When going up against a Winston, players may find that they have difficulty picking optimal heroes into him. With his good mobility and tanky nature, it seems like he is an unstoppable force. While this may be true some of the time, he can still be beaten if players choose the proper heroes into this matchup. In order to help players find these optimal matchups, here are 3 Overwatch heroes that counter Winston.
Winston counter #3: Bastion
While he isn’t an official ‘tank killer’, Bastion can still get work done against health-heavy champions. With his Configuration: Sentry, Bastion can set up shop behind his allies for protection. Then, he can easily try and take out Winston with an onslaught of bullets. However, with Winston’s high health and Barrier Projector, it may be difficult for Bastion to get enough damage through at first. But with some patience and well-timed shots, he can get through the shield and chunk down Winston’s health.
Something to keep in mind in this matchup is that, in order for it to work optimally, Bastion will have to be in Sentry mode. This is because he cannot do enough damage when in Recon mode. This means that he will be confined to one spot, so if Winston wants to all-in, Bastion would be put in peril. Because of that, it is best for him to find a protected spot with an easy escape route, such as setting up around a corner so that, if the worst happens, Bastion can escape with his remaining team members.
Winston counter #2: Reaper
When players want to pick a tank-shredder into a defense-oriented matchup, there is no better option than Reaper. With his Hellfire Shotguns, he can easily melt through any defenses the enemies may have. Even with a hero as tanky as Winston, he stands little chance of making it out alive against a Reaper if he has no backup. Since Reaper’s basic attacks are his primary source of damage, it is easy for him to run down any opponent. Also, with his short ‘reload’ time, he can easily target any hero he needs to and run them down, even if they are as tanky as someone like Winston.
Another advantage to having Reaper into this matchup is because Winston is incredibly mobile. Meaning that if Reaper is beating Winston in a 1v1 fight, he will need to use his Jump Pack to escape. However, that is no issue for Reaper. WIth his Wraith form, he can gain movement speed in the blink of an eye and can chase down his enemy. So as long as Reaper is alive, there is no safe place for Winston. Reaper just needs to keep in mind that Winston may be running for backup, so he needs to be sure he can get a quick kill so that he doesn’t get taken out by an ambush.
Winston counter #1: Zarya
When trying to pick a tank into Winston, the best option by far is Zarya. Winston’s attacks are very close range, meaning that he has to get close to his opponents to deal damage, which can put him at risk if he isn’t properly prepared. However, once he gets in that range, especially with Primal Rage, he can do some good damage. But that is no issue for Zarya. With her Particle Cannon, she can easily keep her distance from her enemies and still do enough damage to deter them from making any crazy plays.
Another advantage to picking Zarya here is her Protected Barrier and Particle Barrier. With these, she can shield herself and her allies from any of Winston’s attacks. And since Winston doesn’t do enough damage without Primal Rage, the shields can easily protect herself and her team from any attack he may come at them with. This opportunity allows Zarya’s team to turn around a fight and pull out a win.
