Overwatch Beginners Guide To Heroes

For those of you who have just started playing Overwatch, checkout this guide for an overview of each champion and a couple of tips and tricks that could help you improve your gameplay, good luck out on the field!

Bastion Tips

Bastion is a solid champion that can output a huge amount of damage per second. One great way to use Bastion is to sit on top of the payload whilst in Sentry configuration (L Shift). It allows you to move through the map and still unload your incredible damage.

Hero Combination: Combine Bastion with Reindhart and you can make it very difficult for the enemy team, the enemy team should switch heroes to counter you.

D.VA Tips

D.VA is super strong, she has great damage, mobility, survivability and a great ultimate for clearing out those pesky Torbj?rn and Bastion players. A great way to use D.VA is to go all in when you have your ultimate ready, try and do as much damage as possible and right when your about to jump out of your Mech, use your Q and run. Then jump back into your mech to finish off the enemy heroes, if there are any left!

Hero Combination: Reaper and Mei work great with D.VA, they need to get in close and D.VA also needs to get in close, combining Reapers Shadow Step (E), D.VA’s boosters (L Shift) and D.VA’s defense matrix (E) you can jump in and provide great defense for reaper to help you destroy the enemy heroes up close.

Genji Tips

Genji can be a little tricky on some maps, he needs to be up close and personal with his ultimate to use it effectively, although his speed and wall climbing make it easier to get into a good position. In my opinion Genji is the best character at taking down Bastion/Torbjorn from a distance, especially for new players. You can run in, direct your aim at the turret and then use your Deflect (E) to kill them very quickly, especially if multiple characters are shooting at you. Make sure you save your swift strike to get the hell out of there afterwards.

Hero Combination: Genji works great with heroes who can get in disrupt the enemy team, Winston is a great choice, along with Zarya who can shield Genji has he jumps into the fray.

Hanzo Tips

Hanzo is a decent champion, although sometimes a little difficult to use effectively. Use your sonic arrow as much as possible, you can still shoot enemies with it and if you miss you can see their location. Generally you will find yourself opposite another sniper, so don’t stay in one position, keep moving between shots to make yourself harder to hit.

Hero Combination: Hanzo’s ultimate is very strong if used correctly. The best champions to combo Hanzo’s ultimate is Reindhart and Mei, they can both lock down champions and stop them from moving, whilst Dragonstrike (Q) deals massive damage to them.

Junkrat Tips

Junkrat is most effective when laying down a flurry of frag grenades. He can keep certain champions pinned down and deals huge damage. When using your ultimate try and sneak up on enemy heroes rather than go straight for them, don’t forget your Rip-Tire (Q) can jump too.

Hero Combination: Junkrat combined with Symmetra can really pin down the enemy and force them into a certain direction.

Lúcio Tips

Lúcio is a fantastic support with a lot of utility. On maps like Illios don’t forget to use your Sound Wave (Right Click) to knock enemies off the edge of the map. If you get knocked off by an enemy champion, try to jump back to the wall, you might be able to get back on by Wall Riding your way back to safe ground.

Hero Combination: Lúcio works well with champions that are most effective for longer periods of time, Soldier: 76 and any other champion that can help heal over time, make it difficult for the enemy team to remove them from combat. Lúcio also works great with Melee champions who need to get up close and personal, thanks to his Crossfade (L Shift) and Sound Barrier (Q).

McCree Tips

McCree can be difficult for new players (myself included) as he requires a high level of accuracy compared to other champions to be really effective. He straddles the line between medium range and melee combat, thanks to his Flashbang (E) he can go toe to toe with quite a few champions and come out on top. Don’t forget to use your combat roll (L Shift) if you see an enemy ultimate coming your way.

Hero Combination: McCree works well with disruptive heroes like Winston who can take the heat off of him and let him take down enemies from medium range, Roadhog also works great.

Mei Tips

Mei is a solid champion and is terrifying when faced alone. Make sure to keep an eye out for low health enemies and try to drop your Ice Wall (E) behind them to stop them from retreating. After you have frozen an enemy champion, try to Head Shot them with your Icicle Launcher (Right Click).

Hero Combination: Mei works great with distruptive heroes and other heroes who like to get in close, Winston and D.VA work great as a way to engage combat. Don’t forget your Cryo-Freeze! Mei also works well with champions who deal massive damage with their ultimates, like Hanzo, McCree and Pharah.

Mercy Tips

Mercy is such a great champion, all she really lacks is the ability to defend herself when she has no allies nearby, her pistol does average damage and that’s the only offensive capabilities she has, which means stick with your team mates!

Hero Combination: Mercy combined with Bastion can be terrifying, the damage output can take you by surprise and if you keep re-positioning rather then staying in one place, it can be a real pain for the enemy team. Mercy also works great with Soldier: 76, they can keep at medium range and both heal each other, allowing staying at medium range allows Mercy to drop back or jump forward to heal a critical ally or resurrect her team.

Pharah Tips

Pharah can be frustrating if the enemy team are constantly on the move, which means you will have to try and telegraph the enemy heroes movement. Don’t forget to use your Concussive Blast (E) on maps like Illios where you can knock people off the edge. Be careful not to jump high in the air and use your Barrage (Q) and make yourself an easy target, sometimes it’s better to sneak around the side and use it instead.

Hero Combination: Pharah works great from a distance, which makes her great with defensive champions when defending, like Bastion or Torbjorn.

