Overwatch Mechanics

[VampAurora 33]

This is a guide for Overwatch mechanics that might be useful. It will constantly be updated, with new info and additions. If you have any suggestions/corrections to enrich the topic, feel free to share them below.

Shields & Barriers

Shields are a vital part in Overwatch as they can protect yourself and your allies from enemy fire. But do they always protect you?
The answer is no. Melee attacks as well as Reinhardt's Rocket Hammer, Torbjörn's Forge Hammer and Symmetra's Energy Ball ignore enemy shields. Additionally, Winston's Tesla Cannon will hit both the shield and the enemy behind it.

Zarya's barriers grant 200 barrier to herself or an ally for 2 seconds and they are not visible on the health bar whatsoever. On the other hand, Lúcio's ultimate ability (Sound Barrier) grants 500 barrier to himself and allies within a 30 meter range, which immediately begins decaying 83 points per second until empty (6 seconds total duration), and it is visible on the health bar.

Barriers don't reduce damage, don't regenerate, and can't be healed. Shields don't reduce damage , but regenerate 20.5 points per second after you have taken no damage for 3 seconds.

Armor

Bastion, Reinhardt, Winston, and D.Va have armor by default. Torbjörn can drop armor packs which grant 75 armor to any ally that picks it up, He can also gain 300 armor for 12 seconds when using his ultimate ability (Molten Core), while Bastion gains 150 armor for 8 seconds when using his own ultimate ability (Configuration: Tank).

Whenever armor takes damage, it reduces the damage by half, but not by more than 5 damage per individual hit. Critical hits (Headshots) double damage before any armor reduction. For instance, Widowmaker's headshot would deal 295 damage (120 x 2.5 = 300 - 5 = 295).

Damage Boost

Certain abilities in Overwatch can boost a character's damage output either by boosting their own  actual damage or by amplifying the damage the enemy will take. Those abilities are Mercy's Caduceus Staff and Zenyatta's Orb of Discord, respectively. Mercy's ability will increase an ally's damage for 30% while Zenyatta's Orb will amplify the damage your enemy will take by 50%.

When combined, the bonuses are additive, not multiplicative, meaning that utilising both will increase your damage by 80%. Finally, damage boosts do not stack, so in other words, getting boosted by two Mercies will still give you just 30%.

Headshots (Critical Hits)

Headshots can be game-changing as they can finish off your opponents much easier and give your team more space to focus on targets and handle a situation. Headshots have a x2 multiplier meaning that an 100 damage body shot will translate into a 200 damage hit if it was a headshot. Melee attacks and auto-aim abilities like Symmetra's Photon Projector or Winston's Tesla Cannon, cannot crit. The only exception to the headshot multiplier applies to Widowmaker, as she has a x2.5 headshot multiplier, meaning an 120 damage body shot will deal 300 headshot damage, instead of 240.

Heroes Health & Hit Points

Each hero in Overwatch has a different Health Pool and a sum of Hit Points, and you can see each of them below:

• 600 Health Heroes: Roadhog
• 300 Health Heroes: Reinhardt
• 400 Health Heroes: Winston
• 250 Health Heroes: Reaper, Mei
• 200 Health Heroes: Genji, McCree, Pharah, Soldier: 76, Hanzo, Junkrat, Torbjörn, Widowmaker, Lúcio, Mercy, Bastion, Zarya
• 150 Health Heroes: Tracer, D.Va Pilot
• 100 Health Heroes: D.Va Mech, Symmetra
• 50 Health Heroes: Zenyatta

These numbers might seem strange to you, and you would be right as you are used to see the combined hit points. Of course Zenyatta doesn't have only 50 points to shoot him at. The following heroes have armor or shield additions to their basic health points.

Bastion and Winston have an added 100 points Armor, Reinhardt has a 200 points one and D.Va Mech a respectful 400 points Armor.
Zarya has 200 added points of Shield while Symmetra and Zenyatta have an 100 points one.

Healing & Health Packs

In every map you can find various Health Packs. The small ones will heal for 75 health while the big ones will heal for 250 health, practically making them a full heal for almost every hero. The small packs have a respawn rate of 10 seconds while the big ones have a 15 second respawn window.

When you receive healing, it applies in a specific order to each type of hit points until that type is full. The order stands as below:

1. Health
2. Armor (Not the ability-granted armor)
3. Shields

Junkrat's traps, his ultimate ability (RIP-Tire) and Torbjorn's Turret can be healed if they are placed over health packs, but they can't be healed in any other way.

• Lúcio's Crossfade, when toggled to healing mode, passively heals allies and himself within 30 meters (when in sight), for 12.5 hit points per second, or 40 hit points per second during Amp It Up (which lasts 3 seconds).
• Mercy's Caduceus Staff heals an ally for 50 hit points per second in a range of 15 meters.
• Soldier: 76's Biotic Field heals himself and allies within 5 meters for 40 hit points per second.
• Zenyatta's Orb of Harmony heals the targeted ally for 30 hit points per second. His ultimate ability (Transcendence) heals all allies, as well as himself, within 10 meters for 130 hit points per second for 6 seconds.

In maps including a payload, the payload will heal heroes on the attacking team for 10 hit points per second while they are within a 5 meter range (the same distance required to actually move the payload forward). Last but not least, the Spawn Room will heal you for a vast 400 hit points per second.

 

Edited July 6, 2016 by VampAurora

[Valks 2,375]

Awesome post Vamp! Absolutely love seeing stuff like this coming from the community.

[VampAurora 33]

Glad you liked it :) Hope it helps :)