Overwatch: Junkrat Guide

Overwatch has taken over the world of competitive shooters. With that in mind, we have a guide to make sure you always stay ahead of the pack.

Overwatch was first released back in 2016. Crafted by none other than Blizzard Entertainment, the competitive online multiplayer shooter has garnered massive critical and financial success over the years. The hit title even has a vibrant and thriving professional league.

Consequently, Overwatch players have been only growing and growing in both number and skill over the past three years. If you need some help staying on top in this competitive shooter, don’t fret. Check out this guide on how to properly use Junkrat, a top tier damage dealer, so that you stay on top in competitive.

Overview

Junkrat is one of many heroes available for play in Overwatch. Each character is parceled off to one of three categories, being damage, support or tank. Junkrat holds the role of damage, as the Australian demolition expert is always up for causing some mayhem.

Junkrat is great at dealing area of effect (AoE) damage, ultimately leading to some pretty hefty losses on the opposing side. The hero can zone enemies, as he wards them off with explosive after explosive. In the right hand, this anarchist can, indeed, cause some serious mayhem.

List of Abilities

Each Overwatch character comes equipped with a series of equally unique and powerful abilities. For Junkrat, this means explosives… this means a lot of explosives.

Frag Launcher

As Junkrat’s primary weapon, the frag launcher offers some serious damage output. The weapon lobs grenades at an arc, which each take a moment before detonating. The largest disadvantage offered from the weapon is how easily each shot is telegraphed.

The high arc at which each round is fired, followed by the more sluggish velocity of each round, leads to a pretty easy chance your foe will be able to avoid a direct attack. However, the frag launcher allows for you to quickly pepper a localized area with these explosives. As each grenade is capable of dealing AoE damage, it is best to use Junkrat’s frag launcher to zone enemies or to pressure them into falling back from a particular location.

Concussion Mine

The concussion mine is a great tool for improving Junkrat’s mobility. After tossing out a mine, you can detonate the explosive at your leisure. This mine can simply be used to ward off enemies. However, it also offers another nifty trick.

Junkrat can walk onto the mine and detonate the explosive without taking any damage. Furthermore, you will be launched into the air. This tactic can be used offensively to rain frag grenades down on your enemies. Or, the tactic can be used to get Junkrat out of the action with great haste.

Steel Trap

The steel trap is pretty straight forward. Junkrat can place down a large trap that roots enemies caught within its grasp. The game will notify you when someone has stepped into one of your traps, allowing for a rather powerful tactic.

Place your concussive mine near your steel trap. When notified that someone has triggered your trap, detonate the mine. The one-two combination should dish out some pretty serious damage.

RIP-Tire

RIP-Tire is Junkrat’s ultimate. Ultimates can only be used once the player’s hero has garnered enough ultimate power. Ultimate power regenerates with time and can be gained by competing certain tasks within the game.

RIP-Tire is a remote controlled tire fixed with a punishing amount of explosives. After activating the ultimate, the player will gain a POV of the tire and will be capable of steering the explosive to nearby enemies.

The RIP-Tire is capable of dealing some seriously intense damage, so try to get as many enemies in the AoE as possible. The tire does make some serious noise, telegraphing enemies to its location. Beyond that, enemies can actually shoot the tire and nullify the ultimate.

Consequently, you will have to be quick if you want to make the most out of this massive bomb. Also note that Junkrat is still vulnerable when steering the tire, making it increasingly more dangerous the longer you stay in control of the tire.

Total Mayhem

Total Mayhem is Junkrat’s passive ability. Upon death, the anarchist hero will unleash every explosive on his person. The end result is a powerful blast at the site of Junkrat’s demise. If you feel that you are about to get finished, consider getting as close to your enemies as you can so that they soak up some last second damage.

As provided by overwatch.gamepedia.com, here are some values for Junkrat’s abilities.

Counter Champions and Best Allies

Junkrat’s tendency to telegraph pretty much all of his moves makes the character easy prey for some of the game’s other heroes. That being said, this Australian anarchist is also capable of causing some serious mayhem for plenty of players.

Check out the list of counters for Junkrat up above.

Last Minute Tips

While you now have a firm grasp of what Junkrat has to offer, there are still a few tricks of the trade left to learn. Check out this last minute series of tips and tactics to help master your Junkrat skills.

• Fire off shots from your frag launcher as quickly as you can. The weapon reloads fairly quickly, allowing you the chance to rain round after round at the enemy. Beyond that, you can bounce your shots off of walls and ceilings to make things more chaotic.
• Watch out for above. Characters such as Widowmaker or Pharah often spend each game aiming from above. Junkrat is quite ineffective from above, so make sure to stay close to cover when these heroes arrive.
• Striking enemies directly with Junkrat’s frag launcher is pretty difficult. Until you get some serious practice with the weapon under your proverbial belt, try to simply aim for the areas in which enemies are most intensely focusing.
• Stay far away from exchanges. Junkrat’s lack of accuracy and tendency to telegraph his attacks makes the character quite useless in direct exchanges. Rather than approach enemies straight on, try to keep close to your team and rain havoc down on your enemies from the back line of defense.