The concept of being a stalwart tank has been a staple in the Roleplaying game genre since the dawn of Dungeons and Dragons in the 80s, yet when translating their core design into a first-person shooter, many players new to Overwatch may find the role confusing. Moreso now as the existing tank guides from the original Overwatch are outdated with the introduction of the 5v5 game mode.
After reading all of the skills of tanks and queuing up, players will find the tanks to come in flavorful varieties. From high DPS output tanks such as Junker Queen and Zarya to “Dive and Disturpt” tanks like Winston and Wrecking Ball, the role that tanks play does not follow typical RPG meatshields.
This article will cover the role and power rating of all tanks in Overwatch 2. The list is subject to meta changes, however the top tanks will be relevant, regardless of meta, so long as they won’t be heavily reworked.
The role that tanks play can be broken into 5 categories and will have an overall score:
Survivability - The sum total of defensive capabilities.
Damage - Although tanks generally deal less damage, they still need to dish out damage to exert pressure so that enemies will think twice before charging to the backline squishies.
Utility - A broad term meaning the amount of crowd control, stuns, displacements, AOE shielding, etc. that allows teamfights to extend or to aid a teammate.
Mobility - The ability to charge through or escape an unfavorable encounter.
Teamfighting - How well a hero performs on the battlefield. This stat factors in the hero’s kit, ultimate abilities, and playstyle in a combat scenario
Besides the scoring system, tanks have another role of being a sort of “Leader” in the battlefield. They facilitate when a team should push or retreat as they are the hardest to take down while usually having the most amount of crowd control. Once a tank falls, it opens an opportunity for the opposing team to push, and to retreat for the defending team.
A short disclaimer, all tanks are viable and just because some tanks are rated low on the list, only means that they aren’t the best option to climb on ranked. For unranked games, you can select whichever tank you want and I personally find Overwatch the most fun by playing or playing with off-meta tanks especially in open queue with a 3 tank 2 support lineup.0
10. Doomfist
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Doomfist Overview
For the players willing to invest their time and effort into mastering Doomfist, he’s a hero for the one tricks and YouTube montages due to his high skill ceiling and satisfying dive playstyle. Once a DPS hero a long time ago, Doomfist being placed into the tank role, which creates some interesting mechanics, yet his kit and playstyle are suited to the role that tanks play, making him at the bottom of the list.
Doomfist is the definition of a feast or famine hero, he will either be top fragging and pushing to the enemy’s spawn point, or struggle to push enemies off a key location, which is by design. His kit rewards one trick and is unforgiving to new players.
Doomfist’s abilities:
Hand Cannon (Primary Weapon): 4 magazine shotgun that fires with a broad spread.
The Best Defense (Passive): Whenever Doomfist deals ability damage, he generates temporary overhealth.
Rocket Punch (Alternate Fire): Doomfist launches forward and punches enemies in front of him. Can be charged for greater damage and distance
Power Block (Left Shift): Protects Doomfist by reducing incoming frontal damage by 80 percent. Lasts 2 seconds
Seismic Slam (E ability): Doomfist leaps forward and smashes the ground
Meteor Strike (Ultimate): Doomfist leaps into the sky and crashes down, dealing heavy damage in a broad area
Read Doomfist’s abilities in further detail: https://overwatch.fandom.com/wiki/Doomfist
Playstyle
Doomfist is extremely ability-dependent. Understanding his cooldowns and appropriately cycling through his abilities separates an average Doomfist from a great one. The biggest mistake players commit is burning through all of Doomfist’s abilities and being caught by an enemy.
The optimal playstyle consists of jumping in, dealing damage, and knocking enemies back while gaining overheal from his passive, followed by finishing low-HP targets with his shotgun, then holding up Power Block until his cooldowns are back to engage further or group up with his team.
Strengths
Excellent diving kit that works well with any dive team configuration, especially when combined with a Genji, Sombra, Tracer, or Kiriko. However, compared to meta tanks like D. Va and Roadhog, Doomfist's power level and difficult to execute kit make him unsuitable for competitive play unless the player is a one-trick pony.
For casual play, Doomfist is extremely fun to play as he has three mobility abilities in his kit. Taking down enemies by utilizing the environment is immensely satisfying as well.
Weaknesses
Aside from his difficult kit and low damage output and survivability, Doomfist has plenty of counters. Some examples are: Sleep Dart, Protection Suzu, Javelin, Sigma’s Rock, Junkrat’s Trap, Brigitte, etc. The long list of counters is attributed to his one-dimensional playstyle and predictability.
Doomfist Review
High Skill Ceiling
Players wanting to master Doomfist will need to put in a few hundred hours.
Best Kit Suited to Dive and Disrupt
3 abilities made for moving around the map, one of which can stun and deal meaningful damage.
Horizontal and Vertical Mobility, With Escape and Defensive Tools on a Tank
Jump, punch, and use your ultimate to make yourself elusive. Add an 80% damage mitigation ability on top of that.
High Risk, Medium Reward
His low survivability and predictable playstyle make him vulnerable to higher skilled players, particularly Ana, where a sleep dart and a coordinated team will send him back to the respawn room.
Underwhelming and Inconsistent Performance
Doomfist’s performance depends on the map, and the skill level of the enemy team. Making his performance dependent on factors beyond his control.
