Find your match for your next match!
Blizzard's team shooter bonanza Overwatch has come a long way since its launch in spring of 2016. Since then, a bevy of updates, patches, nerfs, buffs, and a few new faces has turned the hero-heavy game into a multiplayer sensation.
In this guide - which we'll update as more heroes join the ranks - we'll look at each character's role, difficulty, essential tips, and what kind of players will make a great match for their playstyle.
In short: Looking to find your new favorite hero? Need a quick primer for your next match? Don't worry, loves - the cavalry's here!
Doomfist
Role: Offense
Learning Curve: High
Teased since before the game was even out, Doomfist has finally arrived to Overwatch to wreak havoc! This melee-minded brute does things a little differently than the rest of the roster, but time will tell if he becomes a viable hero for all seasons.
The main driver for Doomfist is his series of punching abilities that let his mechanical gauntlet push, pull, and even uppercut his foes to where he wants them. Learn to juggle these abilities, and you'll be manipulating the battlefield and closing in for eliminations easy-peasy.
Helping your rush-in maneuver is Doomfist's passive trait, "The Best Defense..." This grants him free, temporary shields when he deals damage from his abilities, making bull-rush attacks more survivable if played right.
Managing the damage you deal in conjunction to how much you can take may make Doomfist feel more like he belongs in Heroes of the Storm than a first-person shooter, but it's a crucial balance to know.
On that note, be wary not to get Doomfist caught facing more than two or three foes at a time. Diving into a situation where Doomfist is too outnumbered for his bonus shields to absorb will certainly spell doom, but for you.
Perfect for: Those looking for a more aggressive take on Reinhardt's melee abilities and of course, anyone up to try Overwatch's newest hero.
Genji
Role: Offense
Learning Curve: High
Right off the bat, we should tell you: mastering Genji takes practice. Once honed, however, the cybernetic ninja easily becomes a never-ending thorn in the enemy team's side that adds an intangible edge in a stalemate.
Movement is the key to success for Genji. His double jump, wall crawl, and Swift Strike allow him to dodge trouble as well as cause some of his own against hard-to-reach enemies while evading more dangerous ones.
What your enemies will soon learn to hate most of all, however, is Genji's Deflect ability. With a single button press, Genji can ricochets enemy projectiles — including certain Ultimates — right back at them.
For example: Have an errant Bastion raining fury on your team? One dose of Deflect will shut him down in a literal second.
The catch is that any bullets that do reach Genji can shred his health pool to zero fast. Don't be afraid to run away when the battle isn't in your favor, and use those jumps and Swift Strikes to keep enemy reticles off your back.
That said, even though your hit points are few, resist the urge to mash the "Need Healing!" command — that's just good manners.
Perfect for: Melee-minded players who love precision, mobility, and anime-style takedowns.
McCree
Role: Offense
Learning Curve: Medium
McCree is a sharpshooter, through and through. The trick here is making each shot of his Peacemaker count. Thankfully, the hitscan nature of the futuristic cowpoke's revolver means that so long as your reticle is on a foe when you pull the trigger.
Since the Old West throwback does best when each bullet finds its mark, avoid multi-foe brawls where there aren't enough shots to go around and try to focus on picking off one enemy at a time.
While the anachronistic hero is best at medium-to-longish-range, McCree is still a threat up close, thanks to his Flashbang and Fan-the-Hammer abilities.
A Flashbanged enemy is a ripe target for a quick headshot or a sudden blast from the Fan-the-Hammer, which can tear a considerable amount of health even from the meatiest tank — so practice that aim!
Flashbang is also useful in a pinch, as an overwhelmed McCree ends up dead faster than you can say, "it's hiiiigh nooooon." Use that stun (and McCree's Combat Roll) to get out of sticky situations and you may live to see another day, pardner.
Perfect for: Twitchy players with a steady aim and an affinity for 12 o' clock. Also a choice pick for Offense players who don't mind working a range of distances.
Pharah
Role: Offense
Learning Curve: Low
If you had a history wielding a rocket launcher in old-school arena shooters like Quake or Unreal Tournament, then Pharah is the hero for you.
What makes Pharah work isn't just that her missiles — even ones that miss can lay on the hurt with splash damage — but also her mobility.
The Jump Jet ability lends the armored hero an aerial advantage, lending for some easy kills on enemies forgetting to look up. Master aiming mid-air and you'll be racking up kills with Pharah in no time.
While you're up there, keep an eye for enemies standing a little to close to a cliff or bottomless pit. A well-placed Concussive Blast tends to knock 'em right off to their doom.
