Marvel Rivals features several versatile healers, with Mantis standing out as a character whose role goes far beyond restoring health. Her kit makes her one of the best strategists in the game, offering the ability to both heal and buff allies effortlessly with the press of a button. In this guide, we cover essential tips and strategies to maximize Mantis’ potential. We also look at the best team composition to make Mantis the ultimate team player in Marvel Rivals.
Related: Marvel Rivals: Heroes Tier List
Best Tips to Play Mantis in Marvel Rivals

Strategists in Marvel Rivals aren’t typically required to attack, but having the ability to deal some damage never hurts. Mantis, one of the best support heroes for providing damage buffs and healing, can maximize her value with the following tips to make the most of her versatile kit.
1. Prioritize Healing Vanguard Allies
Your primary focus as Mantis should be healing your Vanguard heroes using the Healing Flower ability. While it’s important not to completely ignore Duelists, maintaining your frontline heroes is critical to your team’s success.
Vanguard characters serve as your team’s tank units. If they fall, your formation will crumble, and your team’s progress toward objectives will be severely impacted. Losing these heroes often forces a retreat, leaving your team vulnerable to being picked off while attempting to capture objectives without a proper frontline.
Mantis’ heals are gradual and consistent over time, which makes them particularly suited to keeping tanky Vanguard units alive during extended pushes. Always prioritize their survival, especially when battling over objectives.
2. Buff Damage For Duelist on Your Team
Just as healing should be prioritized for the Vanguard characters, Mantis’ damage buffs from Allied Inspiration ability should focus on Duelists. These heroes excel at eliminating enemy damage dealers, and increasing their output makes a greater impact than buffing Vanguard heroes, whose role is to absorb damage rather than deal it.

To identify which Duelist to prioritize, check your scorecard for the teammate with the highest number of enemy eliminations. This will help you determine which player is most effective at dealing damage and maximize the impact of your buffs.
Midline attackers like Punisher, Winter Soldier, Scarlet Witch, Storm, Iron Man, and Hawkeye are ideal candidates for this ability. Avoid using the buff on flanking units like Magik, Psylocke, Spider-Man, or Black Panther, as their positioning often places them outside Mantis’ range. Additionally, the buff’s short duration makes it better suited for immediate use rather than on allies who take longer to engage.
3. Go on the Offense Against Isolated Enemy Only
While Mantis is primarily a support hero, she can still go on the offensive when the opportunity arises. However, this should only be done when you spot an isolated enemy away from their team, making them an easy target.
If you encounter such a situation and have Spore Slumber ability ready, rush toward the enemy and use it to sedate them for a few seconds. Follow this up with the Natural Anger ability to buff your own damage and finish them off quickly.
After eliminating the isolated target, return to your team and resume your role as a healer and damage buffer. Playing offensively should be situational and secondary to supporting your team as Mantis in Marvel Rivals.
4. Reserve Sleep Orb For Enemy Tanks Only

The Spore Slumber ability puts enemies to sleep for 3.5 seconds but comes with a 14-second cooldown, so you will need to use it wisely. It is best reserved for stopping enemy Vanguard heroes who are attempting a strong push.
For example, if an enemy like Peni Parker uses her ultimate ability to rush into your zone, use Spore Slumber to neutralize her immediately. This will give your team enough time to eliminate her before she can cause significant disruption, sending her back to the respawn room and restoring control of the combat zone.
Related: Marvel Rivals: Best Strategists and How To Play Them
How To Play Mantis in Marvel Rivals

In addition to the tips we have covered about Mantis’ kit, there is a specific strategy you should always follow to maximize her effectiveness.
Mantis should always be positioned on the backline in any team composition. This placement allows you to maintain a clear view of your entire team and ensures you stay within range to provide buffs and heals to allies as needed.
From the backline, Mantis can occasionally buff her own damage and fire at enemies from a safe distance. While her damage output is low, it is consistent and adds value to the team. This way, she becomes not only a reliable healer but also a dependable source of supplementary damage.
Mantis’ ultimate ability is incredibly versatile and should be used at the right moment for maximum impact. For instance, you can use it to counter an enemy team’s ultimate, such as Luna Snow’s. By doing so, both teams will temporarily become invincible, but it prevents your team from being at a disadvantage during the enemy’s ultimate activation.
If there is no need for counterplay, it is best to reserve Mantis’ ultimate for clutch situations. One such moment is when your team is close to capturing a zone but is running low on health. In these high-stakes scenarios, her ultimate can work wonders by healing your entire team, boosting their movement speed, and giving them the edge needed to secure the objective.
Best Team Composition for Mantis in Marvel Rivals

