- Gambit is the 44th hero added to Marvel Rivals in Season 5.
- His abilities emerge around his kinetic-charged cards.
- Shielded and fast-paced heroes are effective counter picks against Gambit.
Marvel Rivals has finally added Gambit to the game in its latest Season 5 update. The mutant and one of the core X-Men members arrive in a season that focuses on his and Rogue’s honeymoon, and it is now in danger from a looming threat called The Grandmaster.
The hero has been added to the Rivals roster as a Strategist, but after our first experience with him, he slyly doubles as a DPS. While there has been quite the excitement around the hero who’s “about to make a name for himself here”, he’s bound to be one of the most popular picks this season. But if you’re planning to become a pro with Gambit, we’ve got you covered with our detailed guide right here.
Marvel Rivals Gambit Kit and Abilities
Gambit is a Strategist hero in Marvel Rivals, which means he’s meant to be a “healer” in an ideal team composition in Season 5. But with a varying comp, Gambit’s role doubles as a Duelist as his kinetic-charged cards deal plenty of damage to enemies.
His abilities are centrally focused on the cards that heal allies and damage enemies, depending on which card Gambit pulls. An Ace for deadly damage or purifying allies, or a heart to heal the entire team at once.
Playing Gambit is like a symphony; once you get the hang of it, you move with your teammates in sync and know where to heal and where your DPS may need an assist to finish an enemy. Although with his 275 HP, he’s a glass cannon, his damage stats and health regen make up for the HP you wish he had. Still, thanks to the Season Bonuses, Gambit has a 5% Healing Bonus which will come in handy quite often.
Here’s a breakdown of each of Gambit’s abilities and what his kit actually does in Season 5:
Ability Name Ability Type Description Kinetic Cards Left Click (Primary Attack) Launches three kinetic-charged cards in an arc. Each card detonates on impact, creating a single-target explosion that damages enemies and heals allies. Ragin’ Royal Flush Q (Ultimate) Locks onto an ally within sight and unleashes multiple Aces that heal and purify. Grants Kinetic Transfer state: increased movement speed, jump boost, enhanced single-target explosive damage, and Ultimate Ability Charge Acceleration for the ally. Cajun Charge Shift Side-step forward with bo staff in hand, dashing a short distance. Healing Hearts E Consumes one stack of Sleight of Hand to conjure a Heart card, healing allies, and switching Gambit to the Healing Hearts deck. Breaking Spades F Consumes one stack of Sleight of Hand to conjure a Spade card, granting a Damage Boost and switching Gambit to the Breaking Spades deck. Bayou Bash Right Click (Melee) Channels kinetic energy into the bo staff and slams it into the ground, creating a shockwave that damages enemies and heals allies. Follow with Cajun Charge for Big Easy Impact, triggering three kinetic explosions. Ace of Aces Passive (Team-Up) Gambit charges Magneto’s greatsword with kinetic energy. When Magneto activates this ability, Iron Volley becomes Ace Greatsword, detonating on impact and leaving residual energy inside targets that explodes after a delay. Bridge Boost Healing Hearts Sub-Ability (E+E) While in the Healing Hearts deck, trigger Flush Empowerment to fire a full deck forward; cards bounce between allies, healing them and granting a Healing Boost. Purifying Pick-Up Healing Hearts Sub-Ability (E+F) While in the Healing Hearts deck, trigger Raise Empowerment to launch a cluster of cards in an arc; explosions heal and Purify allies. Explosive Trick Breaking Spades Sub-Ability (F+F) While in Breaking Spades deck, trigger Flush Empowerment to fire a full set of cards forward; cards explode on impact, dealing damage and inflicting Reduced Healing on enemies. Bidding Barrage Breaking Spades Sub-Ability (F+E) While in the Breaking Spades deck, trigger Flush Empowerment to fire a full set of cards forward; cards explode on impact, dealing damage and inflicting Reduced Healing on enemies.
