In the fast-paced chaos of Marvel Rivals, close-quarters combat can make or break your match. Whether you're diving in with Wolverine or brawling through the frontline with Hulk, mastering melee mechanics is key to surviving intense face-offs. While ranged specialists may rule open maps, knowing how to win melee duels gives you an edge in tight situations and objective control zones. Here are 22 close combat techniques that help you dominate melee encounters and emerge victorious.

1. Time Your Dodge, Don’t Spam It

Dodging on cooldown is a rookie mistake. Watch your opponent’s rhythm and time your evasive moves after their first swing to create an opening.

2. Use Environment for Positioning

Walls, pillars, and corners aren't just cover for ranged players. Use them to funnel enemies into choke points or cut off their escape routes.

3. Animation Canceling with Abilities

Several heroes can cancel attack animations using their abilities. Learning when and how to do this shortens your damage window and increases your lethality.

4. Bait and Punish

Faking a retreat or leaving a health pack visible can bait aggressive enemies. Lure them in, then counterattack when they overcommit.

5. Vertical Advantage

If your hero has any kind of vertical mobility, jump above the enemy and strike from above. It breaks target lock and interrupts combos.

6. Parry Mechanics Matter

Some melee heroes like Black Panther or Gamora can parry or block. Perfect timing on these abilities can turn a losing trade into a win.

7. Combo Memory

Memorize your character's full melee combo strings. Many players stop after 2-3 hits when 4-5 would secure the knockout.

8. Target Squishy Supports

In melee brawls, avoid tanks unless you're built for it. Prioritize supports or low-health DPS first to turn the fight in your favor.

9. Listen to Audio Cues

Many melee abilities have distinct sounds. Learn them and react faster—especially useful when fighting stealth-based characters.

10. Use Grapples for Initiation

Grapple-type abilities (like Spider-Man's web pull) give you instant gap closers. Use them to initiate before enemies can respond.

11. Practice with Bots for Muscle Memory

If you’re serious about improving melee mechanics, hop into training and grind those combos until they become second nature.

12. Always Check Bundle Builds

If you’re using a custom loadout, ensure your selected bundle includes melee-specific traits or abilities. Before you buy Marvel Rivals bundles, always double-check the synergy with your melee style.

13. Interrupt Channels

Melee attacks can interrupt channeled abilities. Know when an enemy is winding up a big move and shut them down with a well-timed melee hit.

14. Roll Behind the Target

Dodging to the side is predictable. Rolling behind your opponent not only avoids damage but can disorient them mid-fight.

15. Capitalize on Staggers

Certain melee hits cause stagger. Chain those hits together before your opponent can recover to keep pressure high.

16. Shield Break Builds Are Effective

When tanks crowd your melee path, consider switching to a shield-breaker bundle. Some cheap Marvel Rivals skins are tied to such builds, offering both visual flair and practical power.

17. Stay Unpredictable

Never fight in a straight line. Jump, strafe, cancel attacks, and vary your movement. Predictability gets punished quickly in melee range.

18. Know Your Melee Range

Each melee hero has different hitbox lengths. Don’t overextend thinking you’ll land a hit that falls short.

19. Work with a Support

Pairing up with someone who can heal or shield you boosts your survivability. Melee fighters benefit greatly from on-the-fly sustain.

20. Use Terrain to Cut Vision

In tight spaces, line-of-sight is your friend. Break vision, reposition, and strike again to reset the engagement.

21. Punish Cooldowns

After your enemy misses their melee ability, that’s your time. Punish their downtime with aggressive follow-ups.

22. Don’t Overcommit

Sometimes it’s better to back off than chase. If you’ve lost the advantage or are low on health, live to fight another fight—especially if you’re saving up to buy Marvel Rivals bundles or grind towards cheap Marvel Rivals skins.

Winning melee encounters in Marvel Rivals isn’t just about button mashing—it’s about patience, awareness, and tactical execution. Every punch, strike, or swing should serve a purpose. As you experiment with different builds and skin loadouts, remember that close combat dominance often comes down to muscle memory and situational awareness. Stick to these techniques and you’ll start turning even the scrappiest of fights into highlight-worthy plays.