ZENYATTA IN OVERWATCH
Zenyatta is a support character through and through, and he’s most useful when linked with other teammates. You’ll want to stay right near your team throughout a match as this allows you to provide support, and help keep yourself alive. He’s a fairly quick character, but lacks any particular mobility boosting abilities like Soldier 76’s sprint or Lucio’s speed boost.
Zenyatta’s regular attack is the Orb of Destruction, a medium range projectile that fires a single orb in a straight line. The attack button can also be held down to charge up multiple orbs and fire them all at once. The charge attack is useful if you’re in close quarters with an enemy and having a hard time hitting them. The orbs cause low damage and have pinpoint accuracy but it’s easier to land hits at mid range. Zenyatta will want to be in mid range anyway, supporting allies with his abilities, although his attacks can land from any distance.
The first of those abilities, the Orb of Harmony, allows Zenyatta to apply a healing orb to any ally. The orb will continuously heal whichever character it’s applied to, but the catch is that character must be in Zenyatta’s line of sight. Only one Orb of Harmony can be applied at a time, and putting one on another teammate will remove the previous orb. An effective strategy is to apply an orb on an attack or tank ally, then travel with them hanging behind and supporting their attacks on the enemy team.
Zenyatta also has the Orb of Discord that provided the opposite effect of Harmony, allowing you to increase the damage an enemy takes. The same rules as the Orb of Harmony apply, as only one Discord can be applied at any time and that enemy must be in Zenyatta’s line of sight in order for the debuff to work. The two orbs working in unison provide Zenyatta with a deadly power. He can travel with allies healing them with Harmony, then debuff enemies they run into with Discord. Pay attention to the location of enemies on the map, and if you might be able to help an ally break through a chokepoint or take down an enemy tank.
Finaly, Zenyatta has a powerful Ultimate called Transcendence that can save your team in a tight situation. With this ability he enters a higher state of being, becoming immune to all damage for a short time and providing massive healing to all allies near him. Once the ability is charged it’s best to save it for a useful time. If your team’s on offense you could pop Transcendence as everyone charges into the enemy base to capture it, or if you’re on defense and find your team overwhelmed the ability can help give your team a brief boost to try and hang on.
