5 Clever Strategies for Countering the Mighty Zyra As A Tank

Zarya is a formidable tank in Overwatch 2, known for her powerful barriers and beam attacks. Countering her effectively requires careful planning and execution. As a tank player, you must adopt a proactive approach and work in tandem with your team to neutralize her impact on the battlefield.

Firstly, focus on breaking down Zarya’s barriers. Her Projected Barriers absorb a significant amount of damage, making it crucial to deplete them quickly. Coordinate with your team to launch a concentrated fire on her shielded targets. Use high-DPS heroes or weapons like rockets or beams to overwhelm her barriers. Additionally, consider using anti-barrier abilities, such as Sombra’s Hack or Orisa’s Halt!, to temporarily disable her defenses.

Secondly, disrupt Zarya’s beam attacks. Zarya’s beam damage scales up based on the amount of energy she gains from protecting her allies. To mitigate this, employ heroes with mobility or crowd control abilities to prevent Zarya from hitting consecutive targets. Heroes like D.Va, Tracer, or Lucio can quickly move in and out of her range, making it harder for her to build up energy. Furthermore, stuns or knockbacks from heroes like Reinardt, Brigitte, or Junkrat can interrupt her beam and break her momentum.

Understanding Zarya’s Strengths and Weaknesses

Zarya is a powerhouse tank hero in Overwatch, capable of both absorbing damage and dealing devastating energy-beam attacks. To effectively counter her, it’s crucial to understand her unique capabilities and vulnerabilities:

Strengths:

Powerful Energy Shields: Zarya’s Projected Barriers provide temporary energy shields to herself and allies, which absorb a significant amount of damage.

Energy Beam: Zarya’s Particle Cannon unleashes a powerful energy beam that damages opponents and charges her Energy attribute.

Gravity Bomb: Zarya’s signature ultimate, Graviton Surge, traps multiple enemies in a gravitational field, making them vulnerable to concentrated fire.

High Energy Output: When Zarya’s Energy level is high, her damage and shields become more potent, making her even more formidable.

Weaknesses:

Low Mobility: Zarya has limited mobility, making it difficult for her to escape flankers or reposition quickly.

Reliance on Energy Charge: Zarya’s effectiveness relies heavily on building up her Energy through damage absorption or enemy fire. Without a steady supply of energy, her shields and beam become less powerful.

Susceptibility to Stuns and Hacks: Zarya’s shields and Energy attribute can be interrupted by stuns or hacks, leaving her vulnerable to enemy attacks.

Limited Area-of-Effect Damage: Zarya’s energy beam has a narrow cone of fire, making it challenging to hit multiple enemies simultaneously.

Understanding Zarya’s strengths and weaknesses equips you with the knowledge to exploit her vulnerabilities and minimize her impact on the battlefield.

Choosing the Right Tank to Counter Zarya

When facing Zarya, the right tank choice can make all the difference. Here are a few options to consider:

D.Va

D.Va’s Defense Matrix can absorb Zarya’s Graviton Surge and Particle Cannon shots, rendering them ineffective. Her high mobility allows her to dodge Zarya’s ultimate and punish her with close-range attacks.

Reinhardt

Reinhardt’s Barrier Field can provide cover for his team against Zarya’s Graviton Surge. His Charge ability can also disrupt Zarya’s positioning and interrupt her ultimate. However, Zarya’s Particle Cannon can quickly drain Reinhardt’s shield if it is not managed carefully.

Orisa

Orisa’s Fortify ability reduces damage taken, making her more resistant to Zarya’s Photon Barrier. Her Halt! ability can also pull Zarya out of position, interrupting her Graviton Surge. Additionally, Orisa’s Ultimate Ability, Supercharger, can boost the damage output of her team, helping to counter Zarya’s Graviton Surge.

Roadhog

Roadhog’s Hook can pull Zarya out of position, interrupting her Graviton Surge or Photon Beam. His Take a Breather ability can provide temporary damage resistance and sustain, helping him absorb damage from Zarya’s attacks.

Positioning and Movement Strategies

Prioritizing Target Selection

As a tank against Zarya, selecting the right targets is crucial. Avoid engaging with Zarya directly while she has high energy. Instead, focus on targeting her vulnerable allies, such as squishy supports or damage dealers. By eliminating her teammates, you can effectively lower her energy levels and make her less of a threat.

