Understanding how to play multiple roles in Overwatch 2 will lead to shorter queue times and a bit more enjoyment of the game. While Tank and Support heroes utilize their abilities to protect their teammates, Damage heroes are all about laying down the pain in any way possible.
Some rely on quick movements to flank the enemy, while others take to the skies and fire down below. Taking control of the skies is a priceless advantage in a match, so knowing how to use Pharah properly can unlock many offensive opportunities for your team. We’ll break down how to rain justice from above with this elite Damage hero in Overwatch 2.
Explosive Firepower
As Ana’s daughter, it was always Pharah’s dream to be part of Overwatch. She heard stories of her mother being one of the founders and serving peace around the world. When Overwatch disbanded, she became head of an elite security squad but eventually joined Overwatch when Winston sent the distress call.
Pharah controls the skies by wielding her trusty Rocket Launcher. With six shots in each clip, Pharah fires high-powered rockets that deal 120 damage on a direct hit and between 24 and 80 splash damage.
Her rockets travel at 35 meters per second and won’t stop until it reaches impact. A downside of her Rocket Launcher is self-inflicted pain; if you aren’t careful, Pharah can inflict 12 to 40 damage to herself.
Flying High
Pharah’s ability to ascend to massive heights makes her a unique Damage hero.
- You can activate Pharah’s Hover Jets by holding the jump button to gain altitude.
- She will rise to a max height of eight meters in the air before she has to recharge her jetpack.
- It’ll take Pharah nearly three seconds to refill the entire canister from empty to full.
- Now, imagine Pharah’s Hover Jets except twice as strong. The Egyptian hero’s Jump Jet shoots her rapidly in the sky to a max height of almost 12 meters.
- Using Jump Jet, you can use her Hover Jets to maintain that high altitude to fire rockets below.
- This ability can also be extremely helpful defensively, too.
If you’re overwhelmed by the enemy team, and your Hover Jets are empty, use Jump Jet to make a quick escape upwards.
Escape Artist
Besides using Pharah’s Jump Jet to make a quick getaway, she also has her Concussive Blast at her disposal. This secondary ability doesn’t cause substantial damage but can be very useful in a tight pinch.
The projectile will knock enemies back 20 meters who are within the eight-meter impact radius and also deal 30 damage if you make a direct hit. It can also propel Pharah in a specific direction, even used at the beginning of matches to emerge quickly on the map.
While Concussive Blast is primarily used for defense, it can also be used offensively.
You can fire the projectile at an angle to separate the enemy team or halt their retreatment. Certain maps also have edges or pits that you can knock enemies to their deaths.
Pharah’s Concussive Blast has a nine-second cooldown, so use this ability carefully.
Justice From Above
If you hear someone yelling about justice raining from above, find cover. Pharah’s Ultimate, Barrage, unleashes a series of mini-rockets that will decimate anybody. The rockets will do 40 damage each on direct hits and between nine and 30 splash damage. Barrage can inflict a total of 3,000 damage, enough to eliminate an entire team.
The downside of Pharah’s Ultimate is her lack of mobility. Once you activate Barrage, Pharah will become stationary until the duration of the ability.
If you’re not careful, an enemy can flank you and have your backside open for easy elimination. Try flanking yourself to find an optimal position and opportunity to unleash Pharah’s rockets on the enemy team.
Tips On Playing Pharah
As a Damage hero, Pharah’s main priority is to inflict as much pain as possible. But patrolling the skies can be dangerous work, so having the right team composition can make everyone’s lives easier.
When on offense or playing Control, Pharah works best with both up-close Damage heroes like Mei or Reaper and long-range Damage heroes like Hanzo or Widowmaker. Mei’s ability to freeze enemies will set up easy targets for Pharah and her rockets.
Her ability to maintain flight with her Hover Jets will give you plenty of opportunities to fire down on enemies preoccupied with the ground opposition. Pharah also operates best on maps like Lijiang Tower.
Because Pharah can quickly escape to the air with her Concussive Blast, she’s capable of easily avoiding fire. However, that means she has overall low health and can be picked off easily by Bastion in stationary mode or Symmetra’s and Torbjorn’s turrets.
Although Pharah’s rockets can destroy the turrets quickly, they’ll have a fixed aim on the flying hero. Be sure to target any turrets immediately; otherwise, it’ll be a nightmare trying to fly around the map as Pharah.
Utilizing her Hover Jets and Jump Jet to maintain a high altitude will burden the opposing team with ground and aerial firepower. The downside of Pharah’s high firepower is her low health, but if you can avoid gunfire and stay alive, Pharah can be the offensive damage dealer that will make a difference in any match.
