most durable heroes — Doctor Strange and Groot — have received hefty buffs that are already shaking up ranked play.
Doctor Strange’s shield duration, cooldown reduction, and healing utility have all been improved, giving him the power to anchor teams for longer. Meanwhile, Groot’s already-annoying sustain is now borderline legendary thanks to shorter ultimate cooldowns and stronger healing pulses.
The result? The tank meta is in full swing. Matches are lasting longer, pushes are harder to break, and squishy DPS players are finding it harder to finish fights without coordinated burst damage.
🌳 Doctor Strange & Groot Buffs — Patch Highlights
Doctor Strange
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Shield Duration Increased: +1.5 seconds, making clutch saves even more reliable.
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Cooldown Reduction: Key abilities cycle faster, letting Strange keep his team safe more often.
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Passive Healing Boost: Ally sustain in teamfights is noticeably stronger.
Groot
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Ultimate Cooldown Reduced: More frequent “I Am Groot!” team saves.
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Healing Pulse Buff: Increased base heal amount per pulse.
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Tankiness Upgraded: Minor armor adjustments make Groot even harder to burst.
These changes have made both heroes must-pick in high-level play, and their synergy in “double tank” comps is being exploited heavily in ranked queues.
⚡ Thor — Still the Odd God Out
While tanks got love this patch, Thor remains in a tricky spot. Season 3.5 gave him minor quality-of-life updates — slightly faster hammer throw travel time and a reduced animation lock on his leap — but his damage and survivability remain underwhelming in the current meta.
As one Redditor put it:
“Thor feels like he’s stuck in Season 2 while everyone else is in 3.5. Fun, but just not competitive.” — u/OdinSonMain
Players report that while Thor can still pop off with perfect ultimates, he’s far too easy to punish compared to other bruisers and lacks the sustain or shield presence to survive long fights.
🗣 Community Reactions — Joy & Frustration
The r/marvelrivals megathread is split between excitement for the tank buffs and disappointment over Thor’s status.
The Good:
“Finally, tanks feel tanky again. Strange + Groot comps are actually fun to play — and to fight against when you have the right tools.” — u/ShieldMeta
The Bad:
“Thor mains are just farming L’s this patch. He needs either a big damage bump or sustain to keep up with these giga tanks.” — u/LightningLess
The Funny:
“Thor’s only buff this patch was the sound effect when you miss your hammer throw. It’s… satisfying?” — u/MetaMeme
🛡 Ranked Strategy Guide — Playing in the Tank Meta
If you’re jumping into ranked this patch, here’s how to adapt:
Playing With Tanks (Strange/Groot):
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Build comps that can capitalize on their sustain — think sustained DPS like Hawkeye or Scarlet Witch.
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Don’t overcommit; use their abilities to force the enemy’s burst cooldowns before diving in.
Playing Against Tanks:
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Bring anti-sustain heroes (Blade is still your go-to).
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Use burst damage to delete Strange or Groot before their kits reset.
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Focus objective play — out-rotating tanks is often easier than out-damaging them.
If You’re a Thor Main:
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Treat him like an opportunist flanker — pick your fights carefully.
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Pair with strong CC teammates to set up your ultimate.
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Consider swapping if the enemy runs double tank + sustain.
📢 Join the Discussion
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Poll: Is the tank meta healthy for Marvel Rivals?
✅ Yes — finally a break from dive comps
❌ No — fights take too long
⚠️ Needs slight nerfs -
Share Your Thoughts: How would you buff Thor for Season 4? Drop your ideas in the comments!
🌐 Community Links & Resources
Final Take:
Season 3.5 is a victory lap for tank players — and a patience test for Thor mains. While Doctor Strange and Groot are thriving, Thor’s modest tweaks leave him struggling to find his place. Whether Season 4 will bring the God of Thunder back to glory is anyone’s guess, but for now… tanks rule the battlefield.
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