Hanzo is one of the most iconic characters in Overwatch. So why not learn How to Play Hanzo in this guide.
Besides being a unique title, this is one of Blizzard’s main esport games. Consequently, thousands of people watch some of the best players in action. Despite not always being in the meta, Hanzo is one of OW’s signature and deadliest heroes.
Because the hero is hard to master, many players have no idea how to utilize him to his full potential. Needless to say, Hanzo can be a deadly weapon in the hands of those who know what they’re doing.
Here are a couple of tips and tricks you should know before you start playing. Most of the things here should apply to Overwatch II, which will become available in the future.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-wVDYOGhWM
Think carefully about whether Hanzo is a good option
While it is true that Hanzo is one of the most interesting heroes in the game, he does not work in every lineup. There are many situations where he is not good at all. Despite his high damage and elusiveness, characters like Widow can make Hanzo’s life a living hell. She is more accurate from a long distance and can kill him with a single headshot. Speaking of counters, we also have to mention Genji. This hero can easily kill Hanzo in seconds. Thankfully, you’ll rarely see him in random matches, since he is challenging to play.
Despite his impressive damage, Hanzo does not work in every lineup. Sure, there are cases where you can do some pretty exciting combos, but there are heroes that just don’t go well with Hanzo.
One of the cases where Hanzo can work well is against some tanks with shields. Unlike Widow, Hanzo can work well thanks to his Storm Arrows. This ability allows him to fire multiple arrows rapidly, which is great against shields. Needless to say, it can also do wonders if you are good with it because you can kill enemies pretty easily.
There are different combos that you can run with Hanzo. Besides the obvious one with Zarya (her ultimate + Hanzo’s most potent ability can do wonders), the character works well with many other options. One of the common examples is Echo, one of the newest heroes in Overwatch. Like Hanzo, Echo also has high burst damage and even has sticky bombs. This makes this DPC duo incredibly strong.
Firing an arrow slows downs your movement speed, so you need to be careful
Hanzo is one of the unique characters in Overwatch because he can fire arrows. Besides the fact that he has no ammo limit, these arrows can deliver nasty headshots. Sadly, once Hanzo starts firing, his movement speed drops by 30%. Which makes him an easy target for his opponents, especially Window and Genji.
Regardless of your position, you will always be slowed while firing with your bow. However, you can avoid some potential damage by “pre-firing” while you are covered. This will allow you to shoot as soon as you show up, and minimize the risk of getting killed due to your slower movement speed.
Once you fire an arrow, you should go back to cover and repeat the same process. Of course, there will be situations where you will have to move, so always keep an eye on the opposing heroes.
There are cases where landing your shots is easier said than done
As mentioned earlier, Hanzo is one of the most interesting and unique heroes in the game for several reasons. Besides having a unique set of skills, it is much more difficult to aim with the bow. Consequently, many people fail to land their shots even if the target is standing still.
While it is not that difficult to hit your opponents when you are in mid-range, this is not the case if they are too far away. Due to the arrows’ traveling speed and their accuracy, you will notice that hitting your targets is not that easy. However, once you learn to predict your opponents’ movement and your fire rate, you should become more successful.
Learning how to predict what your opponents will do is extremely important with this hero. Especially if you have your Storm Arrows on. Spamming this ability will allow you to land tons of kills, but it will take time until you learn how to master it.
Positioning is essential in every situation
We’ve already pointed out some things that you need to know when firing at your enemies. While it is true that Hanzo is one of the best damage dealers in the game, he is also among the heroes that is often the first on the enemy’s list.
Widow, Geni, Tracer, and Reaper are all heroes that will try to kill you as soon as possible. The bad news is that they will most likely succeed, but you can always try to land a headshot or at least deal enough damage so that your allies can kill them.
One of the best ways of achieving your goal is by positioning yourself in a way that will require your opponents to stay in the open, or at least come to you. This will give you access to at least a couple of extra seconds where you can land two, three, or even more shots and potentially kill them.
This is one of the few heroes in Overwatch that can help you turn every fight
Some heroes in Overwatch have abilities that allow them to move much faster than others. Hanzo is somewhere in the middle when it comes down to escaping or chasing, but he is one of the few heroes capable of winning almost ANY fight, even if he is on low HP.
Since the hero can land a headshot and kill most DPS opponents. He is dangerous even if he is on low HP. In other words, if someone is chasing you, try to position yourself in a way that will allow you to land a headshot.
Don’t forget to abuse your ability to climb
Aside from Hanzo’s firepower and the fact that the hero can do insane amounts of damage. He is also notorious for having the ability to climb on walls. Like Genji, Hanzo can easily escape from danger or position himself in a way that allows him to deal even more damage.
There are only a couple of heroes capable of chasing him when he does that, so always try to use this to your advantage. You can climb, jump down, and repeat the process. Which should allow you to escape from danger and deal considerably more damage.