Hawkeye, Marvel’s deadeye archer, is a versatile and challenging character to master in Marvel Rivals. Known for his precision and adaptability, Clint Barton brings unique mechanics and strategies to the game. Whether you’re a seasoned marksman or new to hero shooters, this guide will help you unlock Hawkeye’s potential and dominate the battlefield. From lore (skip-to-end) to tips, here’s everything you need to know about the man who never misses.
As a Duelist in Marvel Rivals, Hawkeye excels as a high-damage, high-skill hero with an emphasis on precise ranged attacks. Unlike tankier Vanguard heroes or supportive Strategists, Hawkeye thrives on keeping enemies at a distance and punishing their mistakes. His toolkit is designed for those who value sharp aim and strategic positioning. Hawkeye's unparalleled skills make him an invaluable member of any team. In a roster filled with super heroes, he stands out for his ability to adapt to any gameplay mode.
Piercing Arrow rewards steady aim and patience, delivering devastating damage when charged. It’s best used against squishy targets or distant enemies. Maintaining aim on a target for a longer duration increases its impact significantly, embodying Hawkeye’s archer's focus. Piercing Arrow also serves as an effective counter to enemies attempting to flank.
Blast Arrows are a versatile tool, dealing area damage and disrupting enemy formations. They’re particularly effective for breaking up groups of foes or finishing enemies in close-quarters combat. This explosive tool is perfect for denying space around objectives and can inflict additional damage when aimed strategically.
This ability is designed to cut through shields and fortified barriers, making it a perfect counter to tanky heroes like Groot and Magneto. It’s especially effective against incoming projectiles, ensuring Hawkeye’s attacks remain impactful even in crowded skirmishes.
Hawkeye’s ultimate ability leaves shadow imprints of enemies, allowing you to strike them even if they’re behind cover. Timing is critical for maximizing its impact, and coordinating with teammates to predict enemy movements can enhance its effectiveness. These afterimages correspond to past movements, ensuring Hawkeye players can capitalize on precise positioning. This ability truly showcases his supersensory vision.
Hawkeye’s passives focus on maintaining precision and mobility. His ability to charge Piercing Arrow while tracking a target ensures consistent damage output. Additionally, his double jump increases his agility, making it easier to evade enemies or reposition during fights. This high mobility makes him a formidable marksman and a threat to both frontline and ranged enemies.
Hawkeye works well with heroes who can control the battlefield or provide support. Cloak & Dagger, for instance, can heal him while blinding enemies, making it easier to land critical shots. Hulk’s crowd control abilities draw attention away from Hawkeye, giving him the breathing room to line up perfect shots. Similarly, Luna Snow’s healing and damage boosts are invaluable for keeping Hawkeye alive during prolonged engagements. Combining these synergies with Hawkeye’s long-range precision creates a formidable team composition. Team-up abilities further enhance his effectiveness, especially when paired with supportive allies. Characters like Widow and Moon Knight can also complement Hawkeye’s precise and rapid-fire gameplay.
To excel with Hawkeye, focus on maximizing his range and precision. Positioning is key; use high ground and open sightlines to your advantage, ensuring you can pick off targets before they close the gap. Capitalize on his Piercing Arrow for high-damage shots, especially against enemy Duelists or Strategists. Utilize Blast Arrows strategically to disrupt grouped enemies or deny space around objectives. When using After-image Arrow, time it to catch enemies in transitional phases, such as retreating or regrouping. Hawkeye’s Hunter's Sight ensures that with practice, you can dominate from any vantage point. Always be ready to unleash a Hypersonic Arrow or rapid-fire abilities when the situation demands precision and power.
To succeed with Hawkeye, map awareness is paramount. Constantly monitor enemy movements to anticipate their actions and position yourself effectively. Mastering his double jump is crucial for mobility, enabling quick escapes and better angles for attacks. Patience is a virtue; avoid spamming shots and focus on timing for maximum impact. Use Blast Arrows sparingly, reserving them for moments when enemies are clustered together. Lastly, consistent practice with target tracking will ensure Hawkeye’s damage output remains effective, as maintaining aim is critical to his performance. A steady hand and supersensory vision are what separate good Hawkeye players from great ones. As an archer, Clint Barton requires players to master both his rapid-fire attacks and strategic decisions.
One of the most frequent mistakes players make is overexposing themselves. Staying in open areas makes Hawkeye an easy target for enemy fire. Overcommitting to kills at close range can be equally dangerous, as Hawkeye is most effective from a distance. Failing to use After-image Arrow at the right time can waste a game-changing opportunity. Poor positioning often leads to quick defeats, so maintaining distance and utilizing cover are essential. Lastly, avoid tunnel vision—focusing solely on one target can leave you vulnerable to flankers or other threats. Learning to deflect incoming attacks and reposition is crucial for survival.
