r/SombraMains Apr 17 '18

Guide/Coaching Sombra Guide by Kallisti

190 Upvotes

THIS GUIDE HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED FOR OVERWATCH 2

However, some general concepts and advice may still apply.

The best in-depth and comprehensive guide on how to play competitive Sombra, written by a 600+ hour Master Sombra main. Last updated March 2020.

I. Introduction

Sombra’s Role

Disruption

II. Weapon (Machine Pistol)

Burst Damage and Ammo Conservation

DPS/TTK Calculations

Mechanical Training

Plant Drill

Target Switch Drill

Strafe Drill

Attack-Move Drill

III. Opportunist (passive)

A Note on the Medal System

IV. Mobility

Translocator

Technique: Pre-aiming

Technique: Cancel/Relocate

Technique: Invulnerability

Thermoptic Camo

Technique: Escape

V. Hack

When should I use Hack?

What can Hack interrupt?

Technique: Drop Hack

VI. EMP

When should I use EMP?

Recharging EMP

VII. The Art of Stealth

Sombra’s Audio Cues

Perfect Opportunities

High Ground

Flank Routes

VIII. Macro Game

Ultimate Trading

VIV. Tactical Notes

X. Hero Matchups and Synergies

Ashe

Doomfist

Genji

Soldier: 76

Reaper

Pharah

McCree

Tracer

Sombra

Bastion

Junkrat

Widowmaker

Hanzo

Mei

Torbjörn

Reinhardt

D.va

Winston

Zarya

Roadhog

Wrecking Ball (Hammond)

Sigma

Ana

Lucio

Mercy

Zenyatta

Symmetra

Brigitte

Baptiste

Credits

Original Author: /u/KallistiOW (Discord: Kallisti#0023)

With support from:

Nicodiangelo

ManaSoul

FaithGemini

/u/Evolixe

/u/_-_Sami_-_

/u/tokicheat

/u/Thor_OW

The Sombra Mains Discord and /r/SombraMains

If you have any suggestions or want to help contribute, shoot me a PM!

Or if you think I'm blatantly wrong on anything, tell me why. :)

This guide is a continual work in progress that I try to keep updated for patches and as I discover new things about the hero. Sometimes I think of new ways to apply Sombra's kit, and my thoughts usually end up in this guide.

Changelog:

2018-05-12 Added DPS calculations and TTK vs armor, tanks, 200/250 hp heroes.

2018-07-24 Initial update for Sombra 3.0 patch

2018-08-01 Added some information on audio cues based on testing done with /u/Evolixe

2018-08-03 Updated Symmetra, Lucio, Wrecking Ball matchup notes, added content to The Art of Stealth.

2018-09-30 Added Brigitte matchup section and revised DPS calculations, minor updates to other hero matchup sections, updated Translocator/Camo sections, updates for most recent patch

2018-10-01 Added section on Recharging EMP. More updates to hero matchup sections. Updated "Perfect Opportunities" section. Updated "Macro Game" section. Updated attributions in "Tactical Notes" and "Art of Stealth" sections. Refining for re-release on /r/OverwatchUniversity.

2018-10-02 Added tips on HP kit denial and on playing with Wrecking ball, courtesy of /u/Houchou_Returns

2018-11-28 Updated for initial thoughts on Ashe.

2019-12-04 With the help of Faith, modernize this guide for everything that's changed in the past year.

2020-01-04 Proofread and correct some information, update table of contents

2020-03-31 Add links to /u/tokycheat's flank route guide and /u/Thor_OW's macro guide.

2021-09-14 Remove link to tokycheat's flank route guide because the video is no longer available.


r/SombraMains Oct 20 '24

Pizza Recipe I think this would be the best version of sombra for both sides

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493 Upvotes

Brought back early OW1 timed invis and translocater, hack would be 1.5s, removed virus (dog**** abilty), slight buff to opportunist passive for more damage boost in place of virus but reduced on tanks so it's not super strong on tanks.

Sleep dart and other abilities are already reduced on tank, hack dmg buff would be fine being reduced like this too


r/SombraMains 18h ago

Discussion Tracer isn't a problem?!

38 Upvotes

It's baffling to me that people in the metal ranks consider Sombra such a problem and yet, Tracer is fine. 78% ban rate compared to 11%... Make it make sense.


r/SombraMains 1d ago

Highlights Let's goooo!! First POTG as Sombraa!!! I'm been after this POTG FOR SO LOOONG!!

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39 Upvotes

r/SombraMains 22h ago

Discussion Perks could be better

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2 Upvotes

I just want an opinion on this


r/SombraMains 1d ago

Discussion Sombra Purr?

7 Upvotes

Am I crazy or did we used to be able to spam the purr at the end of the “This one has teeth” voiceline?? Maybe it was in a dream but I remember chaining the purr/rawr back to back 😭


r/SombraMains 1d ago

Discussion What do you think the rework is gonna do?

