overwatch Overwatch Anniversary Event Buyers Guide

[Aleco 252]

With hundreds of items available for purchase during the Overwatch anniversary event, your hard-earned credits will thank you for reading this buyers guide before going shopping.

With hundreds of skins, emotes, and highlight intros available for purchase during Overwatch's anniversary event, your hard-earned credits will thank you for reading this buyers guide before spending 3000 credits on the first skin which catches your eye.

 

For the first time in Overwatch history, every skin, emote, and highlight intro from previous events is available for purchase with in-game currency. With each of the game's 27 characters boasting event-based items for purchase, spending your credits wisely is no easy task. Don't be a dummy and blow your money on the first 3000 credit skin which catches your eye! Take a few minutes to peruse this buyers guide for some high-quality Overwatch shopping tips first, and I guarantee your Hero Gallery will thank you.

If you're anything like me, acquiring new skins for your favorite Overwatch characters is a huge motivator, which is a huge problem because half of Overwatch's cast is my "favorite character", and the number of items available during this event far exceeds the amount of credits in my bank. There are number of things which can be done to maximize the amount of loot boxes you acquire during the event (maximizing your chances of pulling one of the new 3000 credit skins), in addition to a number of low-cost items which come at a much better value.

 

Quick Tips

 

Grind Loot Boxes In The Arcade

Three wins in the Arcade rewards you with a loot box, which can be repeated 3 times per week. This means you can collect 6 loot boxes during the anniversary event from Arcade wins. In addition to the loot boxes which can be claimed from Arcade wins, you can also collect one loot box per PvE event in the Arcade. The flashback PvE events are a welcome break from the PvP carnage of Competitive mode, and are the fastest way to acquire a loot box so long as your team actually beats the event on the first try.

Avoid 3000 Credit Skins (To Start)

There are quite a few 3000 credit skins tied to this anniversary event, and I'll be very sad if I don't acquire a handful of them before the event is over. However, with some luck, these skins can be opened in loot boxes earned throughout the event. If you absolutely must have one of the new 3000 credit skins, I recommend waiting until the last day of the event to purchase it.

 

The Hottest Skins At The Lowest Prices

 

There are number of 250, 750, and 1000 credit skins which look better than their 3000 credit alternatives. If you're a more casual Overwatch fan who isn't looking to grind loot boxes, these skins are the best budget options for your favorite characters:

 

Ghoul Ana - 250 Credits

Corsair is my favorite Ana skin, but the 2750 credit difference between Corsair and Ghoul makes this one the smarter purchase.

 

Demon Hanzo - 250 Credits

For my money, Demon Hanzo is better than any of his default skins. Though Scion gets my nod for the best Hanzo skin, Demon Hanzo is a much better value. 

 

American McCree - 250 Credits

I've played with many proud Americans who refuse sport any McCree skin but this one. McCree has some of the coolest skins in the game, but you a real patriot if you can't drop a measly 250 credits on an American flag skin? This skin also serves a stand-in for all of the other flag-based skins available right now for 250 credits, including France, Sweden, Switzerland, Brazil, and Korea.

 

Frostbite Pharah - 250 Credits

I find Pharah's event skins to be largely uninspiring. Of her event skins, Frostbite does the best job of enabling you stick out on the map like a sore thumb, which will no doubt appeal to attention seekers among you. Though my personal favorite has always been the default Raindancer, Frostbite's particle effects make it a safe investment.

 

Shiver Reaper - 250 Credits

If you're not into Reaper's campy aesthetic, Shiver is one of his tamest skins. I rock Shiver whenever I play Reaper in competitive mode, though his Pumpkin skin (which costs 1000 credits and is mentioned below) is another solid alternative.

 

Coldhardt - 250 Credits

Most of my favorite Reinhardt skins are default and can be purchased at any time, but who wants to basic? If you're not a default kinda person, Coldhart makes a statement with its frosty particle effects which none of the default skins have. There are certainly worse ways to spend 250 credits. 

