The tank role in Overwatch isn’t dedicated to players who only want to protect their teammates. The tank role is also focused on defending and capturing objectives and making space for DPS heroes to do their job. Generally speaking, tanks have high HP but some have mobility issues, others have limited damage or finishing ability. On the upside, they have powers that can control the field very easily as well.
A good tank in Overwatch can extend or end your win streak. Tanks are primarily responsible for contesting objectives and defending them. Without a decent tank, your team is also going to have a tough time as there won’t be someone that can absorb the damage given by the enemy team. Here are the best tank characters in Overwatch 2021.
Best Tank Heroes
Roadhog
Roadhog seems to be the top tank hero for Overwatch. He has been in the top position for many years and one of the reasons is that he’s the most durable tank hero in the game. He has the highest HP but the downside is that his large physique makes him easier to land shots on. Still, his HP is one of his best assets especially combined with his breather. Giving him Nano Boost can make Roadhog quite an imposing threat to deal with.
It’s also good for Roadhog to have the capacity to heal himself with his breather. This healing doesn’t only help sustain Roadhog, it can also help recharge his ult very quickly – it also makes him less susceptible to incoming damage while using it. Roadhog’s best skill, however, is his Hook. It can pull heroes up close to him in an instant, but this skill also stuns the hero along the way so it can cancel abilities and ultimates as well.
What’s great about Hook is that if you pull in the hero close, you have a chance to kill them instantly. Up close, Roadhog’s alternate fire can kill heroes with around 200 HP. You can also hook someone over an opening off the map and send them careening to their untimely demise.
Roadhog’s Whole Hog ultimate ability is a very powerful ability in terms of damage. However, if you use it well and if the placement is good, you can push off enemy heroes of the map. It’s a good way to take heroes out of the objective as well. To put it simply, Roadhog is a balanced defensive and offensive character.
Zarya
Next up is Zarya. Out of all the tank heroes in the game, Zarya has the highest damage potential. While her basic attacks aren’t that impressive to begin with, her damage can really ramp up once she’s able to charge her weapon with the barriers she provides to herself and her allies. At full charge, her Photon Cannon can melt the HP of even the sturdiest of tanks.
Zarya also has one of the most disruptive ultimate abilities in the game. A properly thrown Graviton Surge can instantly put the enemy team out of the fight. What’s great about her ultimate ability is that it can be partnered with other ultimate for an easy team kill too. Pair it with Doomfist’s Meteor Strike to make Spacejam – or Hanzo’s Dragonstrike for a Grav-Dragon. Both are incredibly deadly, team-fight winning combos.
Reinhardt
Reinhardt is one of the few pure melee heroes in the game. It’s right that he has a shield with him so that he can protect himself and his allies while you’re going up close. Aside from being easy to use, Reinhardt also has one of the best defensive capabilities and he’s only countered when his shield can be broken, making shield management incredibly important.
Reinhardt’s Fire Strike is great for taking out heroes who are escaping – It’s mainly used for building his ultimate ability. Another great fact is that his Fire Strike goes through any form of shield too. His Charge ability is good for taking out the enemy DPS heroes as it can usually kill them instantly. You can also use Charge to cancel other heroes like Genji, Roadhog, Bastion, and many others – or even use it to get out of harm’s way when the team-fight is lost.
His ultimate ability Earthshatter is best reserved and should only be used in synergy with the ultimate abilities of your allies. You can also use it to cancel the enemy team’s abilities as well.
Orisa
Last but (definitely) not least, we’ve got Orisa. Orisa doesn’t have a shield to carry around like Reinhardt. However, her barrier can be placed wherever you want to on a cooldown. Unlike Reinhardt’s shield, this doesn’t need to regenerate. Once the skill has cooled down, you can immediately use the barrier again. It’s very useful for defending your team against enemy fire in a pinch.
Orisa’s Fortify and Halt abilities are primarily used for controlling the enemy team’s advances towards the objective. Fortify is the only ability that can completely stop Reinhardt’s Charge as well. As for her Halt, you can use it to temporarily displace the enemy team and take them out of their game plan.
Supercharger is a game-breaking ultimate ability that truly depends on how you use it. It would be best to use Supercharger in an out-of-sight spot so that it doesn’t get destroyed by the enemy immediately. This is one of the best abilities for defending teams which makes Orisa one of the best heroes if you’re defending the objective.
These tank heroes in Overwatch aren’t just durable, they are also game-changing. If you master these heroes, you’ll be more than capable of defending your team even from the hardest hitters on the enemy team.
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