Tank Score:
Survivability 1 / 5
Damage 1.5 / 5
Utility 2 / 5
Mobility 5 / 5
Teamfighting 2 / 5
Overall score - 2 / 5
9. Junker Queen
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Junker Queen Overview
To exert pressure on the map, tanks need to deal meaningful damage to discourage the enemy team from ignoring them and sprinting to eliminate the backline. Junker Queen is the embodiment of that philosophy.
Junker Queen is a formidable “Off-Tank” who thrives as a self-healing DPS in disguise, especially in prolonged fights. Her gameplay functions similarly to static, offensive-based immobile tanks like Roadhog or Zarya, yet her damage output is only enough to chunk enemies, and not solo kill them outright.
Junker Queen’s Abilities:
Adrenaline Rush (Passive): Heals Junker Queen when enemies are wounded.
Scattergun (Primary Weapon): Shotgun with a six round magazine. Deals about 106 damage per second.
Jagged Blade (Alternate Fire): Junker Queen a blade and can recall it. Deals damage in both instances and inflicts wounds that deal damage over time. When stuck to an enemy, can be recalled to pull the knife and enemy towards Junker Queen.
Commanding Shout (Left Shift): Grants a 30 percent movement speed buff to yourself and nearby allies. Restores 200 HP to self and 50 HP to allies. Excess HP turns into temporary health.
Carnage (E ability): After a windup, swings a giant axe and attacks enemies in front, inflicting wounds.
Rampage (Ultimate): Charges forward and attacks all enemies in front of her, inflicting wounds and preventing healing.
Read Junker Queen’s abilities in further detail: https://overwatch.fandom.com/wiki/Junker_Queen
Playstyle
Similar to immobile tanks such as Reinhardt and Zarya, Junker Queen is an oppressive bruiser who thrives on close range combat by dishing out her abilities and healing, similar to Reaper. Her passive ability regenerates herself based on the source of the wound damage dealt, usually healing 15 HP, 40 HP, or 100 HP over 3 seconds, depending on whether melee, Jagged Blade, Carnage, or her Ultimate hit enemies, respectively.
In practice, Junker Queen’s damage is lackluster and only enough to force the opposing team to respect her lethal close-range threat. In lower ranks or casual play, the opposing team rarely does this, which makes for fun, drain-tank gameplay. Coupled with a low health pool of 420 HP, she can be bursted extremely quickly while not having enough healing output from her passive.
Strengths
Junker Queen is one of the few tanks who can burst a 200-HP target by hitting her Jagged Blade, pulling the target close to shotgun or Carnage range, and bursting it. This allows Junker Queen to function as an Off-Tank or pseudo-DPS, effectively becoming a tankier but less damaging Reaper.
Her ultimate is surprisingly powerful and often underestimated by many players. being one of the game's two only heroes who can use anti-heal, or "Anti," while dealing significant 100 damage over 3 seconds and healing for the same amount. Junker Queen has the foundation to be a meta tank one day but is held back by her lackluster damage, survivability, utility, and close-range nature. At the very least, Junker Queen is incredibly fun to play in casual matches.
Weaknesses
As mentioned above, her low numbers make Junker Queen’s overall threat level quite low. Other static tanks bring more of everything to the table, such as Zarya or Reinhardt.
With the addition of Kiriko, her ultimate applying anti and her wound-reliant playstyle became less valuable, as Kiriko can cleanse the damage over time and apply anti to her teammates with a basic ability.
Similar to Roadhog’s weakness, a well-placed anti and a coordinated offensive can and will shred her low HP pool to bits. With a low skill ceiling as well, Junker Queen sadly isn't suited to climb the ranked leaderboards so far.
Junker Queen Review
A DPS in Disguise
Junker Queen players often find themselves at the top of the scoreboard in damage dealt, eliminations, and mitigated damage.
Close Range “Drain Tank”
Her playstyle relies on dealing wound damage to enemies in order to heal and exert pressure. This can backfire against skilled opponents.
Commanding Shout Provides Great Utility and AOE Survivability
Movement, self-healing, and team healing make this her best ability.
Front-to-Back and Dive Playstyles are Viable
Similar to Reinhardt, Junker Queen has a lethal close range and a mobility tool to follow or start a dive.
Does Not Fulfill the Tank Role Well
Meta tanks are the defensive anchors of their team, and sadly, Junker Queen falls short of the tank meta requirements.
Tank Score:
Survivability 1.5 / 5
Damage 2.5 / 5
Utility 2 / 5
Mobility 3 / 5
Teamfighting 3 / 5
Overall Score 2.5 / 5
8. Roadhog
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Roadhog Overview
Once the best off-tank a long time ago, the game has evolved to have one less tank on both teams. Roadhog’s gameplay has always fulfilled a niche in his team composition, which may not be optimal to fulfill the tank role. Regardless, he is number 8 on the list due to his good base stats and solid kit.
Roadhog can be classified as a bruiser. Having no shield but his big hitbox and HP pool, coupled with a large self-healing flask, Roadhog has always been a self-reliant and selfish pick.
Roadhog Abilities:
Scrap Gun (Primary Weapon): A high-damaging 5-shot magazine, short-range shotgun. Scrap Gun has a mid-ranged alt-fire that fires a ball, which transforms into a shotgun blast after some distance.