Going airborne has its downsides, however. With no cover to fly behind, a flying Pharah is an easy skeet shoot for heroes like Widowmaker, McCree, or Bastion, so juggle your time on and off terra firma to keep opponents from sticking a bead on you.
Perfect for: Old-school shooter fans or players itching for a little more verticality. Also a great solution for clearing 'entrenched' threats like Torbjörn's turrets, Bastion, or a slew of Symmetra sentries.
Reaper
Role: Offense
Learning Curve: Low
Look past Reaper's cartoonish edginess, and you have a very effective Offense character who perfectly counters some of Overwatch's more frustrating threats.
Playing Reaper is just as much about gaining the advantage as it is abusing it, with Wraith Form and Shadow Step being excellent evasive abilities for sneaking past snipers, turrets, and traps — or sneaking up on unsuspecting foes.
So long as he gets the jump, a sneaky Reaper can become the bane of many an unwary foe, especially defensive ones like Widowmaker, Bastion, and Torbjörn.
Since Reaper's tools of the trade are two…*sigh* Hellfire Shotguns, getting all up in your opponents' collective grills is crucial. The spread shot does especially massive damage to larger targets like Winston and Roadhog, so proximity = power!
Should you find yourself encountering an enemy outside of your preferred range, however, don't be afraid to use Wraith Form and either peace out (or close the distance, since Wraith Form also reloads your shotguns for free.)
That said, Reaper is only truly effective when up close and personal, so if you're stuck in a sub-optimal range, you'll be the one meeting the reaper instead.
Perfect for: Players who prefer the aggressive approach; teenagers still going through their Hot Topic years. (Hey, we've all been there.) Also helps culls Tank heroes, who tend to have large hitboxes that shotguns find agreeable.
Soldier: 76
Role: Offense
Learning Curve: Low
The grizzled grandpa of Overwatch may seem like a generic Call of Duty-style 'run-and-gun' type at first glance, but that doesn't mean ol' Jack Morrison can't be a solid pick in Overwatch's world of wacky heroes.
The path to victory is balancing use of 76's Pulse Rifle with his explosive Helix Rockets - the precision of the former is best in short bursts and the splash damage of the latter makes for an excellent finishing blow.
76's more "conventional" style of FPS play is an intentional move by Blizzard to acclimate CoD-trained players to the game's over-the-top cartoon antics, so if you're a newbie, definitely play a few rounds with this guy to get your bearings.
Once confident in your skills, you can actually keep sticking with Soldier: 76, so long as you keep remembering to push the payload and take the objective — speaking of, his Biotic Field is a blessing when the team is down a healer or if you wind up holding off the point solo, so use it often!
Perfect for: Players who want to translate their skill from other shooters without practicing too many oddball mechanics. Also a well-rounded choice when the team composition is already looking fairly good.
Sombra
Role: Offense
Learning Curve: High
A skilled hacker and infiltrator extraordinaire, mastering Sombra's toolkit requires knowledge of your surroundings, as well as your opponents' capabilities. Fun though she is to play, know that making the most of Sombra will take some serious time!
Using Hack, Sombra can negate enemy abilities — and nearby health kits! — to keep foes from using their once-reliable ways of keeping alive. Healers or other heroes that rely more on abilities than raw damage make excellent targets, as Sombra's hacks can keep them from turning the tide against your team.
Thermoptic Camo and Translocator also offer Sombra ample ways to get out of a fight she might not win — the latter of which can get her to some interesting locations, since it can be used mid-air.
Though a slippery one, Sombra is the very definition of 'squishy,' as her Hack can take time to channel/cool down and her Thermoptic Camo breaks if she takes any damage.
In short, set up a Translocator before running into any heavy frays and use it the minute things go south. When the time's right, Sombra will strike again with fresh hacks and maybe even an EMP Blast to really set things right.
Perfect for: Players looking to put their map knowledge to use. Also makes a fun pick in some of Overwatch's Arcade modes, such as 3-vs-3 skirmishes or Capture the Flag.
Tracer
Role: Offense
Learning Curve: Medium
Much like Vin Diesel's career, Tracer plays best when things are fast and furious.
Newer players will need to adjust to the speed of her Blink teleport and rapid-fire Pulse Pistols, but once you have a handle on her, prepare to be a glorious hassle for the enemy team.
Blinking through enemy lines — or using Recall to duck out of a sticky situation — makes Tracer a perfect pick for taking out problems in the back row, such as stationary turrets or all-too-comfortable snipers.
