Hanzo Talents

Level	Choices
1	✓ ? ?
4	✓ ? ?
7	✓ ? ?
10	? ✓
13	✓ ? ?
16	✓ ? ?
20	? ? ✓ ?

Storm Bow Build

Recommended

Level 1

Level 4 ? ?

Level 7 ?

Level 10 ?

Level 13 ? ?

Level 16 ?

Level 20 ?

Copy build to clipboard Build copied! Talent calculator »

The Storm Bow Build has excellent poke damage, burst damage, good waveclear, and very long range. This build requires accurate and successful Storm Bow hits in order to be effective. It will be more difficult to use against highly mobile Heroes, as they are likely to avoid skillshots. This build should never be used against Abathur; the slug can easily prevent you from ever completing Target Practice.

At Level 16, there are two excellent talent options for Hanzo:

• Flawless Technique is the standard option here. By boosting Hanzo's single-target damage, it is great for quickly bursting down any squishy target and applying strong pressure to the enemy frontline.
• Piercing Arrows changes focus by not increasing single-target damage but making it easier to hit enemies positioned behind their frontline. Additionally, it greatly improves Hanzo's waveclear. This is a good choice in Infernal Shrines or in games where the opposing team struggles to heal against poke damage.

Scatter Arrow Build

Advanced

Level 1

Level 4 ? ?

Level 7

Level 10 ?

Level 13 ? ?

Level 16 ?

Level 20 ? ?

Copy build to clipboard Build copied! Talent calculator »

Scatter Arrow Build focuses on Talents that improve Scatter Arrow, transforming it into your primary Ability. Of the 3 builds, this one is the hardest to use, and an inexperienced Hanzo will deal much less consistent Hero damage with it. However, this build can perform well if you really want a playstyle focused around Scatter Arrow. This build works best on maps that have narrow corridors, where Scatter Arrow's ricochets are more likely to hit enemies.

Grab Simple Geometry at Level 1 to improve Scatter Arrow once you complete the quest. Serrated Arrows will only be good at Battlefield of Eternity or Hanamura Temple. Explosive Arrows has better waveclear than Serrated Arrows; pick it up at Level 4, if you are not in one of the 2 mentioned maps. Furthermore, Ignore All Distractions is an excellent choice on Volskaya Foundry.

This build really comes online at Level 16. We recommend choosing Giant Slayer, as it greatly improves your burst damage with Scatter Arrow and your sustained damage with Basic Attacks. However, Piercing Arrows is also a good option. It allows Scatter Arrow to be shot into terrain through an enemy Hero. This opens up many more angles for Scatter Arrow, and makes it much harder for enemies to prevent it from colliding with terrain. Piercing Arrows also allows Explosive Arrows to explode twice with each Storm Bow arrow, greatly improving your waveclear, being relevant in maps such as Infernal Shrines or Tomb of the Spider Queen.

At Level 10, you should usually take Dragon's Arrow. It gives you some much needed crowd control, which can be used to turn a team fight, or to set up and secure kills. Dragonstrike can also work with this build, but requires your team to have some way to set up a wombo-combo. The Dragon Awakens makes it possible to reset Dragonstrike quickly enough to cast it more than once in a team fight after Level 20.

Basic Attack Build

Situational

Level 1

Level 4 ? ?

Level 7 ?

Level 10 ?

Level 13 ? ?

Level 16 ?

Level 20 ? ?

Copy build to clipboard Build copied! Talent calculator »

The Basic Attack Build takes Talents that dramatically improve Hanzo's sustained damage. As with any ranged Basic Attack strategy, you want to position yourself near maximum range while delivering Basic Attacks to enemy Heroes.

Never Outmatched significantly reduces the cooldown of Scatter Arrow and enhances your overall damage output. However, new Hanzo players might find it challenging to get used to, as the increased attack speed from Redemption requires quick use of Scatter Arrow after every two Basic Attacks. Sharpened Arrowheads is an easier yet still excellent option, as each consecutive Basic Attack or Storm Bow hit on an enemy Hero reduces their armor for 3 seconds, increasing all damage done to that enemy.

