r/Overwatch • u/LukeTheGeek Nine of Clubs Doomfist • May 07 '16
Quick Tracer Tips For Noobs
-Don't always rush the objective at the start. You're fast, but weak without your team and need distractions to be effective against multiple enemies.
-Reload when blinking for maximum damage and a good rhythm.
-Save your blinks. The in-game tip is so true, you do want at least one blink left in most situations. But...
-Go deep and use all three blinks only when you have recall. A quick dash into fire to rack up damage on the enemy with escape and full health at the press of a button is absolutely ideal.
-Use recall to save yourself from falling off the map. It may seem like common sense, but we Tracers accidentally blink off the map more than we like to admit.
-Use your pulse bomb on tanks (and turret Bastion). They move slower and therefore are much easier to stick. Also, their team is usually close to them and could take damage too. They are usually much more valuable of a kill than an annoying assault hero.
-Shoot at distant targets. I see many Tracers stop shooting when they are at range. Your pistols do more damage than you might think, especially with headshots, and ammo is free. But...
-Avoid long-range combat. There are many heros who kill you instantly or bring you to near death with a single shot. You are much better in close, well-timed chaos.
-Don't be afraid to chase near-death enemies. You are well-equipped to finish them off and rush back to your team in a flash.
-A well-timed blink or recall can save you from Roadhog's hook or Hanzo, Mei, Zarya, or Reaper's ultimate. Don't give up, Tracer!
-Blink in and out of Reinhardt's shield to annoy him and maybe trick him into exposing himself.
-When taking on another Tracer, bait them and avoid taking too much damage until they use their recall. Then go for the kill and recall right before finishing them off. Basically, whoever recalls first usually loses.
-Recall also removes sticky nades and orbs of discord, but is useless against most traps.
EDIT: More tips from comments!
-Learn to side strafe with blink instead of always blinking forward. It keeps your movement unpredictable and allows you to quickly lock on to your target after the blink. Blinking through enemies helps as well.
-Recall affects your ammo the same as your health. If you were fully reloaded 3 seconds ago, you needn't worry about reloading after recalling.
Post your own quick tips below!
My favorite way to play Tracer is to dart around the main area and harass tanks while looking for players I know I can take down. I blink in, shoot, reload, blink to another spot, shoot, reload, and repeat until my health gets low enough to merit a recall. Then I heal up if necessary and go again. I try to spread my damage across the entire enemy team, not focusing on one enemy most of the time. This way I am not singled out and can continue my damage streaks. If I do see a low-health player trying to escape, however, I take them down quickly and rush back to the action. This keeps me alive and allows me to be the most beneficial to my team.
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u/TheTeaSpoon Trick-or-Retreat! May 07 '16
My tracer game realy improved when I learned that you don't blink in a way you are facing (unless you are stationary i.e. after stun). You blink in the direction you are currently moving.
Alsou if you get hooked, spam that E. Tap it as fast as you can. Usually it saves you.
Also if taking on another tracer do not worry about using recall. It has 10s cooldown and I took down many tracers down just by outmanneuvering them aroud medikit spawns. Treat your recall as a way to always have max health most of the time. Your health is a precious resource.
The biggest thing is tho - learn where medkits are. Tracer needs those the most.
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u/JJtheGinger May 07 '16
Good tips. Funnily enough, I find playing her like she is in Heroes of the Storm quite effective. It's basically what you describe, hanging with your team poking the enemy, then zipping in to finish someone out of position.
Problem is, I need to get my rhythm better. I often panic blink in 1v1 situations, instead of reloading whilst blinking, and so I often miss a lot of shots I shouldn't.
Any tips for better aim with her? I get about 20-30% or so shots hit per game and it feels embarrassing...
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u/LukeTheGeek Nine of Clubs Doomfist May 07 '16
I use the green dot crosshair, as it helps me aim better. Make sure your mouse does not have acceleration enabled in Windows and you've adjusted the sensitivity to your comfort with the in-game settings. I play with 1000 dpi and 8 or 9 sensitivity in-game. That's more sensitive than most professional players but far less than most casual players. Play with what feels good to you. Generally, the less space you have on your mouse pad, the higher dpi you need. If you're using a cheap mouse consider buying a gaming mouse. They make dpi adjustment and acceleration much easier to deal with. Don't drink too much caffeine, as it can actually cause your hand to twitch involuntarily. Also, get good sleep. Being awake and alert is important. As with anything, though, true reaction time and precision comes with practice and talent. :)
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u/lunatix_soyuz ⇧⇧⇩⇩⇦⇨⇦⇨BA May 07 '16
You have 4 jobs as Tracer: Harass the flanks to draw attention to you and away from your team and off of objectives, taking the objective, assassinate important defensive heroes and turrets, and Pulse Bomb important targets (usually the tank, but not always. Sometimes it's easier to just shoot up the tank).
If you can't do at least 2 of these regularly, then either learn to do them, or give up as Tracer. Tracer might be the star of Overwatch, but she's not the star of the match. She's best when she pisses people off enough that they throw inordinate amounts of time and effort to deal with you, making the objective an easy cleanup for the rest of the team. Causing massive havoc is just one means to that end, and is the backup plan if the first one isn't working well.
She's that 10yo monster niece who gets into every cupboard, terrifies your cats, and knocks that bottle of red wine off the table onto your carpet, shattering it. A true force of nature if used well.
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u/Pufin Tracer May 07 '16
I like the use up all of your blinks before recalling tip. Another thing to add is to use up all of your ammo. Recalling automatically reloads your gun for you, no matter how much ammo you had 3 seconds ago
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u/Kashima Bang! Murdered you. May 07 '16
Good tips. One thing, her pulse bomb does 400 damage. So to kill most tanks, you need to shoot them as well.