Chain Hook (Left Shift): Roadhog throws a hook forward and drags an enemy towards him; the hook has a maximum range of 20 meters.
Take a Breather (E ability): Use a breathing device to heal 350 hitpoints over 2 seconds, and decrease damage taken by 50% over the duration.
Whole Hog (Ultimate): Use a rapid-fire attachment for the scrap gun, dealing damage and knocking enemies back.
Read Roadhog’s abilities in further detail: https://overwatch.fandom.com/wiki/Roadhog
Playstyle
Roadhog has the best self-healing ability in the game and massive short-range damage output, as his hook and shotgun combo can delete any non-tank in the map. This combination gives Roadhog a huge presence on the battlefield, which makes him a good tank by proxy of his threat.
Hook accuracy is one of the most important statistics in a match that can change the tide of battle, but what some players do not know is that landing your hookshot isn’t everything. Sometimes, taking smart hooks in important areas such as the high ground or simply saving your hook to apply pressure against the enemy team can have a bigger impact than hooking a low-value target.
Positioning and awareness are as important, if not more, than the statistics you see on the scoreboard. Roadhog’s effective range is 20 meters, which, coupled with his hook's travel time, means that Roadhog prefers areas with open spaces but short sightlines. Positioning yourself in a key area to defend against a push or to advance using open spaces but behind cover such as a building or vehicle is essential for playing Roadhog effectively.
Strengths
The fear of being hooked and 1-shot by a Roadhog applies a blanket of pressure to any squishy hero attempting to sneak into an area where a Roadhog is present. Similar to a vulture waiting for an opportune moment to strike, holding your hook until a mistake is made by the enemy team will set you up for success. Some examples of this scenario are Reinhardt's shield breaking, Mercy flying in the air, Genji after using his dash, Reaper’s ultimate, and many more.
Roadhog’s large 700-HP pool and his 350-HP self-healing make him one of the most durable tanks in the field. Having competent supports increases Roadhog's survivability and effectiveness while also defending the support, as any DPS within 20 meters of Roadhog is effectively dead.
The ability to peel enemies off your teammates or from an important area is a hallmark of a meta tank. Besides Roadhog’s hook, his ultimate’s gunfire knocks enemies far back, further than a Lucio boop. The ultimate also lasts for 6 seconds with unlimited ammo, so it can keep the enemies at a distance for a moment, giving your team valuable space to regroup or start a push. This ultimate is also great for pushing enemies off the objective during overtime or when there is a bottomless pit behind the enemy.
Weaknesses
Aside from the difficulty of landing his hooks, Roadhog does not bring much to the table in terms of survivability and utility, making him poorer at protecting his team from damage. He functions less like a traditional tank, and playing him as one will help the opposing team achieve victory faster, as unlike the other tanks, he does not possess a way to prevent damage from occurring in the first place, and he's contributing to the enemy's ultimate charge.
Roadhog has a few counters who happen to be meta heroes. Roadhog has difficulty healing with her anti against good Ana players, and Ana can easily sleep Roadhog during his ultimate. Zarya and D. Va nullifies his damage as their defensive abilities can block hooks and shotgun blasts.
Roadhog Review
Highly Self-Sufficient
Tanks often need the help of DPS and healers, but with Roadhog’s healing ability and 1-shot potential, he is a unit by himself.
Tank That Can 1-Shot
Hook into a shotgun blast and melee to delete any 200-HP target.
Balancing the Risk-to-Reward
Roadhog’s success depends on his hook accuracy, positioning, and awareness. If one of the three attributes is not met, then Roadhog becomes a subpar Tank.
Selfish Tank
Roadhog will always be a poor tank with no way of shielding teammates and unreliable peel in his hook and ultimate.
Underwhelming Compared to Meta Tanks
Tanks further down in the list simply have more of everything compared to Roadhog, like Orisa and Zarya, both of which exert a large amount of pressure while having great offensive and defensive capabilities.
Tank Score:
Survivability 5 / 5
Damage 4 / 5
Utility 2 / 5
Mobility 1 / 5
Teamfighting 3 / 5
Overall score - 3 / 5
7. Wrecking Ball
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Wrecking Ball Overview
Similar to Doomfist, Wrecking Ball is another high-skill ceiling tank with unparalleled mobility. This hero is notorious for his ability to move around the map with minimal effort while being difficult to kill due to his mobility and large HP pool. Though his attacks are weaker in comparison to other tanks, Wrecking Ball’s mobility, knockback, and knock up ability make up for it.
With all this in mind, Wrecking Ball can be an extremely capable tank once players have mastered the hero’s abilities and gotten a feel for his movement mechanics.
Also, Wrecking Ball is also known as Ball, Hamster, and Hammond in the Overwatch community.
Wrecking Ball’s Abilities:
Quad Cannons (Primary Weapon): Rapidly shoot bullets at 25 shots per second while dealing 5 damage per shot. The weapon has a total capacity of 80 bullets and a reload time of 2 seconds. Quad Cannons deal 125 damage per second.
Grappling Claw (Alternate Fire): Transforms into a ball and launches a grappling claw at a surface. Use the claw to swing around and drive into enemies, causing knockback and slight damage.
