Esports
Overwatch's newest hero is unleashed today and we're breaking down Wrecking Ball's strengths and weaknesses so you can maximise the furry little critter to terrify your foes.
After weeks of PTR testing, Overwatch hero 28 is here, and he's even cuter than you may have expected. Wrecking Ball, AKA Hammond, is the newest addition to Blizzard's shooter, and he's just as ridiculous as his name suggests – literally a hamster in a ball.
That ball transforms into a mech of destruction however, complete with legs and cannons. That's not all, as he's also able to roll around in style, dynamically dashing around with speed and persistence, taking the role of a new off-tank that's much needed in an ever-evolving meta.
It's still too early to say whether Wrecking Ball will change the landscape of the game, but he already looks like a hero with his own niche that'll provide, hopefully, a fresh new outlook on the game. With his full release today, join us as we break down his abilities, detail his skillset, and hammer down on his strengths and weaknesses in competitive play. Here's how you can make the most of Hammond.
Abilities
Quad Cannons (Primary)
Although Wrecking Ball is an off-tank, he has the potential for a sizable amount of damage. His Quad Cannons, the primary route of his damage, deal 5 damage per shot. While it may seem low at first, he has the capacity to shoot 25 shots per second, adding up to a total of 125 – and that's ignoring the fact that he can headshot, giving him even more damage.
His Quad Cannons hold 80 rounds of ammo, giving him the possibility to take out squishies in an instant if he gets up close and personal. Similar to D.Va, his weapons have a damage falloff distance, as well as spread, which is dramatically more noticeable at range.
Despite the damaging nature of his primary, the reload time of his Quad Cannons is on the long side. Even though his large ammo clip makes up for it, it's important to take into consideration. One way you can avoid the awkwardness of reloading mid-fight is to aim to quickly get away from danger, using Hammond's hypermobility to replenish his ammo in peace. More on that shortly.
Grappling Claw (Secondary)
Cooldown: 5 seconds
Wrecking Ball's Grappling Claw stands out as his defining mechanic. It's his secondary-fire, but it's very useful as a tool to unpredictably manoeuvre around a team-fight. Once used, Hammond throws out a claw that attaches itself to any wall or object on the map. Then, once he's attached himself to the object, he has the ability to swing indefinitely, as well as create momentum and increase his overall movement speed.
Wrecking Ball's mech will spark flames when he's at his maximum speed, and will deal 50 damage to any enemies that stand in his way. It will also knockback, potentially pushing an opponent into a corner or off the edge of the map. If Wrecking Ball finds himself in the ideal position, or a choke point, he has a very high impact on the ensuing fight. If positioned correctly, he can continuously swing, hitting multiple targets and splitting the team into two, allowing his team-mates to easily clean up. It's definitely something to experiment with.
Another important aspect of Wrecking Ball's gameplay revolves around finding a height advantage. He can be an extremely effective engage hero, combined with his Piledriver ability, but in order for him to grapple upwards, you have to grapple onto something above you and use your mechanics to quickly swing or make momentum. As a result, to fully make the most of Wrecking Ball, you must be creative with your positioning and try to use the Grappling Claw fluidly in any given situation. It will take time to master the ability, with individual map knowledge being key to perfecting the hero – there's absolutely no harm jumping onto a private server and testing out each map accordingly. Knowledge is power, after all.
Roll (Ability)
Wrecking Ball is an extremely mobile hero, making him a very effective and competitive character, as well as a fun one. His Roll ability has one of the highest levels of mobility in the game, accompanied with the rest of his kit. Even without the use of his combined abilities, the stand alone movement speed in his Roll form is still dramatically faster than most of the other heroes.
Roll can be used in most situations, including mid-air. He can transform in and out of his ball at any time, allowing him to use his Quad Cannons when required.
Another impactful use of Roll is that it's impossible to be headshot, allowing you to facetank without taking too much unnecessary damage. You should try and take advantage of this when you're taking heavy damage in your hamster form, quickly switching to Roll until you’re no longer in immediate danger.
Piledriver (Ability)
Cooldown: 10 seconds
Hammond's Piledriver is an Area of Effect damage ability that knocks up any enemies in its radius. It's only available when you’re at least 10m off the ground however so you'll need to get the hang of his Grappling Claw to reach such height over your enemies.
