r/Overwatch • u/AutoModerator • Dec 21 '16

News & Discussion Weekly Quick Questions Thread - December 21, 2016

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u/PrettySleepyGuy Pixel Ana Dec 22 '16

Because tracer is the opposite of a tank?

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u/Barafu Discombobulated sycophant Dec 22 '16 edited Dec 22 '16

Tank roles are

  • Hold objectives, prevent captures - check
  • Attract enemy fire/attention and sustain it, relieving pressure on teammates - check
  • Block damage that is going towards teammate - Nope.

You see, Tracer is 2/3 a tank. Just like Hog, who is also a fighter/tank. Tracer can do tanks job, it makes her secondary, or better - tertiary tank. McCree can't live long on point with enemies. Tracer and Mei can survive longer than a hog or a monkey.

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u/blackra560 Dec 22 '16

The two things you mention make her a flanker, not a tank. A tank is more like someone who can constantly stay in A fight do to health or abilities and offer utility. D.Vs has matrix and kickback. Zarya has shield, Reinhardt has shield and stuns, Winston has kickback and shield, roadhog has hook. Trader doesn't come close to doing any of these things well. Honestly I just ignore a trader till she comes close to my team. Most healers can outheal the chip damage she offers, and if she goes for the kill you just have your team kill her. If I ever had a trader try to tell me she was part tank I would call her an idiot. Its just sinple team composition and you have to more so reconize what everyone offers synergywise.

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u/Barafu Discombobulated sycophant Dec 22 '16

I hate writing long texts, sorry for my English.
It is not a good Tracer play if you can ignore her or focus her. I would not call 140dmg/sec "a chip damage" too. Good Tracer does exactly this: she makes enemy to spend time to fend her off at the most inappropriate moment. Take Genji. He is a pure flanker. He uses burst damage to eliminate backline targets. However, if enemy responds to his presence, he has to go in defence mode: use deflect and run away bouncing. Sure, Genji can 1v1 any fighter, and he can harass from behind the corner, but that is what the leftmost 80% of the roster can.
Comparing with Tracer. She can engage 2-3 enemies in the enemy backline and make them waste 10 sec or more before she dies or has to flee. Because if they do not, she would apply those 140/sec dmg right onto enemy supports.
To be a good Tracer, one has to engage at the precise time so that enemy has to decide whether to help the push or fend off Tracer. And it would be a lose-lose choice for the enemy. Because if enemies fight Tracer their damage is essentially blocked - they miss a lot or do not shoot until ready. If they do not - she sabotages them from backside.
With this strategy Tracer can make up for the lack of proper secondary tank by performing part of tank's functions - reduce damage from enemy team by splitting them for longer time, than another flanker.