Roll (Left Shift): Transform into a ball and boost overall movement speed, but lose the ability to fire.
Piledriver (Left Control): From an altitude of 2.25 meters or higher, slam into the ground below and cause damage to enemies, along with sending them up in the air for 0.5 seconds.
Adaptive Shield (E ability): When activated, Wrecking Ball receives an additional 100 health. The amount of extra health is increased by 100 per enemy nearby.
Minefield (Ultimate): Create a large field of proximity mines that cause damage to enemies if they go near them.
Read Wrecking Ball’s abilities in further detail: https://overwatch.fandom.com/wiki/Wrecking_Ball
Playstyle
The number one key to success with Ball is mastering the use of his mobility in a variety of situations. Most players understand how to engage, but higher-level players show creativity in quickly gaining vertical or horizontal speed seemingly out of thin air. I highly recommend watching Wrecking Ball guides, such as RoadRunner’s 1-hour video on YouTube, while practicing the movement on a private map.
For ranked play, communication is key to achieving a good win rate. As Wrecking Ball, coordinate your offensive or defensive strategy with your team, as Ball has multiple methods of entry tanking but lacks the damage output to reliably eliminate targets. Hence communicating when a Piledriver is incoming to set up your DPS for kills, or to burn important defensive abilities from the enemy to allow a flanker to do the rest.
Strengths
With two mobility-centric abilities, traversing the map is second nature to Hamster. This mobility is perfect for Wrecking Ball to blitz in a battlefield, entering like a bowling ball and disrupting the enemy’s positioning, or to pile drive the backline and set up kills for your team or in conjunction with your ultimate.
At the very least, Wrecking Ball can be a distraction and lock down a key area of the map. By using Grappling Claw structure and spinning around for several seconds, players on the contested area will be pressured to leave as the constant knockbacks and damage that Hamster provides can be the opening that your teammates need to get the jump on them
Weaknesses
The biggest weakness of Ball as a hero, besides the time investment to learn his kit, is that his success depends on maps, and he doesn’t function as a traditional tank, which can be a detriment to his team.
Wrecking Ball Review
Requires Time Investment
Learning his mobility is a time investment to play Wrecking Ball proficiently.
Extreme Mobility
Imagine porting the video game Hamster Ball into Overwatch but with a grappling hook and cannons.
Performance Depends on Map
Players must have a backup tank hero if they get unlucky with the randomly selected map for the match.
Dive, Boop, and Control Areas with Ultimate
Incredibly fun and refreshing playstyle for dive tanks. Booping enemies off the map and controlling areas with his ultimate are the most satisfying things about Ball.
Tank Score:
Survivability 5 / 5
Damage 2 / 5
Utility 2.5 / 5
Mobility 5 / 5
Teamfighting 4 / 5
Overall score - 4 / 5
6. Winston
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Winston Overview
Winston is one of the most mobile tanks in Overwatch, capable of leaping great distances on the field to disrupt enemy positions. The scientist primate wields an electric laser beam that fires in a cone-shaped area in front of Winston, which bypasses certain defensive abilities such as Genji’s Deflect, but Winston has always struggled with longer-ranged engagements.
Compared to other tanks, Winston’s design is nearly the opposite of the stereotypical meat shield. His defense capabilities are average, and his DPS is a bit lacking, but his mobility and utility are some of the best in the game.
Winston’s Abilities:
Tesla Cannon (Primary Weapon): Fires a barrage that lasts as long as you hold the button in a cone shape in front of Winston. Max range of 8 meters.
Tesla Cannon (Alternate Fire): Launches a medium-range ball of electricity. Maximum range of 30 meters.
Barrier Projector (E ability): Deploys a large, dome-shaped shield that has 700 hit points. Friendlies can fire through the shield. Has an 8-second duration with a cooldown of 12 seconds.
Jump Pack (Left Shift): Winston launches himself through the air and deals 1–50 damage in a small area when he lands. Very short cooldown of 5 seconds.
Primal Rage (Ultimate): Winston gains overhealth, a movement speed buff, and a buff for his melee attack.
Jump Pack’s cooldown is shortened, and he can only use that and his melee attack, which knocks back enemies on hit.
Read Winston’s abilities in further detail: https://overwatch.fandom.com/wiki/Winston
Playstyle
Winston is not the best tank when it comes to dealing massive amounts of damage, nor does his bubble have the highest amount of shielding, but he excels at disrupting enemies, isolating them, and breaking apart a tight-knit team. All of Winston’s abilities are designed to engage your enemies, separating them, exerting pressure, and taking up space. He's a mechanically easy-to-use hero but very difficult to master.
Strengths
Winston is known to be a disruptive force in battle. Jumping in, deploying bubble, and bobbing in and out of his shield while harassing enemies with his Tesla Cannon is the go-to combo for many players.
The other aspect of his playstyle is sticking with his teammates. This is particularly effective when Winton’s team is pushing a payload, as he can place his bubble on the payload. Having awareness of flanking enemies is crucial, as Winston can quickly leap in and deploy his bubble to save his teammates.
The biggest challenge that differentiates a good Winston player from an amazing one is game knowledge; would it be better to stick with your team or to engage. This is a skill only attainable with time and not by reading articles. One way to develop game sense is by watching high -evel streams or videos with the player explaining why he took the actions he did.