Giant Slayer works very well against enemy Tanks with large health pools. If the enemy frontline is lacking and you need finishing power against squishy enemy Heroes, Flawless Technique can be a good choice instead.

✓

Target Practice (Level 1) Hanzo

Quest: Hit every enemy Hero with Storm Bow.

Reward: After hitting every enemy Hero once with Storm Bow, its range is increased by 30%.

Reward: After hitting every enemy Hero 3 times with Storm Bow, its damage is increased by 100.

?

Simple Geometry (Level 1) Hanzo

Quest: Hit a Hero with multiple arrows from the same Scatter Arrow cast 20 times. Each arrow hit after the second grants additional progress.

Reward: Upon hitting terrain for the first time, Scatter Arrow creates 2 additional arrows.

?

Redemption (Level 1) Hanzo

Quest: Every 2 Basic Attacks against the same Hero within 10 seconds grants 1 Redemption, stacking up to 12. Dying decreases Redemption by 3, and Redemption can be lost even at maximum stacks.

Reward: At 12 Redemption, gain 50% Attack Speed.

Target Practice is a great Talent that enhances Storm Bow's range and damage. Achieving the first quest reward is extremely easy against most team compositions, and will enable you to poke from great distances. While completing this quest will usually be a simple task, certain enemy Heroes can make this quest difficult (or even impossible) to complete. If the enemy team has Abathur, this Talent is not recommended.

Simple Geometry's quest reward will cause Scatter Arrow to create additional projectiles. This makes it a key Talent to take for a Scatter Arrow build, but also makes it nearly useless for other builds. It can be difficult to complete in the early game on battlegrounds with wide lanes, as enemy Heroes will be far away from any terrain features during the laning phase.

Redemption significantly increases Hanzo's otherwise sluggish attack speed once stacked, bringing him more in line with other Heroes. This Talent is essential if you plan to build around Basic Attacks.

✓

Explosive Arrows (Level 4) Hanzo

Upon hitting a Minion or Monster, Storm Bow deals 60% of its damage to enemies around its target.

?

Serrated Arrows (Level 4) Hanzo

Scatter Arrow deals 100% more damage to Minions, Mercenaries, and Monsters.

?

Ignore All Distractions (Level 4) Hanzo

Basic Attacks instantly kill Minions and increase Hanzo's Basic Attack range by 2 for 3 seconds.

Explosive Arrows dramatically improves Hanzo's waveclear. This Talent can cause Hero damage during confrontations that take place near Minions or Monsters, which can be very good in teamfights that take place in lanes.

Serrated Arrows is not very good after the nerfs to the Level 7 Talent, Never Outmatched. It used to enable Hanzo to solo-capture Mercenaries very quickly, but this is no longer the case. The waveclear provided by this Talent is outshined by Explosive Arrows, even if no other Talents are invested into Storm Bow. However, in Battlefield of Eternity or Hanamura Temple, it is still a good option, since it will deal more damage to Sentinels and Immortals.

Ignore All Distractions will help you waveclear with a Basic Attack build. It also increases your Basic Attack range for a short duration after killing a Minion, which will help you harass enemy Heroes in or around lanes.

✓

The Dragon Hungers (Level 7) Hanzo

Hitting a Hero with Storm Bow grants 5% Spell Power for 12 seconds, stacking up to 20%.

?

Never Outmatched (Level 7) Hanzo

Reduce Scatter Arrow's Mana cost from 50 to 30. Basic Attacks against Heroes lower the cooldown of Scatter Arrow by 3 seconds.

?

Sharpened Arrowheads (Level 7) Hanzo

Hitting a Hero with Storm Bow or Basic Attacks reduces their Armor by 3 for 3 seconds, up to a maximum reduction of 20 Armor.

