Tyrone “Cloak” Johnson and Tandy “Dagger” Bowen dive into Marvel Rivals as a single Strategist hero that can flip between burst healing, damage, and oppressive debuffs on-the-fly. Dagger’s Lightforce daggers patch up teammates mid-brawl, while Cloak’s Darkforce shroud cripples priority targets and spirits allies to safety. Learn when to switch forms, layer their separate cooldowns, and weave in their dash-heavy ultimate to turn every team-fight into a light-and-shadow ballet.
Who Are Cloak & Dagger?
Cloak & Dagger first appeared in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #64 (1982), created by Bill Mantlo and Ed Hannigan. Their story is one of tragedy, survival, and transformation, as both were runaways experimented on by a criminal organization that tried to create synthetic drugs for mind control. Instead, the experiment unlocked latent superhuman abilities, tying them together as opposites bound by fate.
Despite being considered street-level heroes, Cloak & Dagger have fought alongside Spider-Man, the X-Men, and even the Avengers, proving that their power reaches far beyond the crime-ridden alleys of New York.
Cloak & Dagger Strengths & Weaknesses in Marvel Rivals
Strengths
- Dual-kit flexibility — heal or harass at will via Light’s/Shadow’s Embrace.
- AOE sustain — three independent heals (Lightforce Dagger, Dagger Storm, Veil of Lightforce).
- Team-wide reposition — Dark Teleportation phases allies, granting burst mobility & invulnerability.
Weaknesses
- Form-locked — wrong stance at the wrong time leaves half the kit offline.
- Limited vertical reach while in Dagger form; flyers can kite her heals.
- Skill-gated ultimate — Eternal Bond’s dash pathing demands map knowledge.
Cloak & Dagger’s Powers and Abilities
| Ability | Input (PC) | CD / Energy | Key Effects & Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightforce Dagger / Darkforce Cloak | LMB | — | Dagger: bouncing blade damages enemies & heals allies nearby. Cloak: auto-locks a Darkforce tether for steady DPS. |
| Dagger Storm / Dark Teleportation | RMB | 15 s | Dagger: volley that leaves a 6 s healing field. Cloak: phase-shift allies for 2 s, rendering them untargetable & boosting speed. |
| Light’s Embrace / Shadow’s Embrace | Shift | 1 s swap | Instant stance switch; heals on entry to Dagger, deals AoE damage on entry to Cloak. Separate cooldowns—abuse them to weave back-to-back abilities. |
| Veil of Lightforce / Terror Cape | E | 12 s | Veil: place HoT pad + Healing Boost buff. Cape: Darkforce veil blinds & applies 20 % Vulnerable for 4 s. |
| Eternal Bond | Q | 3300 energy | Four rapid dashes that heal allies and damage enemies along the path. Chain with Dagger Storm for massive sustain. |
Cloak & Dagger Combos & Tech
| Combo | Sequence (ex. PC) | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Shadow Dive | Shift → E → RMB → Shift | Save an ally: swap to Cloak, apply Vulnerable, teleport ally, swap back. |
| Lightburst Peel | RMB → Q + WASD | Layer AoE heal from Dagger Storm with triple-dash ultimate to out-sustain enemy push. |
| 360º Rescue | RMB → Shift → E | Pull team with Dark Teleport, mid-air swap, land Veil of Lightforce for instant recovery. |
Cooldowns are stance-separate—swap immediately after firing a skill to access the other stance while the first ability recharges.
Match-Ups & Counters
Strong Against
- Hulk — Terror Cape’s Vulnerable melts his huge HP pool.
- Divers — Cloak's tracking damage helps apply pressure on characters diving into the backline.
Synergizes With
- Moon Knight — unique Team-Up grants him invisibility for lethal flanks.
- Magento — Bubble helps protect C&D during their ult.
Weak Against
- Hawkeye & Iron Man — sustained long-range pressure are tough to deal with.
- Magneto — his ult can easily counter C&D's ult during the animation
Best Maps & Macro Tips
| Map | Why Cloak & Dagger Shine |
|---|---|
| Midtown – Empire of Eternal Night | Narrow lanes amplify Terror Cape zoning, and teleport pathways let you skip street corners. |
| Krakoa Domination | Multiple vertical drops enable clutch ally saves with Dark Teleport. |
Payload & Objective Play
Dash through the cart with Eternal Bond for overtime stalls. Drop a Veil of Lightforce on capture points before swapping to Cloak for body-blocks.
Story Role in Marvel Rivals
As New York falls under Dracula’s rule, Cloak and Dagger find themselves caught in a cosmic anomaly caused by the Timestream Entanglement. While teleporting through the Darkforce Dimension, they become molecularly entangled, existing as one being who can only manifest physically one at a time. Seeking help, they turn to Reed Richards, who theorizes a way to separate them permanently. However, his experimental device only offers a temporary fix—any attempt to teleport risks fusing them back together. Despite their strained dynamic and shifting roles—Dagger becoming more ruthless while Cloak grows merciful—the duo joins the resistance against the vampire army, struggling to maintain their sense of self in a city lost to eternal night.
During a mission to save civilians from a vampire ambush, Dagger’s recklessness forces Cloak into an impossible choice. Ignoring Reed’s warnings, he teleports to rescue her, knowing it will rebind them into a single existence. Though they successfully escape, Dagger’s physical form disappears, leaving her consciousness trapped within Cloak once more. Frustrated but grateful, she acknowledges their bond, and Cloak reassures her that they will always balance each other—her light guiding his darkness, and his shadows shielding her radiance. Accepting their fate, Cloak returns to the battlefield, alone in body but forever connected to his partner in spirit.
Essential Cloak & Dagger Comics
| Year | Title | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Cloak & Dagger (4-issue mini) | First solo adventure defines their war on drugs. |
| 1985-87 | Cloak & Dagger: Shadows & Light | Explores their powers’ ethical limits. |
| 1987-89 | Strange Tales Vol 2 #1-19 | Deep dive into the Darkforce Dimension. |
| 1990 | Cloak & Dagger Vol 2 #1-11 | Tests their bond when powers go haywire. |
| 2011 | Spider-Island: Cloak & Dagger | Power swap arc during Manhattan contagion. |
| 2018 | Cloak & Dagger (Hopeless & Camagni) | Modern mini-series re-centers them in the Marvel Universe. |
TL;DR
- Swap forms constantly—separate cooldowns give near-permanent uptime on heals and debuffs.
- Terror Cape + team focus deletes tanks; Dark Teleport resets fights.
- Plan Eternal Bond dash paths with your team to swing objectives in the clutch.