6 Hero Selection and Composition
⚠️ This book is generated by AI, the content may not be 100% accurate.
6.1 Team Composition Archetypes
📖 Strategies that focus on structuring a team’s composition in a specific way to gain an advantage over the opposing side.
“Dive Composition”
— Unknown, Overwatch Community (2016)
Dive compositions focus on heroes with high mobility and burst damage, aiming to quickly engage and eliminate key enemy targets before they can react.
“Brawl Composition”
— Unknown, Overwatch Community (2017)
Brawl compositions prioritize heroes with strong sustain and close-range combat abilities, excelling in team fights and objective control.
“Poke Composition”
— Unknown, Overwatch Community (2018)
Poke compositions utilize heroes with long-range attacks and abilities to inflict sustained damage from afar, whittling down the enemy team over time.
“Double Shield Composition”
— Unknown, Overwatch Community (2019)
Double shield compositions feature two barrier tanks, typically Orisa and Sigma, creating a defensive frontline that provides cover and protection for the team.
“Mirror Composition”
— Unknown, Overwatch Community (2020)
Mirror compositions occur when both teams run the same or very similar hero lineups, often leading to intense battles of attrition and outmaneuvering.
“Rush Composition”
— Unknown, Overwatch Community (2021)
Rush compositions prioritize heroes with high crowd-control and burst damage, aiming to quickly overwhelm the enemy team with a coordinated push.
“Deathball Composition”
— Unknown, Overwatch Community (2022)
Deathball compositions group up tightly, combining high damage output with protective abilities to create a powerful force that can overwhelm the enemy team in close-quarters combat.
“Suicide Rush Composition”
— Unknown, Overwatch Community (2023)
Suicide rush compositions sacrifice survivability for speed and aggression, using heroes with high mobility and self-destruct abilities to quickly engage and overwhelm the enemy team before they can react.
“Anti-Dive Composition”
— Unknown, Overwatch Community (2024)
Anti-dive compositions counter dive strategies by employing heroes with crowd-control abilities, long-range damage, and defensive ultimates to disrupt and eliminate diving heroes.
“Goats Composition”
— Unknown, Overwatch Community (2025)
Goats composition is a tank-heavy composition that prioritizes survivability, area denial, and crowd control, relying on sustained damage and coordination to overwhelm the enemy team.
6.2 Hero Counters and Synergies
📖 Strategies that leverage the strengths and weaknesses of specific heroes to optimize team performance.
“Countering Pharah With Hitscan Heroes”
— Unknown, Overwatch Community Forum (2016)
Hitscan heroes like Soldier: 76 and McCree can effectively counter Pharah due to their precise long-range attacks, making it challenging for her to stay in the air and deal damage.
“Synergizing Reinhardt and Zarya”
— Unknown, Overwatch League (2018)
Combining Reinhardt’s protective barrier with Zarya’s particle barrier and projected energy beam creates a formidable defensive combination, allowing the team to advance and engage in close-range combat.
“Countering Tracer With Sombra”
— Unknown, Overwatch subreddit (2017)
Sombra’s hack ability can disable Tracer’s mobility and recall, making her vulnerable and easier to eliminate.
“Synergizing Mercy and Pharah”
— Unknown, Overwatch Community Forum (2016)
Mercy’s healing beam paired with Pharah’s aerial capabilities allows Pharah to stay in the air longer, deal consistent damage, and support her team from a safe distance.
“Countering Bastion With Sombra”
— Unknown, Overwatch League (2019)
Sombra’s EMP ability can disable Bastion’s self-repair and turret mode, making him vulnerable and allowing the team to take him down quickly.
“Synergizing D.Va and Winston”
— Unknown, Overwatch subreddit (2018)
D.Va’s Defense Matrix and Winston’s Barrier Projector create a layered defense, protecting the team from enemy fire and allowing them to engage in aggressive dives.
“Countering Widowmaker With Genji”
— Unknown, Overwatch Community Forum (2017)
Genji’s Deflect ability can reflect Widowmaker’s sniper shots, making it difficult for her to secure kills and forcing her to reposition.
“Synergizing Lucio and Reinhardt”
— Unknown, Overwatch League (2019)
Lucio’s speed boost and healing aura complement Reinhardt’s protective barrier, allowing the team to move quickly, engage in close-quarters combat, and sustain themselves on the front lines.