Reaper Tips

Reaper can deal huge amounts of damage, sometimes it’s tempting to chase the squishier characters, but try shooting Roadhog or Winston and you will deal insane damage to them (up close of course). Use your Shadow Step (E) to teleport behind the enemy team and sneak up on them. When trying to use your Death Blossom (Q) teleport a little out of range of the main area of combat and then Wraith Form (L Shift) into the heat of battle and unleash your damage, hopefully with another ally to take some hits for you.

Hero Combination: Reaper works great with other Melee champions like Mei or Roadhog. He needs to be able to get in close and unload his Hellfire Shotguns.

Reinhardt Tips

Reinhardt, in my opinion is one of the best champions in the game, he can escort payloads, defend check points and all thanks to his shield. In all honesty the rest of his abilities feel like a bonus compared to his shield. Your shield regenerates after not having it up for a little while, so make sure to perform a tactical retreat when necessary. His Melee damage with his hammer is incredible, when using your ultimate charge in and smash some faces.

Hero Combination: Reinhardt works well with Bastion on payload maps, Mercy on most maps and to be honest most champions.

Roadhog Tips

Roadhog can be a bit of a beast if used correctly, his Chain Hook (L Shift) can drag enemies off the edge of the map, along with his Whole Hog (Q). By dodging in and out of cover and using Take A Breather (E) you can stay in combat for a long time. The main thing to be careful with on Roadhog is characters like Reaper, who deals huge amounts of damage to big ol’ Roadhog.

Hero Combination: Roadhog is a great champion and works well with characters who need someone to get in there and distrupt the enemy team, he can take attention off snipers and characters like Mei who can find it difficult to be effective in large group battles.

Soldier: 76 Tips

Soldier: 76 has good sustained damage and excellent burst damage with his Helix Rockets (Right Click). Don’t forget that your Biotic Field (E) also heals allies, use it by healing anyone who needs it and not just yourself, the cooldown on it is fairly low.

Hero Combination: Solider: 76 works great with characters like Junkrat who disrupt the flow of battle, when Junkrat and Pharah have enemy heroes pinned down, flank them with your Tactical Visor (Q) to deal huge amounts of damage.

Symmetra Tips

Symmetra is great at defending specific locations, defending choke points on the map. Don’t forget to shield all of your allies and try to keep their shields up. Use your teleport as soon as you have it, but make sure to hide well. Along with your Sentry Turrets (L Shift) you can also keep enemies pinned down by using a series of Fire Orbs (Right Click).

Hero Combination: Symmetra works great with Junkrat if you are trying to defend certain locations, along with Widomaker and Hanzo.

Torbjorn Tips

Torbjorn is limited in his attack capabilities as his main focus is on his Build Turret (L Shift), without it he has an average gun. The best way to make the most of Torbjorn is on Payload maps or Defense. If your team are about to lose a checkpoint it may be too slow to build a turret and upgrade it to level 2 rather than just use your Molten Core (Q) and go in all guns blazing, as you gain a lot of health.

Hero Combination: Torbjorn works great with Snipers, together they can make it very hard for the enemy team to move into a position to be able to deal with the turrets.

Tracer Tips

Tracer is an assassin based champion with a little bit of survivability, although she can easily be one shot by certain characters. Tracer can deal a lot of damage, especially when dealing multiple headshots. Make sure to flank or sneak up behind the enemy by using your Blink (L Shift) to re-position in battle. Pulse bomb (Q) can be used to great effect on characters that like to stay in on position, Bastion, Torbjorn and Widowmaker, jump in with your Blink (L Shift), use your Pulse Bomb (Q) and Recall (E).

Hero Combination: Tracer works great alone, but works better if the enemy team are distracted/distrupted, champions that work well with her are Winston, Roadhog and Junkrat.

Widowmaker Tips

Widowmaker is the most reliable sniper in the game, her gun is more accurate than Hanzo’s bow, although her other abilties do lack a little bit to compensate. Don’t forgot to listen out for footsteps when you are looking through your scope, you can be flanked very easily and killed.

Hero Combination: Widowmaker works great with champions that need an opening, like Genji or Mei. From a distance she can keep enemies pinned down and provider covering fire to those melee champions, she also works great on defense with Junkrat and Symmetra by closing off certain choke points.

Winston Tips

Winston can be a little vulnerable when jumping into large groups of enemies, be careful not to just jump in and die, try to pick off squishier champions that have separated from the main group. If your whole team are charging in, then by all means join them! When using your Primal Rage (Q), try and knock enemies off the side of the map.

Hero Combination: Winston works great with characters like Genji and Reaper who need someone jumping in with them and annoying the enemy team, whilst they unload a lot of damage.

Zarya Tips

Zarya is one of the strongest tanks in the game, she can completely ignore damage for a short period of time, regenerate her shields and control large groups of enemies. One thing to be careful of is that your Graviton Surge (Q) doesn’t stop the enemy team from firing, it only drags them into the same location. The best strategy is to combine it your Graviton Surge (Q) other allies ultimate abilities and fire grenades from a distance into the grouped up enemies. Don’t forget to shield your allies!

Hero Combination: Zarya is a solid tank on defense and attack, she works well with a lot of champions but is most effective with champions that need to get in close to deal their maximum damage, like Reaper or Tracer.

Zenyatta Tips

Zenyatta is an ok support, but generally seems to excel in the amount of damage he can throw out. His energy projectile combined with Orb of Discord can deal huge amounts of damage to the enemy. Orb of harmony is great on tanks as it slowly tops them up to full health and Orb of Discord is great at dealing with particularly annoying characters like Bastion.

Hero Combination: Zenyatta works will with most champions, although he is best with tanks and medium range characters like Soldier: 76 and McCree.