Although some people prefer to play DPS heroes, others focus on tanks because they play a crucial role in the game.
Every meta has its top tank, but one of the names that often stands out is D.Va. The latter is known as one of the most nimble tanks in the game. She can also do insane amounts of damage, especially with her ultimate. The hero has an ability that allows her to do damage. With that being said, D.Va’s “shield” is not as potent as the things offered by other tanks. Hence, you need to be more careful when playing.
Speaking of being careful, people who don’t have a lot of experience in Overwatch or simply don’t play any tanks probably have no idea how to make the most of this hero. That’s why this guide will go over some of the important things you need to know about it.
Fusion Cannons and their specifics
Every hero in the game has a primary source of damage, and in the case of D.Va, it is the Fusion Cannons. These weapons deal substantial damage to a tank, especially if the hero is close to her opponents. Her rate of fire is 0.15, and she does not need to reload while firing.
With that being said, the Fusion Cannons have one major drawback – they come with a 40% movement speed penalty. In other words, D.Va becomes a lot slower when shooting, making her an easy target for other heroes. The good news is that this slow does not apply if the she uses Boosters.
Be careful how you use Boosters
One of the abilities that D.Va will be able to use while playing is Boosters. As its name suggests, this allows you mech to launch into the air and move towards her targets. Of course, you can also change directions and use the ability to escape from danger.
Speaking of escaping, this is one of the few tools that can help D.Va survive. Due to the hero’s weak shield and the fact that her hitbox is larger than usual, she can be burst down in a matter of seconds. Hence, people have to be more careful when playing.
Even though Boosters is mainly used defensively, there are cases where the hero can use it offensively. This ability deals damage and can be combined with her Micro Missiles.
It should be noted that you can cancel your Boosters if you decide that you no longer need to run away from a given location. Besides pressing the button, you can also use your melee attack.
Micro Missiles are your main source of damage
Aside from your standard and melee attacks, you can also deal damage with D.Va, thanks to her Micro Missiles. This ability has an 8 seconds cooldown and fires 18 rockets in total. Each one deals up to 7 damage, which means you could be able to kill a squishy target if it has low HP.
Since this ability only does damage, you should try to use it as frequently as possible. Some people combine it with Boosters and as D.Va’s regular attacks to deal even more damage.
Defense Matrix has a 1-second cooldown, use it wisely
Despite not having Rein’s shield, D.Va has something that can save her in some situations and it is called Defense Matrix. Unlike other shields, this one only has a 2-second duration and a one-second cooldown. With that being said, the Defense Matrix needs seven seconds to be fully recharged, so players have to be careful when using it.
Speaking of using this shield, D.Va won’t be able to use her Fusion Cannons while it is active. This means that she can’t deal damage and protect herself at the same time.
It should be noted that Defense Matrix is more complex than it seems. It is not a regular shield because she can use it to block various spells.
Self-Destruct
There are a couple of ultimates capable of killing the entire enemy team, and Self-Destruct is one of them. This ability deals between 100 and 1000 damage, depending on the radius. With that being said, using it is not easy because the spell takes three seconds to cast.
Besides using it while you’re standing still, you can use your Boosters and cast your ultimate while flying. This is usually the preferred option for most D.Va players because they have the chance to hit more people.
After using the ult, D.Va will temporarily leave her mech and re-enter it once the old one explodes. Needless to say, some people use this ult when they are about to die because it allows them to get back to full HP and armor a few seconds after that.
D.Va can work in different setups
Since this is one of the tanks in Overwatch that is also capable of doing insane amounts of damage, it shouldn’t be surprising, that she can work in multiple setups. Due to her mobility, the hero can easily sneak through a shield and start dealing damage to the enemy heroes. Although playing too aggressively is never a good idea, this will provide your team with a lot of opportunities to score kills.
Due to the hero’s high armor, killing D.Va is not always as easy as it seems. The hero does surprisingly well against some standard DPS, such as Reaper, which makes it a pain to deal with.
Blocking ults with Defensive Matrix
Many things differentiate D.Va players, and one of them is the usage of Defensive Matrix. As mentioned, this ability allows the hero to “shut down” certain ultimates in the game, such as Hanzo’s Dragonstrike. This means that the hero can easily protect her entire team from dying, as long as she has her Defensive Matrix on.
Needless to say, good players will try to bait you so that you can waste your Matrix before using their ultimate. That’s why you need to be careful and always keep an eye on your opponents’ heroes and their abilities.
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