The Hulk is part of an extensive and growing list of characters in Marvel Rivals. Many games that feature this character completely ignore the alter ego of Bruce Banner. Not this one. Players who love to smash will get an opportunity to do so but will have to build up gamma energy in order to transform. Here is a breakdown of his skills and abilities in Marvel Rivals. 

The Hulk Marvel Rivals Stats And Basics

• Class: Vanguard
• Bruce Banner Health: 250
• Hero Hulk Health: 650
• Monster Hulk Health: 1400
• Movement: 6 m/s

Bruce Banner and each iteration of The Hulk have their own basic attack. In a shock to no one, when in hero form, the normal attack is all about smashing opponents. Banner is able to chip away some damage with his Gamma Ray Gun. Here is a breakdown of each normal attack.

• Gamma Ray Gun (Bruce Banner)
  • Description: Fire with a Gamma Ray Gun
  • Casting: Single-cast projectile with delayed impact
  • Projectile Speed: 80 m/s
  • Damage: 16
  • Fire Rate: 5 rounds per second
  • Ammo: 25
  • Critical Hit: Yes
• Heavy Blow (Hero Hulk)
  • Casting: Single-cast Spell Field
  • Damage: 40
  • Range: 4.5m
  • Attack Interval: 0.467s
• Heavy Blow (Monster Hulk)
  • Casting: Single-cast Spell Field
  • Damage: 70
  • Range: 5m
  • Attack Interval: 0.52s

Abilities

The Hulk has many abilities of a strong Vanguard. Players first have to get him into Hulk form, but the Gamma Grenade provides plenty of gamma energy plus damage to enemies. Once the transformation is complete, players can leap around the map and smash opponents. Indestructible Guard is a great way to keep your team alive, shielding yourself and allies. The Monster Hulk transformation can turn the tides of battle, but it has to be used at the right time. Here is a breakdown of all his abilities.

