After I first began enjoying Overwatch, the unique 2016 hero shooter that spawned the 2022 free-to-play sequel Overwatch 2, it was proper when Moira was first launched. The morally repugnant scientist joined the sport’s assist roster in 2017, and for a newcomer like myself, she appeared like a superb hero to start out with. Lower to seven years later, and I’ve obtained hundreds of hours of Moira play below my belt, a quick stint within the international rankings to boast about, and the proud assertion that, regardless of the earlier two details, I’m not a Moira one-trick.
Overwatch 2 requires sensible group composition that shifts and adjustments when needed in the midst of a match. However there are specific heroes who’re virtually uniformly helpful irrespective of the scenario, and I consider Moira is one among them. With Overwatch 2 Season 9’s addition of passive therapeutic for all characters (beforehand simply one thing assist heroes may get pleasure from), you additionally don’t should focus as a lot on therapeutic your characters, and might use Moira’s devastating DPS output to your benefit. However like all issues, it’s about steadiness.
Let me, a reformed Moira one-trick, train you methods to play Overwatch 2’s strong assist hero.
Know when to suck (harm) and when to pee (heal)
We’ve already coated how Overwatch 2 has its personal sick, twisted lingo, and I’m sorry to reveal you to this once more. However Moira’s two essential skills are Biotic Grasp (which does harm) and Biotic Heal (which heals your teammates)—the harm is colloquially referred to as “sucking” since she’s draining gamers of their HP, and the therapeutic known as “peeing” as a result of, effectively, it’s yellow.
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Your Biotic Heal meter can run out, and can fill again up over time, however you may replenish it quicker for those who use Biotic Grasp to suck enemies’ life drive (and even quicker for those who faucet no matter button/key you utilize for Biotic Grasp, moderately than holding it down). Neither skill requires you to goal all that a lot, as their purposes are very beneficiant—for those who’re inside 20 meters and pointing at somebody, you’re in all probability therapeutic/damaging them.
Spray mechanics are essential
Although there isn’t an entire lot of goal required to play Moira, there are nonetheless strategies it’s best to make the most of for her main hearth. Her spray is a projectile, so lead barely with it in case your teammates are in movement. When therapeutic or damaging, swing your reticle back-and-forth if there are a number of targets in your line of sight and everyone seems to be at related well being. If somebody is crucial, concentrate on them first.
Your spray heal has a lingering impact, so even affording a slight faucet of your therapeutic main to a low-HP DPS if you’re attempting to heal a crucial tank is big. And keep in mind, except they’re crit: spurt, don’t spray.
However figuring out when to make use of both of her main skills is essential right here. Spraying out a gradual stream of therapeutic juice when your teammates should not actively receiving harm (or towards a small, fast-moving DPS character) is a waste of a finite useful resource, and damaging enemies whereas ignoring your group’s want for therapeutic is extremely irritating. Focus your heals in your tank first, and in case your tank is all good, guarantee your DPS are protected, as effectively—if everyone seems to be full well being, be happy to suck all you need.
Be superb at throwing balls
Like her Biotic Grasp and Biotic Heal, Moira has the flexibility to throw one among two Biotic Orbs (one damages, one heals) on an eight-second cooldown. These are in all probability an important issues in her equipment, as a result of they are often utilized so brilliantly.
The Orbs will careen across the area for seven or so seconds, ricocheting off of any items of the map like doorways, pillars, buildings, and extra (not different gamers). Due to this, you probably have a primary understanding of geometry/physics, you may maximize their effectiveness. In case you’ve obtained a couple of teammates in a decent area taking harm, goal the orb so that it’ll bounce across the room a number of occasions, therapeutic as lots of them as doable—and vice versa for harm.
Orb decay
Typically, I’ll use a harm orb to take out a low-HP squishy tucked away in a nook (like a sniping Widowmaker or a hiding Tracer), or at the least eat away sufficient at their well being that they begin to panic.
In case you’re in a extra open area, goal your orbs barely downward—this may make it appear to be the orb is travelling slower (it’s simply going additional) and might afford you a bit extra harm or heals than for those who had been simply aiming it at somebody’s head or chest.
