Introduction

As a continuation of my series on support ultimates I will be creating guidelines for Lúcio, my second most played hero. By no means do I regard myself to be the best, but after playing him for so long I feel like I can feed the knowledge that I have gained while playing him into an article. When playing Lúcio there is a lot to think about: healing, speed boosting, when to Amp It Up. Most importantly though, is trying to stay alive. Lúcio has low HP but that doesn't stop him from being the last person on that point, riding on all the walls to hold it for the team. That won't be the basis of this article. I will be explaining when and when not to ult as Lúcio. A lot of Lúcio players like to waste their ultimate for no good reason. Below I will go through some times that you should and should not use your ultimate ability when playing as the wall rider.



Ultimate and what it does

Lúcio's ultimate is one that needs to be kept ready to use when something goes down. If it's used willy nilly you're going to be completely useless to your team. 'Sound Barrier' is the name of Lúcio's ultimate ability. As the name suggests it creates a barrier around teammates. The ultimate is not an instant cast and depends on how high you are in the air to cast it. Lúcio has to hit the ground to use his ultimate. So if you are high up on a building you have to travel all the way down before the ultimate goes off, which can mean the difference between your team surviving and dying in a battle. Try to keep low to the ground if you're going to be using it any time soon. The ultimate ability makes sure that teammates have an overshield of +500 for 6 seconds. This means that tanks can achieve over 1000hp which is great in certain scenarios. Keep an eye on the numbers, those indicate how many teammates will receive the overshield. The highter the number, the better the ultimate will be.

Official Blizzard video showcasing Lúcio's abilities

When to Cast

Fight initiation is the most frequent time to use a Lúcio ultimate. When charging into battle, your teammates will take a lot of damage requiring you to heal rapidly. But if the 'Sound Barrier' is used, it can keep your team there longer. When on a payload map, it's best to do it when attacking. If your team has already been wiped out before, group together. Switch to speed boost and then use 'Amp It Up' to get your team into the battle. Once your team has gotten close to the payload and you have at least +4 on your screen, hit your ultimate. Now your team has +500 overshield and can survive a lot more hits than before. This will basically ensure that your team is able to push the payload forward. For other map types, you want to do the same thing. Ensure your team are grouped up, speed boost then ultimate. Remember to switch back to healing afterwards though, as the shield won't last long if the enemy team are competent.

Lúcio and Mercy head into battle

Retaliating to Another Lúcio is another frequent occurrence. This time it's all about decision making on your part. More often than not, the attacking Lúcio will use his ultimate to push like previously stated. Now when this Lúcio pushes, your team should all be grouped together. If they are, then it's a good idea to use your ultimate. This part is all about timing as well. Getting the perfect timing can result in ultimate victory in the battle. The best time to use your ultimate in response is when two people on your team take a lot of damage and get to low HP. This is primarily because you gain an advantage because of this. By this time the enemy team's 'Sound Barrier' may have already faded and they're back to their normal HP. If you then use yours, your team will have the +500 shield advantage over the enemy. This doesn't always work though, as your team could be completely wiped out and it all depends on how confident you are in your team's ability to survive. If your team seem to be struggling, then the best course of action is to just use your 'Sound Barrier' immediately after the enemies, which puts you are on even ground and gives your team an equal chance to win the fight.

Enemy Ultimates is something that you will face a lot. Sometimes I see people using their Lúcio ultimate for silly things. It can sometimes save your team, however. As an example, using your 'Sound Barrier' during a McCree ultimate may be a silly idea. Even with your overshield, McCree can still charge his ultimate to break the barrier and take your team out anyway. However, if your team is low HP and the McCree pops his ultimate, you can use 'Sound Barrier' then speed boost out of the situation which could potentially save your teammates from being killed. It may not be worth it though and it all depends on the situation. The best thing to do in this situation is to assess it and make sure it isn't a waste of your ultimate.

Lúcio taking on the enemy team

During a Zarya ultimate it may be a good idea to use your ultimate. Again though this depends on variables. If there is an enemy Genji, Pharah or McCree who will combo with the Zarya, don't bother. You will die anyway and it will be a complete waste of the 'Sound Barrier'. However, if there is nobody that is comboing with the Zarya, then it's a good idea to use 'Sound Barrier' as it can keep your whole team alive through the potshots from other heroes and the Zarya herself. Ultimates like Genji's depends on how confident you are in both your team and yourself when trying to avoid him. If you have a Zenyatta, don't even think about popping the Lúcio ultimate. However, if you think that you can dodge the Genji and are confident in your team taking him out while you all have buffed HP, then go ahead and do it.



Conclusion

I hope these guidelines help you improve your Lucio abilities but remember, it mostly comes down to how you feel and what you think is best. Thanks for reading!