Roadhog Synergies and Matchups

Table of Contents

• +Introduction
  • 1. Roadhog Synergies
  • 2. Roadhog Counters
  • 3. Roadhog Is Strong Against
  • 4. Roadhog TL;DR Tips
  • 5. Reading Further for Roadhog
  • 6. Changelog
• +Abilities and Strategy
  • 1. Roadhog TL;DR Tips
  • 2. General Playstyle
  • 3. Scrap Gun
  • 4. Scrap Gun
  • 5. Chain Hook
  • 6. Take A Breather
  • 7. Whole Hog
• ×Synergies and Matchups
  • 1. Synergies
    • 1.1. Ana
    • 1.2. Reinhardt
    • 1.3. Mei
  • 2. Counters
    • 2.1. Reaper
    • 2.2. Zarya
    • 2.3. Orisa
  • 3. Strong Against
    • 3.1. Winston
    • 3.2. Reinhardt
    • 3.3. Tracer

On this page, we list the good and bad matchups for Roadhog. More specifically, we list the heroes that Roadhog synergizes well with, the heroes that counter Roadhog, and those that Roadhog is strong against.

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

Ana acts as an excellent security for Roadhog when he hooks enemies, since she can make sure that he gets the kill. When hooking enemies, call out that you have caught them and Ana can throw her Biotic Grenade onto you. Not only will this ensure that you are safe during the fight, but it will stop enemy healers from saving the hooked target, thereby allowing your teammates to quickly secure the kill.

Beyond this, Roadhog's Whole Hog can deal huge amounts of damage when Ana uses her Nano Boost on him. Combo this during fights in smaller rooms or in a corner and you will find yourself clearing out multiple members of the enemy team.

Reinhardt and Roadhog make an excellent front line combo, but only if there is good communication between the two of you. Roadhog can break the stalemate that often occurs in Reinhardt mirror matchups by constantly using his alternate fire to break the enemy Reinhardt's Barrier Field while being covered by his teammate's shield.

Once the enemy shield is no longer present, tell your Reinhardt to move forward and get into position for a Chain Hook. You can hook the enemy behind your Reinhardt's shield and he can then move forward, ensuring that they cannot be helped by an enemy Ana, for example. Finish off the target and then support your Reinhardt as he pushes forward.

Try not to use your ultimates together, since a Whole Hog can very easily separate a team that Reinhardt has just grouped up and stunned with Earthshatter.

Mei and Roadhog have a similar relationship to that of Reinhardt and Roadhog. She essentially secures kills for Roadhog by using her Ice Wall. When you manage to grab someone, tell your Mei that she needs to wall the chokepoint. By doing this, it will prevent any enemies from trying to advance and save their teammates, regardless of who has been hooked.

Keep in mind that Mei's Blizzard functions in a similar way to Reinhardt's Earthshatter and should not be comboed with Roadhog's Whole Hog.

Reaper is a huge issue for Roadhog in team scenarios and 1-on-1 situations. You should avoid trying to fight Reaper at all costs unless you can land a Chain Hook on him and kill him immediately after. If you cannot kill him and he starts to heal up, you should try to exit the fight if possible. With his new lifestealing skill, The Reaping, he can very easily heal back to full while fighting you and gaining a huge amount of ultimate charge at the same time. Never use Take A Breather while fighting Reaper unless he has just used Wraith Form. By stopping firing and healing, he will kill you before you can finish the heal.

During team fights, it is important to watch for any signs that he might use Death Blossom. When he does, you need to use Chain Hook him in order to interrupt it.

Zarya is fairly simple for Roadhog to deal with in a 1-on-1 situation, but in team fights she is a major problem for you. When you land Chain Hook on an enemy target, Zarya can immediately use Projected Barrier on them with one of two results. You will either end up having to let the target run away or you have to feed Zarya charge and try to kill the target with your second shot.

It is advisable to let the target go since you can use your alternate fire to try and kill them after the Projected Barrier wears off. A Zarya with too much charge can become too much to deal with for your team incredibly quickly.

Between hiding behind her Protective Barrier and using Fortify, Orisa is, for the most part, unhookable by Roadhog. Against large targets, she can deal huge amounts of damage, so it is important to keep a close eye on her during team fights. If you see that her Fortify has been wasted and there is an opening to hook, capitalise on it immediately and try to finish her off with your second shot.

It is worth noting that you cannot knock her back with Whole Hog if she has Fortify up.

With a huge hitbox and a propensity to be found out of position, Winston is a prime target for Roadhog to hit with Chain Hook. You need to keep an eye on him as he dives your backline, ensuring that you stay close to your healers. If you are too far away, Winston can drop his Barrier Projector on top of his target, thereby preventing you from using your hook. If this does happen, simply use your alternate fire to take the barrier down, since it is often faster than trying to run in and catch Winston unless you are close by.

Your Whole Hog can keep Winston pinned against a wall after he uses his Primal Rage, thereby stopping him from giving your backline too much hassle.

Roadhog is the perfect candidate for destroying Reinhardt's Barrier Field given the range and damage of his alternate fire. When holding or pushing a chokepoint, focus your fire on Reinhardt's barrier, ensuring that you destroy it faster than your team's is destroyed. As the shield starts to visibly crack, prepare yourself to hook as soon as it drops, since you can catch an enemy hero off-guard and then push the advantage.

It is also worth noting that, when the enemy Reinhardt tries to Charge one of your teammates, you can interrupt the action by landing Chain Hook on him and therefore saving your teammate.

Roadhog and Tracer have an interesting relationship in the sense that Tracer can run rings around Roadhog for a very long time without Roadhog being able to touch her. The reason why we have her listed as being countered by Roadhog is that she only has 150 HP. With such a tiny health pool, she can actually be very easily one-shot by Roadhog with either his hook combo or his alternate fire.

In order to win this matchup, you need to land the Chain Hook before Tracer starts kiting you. If you miss your hook, try to spam your alternate fire at her until she eventually goes down or has to retreat.

About our Author

Blainie is a Grand Master Support and Tank player, with a focus on analysis of gameplay and the meta surrounding Overwatch. He regularly streams his ranked games on Twitch, where he can answer any questions you may have about the game or guides.