Overwatch Short and Sweet Winston Guide for Beginners

Winston – the mad scientist gorilla – is one of the most enjoyable tank heroes in over watch. He has all the fun of a tank with the mobility of Pharah and the occasional sudden urge to forget all weapons and go melee like a Genji and all of this tucked neatly into a sexy looking gorilla with a knack for invention. In this guide you will get insight into the majestic beast that is Winston. 

Note: This is a basic Winston guide and should be used as an introduction to new Winston players.

So what is this dude’s story?

A super-intelligent, genetically engineered gorilla, Winston is a brilliant scientist and a champion for humanity's potential. He was part of an experiment that took genetically modified gorillas to the horizon space colony in order to investigate the effects of long term outer space exposure. Winston who showed extraordinary growth and intellect was taken in by Dr. Harold Winston the chief scientist and was hand raised and taught everything he now knows. But everything changed when the fire na….. When the gorillas decided to stage an uprising. They killed all the scientists including Winston’s caretaker and father figure. So Winston built a space shuttle and left to earth where he found a new home at Overwatch.

So what is his kit like?

Winston’s kit is very focused on getting in staying alive dealing damage and then getting out. His abilities all enforce this idea:

Tesla Cannon

100 ammunition

20 rounds per sec

57 damage

8m range

His primary: tesla cannon – shoots a continuous arc of lightning in a short range.

Jump Pack

50 damage

6 sec cd

His shift: jump pack- he jumps into the air and stuns and deals damage to enemies where he lands

Barrier Projector

5m radius

5 sec duration

13 sec cd

His E: barrier projector- he drops a bubble in an area that absorbs damage of those standing inside it.

Ultimate Ability: Primal Rage

40 damage

10 sec duration

His Ult: Primal rage- Winston gains bonus health and increased melee damage as well as a reduced jump pack cooldown and for goes his tesla rifle and instead goes full old school hitting the enemy with his fists.

Oh wow this gorilla seems cool so how do I use him effectively?

That’s the thing with Winston he isn’t a very high skill cap hero and as such it isn’t too difficult to figure out when to do. None the less let me break down when to use what and what combos to use and when to use them.
 

With a fast reload time you can pretty much always hold down your primary attack and as such he will always have a constant source of dps.
 

A good idea is to save your jump boost as to make best yes when you get cornered or when you need to chase down an enemy or an objective.
 

Barrier projector is ideal when either you or your team are being sniped or when you have just gotten on a point in order to give you a few seconds of on point protection from a hidden bastion or torbjorn turret.
 

Primal rage has two uses really: to give you a damage boost needed to sweep or knock off the enemy team; to give you a sudden burst of health when you need it most. So you should use it when the enemy is nicely grouped or when you are about to be killed and those extra few seconds of life could win you the game.
 

Now for my recommended combos:

1. The smash and dash: walking in behind the enemy hold down your auto attack and let off some … or a lot of damage followed by jumping out of the danger zone and getting back to a safe spot

2. SNIPER: drop a bubble to protect your squishy team mates then jump in the directions of the same and take her out with a combination of arc rifle and melee attacks.

3. The Get off my lawn: on any map with a lot of point to fall off this is what you going to do either gently nudge them with your fists off the map or use your primal rage and give them a sturdy push

4. The full Harambe : you start off by waiting for the enemy team to group up then you jump boost in to them as you land drop an E and then use your ult now at this point you are going to go ham on the enemy and smashing their faces with your normally gorilla calm hands. Combo this with an Ana ult and not even the zookeepers could stop you.
   
    

OH jeez wow that sounds intense but who benefits from this intense gorilla?

Well most teams can do with having him as he is really useful in most maps and is also really easy to start playing and as such he slides right in as a replacement in any team comp but with that being said there always are some ideal picks to have with Winston

1. Ana: Ana’s ult and high healing  output are ideal in assisting a Winston who is deep behind enemy lines

2. Reinhardt: Reinhardt’s basic hammer turns any champ into a volleyball between him and Winston. combo your ult with his and you get clear shots at all enemy heroes

3. Lucio: Lucio speed boost complements  Winston’s mobility also his knock off plays well with Winston’s primal rage  

4. Pharah :Pharah’s mobility allows her to complement Winston and at the same time her ability set also plays well with his knock back capability
   
    

BUT all gorillas have weaknesses right?

Why yes, yes they do and Winston has no exception if he is caught out by himself with all his abilities on cooldown then he is a bit out of luck as any mobile DPS champ will be able to get behind him and lay into his health. In close courters he is very easily killed provided he does not have primal rage up as his bubble will just keep his team’s damage from dealing damage to the enemy with in the bubble

And there you go all the basic information you need to go out and play Winston. Enjoy!