Best Duelists Marvel Rivals Season 10.5: DPS Tier List

Quick answer: This creator's Season 9.5 ranking has Hela and Elsa Bloodstone locked in as S-tier, with Black Cat and Wolverine rounding out the top four; no Season 10.5 update has been published. None of the top four were touched in the 10.5 balance patch, but honorable mention Phoenix got a real damage buff — worth bumping up your consideration list if you were close to picking her before.

• free costs nothing
• cheap small cost
• setup needs preparation
• grind pays off slowly
• skip the thing to stop doing

Duelist tier list at a glance

This creator's channel had not published an updated Season 10.5 Duelist ranking at the time of this guide's last check — these placements are the most recent full breakdown (Season 9.5), with the Season 10.5 column added directly from the official balance patch notes.

Honorable mentions before the duelist tier list

Before the top four, three duelists almost made the cut. Black Widow is already one of the strongest hitscan heroes in the game, but she gets outclassed by the heroes below her. Magik's Hood team-up lets her chain double-demon combos with her spin attack for a serious damage spike, making her a very solid dive pick. Phoenix rounds out the mentions — her off-angle holding was already great, and the Season 10.5 patch gave her more Cosmic Flames damage, more Sparks detonation damage, and traded her Sparks self-heal for stacking Bonus Health instead.

1. Try Magik if you want a dive-oriented pick freeHer Hood team-up spawns Limbo Demons more frequently and hits harder, so double-demon plus spin-attack combos output noticeably more damage. 0:48
2. Consider Phoenix for off-angle poke freeHer base and explosion damage were already strong before the Season 10.5 buff — now the trade of self-heal for Bonus Health makes her play more like a burst duelist and less like a sustain one. 1:34

Hela is still the top pick in the duelist tier list

Hela keeps her spot at the top, untouched by the Season 10.5 patch. Her Namor team-up (Deep Wrath) remains the stronger of her two team-ups for pure damage output; the Venom team-up survives as a solid survivability alternative.

1. Default to the Namor team-up freeNamor's Deep Wrath still edges out the Venom team-up for damage output nine times out of ten. 2:42
2. Hold an off-angle and pick off supports or DPS freeHela doesn't need to brawl — stay on the edge of fights, land poke damage, and use her escape tool to reset if you get caught. 3:05

Elsa Bloodstone: the most versatile pick

Elsa Bloodstone holds her S-tier spot, also untouched in 10.5. Her Deadpool team-up is the bigger draw — it reduces all of her cooldowns and adds extra damage to her lock-on bullet, which rewards patient, poke-and-reposition play.

1. Lean on her mobility to hold off-angles freeElsa is one of the highest-mobility duelists in the game, especially once the Deadpool team-up trims her cooldowns. 4:15
2. Save her ultimate to counter enemy support ultimates setupHer ultimate can knock enemies out of AoE support ultimates like Luna Snow's or Invisible Woman's, and can also displace or knock enemies off the map entirely. 4:37

Elsa fits close-range, long-range poke, dive, anti-dive, and hitscan comps alike — her flexibility is part of why she stays S-tier.

Black Cat remains the best duelist to climb with in lower ranks

Black Cat hasn't received a change since Season 9.5 (none in 10.5 either), and she's arguably one of the most oppressive duelists in the game right now. Her kit answers almost every threat, and her Fortune-based Claw Strike deals percentage damage — meaning she can shred tanks in a straight 1v1.

1. Farm Fortune with Steal before committing to a dive grindHer Steal ability builds Fortune (up to 1000 max) that fuels the percentage-damage Claw Strike from her ultimate, so build it up before diving the backline. 5:43
2. Don't try to solo-answer her without team coordination skipOnly tightly coordinated teams can consistently shut Black Cat down — in lower and mid ELOs, she can run games almost by herself. 6:54

This is a subjective read on how oppressive Black Cat feels in ranked, not an official balance rating — treat "best duelist to climb" as this creator's opinion based on current lobbies.

Wolverine: the tank-buster pick

Wolverine rounds out the list. His tank-busting kit and kidnap tool make him one of the best picks for shutting down enemy front lines, especially in metas with more double-tank comps.

1. Bait cooldowns before committing to a kidnap freeMany off-tanks lack strong escape tools; wait for their defensive cooldown before diving in to grab and isolate them. 8:02
2. Prefer the Gambit team-up over Cyclops freeThe Gambit team-up adds bonus damage and a movement speed buff that flows better with an aggressive, dive-style Wolverine playstyle than the Cyclops blade team-up. 8:25

Magneto is one of the few tanks with enough tools to resist an easy Wolverine kidnap — most others in the current tank pool can still be grabbed and isolated.

FAQ

Who are the best duelists to pick in Marvel Rivals right now? This creator's most recent full ranking (Season 9.5, no 10.5 update yet) has Hela and Elsa Bloodstone as S-tier locks, with Black Cat and Wolverine rounding out the top four. None of the four were touched in the Season 10.5 balance patch.

Is Hela still one of the best DPS picks after the patch? Yes — she received no direct change in Season 10.5, and her off-angle poke playstyle with the Namor team-up is unaffected.

Why is Black Cat considered the best duelist to climb with in ranked? Her Fortune-based Claw Strike deals percentage damage, letting her shred tanks 1v1, and only tightly coordinated teams can shut her down consistently — she received no change in 9.5 or 10.5.

What team-up should I use on Wolverine? Gambit, for most playstyles — it adds bonus damage and a movement speed buff that suits an aggressive, dive-style Wolverine better than the Cyclops team-up.

Is this duelist tier list an official balance ranking? No — it's one creator's Season 9.5 opinion-based ranking, cross-checked here against the official Season 10.5 balance patch notes for anything that's since changed.

Sources

Hero rankings and quotes are from this creator's Season 9.5 Duelist tier list video — the most recent full breakdown at time of writing; no Season 10.5 update was found. Hero kit details (Elsa Bloodstone's traps, Black Cat's Fortune mechanic) are wiki-verified. Season 10.5 balance changes (Phoenix, Cyclops, Hawkeye, Gorr, Scarlet Witch) are verified directly against the official Season 10.5 patch notes.

Read next

• Marvel Rivals Tier List — full-roster tier list, Season 10.5
• Marvel Rivals Cyclops Guide — abilities, combo and the Season 10.5 buffs
• Best Strategist Heroes in Marvel Rivals — healer tier list
• Best Vanguard Heroes in Marvel Rivals — tank tier list