'Overwatch' hero spotlight: How to suck less with D.Va
Want help with a different hero? Click here to check out our master Overwatch guide, where you'll find links to tips and strategies for each hero in the game.
Each Overwatch hero is a special snowflake.
Different guns, different abilities, different movement speeds, different quirks. Learning to excel with one hero doesn't mean you've mastered Overwatch.
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Playing a hero the "right" way only gets you so far, of course. Positioning, team formation (on both sides) and overall skill level are still important; you can play a hero perfectly and still lose. But you probably won't win until you learn to play whoever you're using right.
We've got you covered. Read on for tips, strategies and ideal maps/modes to help you suck less at using Overwatch's mech-nuking flanker tank, D.Va.
Ability breakdown
Primary weapon (mech): Fusion Cannons. High rate-of-fire arm cannons that deal low damage over short-to-medium ranges in a wide spread. Can fire infinitely, without the need for a reload, but D.Va's movement speed slows while firing.
Boosters (mech): The mech's jet boosters activate, propelling D.Va quickly in any direction -- with some decent turning -- for two seconds, or until jets are manually cut. Deals light damage and knockback to enemies in D.Va's flight path. 5-second cooldown.
Defense Matrix (mech): A forward-facing energy shield that stops all incoming projectiles. Max duration is four seconds, but usage is governed by an energy meter that drains when the shield is in use and recharges when it's not. 10 seconds to fully charge an empty energy meter.
Ultimate ability (mech): Self-Destruct. D.Va jumps out of her mech, which explodes three seconds later, dealing up to 1,000 damage to anyone caught in the large blast area. D.Va can immediately summon a new mech after using her Ultimate. She does not take damage in the explosion.
Primary weapon (human): Light Gun. High rate-of-fire sidearm that does moderate damage at medium range. Only available when D.Va is running around in her human form. 20-round clip.
How to D.Va
D.Va is a tank that excels at flanking. The short cooldown on her Boosters allows her to fly in -- the mech flies in any direction you point it -- dish out/soak up some damage, then get out if needed.
Those Boosters are the keys to D.Va's effectiveness. In attack scenarios, she's always at the front of the pack and able to position herself for ambushes. Blanket an area with Fusion Cannon fire, then quickly switch over to Defense Matrix when enemy attention turns your way.
Player psychology plays a role in D.Va's ability to provide covering fire. Most will instinctively seek cover when damage indicators start to appear. D.Va can't last in many one-versus-one showdowns, but her damage piles up over time and -- more importantly -- keeps the enemy team on edge.
Covering fire becomes even more important in defend scenarios, when distracting the enemy is a victory in and of itself. Use D.Va to keep a bottleneck locked down, but be mindful of flankers as well. D.Va's Boosters allow her to reach incursion points quickly.
The Boosters are also invaluable for flushing out entrenched enemies. If a Widowmaker or an Ana is harassing your team in a key location, fly in and return the favor. D'Va's Defense Matrix can be active while the Boosters are engaged, making it very easy to rush a defended position.
Defense Matrix is very powerful thanks to its quick activation/deactivation and automatic recharge. Think of it as a block button and use it reactively. Just note that it only stops projectiles. Physical attacks like Reinhardt's charge or Roadhog's Chain Hook go right through it.
When D.Va's mech reaches zero health, it explodes as its human operator ejects. D.Va's human form lacks any kind of abilities, but her Light Gun shoots a straight line of damaging blasts very quickly. Dealing damage is the quickest way to charge D.Va's human form Ultimate, which re-summons her mech.
Self-Destruct, the mech's Ultimate, can easily wipe out a clustered enemy team in a matter of seconds. It's especially helpful to trigger D.Va's Ultimate while her Boosters are active, since momentum carries the mech the rest of the way.
Line up your flight path and activate, then use your Light Gun to clean up any survivors. If there are none, or if there are too many to handle, quickly re-summon the mech before enemy fire can bring D.Va's frail human form down.
Best maps/modes: D.Va is a powerful asset on both attack and defense. Her mobility is especially handy in Control and Escort/Hybrid matches. Her ability to flank makes her useful for taking on entrenched enemies in Assault matches, but team make-up matters more in those cases.
Topics Blizzard Entertainment Esports Gaming
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
