Everyone is trying to adjust to the new meta of Marvel Rivals here in season 1, and I’m noticing a particular disparity in one area. That would be the gap between use and win rate of super-buffed character Storm between Competitive and Quickplay. Storm was previously one of the worst characters in the entire game, but underwent a series of buffs in season 1 to make her stronger. Those buffs were:
- Increased Wind Blade projectile speed from 100m/s to 150m/s and left-click damage from 50 to 55,
- Increased Bolt Rush damage from 70 to 80.
- After the Omega Hurricane ultimate, bonus health increased to 450 from 350. After ultimate, health will diminish at 100 per second instead of instantly.
That has caused her to rocket to the top of competitive with a 56% win rate, the highest of any character, and a 44% ban rate as a result. Meanwhile, in Quick Play, she’s in the bottom half of the list with a negative 47% win rate, almost 10% less than competitive.
While these tips will not produce surefire wins, what I’ve seen is that a number of players are doing really one main thing wrong with Storm: They’re trying to play her like a flier.
Yes, she is a flier, and can freely float around, which is why people are using her like she’s Iron Man. But unlike Iron Man, this puts her at a significant disadvantage compared to using her much closer to ground level. The main reasons:
- She does not have the mobility options that Iron Man has, so she benefits significantly from more traditional tank protection where she’s less exposed.
- Her lightning attack pierces enemies, so when you’re on the ground it is much easier to hit multiple targets in a line when this is usually not going to happen in the air at all.
- Finally, most importantly, the higher you fly, the smaller your circle of buffs becomes. If you’re on the ground it’s a much wider net for things like damage buffs for your squad or catching infiltrating enemies in your lightning bolts. If you’re way up in the air it will be far less useful.
Yes, not playing Storm like a flier is certainly counter-intuitive given that this is what she’s theoretically supposed to be. But the way her kit is designed actually punishes that in multiple ways, and I feel like most people in Quick Play (not judging!) don’t know this, and I wouldn’t blame them. But if you’re seeing these kinds of win rates in comp, this style of gameplay is a big reason why.
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