Since you should use her main therapeutic/harm skills instantly after throwing an orb, use a heal orb to make sure that you’re serving to out your teammates in a tricky spot whereas both doubling down heals along with your main or damaging enemies along with your grasp.
Be certain that you’re utilizing your harm orb in-between main, full-team fights in an effort to have your therapeutic orb able to assist your full squad in an enormous battle. There’s nothing extra irritating than being out of suck and having no Biotic Orb to assist your squad in a tense struggle.
You possibly can (and will) additionally use an orb that will help you in one-on-one or intense fights the place you’re being centered. A therapeutic orb timed with and following the trail of a fade (we’ll get to that) might help you heal your self whereas below strain. A harm orb ricocheting round a room you’re in with a smooth Sombra can make sure the hacker dies.
A very powerful piece of orb recommendation I can provide you is that this: Be sure to throw an orb instantly earlier than utilizing Moira’s final skill. Apart from Fade, you may’t use any of Moira’s different skills whereas utilizing her final, so that you’ll need to throw an orb to maximise your therapeutic/harm output. Plus, the orb cooldown will probably be completed by the point you end your ult. Tada!
Positioning, please
Moira could be felled by a well-placed Ashe or Widowmaker headshot, so all the time make sure that you aren’t placing your self within the line of fireside. Use cowl and crouch when needed.
Use your tanks as free cowl, keep behind them (about 10-20 meters) and simply preserve steadily therapeutic them to make sure you don’t catch strays. You don’t need to be too near them, as you might get caught up in any AOE assaults levied at them, however she’s additionally not like an Ana or a Zen who ought to play even additional again. She’s a mid-range backline healer, so preserve that in thoughts.
And although Moira’s Fade can get her out of tight spots shortly, I don’t often like to make use of her to flank except I’m being a bit cheeky—however that’s your name.
Grasp the Moira fade
Moira has a secondary skill that’s on a 6-second cooldown referred to as Fade, which permits her to sprint in a short time in a path and quickly blink out of view. She’s invulnerable throughout this era (and this removes standing results), so it’s completely very important that you recognize when and methods to use it. It could actually get you out of a struggle that appears doomed to finish in your dying, and may allow you to trick-jump (leaping on the finish of the fade animation) to hard-to-reach locations or throughout gaps.
Usually, Fade is a defensive maneuver—not an offensive one. Use it if you’re going through an excessive amount of, and direct your self in order that you find yourself round a nook or elsewhere out of sight. In case you’re attempting to carry onto a degree with no teammates in sight, use it to to increase your life and run down the clock. Don’t use it to keep away from easy issues that you might simply strafe away from, as that’s a waste of the flexibility.
And now you can Fade whereas utilizing Moira’s final skill (you didn’t used to have the ability to do that), it may be a really useful approach to make sure you don’t get killed mid-ult.
The one time I’d advise you to make use of Fade aggressively is if you wish to end off a low-HP character who doesn’t have heals obtainable to them.
Pop your final skill on the proper time
Moira’s Coalescence is a reasonably dang good final skill. It will increase your motion pace and shoots out a 30-meter beam that does each harm and therapeutic on the similar time, in addition to heals your self. This isn’t an final skill that may assure you a kill or two, so it’s not one which I might essentially use in a purely DPS method (except you’ve obtained a really low tank and DPS with no healers round looking at you).
Coalescence, extra so than many different Overwatch 2 skills, is about shifting the momentum. My soccer coach used to say that the sphere exists on a seesaw, and it solely ever tilts in the direction of you or away from you. Coalescence helps tilt the sphere in your favor, both by therapeutic a number of teammates throughout a vital second or encouraging your DPS gamers to double down on assault.
You may as well be very intelligent with how you utilize it—maybe you need to throw a therapeutic orb down an alleyway, and pop Coalescence in that choke to make sure enemies freak out and teammates really feel spurred on to push. Perhaps you need to pop it whereas just about hidden from enemy hearth, and use it to pump your tank stuffed with heals throughout a vital defensive second.
Everytime you pop Coalescence (or “spicy beam” as I name it), simply be sure to do it with intention.
There you’ve it, all the information, methods, and pee you might probably must grasp Moira in Overwatch 2. See you on the battlefield.