Another fun thing to do with Tracer is zoom past the enemy's defenses and try to capture the point while they aren't looking. Even if they become wise to your antics, taking the time to deal with them may break down the enemy's ironclad defense for the rest of your team.
However, Tracer is about as sturdy as a dry noodle and will crumple to just about anything that can land a solid hit on her, so always be moving and always keep a Blink charge at the ready for getting out of a bad place.
Also, Recall may rewind you back to safety, but it's not a get-out-of-jail-free card - it won't prevent being stunned, frozen, trapped, or knocked down!
Perfect for: Those of you with a hundred hours spent playing The Scout in Team Fortress 2. Also good for disrupting enemies who can't keep up with Tracer's speed.
Bastion
Role: Defense
Learning Curve: Low
Bastion may get hate for being a supposed "zero-skill" hero but at the end of the day, a Bastion in the right place at the right time stops an aggressive enemy team cold and you can't teach that.
The Sentry Configuration is the crux of Bastion's playstyle, turning the mute robot into a devastating — albeit immobile — turret.
The trick is finding a cozy choke point near the objective and applying constant pressure on the enemy, all while taking quick breaks in between firefights to use the Self-Repair ability (which you can now use while moving!)
Essentially: don't go looking for trouble — let it stumble upon you. That said, the most important thing to remember when playing as Bastion is making sure you keep an eye on your six.
See, Bastion takes double damage if he's hit from behind in Sentry mode, so back up against walls, keep an eye out for flankers, and Self-Repair frequently.
Perfect for: Players who enjoy tower defense games more than first-person shooters. Also a great choice at chokepoints when you simply can't afford to give up an inch to the enemy team.
Hanzo
Role: Defense
Learning Curve: High
Memes about him aside, Hanzo's lethal bow skills make him an excellent choice for players looking for an alternative take on sniping — if they have the patience for it.
With his arrows affected by gravity and pull strength, tricky abilities to aim like Scatter Arrow and his Ultimate, and a small health pool, Hanzo is best as a lone wolf in the background, which can make contributing to the brawl your team is putting on a challenge.
A good way to survive as Hanzo is regularly loosing Sonic Arrows to scout out potential prey — or avoiding traps — while saving room-clearing Scatter Arrows as a close-range maneuver or flushing out hiding enemies marked with your Sonic Arrow.
While we know being a 'Hanzo Mains' doesn't always mean you're not a team player, do remember that a second sniper is usually redundant on a team with a Widowmaker or Ana already on board.
Trust us, you can't keep a payload moving with half the team perched on a vantage point miles away. Plus, we need a healer, darnit!
Perfect for: Players who can keep their trajectory under pressure and know a few things about simple geometry.
Junkrat
Role: Defense
Learning Curve: Medium
Junkrat's arsenal of grenades, mines, and bear traps give him a special 'X-factor' that makes him a perfect pick for dislodging battened-down enemy teams.
This is especially the case when Junkrat has the higher ground. Detonating a Concussion Mine beneath Junkrat's feet is an easy way to access hard-to-reach places, so practice this skill often and then prepare to rain explody death from above!
While you're at it, practice everything else. Junkrat's lobbed weapons and traps require a little knowledge to land juuust where you want them, and knowing the topography of each map is a must.
Once you got a handle for Junkrat's inventory of volatile toys, do try to avoid 1-on-1 battles and make sure to look up — this trash boy of a hero simply cannot deal with any airborne or high-perched foes.
If you do perish, don't get discouraged! Junkrat leaves behinds bombs upon each death so even if you fail, the blast may possibly buy your team precious seconds in a match.
Perfect for: Patient players with a penchant for projecting and planting pyrotechnics with perfect precision.
Mei
Role: Defense
Learning Curve: High
If you ran Mister Freeze through the Pixar character design department, you'd have Mei.
She freezes enemies dead in their tracks, throws up ice walls, and can shield herself from the worst an opponent can throw at her — making her tricky for novices playing as her and terrifying for novices playing against her.
Mei works best when numbers are in her favor, as she can only concentrate on freezing one subject at a time (unless she's using her Ultimate) so make sure your Mei has backup in case things don't go her way.
Mei's skill set also does its best (or worst, depending on which end you're on) when it keeps opponents from doing what they want to — or going where they need to — so see if you can keep enemies from retreating and treat them to a headshot instead.
