'Overwatch' hero spotlight: How to suck less with Genji
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 Shuriken-slinging cyborg ninja, Genji.
Ability breakdown
Primary weapon: Shuriken. Genji throws three throwing stars straight forward at high speed. Very accurate. If all three stars connect, deals high damage. 24-round "clip."
Secondary fire: Fan of Blades. Genji throws his standard three Shuriken in a wide spread, with each one dealing light damage (identical per-projectile damage to Genji's primary attack). Draws from the same 24-round ammo pool as primary fire.
Deflect: For two seconds, Genji deflects all incoming frontal projectile attacks. All deflected attacks reverse direction and deal damage to enemies instead. 8-second cooldown,.
Swift Strike: A slashing melee strike that propels Genji a short distance forward in whichever direction he's facing. Deals moderate damage to any enemies it strikes. 8-second cooldown.
Cyber-Agility: Genji has the ability to double jump and climb straight up walls by jumping directly at them.
Ultimate ability: Dragonblade. Genji draws his katana and uses it to deal high-damage melee attacks throughout the 8-second duration. Shuriken/Fan of Blades not available when Dragonblade is active, but abilities are.
How to Genji
Genji is a versatile flanker who can effectively deal with threats up close and at range. The cost of that versatility is a lower position on the power pyramid; Genji can dish out the damage, but many of the threats on the field do it more quickly.
Shuriken attacks are very damaging in the hands of a skilled player. Accuracy is key. Aim for the head and lead your target. Scoring three Shuriken criticals will knock out most threats, and at any distance since there's no damage fall-off.
Switch to Fan of Blades when you're fighting in close quarters. It spreads the damage out more, but has a higher rate of fire than Shuriken. It's no match for the more traditional shotgun weapons in Overwatch, but Fan of Blades makes accuracy a lesser concern in close combat.
Swift Strike is as multi-purpose as Genji himself: use it to close the distance, to escape or even as a finisher after a Shuriken/Fan of Blades barrage. Capping off an emptied clip with a Swift Strike is often enough to finish a weakened enemy who may be trying to escape.
Don't forget that Genji is a flanker first. His speed and mobility allow him to reach largely inaccessible locations from which he can "snipe" or leap directly into the fray.
Deflect is handy in those latter cases. It's a strong opener when Genji moves in, since he'll often immediately attract fire from anyone in front of him.
Deflect is also a semi-effective counter to a Bastion or Torbjörn turret. You won't often deflect enough damage to wipe out the threat, but having Genji draw the turret's fire allows teammates to step in and assist.
True to Genji's flanker design, Dragonblade works best as a surprise attack. It amps up damage significantly, but forces you to fight at close range with nothing more than a paltry health pool to protect you.
Dragonblade is a great clean-up move that lets you cap off a vicious firefight with an easy team kill. It's most effective when paired with an Ana Nano Boost ultimate, since the bonus damage/damage resistance and speed stack on top of Dragonblade's benefits.
Best maps/modes: Genji is most effective in attack scenarios on Assault, Escort and Hybrid maps, where his ability to get around quickly and scale to great heights let him break through enemy defenses and flank as Blizzard intended. He can be effective in Control maps -- especially for those proficient with Deflect -- but he can't be counted on to hold a point on his own.
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.