 

Palanquin D.VA - 1000 Credits

I'll admit that I'm biased about this skin, as I was living in Busan, South Korea when it was initially released and was totally immersed in Korean culture at the time. If you're a fan of K-pop, kim-chi, or Korea in general, Palanquin is a far better nod to the #1 gaming culture in the world than Taegeuki will ever be.

 

Sentai Genji - 1000 Credits

Who doesn't like Power Rangers? If you didn't grab the Oni skin while that was still available, Sentai Genji is best Genji.

 

Dr. Junkenstien - 1000 Credits

Junkrat is another character with a wealth of awesome skin options available to him, but Dr. Junkenstien is the best of his 1000 credit options. If you don't want to shell out for the new Buccaneer skin, Dr. Junkenstien would be one of the first skins I'd purchase if I were sitting on a pile of credits.

 

Jazzy Lucio - 1000 Credits

I'm not a huge fan of Lucio's skins in general, but he's a fun character and deserves to his look his best. Jazzy might be his best skin overall, and is a much better value than his 3000 credit Equalizer skin.

 

Chang'e/Luna Mei - 1000 Credits

If you're proud Mei golden gun owner like I am, I recommend Chang'e as nice compliment to her sparkly ice pistol. Mei's default skins are lame, so I'd highly recommend shelling out for one of these two skins if you're a fan of the character.

 

Witch Mercy - 1000 Credits

Mercy has three skins which are far cooler than the rest, and this is one of them. If you didn't spend 15 dollars to purchase the Pink skin and you don't have 3000 credits to drop on Winged Victory, Witch is the best option for Mercy mains.

 

Pumpkin Reaper - 1000 Credits

There's no way that Dracula is 2000 credits cooler Pumpkin. If you don't like Shiver, then Pumpkin is your best Reaper option.

 

Junkenstien's Monster/Bajie Roadhog - 1000 Credits

Roadhog's event skins are notably cooler than his defaults. If you're a fan of Roadhog, be sure to get one of these two awesome skins before the event is over.
 

Graffiti Tracer - 1000 Credits

For being Overwatch's flagship character, I find the majority of Tracer's skins to be uninspiring at best. Grafitti is her best skin and I don't think second place is particularly close.
 

Yeti Winston - 1000 Credits

Yeti gets my vote for "best overall Winston skin", and it's only 1000 credits!

 

Cyberian Zarya - 1000 Credits

We all know that Totally 80's is the undisputed Zarya skin to own, but that costs 3000 credits. As Zarya's default skins are all boring, Cyberian is the best option for Zarya fans on a budget.

 

Sanzang Zenyatta - 1000 Credits

 

Zenyatta has several default skins and a couple of other nice event skins, but Sanzang is the perfect compliment to Golden Zen orbs. Though Cultist is widely regarded as the fan-favorite Zen skin, it's hard to argue that Cultist is 2000 credits cooler than Sanzang.

 

You Don't Main _______ If You Don't Have These Emotes and Highlight Intros

 

Ana's Candy - 250 Credits

If you're an Ana main who doesn't sprinkle candy on people after you sleep dart them, I don't even know what to say to you.

 

Brigitte's Dance - 750 Credits

The newest character in the game, most of Brigitte's emotes are still fairly vanilla. Her dance emote is the most colorful of the lot, and a must-buy for any Brigitte main.

 

D.Va's Selfie - 250 Credits

At least she isn't dabbing.
 

Hanzo's Fisherman Dance - 250 Credits

If the true purpose of emotes is to induce salt in your enemies, no Hanzo emote is saltier than his Fisherman dance.

 

Running Rat - 250 Credits

Junkrat has some of the better emotes in the game, but this one stands out as the cleanest option for taunting your opponents during competitive matches.

 

Lucio's Juggle - 250 Credits

I wish I could juggle soccer balls on roller blades half as well as Lucio can.

 

McCree's Spark - 750 Credits

Cool guys don't look at explosions. What does that say about you if you don't purchase this highlight intro?

 

Mei's Snowman - 250 Credits

This emote would be awesome if built a Snowman which immediately went away, but the Snowman actually persists on the map for a short time after it is built, allowing it to be used for some impromptu target practice. Snowman is a must-buy if Mei is bae.