Utilizing Mobility and Obstacles

Zarya’s beam has a limited range and requires a clear line of sight. Take advantage of mobility abilities or obstacles to avoid her beams and disrupt her damage output. This includes using cover to break her line of sight, or using dashes or jumps to move out of her range.

Breaking Her Primary Fire

Zarya’s primary fire projectiles have a slow travel speed. By moving erratically or using cover, you can make it difficult for her to hit you consistently. Breaking her primary fire will reduce her energy gain and prevent her from building up a powerful beam.

Champion	Ability	Effect
Ramattra	Nemesis Form	Gains mobility and shields, allowing him to dodge Zarya’s beams
D.Va	Boosters	Grants increased mobility and can be used to break Zarya’s line of sight
Winston	Barrier Projector	Creates a shield that can block Zarya’s primary fire and disrupt her beams

Focus Firing on Zarya

Zarya’s barriers make her a formidable tank, but they can also be her downfall. By focusing fire on Zarya, you can quickly deplete her barriers and leave her vulnerable. This is especially effective when she is using her Projected Barrier ability, as it will only protect one of her allies at a time. If you can focus fire on Zarya while she is using Projected Barrier, you can quickly take out her and her ally.

Timing your attacks

Zarya’s barriers last for 2 seconds, so it’s important to time your attacks accordingly. If you attack Zarya too early, your attacks will be wasted on her barriers. If you attack too late, she will have time to recharge her barriers and block your attacks.

Using high-damage weapons

High-damage weapons, such as rockets, grenades, and sniper rifles, are very effective against Zarya. These weapons can quickly deplete her barriers and leave her vulnerable. If you are using a high-damage weapon, focus your fire on Zarya and try to take her out as quickly as possible.

Heroes to counter Zarya

Some heroes are particularly effective against Zarya. These include:

Hero	Abilities
Bastion	Sentry mode with high damage output
Junkrat	Grenades that can damage Zarya’s barriers
Pharah	Rockets that can bypass Zarya’s barriers
Reaper	Ultimate ability that can instantly kill Zarya
Soldier: 76	High-damage Helix Rockets

Using Abilities to Disrupt Zarya’s Charge

Zarya’s Particle Cannon and Graviton Surge are both powerful abilities that can turn the tide of battle in her favor. However, there are a number of ways to disrupt Zarya’s charge and prevent her from becoming a threat. Here are a few tips:

Use Crowd Control Abilities

Crowd control abilities can be used to disrupt Zarya’s charge by preventing her from moving or attacking. This can be done with abilities such as stuns, slows, and knockbacks. Some heroes that have crowd control abilities include:

Crowd Control Ability	Hero
Flashbang	McCree
Charge	Reinhardt
Hook	Roadhog

Focus on Zarya

If you’re able to focus fire on Zarya, you can quickly take her down before she has a chance to build up her charge. This is best done with heroes that have high burst damage, such as snipers or shotguns. It’s important to coordinate with your team to ensure that Zarya is the primary target.

Bait Out Zarya’s Abilities

Zarya’s Particle Cannon and Graviton Surge are both on long cooldowns. If you can bait out these abilities, you can create a window of opportunity to attack her or her team. This can be done by pretending to be weak or by using abilities that provoke Zarya into using her own. For example, you could use a hero with a shield to bait out Zarya’s Particle Cannon, or you could use a hero with a high mobility to bait out her Graviton Surge.

Use Abilities That Can Cleanse Zarya’s Graviton Surge

Zarya’s Graviton Surge is a powerful ultimate ability that can trap multiple enemies in a singularity. However, there are a number of abilities that can cleanse Zarya’s Graviton Surge, such as Zenyatta’s Transcendence or Ana’s Nano Boost. If you have access to one of these abilities, you can use it to save your team from Zarya’s ultimate.

Breaking Zarya’s Energy Barrier

Zarya’s Energy Barrier is a powerful ability that can absorb a large amount of damage. To counter this, it is important to burst down thebarrier before it can absorb too much damage. This can be done by using a combination of high-damage abilities and ultimate abilities.

