Overwatch Tips: How to Play Hanzo

Hanzo in Overwatch

If you’re looking for an alternative long-range hero to Widowmaker, then Hanzo may be your guy. He’s listed as one of the more difficult characters to get to grips with by Blizzard, but once you learn the flight path of his arrows, and the best ways to use his abilities, you can cause havoc from afar. His abilities revolve around the use of his Storm Bow and offer options for both offensive and defensive play.

Hanzo has a Sonic Arrow that, when launched, contains a sonar tracking device that will visibly mark enemies within its detection radius. This can be particularly useful if you’re sitting back and defending a target, as this can help reduce the chance of a surprise attack from your enemies. Alternatively, you can always fire it in the general vicinity of an enemy sniper that you can’t quite pinpoint. Let the Sonic Arrow do its job and then pick them off unnoticed.

He also has a Scatter Arrow at his disposal, which can ricochet off walls and other objects, and hit multiple enemies at once. This can be particularly handy when all of the action is taking place in a confined space. Simply take aim and fire into the crowd, and then let your Scatter Arrow do the rest of the work.

As we previously mentioned though, Hanzo’s Storm Bow can be a bit tricky to get to grips with. Just like in real-life, arrows will be affected by gravity and will begin to dip the further they travel. Therefore, you always need to ensure you’re taking into account just how far your target is away from you. The distance your arrow will travel is also affected by just how long you charge your shot for, as is the power of your shot. Quickly firing off shots will not only do little damage but won’t travel all that far either. So make sure you’re taking into account just how much health your opponent is likely to have before unloading a ton of light-hitting arrows. As you would assume, headshots are more effective than weak shots to the body. It’ll take a while to learn just how far above their head, or how far in front of the moving target you need to aim, but once you do, you can use Hanzo’s weapon much more offensively than his class name suggests.

Because of the long-range nature of the Storm Bow, Hanzo can actually be quite effective at pinning down enemies at their spawn point. Tuck yourself away behind cover, raise your sights, and begin to pick off your enemies before they even get started. Be warned though, his health bar isn’t too big so you could be taken down by an offensive player or a tank pretty quickly.

Finally, Hanzo’s Ultimate called Dragonstrike can be devastating if your opponents don’t see it coming. The Ultimate unleashes a huge spirit dragon that will devour any enemy that is in its path. While this sounds like it should be highly effective in all situations, it’s quite slow and predictable. Agile heroes will be able to evade the Ultimate with ease, and anyone who sees it coming from a distance will have the time to get out of its way before it finally reaches them. Therefore, the best time to use Dragonstrike is when everyone is occupied in a huge battle. Let everyone bunch together, sit back, and fire. Due to all of the chaos going on, your opponents are much less likely to see the huge dragon coming. It’s all about finding the right time to use it.

Abilities

Storm Bow

Hanzo’s main weapon of choice is his Storm Bow. The longer you hold down your trigger, the more powerful the shot will be. Aim for the head and you can take your enemy down before they even spot you.

Sonic Arrow

Hanzo fires a different kind of arrow from his Storm Bow that contains a tracking device. Place this somewhere around the battlefield and watch your enemies light up when they come within range of it. A great ability when you’re on the hunt.

Scatter Arrow

Another variety of arrow that Hanzo can fire from his Storm Bow. The Scatter Arrow is a fragmenting arrow that ricochets off walls and objects making it a highly unpredictable projectile. It can also hit multiple targets at the same time. A handy weapon to have when the enemy team is bunched up.

Dragonstrike

Hanzo’s ultimate is incredibly powerful when it hits, but it’s easy to predict and subsequently avoid. The archer summons a Spirit Dragon that travels through the air in a straight line, devouring any enemies that stand in its way.

Backstory

Here’s Hanzo’s official backstory in Overwatch, straight from Blizzard:

• Real Name: Hanzo Shimada, Age: 38
• Occupation: Mercenary, Assassin
• Base of Operations: Hanamura, Japan (formerly)
• Affiliation: Shimada Clan

Mastering his skills as a bowman and an assassin, Hanzo Shimada strives to prove himself as a warrior without peer.

The Shimada family was established centuries ago, a clan of assassins whose power grew over the years, enabling them to build a vast criminal empire that profited from lucrative trade in arms and illegal substances. As the eldest son of the family’s head, Hanzo was bound by duty to succeed his father and rule the Shimada empire. From a young age, he was trained for that responsibility, displaying a natural aptitude for leadership and possessing an innate understanding of strategy and tactics. He also excelled in more practical areas: he was a prodigy in martial arts, swordplay, and bowmanship.

Upon the death of his father, the clan elders instructed Hanzo to straighten out his wayward younger brother so that he, too, might help rule the Shimada empire. When his brother refused, Hanzo was forced to kill him. This act broke Hanzo’s heart and drove him to reject his father’s legacy, ultimately leading him to abandon the clan and all that he had worked so hard to attain.

Now, Hanzo travels the world, perfecting his skills as a warrior, attempting to restore his honor and put the ghosts of his past to rest.