It's worth it though: the ability deals 100 damage to enemies in the centre of the attack, and mitigated damage to those metres away, lessening depending on its distance. Additionally, it only affects enemies who are in line of sight of the ability.
If Wrecking Ball knocks up a vulnerable hero with Piledriver, you can easily finish them off with his primary fire, allowing for a quick and easy burst of damage. Although Wrecking Ball is a tank, you shouldn't be afraid to chase the final blow or extra needed damage. As a result, Wrecking Ball's kit is incredibly resourceful for allowing you to leave and re-enter a team fight when needed.
Combining Wrecking Ball's abilities together is a surefire way to rack up some damage, and one method that's often unavoidable is to swing into an enemy with Hammond's Grappling Claw, knocking them back before following up with a Piledriver.
The downside to Piledriver, though, is that when used, Wrecking Ball will stop all momentum for a second, before dropping down to the ground. If he's caught unaware, he may be able to be easily picked off or avoided with enemy team communication.
Adaptive Shield (Ability)
Cooldown: 15 seconds
Adaptive Shield is Wrecking Ball's sole defensive ability, apart from his innately high hit points. It gives a 100 hit point shield per enemy within its 7m range. Altogether, it has the potential to add up to an extra 600 hit points on his shield.
Furthermore, the shield doesn't give enemies ultimate charge when damaged, and lasts up to 7 seconds. It's a simple ability, but it's highly effective when combined with his impressive capability to hard engage.
Minefield (Ultimate)
Wrecking Ball's ultimate is primarily a damage-based ability, but it's arguably best used defensively. When used, he drops 15 mines around his location, dealing 130 damage each when activated by enemy heroes. The catch is that they take a second to be armed, making them fairly easy to avoid. If they're not triggered after 20 seconds, they'll also automatically disappear.
Each mine also has 100 hit points, despite having no health bar, allowing them to be destroyed with ease. In a cluttered fight, it's possible the mines will explode without enemy heroes having time to react, allowing for an incredible area of effect damage, but it's unlikely in most situations.
One method to secure frags with his ultimate is by deliberately positioning his mines up against a wall or narrow choke point. Instead of the mines spreading out in their normal formation, they'll pile on top of each other, dealing heavy damage if set off. Additionally the ultimate can be combined with Wrecking Ball's Grappling Claw and Piledriver combination, knocking up the enemy team straight into his Minefield.
If damage isn't the main concern, Minefield is great as a zoning tool, much like D.Va's ultimate. The extra few seconds it takes for the enemy team to destroy his mines may make all the difference in a fight. It can also quite easily divide a team, allowing them to be misplaced and taken out.
Gameplay
Wrecking Ball is much like D'Va in playstyle. Although he's tanky, he's not the hero to swoop in and save his fellow team-mate. Apart from being able to zone with his ultimate or body block, there's not much he can do to protect his squishy healers or overzealous damage dealers. He'll work best alongside a main tank, such as Winston or Orisa.
Even still, Hammond's job of tanking is side-lined by his ability to engage. You should aim to position yourself to the high ground, constantly looking for height advantage or a way to utilise Wrecking Ball's Piledriver. If you can secure a good combo, with team-mates around you or at least not far behind, you’ll find Hammond extremely valuable.
You'll want to get into the action as much as possible, as a Wrecking Ball sitting back and playing behind your team will rarely be effective – he's tanky enough to take unwanted damage and get out of a fight if it’s not going his way. He can, of course, be stunned out of position and picked off, but with the support of his team-mates he'll be difficult to burst when combined with his Adaptive Shield.
With Wrecking Ball, you should aim to pick off targets when possible. You'll be looking to flank or position yourself into a height advantage, where you'll likely come across similar flanking heroes, such as Tracer and Sombra. It should be your job to aggravate and displace them as much as possible or pick them off, as it'll be difficult for them to one vs one him due to his tanky prowess – and you should take advantage of this.
Wrecking Ball is a great dive hero, and you should look to dive the backline squishies as much as possible, combined with assistance from fellow team-mates. He can take the brunt of the damage, while a friendly Tracer or Genji finishes them off. He’s the ultimate assist hero, and should be used repeatedly to frustrate and cause a distraction to enemies. His damage, alongside his tankiness and mobility, make him an extremely threatening hamster – and you should look to exploit this.
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