Although some people who play Overwatch are more interested in DPS heroes than tanks, there is no arguing that some tanks are solid. One of the names that often stands out is Orisa because this is among the oldest heroes in the game.
Orisa is frequently a meta tank, which means she doesn’t work in every scenario. With that being said, the hero’s high-damage capabilities and the fact that it has a shield make it a reliable pick for those who want to have fun while playing.
Even though Orisa’s shield and HP may not seem that impressive compared to other tanks, this is one of the best heroes in the game in this position. Orisa is typically the team’s main tank, which means that others stay behind it. Since she has a gun, she has a massive advantage over heroes like Rein because she can deal a lot of damage from a distance.
Since many people will want to give Orisa a try, this guide will try to walk you through some of the most important things you need to know about this epic tank.
Orisa lacks HP but makes up for it with armor
Some Overwatch fans often forget that certain heroes in the game have armor. It’s one of the most significant stats because it helps certain heroes become harder to kill, especially if multiple opponents focus on them.
Unlike many other tanks, Orisa has armor. In fact, this is the hero that offers the most armor in the game, which explains why killing it is easier said than done. What’s even more impressive is that the hero has an ability called Fortify. When used, Orisa takes 40% less damage for four seconds, making killing it even more complicated.
Speaking of Fortify, this ability also allows the hero to “resist” any headshots. What’s more, the tank can’t be targeted by any Crowd Control effects, such as stuns, pins, knockdowns, slows, etc. This means Orisa can easily tank many of the most annoying abilities in the game.
One of the things to know about Fortify is that this ability only affects Orisa. This means that the heroes who stay behind their tank can be targeted by the abilities mentioned above.
Halt! Is a tricky ability that can be used in many ways
Besides Fortify, which allows Orisa to become much harder to kill, this hero has a few additional tricks up its sleeve. One of them is an ability called “Halt!”. When used, Orisa will launch a sphere that can pull nearby enemies to it. This “sphere” is a projectile that flies towards a given location, which means Orisa can choose to detonate it by pressing the same button used for activating it.
The Sphere’s movement speed is 20 meters per second, it has a 0.1 casting time and a 0.45 seconds activation time. What’s interesting about this ability is its cooldown, which is just 6 seconds. This makes it incredibly strong during team fights because you can cast it multiple times.
Another thing about Halt! that you should know is that this ability will activate itself once it reaches a given surface (unless you activate it manually before that). Even though the projectile will go through different barriers, its effect won’t work if those things are in its way.
The Protective Barrier is good, but it has low HP
Like other tanks in the game, Orisa has a shield that can be used to save allies from incoming damage. However, unlike Rein’s shield, which has tons of HP, Orisa’s option only has 600 HP. The good thing is that the hero can deploy it on the ground and shoot and keep shooting.
This ability has a 20 seconds duration and 10 seconds cooldown, which means it can stay on all the time, as long as your opponents don’t destroy it. As you can probably guess, there are many things you could do to make the most of your shield. For example, some Orisa players like to deploy a shield on the ground, and once the opponents show up, they “fire” their shield into the air. Usually, Orisa’s opponents destroy the first one, but this is when the second shield lands on the ground, which basically means that the hero has two active shields.
Another important thing about Orisa is that you should try to use your Fortify once your shield is down. Since these abilities have relatively low cooldowns, you can use one after another and tank a lot of incoming damage.
Supercharger is Orisa’s ultimate
Lastly, we have one of the best ultimates in the game when it comes to providing additional damage. When used, Orisa will summon a supercharger that lasts for 15 seconds and has 200 HP. This thing will provide a +50% damage boost to all heroes. Needless to say, it can do wonders if you decide to combine it with other ultimates in the game, such as Reaper’s Death Blossom.
Sadly, this ultimate can be destroyed and even hacked by Sombra. Consequently, people who decide to pick Orisa have to think carefully about when and where to place it.
Orisa has reduced movement speed while shooting
Orisa’s primary weapon is called Fusion Driver, and it deals 11 damage per shot. This weapon has 150 ammo, and it requires 2.5 seconds to load. Even though you could land headshots with it, you will receive a 30% movement speed reduction while shooting. This may not seem that important, but it can make a huge difference, especially if you have heroes, such as Hanzo and Widow, because they can land an easy headshot.
Orisa works well with numerous heroes
Since Orisa has a shield and the ability to tank a lot of damage, the hero works really well with many other names in Overwatch. Many people use this hero in combination with Sigma and Roadhog. The first option gives Orisa’s team two shields, whereas the second one allows Road to deal a lot more damage with his ultimate.
As for DPS, Orisa can work with pretty much anything. The hero excels in the Vanguard strategy, so feel free to experiment.