Reaper guide – 2017 – Overwatch

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Reaper’s abilities and strategy tips

Reaper’s got a few tricks up his generous sleeves, and they really set him apart from the rest of Overwatch’s heroes. Here’s everything you need to know about his combat moves.

Hellfire Shotguns [LMB] – Reaper’s core weapons can dish out an immense amount of damage, but there’s a large element of spray to their output which means you need to get right up close to an opponent if you want to enjoy the full effect of these deadly guns. Thios doesn’t mean they can’t be effective at all from range, and they’re still capable of doing a small amount of damage to a large shield.

Wraith Form [SHIFT] – When in Wraith Form, Reaper will be immune to all damage but also incapable of firing his own weapons. Note that you move a little quicker while this is active, which makes the skill useful both for escaping to safety, and getting back into the thick of battle after respawning. A final important note about this skill – the activation process also removes any debuffs that Reaper might have been afflicted with.

Shadow Step [E] – Arguably Reaper’s most powerful Ability, Shadow Step allows you to mark out a forward position in your current field of view and then – after a short delay – whizz over to that spot. If you’ve even been frustrated by an enemy turret, you can well understand just how much of a game-changer this ability can be. Use this to pick apart your opponent’s defenses wherever possible.

Death Blossom [Q] – Every Hero in Overwatch has a juicy Ultimate ability to enjoy, and Reaper’s is called – appropriately enough – Death Blossom. When detonated, this skill will unload Reaper’s weaponfire extremely rapidly in the direction of all nearby enemies. Note, however, that Reaper can still be taken down while unleashing this particular flavour of fury.

Struggling to score your kills with Reaper? Here are a few tips that should help boost your kill streaks.

• Death Blossom is particularly powerful if you use it while jumping down from height. This adds an extra layer of surprise that your opponents may not be able to account for in time. Grab their juicy soul globes as well for an instant health pool pick-me-up!
• You can use Reaper’s mobility Abilities to get behind tanks and turrets and pick them to pieces while their shields point uselessly ahead of them. You never want to charge into battle with this deadly assassin – rather, you should be picking targets and ticking them off one by one.
• A particular powerful combo involves using Shadow Step to get close to the enemy, then dropping Death Blossom onto your fresh batch of victims.
• The casting of Shadow Step is pretty apparent to any nearby enemies, so only use it to either escape or head to a position that you feel absolutely sure is safe. Be ready to start firing when you drop out of this mode.
• Here’s a tip for staying out of the clutches of a Reaper. If you see his discarded pistols on the floor, watch out! The game stores a handful of these at any one time, and he may well be close by with a fresh round of ammunition, just waiting to be unloaded into your face.
• While Reaper cannot use his weapons while in Wraith Form, he can collection health packs and Soul Globes. Try to use this period of invulnerability to top your health up a little. Note that Wraith Form also removes any debuffs you have active on you.
• Try to avoid activating Shadow Step when you’re out in the open. You’re very vulnerable while it charges up, and a Widowmaker in particularly would just love to take your head clean off while you prepare your relocation!

Map-specific advice for Reaper

An intricate knowledge of the game’s maps is vital when it comes to mastering Reaper. His strength comes from travelling the paths less travelled after all, and giving his enemies a thoroughly unpleasant surprise.

Reaper: Assault tips (Hanamura, Temple of Anubis, Volskaya Industries)

On attack – and if the enemy have come far too close your spawn point – you should try to Wraith, Shadow Step or do whatever else it takes to get around to their rear and drop one or two of their team. Otherwise your goal is to flank in by whatever means is possible and pick off the team’s Support or Tank. Just be ready to use Wraith Form when the heat gets too much, and get to safety.

When defending, Reaperr again excels at using side passages to pick off the enemy who are choosing to sneak their way in, or just to generally disrupt their progress. If the team is travelling as a pack and you can get in behind them, all the better.

Reaper: Control tips (Ilios, Lijiang Tower, Nepal, Oasis)

Reaper’s not quite as effective a pick on these maps, but once you’ve actually taken the point he’s good for roaming around the edges of the enemy team’s approah path and picking off the backline support to seriously hamper the enemy’s push.

You want to seize the element of surprise when dropping Death Blossom on these maps. Try to drop down from height before letting ripe with this Ultimate, as it’ll cause the maximum confusion for the enemy team. You really don’t want to let them see you coming with this…

Reaper: Escort tips (Dorado, Route 66, Watchpoint: Gibraltar)

Coming soon!

Reaper: Hybrid tips (Hollywood, King’s Row, Numbani)

Coming soon!

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Reaper counters and match-ups

As with every Hero in the game, there are good and bad targets to pick a fight with for Reaper. Here’s a quick look at some of his most important match-ups.

As well as the prime targets outlined above, Reaper’s also good at dealing with other tanks like Reinhardt, Torbjorn and his bothersome turrets, and Support heroes like Mercy. A possible exception to this final category concerns Lucio, who can all but negate Reaper’s Ultimate with his own. Lucio’s buffs also make Reaper’s life that little bit harder as he tries to punch through.

For help with other heroes, make sure you check out our complete Overwatch: Counters guide.

Reaper Skins, Victory Poses, Emotes and Voice Lines

Like every Overwatch Hero, Reaper has some pretty cool customisation options to work towards. Here’s a complete list of all of the items (minus sprays) that you can either purchase or get out of Loot Boxes – fingers crossed…