In Season 10 of Overwatch Competitive play, Reinhardt has risen to prominence again. He's a good pick on almost any map but with the current meta, playing Reinhardt can be difficult. With all the shield breaking, stuns, burst damage, and boops that come your way, it can be very hard to keep your feet on the ground. Here are a few tips to make sure that your Reinhardt play comes out on top.

Reinhardt vs. Reinhardt

In the current meta, you are most likely going up against another Reinhardt. Much like Obi-Wan versus Anakin in Revenge of the Sith, you are looking to get that metaphorical high ground over your opponent. One of the most important things to keep track of is your opponent's Earthshatter cooldown. Knowing when the opposing Reinhardt has his ultimate can make or break a fight. If you know the enemy Reinhardt has Earthshatter, you can try to bait it out either by shield flashing or waiting until you can time your shield perfectly to block the ability. Also, make sure that you are playing on the aggressive against the other Reinhardt. Always try to assert your dominance by pressing your W and Mouse 1. The worst thing you can be as a Reinhardt player is passive. Don't just sit behind your shield and shoot fire strikes because eventually the enemy team will break your shield and you'll get overwhelmed. If you're able to be the more aggressive main tank, you'll charge your ultimate faster. You will also give the rest of your team much more space to work with.

Earthshatter

As Reinhardt, one of the most important things in your kit is your Earthshatter. As an ultimate, it can single-handedly win you teamfights if correctly used. One of the best things about Earth Shatter is that it revolves almost entirely around your play with only a few abilities being capable of blocking it. The abilities that can block your Earthshatter are Reinhardt's Shield, Brigitte's Shield, Winston's Bubble, Orisa's Barrier, and Zarya's Bubbles. All of these can block your ultimate, but the opposing Reinhardt's Shield is the one you have to look out for. This is where playing aggressive comes into play. If you are walking up to a Reinhardt and swinging your hammer at him, eventually he is going to have to put down his shield to respond. This is where you can strike and let loose your Earthshatter. Not only will he go down, but the rest of his team will either get caught in the Earthshatter or they will have no barrier to defend themselves from your team's DPS.

When using Earthshatter, you want to get as many people in it as you can but that isn't to say solo or duo shattering people isn't a good idea. For example, if you are able to shatter a Mercy or another support before they are able to use their ultimates, I would call that a successful shatter. Another way to use Earthshatter is to counter an enemy ultimate like a Soldier's Tactical Visor. If you can manage to hit them, getting a Genji while he is in Dragonblade can mitigate all his damage.

Communication with Your Teammates

This is possibly the thing that will help you the most in your Reinhardt play in competitive. Communication with your teammates will go a long way in making sure that you stay alive and are not destroyed by all the crowd control and burst damage around you. If you have a Zarya, keep an eye on her Projected Barrier cooldown. If they have it, let them know that you are going to put your shield down and start swinging. Not only will you possibly get a few hits on the enemy team, but you will force them back rather safely. On top of that, you give your Zarya charge, which will turn her into an absolute monster. Also, make sure that you are wary of your healers' cooldowns. Don't start swinging or dropping shield if you know you don't have the healing for it or you'll end up being burst down along with the rest of your team.

Conclusion

With the main tank being such an important part of the Season 10 meta, Reinhardt can be the linchpin to most team compositions. With your ability to block damage as well as deal some out yourself and CC enemies, you can really be a pivotal part of your team's composition. Be sure that if you're against an enemy Reinhardt that you do not play passive and keep track of his ultimate. Make sure you're getting value from your ultimate and communicating with your teammates to keep you alive. These tiny things can help you take your Reindhardt play to the next level in Season 10 and I hope they have helped you in some way. Now get to swinging!

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