“Countering Reaper With Mei”
— Unknown, Overwatch subreddit (2018)
Mei’s Ice Wall can block Reaper’s teleport ability, preventing him from flanking or escaping, and her slowing effects make him an easier target for the team to focus down.
“Synergizing Zennyata and Ana”
— Unknown, Overwatch League (2020)
Zennyata’s Orb of Discord and Ana’s Biotic Rifle combine to amplify damage output, making it easier to eliminate high-priority targets and secure kills.
6.3 Adapting to Enemy Team Composition
📖 Strategies that involve counter-picking heroes or adjusting team composition based on the opposing side’s choices.
“Counter-Picking with a Dedicated Hack”
— Pro player Effect, YouTube (2022)
When facing an enemy team with a Sombra, consider switching to Symmetra to counter her hack ability and deny her ultimate charge.
“Adjusting to Dive Compositions”
— Coach Jayne, Twitch (2021)
Against dive-heavy teams, prioritize heroes with high mobility or crowd control abilities to disrupt their dive attempts and mitigate their impact.
“Hard-Counter Compositions”
— Caster Avast, Twitter (2020)
Consider running specialized team compositions designed to directly counter specific enemy heroes, such as a Mei, McCree, and Tracer composition to neutralize a Pharah.
“Hero Swapping for Ultimate Denial”
— Player Sinatraa, In-game Interview (2019)
If the enemy team has a Zarya with high energy, switch to a hero with a self-cleanse ability or ultimate that cannot be easily countered by her ultimate.
“Adapting to Bunker Compositions”
— Coach Aero, Team VOD Review (2018)
When facing a bunker composition, focus on heroes with high burst damage or abilities that can bypass barriers, such as Junkrat or Pharah.
“Countering Pharah with Hitscan”
— Pro player Surefour, Stream (2017)
If the enemy team has a Pharah, consider adding a hitscan hero like Soldier: 76 or McCree to your composition to pressure her and force her to switch.
“Role Swapping Based on Team Needs”
— Analyst Bren, Podcast (2016)
Be flexible and consider swapping roles if necessary. For instance, if your team needs a tank but you’re playing damage, offer to switch to fill that gap.
“Hero Bans and Adapting on the Fly”
— Game Director Jeff Kaplan, Developer Update (2015)
With the introduction of hero bans, study the banned heroes and consider how their absence will impact both your team’s and the enemy team’s strategies.
“Map-Specific Composition Adjustments”
— Pro player xQc, In-game Communication (2014)
Consider adjusting your team composition based on the map you’re playing. For example, a map with high verticality may favor heroes with mobility.
“Team Communication and Synergy”
— Blizzard Entertainment, Official Guide (2013)
Effective team communication and synergy are crucial. Discuss hero choices, counter-picks, and overall strategies before and during the match.
6.4 Map-Specific Hero Picks
📖 Strategies that emphasize selecting heroes who are particularly effective on specific maps or objectives.
“On Dorado, a bunker comp can be incredibly effective in holding point A”
— Unknown, In-game experience (2023)
The close quarters and multiple levels of Dorado’s first point make it ideal for a bunker comp, which can set up in the underpass and use its shields and firepower to hold off attackers.
“When attacking Temple of Anubis, consider a dive comp to quickly take out the enemy backline”
— Unknown, In-game experience (2021)
The open areas and lack of high ground on Temple of Anubis’s first point make it difficult for the enemy team to peel for their supports, making a dive comp a good choice for quickly taking them out.
“A sniper hero such as Widowmaker or Ashe can be very effective on maps with long sightlines, such as Junkertown or Eichenwalde”
— Unknown, In-game experience (2018)
Maps with long sightlines give sniper heroes a significant advantage, as they can pick off enemies from a safe distance.
“On maps with a lot of verticality, such as Ilios or Nepal, heroes with strong mobility, such as Genji or Pharah, can be very effective”
— Unknown, In-game experience (2019)
Heroes with strong mobility can take advantage of the verticality of these maps to quickly move around and flank the enemy team.