Speaking of headshots: Mei's sharpened icicle projectile may be tricky to wield, but it's essential for picking off foes so definitely give it a practice run at the ol' target range.
In short: Just chill near the objective, play ice with your allies, and give your enemies the cold shoulder.
Perfect for: Those who have the most fun when they are denying it from others. That, or fans of ice puns.
Torbjörn
Role: Defense
Learning Curve: Medium
This Swedish mechanic can set up a mean defense thanks to his trusty hand-built turret. The secret is learning the 'wheres' and 'whens' to deploy that gear.
In the right position, Torbjörn's mechanical sentry can be just as much a hassle for the enemy team as a well-placed Bastion — all while still granting you the freedom to move around and shoot in an entirely different location!
Finding the right place to build is key, but the real trick is making sure you're spending downtime hunting scrap to build Armor Packs for you and your team.
Thankfully, one of the more recent patches makes scrap accumulate automatically over time, so you have no excuse to not forge armor constantly — those extra 75 hit points are a boon in a major firefight!
One thing to watch out for, however, is knowing when to cut your loses and begin anew. Torbjörn's Rivet Gun isn't the greatest for engaging the enemy head-on, and going back to save a turret under fire could result in going down with the ship.
Perfect for: Those who enjoy Bastion's style of defending, but would prefer a little more helicopter parenting over the team.
Widowmaker
Role: Defense
Learning Curve: Medium
As straight-forward as the sniper class gets, Widowmaker is perfect for precision-minded players with a steady hand.
Besides the obvious long-range advantage she lords over the competition, she also sports some handy mobility thanks to her Grappling Hook.
Grappling up to ledges and rooftops is one way to gain a nice vantage, but the Hook can also help Widowmaker flee to a neighboring vista if her position is compromised. What we're trying to say here is: get good with the Grappling Hook!
Additionally, Widow's motion-activated Venom Mine is also as good at offense as it is saving Widow's hide. Place them somewhere near your flank and they can help warn when an enemy's getting too close for comfort — ensuring a clean getaway or even a premeditated counter-attack!
As far as weaknesses go, Widow can get picked off clean by other snipers or heroes with good mobility like Genji, so try not to stay in the same place too long.
It's easy to get tunnel vision, since Widowmaker's rifle gets more powerful the longer you stay zoomed-in, but remember to keep an eye on your immediate surroundings, and you'll be fine.
Perfect for: Anyone who likes playing snipers in literally any shooter ever.
D.Va
Role: Tank
Learning Curve: Medium
Thanks to multiple buffs over the past year and change, D.Va is now a solid hitter — if not a must-have — in the Tank department.
Her Defense Matrix puts up an impressive barrier that, especially when combined with her MEKA's boosters, can easily close the distance between her and her foe. When it comes to putting pressure on enemies, no one beats D.Va.
She also sports the highest amount of armor in the game - indicated by the yellow portion of her hit pool — making her especially effective against rapid-fire heroes like Tracer or Soldier: 76.
Her powerful self-destructing Ultimate can also be 'thrown' into the enemy ranks with a little practice. To do this, hit those boosters, start the countdown mid-flight, and jump out to some fireworks. This skill is crucial for surprising the enemy, as they can't run away from the exploding mecha if they don't know where it'll land!
Just don't get too cocky after the blast — without her mobile suit, D.Va can't exactly soak up damage when she's exposed. Keep a safe distance and take potshots with her sidearm until a new MEKA arrives!
Perfect for: Tank players who love versatility. D.Va touts mobility, damage, and team protection all in one 1337-speaking, Dorito-munching, Mountain Dew-chugging package!
Orisa
Role: Tank
Learning Curve: Medium
The giant mecha-centaur that is Orisa has no trouble bringing a high rate of damage-dealing for your team, but truly shines when it comes time to prevent the enemy from lashing back.
Orisa's deployable Protective Barrier ensures your teammates can stick their necks out into otherwise dangerous territory — and thanks to its relatively generous cooldown, can be re-deployed quickly to a more advantageous position, should things fall apart.
Also helpful is her Halt! ability, which fires an orb that stops enemies in their tracks. Use it to pull foes out of cover or, even better, dunk them into a bottomless pit!
Just be sure to keep those Protective Barriers on hand and make use of Orisa's Fortify ability to prevent getting knocked down, slowed, or stunned. Orisa may be a powerhouse, but she has little in the way of keeping her own health up when things go wrong.
Perfect for: Multitasking players who want to juggle the damage absorption of a Tank hero, the team protection of a Support hero, and the sustained damage of an Offense hero, but is okay being a master of none.