Weakness
With most of Winston’s power balance going into his diving playstyle, his other stats like survivability and damage are lacking as a result. Hence, Winston is reliant on his team for healing and on his DPS to follow up. Good communications can alleviate this issue as well as give your team the “go” signal when you are about to dive.
One of the biggest mistakes that players make is constantly engaging and bodying the enemy team to contribute to the team. When in doubt, ask and coordinate with your team for any play you are about to make. Winston is reliant on team coordination which may or may not exist in your solo que games, making him by design, shine in Overwatch League but feel underwhelming in solo queue.
Winston Review
Easy to Pick Up, Hard to Master
A well-designed kit reliant on the player’s decision to engage or hold, Winston is intuitive yet has a high skill ceiling.
No Aiming Required
Except when using his alternate fire to poke enemies.
Dive and Disrupt
With a strong ultimate and low cooldown mobility, jumping into the fray and being a rampaging gorilla will disrupt any enemy in Winston's path.
Mediocre Offensive and Defensive Capabilities
With an average HP pool and a 60 DPS primary weapon, many other tanks win against him in a 1v1 scenario.
Locked to Close-Ranged Fights
Against Reapers, Bastions, and other close range DPS heroes, Winston struggles to take them down due to his close-range kit and low stats.
Tank Score:
Survivability 3 / 5
Damage 3 / 5
Utility 5 / 5
Mobility 5 / 5
Teamfighting 3 / 5
Overall score - 3.5 / 5
5. Reinhardt
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Reinhardt Overview
Reinhardt is the same sturdy tank as ever, causing headaches for the enemy team with his large shield and high-damage rocket hammer. With Overwatch 2 having only 1 tank per team, Reinhardt’s forte is protecting his team while slowly advancing with his shield. Pair him with a strong offensive hero like Sojourn or Widowmaker to help him breeze past the enemy and capture objectives.
The Tank is the solid anchor of every match in Overwatch 2. Protecting their allies and pushing objectives with their massive health pools and defensive abilities. When it comes to the stereotypical tank role, no one fills the job better than Reinhardt.
Reinhardt’s Abilities
Rocket Hammer (Primary Weapon): Swings Reinhardt’s mighty hammer and deals 85 damage per swing at close range
Barrier Field (Alternate Fire): Generates a barrier that blocks all incoming projectiles and absorbs 1,200 damage before shattering. The shield regenerates 144 health per second after being down for 2 seconds.
Charge (Left Shift): Reinhardt rushes forward and grabs an opponent in his path. If he runs into a wall while holding an opponent, he deals 225 damage.
Fire Strike (E ability): Reinhardt creates a fiery arc projectile with his hammer and sends it towards enemies. This ability can be used twice, dealing 90 damage.
Earthshatter (Ultimate): Reinhardt slams his hammer into the ground, damaging nearby enemies and stunning them for 2 seconds.
Read Reinhardt’s abilities in further detail: https://overwatch.fandom.com/wiki/Reinhardt
Playstyle
Reinhardt’s playstyle has comparatively remained the same, still being the large juggernaut that anchors any area of the map while relying on his teammates for damage and healing. Advancing slowly towards an objective while his Barrier Field is raised allows his teammates to damage the enemy team while being safe from returning fire.
This pushes Reinhardt to be the anchor and coordinator. With the change to having only 1 tank per team, tank players have been unofficially given the role of captain, as their actions dictate what your team's and the enemy’s actions are.
With the addition of a second charge of Fire Strike and improvements to Charge’s steering, Reinhardt can now take an offensive stance more often rather than just being a mobile wall.
Strengths
Given his simple yet effective playstyle, Reinhardt fits well into any team composition and is an excellent counterpick against Zarya and D. Va, both of which are currently meta tanks. He does fairly well against Roadhog and Genji too.
Reinhardt's Rocket Hammer remains a significant damage threat across a 5-meter cone in front of him, discouraging close-range fighters and flankers from running too close to him. Although Reinhardt's main focus remains protecting his teammates, there are few heroes that can withstand the combo of Charge, Fire Strike, and Rocket Hammer at close range.
His ultimate, like others ahead on the list, is a high-impact ability that can turn a good situation into a great one or peel an enemy diver from the backline.
Weaknesses
Reinhardt naturally struggles with long-range combat and can be easily overwhelmed against tank shredders like Bastion. He has great defense but with the lack of offensive tools, an isolated Reinhardt can be bursted down quickly. Reinhardt works better with a team and a healer nearby to make up for his lack of self-sustaining abilities and low in-combat mobility.
Reinhardt Review
Ease of Use and Popular Backup Hero
Having an intuitive kit and straightforward playstyle makes Reinhardt a popular hero when the situation calls for a defensive juggernaut
Great pick in an Attacking or Defending Scenario
Standing on a payload or defending a choke point are both areas that Reinhardt excels in
Defensive Goliath
With a pocket healer and clever use of his barrier, taking down Reinhardt becomes a Herculean ordeal.
Close-Range Nature
Seen as a double-edged sword, the lack of mobility and one ranged ability makes Reinhardt a close-ranged hero.
