Marvel Rivals: How to win in Clash of Dancing Lions mode
Marvel Rivals’ new Clash of Dancing Lions game mode may draw parallels to Overwatch 2’s Lúcioball, but it has a few caveats that distinguish it. With three characters to choose from and ten points to score, here are some tips to win more games and get those limited-time rewards faster.
1. Use each character’s primary and secondary fire
Clash of Dancing Lions does a poor job of explaining its mechanics and drops you into the fray without much explanation. You’ll learn each character’s limited moveset easily enough, but what the game mode doesn’t tell you outright is that each character has access to the same primary and secondary attack unique to the game mode.
The Lion’s Launch primary attack lets you quickly hurl the ball forward. If you find yourself holding the ball with foes nearby, use Lion’s Launch to shoot the ball either toward a teammate or closer to the enemy goal. This allows your team to progress even if you get stunned by an attack afterward.
Ferocious Throw, on the other hand, is a secondary chargeable attack best used when you have breathing room. Since the speed and distance of the throw are increased the longer you hold down the Ferocious Throw input, you’ll want to gauge how much time and distance you need to cover before committing to the maneuver.
2. Choose Iron Fist for more attack and mobility options
While Star-Lord can use his Celestial Flip to become momentarily invulnerable and Black Widow can indefinitely sprint with her Fleet Foot ability, their offensive options are severely limited because of their long cooldowns.
Enter Iron Fist, who is undoubtedly the star of the whole Spring Festival event. With three charges each of his Lion Kick and Crane Leap, Iron Fist can get around faster and knock opponents around almost constantly. This allows him to fill in any role on the team – whether it be attacking or defending.
His Lion Kick can be used to catch a flying Star-Lord or as another traversal ability. His Crane Leap can give him some extra time to toss the ball, and it renders ground attacks useless. Whereas the other characters’ abilities are relatively straightforward, Iron Fist’s skills are more versatile.
3. Choose Star-Lord if you’ve had enough of getting hit
Though he isn’t as offensive as Iron Fist, Star-Lord’s ability to temporarily speed up and fly with Rocket Propulsion makes him harder to catch than the other characters. Add this to his overpowered Celestial Flip which lets him become invincible and dodge in a direction, and Star-Lord can easily bypass enemy lines and score goals without so much as a scratch.
4. You can only score while holding the ball
Unlike soccer, Rocket League, or Lúcioball, in Clash of Dancing Lions, you can only score a goal by going through the enemy goal while holding the ball. It’s a weird mechanic, but one that makes the game mode more unique.
Since the ball cannot be tossed to score, fights tend to become scrappier; especially when they occur nearer to the goals. This is where Marvel Rivals’ resource management system from its classic game modes kicks in, as the team that carefully manages its abilities tends to come out on top. Getting caught in a fight without any abilities available is the worst, as you become a punching bag for enemies that hold their cards until the last second. Keeping some of your abilities for later instead of spamming them will ensure that you have way to attack or defend when the opportunities present themselves.
5. Have a dedicated goalie (or be one yourself)
Everyone wants to score goals, but the fact of the matter is that Clash of Dancing Lions is a team-based game. Aside from attacking, you’ll be working with your team to steal the ball and prevent enemies from scoring goals of their own.
To this end, you might want to consider having a dedicated goalie on your team to prevent unwanted scoring. There will be times when the enemy team gets the ball and makes a beeline for your goal. If your team is focused solely on offense, no one will be able to stop the enemy from scoring what is essentially a free goal.
Designating one person as a goalie has its downsides, however. You’ll be cutting down your offense by a third, and the goalie will essentially be doing nothing whenever the ball is close to the enemy goal. No one wants to stand there doing nothing, so the chances of having a dedicated goalie in a game comprised of random teammates are small.
A good compromise would be to have one player hang back a little during a fight and play defense whenever the ball goes too far in the wrong direction. They’ll still be involved in the skirmish and can even clear the path by stunning enemies so that your ball holder can move forward. This is still a predominantly passive role, so if you think that your team needs a stronger defense, consider filling that role yourself.
Clash of Dancing Lions is simpler than its contemporaries but has enough complexity to make it fun for a few rounds. Whether you’re itching for a break from the other Marvel Rivals game modes or just looking to complete the event tracker, Clash of Dancing Lions is a fun way to pass the time with a smaller player count.
Marvel Rivals is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam). The Spring Festival will be playable from January 23, 9 am to February 14, 9 am UTC.
