'Ana: Declassified' - breakdown

[Sky High]

Hanzo can get higher up, she really can't

indeed, but unlike Hanzo she's a support. she isn't made to be a scout or sniper like Hanzo or Widow.

[Nanaboostme]

Ana seems to have the lack of mobility as its compromised as a hybrid healer/sniper. If she had mobility as well, I would think many would prefer Ana over Hanzo and Widowmmaker in general.

As a support, she should stay much closer to her team than compared to Widowmaker. Her design seems to be staying quite nearby teammates while not having to move around to heal and attack. Quite defensive/support hybrid basically

[Jester Joe]

I would like to think so, a decent Genji is completely without counter. Tracer's almost as bad.

On Ana though, I think it's more confusing that she doesn't have a head shot bonus, and given her lack of mobility that actually makes her very vulnerable as well. Odd note: 60 year old woman no mobility, 59 year old man has unlimited sprint...

Lastly on how few tanks/support are in the top 200, I hope that means they'll reevaluate the rewards for playing them, I've been saying for a while now that I feel they're under rewarded and over penalised.

Outside of his ult, every tank can easily deal with a Genji. Even if they don't kill him they can at least make him retreat. Genji can't really do much to them.

Also it's only Ana's eye clearly if Blizzard is saying that she's too old to be mobile. She doesn't need headshots in my opinion, her dot is good enough.

[Jessicka]

Outside of his ult, every tank can easily deal with a Genji. Even if they don't kill him they can at least make him retreat. Genji can't really do much to them.

Also it's only Ana's eye clearly if Blizzard is saying that she's too old to be mobile. She doesn't need headshots in my opinion, her dot is good enough.

Not really, just got chewed and spat out, exactly as predicted, by every 76, Hanzo and Pharah, in there. She's a sitting duck to them.

[ati87]

indeed, but unlike Hanzo she's a support. she isn't made to be a scout or sniper like Hanzo or Widow.

But she is out in the open to actually be useful in my opinion.

The way I see it she should be sniper as a healer and damage dealer, when she can't take the high-ground she is standing literally still out in the open. Right now her own defensive has a cooldown so when you get attacked your screwed

[Sky High]

But she is out in the open to actually be useful in my opinion.

The way I see it she should be sniper as a healer and damage dealer, when she can't take the high-ground she is standing literally still out in the open. Right now her own defensive has a cooldown so when you get attacked your screwed

Yep which highlights that she should be with the pack behind it and out of site as much as possible. She isn't the classical sniper as we know it, hell even the biotic gernade works better as closer range.

[Jester Joe]

Not really, just got chewed and spat out, exactly as predicted, by every 76, Hanzo and Pharah, in there. She's a sitting duck to them.

That doesn't change that she doesn't need headshots though, that's an issue every support comes across basically.

[Johnnysquaw]

Interesting.

[Demoncrash]

There was yet another coded message hidden in this video(beep and TV interference at the end) referring to Sombra. The cyber sleuths at Reddit decoded it. It's in Spanish, and when translated, it reads..

"Was that easy? Well, now that I have your attenion - allow me to make things much more difficult."

[Jessicka]

That doesn't change that she doesn't need headshots though, that's an issue every support comes across basically.

It feels like absolutely the easiest solution though without re-evaluating half her kit. And sure, being prio target as Mercy happens a lot, she feels like she has a much better lot to deal with being it though, I always feel completely safe with friends around, Ana feels vulnerable all the time. And while I've not played Lúcio, I've always found him a tough kill.

[Ophenia]

Give her headshots so she can deal with the ranged Heroes she's really vulnerable to and I'm happy.

Yes, let's give her all the tools to counter all the heroes she's vulnerable to and you'll be very happy to have an un-counterable hero one shotting everyone and ending every game with all gold medals, 250 kills for no death and all POTG

That's exactly what Blizzard wants for their game.

I've seen a lot of streams of competent guys using Ana correctly. And she is hard to kill and very useful in teamfights. She's not a sniper, guys.
She has to be played as Mercy, behind the pack. With the main difference being that she can protect herself by stunning people and healing herself.

