The symbiote is back with a Season 3 buff, and he is definitely a good tank to consider. While you’ll still have to land the skill shots with your basic, his kit set now offers better chances at survival. The first few rounds with him felt significantly better than my results in Season 2.5, and he could eventually go up to S-tier once I have tested him more.
Emma Frost
Vanguard
Once the best tank in the game, her nerf feels close to heart. Emma still does what she used to do well, but she’s extremely flexible. Her shields are unique, and her basic attacks fit right into the poke meta. However, Diamond form feels weaker than what it used to be, which could make her a slightly less optimal choice, especially in solo queue.
Hulk
Vanguard
Exceptionally strong tank that gets even better with Namor on the team. Requires a lot of skill to land the jumps accurately, which makes him slightly inferior in my books.
Groot
Vanguard
The Guardians of the Galaxy star continues to remain a safe topic, with a pretty no-nonsense approach. He has always been an easy hero to learn, and a great pick when you’re defending objectives. His ultimate, when with the right allies, can wipe the entire opposition, and completely change the tide of a battle. Had he not gotten the nerfs back in 2.5, Groot could easily have been considered in the S-tier.
Peni Parker
Vanguard
A good Peni is a S-tier character, since she has received multiple buffs in Season 2. Her team-up with Spider-Man is irritating for any opponent, and her nests will force enemies to waste their time clearing those out. However, her Ultimate isn’t really the strongest, making her struggle slightly at top-Elo games.
Black Widow
Duelist
In the higher ranks, Black Widow is at best a B-tier character. However, she’s one of the easiest characters to learn the game, and she does decent damage. Her ultimate means almost guaranteed kills, and the rest of her abilities fit well with the poke meta. She also has good one-shot potential (like Hawkeye), but her moves are easier to land compared to most other Strategists.
Star-Lord
Duelist
Star-Lord isn’t the easiest hero to master, as you’ll need good reflexes and aim training, but putting in the effort is worth it in Season 3. His abilities haven’t been nerfed, and he’s the perfect dive character to take out the backline. His Ultimate, Galactic Legend, has top-notch damage that can take out all squishy characters even if they’re at full health.
Punisher
Duelist
Punish is the easiest DPS to master for beginners, and his kit has a bit of everything on offer. You can just use his assault rifle to shoot enemies from a distance, or switch to the shotgun to take down enemies from close range. He also offers a seated turret that can clear out space on the map if there are too many enemies in the same location.
Storm
Duelist
She’s a great pick in the poke meta due to her abilities, although she’s not exactly top-tier due to the older nerfs. Compared to the likes of Hela, Storm is better played close to the ground, as her effectiveness relies on her allies. That said, you’ll need to have good aim with her, or else, the struggle will be real.
Invisible Woman
Strategist
Invisible Woman is arguably the best hybrid in the support role despite a previous nerf to her barrier. She can heal and protect her allies while dishing out decent damage to enemies. However, she’s a mechanically difficult hero to master, and her primary fire has a limited range (that doesn’t exactly do well with the current meta).
Ultron
Strategist
Ultron is still in a unique position as a flying Strategist. While he was almost broken to use in Season 2.5, he has been nerfed in Season 3. However, his Ultimate still remains immensely strong at dealing enemy damage and healing allies at the same time. His basic attack is also pretty powerful, and the fallout damage can wipe squishy enemies.
Cloak and Dagger
Strategist
Cloak and Dagger might no longer be what they were in Season 0, but the Season 2 ultimate buff greatly raised her on the meta. She’s a good choice for beginners as her primary fire has auto-target, while Dark Teleportation has a very low cooldown. However, most characters in the top two tiers can counter them (however, they still pack punches as long as you know what to do).
Mantis
Strategist
Mantis makes up for her lack of complete healing by nuking enemies. She has the highest damage potential among all support characters in my book, but you’ll have to be careful about timing your heals. Running out of it at the required moment can be absolutely game-changing, and not in a positive way.