• Bruce Banner Abilities
• Gamma Grenade
  • Description: Defeating an enemy will generate a Nastrond Crow, exploding after a duration.
  • Casting: Single-cast projectile with a downward delay that creates a spell field upon impact
  • Range: 3m spherical radius
  • Damage: 40
  • Cooldown: 8s
  • Special Effect: When the caster enters the spell field, it restores 50 gamma energy
• Puny Banner
  • Description: Hold space to fall slowly.
  • Casting: Transformation
  • Energy Cost: 600
  • Special Effect: The caster is immobilized during the transformation process and gains Invincibility
• Hero Hulk Abilities
• Gamma Burst
  • Description: Emits a burst of energy as a directional ranged attack, damaging enemies.
  • Casting: Single-cast projectile that can pierce through enemies
  • Projectile Speed: 80 m/s
  • Damage: 70
  • Cooldown: 8s
• Incredible Leap
  • Description: Press and hold the Jump button to charge a leap. The more it charges, the further Hulk jumps.
  • Casting: Charged Dash
  • Min Charge Time: 0.7s
  • Max Charge Time: 2s
  • Speed At Min Charge Time: 19m/s
  • Speed At Max Charge Time: 25m/s
  • Special Effect: Press Space during the Incredible Leap to cling to the wall you encounter
• Radioactive Lockdown
  • Description: Hulk emits a pulse of Gamma Energy, which briefly immobilizes the first target it hits. Hitting the target with a Heavy Blow or Gamma Burst breaks the effect.
  • Casting: Single-cast projectile
  • Projectile Speed: 100m/s
  • Damage: 5
  • Cooldown: 15s
  • Max Duration: 2s
  • Special Effect: Heavy Blow and Gamma Burst can detect and damage irradiated enemies, and prematurely remove the status
• Indestructible Guard
  • Casting: Hulk releases Gamma Energy, creating a barrier for him and his allies that blocks a certain amount of damage. The barrier decays over time.
  • Range: 5m spherical radius
  • Cooldown: 12s
  • Caster’s Shield Value: 200
  • Ally’s Shield Value: 100
  • Max Shield Duration: 2.5s
  • Special Effect: When the caster’s shield takes damage, 100% of the damage is converted into gamma energy. When an ally’s shield takes damage, 10% of the damage is converted into gamma energy
• Hulk Smash!
  • Description: Becomes Monster Hulk, Increasing Damage, HP, Attack Speed, and Reducing Damage, as well as unlocking World Breaker. While transforming, Hulk becomes Invulnerable.
  • Casting: Transformation
  • Duration: 12s
  • Energy Cost: 3400
  • Special Effect: The caster is immobilized during the transformation process and gains Invincibility
• Monster Hulk Abilities
• Gamma Burst
  • Description: Emits a burst of energy as a directional ranged attack, damaging enemies.
  • Casting: Single-cast projectile that can pierce through enemies
  • Projectile Speed: 60 m/s
  • Damage: 125
  • Cooldown: 1s
• Incredible Leap
  • Description: Press and hold the Jump button to charge a leap. The more it charges, the further Hulk jumps.
  • Casting: Charged Dash
  • Min Charge Time: 0.7s
  • Max Charge Time: 1.5s
  • Speed At Min Charge Time: 19.4m/s
  • Speed At Max Charge Time: 25m/s
  • Special Effect: Press Space during the Incredible Leap to cling to the wall you encounter
• Radioactive Lockdown
  • Description: Hulk emits a pulse of Gamma Energy, which briefly immobilizes the first target it hits. Hitting the target with a Heavy Blow or Gamma Burst breaks the effect.
  • Casting: Single-cast projectile
  • Projectile Speed: 150m/s
  • Damage: 5
  • Cooldown: 5s
  • Max Duration: 2s
  • Special Effect: Heavy Blow and Gamma Burst can detect and damage irradiated enemies, and prematurely remove the status
• Gamma Boost (Team-Up Bonus)
  • Description: Passive: Hulk gains 150 Health while playing alongside Dr. Strange or Iron Man. Dr. Strange also gains an empowered version of Maelstrom of Madness called Gamma Maelstrom. Iron Man, on the other hand, can upgrade himself with a gamma boost when using Armor Overdrive.
  • Team-Up Bonus: Hero Hulk and Monster Hulk gain 100 Max Health
• Gamma Fastball (Team-Up Bonus)
  • Description: When Hulk and Wolverine are on the same team, they can initiate a special combo attack while nearby. Hulk will pick up and throw Wolverine up to 20 meters.
  • Casting: Targeted
  • Max Distance: 20m
  • Cooldown: 3s when not thrown, 15s when thrown
  • Note: This only applies when in Hulk form. Bruce Banner isn’t throwing Wolverine

Ultimate

The Hulk’s ultimate, World Breaker, pretty much spells death for whoever gets caught in his grasp. Even high-health Vanguards are no match for this ability, especially if the team-up damage boost is active. The targeted casting means you have to make sure you target the correct enemy, but an instant kill on any enemy is usually helpful.

• Description: When transformed into Monster Hulk, all of Hulk’s abilities gain boosted damage; plus, he can use World Breaker to grab the first enemy on the range and repeatedly smash him against the ground. This causes huge damage and knocks back the target.
• Casting: Targeted
• Damage: Delivers 5 hits, each dealing 40 damage
• Duration: 5s
• Range: 5m
• Special Effect: While performing the smash, Hulk gains a 30% Damage Reduction

Strategies

The Hulk is more nuanced than most characters in Marvel Rivals, which is funny considering this character is known for one type of attack. Getting enough gamma energy to transform isn’t hard, but it is something you have to manage. Every death means reverting back to Bruce Banner, which severely hampers your team until you transform. Because of the massive health bar and shield abilities, he is best at holding zones with plenty of healers to keep his health up.

The biggest issue for this character is transforming. A powerful backline can eye Banner from afar, sniping him before he is able to transform. Positioning while building up gamma energy is essential. You’ll have to communicate with your team to make sure they know when you are ready to become the Hulk. As the green monster, you can take the lead and smash through the front line of many enemy teams.

Final Thoughts

On a purely personal note, I love that the developers of Marvel Rivals made the Hulk more nuanced. It would have been easy not to have the character deal with transformations, but the fact that they did makes this character way more fun to master. Build up gamma radiation and smash your way to victory with this character.