Hawkeye, also known as Clint Barton, is a member of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the Avengers. Despite lacking superhuman powers, he stands out due to his unparalleled accuracy with a bow and arrow, his strategic mind, and his ability to adapt to any situation. Hawkeye’s journey from a troubled circus performer to a world-saving hero exemplifies his determination and resourcefulness. His trademark wit and grounded perspective make him a relatable and admired character in the Marvel Universe. Clint Barton is one of the greatest marksmen alive and has earned his place as an equal member of the Avengers.
Clint Barton’s backstory is one of resilience and redemption. Orphaned at a young age, Clint joined a traveling circus where he honed his archery skills. Eventually, he left the circus and became a vigilante known as Hawkeye. After a rocky start, including a brief misunderstanding with the Avengers, he joined the team and became one of its most trusted members. In Marvel Rivals, Hawkeye’s narrative focuses on his return to the Avengers after his time as the ruthless Ronin. His efforts to save the Winter Soldier from Hydra and his pivotal role in destabilizing the villainous plots of Doctor Doom showcase his unwavering dedication to justice and his teammates. His Crescent Slash ability and precise gameplay in this super hero team-based PvP shooter highlight his prowess.
All Hawkeye knew when he got on board the Quinjet was that he was heading out on a solo rescue mission and it involved Hydra. That suited him. Extended mission prep wasn't really his style. You only needed a certain amount of information to take a smart approach; overpreparation could dull your senses, keep you from being aware and responsive when things changed in the field. As they always did. No plan survived contact with the enemy for long. For the first hour or so, as the craft arrowed south from a Helicarrier stationed just above of the big island of Hawaii, Clint kept to himself, watching the water go by. He'd never been a sparkling conversationalist, so silence suited him.
"How're you doing back there, stranger?" Agent 13 shouted back from her seat at the controls. Clint had nearly forgotten shew as there after two hours or so starting into the endless blue expanse of the Pacific. Clint decided it was time to make some conversation. "So-so. We headed to Antarctica or what?"
"Bingo," Agent 13 said. "Although it doesn't take a genius to figure out that if you go south from Hawaii, you hit either New Zealand or Antarctica."
"Never said I was a genius, but I can read a map." Clint got up from his seat and started arranging his gear on a worktable: Bow, arrows, swords, body armor, comms equipment, night vision goggles, emergency field rations. Then he broke open the kit bag with his name on it and found cold-weather gear. "So, let me guess. You want me to stop Hydra poaching dinosaurs in the Savage Land."
"You wouldn't need cold-weather gear for that."
"I would until I got there, unless you're going to fly me to the border and risk Sauron sending a million pterodactyls after this Quinjet."
"No Savage Land for you, Hawkeye," Agent 13 said. "We are in fact going to Ross Island, which is only technically an island because it's connected to the mainland of Antarctica by a two-mile thick sheet of ice."
"Yeah, the Ross Ice Shelf. I've heard of it."
"The target is a Hydra base on Ross Island. More specifically, the target is Bucky Barnes."
"Don't tell me," Clint said, as a cold knot formed in the pit of his stomach. Bucky had worked so hard to get free of the brainwashing he'd suffered after World War II. What a terrible thing it would be if he'd been mind-controlled again. Clint thought hard about whether he'd be able to follow through on a mission to eliminate Bucky Barnes. He'd done worse during his Ronin years, but he'd also left Ronin behind. He was Hawkeye again. He was an Avenger.
"It's not what you think, judging by the expression on your face," Agent 13 said. "Three days ago, Barnes was sent to infiltrate and gather intel about Hydra activity inside Erebus Base. Infiltration was successful and we got some brief communications from Bucky during the mission's first few hours, but as of eight hours after infiltration, comms were interrupted and we presume he's been a Hydra captive since then."
Anything could have happened to Bucky in three days, Clint thought. But he was tough, as tough as anybody, and if there was a chance to get him out alive, that's what Clint would do. "Why Erebus Base?"
"Well, because it's tunneled into Mount Erebus. But Hydra probably also likes the mythological associations."
"You gonna make me ask?"
"I thought you'd never ask," she said. "In Greek mythology, Erebus was the son of Chaos and one of the primordial gods. Also, that's the name the Greeks gave to the gate between the world of the living and the underworld."
"Yeah, Hydra would go for that."
"Behind every myth is a bit of truth. Some of Bucky's comms were pretty scrambled, but we have a basic idea that the base is built on a much older set of ruins. It's likely there's an occult angle."
