How to get assists in Marvel Rivals

Marvel Rivals has quite a few mechanics that work a little differently from its peers in the hero shooter genre. One of those is assists, and it’s a little more difficult to get one than simply landing a few shots on an enemy before an ally claims the kill.

In Marvel Rivals, Heroes operate in one of three roles – Vanguard, Strategist and Duelist – which are less clearly defined than the traditional Tank, Healer, and DPS we usually see. That said, each character is geared towards doing something specific and you can work out its intention in its design.

To measure how well you’ve done in each match, kills might not be a particularly useful metric. As such, the game gives several other details including damage/healing done and assists at the end of a match.

Many players have found that they cannot get many assists, and the game doesn’t explain what needs to be done particularly well. Fortunately, it’s pretty simple once you know how to do it, so here’s all the info you need to start scooping up assists.

What are assists and what is the best way to get them?

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To get an assist in Marvel Rivals, you’ll need to provide direct help to an ally in the process of them killing an enemy. The most important thing to note here is that this doesn’t include simply damaging the same enemy before your ally claims the kill.

Instead, you’ll want to try and help your ally another way, either by buffing their attacks, shielding or healing them, or stunning enemies to make their kill easier. With the latter, they’ll need to remain under that status effect when the kill is claimed.

As an example, if you put an enemy to sleep as Mantis, you will only get an assist if the enemy is killed while still asleep. If the enemy wakes up and is then killed, even after taking a bunch of damage while sleeping, an assist won’t be added to your match stats.

How to check your assists in Marvel Rivals

While playing, you should get an on-screen notification every time you get an assist, just as you do with other major contributions like kills. This should help you to know whether you’re doing it right at the time.

At the end of the game, the score table will also give you a breakdown of how many assists you were able to accrue across the course of the game. Look out for the two holding hands symbol at the top of the table (it should be the third option from the left) and this will provide your final assist count for the match.

Best Marvel Rivals Heroes for assists

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As you might expect from the breakdown of how to get assists, your best bet for scooping up as many as possible is to pick a Strategist Hero. These characters have toolkits that are specifically designed for helping allies and you will likely pick up a lot of assists just by using the character in the intended way.

Best Strategist picks

• Mantis: Has access to several abilities that can secure assists, including Spore Slumber to knock an enemy out of the game, Healing Flower to heal allies, Soul Resurgence for a movement boost and Allied Inspiration for a damage boost.
• Invisible Woman: Comes with several abilities that directly heal or aid allies, including Guardian Shield, Orb Projection and Invisible Boundary.
• Luna Snow: If you’re looking to assist in different ways, Luna Snow is the best option alongside Mantis. She is able to heal allies in several ways, freeze enemies in place and Fate of Both Worlds can also be used to provide a damage boost.

Best Duelist picks

• Squirrel Girl: Duelists are the most difficult type of character to get assists with. That said, Squirrel Girl can use Squirrel Blockade to stop enemies in their tracks, allowing allies to get the kill.
• Storm: Storm is able to use Weather Control to buff allied movement or give a boost to damage, both of which are enough to start nabbing assists.

Best Vanguard picks

• Magneto: Magneto is able to shield allies with his Metal Bulwark, allowing them to take out the enemy team from relative safety.

That’s all there is to know about picking up assists in Marvel Rivals! Make sure to check out our guide to the best characters for beginner players, as well as the best counter picks so you can dominate on the battlefield.