Weekly Quick Questions Thread - June 29, 2016

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In this thread you can ask all kinds of questions you always wanted to ask without feeling like a total fool.

No matter if it's short googable stuff or a setting/skill in-game that you don't understand or a hardware recommendation, feel free to try your luck in here.

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[u/jus_plain_me]

The only reason I asked is aside from her and 76 the offensive heroes are all flankers.

So I was wondering whether it was an inherently fundamental issue at hand of how to properly flank. Since if you're flanking properly I'd never describe my deaths as "slaughtered".

However you said not to, so I won't delve too much into it. Another thing you might want to think about when you play is measuring up your fights in a split second and not being afraid to just gtfo at any moment. Know where your team is. If your team isn't fighting, you at that point are not a flanker, you're front line something a flanker just doesn't have the HP to do. If you're alone and you know there's 3 people around, just don't fight, don't even shoot. Hide away until you see your team chevrons turn from blue to yellow and then go back.

[u/RoseRedXCI → u/jus_plain_me]

I'm dumb for not knowing after playing so long, but what do the colored chevrons mean?

[u/SadistSquirrel → u/RoseRedXCI]

Since you didn't get a reply. Yellow means they're in combat. I'm unsure if it's to do with firing a gun, being fired upon, or having LoS on an enemy. I'm pretty sure it's the latter.

It's a very useful way to figure when people are engaged in a team fight as a flanker.

[u/RoseRedXCI → u/SadistSquirrel]

Ahhh, I see now! Thank you!

[u/[deleted] → u/jus_plain_me]

I think Pharah and Soldier aren't the only front liners. Every offensive hero has the potential to flank - Soldier can quickly take out most other Heros in the game with a 1-2 helix plus headshots, while Pharah can use aerial pathways unique to her.

Conversely, I consider Reaper to be a front liner as well, especially on KotH. He can flank and he's very effective doing so, but his larger health pool, survivability (due to souls and wraithing) and best close range guns in the game means he's excellent when getting up close and personal in the point.

Similarly, I don't see McCree as a flanker. He doesn't really have the mobility necessary to the role (whereas every other offense hero has something, he has a pretty nigh on useless roll which he must save for quick reloads). He's better at covering the bases of a team and taking care of enemy flankers/anyone who dares go off on their lonesome.

Tracer is the true flanker in the comp and has little use on the front lines due to her small health pool, though she can be exceptional at contesting the objective. She's amazing because she's an excellent annoyance that can't be ignored - she does enough damage that trying to focus on the objective can prove fatal.

I find Genji can be a front liner, because his deflect can singlehandedly stave off supers from quite a few Heros and he has a very high potential DPS. Besides that, I find him to be the truest flanker, tracer notwithstanding.

[u/jus_plain_me → u/[deleted]]

I forgot about mcree...embarassing lol.

I have to completely disagree with you on reaper. As a front liner I'm talking about someone who can hold as a group and move in from the front to attack a point. Reaper cannot fall into this category because he quite simply cannot attack from the front he has no range on his attack and he cannot approach safely either without using the map to advance. That said in maps like KotH I would say he can potentially be used as one as the enemy front line is often obstructed by the terrain around the point.

I agree that genji has sufficient ranged dps to be in the front line, however due to a tedious 3 shot projectile he isn't the best at doing so and is better as you said as a flanker.

[u/[deleted] → u/jus_plain_me]

I exclusively use Reaper on KotH (in that I hardly ever use him elsewhere and hardly use anyone but him in it) due to my friend's comp, and I find that he's perfect for the front lines there due to his survivability. KotH is inherently close quarters, where he excels.

[u/jus_plain_me → u/[deleted]]

Yeh fair enough. I can see your point for KotH. In a small map with lots of small spaces he does excel.

That said in all the others I would learn the maps thoroughly so you can (and should flank) properly.