Characters | Roles |
---|---|
Mantis | Backline healer, damage buff provider |
Adam Warlock | Center healer and burst damage dealer |
Star-Lord | Mobile DPS |
Hela | Ranged Damage unit |
Thor | Frontline Tank damage dealer |
Doctor Strange | Frontline shield unit |
Adam Warlock is an essential teammate when playing as Mantis or Star-Lord in Marvel Rivals. Thanks to Adam’s Soul Perseverance team-up ability, Mantis and Star-Lord gain a significant advantage—they can revive themselves if they are eliminated while Adam is still alive. This effectively gives you a second chance to jump back into the fight and turn the tide of battle.

Beyond his team-up ability, Adam Warlock is a standout strategist on his own, offering powerful healing with just the press of a button. His presence amplifies the team’s resilience, making him a must-have ally for any lineup.
Pairing Star-Lord with Mantis creates a deadly combination. Star-Lord already boasts impressive damage potential, but with Mantis’ Allied Inspiration damage buff, he can shred through enemy Duelists effortlessly. His ultimate ability is on another level, capable of devastating the enemy team when used strategically. To maximize its effectiveness, timing and placement are crucial, obviously.

While Adam Warlock, Mantis, and Star-Lord form the foundation of a strong team, Hela and Thor complete the lineup with their complementary abilities. Thor benefits greatly from Hela’s Queen of Hel team-up ability, which provides bonus health when she lands the final blow on an enemy. If Thor is eliminated and in the respawn phase, her ability can even bring him back to the battlefield without waiting for the full respawn timer.

Hela herself is a devastating mid-range attacker, capable of eliminating enemy Duelists and chipping away the health of the tank units. However, mastering her kit requires precision, as her hit scan attacks can be difficult to land on agile targets. Despite this, she excels at handling slower-moving tanks, making her a formidable presence in combat.
Thor is another excellent choice for a Vanguard unit in this lineup. As an aggressive tank hero, he is capable of dismantling enemy tanks and DPS units, especially when bolstered by Mantis’ damage buffs. His high potential for disruption makes him an ideal fit for both offensive and defensive plays.

While Thor is a powerful Vanguard, he is not always the best choice for pushing objectives or holding defensive positions alone. For this, Doctor Strange is an ideal addition. His shield provides excellent survivability, allowing the team to sustain against heavy fire. Doctor Strange himself also boasts substantial health, adding to the team’s overall survivability.
Although Strange has strong damage potential, it often requires him to get dangerously close to enemies. With Mantis supporting him through healing and buffs, Doctor Strange can serve as a reliable shield unit while occasionally dealing significant damage, further enhancing the team’s versatility.

This lineup—Adam Warlock, Mantis, Star-Lord, Hela, Thor, and Doctor Strange—offers a balance of support, damage, and durability. Adam Warlock provides unparalleled resilience with his revival abilities, Mantis amplifies the team’s offensive and defensive potential, and Star-Lord delivers devastating damage. Hela and Thor bring mid-range and frontline power, while Doctor Strange rounds out the team with defensive strength and shielding capabilities.
With this team, you will have a well-rounded and adaptable lineup capable of tackling any challenge in Marvel Rivals.
Mantis Counter Characters in Marvel Rivals

In Marvel Rivals, there are several characters capable of countering Mantis despite her mobility, thanks to her passive ability. Unlike the Invisible Woman, who can escape with her invisibility, Mantis lacks strong escape options. This makes her an easy target for enemy flankers such as Psylocke, Black Panther, Spider-Man, and Venom.
In these situations, Mantis’ Spore Slumber ability can be a lifesaver. By putting an attacker to sleep, you create a window to escape or reposition. However, this tactic is situational and is not always reliable due to the ability’s cooldown.
When you manage to put an enemy to sleep, use the opportunity to tag them so your team’s mid-line Duelists and other heroes can quickly locate the immobilized target. This strategy increases the chances of your team eliminating the threat before they can recover or even eliminate Mantis.
That is everything you need to know about how to play Mantis, useful tips, and the best team composition for her. For more tips, consider visiting the How to Play Magik – Best Combos & Team Comps, How to Find and Talk to Bats the Ghost Dog, and All Season 1 Buffs and Nerfs in Marvel Rivals guides.
Published: Jan 20, 2025 12:52 am