Reinhardt
Role: Tank
Learning Curve: Low
Reinhardt is one of those heroes that works well in just about any map, and is simply the tankiest Tank to ever tank.
Old Reiny can throw his weight (and battlehammer) around in a pinch, but his bullet-soaking Barrier Shield is where it's at.
Protecting the objective, a friendly turret, or your favorite medic won't just net thumbs-up from the rest of your team — a good Reinhardt straight-up wins matches.
Just be sure to keep a mental note not to over-extend. Reinhardt's flanks are easy to exploit if you venture too far and since attacking requires dropping your shield, fighting back may only make things worse.
So long as you have a buddy (or five) to keep behind your shield, Reinhardt's protection can be the ultimate edge needed to power through checkpoints, hold an important objective, or stave off a massive counter-attack. Again, just watch those flanks!
Perfect for: Anyone who believes that the best offense is a good defense, and knows to put the objective first before their personal kill count.
Roadhog
Role: Tank
Learning Curve: Low
With redonk amounts of health — and no trouble keeping it full thanks to his healing ability, Take a Breather — Roadhog has the sustainability of a classic jungler, to use League of Legends parlance, with the bullet-soaking toughness of a tank.
Self-healing has a low cooldown and even helps build up his Ultimate, so slot in frequent Breathers to keep in the fight and you'll be putting mad pressure on the enemy team in no time.
The real meat of Roadhog's offensive, however, is his Chain Hook. Even multiple nerfs later, this aggressive technique snags unsuspecting foes (such as an errant Mercy or entrenched Bastion) and brings them in for a big ol' Roadhug, aka a Scrap Gun blast to the chest.
Just remember: the Scrap Gun only holds a limited number of shots, so losing count could result in an embarrassing moment where your Chain Hooked victim just watches you reload instead of getting their proper shot in the face.
Also important is that Roadies's massive frame means enemies won't have a hard time hitting him, so make sure you're the one doing the shooting at close range or otherwise Roadhog can easily become Roadkill.
Perfect for: Those who loved Scorpion's "get over here!" spear move in Mortal Kombat and also own a Blu-Ray of Mad Max: Fury Road.
Winston
Role: Tank
Learning Curve: Medium
Despite being a giant armored gorilla, Winston is both a well-spoken gentleman and (more importantly, in this instance) a capable defender in battle.
Winston's Jump Pack ability allows the powerful primate to slam into enemy lines from a distance, disrupting their flow with his protective Barrier Projector and auto-aiming Tesla Cannon — the latter being especially effective against hard-to-hit nuisances like Genji, Sombra, or Tracer.
An excellent pick for making the opposing team scatter, Winston can easily mess with backstage Support-types and long-range heroes who've gotten a little too comfortable in their entrenched position.
That said, always check to see if your team will actually show up with reinforcements before you jump in. Winston becomes quite a big target for a counter-attack once his Barrier drops, so he better not be alone when it does.
Perfect for: Those more concerned with rallying the team to break through the lines than raw damage. Also a great pick for taking objectives at the last minute!
Zarya
Role: Tank
Learning Curve: High
An intriguing blend of Tank and semi-Support, Zarya's barriers can protect herself and her allies for brief moments, all the while channeling that damage into her Particle Cannon to make it deadlier.
The key here is juggling barriers, particularly baiting enemies into hitting you or a teammate and soaking up as much of the damage as possible. That damage bonus slowly wears down, however, so keep looking for opportunities to cast barriers!
Additionally, Zarya's Ultimate, Graviton Surge, isn't too much to sniff at on its own, but is actually one of the most devastating abilities in the game.
Wrangling up your foes into an inescapable gravity well, a well-placed Zarya Ult sets up the perfect opportunity for teammates to toss in their own Ultimates for that game-changing Team Kill. Try your best to communicate when you're about to pop off your Surge so your team can chime in at the right moment!
Also in the vein on teamwork, Zarya's barriers make her somewhat of a pseudo-medic on top of her bruiser duties, so if sticking close by your squad isn't your jam, you may want to consider a new hero.
Perfect for: When you need a Tank, but don't trust the healer to keep the entire team alive.
Ana
Role: Support
Learning Curve: High
Ana, the first post-launch hero to grace Overwatch, is a sniper/Support mix, hurting enemies from a distance while popping allies to restore their health.
She can also use her Biotic Grenade to boost your team's healing rate — or stop your opposition from healing at all! Knowing when to keep the team alive or the enemy dead will become a skill you'll have to practice if you plan on maining Ana.
