In the teambased action shooter Marvel Rivals, certain abilities and items can drastically influence how a match plays out, and one of the most talkedabout tools in the game is the Ankh. If you’ve seen players mention Ankhs or noticed them during a match as Moon Knight or fighting against him, you may be wondering exactly what they do and why they matter so much. Ankhs are more than simple decorations – they are a key part of Moon Knight’s kit that can turn the tide of a fight when used strategically.
What Are Ankhs in Marvel Rivals?
Ankhs in Marvel Rivals are special deployable artifacts tied specifically to the hero Moon Knight, one of the playable characters in the roster. When Moon Knight uses his ability to create an Ankh, a mystical talisman appears on the battlefield and interacts with both his abilities and enemy positioning. This gives the Ankh a dual role as both a strategic trap and a power amplifier for Moon Knight’s attacks.
Ankh Mechanics and Placement
Ankhs behave differently from normal weapons or traps. Once thrown, they stick to surfaces like walls, floors, or ceilings, and remain active until destroyed by enemies or replaced if Moon Knight places more than the allowed two at once. Ankhs have two main effects they pull enemies toward their center when they first land, and they serve as bounce points for Moon Knight’s projectile abilities, dramatically increasing his damage output and area reach.
How Ankhs Enhance Moon Knight’s Combat
Ankhs are not direct damage dealers in the way a rocket or blade attack might be, but they dramatically amplify Moon Knight’s offensive capabilities. Moon Knight’s primary fire (Crescent Dart) and secondary fire (Moon Blade) are both projectilebased attacks that can bounce between enemies and Ankhs. When a projectile hits an Ankh, it ricochets into nearby enemies, allowing Moon Knight to deal significant area damage even from long range. This makes the Ankh a central component in Moon Knight’s gameplay, often dictating positioning and engagement strategy.
Pulling Enemies and Crowd Control
Another important aspect of Ankhs is their brief ability to pull enemies within a certain radius toward the center when they are first placed. This pulls clustered enemies together, enabling Moon Knight to maximize the number of targets hit by his bouncing projectiles or ultimate abilities. It acts almost like a mini crowdcontrol tool that can disrupt enemy formation and create opportunities for followup attacks.
Strategic Use in Matches
Placement of Ankhs is just as important as firing projectiles at them. A wellplaced Ankh behind a choke point or near hightraffic areas of a map ensures that more enemies will come within its influence, allowing Moon Knight to rack up damage quickly. Some players place Ankhs above doorways or around corners so that attacks can bounce unexpectedly, catching enemies off guard. Ankhs can also be used defensively, creating zones that are unsafe for enemies to enter without risk.
Limitations and Counterplay
No ability in a competitive game is without counters. While Ankhs are powerful, they have limitations that opponents can exploit if they are aware of them. Ankhs can be destroyed by enemies who target them, and doing so removes Moon Knight’s advantage in that area. The Ankh also only affects attacks that bounce, meaning longranged hits that don’t ricochet won’t benefit from the Ankh.
Enemy Focus and Destruction
Players facing Moon Knight often prioritize destroying his Ankhs to reduce his effectiveness. Because the Ankh enhances Moon Knight’s projectiles, removing it can significantly reduce the damage he can output, making him easier to deal with. This creates a dynamic where the opposing team must balance attacking Moon Knight and targeting his support tools.
Placement Awareness
Players can also avoid Ankhs by being mindful of their locations and staying out of their effect radius when possible. The glowing ring that indicates an Ankh’s influence can be visually recognized, allowing players to reposition their heroes before they get pulled in or hit by bouncing projectiles.
Advanced Ankh Strategies
For players who master Moon Knight, Ankhs become a flexible tool for both offense and defense. Advanced strategies involve combining Ankhs with other abilities or team synergies. For example, placing an Ankh before unleashing Moon Knight’s ultimate ability or coordinating it with allies’ crowd control can result in devastating combos that wipe out groups of enemies.
Team Synergy and Control
While Moon Knight excels at using Ankhs to control space and deal damage, he can also set them up so teammates can benefit. Ankh placement near objectives can make it harder for enemies to contest those areas, giving your team an edge in objectivebased modes. Ankhs also temporarily alter how projectiles behave in their radius, so teammates with bounceable attacks may find additional value in careful positioning.
Dynamic Zone Control
Because Ankhs persist until destroyed, they act like static tools that shape the battlefield over time. A match with multiple Ankhs scattered around key points creates areas of denial and forces opponents to think twice before charging into those spaces. This zone control aspect makes Ankhs especially valuable in coordinated team play and ranked matches where tactical positioning matters.
Ankhs in Marvel Rivals are much more than simple visual elements they are powerful placement tools that enhance Moon Knight’s abilities and influence the flow of combat. By pulling enemies, increasing the damage potential of bouncing projectiles, and creating strategic combat zones, Ankhs allow Moon Knight to control space in ways few other heroes can. Understanding how to deploy and leverage these artifacts can give players a major edge, whether in casual matches or more competitive play. At the same time, recognizing the limitations and counterplay around Ankhs – such as destroying them or avoiding their radius – is key to both playing Moon Knight effectively and countering him on the battlefield. Whether you’re new to Marvel Rivals or looking to improve your gameplay, mastering the use and defense against Ankhs is an essential part of engaging with this distinctive hero’s toolkit.