Reinhardt is one of the more memorable characters on the Overwatch roster, his huge barrier and Rocket Hammer being some of the main contributors to that. His Fire Strike, another tool in the German's arsenal, has the ability to barrel through enemy barriers and wreak havoc on any poor soul deciding to sit behind them. Last but not least, his Earthshatter, being one of the most effective ultimates in the game, holds the potential to change the tide of an entire teamfight if used correctly.

The German Crusader may seem like a pretty simple character to play at first glance, and while that may be true in some situations, only truly skillful players can master the prideful barrier-bearing tank.

As mentioned before, Reinhardt's shield is one of the most recognizable things about the German main tank and for good reason. With a staggering 2000 health, the barrier protects his teammates from a large majority of damage coming from the enemy team. Reinhardt's barrier is vital, and without it, a team can crumble, which brings me to my first tip.

Learn how to manage your barrier health.

As simple as this may sound, managing the health of your barrier can prove to be very difficult at times. There are heroes that can burn through the health of your barrier fairly quickly, Bastion and Junkrat being some of the most capable heroes in doing so. If there is more than one enemy focusing on taking down your barrier, then it's going to get destroyed fairly quickly. Do not let your barrier get destroyed.

Dropping your barrier before it gets destroyed is much more efficient than letting the enemy rid you of your barrier completley, and here's why. If you let the enemy destroy your barrier completely, the cooldown before the barrier starts regenerating is about five seconds, as opposed to dropping your barrier before it breaks, which would result in about a two-second cooldown before your barrier starts regenerating. Five seconds may not sound like a lot, but in an important teamfight, five seconds can be absolutely decisive. Five seconds gives a huge window for the other team to pour damage all over you and your team, especially if you don't have any other heroes that can soak up the damage. Informing your team when your barrier is about to break can help them prepare themselves as you wait for your barrier to regenerate.

Another trick you should know is that Torbjorn's turrets are stun-able. You can either charge into them to stun them or use your Earthshatter, (while I don't recommend the latter) to stun the turret. If it's set up behind a barrier and being a nuisance to the rest of the team, lead the push and charge into the turret to stun it!

If you're having some difficulties breaking through a choke or the enemy line, and if you have enough health on your barrier, just hold your barrier up and walk through them.

Trust me, as dumb and simple as this sounds, I don't know how many times my team and I have struggled against some enemy teams when the solution was the one listed above. I suppose that enemies just do not expect you to just walk straight through them. This is fairly effective against teams that are hunkered down on the point and picking off team members one by one. Gathering up all your teammates and getting up in the faces of the enemy team can be effective if you're focusing one target at a time.

Friendly stun heroes are very helpful in the Rein v. Rein battle!

If you're going up against an enemy Rein, friendly stun heroes are going to be your best friend. Especially Brigitte, as many Rein players know from being barrier-bashed various times. Coordinating attacks on the enemy Reinhardt with your Brigitte will prove to be insanely effective, especially to see which Reinhardt will land their Earthshatter. If you call on your Brigitte to stun the enemy Reinhardt, just coordinate her bash and the Reinhardt's stun time with Earthshatter to open up the battle. It's surprising how much the Brigitte-Reinhardt duo is not utilized when going up against an enemy Reinhardt. As long as you have good communications with your friendly Brigitte, you are sure to beat the enemy Rein in battle.

What does my team do if we don't have any stun heroes?

If your team is lacking a certain Swedish support, no worries! Just direct your team to pour damage into the enemy Reinhardt's barrier. The barrier should go down fairly quickly if you have the right damage output on your team. Once the barrier drops, you can then go for your Earthshatter. As mentioned before, Bastion and Junkrat are great counters to Reinhardt as they have a very high damage output, so if you have either (or both) on your team, just tell them to focus the Reinhardt.

Don't be afraid to get a little aggressive.

Once your team enters a big teamfight, don't be afraid to get a few swings on the enemy team. While protecting your teammates is a priority, if they're diving on the enemy team, you can't really do much from the backlines, can you? Charge onto the point and get some swings in on the enemy team. Reinhardt is especially effective on Lijiang Tower, as the points are enclosed and you can charge in without worries of flying off of the map in most situations. Tell your healers to pocket you so you can spearhead the attack on point and soak up damage to help your healers get their Ultimates quickly.

I hope these tips and tricks have been helpful for all you Reinhardt players out there! Have fun and remember, barriers up!

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