A new Overwatch guide from Nathan ‘KarQ’ Chan and former OWL pro Jacob ‘Jake’ Lyon show the best tricks to get the most out of Junkrat against every hero including Echo.
Junkrat can be one of the most explosive heroes in the game – both literally and figuratively – which means taking advantage of his insane burst potential is key.
To kick off the video, when getting dove by the mech pilot D.va, Jake says the worst thing you can do is freak out. “Don’t panic, and don’t throw away your Concussive mines into her Defense Matrix. That’s how you’re going to die to D.va.”
While it may seem like a good idea to take out Orisa’s barriers with grenades and mines, Jake advises against doing that and instead “backboard” your grenades so they hit a wall or object and fall onto the enemy team.
“When her teammates are all grouped up around that shield, thinking your safe because that shield is still up, instead of breaking it in front, which will cause them to scatter and go hide, if you shoot the pipes on a wall behind and they’re bouncing backwards and hitting supports, you can find kills before the shield even goes down,” he stated.
Additionally, even if you miss the players, the grenades will still damage the shield so it’s a win-win for you.
Against Wrecking Ball, the big play comes from using Trap effectively and bursting him down. When the hamster is stuck in place, a good idea is to put another trap down a second later and continue to fire away, giving you a bunch of Ultimate charge.
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To help combat Doomfist’s Rocket Punch, Trap comes in super handy. Doomfist can’t jump over the Trap, so he’s almost guaranteed to get stuck and be super vulnerable. Additionally, when you get Uppercutted into the air, a well-placed mine can create enough distance for Junkrat to get away to safety.
According to Jake, Echo could be Junkrat’s worst matchup in the whole game, even worse than Pharah. “Just use the Riptire to take her out,” the former pro said. “Totally worth it. She’s so hard to take down with your regular fire.”
Speaking of Riptire, it can be an amazing tool against Genji’s Nano Blade. By casting the tire and keeping it near you and your supports, the Genji can’t do anything. Even if you don’t get kills, you’ve nullified Nano Blade.
Versus Mei, it’s important to break the Wall for your team. Jake suggests shooting where the splash damage is dealt to multiple pillars for the best value. The Trap is also super powerful against Mei when she goes into Ice Block because she will instantly get trapped when she comes out of her cube.
All the supports are pretty weak to the mine-grenade combo, but be wary of mining Moira when she still has Fade. By giving her air time, she could Fade to the high ground and you end up helping her out.
Finally, be mindful when Lucio casts Sound Barrier. Mining him up in the air can prevent him from dropping the beat, and keeping the ability from getting its value.
Junkrat is an easy hero to play, but like any hero, mastering him takes effort. Try to use these tips in your games and see how they help you climb.