Blizzard’s hit gameOverwatchhas continued to heighten in popularity since 2016. Reaper is the most deadly attacker at close range in Overwatch, and he’ll continue to be one of the best inOverwatch 2. Carrying two shotguns, he’s the best tank killer on the roster. If you’re here you probably want to start playing Reaper and want to understand him better. He’s an easy character to play, but difficult to master. Being a good Reaper player could be the difference between a devastating defeat and a triumphant victory.
1010/10 Know Who To Take On
Knowing who Reaper is able to counter is essential to using him right. He counters the following characters:
99/10 Know Who To Avoid
Luckily Reaper doesn’t have too many counters, but there are a few characters that pose a serious risk to him.
88/10 Have The High Ground
If you remember how Obi-Wan and Anakin’s duel went, you’ll remember that the high-ground works. Reaper’s teleport ability is key for this. Few characters can get to higher ground than Reaper, so already there’s not too much of a threat. Using this high ground can be used in anticipation of his ultimate, or simply getting behind the enemy team. Either way, it’s extremely handy and the enemy team won’t notice if you time movements well.
77/10 Use Wraith Only When Needed
His wraith ability is extremely handy and can get Reaper out of extremely sticky situations. The best time to use this is when the enemy team uses their abilities or ults. It’s an obvious tip, but sometimes it’s easy to get carried away and use it in order to get somewhere faster or get out if there’s a sign of danger. Wraith can be used smartly, for example, a Hanzo is using his ultimate. You can just wraith by it without worrying about damage while getting closer to the Hanzo to take him out. Only wraith if it is for escape.
66/10 Time His Ultimate
Reaper has one of the most devastating ultimates in the game. A whole team can easily be wiped if it is used efficiently. Although the trouble is it leaves Reaper extremely exposed. Crouching while using it can help avoid some damage. Make sure enemies can’t interrupt it either. For example, Roadhog or Cassidy can easily stun and take Reaper out of it. For example, if there’s a Cassidy perhaps take him out first or use the ultimate instantly on him and kill him quick. Meanwhile, someone like Roadhog can tank a lot of the damage and even heal through it, so taking him out before an ult would be essential.
55/10 Team-Based Ultimate
The best way to use this is with team coordination. Reapers ult is easy to counter when he’s alone using it. A combo with Zarya, Reinhardt, or Ana’s ultimates is deadly and gives the enemy team little chance. Shields make Reapers ultimate futile. So, if someone like Sombra were to use her ultimate it would be a perfect chance for Reaper to use his as the enemy team can’t use shields even if it’s only for a second or two. Solo Ulting is still fine however and can work, still having teammates will be a benefit.
44/10 Take Out Those Tanks
Remember the start where it said Reaper is a tank killer? Help your team and kill those tanks. Tanks are the foundation of any team and a good tank will often lead a team to victory. This is where Reaper comes in. Use teleport and get behind the enemy team, and yes it can be hard to resist going for an easy kill on another attacker, but the enemy tanks are what’s holding them there. You don’t have to kill the tank exactly but lower their health enough to where they have to retreat.
33/10 Flank
Have those healers been keeping their tanks and attacker alive this whole time? Reaper needs to go behind enemy lines and teach the healers a lesson. This is where Reaper can teleport behind the support who are healing the rest of the team. Reaper needs to take out the support, so taking out the tanks and attackers will be far easier. Now that healers are gone Reaper can go behind the tanks and attackers and finish off the enemies.
22/10 Close And Personal
Since he uses shotguns there is no other choice but to get close. Reaper does little to no damage from range, yet if there are two or three enemies in a room Reaper can take them all out by himself. Getting close doesn’t mean you have to stay close. Using wraith can enable Reaper to get a quick health pack and return to the fight. The best way to get close is to teleport behind and get them from there. Reaper does an enormous amount of damage close-up, especially if Reaper can hit those headshots. Once you kill one enemy you can get health back by using his passive ability ‘the reaping’ and collect their soul orbs for health.
11/10 Know When Not To Use Reaper
This might seem like a strange tip as it is to help play as Reaper. However, sometimes the maps don’t suit Reaper. If the map has a lot of open space, Reaper is a poor choice due to his low speed and the need to be close to enemies for the kill. You may think that Reaper isn’t that good after a bad performance, yet it may be that themap doesn’t suit his playstyleall that much.
