Sombra Synergies and Matchups

Table of Contents

• +Introduction
  • 1. Overview of Sombra
  • 2. Sombra's Strengths
  • 3. Sombra's Weaknesses
  • 4. Sombra Synergies
  • 5. Sombra Counters
  • 6. Sombra Is Strong Against
  • 7. Sombra TL;DR Tips
  • 8. Reading Further for Sombra
  • 9. Changelog
• +Abilities and Strategy
  • 1. Sombra TL;DR Tips
  • 2. Sombra's Abilities
    • 2.1. Opportunist
    • 2.2. Machine Pistol
    • 2.3. Hack
      • 2.3.1. Hero Hack Interactions
      • 2.3.2. Health Pack Hack Interactions
    • 2.4. Stealth
    • 2.5. Translocator
    • 2.6. EMP
• +Playstyle
  • 1. Introduction to Sombra
  • 2. Offensive Combos for Sombra
    • 2.1. Sombra Combo 1
    • 2.2. Sombra Combo 2
  • 3. Defensive Maneuvers for Sombra
  • 4. Ultimate Usage for Sombra
    • 4.1. Wrong Times to Use EMP
    • 4.2. Right Times to Use EMP
• ×Synergies and Matchups
  • 1. Synergies for Sombra
    • 1.1. Winston & Sombra
    • 1.2. Tracer & Sombra
    • 1.3. Brigitte & Sombra
  • 2. Sombra Counters
    • 2.1. Winston & Sombra
    • 2.2. Moira & Sombra
    • 2.3. McCree & Sombra
  • 3. Sombra Is Strong Against
    • 3.1. Doomfist & Sombra
    • 3.2. Ana & Sombra
• +Maps
  • 1. Best Maps for Sombra
    • 1.1. Sombra on Temple of Anubis
    • 1.2. Sombra on Eichenwalde
  • 2. Worst Map for Sombra
    • 2.1. Sombra on Nepal

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

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

It is unfortunate to lose your abilities to Hack, its downright unlucky to face a Monkey wielding an electric-powered cannon immediately afterwards. Sombra's Hack is a strong ability on its own, but its brutal when used in tandem with Winston. If Sombra communicates with Winston, Winston can use Jump Pack to follow up Sombra's Hack. Between Winston's Tesla Cannon and Sombra's Machine Pistol, the target is typically in big trouble.

Although Genji is a fantastic pick with Sombra, the other primary flanker, Tracer, is a better choice for a number of reasons. Genji's mobility, while strong, is not the best pair with Sombra's Hack usage. When Sombra Hacks an enemy, there needs to be an immediate response to the weakened target. Tracer's Blink allows her to quickly traverse the map and get in position to finish Hacked enemies. Additionally, Pulse Bomb is a wonderful contrast to EMP. Genji's Dragonblade is somewhat of an overkill when used on enemies who are shutdown from EMP. Tracer's Pulse Bomb can pick up kills throughout the game, and Sombra thrives on uneven team fights. For this reason, Tracer's kit is just a touch better than Genji's.

With the introduction of Brigitte, Sombra has had more freedom than ever to use Stealth and pick off enemies who are focused on dealing with Brigitte and the rest of Sombra's team. Brigitte is able to hold her own in a fight, and does not need the same level of protection that other supports require. This allows Sombra to freely leave Brigitte and her team to sneak behind the enemy. Additionally, Brigitte is a rallying point (pun intended) for Sombra's allies. A coordinated team is Sombra's best friend, and Brigitte fosters good communication among allies.

Winston, while one of the best allies for Sombra, is also one her worst enemies. Heroes that are not heavily reliant on their abilities during fights are typically better heroes against Sombra. As Winston uses Jump Pack for positioning and lays down his Barrier Projector before firing his Tesla Cannon, Sombra's Hack has little effect against Winston. In fact, Winston's auto-locking cannon will constantly interrupt any Hack attempt Sombra tries to make while in his presence. Due to the recent changes, Sombra's Hack will constantly go on a two second cooldown when interrupted by enemy damage, meaning Sombra is even less effective against Winston than ever before. Lastly, Winston can use Jump Pack to chase Sombra if she tries to use Translocator to escape with low health.

Moira is arguably the slipperiest support to take down, especially when playing as Sombra. When Sombra comes up behind Moira to attempt a Hack, Moira can simply use Fade to drop the Hack before it completes. Once Moira returns from her voyage through space, she can focus Sombra using her Biotic Grasp (RMB). As Biotic Grasp has infinite ammo, Sombra will have no chance to use Hack once Moira locks on to her. Additionally, due to Sombra's low burst damage potential, the chances of Sombra dealing enough damage to effectively kill Moira before Sombra has to use her Translocator to return to her health pack base camp are low. If Sombra can get off her Hack, Moira's life steal remains unaffected, which means Moira is arguably still in the driver's seat of the engagement. Even if Sombra manages to secure the kill, it will have been in a hard fought battle. The same can not be said for any other support (especially if they get Hacked) in the game. It is important to note that Sombra's Hack and EMP abilities will shutdown Coalescence during its use. Therefore, Moira should be privy to Sombra's position before using her ultimate.

McCree, although not the strongest counter against Sombra, is arguably the best DPS character against Sombra, especially when Hacked. Similar to Winston, McCree's strength in facing off with Sombra is his non-reliance on abilities to deal damage. While the classic Flashbang then Peacekeeper combination is nice to rely on, the real power of the ability chain is in its ease of use for a simple headshot. However, if Sombra takes that power away from McCree, he can still turn around and blast Sombra in the head for almost all of her health. As Sombra has no tricks up her sleeve after Hack, McCree is still the better duelist of the two, and can finish her off with decent aim. Additionally, McCree's optimal positioning is in the backline, which means he is typically close to his supports and can give them a helping hand when Sombra tries to use her tricks.

Doomfist is by far the most ability-reliant hero in the entire Overwatch universe. Take away his abilities, and all you have left is a laughable semi-decent shotgun weapon. Without his mobility and damage-dealing abilities, Doomfist becomes a sitting duck primed for the slaughter.

Although a close toss up between Zenyatta and Ana, Ana ultimately claims the spot for the most vulnerable hero to Sombra's kit. Ana's primary defense against flankers is her Sleep Dart, which is awfully difficult to hit. Additionally, Ana has low self sustain, as her Biotic Grenade is her only self-heal. Additionally, Ana has no mobility abilities, which means her ability to escape from Sombra is subpar. The sole reason Zenyatta comes in second place is due to his high DPS potential, which, when in the right hands, can kill Sombra despite being Hacked.

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.