Dive vs Poke in Marvel Rivals: Two Ways to Win Fights

In Marvel Rivals, most team fights are won by one of two plans. A dive team uses fast, mobile heroes to jump onto the enemy's healers and damage dealers all at once. A poke team stays at range, chips away at the enemy's health and shields, and only commits once the other side is weakened. Knowing which plan your team is playing, and which plan the enemy is playing, tells you where to stand and when to fight.

What a dive team does

A dive is a coordinated jump onto the enemy's back line, usually their Strategists. The idea is to overwhelm one or two targets so fast that the enemy can't react.

• Timing is everything. A dive works when three or four heroes land on the same target at the same moment. One hero diving alone usually dies.
• The target is the healer or the fragile damage dealer, not the enemy tank.
• After the kill, get out or keep the momentum. A dive that kills one healer and then lingers often loses the next fight.

Heroes known for diving include Spider-Man and Black Panther, who move fast and strike hard, and Venom, a Vanguard who can jump in and absorb damage while his team follows.

What a poke team does

Poke means dealing damage from a distance without committing to a close fight.

• Long-range damage wears down the enemy's shields and health before they reach you.
• Healers keep your team topped up while the enemy takes constant chip damage.
• Shields and cover protect the poke heroes so they can keep firing.
• The commitment comes later. Once the enemy is low on health or has used their defensive abilities, the poke team pushes in.

Heroes who fit poke include Hawkeye and Hela, who deal heavy damage from range. Tanks with large shields help a poke team hold space while the damage lands.

Which plan should your team play?

Look at your team's heroes in the hero selection:

• Mostly fast, mobile heroes: play dive. Group up and go in together.
• Mostly long-range damage and strong shields: play poke. Hold an angle and make the enemy walk into your damage.
• A mix: decide as a team. A team where two players dive and three poke usually does neither well.

Voice or text a simple call before the fight: "dive the healer when the tank goes in" or "hold here and poke until they use ultimates". One clear plan beats five good players with five different ones.

How to play against a dive

• Stay close to your healers. A Strategist alone is the dive's easiest target.
• Save crowd control and burst for the moment they land. Divers have little health once their escape is used.
• Peel as a team. When a diver lands in your back line, turn around together and focus it.
• Don't chase them out. A diver that retreats often wants you to follow into their team.

How to play against a poke

• Don't stand in the open trading damage with a team built to win that trade.
• Close the distance using cover, corners and high ground, then commit fully.
• Break their shields first so their damage dealers are exposed.
• Use the moment after their ultimates. A poke team that has used its big abilities is vulnerable to a sudden push.

Ultimates change everything

In both plans, ultimates decide fights. A dive often starts with one hero's ultimate that locks targets in place. A poke team often holds its ultimates to stop the enemy's dive. Track the enemy's big ultimates: if you saw them used, it is a good moment to fight.

For the bigger picture of how a team should be built, see our Marvel Rivals team composition guide.

Common mistakes

• Diving one at a time instead of together.
• Poking from a spot with no cover, then losing the duel.
• Chasing a retreating diver into the enemy team.
• Switching plans in the middle of a fight.

Frequent questions

Is dive or poke better in Marvel Rivals?

Neither is always better. It depends on your heroes, the map and the enemy team. Dive suits fast heroes and close maps; poke suits long sightlines and strong shields.

What does "dive the back line" mean?

Jumping past the enemy's front line to attack their healers and damage dealers directly.

How do I counter a dive team as a healer?

Stay near your tank and teammates, keep your escape ability for the dive, and call for help the moment a diver lands.

Can a solo queue team play dive?

Yes, but it needs a simple call. Ping the target and go in on the same moment.

Lattice for Marvel Rivals on Mas4Games

Team plans win fights, and Lattice is for the skins and the battle pass. You can get Marvel Rivals Lattice on Mas4Games, loaded by player ID: the store asks only for your player ID, never a password, and the help center has live support.