 

Orisa's Puppy - 3000 Credits

Shut up and take my credits! In this emote, Orisa pulls a puppy out of a present and plays with it. What more needs to be said?

 

Pharah's Rocket Guitar - 250 Credits

This is the best Pharah emote, and I refuse to accept any statements to the contrary.

 

Roadhog's Secret Friend - 750 Credits

Roadhog pulls out a squeaky toy, gives it a squeeze, giggles, and checks over his shoulder to see if anyone noticed. A+.

 

Roadhog's Feast - 250 Credits

Roadhog has some of the meanest and nastiest highlight intros in the game, but this is the only Roadhog intro one which is kind of cute.

 

Sombra's Dance - 250

This girl can shuffle! One of the better Dance emotes in the game.

 

Symmetra's Ribbon - 250 Credits

Who knew that Symmetra was a pro at rhythmic gymnastics? With a Symm rework coming soon, nabbing this emote while you can is the best way to prove you were a Symm main all along.

 

Tracer's Charleston - 250 Credits

I don't mean to alert you Tracer, but you've got some serious boogie on you. Her default emotes are great, but her Charleston emote is only the appropriate emote for in-game dance parties.

 

Winston's Shadow Puppets - 250 Credits

If you play Winston in competitive mode and have been struggling to climb MMR, not having this emote could very well be the biggest thing holding you back.

 

Zarya's Mystery Gift - 1000 Credits

Zarya's Mystery Gift and Orisa's Puppy Emote are the most intricate and detailed emotes in the game. If Zarya is your main squeeze, be sure to nab both this and the Totally 80's skin while supplies last.

 

Zenyatta's Perspective - 250 Credits

For my money, Zenyatta is the character with the widest variety of equip-able emotes and highlight intros. His Dance emote is also worth a purchase during the event, but his Perspective highlight intro is one you simply can't afford to miss.

[FanOfValeera 253]

Cultist Zen was the first skin I looked, as I am a Zen enthusiast. It is 3000, not 1000 unfortunately. Just a heads up.

All McCree event legendary skins are 3000 unfortunately. Wonder why? I would like to have Van Helsing and Lifeguard.

Venom Soldier:76 is another good skin.

 

Edited May 23, 2018 by FanOfValeera

[Aleco 252]

1 hour ago, FanOfValeera said:

Cultist Zen was the first skin I looked, as I am a Zen enthusiast. It is 3000, not 1000 unfortunately. Just a heads up.

All McCree event legendary skins are 3000 unfortunately. Wonder why? I would like to have Van Helsing and Lifeguard.

Venom Soldier:76 is another good skin.

 

Thanks for the correction! I had a already purchased most of these skins and couldn't find other resources for what their costs would be.

[DimensionDerper 26]

Uhh... But I main Bastion...

Null Sector anyone?

[enviousmtg 21]

Goal for this event is just to get all the dance emotes, anything else is just gravy.

[solitha 84]

On 5/23/2018 at 2:30 PM, Aleco said:

Thanks for the correction! I had a already purchased most of these skins and couldn't find other resources for what their costs would be.

https://js41637.github.io/Overwatch-Item-Tracker/#/ can give you all the prices. (Beware, it's a time sink if you actually choose to use it for tracking... and it's kept in your browser cache. If you have to clear your cache, you lose all your tracking work.)

I have to say though, I don't really see this as a guide, per se. When you say some lower-cost items "look better" than higher-cost ones, that's entirely your opinion. It's art, and as such is highly subjective. For instance, I would never drop a single credit on a cyber-type skin like your Zarya suggestion; I don't really care for any of the cybers, and don't even use the ones I've gotten from loot boxes.

I rarely want something badly enough to drop credits on it, but when I do, it's because that one caught my eye. Buying a lower-cost substitute wouldn't make me stop wanting that one... it would just mean I have less credits to buy that one. 

Maybe I'm just weird that way though. Wouldn't be the first time.

When I first checked out this post it was in hopes it would just showcase all the limited stuff, collected in one place. Like the tracker site I linked, but not separated out by holiday. Maybe sorted by character and/or price or something.