Here are some tips for breaking Zarya’s Energy Barrier:

Use abilities that do a lot of burst damage

These abilities will quickly deplete the barrier’s health and make it easier to break. Examples of high burst damage abilities include Widowmaker’s Headshot, Hanzo’s Scatter Arrow and Pharah’s Rocket Barrage.

Use ultimate abilities to break the barrier

Ultimate abilities are very powerful and can quickly break a Zarya’s Energy Barrier. Some examples of ultimate abilities that can be used to break the barrier include D.Va’s Self-Destruct, Junkrat’s RIP-Tire and Zenyatta’s Transcendence.

Coordinate with your team

It is important to coordinate with your team to focus fire on Zarya’s barrier and break it as quickly as possible. This will prevent Zarya from getting too much value out of her barrier and make it easier to kill her.

Combining Cooldowns and Ultimate Abilities

Effective coordination of cooldowns and ultimate abilities is crucial in countering Zayra as a tank.

Specific Cooldown Interactions

Zarya’s Projected Barrier: Ana’s Biotic Grenade can remove Zarya’s Projected Barrier by applying an anti-heal effect.
Zarya’s Graviton Surge: Sigma’s Kinetic Grasp can absorb Graviton Surge, making it a reliable counter. Additionally, Mei’s Ice Wall can block Graviton Surge, preventing Zarya from pulling enemies together.
Zarya’s Particle Cannon: D.Va’s Defense Matrix can absorb Zarya’s Particle Cannon energy, reducing her damage output. Winston’s Primal Rage also provides a protective barrier against her beams.

Ultimate Ability Considerations

Reinhardt’s Earthshatter: Earthshatter is a powerful ultimate that can interrupt Zarya’s charge or Graviton Surge, preventing her from gaining energy or controlling team fights.
Orisa’s Supercharger: Supercharger can boost the damage output of teammates, allowing them to burst down Zarya or her teammates in a coordinated attack.
Winston’s Primal Rage: Primal Rage provides Winston with a significant shield and damage reduction, making him a formidable counter to Zarya’s particle beam.
Ana’s Nano Boost: Nano Boost can be applied to teammates to increase their damage output or survivability, making them better equipped to deal with Zarya.

Table of Specific Cooldowns and Ultimate Abilities

Cooldowns	Ultimate Abilities
Biotic Grenade (Ana)	Earthshatter (Reinhardt)
Kinetic Grasp (Sigma)	Supercharger (Orisa)
Defense Matrix (D.Va)	Primal Rage (Winston)
Ice Wall (Mei)	Nano Boost (Ana)

Communication and Coordination within the Team

Effective communication and teamwork are crucial when countering a Zarya as a tank. Here are some specific strategies:

Coordinate Targets: Assign specific targets to each team member to focus Zarya’s attention and prevent her from shielding multiple heroes simultaneously.
Use Voice Communication: Utilize voice chat to relay information about Zarya’s positioning, energy levels, and ultimate status. This allows teammates to respond quickly and make informed decisions.
Monitor Communication Channels: Pay attention to callouts and pings from other team members to anticipate Zarya’s movements and adjust accordingly.
Respect Zarya’s Cooldowns: Be aware of Zarya’s Graviton Surge and Particle Barrier cooldowns. Avoid engaging her when these abilities are up to minimize their impact.
Peel for Teammates: Protect your team’s supports and damage dealers from Zarya’s aggression by peeling for them and disrupting her advance.
Utilize AOE Damage: Heroes with area-of-effect (AOE) damage, such as D.Va, Reinhardt, or Winston, can be effective in damaging Zarya and her shielded allies.
Counter Zarya’s Ultimate: Certain heroes can counter Zarya’s Graviton Surge with abilities that cleanse debuffs (e.g., Moira’s Coalescence) or provide a shield against it (e.g., Orisa’s Halt!).
Target Zarya’s Energy Buff: Zarya’s energy buff increases her weapon damage and barrier strength. Focus on targeting and interrupting her charge-ups to reduce her effectiveness.

Communication Channels	Usage
Voice Chat	Real-time communication for relaying information
Pings	Quick alerts for indicating enemy positions or objectives
Text Chat	For longer discussions or detailed strategies

Adapting to Zarya’s Variations

Zarya’s variations can be challenging to counter, so it’s crucial to adjust your strategy based on her energy levels and the specific abilities she has unlocked.