There is not much to say in this tier. Each Talent will be good for the corresponding build: The Dragon Hungers with a Storm Bow build, Never Outmatched with Scatter Arrow, and Sharpened Arrowheads for a Basic Attack build.

The Dragon Hungers can be useful with the Storm Bow build, where you will constantly poke with Storm Bow from great distances.

Never Outmatched is an important part of the Scatter Arrow build. This Talent reduces the mana cost of Scatter Arrow, and reduces its cooldown each time you Basic Attack an enemy Hero. If you are a very experienced Hanzo player, this Talent can be picked in Basic Attack build, since it will deal more damage than Sharpened Arrowheads as long as you keep using Scatter Arrow when available.

Sharpened Arrowheads applies an armor debuff to enemy Heroes each time they are hit by your Basic Attacks or Storm Bow arrows. Enemies with negative armor values will take increased damage from all sources. With this Talent, it is important to not change focus between heroes for long, since it will reset your stacks and remove the armor reduction from them. Make sure to always hit the enemy at least once every 3 to reapply the debuff

?

Dragonstrike (Level 10) Hanzo

• Mana: 60
• Cooldown: 60 seconds

After 1.5 seconds, summon a pair of Spirit Dragons which travel forward, dealing 84 (+4% per level) damage every 0.25 seconds to enemy Heroes in its area. Enemies in the center take 75% increased damage.

✓

Dragon's Arrow (Level 10) Hanzo

• Mana: 90
• Cooldown: 70 seconds

Fire a missile that travels across the battleground. Explodes upon hitting an enemy Hero, dealing 130 (+4% per level) damage to all nearby enemies and Stunning them for 0.5 seconds.

After traveling a medium distance, the damage is increased to 260 (+4% per level) and the Stun duration to 1.25 seconds.

After traveling a long distance, the damage is increased to 390 (+4% per level) and the Stun duration to 2 seconds.

In this section we discuss when and why to pick a given Heroic Ability. If you want to read how they work in detail and/or you are looking for some tips on how to use them, check them out on the Abilities and Strategy page.

Dragonstrike is Hanzo's iconic Ability from Overwatch, and performs as one would expect. Due to the channel time, audio cues, and slow travel speed, this Ability is easy for enemies to avoid if they are not trapped or crowd-controlled. Additionally, the center area that deals more meaningful damage is very thin. Dragonstrike does not damage non-Heroic units or structures; it can only damage enemy Heroes. This Ability is strong on maps that have objectives that spawn in tight corridors, such as the tributes on Cursed Hollow. Keep in mind the dragons do not spawn directly from Hanzo, and will not hit Heroes who are within close range of him.

Dragon's Arrow is a linear skillshot that travels globally across the map, dealing damage and stunning in an area of effect upon impact. The damage and stun duration increase as Dragon's Arrow travels past distance intervals, which are demarcated while aiming the Ability. At maximum distance Dragon's Arrow will be at its strongest, but you will not be in range to follow up with your other Abilities (unless you have Play of the Game). Dragon's Arrow is usually going to be the correct Heroic to take. It is easier to hit enemies with it, does not need to be channeled, and can be used both as follow up Heroic or as an engage tool.

✓

Fleet of Foot (Level 13) Hanzo

Hitting a Hero with Storm Bow grants 10% Movement Speed for 6 seconds, up to 30%.

?

Ninja Assassin (Level 13) Hanzo

Hitting Heroes with Storm Bow lowers Natural Agility's cooldown by 10 seconds. Additionally, Hero Takedowns reset Natural Agility's cooldown.

?

Mounted Archery (Level 13) Hanzo

Reduce the cooldown of Summon Mount by 2 seconds. Upon mounting, gain 25% additional Movement Speed for 5 seconds. Using Natural Agility instantly mounts.

Fleet of Foot helps Hanzo kite enemies while repeatedly casting Storm Bow. This is particularly effective with the Storm Bow build, as you can chase or retreat from enemies at long range, but can be picked with any Build.