"An occult angle," Clint repeated. "So, like, I should expect to run into monsters from the Greek underworld?"
"That's all I can tell you. Also, they're doing some kind of super-soldier research. Bucky was loud and clear about that."
Clint thought about this while he got just the edge he wanted on his twin swords. He sheathed them and selected his arrowheads, going with a standard assortment of explosive, nonlethal, and ordinary bladed tips. He felt a pre-mission calm descend over him, and that was good. That hadn't happened much while he was Ronin.
"So," Agent 13 said from the cockpit. "You ready?"
"For this mission, or to be an Avenger again?"
She chucked him on the shoulder. "Once an Avenger, always an Avenger. I was talking about the mission."
Once an Avenger, always an Avenger. Clint wasn't sure about that.
Then again, even when he was an Avenger, he hadn't always felt like one. It wasn't easy feeling like you were an equal member of a team when all you could do was shoot a bow and the other team members could call lightning or lift a hundred tons.
If he was being honest with himself, that was why he'd left. That was why he'd become Ronin.
The thing was, once you'd been a hero — an Avenger — and once you understood how powerful it could be to change things, to make things better with your own hands... you couldn't just stop caring. Or maybe some people could, but Clint couldn't. So he stopped being Hawkeye, and he adopted a new moniker: Ronin. A samurai with no master. He kept an eye out for situation that might need his help. He trained in some new ways of fighting. He reinvented himself. For a couple of years, he'd been doing things the Avengers would never have noticed. Street-level, local things. More like Spider-Man might do. Then that expanded into bigger-scale operations, against drug kingpins, human traffickers, the kind of people normal law enforcement couldn't get to and Super Heroes didn't notice because they were too busy fighting Thanos or Dormammu or Doctor Doom.
Ronin traveled the world, and by and large, he made it a better place. There were a lot of people alive because of Ronin, but there were also a lot of people that never got back up. Bad people? Sure. But one night, in a mansion high above the smoggy sprawl of Istanbul where he'd just eliminated an arms trafficker and his entire armed retinue of maybe twenty bodyguards, Clint realized he'd stopped holding himself to any standard beyond what he thought was right. He was very close to going off the rails, becoming a pure vigilante nut like Frank Castle. It was only a few steps from there to the kind of deluded villain who thought he was doing the world a favor, a Vulture or Killmonger.
He needed people around him to keep him on track, and the only people who could do that were the Avengers.
So he'd come home, picking up the Hawkeye mantle yet again — but with a few changes, traces of Ronin that he would always carry with him. Maybe someday he would be free of the guilt he still carried over some of the things he'd done. He'd never hut anyone he considered innocent, but, in the heat of battle, sometimes you couldn't tell who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The moral clarity of a fight against Hydra was something Clint Barton badly needed.
"Okay. We're five minutes out. Time for last-minute notes. You'll find a vehicle stashed near your landing site. Its beacon will activate once it detects you on the ground."
"Hope you left the keys in the ignition," Clint said.
Ignoring him, she went on. "There is a large hangar bay with several doors built into the flank of the mountain. That's the only obvious approach without using demolitions to get into one of the lower access shafts. Intel recommends you stay on the upper levels because honestly, we have no idea what's down below."
"Monsters," Clint said. "Got it."
Agent 13 shrugged. "Probably not? But you never know. Get in, get Barnes, get out. If Barnes is..." She hesitated. "If Barnes can't be recovered, your priority is to get the info and get out yourself."
"You mean if he's dead. Just say it."
Her eyes flashed. "Yes. If he's dead," she said, biting off each word. Turning her back on him, she went back to the cockpit. Clint stayed where he was, in the back of the cabin, alone with his thoughts. Which was never the healthiest place for him to be.
What if Bucky was...gone...again? Mind-controlled again?
Deep inside, Clint felt a Ronin-like cold certainty that he would know what to do.
No. Bucky would survive. Hawkeye would find him. Not Ronin. Hawkeye. Tomorrow morning, they would both be watching the sun rise as Agent 13 piloted them back toward Hawaii.
"We are in the drop zone," Agent 13 said calmly. "Will open the cargo door on your go."
"Go," Clint said.
The Antarctic wind stole the air from his lungs. Clint steadied himself, got a bead on the ground, and jumped.
Hawkeye may lack superpowers, but his precision, adaptability, and strategic mind make him a force to be reckoned with in Marvel Rivals. By mastering his abilities, leveraging effective synergies, and avoiding common pitfalls, you can dominate the battlefield as Clint Barton. Whether you’re a lore enthusiast or a competitive gamer, Hawkeye offers a unique and rewarding experience that’s worth the effort. Now grab your bow, take aim, and let’s hit those bullseyes!
