[Top 5] Overwatch 2 Best Flankers

 




Selecting the ideal DPS hero that fits the situation is a daunting task. With nearly two dozen damage dealers to choose from, each with unique playstyles, strengths, and weaknesses, all designed in a combination of traditional RPG classes mixed with modern day FPS mechanics. With the many changes that Overwatch 2 brings to the table, the meta has shifted to benefit DPS players over tanks, but that doesn’t mean every damage dealer is viable nor the optimal pick against the enemy lineup. Certain DPS heroes take much more work to perform properly, while others are best left on the sidelines for now. Before we get into the meat and potatoes, here's some background on the DPS class and its role in the game. The DPS role can be subdivided into three broad categories: Poke, Frontline, and Flankers. Different subclasses need different playstyles and operate fundamentally differently from one another, and this article will cover the playstyle of the flankers as well as rank the best flankers in the meta. The primary role of the DPS class is to target key enemies, namely the DPS, Support, and Tank in that priority, by damaging or eliminating them. Poke heroes accomplish this goal by operating from a distance and chunking out the enemy’s hitpoints or one-shotting them if playing Widowmaker, Sojourn, or Hanzo. Frontlines have higher HP than most and are suited to assisting the tank or providing aid to the frontline. Heroes like Bastion output damage like no other, Torbjorn is excellent at area denial and brawling, Cassidy is mobile with burst damage, and the list goes on. On the other hand, flankers generally avoid playing “Front-to-Back” and maneuver around the map to engage the enemy from a vulnerable position or angle, also known as the flank. These heroes generally have high damage output, some form of combat mobility, and an area-of-effect ultimate to turn the tide of battle. Flanking the enemy has a wide array of advantages and disadvantages. It is a high-risk, high-reward playstyle that sees great success or none at all, meaning that players who know when to engage and when the enemies are vulnerable will find great success. Map knowledge, hero familiarity, game sense, and many more types of game knowledge are vital to being a successful flanker, which favors more experienced players. As flanking is a concept rather than a set-in-stone class, many heroes in Overwatch 2 have the ability to flank on top of having other utilities in their kit. For example, a Bastion that takes the elevator in the map Hollywood often finds himself looking down from above on the enemy team, while having options to cross through the map. Taking the time to silently move to the flank and mow down the supports with his gatling gun is a perfect strategy. The same can be said for Pharah flying across the map, free falling to the enemy backline, and releasing hundreds of missiles from her Rocket Barrage. This section of the article will mention the heroes with the ability to flank effectively, while having another playstyle that can be used just as effectively. Your playstyle isn't limited to what hero you select, some heroes are better suited than others to flank, but use your game sense to determine which playstyle to adapt. Honorable Mentions Doomfist/Winston/Wrecking Ball
77%
The original 6v6 Overwatch had an Off-Tank, a tank class hero whose role is multifaceted. With the host of new changes that Overwatch 2 brings to the table, the Off-Tanks has become a bit of a relic now, which puts heroes such as Doomfist, Winston, and Wrecking Ball, all of whom have the mobility, damage, and disruption abilities that traditional flankers have, in a weird spot. Tanks in Overwatch 2 are now the defensive anchors that dictate the space that a team will occupy. Inherently, flankers are isolated from their teammates and aim to disrupt the enemy team by pressuring the backline with damage and the threat of dying. Therefore, by their conception, flanking tanks will only excel in niche scenarios such as dive team compositions. Kiriko and Lucio
Slightly more viable than tank flankers. These two support flankers bring mobility to levels beyond what a DPS flanker has, yet are lacking in damage and flanking-oriented ultimates. However, some situations call for this off-meta playstyle, as Lucio’s movement can surprise veteran backline heroes with his insane mobility and areas of engagement. Kiriko, on the other hand, has her “get out of jail for free” by using her Swift Step to nearby teammates to escape a bad situation. Her 120 damage on headshot and Protection Suzu give her the tools to effectively flank and retreat. Just like tank flankers, the very concept of support flankers makes their playstyle substandard, as having one less support on the team to heal the tanks and DPS while a medium-damage support tries to eliminate key targets can be exploited by the enemy team to group up and push. Pharah/Soldier/Bastion/Symmetra and many more