Tank Score:
Survivability 5 / 5
Damage 4 / 5
Utility 3 / 5
Mobility 1.5 / 5
Teamfighting 4 / 5
Overall score - 4 / 5
4. Orisa
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Orisa Overview
Once an immobile behemoth with limited mobility and a large shield to defend her teammates, Orisa is now a fast-paced offensive tank. While Orisa still retains some defensive abilities that allow her to keep the tank title, players will be moving toward objective-focused gameplay more than ever with her.
Although she has comparatively low HP for a tank hero, Orisa's survivability depends on her use of two defensive abilities: Fortify and Javelin Spin. Using these abilities to protect herself, Orisa can push forward and attack objectives, while being capable of standing her ground to protect against an enemy push with Energy Javelin and her primary.
Orisa’s Abilities:
Augmented Fusion Driver (Primary Weapon): A rapid-fire heat cannon that is best used against enemies within 15 meters and has a damage dropoff beyond that. Has no reload but operates on a heat-based mechanic.
Energy Javelin (Alternate Fire): Orisa throws a javelin forward, damaging and knocking back enemies she hits; pinning an enemy against a wall will increase damage taken, and briefly stun them.
Javelin Spin (E Ability): Defensive ability that causes Orisa to spin their Energy Javelin in front of them when activated, stopping all incoming projectiles for two seconds. Orisa's movement speed is increased by 50% while Javelin Spin is active. Enemies caught in the Javelin Spin will take minor damage and be knocked back.
Fortify (Left Shift): Defensive ability that grants a 40% damage reduction, 125 HP overhealth, and a 50% reduction to the Augmented Fusion Driver's heat build up.
Terra Surge (Ultimate): Orisa sucks nearby enemies in and grants herself the Fortify buffs while Terra Surge charges. Players can unleash the Terra Surge power at any time, but the longer Orisa charges, the more damage they'll deal to surrounding enemies. The minimum time required to kill a 200 hitpoint enemy is 2.6 seconds (around 160% charge).
Read Orisa’s abilities in further detail: https://overwatch.fandom.com/wiki/Orisa
Playstyle
Knowing the right time to deploy Orisa’s attack, Javelin Spin in reaction to a key ability, or peel a flanking Reaper from your backline is the key to victory with Orisa. She has the tools in her kit for every scenario, yet the reaction time and aiming skill needed make her a solid choice to invest time into.
Strengths
Orisa is particularly good at dealing with other Tanks like Reinhardt, Winston, Roadhog, and Junker Queen with her high Armor, constant damage, and strong defensive abilities. Specifically, most of her abilities can interrupt a key ability, such as Reinhardt's Charge, Reaper’s Ult, Cassidy’s High Noon, and more. Orisa’s Energy Javelin can push back close-ranged heroes from getting too close.
Orisa's toughness, constant damage, and Javelin makes her a real threat to less mobile DPS or out-of position supports. The Fortify ability functions as a defensive boost while doubling as CC immunity, allowing Orisa to escape or tank effectively.
Weaknesses
When it comes to weaknesses, Orisa suffers most against heroes that can bypass her defensive abilities. Zarya is a strong matchup against Orisa due to her Particle Cannon piercing her Javelin Spin and Orisa’s lack of mobility to escape Zarya’s threat range. On the DPS side, Mei's Endothermic Blaster will also bypass through Javelin Spin, and the slow effect punishes Orisa's lack of mobility. Finally, Moira can easily beat Orisa in a 1v1.
Orisa Review
All-Rounded Kit
Good defenses, potential to 100-to-0 a DPS with a spear and headshot combo, while having utility to peel projectiles or flankers away from her backline.
Easy to Use, Easy to Master
Orisa’s kit revolves around awareness, positioning, and aiming ability. All of which are concepts that a player will pick up over time.
POTG Ultimate
Pressing her ultimate against low HP enemies or in a narrow area is both easy and effective. A favorite strategy of mine is to fall into the hole in Ilios, then ult to suck in the enemy players with me.
Tank Score:
Survivability 4 / 5
Damage 3 / 5
Utility 4 / 5
Mobility 1.5 / 5
Teamfighting 3 / 5
Overall score - 3 / 5
3. Sigma
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Sigma Overview
Sigma is a versatile Tank hero in Overwatch 2 similar in vein to Orisa, except that Sigma leans more to the defensive side and is harder to play effectively.
He is a powerful Tank that players may find easy and one-dimensional, but take a deeper look into his kit and you’ll find that Sigma has an arsenal of tools at his disposal for facing most situations the enemy can throw at him.
Sigma’s unique basic attack and long cooldowns might take some time to get used to. Let's take a look at each of Sigma's abilities, and some tips and tricks for using them.
Sigma’s Abilitie
Hyperspheres (Primary Weapon): Sigma launches two balls, one after the other, which can bounce off walls, floors, and ceilings. The gravitational balls explode after a short duration, damaging enemies within a sizable radius. Deals 55 damage per ball with a max range of 22 meters.
Experimental Barrier (Alternate Fire): Sigma launches a 700 hitpoint floating barrier to the location he is looking at. Holding down the right click sets the distance of the shield. He can retrieve the barrier at any time. Best used in tight areas or at an angle behind cover to weave in and out from.
