The class system is NOT a concrete directory of exactly what hero you need to pick on any given round. For example, offensive heroes can still dominate during the "defend" phase and many defensive heroes are often chosen during the attack round.



One of the biggest tips, that is true no matter the class you play, is to work as a team! Even if you have all the right classes, and all the right characters , working together as a team trumps all of that!

Below is an explanation of those classes, what characters are in them, and the best ways to play!

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Heroes in the Offense class posess high mobility, as well as decent damage output and survivability to boot. This class is comprised of two distinct archetypes, frontline soldiers like McCree and behind-enemy-lines assasins like Tracer. If you fancy yourself a "carry", than the offense class is a safe place to start

What often sets the Offensive class apart from the others is the characters are wholly self-sufficient. They can operate on their own with little help, as they have all the necessary skills to kill targets while running around the map.

The main goal of any Offensive character should be securing kills and clearing enemies off of an objective. Of course every class has a drawback, and some Offensive heroes suffer from a low health pool. As a character like Tracer for example, you may find yourself dead in a single shot from a Widowmaker or Hanzo. Clever use of abilities like Recall, Wraith Form and Biotic Field are needed to sustain your assault from behind enemy lines. Aggressive play is rewarded here, but you should be mindful of the enemies around you and what abilities and weapons can end your killing spree.

Offense Characters

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The Defense class boasts the highest overall damage output in the game, and as the name would suggest Defensive heroes excell at protecting areas and objectives from attackers. These characters set traps, lay in wait for people to walk by, or secure an area with turrets and other deployables.



Trying to build a well rounded team? Consider your game mode first, then what your allies feel comfortable playing. Ideally, you always want at least one support , as healing is always necessary. One tank is generally a good rule of thumb, then the other 4 characters can be selected from the Tank , Offense or Defense category.

The Defense class is most similar to Offense. But unlike the Offensive class, Defensive heroes tend to have fewer mobility options, with skill-sets that support playing on the back foot instead of taking the fight to the enemy. With that said, Defensive heroes should still be considered during the attack round especially for more experienced players.

Defensive Characters

Tank

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The Tank class is all about being up front in the thick of things, drawing the fire of your enemies and disrupting their ability to damage allies. They have the largest health pools as well as many tools to mitigate damage.

The main goal of a Tank is to lead your team in securing and pushing objectives. Tanks provide invaluable sustain to any team through the use of shields. Unlike the Offense and Defense class, which can operate independently of the team, the Tank class relies on others. No tank should wander too far from their Support! Except maybe Roadhog... he is after all a "one man apocalypse."

This doesn't mean Tanks can't get kills - but they do tend to dish out damage more situationally. Most suffer from limited range, thankfully this handicap can be overcome by utalizing gap-closers or hooks.

Tank Characters

Support

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The Support class is the backbone of any team. With the exception of Zenyatta, supports don't tend to deal much damage, but can make or break a fight by healing Tanks, or crippling enemy Offense heroes!

The main goal of any Support should be to heal your teammates, or in Symmetra's case get dead allies back into the fight. Getting kills isn't a priority for you - but preventing death is! Keep your Tanks alive so they can stay in engagments longer. Heal allies who are trying to run away from someone, boost your teammates damage or movement speed at oppurtune moments, and make clever use of your gamechanging ultimates.

Playing a Support can often be a tough, thankless job due to not being in combat and getting kills, but it cannot be overstated how much of a difference having even one on a team can make.