It’s been a few weeks since Overwatch players got their hands on Sombra for the first time, along with a patch that introduced new modes and some major character changes. If you haven’t been keeping up, Sombra is a hacker that can disable hero abilities, turn invisible for a short period, and even teleport by throwing a beacon. She’s technically classified as an “offense” hero, but in more practical terms, she’s designed for breaking enemy lines. This versatility makes her useful on both Attack and Defend, especially if you need to make a last-chance push/counter-push.
Although it may be another handful of weeks until the meta fully settles, I feel like I have enough of a handle on Sombra to make some recommendations. Here are my personal strategies for the shiny new offense hero.
Hero Matchups
Sombra feels like she was designed to counter tank characters. She can get behind a tank with ease, using either her invisibility or her teleport, hack the character, and then spray with her machine pistol. Like Reaper and Tracer, her gun’s wide spread is best used on tanks, where the larger characters will absorb every bullet. D.VA and Winston are the least affected by Sombra, since they both have decent offensive capabilities even without their enhanced mobility. Roadhog and Zarya, two tanks that rely heavily on their secondary abilities, are still a threat, but I’ve been able to kill a Roadhog from full health using Sombra.
And then there’s Reinhardt, who is almost completely neutered by Sombra. Even if you can’t take out the Reinhardt on your own, they’re almost certainly on the front lines with their sheild raised. If you even have one other teammate pushing back, they’ll fill the void when that shield drops. Sombra also removes any long-range options Reinhard has, making retreat a best-case scenario. Considering how crucial Reinhardt is to many scenarios, having a hard counter on your team is often a game-changer.
Sombra can also wreak havoc on defense characters, but those make for riskier matchups. For example, taking out Mei’s healing ice cocoon and her wall can be helpful in the right circumstances, but the short operating range on Sombra’s machine pistol requires her to get up close with Mei and her ice gun. It’s best to use Sombra in conjunction with a teammate if you’re having trouble with a particularly irritating hero.
Also, there’s nothing that feels quite as satisfying as hacking a Tracer. You can see the exact moment where their muscle memory causes them to activate Tracer’s teleport, and it’s so delicious.
Maps and Situations
Sombra excels on Hanamura. She’s great on any Assault maps where players have to capture two consecutive points, but she really shines on the Japanese map. Her teleport beacon gives her an extra level of verticality — combine that with her invisibility and she’ll be able to get behind enemy lines no problem. Anecdotally, I’ve found that a well-placed ultimate ability can really make the difference on Assault maps. Using her ability-canceling EMP and preventing the enemy team from counter-pushing with a few well-timed ults could be the one button press that gives your team the win.
Hacking is a great tool to have on maps with capture points, since Sombra’s hacking can also affect health pack spawners, preventing enemy players from getting that last bit of health they need and giving your teammates faster respawns for health packs. Once a payload comes into the picture, I would recommend dropping Sombra in favor of a more offensive flanker like Reaper. Or, if you’re defending, a mobile irritant like Mei or Junkrat. Control maps can go one way or the other. If you have a well-rounded team all using microphones, just about any strategy can work, but if you’re hopping into quickplay with some randos, you should think about picking a more self-sufficient hero.
Sombra feels like an inverse Symmetra; where Symmetra is classified as a ‘Support’ hero but can also fit in ‘Defense’, Sombra is an offensive hero that feels like she belongs in a supporting role. During my two weeks messing around with Sombra, I never felt like she didn’t fit with the existing heroes — both visually and mechanically. Between Sombra and Ana, Blizzard continues to prove they have the roster’s best interests at heart, and have earned plenty of goodwill towards any future hero reveals.