Accretion (E ability): Sigma gathers a mass of debris and flings it at an enemy to deal damage and stun them briefly. Functions similar to an Orisa Javelin as Sigma can to combo this ability with 2 Hyperspheres to eliminate any 200 HP foe.
Kinetic Grasp (Left Shift): Sigma extends his arm to intercept incoming projectiles in midair, converting them into overhealth.
Gravitic Flux (Ultimate): Sigma takes flight, lifts enemies in a large targeted area, launches them into the air before slamming them back down for 50 + 50% of their maximum hit points. Use in coordination with your team as this ability is a setup tool, and not intended to finish off targets.
Read Sigma’s abilities in further detail: https://overwatch.fandom.com/wiki/Sigma
Playstyle
Sigma is a tank hero who has high damage potential. You can play him as a traditional tank, but if you adjust your play style to be an aggressive tank, it will net higher damage output and eliminations. The key things you need to play well with Sigma are decent positioning and cooldown management.
Strengths
Sigma excels at covering weak points in his team's defenses and pressuring enemies from a distance with his Hyperspheres. Position your shield in a way to allow Sigma and potentially a friendly damage dealer to shoot from an off-angle, and then use kinetic grasp to help yourself survive when the enemy team attempts to rush towards you or when your shield is recharging.
Accretion is a powerful tool for warding off aggression, but it is also useful for interrupting a wide range of abilities. Accretion can be used to burst out-of-position heroes or deter flankers from diving into your backline.
Coincidentally, Sigma is great against most players that would act as his counters. Due to his barrier creation and ability to push it, he excels against enemies that are disrupted by barriers.
Weaknesses
His main weakness is his poor mobility. He is one of the few heroes with zero movement abilities whatsoever, often relying on Lucio to help him move to the frontlines quicker.
His abilities have a longer cooldown as well, meaning that against team compositions that can shrug off his offensive capabilities, Sigma can be easily run down.
He struggles against close-range heroes, as his abilities are all suited for mid-range combat. Positioning yourself at the right range of your team and the enemy team is crucial to get the most out of Sigma.
Sigma Review
Good Mix of Offense, Defense, and Utility
High damage primary, amazing shield that can be deployed and forgotten, while having a hard CC.
Game-Winning Ultimate
Coordinate with your team to make the most out of Gravitic Flux.
Mid-Range Machine
Perfect in maps with many corners such as King’s Row.
Zero Mobility
Sigma is vulnerable to rush comps and if you’re eliminated in the field, walking from spawn to the frontline takes painfully long.
Tank Score:
Survivability 3 / 5
Damage 5 / 5
Utility 5 / 5
Mobility 1 / 5
Teamfighting 5 / 5
Overall score - 4 / 5
2. Zarya
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Zarya Overview
Zarya is one of the best tanks right now, and you will know this once you play against her. She can output an insane amount of damage, is notoriously hard to kill, and fits well into any team composition. Zarya’s ultimate has the potential to be game-winning as well.
Even though Zarya seems easy to pick up and play, the hero has a few specific gimmicks that make her nuanced. In fact, certain players in the Overwatch community think that she is one of the most demanding tanks in the game.
Zarya’s Abilities
Energy (Passive): The amount of damage blocked during her Particle Barrier increases her Particle Cannon’s damage up to 100%.
Particle Cannon (Primary Weapon): Zarya’s Particle Cannon unleashes a 15 meter beam of destructive energy, dealing 85 damage per second at 0% charge and 170 at 100% charge. Consumes ammo at a rate of 20 rounds per second with a magazine size of 100.
Particle Cannon (Alternative Fire): Zarya can lob an explosive charge to strike multiple opponents, dealing 47 damage on a direct hit at 0% charge and 95 damage at 100% charge. Consumes 25 ammo per shot.
Particle Barrier (L Shift): A 200 hitpoint personal barrier that shields Zarya against incoming attacks, redirecting their energy to enhance her weapon’s damage and the width of its beam. Lasts 2.5 seconds with a cooldown of 10 seconds.
Projected Barrier (E ability): Zarya surrounds one of her teammates with an energy barrier that absorbs incoming fire and boosts the power of her Particle Cannon. When used on a friendly DPS, it has a lot of great synergies.
Graviton Surge (Ultimate): Zarya launches an unescapable gravity bomb that draws in enemy combatants. The ability lasts for 3.5 seconds and is used to set up plays such as Pharah’s Barrage or Reaper’s Death Blossom.
Read Zarya’s abilities in further detail: https://overwatch.fandom.com/wiki/Zarya
Playstyle
With a healthy shield and a deep life pool, Zarya is designed to be up front, where the action is. Her shield has a lengthy cooldown, so she can't simply stand up front and absorb hits like most other tanks, but she supplements this by turning indestructible defense into pure offense.
The most important mechanic that Zarya players should know is when to use her bubbles. This ability has a crucial role because it allows her to tank damage and increases the damage she deals. One of the best things to do as Zarya is to take some damage, then use your bubble.
If any tank is worthy of a pocket healer, it's Zarya. She's tough to kill already, but sustaining her life even longer makes her grow in deadliness. Her passive resets back to zero when she dies or stays out of combat for too long.
Strengths
Zarya can effectively DPS and tank, but her support abilities are what differentiate ordinary players from godlike players. She saves an ally's life and converts it into damage by shielding them at a critical moment. Likewise, shielding an ally as they’re about to use their ultimate can win games with a single play. Those who have unlocked all other tank heroes may still return to Zarya due to his versatility.
