Summary
- A Marvel Rivals strategy allows Black Widow to one-shot most Duelists via damage buff windows and headshots.
- When buffed with a 12% damage boost from Storm or Mantis, Black Widow's headshots can beat other Duelists in a single strike.
- The one-shot strategy requires precise coordination from Black Widow and her damage-boosting partner.
Although Black Widow is currently the least-picked character in Marvel Rivals, a strategy allows her to benefit from her teammates' damage buffs to one-shot most enemies with deadly precision. However, this Marvel Rivals strategy requires coordination from both Black Widow and a strategist like Mantis or Rocket Raccoon to pull off.
Known by the aliases Natasha Romanova and Natasha Romanoff, Black Widow is a former KGB spy who defected from the Soviet Union and became an Avenger and S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent. Despite having no superpowers of her own, Black Widow was trained in the KGB's Red Room facility, where her strength and marksmanship were heightened. In Marvel Rivals, Black Widow is a Duelist with both melee and ranged options for taking out foes. Despite having a variety of cosmetics, including the new "Mrs. Barnes" skin, Black Widow is currently the least successful Marvel Rivals character, with a 42.31% win rate and a 2.76% pick rate.
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While Black Widow can be easily countered by stronger Duelists like Spider-Man, a strategy can quickly transform her into one of the deadliest heroes in Marvel Rivals. According to Dexerto, Black Widow's headshots can be augmented by Ultimate abilities from other Heroes, which are a flat damage increase that is not subject to diminishing returns. This strategy would allow Black Widow's headshots to deal more damage than the basic 240 amount, which is 10 damage points shy of one-shotting other Duelists. For example, Storm's Goddess Boost in Thunder mode grants 12% increased damage to all allies within its radius for eight seconds. This would increase Black Widow's headshots beyond the 250 threshold needed to take out Duelists without using an Ultimate.
Marvel Rivals Strategy Makes Black Widow's Headshots Deadlier
For stronger shots, the 40% damage buff from Rocket Raccoon's C.Y.A. Would increase the headshot damage to 336, which would give Romanova more than enough firepower to quickly eliminate enemy strategists. This can be paired with Storm's aforementioned boost for a 52% overall buff.
However, the most efficient coordination for buffing Black Widow's damage in Marvel Rivals comes from Mantis' Allied Inspiration. Considering that the duration is refreshed upon using the ability, this would allow Black Widow to have more uptime on the 12% damage buff so long as Mantis has enough Life Orbs to spare. Although Mantis regenerates one Life Orb every three seconds, coordination between her and Black Widow is crucial.
With Marvel Rivals releasing patches and character tuning adjustments regularly, the metagame is in a constant state of flux. Whether Black Widow will get some much-needed attention in upcoming patches remains to be seen.
Marvel Rivals
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 78 /100 Critics Rec: 84%
- Released
- December 6, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Violence
- Developer(s)
- NetEase Games
- Publisher(s)
- NetEase Games
WHERE TO PLAY
Marvel Rivals is a Super Hero Team-Based PVP Shooter!
Assemble an all-star Marvel squad, devise countless strategies by combining powers to form unique Team-Up skills and fight in destructible, ever-changing battlefields across the continually evolving Marvel universe!
A Deep and Varied Marvel Roster
Choose from a vast array of fan-favorite and cult-classic Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains from across the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, and many more from across the Marvel Multiverse.
Fast and Fun 6v6 Action with Ever-Changing Game Dynamics
With intricate environments, fast-paced gameplay, and ever-changing battlefields, there's never a dull moment in Marvel Rivals! Battle as Super Heroes and Super Villains with incredible abilities and combine your powers to bring unexpected fun to the battlefield in a matter of seconds.
Dynamic Hero Synergy
Coordinate unique combinations between characters to ignite surprising Team-Up Skills! Unleash the synergy of combined superpowers and invent new tactics that can turn the tide of combat. Ride on Groot's back as Rocket Raccoon to take on your enemies as a dangerous duo, unleash Gamma energy as Hulk to charge Iron Man's armor for massive damage, and so much more!
Creative Environment Destruction
Tear your way through iconic Marvel worlds across destructible environments! From Asgard to the Tokyo of 2099, use superpowers to alter these environments, reshape the terrain, and craft a strategic advantage on the battlefield! Take cover to dodge attacks or use makeshift weapons to strike down enemies. Players will find countless ways to utilize the environment to claim victory!
Continually Evolving Universe and Robust Post-Launch Updates
The Marvel Multiverse brings infinite possibilities! Each seasonal drop will introduce new Super Heroes to the battlefield along with challenging and diverse maps! Unlock new content to implement across various gameplay strategies while experiencing thrilling action and endless possibilities in these adventurous team battles!
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- Limited - console crossplay, no PC crossplay
- Cross Save
- No
- Franchise
- Marvel
- Number of Players
- 1-6
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- PC Release Date
- December 6, 2024
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- December 6, 2024
- PS5 Release Date
- December 6, 2024
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Action, Multiplayer
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- How Long To Beat
- 7.5 hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 20 GB
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