Ninja Assassin allows you to greatly reduce the Cooldown on your escape, Natural Agility. It is a good option if you are against enemy Heroes who will dive you, because it will increase the likelihood that Natural Agility is available when you need it.

Mounted Archery immediately mounts Hanzo once Natural Agility concludes, and grants bonus mounted Movement Speed for a short duration. This Talent greatly improves Hanzo's rotation speed across all battlefields, and is always an acceptable choice.

✓

Flawless Technique (Level 16) Hanzo

Hitting Heroes with Storm Bow increases the damage of Hanzo's next Basic Attack within 5 seconds by 40%. Basic Attacks against Heroes increase the damage of Hanzo's next Storm Bow within 5 seconds by 40%.

?

Piercing Arrows (Level 16) Hanzo

Storm Bow and Scatter Arrow pierce, hitting an additional enemy. Additionally, Scatter Arrow can pierce through 1 enemy each time it ricochets.

?

Giant Slayer (Level 16) Hanzo

Enemy Heroes hit by Scatter Arrow and Basic Attacks take a bonus 1.6% of their maximum Health as damage.

Flawless Technique greatly increases Hanzo's single target damage potential. Fleet of Foot works very well with Flawless Technique, because the increased Move Speed will help you deliver Basic Attacks after each hit from Storm Bow. This Talent has great synergy with Sharpened Arrowheads, because they both promote the delivery of Basic Attacks between Storm Bow casts.

Piercing Arrows allows you to hit enemy Heroes with optimal splits of Scatter Arrow much more easily, as the initial Scatter Arrow projectile will pass through the first enemy Hero it comes in contact with. This Talent also affects the arrows caused by Scatter Arrow's split, meaning that the split will continue to ricochet after raking your initial target. Piercing Arrows also allows Explosive Arrows to explode twice, greatly increasing waveclear and team fight damage.

Giant Slayer is a nice addition to a Basic Attack build, because it increases Basic Attack damage dealt to enemy Heroes based on their maximum Health. It is a good substitute for Flawless Technique in situations where Storm Bow arrows may be blocked by enemy Tanks. It is also good when paired with Simple Geometry, as it increases Scatter Arrow's damage, which threatens enemy Heroes who are near terrain features.

?

The Dragon Awakens (Level 20) Hanzo

Hitting a Hero with Storm Bow, Scatter Arrow, or Basic Attacks reduces the cooldown of Dragonstrike by 4 seconds.

?

Play of the Game (Level 20) Hanzo

While in flight or for up to 2 seconds after impacting a target, Dragon's Arrow can be reactivated to teleport to its location and jump backwards. If used after impact, Hanzo shoots arrows that deal 132 (+4% per level) damage to each target hit by the impact.

Hanzo is Unstoppable during Play of the Game.

✓

Bullseye (Level 20) Hanzo

Increase Sonic Arrow's speed and center radius by 100%. Additionally, Heroes hit by Sonic Arrow's center are Stunned for 1 second.

?

Perfect Agility (Level 20) Hanzo

Natural Agility gains a 2nd charge and its cooldown is reduced by 10 seconds.

The Dragon Awakens can be very powerful if you are using the Scatter Arrow build. This build makes it possible to reset the cooldown of Dragonstrike very quickly.

Play of the Game allows Hanzo to travel to any point on the map, by teleporting to Dragon's Arrow's location. This should usually be used to join a team fight, as teleporting to the arrow after it impacts will cause you to fire additional arrows when you arrive. Using Play of the Game this way also allows Hanzo to split off from the main group until he is needed.

Bullseye is the default level 20 option for Hanzo, since it basically increases the stun duration of Dragon's Arrow by 1 second, and can also be used to cancel a channeled Ability from afar, or to follow up an engage. Try to always use Sonic Arrow on the target you stunned with your Heroic Ability, prolonging the stun duration.

Perfect Agility is very useful if you need additional escape during the late game.