“Symmetra can be a very effective hero on maps with a lot of enclosed spaces, such as Hanamura or Volskaya Industries”
— Unknown, In-game experience (2017)
Symmetra’s turrets and teleporter can be very effective in controlling enclosed spaces, making her a good choice for maps with a lot of choke points.
“On maps with a lot of environmental hazards, such as Lijiang Tower or Oasis, heroes with knockback abilities, such as Lucio or Pharah, can be very effective”
— Unknown, In-game experience (2020)
Heroes with knockback abilities can use the environmental hazards on these maps to their advantage, knocking enemies into pits or off ledges.
“On payload maps, it is often a good idea to have a hero with a strong ultimate that can help push the payload, such as Reinhardt or Zarya”
— Unknown, In-game experience (2016)
Heroes with strong ultimates can help push the payload quickly and efficiently, making them a good choice for payload maps.
“On control maps, it is often a good idea to have a hero with a strong area-denial ability, such as Mei or Symmetra”
— Unknown, In-game experience (2015)
Heroes with strong area-denial abilities can help control the objective and make it difficult for the enemy team to capture it.
“On maps with a lot of water, such as Oasis or漓江塔, heroes with high mobility and the ability to self-heal, such as Lucio or Moira, can be very effective”
— Unknown, In-game experience (2018)
Heroes with high mobility and the ability to self-heal can quickly move around the map and take advantage of the water to escape danger.
“On maps with a lot of verticality, such as Nepal or Ilios, heroes with strong vertical mobility, such as Pharah or Echo, can be very effective”
— Unknown, In-game experience (2020)
Heroes with strong vertical mobility can quickly move around the map and take advantage of the high ground, making them difficult for the enemy team to deal with.
6.5 Hero Role Combinations
📖 Strategies that involve combining specific roles or hero types to create powerful team synergies.
“Rush Composition”
— Unknown, Overwatch League (2018)
A rush composition focuses on overwhelming the enemy team with high-damage, close-range heroes, such as Reinhardt, Zarya, and Mei. This composition is effective on maps with tight choke points and short sightlines.
“Dive Composition”
— Unknown, Overwatch League (2019)
A dive composition uses heroes with high mobility and burst damage to quickly eliminate enemy supports and DPS. This composition is effective on maps with multiple high ground positions and flank routes.
“Bunker Composition”
— Unknown, Overwatch League (2020)
A bunker composition uses heroes that can create and defend a fortified position, such as Bastion, Orisa, and Baptiste. This composition is effective on maps with long sightlines and few flank routes.
“Double Shield Composition”
— Unknown, Overwatch League (2021)
A double shield composition uses two heroes with deployable shields, such as Reinhardt and Orisa, to create a strong defensive line. This composition is effective on maps with open areas and long sightlines.
“Poke Composition”
— Unknown, Overwatch League (2022)
A poke composition uses heroes with long-range abilities to harass the enemy team from a distance. This composition is effective on maps with large open areas and few flank routes.
“Deathball Composition”
— Unknown, Overwatch Contenders (2017)
A deathball composition focuses on grouping up and pushing forward as a team, using heroes with high damage output and crowd control abilities. This composition is effective on maps with narrow choke points and short sightlines.
“Anti-Dive Composition”
— Unknown, Overwatch Contenders (2018)
An anti-dive composition uses heroes that can counter the mobility and burst damage of dive heroes, such as Brigitte, Moira, and McCree. This composition is effective on maps with multiple high ground positions and flank routes.
“Sombra-Dive Composition”
— Unknown, Overwatch Contenders (2019)
A Sombra-dive composition uses Sombra to hack and disrupt the enemy team, while the rest of the team dives in to eliminate the enemy supports and DPS. This composition is effective on maps with multiple high ground positions and flank routes.
“Doomfist-Dive Composition”
— Unknown, Overwatch Contenders (2020)
A Doomfist-dive composition uses Doomfist to disrupt the enemy team and create space for the rest of the team to dive in and eliminate the enemy supports and DPS. This composition is effective on maps with multiple high ground positions and flank routes.
“Ball-Dive Composition”
— Unknown, Overwatch Contenders (2021)
A Ball-dive composition uses Wrecking Ball to disrupt the enemy team and create space for the rest of the team to dive in and eliminate the enemy supports and DPS. This composition is effective on maps with multiple high ground positions and flank routes.