Same goes with the Ana's Sleep Dart — this ability can save Ana's skin (and often her team's) more times than we care to count, so it's worth getting a handle on.
With a tricky skillset and distinct lack of mobility, Ana does make an easy target if she's not protected. Learn to play keep-away from enemies (i.e. slapping them with a Sleep Dart and bailing) and you should be fine.
If you've got the touch, Ana can create massive advantage for your team, especially when a well-placed Nano Boost is in play, but be sure to practice so you don't wind up a liability for the team.
Perfect for: Snipers that want to make love, not war. Also, higher-level Overwatch players looking for a technically challenging hero.
Lúcio
Role: Support
Learning Curve: Medium
The true essence of the Support class, Lúcio makes the team better just by standing there, boosting allies within earshot with his healing/speed-boosting jams.
The "trick" to Lúcio is keeping his Amp It Up ability readied in the chamber for the best possible moment. The amount of health gained by a well-timed boost, especially on three or four allies at once, can be just the rallying cry needed to take back the game during a big battle.
Lúcio can also use his Sonic Amplifier's Soundwave skill to buy your team some breathing room from aggressive enemies — or simply push foes off a ledge to their death, so learn the map if you want to rack up some free kills on the side while keeping your team alive.
As mobile as he is, however, don't stray too far from the group. Lúcio's little good to the team when out of range, and even less useful if he's picked off by a wandering McCree or Pharah.
Perfect for: Anyone looking to play a "hands-off" healer or just really liked Jet Set Radio.
Mercy
Role: Support
Learning Curve: Low
Arguably the most straightforward Support hero for newcomers (and possibly the most powerful in the hands of experts) a well-played Mercy turns a losing game into a comeback victory on a dime.
On top of her standard M.O. of healing allies with her tethered beam, Mercy's damage boost ability can help her patients pick off enemies, ensuring she's always making a difference as long as you're paying full attention to what buffs you're applying to which hero.
Couple this with her Guardian Angel dash for added mobility and the game-shattering ability to resurrect fallen allies in the middle of a losing fight, and you can see why Mercies are often a must-have for any team.
Just be sure to stick to the background and let the team do the dirty work unless absolutely necessary — Mercy's Resurrect doesn't work on herself, after all!
Perfect for: Anyone! Seriously, the match is starting in ten seconds and we still need a healer.
Symmetra
Role: Support
Learning Curve: Medium
Symmetra plays more like a Defense hero than a Support, if we're being honest. Even after a major rework to her abilities, the Vishkar Corporation technician plays more like Torbjörn or Mei than, say, Mercy or Zenyatta.
She doesn't heal, debuff the enemy, or increase your damage output. Instead, she 'supports' the team's effort by setting up turrets, flinging a moving shield to close in on foes, and sets up a construct that either teleports freshly-respawned heroes back in the fray or gives them a passive shielding boost.
The fun and strategy of playing Symmetra lie in her Sentries — little light constructs that act as turrets when enemies wander too close.
Symmetra's sentries are distracting at worst, lethal traps at best, so be sure to stick them somewhere hard to reach. Blind spots like a ceiling can zap impatient Tanks that barge in or pick off weakened Offense heroes when placed near a health pack. Your imagination (and number of turrets) is the only limit!
Keep your head on a swivel, though! Symmetra is good at aiding the overall team effort, but her needing to be relatively close to foes to use her primary weapon is a sure way to wind up dead if she can't safely close the distance.
Perfect for: Strategist-types that know wars are won just as often with subterfuge as raw firepower.
Zenyatta
Role: Support
Learning Curve: High
Ever since one of the earliest post-launch patches buffed him up to "playable," we can safely say the spiritual Omnic is officially worth your time if you're willing to put some in.
Novices will still have to work at it to achieve true Zen, but anyone desiring a more aggressive take on Support need not ignore this mechanical monk.
The path to enlightenment here is lining up your shots — Zenyatta's Orb of Harmony and Orb of Discord heal allies and weaken enemies respectively, but require a constant line of sight. Juggling your Orbs with purpose and concentrating on a single friend and foe at a time is essential here.
Also consider keeping a fair distance, as it not only helps you land Orbs of Harmony on allies who need a quick heal but also ensures you don't wind up getting wrecked. Even with a buff, Zenyatta is ironically squishy for a man made of metal.
Perfect for: Support fans who want to toss in damage from time to time or snubbed the poor guy back when the game launched.