Best Method to Play Gambit in Marvel Rivals
Gambit is a healer meant to be put in a team where you have tanks and duelists who are mainly divers. Come on, even as a meta, given the latest buffs and nerfs, he still needs a good team. With his cards, he can easily heal them from up to 40 meters and has a pretty fast reload with a stack of 21 cards, firing 3 at a time.
Even though his cards are his primary weapon, or as healers like to call it, heals, his Bo Staff is equally useful to heal himself in battle or knock back any divers who rush you. But before you instalock Gambit, there are a few things you need to keep in mind, and especially to know how to play him better.
First, his Kinetic Cards abilities should be used to heal allies first and foremost, and damage enemies once your allies are healed. Since a single explosion using the primary attack won’t make much of a difference, his Breaking Spades deck is much effective in that domain.
If your allies are far away, initiate Cajun Charge, combined with Bayou Bash to create a Big Easy Impact spin that can damage any allies in your way. As Gambit damages enemies and heals allies, his deck creates four charges of cards below your aiming icon. They continue to charge overtime slowly and when fully charged, are used to perform special abilities within the Healing Hearts or Breaking Spades decks.
When your teammates are in danger and are lined up in front of you, pull out your Healing Hearts deck, and once all four charges are visible, perform Bridge Boost as it fires a full deck forward in the form of a zig-zag line that bounces off allies and heals everyone in a single go. However, if they are stunned by either Hulk’s Gamma Burst or The Thing’s Ult, perform Purifying Pick Up to purify them and heal them at the same time with an explosion.
Oh, you may be wondering what Purify is, right? Well, Purify means restoring a stunned ally from an enemy attack and getting them back in the fight. An ally may be stunned during Emma Frost’s ult, Doctor Strange’s ult, The Thing’s Smash or Ult, etc., and Gambit’s purifying abilities can be a true lifesaver.
Next up, his Breaking Spades deck turns Gambit into a lethal DPS. If you want to damage enemy flyers, healers, or even heavy grounded tanks, this is the deck you should use. His Explosive Trick ability fires a full set of cards forward and explodes on impact, as enemies take damage over time and take reduced healing from their healer. However, his Bidding Barrage does more of an AoE explosion, perfect for point capture missions.
Lastly, his Ult Ragin’ Royal Flush, Gambit purifies almost every member of the team near him and allies enter a Kinetic Transfer state with enhanced movement speed and jump boosts. Their attacks are also enhanced with explosive damage and their ult charges much faster. Furthermore, Gambit can regenerate his card charges faster and use his Breaking Spades deck with increased damage.
Best Gambit Counter Picks in Marvel Rivals
In trained hands, Gambit can be a real threat to the enemy and an MVP on your team, but there are certain counter picks that can wipe him off the battlefield effortlessly. If you’ve got any of the heroes below on the opposite team, it’s best to stay off Gambit for a while.
| Character | Counter |
|---|---|
| Magneto | Magneto’s shields can be highly defensive against Gambit’s cards, and his blades can easily pick him off in a few strikes. |
| Hulk | Even though he’s a heavy brawler, Hulk can put Gambit into a stunned state himself and can pick him off easily in a 1v1, thanks to his Gamma Shield. |
| Emma Frost | Emma’s mind shield and crystals can be quite effective against Gambit and can easily be great counters against his kinetic cards. |
| Daredevil | Daredevil’s quick movements and sonar tracking abilities can turn into a disaster for Gambit. |
| Psylocke | Psylocke is another fast-moving DPS who can dash and fire her blades in quick succession, which is an effective counter for Gambit at close range. |
| Wolverine | Wolverine can pick almost anybody off the map, and with his fellow X-Men member Gambit, he can easily slash him in seconds and even regenerate his health while Gambit shuffles his deck. |
Are you enjoying Gambit so far in the latest Marvel Rivals season? Let us know in the comments below!
