Overwatch has released its newest character, Wrecking Ball, onto the PTR servers. Being a sentient hamster from space in the world’s largest hamster ball, he seems like a difficult character to get to grips with. So, we thought we would try out this new tank character to give you some basic hints and tips on how to play Overwatch’s latest addition.
1.Combo
So what order do you use his basic abilities in? Well, first you want to get up high using his hook. This is his most useful ability. You’ll need to get to grips with it quickly to master his combo. If you can hit a couple of people while on your upswing, that is a great start. Follow up with your ground pound to hit enemies beneath you. Try to get as high as you can before you activate it for a major damage boost. Upon impact it will knock-up enemies in a reasonable AOE around you for a couple of seconds. After the slam, activate your shield to increase your health bar. This is the sequence for Wrecking Ball’s basic combo and it is incredibly effective. If it doesn’t go your way, escape by using the hook to swing you out of the danger zone.
2.Momentum
Momentum is the diamond in Wrecking Ball’s kit. With the mobility he has in his ball form coupled with his hook, he is a dangerous and incredibly fast tank. While hooked onto a wall or ceiling, he can generate momentum that will knockback and damage any enemy he touches. Generating momentum also increases his speed as well. By hooking onto a corner wall, you can get what I have christened the Re-entry effect. You can gain momentum while swinging around the corner and release the hook once you have cleared the corner. This will send you catapulting towards whomever is on the other side while still having the damage and knockback effect for a short duration. You’ll know you are going fast enough to deal damage by the glowing fire around the ball. Ground speed isn’t the only thing that momentum is good for. If done correctly, Wrecking Ball can get onto any roof in the game by swinging of a high wall in a pendulum motion. If timed right you can also jump to cancel the hook, gaining a little extra height, and then fire a new one to swing yourself even higher.
3.Shield
Above all you must remember that despite his mobility he is still a tank. This is where his shield comes in. His shield is most effective in a team fight as the amount he has on activation, scales with the number of enemies around him. So far, the highest I’ve seen his max health reach is 900 and that’s without armour from someone like Torbjörn. Be careful as it switches you out of ball mode and that isn’t good when trying to make a quick escape.
4.Ultimate
Much like most of the heroes in Overwatch, there is a certain trick to pulling off Hamtaro’s ultimate successfully. His ultimate, aptly named Minefield, releases a lot of mines in a small area. While at face value it can be good for area denial, the fact that the mines can be shot and are very easy to see means you will have to play it crafty. Small areas are good, but once again you fall into the shoot to kill mines problem. An activation delay is also present on the mines, so you can just turn it on in a team fight and watch everyone blow-up around you.
Once again, the optimal use comes back to the hook. Try popping this ultimate like you would a D.va ultimate. Use his hook to get up high above the enemy before dropping the mines. If you are high enough, the altitude should give your mines enough time to activate and they fall quickly enough that it goes from Minefield to carpet bomb in seconds. Combo this with his slam and you potentially have play of the game.
Wrecking Ball can be overwhelming at first glance, as his abilities make him less of a tank and more of a mobile support hero. With a bit of practice and some help from the hints and tips above, you’ll be the master of the latest addition to Overwatch in no time.
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Joseph Wright
Joseph is a 20-year-old male who enjoys a variety of video game genres from shooters to strategy, not that he is any good at any of them. He has always enjoyed video games from his childhood as a dedicated Nintendo fan to his exploration of the PC gaming world, which started with Portal 2. Outside of gaming there really isn't a lot to Joseph. He'd describe his personality as the hat he is wearing which doesn't really provide a lot of information outside the fact he played too much Team Fortress 2 and picked up some bad habits.
