How to Break a Turret Defense
Let's look at the ways to take a sweet revenge against the very popular "all turrets" defense.
Let's look at the ways to take a sweet revenge against the very popular "all turrets" defense.
We've all been there at some point, being smacked in the face by the very frustrating "Torbjörn-Bastion-Symmetra" defensive team composition. When these heroes are played efficiently, they can be a nightmare for attacking teams, but you can make the smart picks and counter that annoying defense.
Tanks
Tanks are crucial against this defense because most of them can shield damage for their team and absorb a significant amount of it as well, because they usually are the main focus of a defending team.
D.Va, especially since she received a buff, can block a lot of damage for extended periods of time. That alone can be worth picking her, but her ultimate ability is the kicker. The Self-Destruct function of her mech can destroy every type of turret, and they, unlike their creators, can't run away from the blast.
Winston can block some damage with his shield, but it not being mobile makes it less efficient than D.Va's. However, he can very effectively destroy Symmetra's turrets by just swiping his Tesla Cannon over the general area where they are placed. He is in that regard a good Symmetra counter pick, but he does not perform well against Torbjörn and Bastion.
Reinhardt can shield the most damage out of any tanks thanks to his massive shield which is great for allowing his team to push through a choke point without being melted by turrets. However, Bastion in sentry mode can destroy Reinhardt's shield quite fast, at which point your whole team is defenseless.
Roadhog doesn't have a shield like the other tanks so his usefulness is limited against a turret defense. However, he can be a great counter to Bastion as his hook takes him out of sentry mode and makes him an easy target in close range combat.
Zarya is one of the best pick to counter turrets as she can use the constant amount of damage raining on her team to increase the energy level of her gun at which point she can melt turrets, Bastions, and enemies in no time.
The best tank picks to counter a "turret defense" are D.Va and Zarya. Reinhardt can be a decent pick as well but in this meta, the two feminine tanks are better.
Offense
Pharah can efficiently take out turrets and Bastions by peaking in and out of cover between each of her shots. In addition, Torbjörn and Symmetra have very little mobility and thus represent easy targets for Pharah's rockets. With her, it is crucial to take out every turret before using her ultimate ability as she is extremely vulnerable when making the justice rain from above.
Soldier 76 is a good pick as his rockets and medium range damage can take on turrets and Bastions. His healing ability also grants him a greater survivability in a turret filled environment.
Genji is great against Bastions thanks to his deflect ability which can destroy sentry mode Bastions in one go if they have no trigger discipline (which is a pretty common feature with Bastions). His ninja mobility makes him one of the best heroes to find and destroy Symmetra's teleporters which is an absolute must in this strategy.
McCree, much like Soldier 76, is a great long range damage dealer but his limited mobility makes him an easy target.
Tracer, like Genji can easily get to the backline and destroy the teleporter. Her ultimate is also great to take out turrets and Bastions but her very low health points make her very vulnerable to any sustained damage from turrets.
Reaper, because of his slow movement speed and close range efficiency is not the best choice for this strategy.
Genji and Pharah seems to be the best offensive picks in this composition, but Pharah can be switched to Soldier 76 depending on the map.
The snipers, Widowmaker and Hanzo, can be very effective when taking out stationary targets, but they are just not good enough overall in this meta to justify picking them over any other offensive hero. If you really want to snipe and win the game, you should pick McCree.
Supports
Lucio is a strong pick just because of his general healing abilities and superior mobility.
Mercy can be a great pick as she can heal tanks to make sure they stay alive and keep shielding the team. She can also damage boost and heal Pharah while she takes care of the turrets and Bastions.
Zenyatta and Ana can be good picks, mostly because of their long range offensive abilities, but their low mobility reduces their lifespan. If paired with a Lucio or a Mercy they can be a decent choice.
Overall, Lucio and Mercy are the safest and best pick in the support category. Indeed, their "healing first" functions are a must because other heroes are going to sustain a lot of damage going up against multiple turrets.
Gameplan
Once your carefully picked team is assembled, you need to get some intelligence first. Figure out where the turrets are and, if Symmetra is in play, where the Teleporter is located. While your offense players take care of that, the tanks need to load their ultimates while shielding the team. Then D.Va can Self-Destruct, taking out most of the turrets, at which point the offensive players can move up more safely and destroy the remaining ones and move onto the point. In a perfect world, the Torbjörn won't unleash Molten Core, but if he does, it's safest to wait behind cover. Then Zarya can unleash her Graviton Surge which, coupled with Genji's or Pharah's ultimate, should wipe out the remaining enemy players. Of course, Lucio heals the team as much as possible and if all fails, pray to Mercy that her ultimate is up and she can revive the whole team. Easier said than done, I know. Good luck!
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