In groupfights, she's quite hard to deal with as she'll throw grenades in the melee and will sleep flankers while being able to heal her mate or damage enemies if she misses her heals.

[Jessicka]

Yes, let's give her all the tools to counter all the heroes she's vulnerable to and you'll be very happy to have an un-counterable hero one shotting everyone and ending every game with all gold medals, 250 kills for no death and all POTG

Except other snipers are counterable (to a point that they're barely played), albeit by far fewer Heroes than Ana who's countered by half the roster, so I just don't see how that's a problem, so that's kind of where I'm going with it. Headshotting isn't easy, certainly not under pressure so I honestly think that's fine. She still can't get in to the best positions to snipe, because she lacks the mobility.

Maybe the real risk is that it'd make other Snipers even less useful than they already are.

That's exactly what Blizzard wants for their game.

I've seen a lot of streams of competent guys using Ana correctly. And she is hard to kill and very useful in teamfights. She's not a sniper, guys.
She has to be played as Mercy, behind the pack. With the main difference being that she can protect herself by stunning people and healing herself.

Except if you're playing her like Mercy, you might as well be playing Mercy, because Mercy is better at being Mercy. Also, Mercy can be anywhere in and around the pack, meaning she gets much better protection from the rest of the team.

Again, the sleep is simply not reliable, it feels like more of an offensive tool than defensive particularly as you need to actually aim and hit, but also because it breaks on damage so if someone else is actually trying to help you, then it's not helpful at all.

In groupfights, she's quite hard to deal with as she'll throw grenades in the melee and will sleep flankers while being able to heal her mate or damage enemies if she misses her heals.

Zenyetta is better in this position too as the 'hybrid' DPS, as he's a more resilient and does a lot more damage.

For me, she just feels like she lacks a focus, there's basically a better hero for doing everything she can do and that's why I find her a difficult fit.

[Dolus]

I'm confused. On the Sombra file on Anubis it's a picture of Ana in her new Shrike skin. So, is Ana... Sombra? Or is Blizzard just winging this story?

[Ophenia]

Ana who's countered by half the roster

I just don't see your point. Mercy, Symmetra and Lucio get rekt by half the heroes in 1v1 too, but this game is not at all about 1v1 ???

Except if you're playing her like Mercy, you might as well be playing Mercy, because Mercy is better at being Mercy. Also, Mercy can be anywhere in and around the pack, meaning she gets much better protection from the rest of the team.

No, Mercy cannot AoE heal, the only offensive thing she can do is shooting with her gun (so, no healing nor boosting) and her boost is not guaranteed to be useful, she cannot control anything.

Again, the sleep is simply not reliable, it feels like more of an offensive tool than defensive particularly as you need to actually aim and hit, but also because it breaks on damage so if someone else is actually trying to help you, then it's not helpful at all.

I've seen tons of streams of guys who make the Sleep reliable, in offensive as well as defensive way. Of course it doesn't have the autolock function of several skills in OW so you have to know how and when to use it, but it's a powerful weapon.

For me, she just feels like she lacks a focus, there's basically a better hero for doing everything she can do and that's why I find her a difficult fit.

She's not the best at AoE healing, she's not the best at single target healing, she's not the best at hybrid-DPSing, but, as opposed to Mercy/Lucio/Zenyatta, she can do all of this. A bit less, but more versatile.

When your Mercy becomes useless because your group gets AoEd, when Lucio becomes useless because one of your mate is being focused, when Zenyatta is useless because there is this Tracer flanking him permanently, Ana can deal with all these threats. Less effectively, but she can do something else than running in circles crying.
And OW only has a mode for 6players group. You cannot afford having Mercy+Lucio+Zenyatta+Symettra in your group to deal with every situation.

[Amnaught]

Stealth has no place in games like this.

Posts that say "X has no place in games like this" have no place in games like this.

We have melee, teleportation, flight, speed boosts, double jumps, wall climbing, and grappling hooks. There aren't games like this that don't include stealth.