Weaknesses
Despite her versatility, she's not perfect for every scenario. Anything that can escape the reach of her Particle Cannon, she is completely useless against, barring an extremely lucky grenade. Heroes such as Echo, Pharah, Tracer, and Sombra can ignore her and target the squishy teammates.
Her next biggest weakness is that Zarya's beam doesn't pierce shields, making Reinhardt and Sigma a hard counter to her. Both of their shields can also mess up Zarya's ultimate badly, as they can save their teammates from wombo combos. Snipers can also one-hit kill Zarya's teammates, eliminating her protective shield's value.
Zarya Review
Highly Effective and Versatile Tank
Having DPS, Support, and Tanking abilities in her kit, Zarya functions as a one-woman army.
Many Synergies
Playing alongside a Reaper, Pharah, or any flanking DPS to give them a shield will make quick work
DPS Output
Did I mention that Zarya’s Particle Cannon can deal a maximum of 170 damage per second at max power. With an uptime of 5 seconds, even tanks will be shredded against a charged Zarya.
Zero Mobility and Hard Counters
Aside from the tiny grenade jump she can do, Zarya has 0 mobility and is hard countered by Reinhardt.
Tank Score:
Survivability 3 / 5
Damage 5 / 5
Utility 3 / 5
Mobility 1.5 / 5
Teamfighting 2.5 / 5
Overall score - 4 / 5
1. D. Va
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D. Va Overview
Topping off the number one spot on this list is D.Va, one of the most popular and effective tanks on this list that simply does it all.
D.Va’s mech is nimble and powerful. Armed with twin Fusion Cannons, she can use her boosters to roll over enemies and fly above obstacles, or she can absorb attacks with her projectile-destroying Defense Matrix.
D.Va’s Abilities:
Fusion Cannons (Primary Weapon): Automatic short-range spread weapons that lay down continuous, high-damage fire without needing to reload, but slow D.Va’s movement while they’re being fired.
Defense Matrix (Alternate Fire): Blocks all projectiles in a rectangular area in front of you, including ultimates such as Reaper’s Death Blossom, Zarya and Hanzo’s Ultimate, as it is a projectile, and many more. Deals 146 DPS while firing.
Boosters (Left Shift): Fly in the direction you are facing. Enemies hit will be dealt 25 damage.
Micro Missiles (E ability): Launch a volley of explosive rockets that deal 7 damage per rocket for a maximum of 126 damage over 2 seconds.
Self-Destruct (Ultimate): Eject and overload your mech, causing it to explode. Has a deceptively long range and often wins games.
Call Mech (Pilot): Call in a new mech.
Read D. Va’s abilities in further detail: https://overwatch.fandom.com/wiki/D.Va
Playstyle
D. Va is a dangerous, all-rounded tank who has the capability to DPS, Tank, and Support in one. When playing as D.Va, you get two lives. One with her MEKA robot and another once MEKA loses all hitpoints, increasing her combat uptime significantly compared to other tanks that respawn once their health reaches zero and walk from the respawn room.
Strengths
D.Va is a unique tank with good mobility. With her high health pool and Boosters, she can close the gap on the enemy with ease while dealing respectable damage with her shotguns and Micro Missiles. She has a high damage output at close-range, making her a strong fighter in a 1-on-1 match.
Regarding her abilities, her main weapons are the fusion cannons, which hit hard at close range but do next to no damage beyond 20 meters. To compensate for this, Micro Missiles should be utilized to keep up the pressure.
Her Defense Matrix is useful against all incoming projectiles, protecting herself and her teammates from enemy fire. This is especially useful for covering a push or a teammate when they are flanking or using their ultimate.
Self-Destruct is such a powerful ultimate that it can wipe all opponents within the 20-meter blast radius who aren’t behind cover or a shield. Combine this in a tight choke point or a contested payload or area and this ability can single handedly win D. Va games.
Weaknesses
Compared to other tanks, she doesn't have any method to protect her teammates properly like Reinhardt. She is also slowed down while firing, allowing the enemy to outrun her and disengage. Both Fusion Cannons and Micro Missiles are ineffective against anything further than medium-range, meaning she can be outranged by the enemy before she even has a chance to close a gap with Boosters.
D.Va Review
Consistently a Top Tier Tank
From D. Va’s release date until now, she has always been a high priority pick as her kit provides a lot to the table
Versatile Kit
Medium damage output, but with the ability to fly around and put down a Defensive Matrix, D. Va can handle a lot of scenarios thrown against her.
Game Winning Ultimate
Anyone who played against a diving D. Va ult knows this.
Few Weaknesses Except Hard Counters
The only soft counters that are good against D. Va are Zarya, Reinhardt, Mei, and Junkrat, which skilled D. Va players can play around them.
As a travelling writer hailing from the exotic, alien world of Australia, Ralph seeks far and wide hunting for the stories contained within the mystical glass-looking box named the "personal computer"
Gamer Since:
2005
Favorite Genre:
RPG
Currently Playing:
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
Top 3 Favorite Games:
Divinity II: Ego Draconis, XCOM 2, Metro: Last Light
