Marvel Rivals: How to make better Groot wall placements
At the core of Groot’s kit in Marvel Rivals are his Ironwood Wall and Thornlash Wall abilities. Though both walls can block enemy attacks and lines of sight, their true abilities are Awakened when Groot’s Flora Colossus passive activates whenever he is near them. Here are some tips to improve your wall-placing skills and unleash Groot’s full potential.
Ironwood Wall is important for increasing Groot’s survivability
Ironwood Wall can take 700 damage before breaking, making it great for blocking choke points and pathways. While a well-placed Ironwood Wall can disorient enemies, you should consider placing the ability to the side so enemies won’t damage it. The reason for this is that damage dealt by Groot or his allies while within 20 meters of the Ironwood Wall is converted into bonus health for Groot. It doesn’t matter if the Ironwood Wall is off to the side or behind a structure; Groot will always get bonus health provided the attacks hit within the wall’s proximity.
Putting an Ironwood Wall in what seems like a disadvantageous position will often cause enemies to ignore the wall and focus on your team instead. What they won’t expect is for Groot to gain up to almost 1,100 health from the Ironwood Wall buff. By sacrificing the stationary cover that the Ironwood Wall provides, you’ll gain enough bonus health to become a tankier threat.
Knowing when to use the Ironwood Wall as an obstacle and for bonus health is the true sign of a good Groot player. Some things just can’t be tanked through, such as The Punisher’s Culling Turret and most offensive ultimate abilities. There are times when Ironwood Wall would be better used with Thornlash Wall to create an almost impenetrable wooden defense. As Groot’s primary defensive tool, it is important that you have access to your Ironwood Wall whenever possible.
Thornlash Wall can create opportunities for massive damage
Unlike Ironwood Wall, which only has one charge and can absorb up to 700 damage, Thornlash Wall has two charges (up to three walls on the field) and each Thornlash Wall can only absorb up to 250 damage. The tradeoff for Thornlash Wall’s lower durability is its damage potential. When Groot or his allies attack within 20 meters of the Thornlash walls, the walls will attack nearby enemies for 60 damage. 60 damage may not seem like much, but when you account for the simultaneous attacks by you, your team, and other Thornlash Walls, the cumulative burst damage can catch enemies by surprise.
Foes won’t just run into a Thornlash Wall for no reason, so the best practice is to prepare a Thornlash Wall beforehand and drop it behind them while they’re attacking you. Provided you have your Ironwood Wall up someplace close, the initial damage you’ll be taking will be mitigated by your bonus health. Not only does a Thornlash Wall give you an extra source of damage, but you’re effectively limiting an enemy’s escape options.
Emplaced Thornlash Walls can be mixed with attacks to create deadly combos. For starters, try placing a Thornlash Wall behind an enemy followed by a Spore Bob and Vine Strike. This combo can also be performed after grouping enemies with Groot’s Strangling Prison ultimate ability, allowing for some easy potential team wipe situations.
Aside from their damage capabilities, Thornlash Walls serve as more versatile cover than the Ironwood Wall due to their ability to be placed at strange angles. Placing horizontal walls above you and your team will temporarily nullify an enemy Iron Man’s attacks and will allow you to advance towards or fortify a position. If you happen to be the last player on an objective, encasing yourself in walls is a great way to buy some time for your allies to arrive.
Groot’s walls have a couple of traversal capabilities
Both Ironwood Wall and Thornlash Wall can be placed below Groot to gain immediate verticality, but Thornlash Wall outdoes its bigger brother because of the many ways it can be built. Stacking multiple Thornlash Walls diagonally on top of each other can allow Groot to get to areas he wouldn’t normally be able to access (such as the tops of most buildings). Thornlash Walls can also be placed horizontally, allowing them to hit enemies above or below their proximity ranges. Those who love to build in games like Fortnite will love Thornlash Walls, as they can get creative with Groot’s barky barriers.
Whether they are being used to attack, defend, or reposition, Groot’s wall abilities have a variety of uses. Considering Marvel Rivals has only been around for two months, players have yet to find all of the ways that Ironwood Wall and Thornlash Wall can be utilized. Try his abilities in a variety of situations and you may even find some hidden Groot techniques that nobody has discovered.
If you’re looking for more Marvel Rivals guides, consider checking out our tips for becoming a better Wolverine, a guide on how to survive longer as Invisible Woman, and an easy way to tell whether or not your melee character’s strikes will hit.
