How To Counter Winter Soldier In Marvel Rivals

Winter Soldier is one of the most dangerous Duelists in Marvel Rivals, capable of dealing heavy damage from range and executing enemies with his devastating ultimate. Even though he may not be S-tier anymore in Season 1, a skilled player can still dominate fights and single-handedly shift the momentum in their team’s favor.

His damage output is exceptionally high, and his ultimate ability can chain executions, making him a nightmare to deal with when left unchecked. If you’re struggling to counter Winter Soldier, this guide will provide the best strategies and hero picks to shut him down and prevent him from taking over the match.

How To Counter Winter Soldier In Marvel Rivals

Winter Soldier excels in close to mid-range combat, where he can maximize his damage output and set up devastating executions, using his basic attacks to chip away at enemies before unleashing his Kraken Impact ultimate to execute weakened targets. To counter him, keeping your distance is key, as he loses effectiveness at long range, making heroes like Hela ideal for forcing him into unfavorable engagements. His Roterstern basic attack can deal damage to multiple enemies but isn’t the fastest, so unpredictable movement can help dodge his shots. His Kraken Impact ultimate resets upon a successful execution, but heroes who can generate bonus health or shields can prevent the execution from triggering, denying him resets and shutting down his momentum. Winter Soldier also has Bionic Hook, which pulls enemies in for a combo with Trooper’s Fist, but since this ability has a short range, staying outside of close-quarters combat prevents him from catching you in his setup. To counter him effectively, force him into long-range fights, use shields or bonus health to negate his ultimate resets, and stay out of range of his grapple ability, ensuring he never gets the chance to dominate the battlefield.

Countering Winter Soldier As A Vanguard

Vanguards are typically forced into close-range fights, making them vulnerable to Winter Soldier’s high damage output, but certain heroes can counter or at least mitigate his effectiveness. Doctor Strange and Magneto are excellent choices, as both can block a portion of Winter Soldier’s kit with their shields. Magneto is particularly effective since his Iron Bulwark and Metal Bulwark abilities absorb incoming damage, allowing him to redirect that energy back at Winter Soldier with Mag Cannon, turning his attacks against him. Venom is another strong counter, as his Symbiotic Resilience provides bonus HP, which can keep him alive even if Winter Soldier attempts an execution with Kraken Impact. Additionally, Venom’s ultimate ability can be used as a last resort, preventing Winter Soldier from securing a kill and resetting his ultimate. By using defensive abilities to negate damage, absorbing attacks to counter him, and utilizing bonus health mechanics to deny his executions, Vanguards can hold their ground and prevent Winter Soldier from gaining momentum in fights.

Countering Winter Soldier As A Strategist

Strategists have several effective options for countering Winter Soldier, as many of them possess healing, crowd control, or displacement abilities that can disrupt his gameplay and shut down his ultimate. Luna Snow is one of the best counters, as her ultimate grants both healing and bonus health, directly negating Winter Soldier’s Kraken Impact execution ability—just be sure to activate it when he jumps in the air to prevent him from securing kills and resetting his ultimate. Mantis is also a strong pick, as she can stun Winter Soldier with Spore Slumber, forcing him to waste his ultimate, while her long-range attacks can deal solid damage if aimed correctly. Adam Warlock provides another layer of counterplay, as his ability to revive fallen allies completely nullifies Winter Soldier’s executions, ensuring that his ultimate doesn’t gain momentum. Meanwhile, Invisible Woman can isolate Winter Soldier from his team, forcing him into unfavorable close-range fights where he can be outnumbered and quickly eliminated. Additionally, she can push him away using Force Physics, allowing long-range Duelists to pick him off more easily. By denying his executions, stunning him at critical moments, reviving teammates, or forcing him into bad positions, Strategists can significantly reduce Winter Soldier’s impact on the battlefield and prevent him from snowballing fights.

Countering Winter Soldier As A Duelist

When it comes to Duelists, there are multiple strong picks that can effectively counter Winter Soldier by outranging, outmaneuvering, or overwhelming him with damage. Hela is one of the best counters, as her long-range attacks allow her to safely chip away at Winter Soldier while staying out of his effective range, leaving him with no real way to respond. Hawkeye, despite recent nerfs, remains a solid option—his high burst damage can eliminate Winter Soldier in just a couple of well-placed shots, especially in mid-range engagements. Iron Man also excels in this matchup, as his ability to fly allows him to reposition above Winter Soldier, making it difficult for him to land his shots or execute his usual combos. Similarly, Moon Knight can take control of the fight by leveraging his flight capabilities to reach positions Winter Soldier simply cannot, and with his high burst damage, he can overwhelm Winter Soldier before he has a chance to react. Storm is another excellent pick, as she can stay protected within her team while still dealing ranged damage, making it difficult for Winter Soldier to single her out or land his ultimate effectively. Additionally, her mobility and ability to fly give her an edge in avoiding his attacks and keeping the fight at a distance. By choosing Duelists with superior range, flight capabilities, or high burst damage, you can effectively neutralize Winter Soldier’s threats and prevent him from controlling engagements.

Conclusion

Winter Soldier may be a high-damage Duelist with deadly execution potential, but he has clear weaknesses that can be exploited. His Kraken Impact ultimate is his most dangerous tool, allowing him to chain executions and reset his ability, but it can be countered by heroes who provide bonus health, shields, or revives. Additionally, his effectiveness is heavily tied to mid-range combat, meaning long-range heroes, high-mobility Duelists, and defensive Vanguards can limit his impact. Whether you’re a Strategist shutting down his ultimate, a Vanguard blocking his damage, or a Duelist outranging and outmaneuvering him, the key to countering Winter Soldier is denying him easy kills, avoiding his grapple setups, and keeping the fight outside of his comfort zone. By controlling the battlefield, applying constant pressure, and preventing him from executing weakened targets, you can neutralize Winter Soldier before he snowballs into an unstoppable force.