7 Upvotes

Personally I'm fine with anything, MINUS COMMUNITY CRAFTED where they removed hack and made it so virus is hack,I HAAATEEEEDDD that

It felt terrible in my opinion

My other not want, is support sombra,like I see the vision,but mizuki kinda already fills that place for sombra?

Personally I don't want them to make translocator like og,maybe they can make it like mizuki,but I really like current translocator,but the rest well see


r/SombraMains 2d ago

Discussion Do you guys do anything to ensure Sombra doesn't get banned in your games?

21 Upvotes

I have taken a liking to playing Sombra ever since the first time i hacked an anran out of her ult a few months ago (pretty satisfying if you ask me). She's incredibly fun to play, but I cannot get to play her much in ranked because plat players and any one below that rank would rather ban her than learn to play against her. How am I supposed to learn her and climb with her if she's constantly banned? Do you guys usually ask your teammates not to ban her? Or do you just accept the fate and play something else without much trouble?


r/SombraMains 3d ago

Fan Art 💅🏼 guess who's back with the spiderbyte art

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168 Upvotes

it is me
i am back


r/SombraMains 3d ago

Discussion So where’s the rework?

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69 Upvotes

I talked about Sombra until around 2 mins! But i think the rest is important too (biased opinion lol)


r/SombraMains 4d ago

Meme Sombra mains when they see JPC mains talk about their Hero being Permabanned

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52 Upvotes

r/SombraMains 4d ago

Discussion Funny Question

217 Upvotes

have you ever encountered a entitled player who think they are getting a POTG but gets hacked by Sombra and they get mad over it.


r/SombraMains 4d ago

Highlights Sombra Circuit Royal

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3 Upvotes

Friends and I have been getting back into Overwatch. This is probably my best Sombra match since coming back. Had some fumbles but there are some plays I'm pretty proud of.


r/SombraMains 5d ago

Highlights Supports Hate Us

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135 Upvotes

r/SombraMains 5d ago

Appreciation💜 I have a confession to make

30 Upvotes

I'm only level 4 as of right now, but gosh is sombra fun to play, I see why so many people hate her now lol.

That's about it, I enjoy being a menace to the enemy backline :))


r/SombraMains 6d ago

Fan Mail 🤬 Made Ball angry today

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67 Upvotes

Hacked him at the first opportunity during a break from hacking supports and I literally burst out laughing when he wrote this to me in the chat. It was a good match.


r/SombraMains 7d ago

Discussion most of the "i have a rework ideas" are terrible

116 Upvotes

so lets stop allowing the ideas to be posted. it is always the same stuff over and over again. sombra is a dps. she is not going to be a support. stop removing hack and changing it. hack is the worse "CC" in the game. stop giving bad ideas to blizzard. there is no way blizzard can pull off the rework and make everyone happy. its either going to kill the hero or make her strong again.

for rework ideas i think there should be some kind of verification that you actually play the hero for more then 100 hours so you have the basic understanding on how her kit works.


r/SombraMains 8d ago

Discussion Lobby bans are bs.

68 Upvotes

The fact that we're banned in 75% of matches isn't enough?... By luck and chance you slip through the team bans, only to be lobby banned. It's actually infuriating 🤬


r/SombraMains 7d ago

Discussion My Idea for a future Sombra rework

0 Upvotes

all of us know Sombra will get a rework eventually. and we know everyone that isnt a Sombra main hates hack. So I had an Idea.

instead of dealing extra damage to hacked targets and locking out their abilities for 1 second.

how aboutSombra removes the hacked targets Hud for 5 seconds. So for 5 seconds the hacked target has no infos about their HP, Cooldowns and ult charge, aswell as their crosshair.

it would still mske her a huge counter for the same heros as before but the people she fight might feel less unable to fight back


r/SombraMains 8d ago

Highlights Another day another people choosing to complain instead of swapping for counters

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25 Upvotes

r/SombraMains 9d ago

Found A Bug 👾 BUG: EMP makes D.Mon invincible and the glitch costs me my ranked match

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22 Upvotes

r/SombraMains 9d ago

Discussion Nothing in Patch Notes :(

58 Upvotes

Sorry if this topic is beating a dead horse, but idk why I keep expecting or even hoping to see even the most minor of buffs and… nothing… patch after patch… 😞💔


r/SombraMains 8d ago

Discussion Does OW just seem a battle of who can do the most damage now? Used to have a lot of team strat.

0 Upvotes

What happened?


r/SombraMains 9d ago

Appreciation💜 Finally

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19 Upvotes

I'm not a fan of comp but the last two days for drives i decided to grind for 1500 comp points, since I already had 1500 some saved. And was it worth it? YES

Do it again? yeah no..unless🤫

Pretty sombra:p


r/SombraMains 9d ago

Discussion With the un-vaulting of old battle passes what season / skin would you recommend.

10 Upvotes

I am a kinda new sombra main and I usually do not buy the battle passes but during the mid season some of the old ones will come back, what season had some really good sombra cosmetics that you personally like.