I am Groot. I am Groot, I am Groot. I am Groot?
Oh, sorry. I’ve been playing a lot of Groot in Marvel Rivals lately, and it’s a difficult language to understand for the uninitiated Terran. Anyways, Groot is a Vanguard (tank) hero in Marvel Rivals, and just like in the Guardians of the Galaxy, Groot can be the heart and soul of any team.
Here’s our guide on how to play Groot in Marvel Rivals.
All Groot abilities in Marvel Rivals, explained
| Ability | Description | PC Control | Controller |
| Vine Strike (Normal Attack) | Launch vines to attack enemies. | LMB | RT |
| Thornlash Wall | Target a location and grow a Thornlash Wall. When Awakened, it strikes nearby enemies attacked by Groot and his allies. | LShift | LB |
| Ironwood Wall | Target a location and grow an Ironwood Wall. When Awakened, it grants Bonus Health to Groot when nearby enemies take damage. | E | RB |
| Spore Bomb | Throw an explosive Spore Bomb that splits into multiple small explosive spores. | RMB | LT |
| Flora Colossus (Passive) | Wooden walls near Groot will Awaken, activating an extra effect. | – | – |
| Friendly Shoulder (Passive, Team-Up Ability) | Rocket Raccoon can ride on Groot’s shoulders, receiving Damage Reduction. | – | – |
| Strangling Prison (Ultimate) | Fire a massive vine cluster that pulls nearby enemies to its center and imprisons them. | Q | Left Stick + Right Stick |
Groot strategy and tips in Marvel Rivals
Walls, walls, walls. Groot is all about getting creative (and annoying) with Thornlash Wall and Ironwood Wall, re-shaping the field of battle, walling off enemies from their teammates, and cutting off chokepoints to deal big damage.
Thanks to the Flora Colossus passive, Groot and his team always benefit from the walls (unless you troll your squad by walling them off on purpose), so they are the key to any teamfight when the big tree is involved. The general idea is to use Thornlash Wall to separate the enemy from their team to deal massive damage as you get close and whack them with Vine Strike.
When the enemies push the offensive and you begin to take damage, use Ironwood Wall to grant yourself bonus health, boosting your HP to a maximum of 1,100, so long as you deal damage to foes. Basically, make sure to always be using Vine Strike as much as you can.
Spore Bomb is great for area-of-effect (AOE) damage, but also is Groot’s one true ranged attack. It’s excellent for finishing off faster enemies as they run away from you, but is also an excellent complement to the Strangling Prison ultimate, which groups enemies together and immobilizes them for a short period of time.
Suggested Combo: Use Wooden Walls to split the battlefield and shield damage, and deploy Thornlash Wall to tactically reshape the terrain. Trap enemies with Strangling Prison, then wipe them out with a devastating combo of Spore Bomb and Vine Strike.
Groot’s Vine Strike is deceptive, because the range is longer than you may think. But the primary attack also acts as a projectile of sorts, meaning you may need to lead your shots depending on how close or far away the target is and if they are moving laterally.
For lore accuracy, Groot is always a good choice to team with Rocket Raccoon thanks to the Friendly Shoulder passive team-up. Rocket can avoid excess damage by hopping on your shoulders, but it also turns one target into two, so use it carefully.
With these tips, you’ll be screaming “I am Groot” into your mic so much that your teammates might mute you. So be careful out there, Guardian of the Galaxy, but have fun while you’re at it.
