Overwatch is a MOBA FPS team-based game developed by Blizzard. It was released on 24th May 2016, it has since amassed over 25 million players and counting. With a steady stream of new players coming into the game, I have put together some hero recommendations for beginners.
Since it is a MOBA game, the heroes are categorized into 4 main classes: Offense, Defense, Tank and Support. Even though the heroes are from the same class, their play styles are totally different from each other because every hero has their own unique abilities and different heroes are suited for different maps. I’ve picked one hero from each class that I consider beginner friendly and suitable for most maps.
OFFENSE: Soldier: 76
Soldier: 76 is a typical FPS hero much like the ones you find in other FPS games such as Call of Duty. This hero is the most basic, to the extent of being used in the tutorials when you first play the game.
Soldier: 76 has 5 abilities in total. The first ability, Heavy Pulse Rifle which is his basic ability, is an automatic assault rapid fire hitscan weapon. His second ability, Helix Rockets, is a projectile splash weapon which deals damage to enemies around targeted area upon contact and has an 8 second cool down. (Note: If the rockets explode near Soldier: 76, it will also damage himself. So if you are low on HP, you can choose to kill yourself instead of giving your opponent the kill.)
The third ability, Sprint, is an ability which allows Soldier: 76 to move forward at a faster speed. It does not deal any damage, but it is a good ability to run away from your opponents, especially when there are a bunch of enemies coming for you. The fourth ability, Biotic Field, is a device which he can deploy on the ground to heal himself and his comrades within radius. Lastly, his ultimate ability, Tactical Visor, locks onto the enemy closest to his crosshair and all you have to do is press ‘shoot’. Some players call this ability the aim-bot.
The reason why Soldier: 76 is my recommended offense hero for beginners is because his abilities are straightforward and if you are a FPS gamer, it is easy for you to learn. On top of that, his ultimate ability does not require any advance skill; all you need to do is just focus fire on your enemies.
DEFENSE: Junkrat
Junkrat is an insane bomber hero who loves to create mayhem and destruction. Junkrat’s basic ability is Frag Launcher, a projectile splash damage type weapon. The explosives can ricochet off surfaces making it very useful in narrow corridors and tight spaces. If you can find the right angle, you can make use of surfaces and fire explosives without exposing yourself to your enemies! (I swear to god, it can get so annoying.)
Concussion Mine is Junkrat’s second ability. Junkrat places a mine which he can trigger to damage his enemies and send them flying into the sky or propel himself into the air. His third ability, Steel Trap can be placed on the ground, immobilizing enemies who walk too close to the trap and damaging them. If paired with a concussion mine, Junkrat could instantly kill heroes with low HP such as Tracer.
His passive ability, Total Mayhem, drops several grenades upon death damaging enemies around that area. Lastly, RIP-Tire is Junkrat’s ultimate ability. Junkrat revs up a motorized tire bomb which can climb over obstacles and walls. He remotely controls it to move around the battlefield and detonate to cause massive damage around that area. If Junkrat is caught in the explosion, it also deals damage to himself.
In my opinion, Junkrat is the most beginner friendly in the defence class because he can cause massive damage to his opponent and does not require good aiming skills. All the player needs to do is to spam grenades in the general direction of the enemies, no skills required.
TANK: Reinhardt
Reinhardt is a tank class melee hero and the only melee hero as of now. He is possibly the must pick hero in every game. His first ability, Rocket Hammer is activated when Reinhardt swings his hammer in a wide arc, damaging enemies in front of him with every swing.
Barrier Field is Reinhardt’s second ability, which allows him to project a rectangular forward-facing energy barrier which absorbs substantial damage before being destroyed, protecting himself and his team mates behind the barrier. When the barrier field is deployed, his movement speed is slightly reduced and he is unable to attack as long as he is sustaining the shield.
His third ability, Charge, causes him to charge in a straight line pinning the first enemy in his path, and when he collides with a wall, the pinned enemy suffers from extreme damage. With his third ability, Fire Strike, he whips his rocket hammer forward, slinging a flaming projectile which pierces through and damaging enemies in contact. On top of that, Fire Strike is able to pierce through enemy’s Reinhardt shield but it does not pierce through D.Va’s Defence Matrix.
Lastly, Earthshatter is Reinhardt’s ultimate ability. To activate it, he slams his rocket hammer into the ground in front of him, knocking down and damaging enemies in front of him. His ultimate ability is useful in many situations, such as preventing enemies to enter the point or to combo with another hero’s ultimate.
Among the heroes in the tank class, Reinhardt is the easier hero to play. All the player needs to do is hold up his shield and occasionally swing his hammer to damage enemies near him. The reason why Reinhardt is recommended is because he has been the staple tank in the meta for a long time; almost every team requires a Reinhardt as he is a good tank and a disabler as well.
SUPPORT: Lucio
Lucio is an area healing and speed boost support type hero. Lucio’s first ability, Sonic Amplifier, allows Lucio to damage his enemies or to knock them back with a blast of sound, if used properly, Lucio is able to knock his enemies off the map, instantly killing them. His second ability, Crossfade, allows him to switch between two songs: one amplifies movement speed and the other regenerates health which buffs his comrades within his vicinity.
His third ability, Amp it up, allows him to boost the effects of his songs, buffing up his comrades for a short period of time. Lucio also has a passive ability, Wall Ride, which is exactly as it sounds. Wall riding increases Lucio’s mobility and allows him to access certain areas of the map inaccessible to others. Lastly, Sound Barrier is Lucio’s ultimate ability. Lucio slams his sonic amplifier into the ground, briefly providing him and nearby comrades with shields which wear off over time.
Among the support class heroes, Lucio is my recommended hero for beginners. This is because Lucio is a AoE healer, his passive healing aura heals allies nearby him, unlike healers like Mercy or Ana, Lucio doesn’t require the player to focus on one ally. All the player needs to do is to move together with his allies and amp it up when required. What’s more, Lucio does not require much map awareness compared to other healers, which makes it easier for beginners.
This concludes my top Overwatch hero recommendations. Happy gaming!
