
- Activate Spades deck (F) for damage boost
- Hit with primary fire
- Dash with Cajun Charge directly into the enemy's face
- Immediately use Big Easy Impact (Bayou Bash during dash), looking downward to stay stationary
- Follow up with Explosive Trick flush (F then F) for anti-heal
- Finish with another primary fire if needed (for targets above 250 HP)
Melee Weave Combo
Gambit can weave melee attacks between abilities for additional damage:
- Without Spades active: Melee weaving is actually slower than just attacking normally
- With Spades active: Melee weaving becomes significantly faster and more effective
Bottom Line: Only incorporate melee weaving when you have the Spades deck active for the damage boost.
Best Team Compositions
Gambit's flexibility makes him viable in almost any team, but certain characters help him focus on specific aspects of his kit.
Pair Him with Another Strategist
Running Gambit alongside one or more Strategists is almost required. This takes the burden off his shoulders, letting him either focus purely on healing or use his Spades deck more aggressively.
Top Synergy Heroes
Magneto
The Team-Up ability provides significant value. Gambit gets a healing boost on his abilities, while Magneto gains the devastating Ace Greatsword attack. This combination makes Magneto more effective as a primary Vanguard.
Storm
Both characters provide damage or speed buffs to allies, letting them contribute heavily to skirmishes.
Mantis
Both characters revolve around healing and damage boosts. You can divide responsibilities, with one focusing on healing while the other handles damage boosts, to narrow down deck usage.
Rocket Raccoon
Similar to Mantis, Rocket helps Gambit narrow his focus to specific decks at the right time.
Heroes Who Benefit from Gambit's Buffs
Anti-Heal Synergy (benefit from Gambit's Reduced Healing debuff):
- Captain America
- Magik
- Blade
These heroes excel in close engagements and can secure kills more effectively when enemies can't heal.
Ultimate Buff Synergy (benefit from Ragin' Royal Flush):
- Star-Lord
- Punisher
- Winter Soldier
- Wolverine
- Groot
Heroes with high burst damage, rapid fire-rate, or movement limitations gain enormous value from the ultimate's explosive damage boost, movement speed, and jump boost.
Full Team Suggestions
Strong compositions include combinations of:
| Composition Type | Recommended Heroes |
|---|---|
| Dive Comp | Gambit, Magik, Blade, Magneto |
| Poke Comp | Gambit, Punisher, Winter Soldier, Captain America |
| Triple Support | Gambit, Rocket Raccoon, Cloak & Dagger |
| Team-Up Focus | Gambit, Magneto, Star-Lord, Emma Frost |
Counters
The best way to deal with Gambit is disabling or eliminating him quickly before he can support his team.
Vanguard Counters
Hulk (Bruce Banner): Gamma Stun can interrupt Gambit's abilities, and Hulk's shield protects teammates from Gambit's ultimate effects.
Duelist Counters
Magik, Blade, Star-Lord: These burst damage heroes can easily chase and punish Gambit thanks to his low 275 HP health pool. He becomes an easy target when caught off guard.
Ultron: High sustained damage pressure forces Gambit to retreat or misplay.
Winter Soldier, Daredevil, Angela: Additional options for hunting down and eliminating Gambit.
Strategist Counters
Jeff the Land Shark: Jeff's ultimate directly counters Gambit's ultimate. When Gambit activates Ragin' Royal Flush, Jeff can swallow him and his buffed allies instantly, canceling the ability's value and potentially eliminating Gambit entirely.
Adam Warlock, Hela, Luna Snow: Additional Strategist options for dealing with Gambit.
Advanced Tips and Tricks
Resource Management
- Never go below two cards during active team fights
- Cards only regenerate over time, with no way to speed up recovery
- Activating a deck costs one card; throwing costs another (two total per combo)
- You can activate a deck with only one card for the passive buff, then wait for regeneration to throw
Positioning Tips
- Stay close enough to land all three primary fire cards on allies
- Position further back when tracking enemy crowd control ultimates
- Gambit's card range is deceptively long, so use this for safer positioning when needed
- Always maintain an escape route before engaging
Ability Usage
- Bridge Boost (Hearts Flush) should be your default healing ability because the bounce healing with buff is extremely valuable
- Explosive Trick (Spades Flush) should be your default damage ability since anti-heal outvalues the knockup in most situations
- Save Purifying Pick-Up specifically for countering major crowd control ultimates
- Hold Hearts deck without throwing for self-healing during poke phases
- Hold Spades deck without throwing for damage boost in duels
Combo Execution
- For Big Easy Impact, dash directly into the enemy's face for maximum damage (all three hits)
- Look downward during Big Easy Impact to stay stationary while spinning
- Only melee weave when Spades deck is active
- Chain abilities rapidly since many of Gambit's skills don't have cooldowns
Getting the Most from Your Ultimate
- Position near multiple teammates to affect up to three allies
- The ultimate works through walls if allies appear in your line-of-sight indicator
- The unlisted end explosion deals damage to nearby enemies
- Both proactive pushing and reactive cleansing are valid uses
Summary
Gambit is the most complicated Strategist in Marvel Rivals, rewarding players who master his deck management, positioning, and timing.
- Highest base healing output of any Strategist
- Strong burst healing through Hearts Flush bounce
- Powerful cleanse capability for countering ultimates
- Significant one-versus-one kill potential
- Excellent mobility for repositioning
- Versatile ultimate that can initiate or reverse fights
- Complex resource management with finite cards
- Low health pool (275 HP) making him vulnerable to burst
- Requires close positioning for maximum effectiveness
- High skill ceiling to use all deck options effectively
Gambit excels in dual Strategist and triple Strategist compositions where he can either focus on healing or damage dealing based on team needs. Take time to learn his extensive kit. Mastering the deck-switching mechanics and understanding when to use each ability will make all the difference in your ranked games.