Overwatch is known for characters being buffed and nerfed into existence (nerf Roadhog), but there is also something less talked about in the community. Yes, a killer player is often hard to beat and a great tank will be nearly impossible for squishy heroes.
However, what about all of the duo tag-teams out there that crush any competition that gets close? There are heroes who compliment each other more than they seem, allowing pushes and easy retreats more so than a team without that duo.
Whether your team is running into the awkward Hanzo and Widowmaker or the annoyingly mechanical Dva and Zenyatta, some Overwatch duos showcase their potential together.
Whomever players choose to tag team as the metas have shifted over the years and stayed the same. So let’s dive deep into what the general consensus is on the best tag teams out there.
1. Kiriko and Roadhog
You may wonder why I chose this awkward combination of Roadhog and Kiriko as number one, but it is quite simple. Generally speaking, Roadhog is a powerhouse as is, even with the one-shot nerf coming for those who are used to maining him.
Not only that, but Roadhog can heal himself whenever he wants with a relatively short cooldown time for his self-healing ability, being able to run and hide when in danger.
Meanwhile, Kiriko is quick enough to pocket Roadhog while he takes damage and dishes it out to anyone who gets close or to anyone in range of his hook.
The real reason behind this duo being extremely good is Kiriko’s ability. Kiriko has the fantastic ability to throw her Protection Suzu, protecting Roadhog from death while he heals up or his ability refills itself.
It almost allows Roadhog to have an infinite health pool. The only counter to this is to attack the enemy Kiriko but Roadhog will most likely be protecting her at all times, hooking in anyone who gets too close or too far from his vision.
2. Pharah and Mercy
The definitive duo that still strikes fear into enemy teams to this day. While I would genuinely put this as number one due to the heritage and history of the team, let me explain why it sits at number two.
Mercy compliments Pharah due to their abilities to fly high together and reach hard to attack areas for ground characters.
Generally speaking, many gamers don’t have the aim to hit every shot possible, allowing Mercy to quickly heal Pharah from death while she reigns down from above.
Mercy damage boosting Pharah can make quick work of attack characters and other support heroes, being a deadly advantage over an enemy team who can’t get their composition together.
This can also allow Pharah to quickly stack alt’s to use against the enemy team, often repetitively getting them within short minutes of each other.
A Mercy and Pharah combination can easily overrun a team’s composition and put a halt to any push on a payload.
The reasoning behind it being number two is the amount of counters available to fight these two. Marksmen characters like Sojourn, Soldier, Widowmaker, Hanzo, and plenty of others can make quick work of Mercy, allowing Pharah to be taken down easily.
The problem here always arises with Mercy, as she heals while Pharah continues to keep the enemy team busy.
That being said, if players have a hard time shooting down an enemy Mercy who is great at staying above ground, it will not be an easy victory against a combination of out of reach ability that these two have.
3. Reinhardt and Ana
From the picture above, you know exactly why I consider this team one to be reckoned with. While Reinhardt has slowly become non-viable to use as a tank in Overwatch 2 in comparison to the others, Blizzard has a plan to buff him in Season 3.
These two fit together like glue due to Reinhardt’s ability to push into enemy lines and block Ana from enemy fire with his shield.
The massive size of Reinhardt also covers how small Ana is, allowing Ana to shoot Reinhardt with healing darts, minimizing damage and maximizing recovery.
Many players won’t shoot at an enemy Ana if they have a gigantic Reinhardt swinging a hammer straight in their face. The great part about this duo is the ability to use their alt’s together in unison.
Ana’s alt of powering up any hero is good, but when paired with Reinhardt, any swing becomes lethal and the battlefield becomes a graveyard to those in Rein’s vicinity.
Not to mention that with the use of Ana’s alt and Reinhardt’s alt, players can create a direct line of fire for an enemy team to be wiped out in seconds. Do all of this wearing the Balderich skin (buy Overwatch skins here)!
The counter to these two is plenty, unfortunately, as Bastion can dwindle down Reinhardt’s shield rather quickly and Ana is cannon-fodder if left alone most of the time.
Other counters for these two include Mercy and Pharah who can easily fly over both of them and attack. Roadhog and Kiriko can even attack the shield until it drops, leaving Ana open to be roped away from her safety net.
Reinhardt also has no way of reaching her if they get separated, allowing Ana to fend for herself. The hammer that he wields can’t quite protect her at all times, even with his charge ability to traverse the map in a quick fashion.
I am not saying that this duo isn’t viable… because it is! However, don’t be afraid to switch if it doesn’t work out.
In due time, the meta for all these combinations of characters will undoubtedly switch. Two more support heroes coming out during 2023 have the largest ability in Overwatch history to shake up the gameplay.
We have already seen Kiriko enter herself into competitive strategies, replacing heroes like Baptiste and Brigitte. The interesting question is how buffs and nerfs will fix the combinations, as we have already seen nerfs for Kiriko.
We do know that Kiriko is here to stay, as she has the mythic skin in the Season 3 battle pass, in which you can find Overwatch 2 accounts to buy here that can contain skins such as that one.
Could Blizzard be setting fans up for the introduction of a beloved character in Season 4 of Overwatch? Potentially, but it is safe to say that nobody will ever replace the traditional love that fans have for their favorite duo, Pharah, and Mercy.