After much anticipation, Blade is finally inMarvel Rivals, with a host of abilities built to take down enemies using the Daywalker’s innate powers. As a half-man, half-vampire, Blade comes equipped with lethal tools to disable foes for easy takedowns. With never-before-seen mechanics naturally in his kit, Blade is a dangerous force just waiting to be unleashed by the right player.
Blade is one of manyDuelist characters inMarvel Rivals, fulfilling a damage-dealer role unlike the defensive Vanguards or supportive Strategists. However,Blade has far more health than your average Duelist, giving him more endurance than you may expect. This is balanced by the multiple nuances to his abilities, dealing less damage, but having greater potential that needs to be built over time.
All Blade Abilities
Carve Through Enemies After Awakening Your Blood
Blade is similar to The Punisher in howhe can switch between two primary weaponsas his main source of attacking alongside other abilities. Blade wields both a sword and a shotgun, using both close-range melee damage and mid-range hit scan attacks to add versatility to his gameplay.
I’ve found that many of the abilities available to Blade also cause debuffs to enemy characters, including the newReduced Healingmechanic.Blade is the only character who can reduce an enemy’s capability to heal, slow down their movement, or deal great amounts of damage.
With thenew balance changes in Season 3.5,this makes Blade a deadly counter to powerful Strategists, but only when he uses all his abilities in tandem with each other. The table below goes over every ability Blade has, including how to perform them and how long it takes to recover:
Primary Attack (LMB, RT, R2)
N/A
Slash forward with the Ancestral Sword, dealing damage to melee-range targets.
8 Shots (Reload)
Fire at enemies using a Shotgun with shells that can land hits at midrange and deal critical damage on headshots.
Basic Ability (LSHIFT, L1, LB)
2 Uses (Recharge)
Dash forward. If wielding the shotgun, shoot at enemies upon impact, applying a Healing Reduction effect. If wielding the sword, deliver a cleaving strike that inflicts Slow.
Basic Ability (E, R1, RB)
10 Blood Charges
Awaken the Dhampir bloodline, enhancing slash speed during continuous attacks and triggering Whirlwind Slash. While under this state, Blade suffers Reduced Healing, but all attacks gain Lifesteal.
Alternate Attack (RMB, LT, L2)
1 second (Recharge)
Parry with Ancestral Sword to become Unstoppable for a brief period, reducing damage taken from the front and reducing the cooldown of Daywalker Dash.
Many of Blade’s abilities don’t use a traditional cooldown, but rather recharges and unorthodox resourcesto expend. For example, Daywalker Dash starts off with 2 charges you’re able to use immediately when a match starts, but each charge has to take a couple of seconds to recover.
How To Use Blade’s Ultimate
Cut Down Everyone In Sight
Blade’s Ultimate,Thousand-Fold Slash, isa powerful slash you charge before unleashing into a powerful Iaido strikeas you dash forward. This attack leaves behind a huge slashing zone where the Sword of Dracula automatically strikes whatever enemies are still within that space.
This series of slashes is a devastating AoE move that alsoinflicts Reduced Healing on every enemy hit by it. This can easily be a game-changer during a team fight, as it instantly prevents Blade’s opponents from gaining the full benefits of any source of recovery inMarvel Rivals.
Evenpowerful characters like Wolverineusing his Lifesteal with Phoenix will struggle to gain any restorative foothold after being hit by Blade’s Ultimate. This gives Blade’s allies a great opportunity to focus on high-priority targets more without worrying about them being healed.
This Ultimate works great on grouped up enemies, either dealing enough damage to take them all down or putting them at a huge disadvantage with reduced healing. Since this Ultimate technically counts as a series of melee strikes,it cannot be blocked by shields, allowing Blade to slice through Magneto or Doctor Strange’s defenses to deliver his series of deadly slashes.
While other Duelist AoE Ultimates are used to score eliminations, I’ve found thatBlade’s is better to be used as an opener for the rest of your team. Using Thousand-Fold Slash during a tense team push can make enemy characters vulnerable, opening up a chance for your team to push forward and gain the advantage needed to win.
Best Team Composition For Blade
Put Together Forces Of Dark And Light
With both defensive and offensive skills, Blade might have a place on teams that take a more methodical approach. However, with few tools to deal with characters that sit far away,Blade will need some teammates who can cover his weaknesses. Some of the best characters to pair with Blade include:
Both Moon Knight and Blade receive a powerfulTeam-Up in Season 3.5from being on a team with Cloak & Dagger calledLunar Force. Blade synergizes with Lunar Force bygaining the ability to place a protective shroud bubble around himself, obscuring him from an enemy team member’s view. Any hits Blade takes reveal his position, but it does act as a quick escape in harmful situations.
The range of the Lunar Force bubble created by the Blade/Cloak & Dagger Team-Up is very limited, making it best to use it to avoid sight-based Ultimates or aggressive enemies diving into Blade alone.
Magneto can help Blade aggressively push forward using his protective bubble, while The Phoenix or Hawkeye’s burst damage is perfect for finishing off opponents afflicted with Reduced Healing. Meanwhile, Mantis can bolster Blade’s already high damage, allowing him to score more eliminations or rack up greater Lifesteal when activating Bloodline Awakening.
Best Tips, Tricks, & Strategies For Winning
Find The Target Of Your Next Hunt
More than any other Duelist,Blade seems to be the best at finding a single target and putting them in the worst circumstancesto be eliminated. Blade can slowly approach a foe using his blade’s parry, dash in to Slow or apply Reduced Healing, then unleash a flurry of attacks to take down the struggling enemy before they realize what hit them.
This doesn’t come from a burst of damage, but rather a tactical offense where Blade has to recognize which target to go after.Blade excels by identifying which opponents are away from their team and pursuing them, either with the help of allies or not.
Blade’s aggressive toolkit often exposes him to ambush, especially against characters that dive into your team. A good Blade player will balance an aggressive push with staying back with their team to protect their important allies, such as crucial Strategists in the backline.
Some of my best games with Blade have been when I use his Reduced Healing to set up my teammates for easy kills.Knowing when to swap weapons to apply the appropriate debuff with Daywalker Dash can help your team a lot, as well as give you the best chances possible to win indvidual fights.
Blade’s extra health combines well with a versatile array of skills to create a controlled playstyle that can quickly become a blinding display of aggressive strength. Knowing when to pick your battles with Blade’s abilities and Ultimate can ensure your team wins the battles that count inMarvel Rivalsas you seek to embody the true power of Dhampir blood.
