Heroes of the Storm is getting it’s fair share of Overwatch heroes lately! Genji was the first hero to be release in 2.0 and now D.VA is next on the list. This pro Starcraft player and war hero is ready to take the fight to the nexus. In this article, I will analyse her kit and hopefully predict with fair accuracy her place in the meta. Make no mistake, she plays to win.





TRAIT:

Mech mode

When D.Va’s Mech dies, she is ejected out after 0.75 seconds and can continue to fight. D.Va’s Mech only awards 50% of a normal Hero’s experience upon dying.

This very unique trait allow D.VA to escape situation she would otherwise die in. Although getting out of the Mech can provide a tactical advantage if you took the Big Shot Heroic Ability. A destroyed meka rewards the enemy team with 50% of a normal take down, so it is generally a bad idea to use this trait intentionaly. Note that killing D.Va in pilot mode award the opponent with the remaining 50%, for a total of 100%.

PRIMAIRY ABILITIES:

Boosters ( Q )

Cooldown: 10 seconds

Increase D.Va’s Movement Speed by 125% for 2 seconds. Enemies that are hit take 135 damage and are knocked away. D.Va cannot be Slowed while Boosters are active.

This is D.VA’s only mobility option. It can be used either offensively or defensively, as it can be chained with abilities such as Self-Destruct or Bunny Hop. It can aslo be used to knock away ennemies. Note that unlike chen’s Heroic Ability, a particular enemy can only be knocked once. Boosters and be used to prevent opponents from taking from taking an objective in maps like Cursed Hollow or Hanamura.

Defense Matrix ( W )

Cooldown: 10 seconds

Channel a defensive field in the target direction for 3 seconds, reducing the damage dealt by enemy Heroes inside it by 75%. The Mech can move while channeling, but cannot turn. Damage dealt to the Mech from enemies within Defense Matrix still grants the same amount of Self-Destruct Charge.

This ability can be a life saver for your teammates in several situations. Defense Matrix reduces any damage coming directly for the opponent, making D.VA a good option against mages and auto attackers alike. Unfortunately, D.VA cannot attack while using this ability, it is therefore only useful when allies can do the damage as you defend them. It is generally not optimal to solo lane with this hero.



Self-Destruct ( E )

Eject from the Mech, setting it to self-destruct after 4 seconds. Deals 400 to 1200 damage in a large area, depending on distance from center. Only deals 50% damage against Structures. Gain 1% Charge for every 2 seconds spent Basic Attacking, and 30% Charge per 100% of Mech Health lost.

The damage done may be massive, but this ability’s reliability is highly depending on your team ability to pull out some good slows and stuns. If your team is not the proactive kind, it can also be used to zone out the enemy team for a precious 4 seconds. This can be a game changer while trying to take the boss for example. although less effective, you can throw this explosive bunny on an enemy fort leaving your opponents unable to defend properly. Note that you can get back in the mech form right after the explosion, it is therefore a good idea to use it while near death.



HEROIC ABILITIES:

Bunny Hop

Cooldown: 90 seconds

D.Va’s Mech becomes Unstoppable and stomps every 0.5 seconds, dealing 60 damage and Slowing enemies by 40%. Lasts 4 seconds. Requires Mech Mode.

This is D.VA’s only way of pulling decent crowd control. It can be used to force a fight, leaving your opponents basically unable to disengage.

Big Shot

Cooldown: 4 seconds

Deal 250 damage to all enemies in a line. The cooldown of Call Mech is reduced by 8 seconds for each enemy Hero hit. Requires Pilot Mode.

Droping off your Mech is not always a bad thing. This is especialy true when choosing this ability. With its very low cooldown, Big Shot is a great long range poke that can be used at will since D.VA has no mana. You can also get back to use Call Mech alot faster, as each Hero hit lowers the cooldown by 8 seconds.

PROS:

-Great survivability.

-Strong overall pick.

-No mana!

-Mobility

CONS:

-Short ranged auto attacks.

-Low crowd control.

-Self-destruct dependent on your team.

-Not a good solo laner.

-Somewhat low damage.

MIGHT STRUGGLE AGAINST:



D.VA’s damage is pretty low, making her an easy prey for bullies with much stronger burst damage such as sonya or Raynor. Anything that can interrupt or make Boosters useless is very good, as it is D.VA’s only escape option. Because of this, Malfurion is a decent counter, assuming he is able to place his root behind her, making her unable to move during most of her speed boost. Diablo is also pretty good for the same reason, and has more than enough Health to survive for long enough.

IS STRONG AGAINST:



Everything with low mobility is an easy prey to D.VA as she can easily harass them while moving with her basic attacks, making them unable to do anything but run. Her self destruct can also be lethal against an unprepared team.

As far as I can see, D.VA seems to be a solid pick against a good amount of teams. She is a very unique character that relies heavily on teamwork in order to make a significant impact on the game. She excels at engaging a team fight, using Boosters and Bunny Hop. Lastly, her Mech Mode trait is sure to infuriate the enemy team, if that is something you are looking for when buying a character!

All screenshots are copyrights of Blizzard Entertainment.