[Jessicka]

I just don't see your point. Mercy, Symmetra and Lucio get rekt by half the heroes in 1v1 too, but this game is not at all about 1v1 ???

No, but she's very easily singled out from any distance and has little recourse to do anything about it.

No, Mercy cannot AoE heal, the only offensive thing she can do is shooting with her gun (so, no healing nor boosting) and her boost is not guaranteed to be useful, she cannot control anything.

Mercy buffing Soldier, Bastion, Junkrat, or Pharah is more damage; and you're keeping your eye on your team and not slipping in to trying to be a hero and letting people die. You can always boost or heal, if not you're doing it wrong. As is buffing anyone ulting; same you should with Ana's ult.

I've seen tons of streams of guys who make the Sleep reliable, in offensive as well as defensive way. Of course it doesn't have the autolock function of several skills in OW so you have to know how and when to use it, but it's a powerful weapon.

"I've seen streams", well, I played a few hours last night and on PTR - I was loath to use PTR as a 'proper' assessment since most fights were a combination of Anas and D.Vas against each other for the most part - and it's really not that easy. Streamers tend to be good players that make things look easy and pick the circumstances to do so.

To use it offensively, you absolutely have to be co-ordinated. To use it defensively requires it too unless your caught completely alone.

To add to this, the one we did see in Comp last night, had absolutely zero impact on the game. We rolled them pretty easily - as underdogs - because she was so easily dealt with. (Our average was 51, theirs 53-54).

She's not the best at AoE healing, she's not the best at single target healing, she's not the best at hybrid-DPSing, but, as opposed to Mercy/Lucio/Zenyatta, she can do all of this. A bit less, but more versatile.

Well exactly, she's not the best - and in a team game, where you can pick the best, you might as well do so.

When your Mercy becomes useless because your group gets AoEd, when Lucio becomes useless because one of your mate is being focused, when Zenyatta is useless because there is this Tracer flanking him permanently, Ana can deal with all these threats. Less effectively, but she can do something else than running in circles crying.
And OW only has a mode for 6players group. You cannot afford having Mercy+Lucio+Zenyatta+Symettra in your group to deal with every situation.

Mercy + Lucio is 'the meta'; you can have both of those quite comfortably, which means you've got the best of what both of those can do. If you can afford to slack some heals for more damage, Zenyetta is better for that and with Discord packs better utility too.

[Deleted]

75 have Genji as one of their most played heroes.

And 74 of them are bad as fuck, mostly low level players you get in Quickmatch because of the wierd Matchmaking.

[Ophenia]

No, but she's very easily singled out from any distance and has little recourse to do anything about it.

Just like other healers. Mercy doesn't have the possibility of quickscoping headshots to a Widowmaker, and I'm nearly sure she gets rekt by snipers too ? Do you wish her gun could OS Widowmaker too to make things equal ?

To use it offensively, you absolutely have to be co-ordinated. To use it defensively requires it too unless your caught completely alone.

You don't have your Sleep to last the full duration to be effective. Even a one-second sleep is 1 second where the guy will not be able to avoid anything.

To add to this, the one we did see in Comp last night, had absolutely zero impact on the game. We rolled them pretty easily - as underdogs - because she was so easily dealt with. (Our average was 51, theirs 53-54).

I'm nearly sure all the heroes were played crappily in the first days of Closed Beta. That didn't mean they were all broken. Ana is one week old, of course she won't erase your complete team, especially below SR70

Well exactly, she's not the best - and in a team game, where you can pick the best, you might as well do so.

Something polyvalent is always needed. It's the same situation for soldier then. He's healing but less than Mercy/Lucio, he deals less damage at long range than Widowmaker, he deals less damage at short range than Reaper, he can run but slower than Lucio, why even picking him ?
Because he can adapt without requiring you to switch hero every death.

Mercy + Lucio is 'the meta'; you can have both of those quite comfortably, which means you've got the best of what both of those can do. If you can afford to slack some heals for more damage, Zenyetta is better for that and with Discord packs better utility too.