Hybrid DPS heroes provide the best of both worlds while having the weaknesses of both subclasses. They trade power for versatility, as they will never be able to deal the maximum disruption that a Tracer can, nor will they have the impact of a well-placed Death Blossom. The versatility of being a poke or frontliner while having certain perks that flankers enjoy can be useful in certain scenarios. Seeing a Soldier: 76 uses his aimbot on the enemy backline while Kiriko teleports to him and uses her ultimate in conjunction. These are game-winning plays, yet they are often unreliable as the mobility to engage or disengage from an exchange is often lacking in these multi-class heroes. Having dedicated members who bring a narrow but effective set of skills to the table, similar to traditional MMORPG elements, is preferable to having multiple jacks of all trades. 4. Tracer
Tracer Overview One of the more interesting heroes in Overwatch 2, Tracer is an incredibly mobile yet fragile speedster that heavily relies on her abilities to engage the enemy, deal damage, and escape. She has the lowest hitpoints of any hero in the game, making her a high-skill cap hero with incredible DPS potential. Playstyle Despite having the lowest HP pool of all the heroes at 150 hit points, Tracer’s effective damage range is within 5 meters or closer, making her effectively a near-point-blank hero. She survives engagements by utilizing hit-and-run tactics, using her Blink ability to move unpredictably and Recall to bail her out of trouble. The optimal usage of her Blink and Recall abilities while keeping an eye on her health, teammates, and the enemy team’s position are all vital to playing Tracer at a competent level, giving her one of the highest skill requirements in Overwatch 2. Tracer's Ultimate, Pulse Bomb, is a lethal sticky explosive that can be planted on an enemy hero, ensuring the elimination of all non-tank heroes. Strengths A strength and an important concept to understand when playing Tracer is that she does not need to score a kill in every engagement she takes. Harassing and skirmishing divide the enemy team's attention, putting them at a crossroads between two unfavorable options: split up and deal with you, or ignore you. This exerts pressure on the enemy team, which allows Tracer’s teammates an opportune moment to push forward and overwhelm them. Being one of the best diving DPS heroes in Overwatch 2, her preferred targets are heroes with low defense at close-range. Ambushing-poke DPS the likes of Ashe, Widowmaker, and Hanzo are susceptible to Tracer's mobility and close-range lethality, with all of them being able to match her point-blank engagements. Weaknesses With the lowest HP pool in Overwatch 2, keeping an eye on her HP bar while having her mobility spells available are both important mechanics for staying alive. This means she's vulnerable to any hero that can hinder that mobility and heroes that can quickly burst down her 150 hitpoints. A well-aimed Roadhog Hook, Sombra Hack, Ana Sleep Dart, or Junkrat’s Steel Trap will always result in Tracer's death. Meanwhile a Widowmaker body shot and melee can burst her down. Tracer’s Abilities: Pulse Pistols (Primary Weapon): Twin pistols that rapidly fire 40 rounds in under a second. Maximum damage per magazine is 200; hence, aiming for headshots is recommended. Blink (Left Shift): Tracer teleports horizontally through space in the direction that she’s moving. Can be used three times consecutively. Recall (E ability): Returns to a position that Tracer was in a few seconds earlier in time. Pulse Bomb (Ultimate): Tracer throws a bomb that attaches to a character or surface and explodes after a brief delay. Read Tracer’s Abilities in further detail here: https://overwatch.fandom.com/wiki/Tracer Tracer Review
  • Very High Skill Ceiling
Playing Tracer requires understanding advanced game concepts such as pressure, space, engagement, and landing headshots. Tracer is notoriously difficult yet rewarding to play.
  • Extreme Mobility
With three charges on her Blink and a Recall ability that can replenish health, a player with good reflexes can utilize mobility to prolong her uptime in combat.
  • Primary Weapon and Ultimate are Difficult to Use
Landing headshots are a requirement when playing as Tracer due to her weapons having low damage output per magazine. Her ultimate requires her backline enemies to be grouped up or isolated. Damage - 3 / 5 Mobility - 5 / 5 Ultimate - 2.5 / 5 Fun - 4 / 5 Flanker Score: 4 / 5

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