Winston Guide “Imagination is the essence of discovery.”

Table of Contents

• ×Introduction
  • 1. Winston (Specimen 28) Overview
  • 2. Winston's Strengths
  • 3. Winston's Weaknesses
  • 4. Winston Synergies
  • 5. Winston Counters
  • 6. Winston Is Strong Against
  • 7. Winston TL;DR Tips
  • 8. Reading Further for Winston
  • 9. Changelog
• +Abilities and Strategy
  • 1. Winston TL;DR Tips
  • 2. Winston Abilities
    • 2.1. Tesla Cannon
    • 2.2. Jump Pack
    • 2.3. Barrier Projector
    • 2.4. Primal Rage
• +Playstyle
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Winston's Offensive Combo
  • 3. Timing with Winston & Knowing When to Dive
  • 4. Stalling with Winston
  • 5. How to Use Primal Rage
• +Synergies and Matchups
  • 1. Winston's Synergies
    • 1.1. D.Va & Winston
    • 1.2. Sombra & Winston
    • 1.3. Mercy & Winston
    • 1.4. Genji & Winston
  • 2. Winston Counters
    • 2.1. Reaper & Winston
    • 2.2. Roadhog & Winston
    • 2.3. Pharah & Winston
    • 2.4. Brigitte & Winston
  • 3. Winston Is Strong Against
    • 3.1. Genji & Winston
    • 3.2. Widowmaker & Winston
    • 3.3. Zenyatta & Winston
• +Maps
  • 1. Best Maps for Winston
    • 1.1. Winston on Watchpoint: Gibraltar/Numbani
    • 1.2. Winston on Horizon Lunar Colony
  • 2. Worst Map for Winston
    • 2.1. Winston on Nepal

Winston is a high mobility main tank used in dive and hybrid team compositions. His main goal is to attack weak or slow enemy healers and dps heroes. His size and his kit help him distract the enemy team while his team rushes onto their targets.

Winston's main source of damage comes from his primary weapon Tesla Cannon, an auto-locking multi-target beam weapon that deals sustained damage over time. Although this weapon is not known for its damage, when matched with Winston's health and other abilities, it can make for a devastating tool.

Winston's main mobility ability is called Jump Pack. Jump Pack lets Winston launch into the air, damaging enemies who are unfortunate enough to find themselves at its point of impact. This ability has a short cooldown that lets players jump in, harass enemies, and jump back out again with little to worry about.

Winston needs some extra protection when he confronts enemies on their turf, which is why Barrier Projector is a perfect tool to help Winston stay alive through his attack. Barrier Projector is a dome-shaped barrier that allows Winston to attack his enemies from inside the hemisphere while staying safe behind its shield.

Winston's ultimate is called Primal Rage. This ultimate is an instant-cast ability that turns Winston into an enraged version of his normally tactful self. While in Primal Rage, players can swat enemies into the air, use Jump Pack at faster intervals, and have increased health.

• Excellent mobility from Jump Pack
• Excellent sustainability from Barrier Projector
• Straightforward and simple mechanics
• Viability that scales with skill level
• Easily catches enemies off guard
• Hard to kill when used correctly

• Ultimate can be lackluster compared to other tank ultimates
• Lacks efficient medium and long-range damage
• Does not primarily defend his team
• Inappropriate usage is devastating to team
• Mistakes can be unforgiving

Winston performs well with any hero who has high mobility and can help him kill or harass enemy players. D.Va is arguably the best complement in the game, as her kit allows her to stay with Winston to secure kills, defend teammates, or zone enemies. Sombra can use her Hack to shut down enemy abilities to allow Winston to help her cleanup the target. Genji is a great finisher thanks to Swift Strike, and this ability is incredibly powerful with planned Winston attacks. Finally, Mercy is arguably the best support for Winston thanks to her ability to follow him no matter where he goes and provide high single-target healing. Winston is countered by high damage-dealing weapons, high hit points, and high altitudes. Reaper and Roadhog counter Winston thanks to their shotgun-based weapons and their ability to defend teammates. Pharah counters Winston by the fact that Winston cannot assault Pharah unless he has Jump Pack, and even then, it is only for a moment or two. Brigitte counters Winston thanks to her self-sustain, her ability to prolong fights, and her high number of hit-points. Winston is best used against enemies who lack mobility or who need peace to perform their functions. Genji, despite his mobility, is countered by Winston because Winston's Tesla Cannon is an auto-locking weapon that Genji cannot dodge with Cyber-Agility or Deflect. Winston counters Widowmaker because she must have clear shots to perform her job, but Winston can continually harass her, forcing her to miss shots or die by his hand. Zenyatta's lack of mobility and self-sustain abilities makes him an easy target for Winston.

• Communication is key; if you cannot communicate with your team, Winston may not be the best option.
• Winston cannot fit into every team composition, and he is heavily composition-dependent. If allies are choosing heroes that do not work with Winston, do not be afraid to forgo the monkey.
• Timing and positioning are two crucial factors to Winston's success. Take advantage of your team's damage/picks, and follow up when possible.
• Barrier Projector can be used in midair, so do not be afraid to throw it down preemptively if you are worried about being focused.
• Primal Rage is one of the best stall abilities in the game. If your team needs to regroup to take a point, Primal Rage can get the job done.

See our Abilities page for further information

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.

To take things further, we have 4 more pages that you can read:

• Abilities and Strategy: an overview of your hero's abilities and how to use them;
• Playstyle: a detailed explanation on how to play your hero;
• Maps: how to make the best use of your hero on each map;
• Synergies and Matchups: where we detail your synergies, your counters, and the heroes you work well against.

• 10 Sep. 2018 (this page): Guide rewritten.

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