Top Six Ultimate Combos

Ultimate abilities are among the most formidable tools in your arsenal as you climb towards the Diamond rank in Overwatch. Whether they take the form of devastating attacks or less direct effects, those powers have the potential to change the course of an engagement with the press of a button. The only thing more fearsome than one well-placed ult is a properly coordinated ultimate combo. By synchronizing their ultimate abilities to go off at the same time or in rapid succession, skillful players can turn the tables or seal their team’s victory in a matter of moments.

True mastery of those tactics requires not only quick reflexes but also some familiarity with the heroes involved, whether you get it the hard way while leveling your account or simply by paying close attention to more seasoned players and trustworthy information sites. A key point to consider is that some characters’ ultimates line up with each other much better than most alternatives. The following list includes some of the most popular and effective ult combos that spawned nicknames and memes in the community:

Nanoblade: Ana and Genji

Ana’s Nano Boost allows her to heal a single ally while providing major bonuses to their damage output and resistance. It can stack with many ults, making it a particularly popular option for such combos. However, it is most effective when applied to otherwise vulnerable comrades. Genji’s Dragonblade, meanwhile, takes away the cyborg’s ranged attack in exchange for a massive increase in his melee damage and speed. It is a high-risk, high-reward ult… but the Nano Boost helps mitigate the risk while increasing the reward, empowering Genji to slice through enemies while barely taking a scratch. There is a reason why this combo shows up so often among the Top 500.

Graviton Dragon: Zarya and Hanzo

The Graviton Surge allows Zarya to pull her enemies in one direction while negating most movement abilities and dealing with continuous damage. This is another ult with well-recognized combo potential, as it can expose all or most of an enemy team to deadly area-of-effect attacks. Of all potential partners, it is Hanzo who can benefit the most from this singularity due to the way his Dragonstrike works. It damages all targets in a line with concentrated damage near the center – a perfect match for the Russian’s power. With proper prep and some luck, this combo can just about guarantee competitive wins.

Pulse Bomb: Sombra and D.Va

D.Va’s Self-Destruct mech rush is a familiar sight in both Arcade modes and regular competitive play. As a result, many players have learned to counter it by hiding behind barriers and striking back at the ejected pilot. Sombra’s EMP can counter those tactics, taking away all shielding just before or immediately after the bomb has been primed and making sure that the mech’s explosive sacrifice won’t go in vain. The sequence in this combo depends on the exact situation and the skill of these two heroes’ opponents, so communication is key for this tactic’s successful usage. For this reason, it is especially viable in duo queue games.

Sonic Deathblossom: Lúcio and Reaper

When active, Death Blossom causes Reaper to fire his shotguns rapidly in all directions, at the cost of mobility. It is somewhat similar to Dragonblade in that it allows its user to inflict enormous damage on his enemies – assuming he can survive long enough. The temporary sonic shields given to all nearby teammates by Lúcio’s Sound Barrier can compensate for this vulnerability effectively, all but assuring a team kills against clustered opponents. This tactic is very reliable so long as both players know what they’re doing, making it a particularly good choice for placement matches.

Shanghai Noon: Mei and McCree

Named after the classic “Wild West meets Far East” film, this combo goes a long way towards helping both characters stay competitive in the Platinum ranks and higher. When channeling Deadeye, McCree fires rapid shots at all nearby enemies, with the damage affected by how long they were within his range. The obvious way to counter the desperado’s ult is to outrun him, which is where Mei comes in. Her Blizzard slows or freezes enemies who get caught in its radius while chipping away at their health. Weakened and unable to escape, those unfortunates will almost certainly be finished off by her partner’s attacks before they get a chance to strike back.

Amplified B.O.B.: Ashe and Baptiste

Unlike many other combos, this maneuver does not require much coordination and can occur almost spontaneously in the middle of a chaotic solo queue match. Ashe’s ult summons her omnic butler B.O.B. to the battlefield. After an initial charge, B.O.B. settles down in place to gun down enemies like a machine gun turret. Because the robot stays in place, it is easy for Baptiste to double his firepower by deploying the damage-boosting Amplification Matrix directly in front of him. So long as B.O.B. is deployed correctly, this bonus can allow him to singlehandedly hold any position and suppress all enemies in sight.

Conclusion

The combinations in this list are beloved by players and fans alike because they are both intuitive to use and spectacular to witness. There are certainly other effective ultimate combos out there, but they tend to require more in-depth knowledge and careful planning to get right. With personal experience or coaching, you too can learn how to pull off these and other duo maneuvers, inspiring awe in your friends and foes alike.