May 30, 2023
Reinhardt Wilhelmina styles himself as a bygone age champion living by the knightly codes of valor, justice, and courage. Though Reinhardt has gotten some changes since the original Overwatch, his playstyle remains largely the same. He still relies on advancing slowly with his Barrier Field raised, even if it can not take as much damage as before. However, Reinhardt can step outside his shield more in this Overwatch as he’s been given a second Fire Strike, and his Charge ability has improved. His Rocket Hammer is largely the same as the first game dealing massive damage across a 5-meter cone in melee range.
While Reinhardt is still a defense-focused hero, his offensive abilities help him to be a tank to be taken seriously. Let’s take a closer look at these abilities to help understand how this wall moves.
Rocket Hammer
Devastating melee weapon.
A short but telling summary of Reinhardt’s primary weapon provided by the Overwatch team. This weapon has a swing rate of 1 per second and deals 85 damage to all targets within a 5-meter cone. This is especially useful against enemies that may be packed in groups.
Combining this move with a successful charge or Earthshatter can cause a devastating blow to the enemy lines.
Charge
Charge forward and smack an enemy against a wall.
Charge rockets Reinhardt forward and causes him to pin any enemy Hero he hits. Any pinned Heroes will then take damage if he collides with a solid object. The damage output has been reduced since Overwatch’s initial installment. However some improvements have been made to the ability.
While the damage output has been reduced, Reinhardt’s turning speed while charging has been increased by 50 percent. This makes it easier to catch Heroes to pin. Also, the cooldown for Charge has been lowered, and the ability can be manually canceled at any time.
Fire Strike
Launch a fiery projectile.
This is Reinhardt’s only ranged option. This ability can pass through both enemies and barriers, dealing 90 damage to any enemy or shield it passes through. It also comes with a second charge that can be shot right away.
This is a great ability to finish off fleeing enemies or catch opponents in choke points. Even though the ability has a large animation, it actually has an effective size of about one pixel. This means it can be sent through small gaps and tight corners.
Barrier Field
Hold right-mouse to deploy a frontal energy barrier.
This is Reinhardt’s signature ability. He projects a large barrier in front of him that blocks almost all bullets, projectiles, and explosives. It also quickly replenishes when it is lowered.
While the Barrier Field is useful for keeping Reinhardt alive, its main focus is to provide your teammates with a safe space to attack, heal, and hide when needed. While it’s been nerfed a bit since Overwatch 1, it still remains one of the toughest barriers in the game.
Earthshatter (Ultimate Ability)
Knock down all enemies in front of you.
This devastating hammer blow damages and stuns enemies in a large cone in front of Reinhardt. Timing is key with this one as it can be blocked by barriers and ineffective against Heroes outside of Reinhardt’s line of sight, so make sure not to waste the ultimate against a well-timed barrier or by facing the wrong direction.
This ultimate is extremely powerful and can turn a fight in an instant. The damage it induces is only for targets at close range, but it lasts several seconds, leaving opponents open to attack. Reinhardt can go in for a melee attack or Charge to cause more massive damage. The key to this ability is to catch as many Heroes in the cone for maximum effect.
Tips and Tricks
- Rocket Hammer is an immensely strong melee ability. Combining this with a well-timed Charge or Earthshatter can cause massive damage and be a devastating blow to enemy lines.
- Charge is a great way to push enemies back, and if you get more skilled with using it, you can launch enemies off points or off cliffs and then cancel to save yourself.
- Fire Strike is best used to catch hurt enemies attempting to escape or to hold choke points, as it causes 90 damage to every enemy or shield it passes through.
- Barrier Field is Reinhardt’s signature ability and acts as a safe place for your team to attack, heal, and hide when needed.
- Earthshatter is best used when you can catch multiple enemies in it. Once the enemies are stunned, you can use Rocket Hammer or charge to capitalize on your ultimate’s momentum for massive damage.
Reinhardt is great for players who like a slow push. He is more of a team player than other tanks who need to push in aggressively to be of use. He can keep heroes with lower health and defense safe to boost your team’s effectiveness.
Beyond his defense capabilities, Reinhardt’s Earthshatter ultimate can set his team up to clear the board while their enemies are stunned, and his Charge ability can create much-needed space in a tight situation. His melee weapon, the Rocket Hammer, is also great for pushing as it does massive damage and can sweep multiple enemies at once.
Reinhardt is a great choice for players who want to practice taking on the tank role, but may only be comfortable making aggressive pushes later. Taking it a little slower is sometimes the best move in Overwatch 2, and Reinhardt is the best Hero to pull off a slow push.