Reaper Playstyle

Table of Contents

• +Introduction
  • 1. Reaper (Gabriel Reyes) Guide Overview
  • 2. Reaper's Strengths
  • 3. Reaper's Weaknesses
  • 4. Reaper Synergies
  • 5. Reaper Counters
  • 6. Reaper Is Strong Against
  • 7. Reaper TL;DR Tips
  • 8. Reading Further for Reaper
  • 9. Changelog
• +Abilities and Strategy
  • 1. Reaper TL;DR Tips
  • 2. Reaper's Abilities
    • 2.1. The Reaping
    • 2.2. Hellfire Shotguns
    • 2.3. Wraith Form
    • 2.4. Shadow Step
    • 2.5. Death Blossom
• ×Playstyle
  • 1. Reaper Playstyle Introduction
  • 2. Reaper's Positioning
  • 3. Reaper's Abilities
  • 4. Reaper's Targets
  • 5. How to Use Death Blossom
• +Synergies and Matchups
  • 1. Reaper Synergies
    • 1.1. Reinhardt & Reaper
    • 1.2. McCree & Reaper
    • 1.3. Brigitte & Reaper
  • 2. Reaper Counters
    • 2.1. Widowmaker & Reaper
    • 2.2. Hanzo & Reaper
    • 2.3. Zarya & Reaper
    • 2.4. Brigitte & Reaper
    • 2.5. Pharah & Reaper
  • 3. Reaper Is Strong Against
    • 3.1. Winston & Reaper
    • 3.2. Bastion & Reaper
• +Maps
  • 1. Best Maps for Reaper
    • 1.1. Reaper on Temple of Anubis
    • 1.2. Reaper on Volskaya Industries
  • 2. Worst Map for Reaper
    • 2.1. Watchpoint: Gibraltar

On this page, you will find out how to properly play Reaper. From general playstyle advice, to more specific advice like ultimate usage or combos, we tell you everything we think matters to master your hero.

The other pages of our Reaper guide can be accessed from the table of contents on the right.

Reaper is a fairly straightforward flanker since his kit only has so much to offer. In fact, players who want to excel with Reaper must focus first on their positioning above all else, as Reaper is only viable when he is used up close. Therefore, Reaper has no combos, and must only rely on cunning and aim to be successful.

Undoubtedly, Reaper is used best when flanking enemy players or otherwise catching them unaware. Teams who know of Reaper's movements will typically be able to stop him from doing his job, as they will either overrun Reaper's position (as he is likely alone) or be wary of a certain corridor or area of the map that he is known to be in. Therefore, Reaper's best ally is surprise. The better a Reaper is at hiding and making hidden movements into the enemy backline, the more successful he will be.

If a player is using Reaper defensively, he should be played just behind ally tanks in order to deal close-range damage.

Players should aim to use Shadow Step to get into position before a fight begins, to use Wraith Form to either dodge a crucial enemy attack ( Flashbang, Shield Bash, etc), to reload his Hellfire Shotguns, or to escape from a fight once he is outmatched. While players can use Wraith Form to engage a split enemy, it is not advisable to use Wraith Form to engage an enemy team head-on since you will have already used your escape ability before a fight began.

When using Shadow Step, players should remember that Reaper will be stuck in its animation for a short time at the destination of his teleport before he can move or shoot. Therefore, it is always inadvisable that Reaper uses Shadow Step to get to a ledge or position where enemies are currently looking, as this can lead to easy headshots on Reaper.

Reaper's main goal is to kill enemy damage heroes or healers when he is on attack. When Reaper is able to secure a kill on one of these two targets, it gives his team the advantage they need to move into a fight with confidence. If playing on defense, or if the enemy team is efficiently playing together, Reaper should attempt to use his Hellfire Shotguns to destroy enemy barriers and to kill enemy tanks. If Reaper is able to to destroy the frontline, allies can typically go in and clean up the rest of the enemy team. Therefore, Reaper can be played as a flanker where he is looking for picks, or he can play on the frontline to help ally tanks push or hold the line.

Death Blossom is an easy ultimate to use, but there are times when its usage could have less impact

Improper times to use Death Blossom:

• Without backup against an enemy who has a crowd control ability;
• When your team is two heroes up (unless one of them is using an ultimate);
• (Situational) When your teammate used a crowd control ultimate and your damage would be overkill;
• Against two tanks with barriers or some form of protection (D.Va's Defense Matrix);
• When you have less than 50% health.

Proper times to use Death Blossom:

• To open a teamfight;
• When behind the enemy team and using it on healers or damage heroes;
• (Situational) When the enemy team is on an objective and you can catch them off-guard;
• When many enemies are low and you need to finish them off;

About our Author

Mournflakes is a flex Grandmaster Overwatch player who boasts a career high SR rating of 4433. His favorite heroes are Roadhog, Soldier: 76, and Ana. He has played Overwatch since its initial release, and has put over 700 hours into competitive play. When not writing guides, you can catch Mournflakes streaming on his Twitch channel.