It's "the meta", but how do you know the future meta will not be Mercy + Ana ? Based on Ana's first day and your thought about her getting rekt by Widowmaker ?

She looks completely fine, imo she just has a higher skillcap. But that doesn't mean she needs to be dumbed down or completely tweaked to become a healbot as Lucio is with all his passives

[Cairhiin]

Yesterday evening played a couple of games, every game had at least 2-3 times Ana, and most were really really bad. However, I had one in my team who knew what she was doing and she was doing a really awesome job. Granted, I do believe she is kind of a free kill for most characters but her sleep is very powerful. I got slept several times near the entire duration of my ultimate on Winston for instance. I have not played her myself yet, I am no fan of snipers, and I usually play Lucio as support.

[Jessicka]

Just like other healers. Mercy doesn't have the possibility of quickscoping headshots to a Widowmaker, and I'm nearly sure she gets rekt by snipers too ? Do you wish her gun could OS Widowmaker too to make things equal ?

Mercy can, and will, fly away. As for being able to headshot WM, then she'd be better than WM since that's all WM has, so I dunno. She has all the flaws of a regular sniper, and none of the strengths. And her actual strengths are played better by others in that role.

You don't have your Sleep to last the full duration to be effective. Even a one-second sleep is 1 second where the guy will not be able to avoid anything.

Most sleeps I tried ended up with zero duration; it's not that I was missing, it's that someone else was trying to help me. It didn't. The couple that had a duration, you're not left with a lot of options but to run away which takes you out of the fight anyway, so mission accomplished for them anyway as running away isn't quick when you're using slow-paths to everywhere. Using it offensively requires co-ordination. But if you can one-shot them to sleep them, you can surely one-shot them with another hero to kill them *cough* McCree *cough*; unless you're going for cheeky toe-shots under the payload I guess.

I'm nearly sure all the heroes were played crappily in the first days of Closed Beta. That didn't mean they were all broken. Ana is one week old, of course she won't erase your complete team, especially below SR70

I'm sure they were. But they each had pretty clear places where they work and where they don't.

Something polyvalent is always needed. It's the same situation for soldier then. He's healing but less than Mercy/Lucio, he deals less damage at long range than Widowmaker, he deals less damage at short range than Reaper, he can run but slower than Lucio, why even picking him ?
Because he can adapt without requiring you to switch hero every death.

Comparing her to 76 is absurd. He's a pretty strong, universal mid-long range offence hero, his heal is almost incidental (but situationally amazing). He pretty much doesn't have a weakness, he has no specific counters, he can flank, can advance with the main team and he can hold a line, he's also a good counter to basically anyone except maybe Reaper if he gets too close (but then he's great at not letting Reaper get too close in the first place himself).

With Ana, it's not clear where you want to be, you want to be close for Grenade, Ult and protection, but you still want some distance for safety from the front line, but not too much distance that you're then vulnerable from flanking or losing LOS to actually heal. It's a really weird spot right now.

It's "the meta", but how do you know the future meta will not be Mercy + Ana ? Based on Ana's first day and your thought about her getting rekt by Widowmaker ?

No one really plays WM anymore, nor Hanzo now. Shouldn't really be a shocker that every reason for that is also a reason that makes Ana hard work; especially as Ana doesn't have the tools that they have to mitigate the problems they have through mobility or damage. How could she replace Lucio with his speed boost and ult? That utility is far better. Could she replace Mercy? Not while she's so much easier to single out, not while she has to aim her heals, and not without Res.

That puts her in line with Zenyatta. Comparing Sleep and Nano Boost to Discord and Transcendence is pretty much a no brainer for me; both are 100% more dependable abilities.

She looks completely fine, imo she just has a higher skillcap. But that doesn't mean she needs to be dumbed down or completely tweaked to become a healbot as Lucio is with all his passives

I don't really buy a higher skillcap as an argument, because there's nothing there that another Hero can't do better with that higher skill cap. Clearly she was designed some time ago, in a world where WM and Hanzo were very viable; that's changed since then. That's her problem.