Low Energy Zarya:

When Zarya is low on energy, her output damage is low. Focus on winning the off-lane battles and push early towers. If Zarya decides to roam, follow her to provide counter-ganks.

Mid Energy Zarya:

This is where Zarya potentially gets crowd control abilities. You may see her usingprojected bubbles more offensively, but be aware that her damage output is still relatively low. Groups up and prioritize the enemy backline.

High Energy Zarya:

High energy Zarya has a much higher damage output and can be a potent threat to your team. Disengage any fights and focus on peeling her off your carries. Your teammates’ crowd control abilities are crucial in this scenario.

Ultimate Abilities:

Zarya’s ultimate abilities can drastically change the team fight dynamics. Here’s how to counter each of them:

Ultimate Ability	Countermeasures
Graviton Surge:	Use mobility abilities to get out of the pull or save your teammates. Self-cleanse abilities like Moira’s Fade or Zenyatta’s Transcendence can help escape the combo.
Particle Barrier:	Focus fire on the bubble’s target to break it quickly. If the bubble is on Zarya herself, try to distract her to cancel the ability. Sombra’s EMP or Ana’s Biotic Grenade can also disable the bubble.

Practice and Experience

To effectively counter Zarya as an A-tank, extensive practice and experience are crucial. Engage in custom game modes or queue for competitive matches to gain familiarity with her abilities and playstyle. Study top-tier players’ strategies through replays and streams to glean valuable insights. Furthermore, collaborate with teammates to devise coordinated countermeasures specifically tailored to Zarya’s strengths and weaknesses.

Mastering Hero Interactions

Understanding the nuances of hero interactions is paramount. Zarya’s Particle Barrier can absorb damage from projectile abilities, so favor projectile-based heroes like Junkrat or Pharah. Alternatively, beam weapons like Symmetra’s Photon Beam or Zarya’s own Particle Cannon bypass her barrier, allowing you to inflict significant damage.

Exploiting Zarya’s Weaknesses

Zarya’s main weakness lies in her lack of mobility. Coordinate with your team to focus her down during engagements when she is isolated or separated from her energy reserves. Additionally, stuns and knockbacks, such as Reinhardt’s Charge or D.Va’s Boosters, can disrupt her positioning and prevent her from charging her Particle Barrier.

Denying Energy Gain

Preventing Zarya from gaining energy is vital. Utilizing crowd control abilities like Mei’s Cryo-Freeze or Sigma’s Accretion can temporarily hinder her from shielding her teammates. Alternatively, focus on eliminating her energy sources, such as turrets or regenerating shields, to reduce her overall potential.

Utilizing Counters

Several heroes possess abilities specifically designed to counter Zarya. For instance, Orisa’s Fortify nullifies the damage absorption of her Particle Barrier, while Roadhog’s Take a Breather can remove the negative effects of her Graviton Surge. By leveraging these counters effectively, you can significantly mitigate Zarya’s impact on the battlefield.

Communicating and Coordinating

Effective communication and coordination among teammates are essential in countering Zarya. Designate a specific player to focus on disrupting her energy gain, while others position themselves strategically to minimize the impact of her Graviton Surge. Call out her ultimate’s cooldown to prevent your team from being caught off guard.

Learning from Defeat

Losses against Zarya provide valuable insights. Analyze replays to identify areas for improvement, such as positioning, communication, or hero selection. Engage in post-game discussions with your teammates to discuss possible strategies for future encounters against the formidable Russian tank.

How To Counter A Zayra As Atank

Zarya is a powerful tank in Overwatch who can provide her team with shields and energy. She can be a difficult opponent to counter, but there are a few things that you can do as an attacker to make her less effective.

**1. Focus on her weak points.** Zarya’s head and back are her weakest points, so try to focus your fire on these areas. This will help you to take her down quickly and prevent her from using her shields to protect herself.

**2. Use heroes that can bypass her shields.** Heroes like Reaper, Tracer, and Genji can all bypass Zarya’s shields with their abilities. This makes them good choices for countering her. These heroes can quickly get behind Zarya and attack her from a distance, making it difficult for her to defend herself.

**3. Bait out her ultimate.** Zarya’s ultimate, Graviton Surge, is a powerful ability that can pull in enemies and make them vulnerable to damage. If you can bait out her ultimate, you can then use your own abilities to take her down quickly.