Aleksandra “Zarya” Zaryanova hobbies include particle physics, powerlifting, and fighting the good fight against the dangerous and misunderstood omnics. When given the choice between athletic celebrity and honor on the battlefield, she suited up and joined the local military force of her quiet corner of Siberia. Since then, her and her pink hair have become a symbol of strength and a point of pride for all of Russia.
In game, Zarya is a zoning off tank that specializes in protecting herself and her allies from danger, while using the damage done to them to amplify the power of her own attacks. Though among the slower tanks, she’s also among the smallest, which makes her great for weaving in and out of tight spaces and getting her shields where they need to go.
Abilities
Zarya is one of the most difficult heroes to use effectively, but she’s also one of the heroes with the biggest upsides. Her health is the lowest of the tanks, and her ability to defend her crew is great but incredibly limited in comparison to other big shielders like Reinhardt. That said, no other tank can shut a zone down like her, thanks to her AOE attacks and her ability to empower her allies to make dicey plays they otherwise couldn’t. If you’re ready for the challenge of putting the team on your back and trudging them to victory, Zarya’s massive shoulders are more than capable.
Her primary weapon is a pretty hefty Particle Cannon. Its primary fire mode launches a relatively short-ranged beam that does damage overtime to whatever it’s making contact with. Unlike Mercy’s healing/buff beam or Symmetra’s Photo Projector, there is no homing here. This can make doing consistent, single target damage a difficult proposition, especially against quick and crafty characters like Tracer and Reaper.
The alternate fire launches a projectile over a long distance that explodes and does damage in an area. For many Zarya players, this becomes more primary than not because it’s great for establishing pressure down range without having to be put in explicit danger, and it hits multiple targets. It can help peel groups off of objectives and touch those hard-to-reach turrets while your friendly sniper gets into position. You may find it easier to land shots with the alternate fire, but you will do more damage if you can keep the beam on an opponent even for a second or two.
Zarya’s signature ability is her Particle Barrier. When activated, she cloaks herself in a sphere of light, which shields her from incoming damage for a short amount of time. While shielded, Zarya is immune to negative effects like stun and knockback and is essentially a walking damage sponge. Unlike other barriers and shields in the game, Zarya’s even protects against attacks that normally pass through them, like Winston’s Tesla Cannon.
Cooler still, she can project a truncated version of this barrier on to allies. It has the same exact properties as Zarya’s, it just lasts a fraction of the time. If you see a friendly being engaged by the enemy, even an extra second of the barrier can be the difference between winning and losing that skirmish. When your team’s Genji is about to pounce, hit him with a barrier to buy him a second of invincibility. Zarya and the worth of her barriers live and die in these crucial seconds, hence why it’s so tough to make her work.
The big plus of these barriers is tied to Zarya’s passive, Energy. All the damage her barriers absorb transfers power to her main weapon, to the tune of every 4 damage equaling 1 charge, and every charge equaling a 1% boost to your damage output. She can store up to 100 Energy (or do 100% more damage) that decays quickly over time. This is the real key to being the killer Zarya your Momma warned you about. Maintaining a high level of Energy is key. Zaryas need to be a fixture in as many combat situations as possible, slinging barriers like they’re free samples in the mall food court.
Her ultimate ability, Graviton Surge, is the ultimate in crowd control. When fired, it explodes into a massive singularity, pulling in everyone around it. When pulled in, the enemy team can still fire, but they cannot move, making them sitting ducks for well-timed ultimates from your other group members. This can be the most lethal ultimate in the game because of this, but not every Hero is helpless to it. Tracer can simply blink out of its grasp, while D.Va’s Defense Matrix can destroy the projectile before it explodes. Genji can Deflect it back, making it hostile. Let me tell you from personal experience, that really sucks.
Tips
- Though capable of game-swaying strength when fully charged up with Energy, Zarya is not the beefiest tank in the game and will not be able to protect the entire team, even at her most efficient. It may benefit you to find a “battle buddy” – someone you deign to be your primary target for Projected Barriers to ensure you’re at least there when someone important needs it. This goes doubly if there’s another tank on your squad.
- Timing the barriers right is the key to getting the most Energy (and subsequently the most damage) out of every shoot out. The best way to do this might be to engage your barriers after you’ve engaged your enemies. When you see shots flying past a charging Soldier 76’s head, hit him with a barrier. The opponent will have already committed to killing 76, so a barrier popping up around him all unannounced and what not will really throw them off their game. Same goes for Zarya’s personal barrier. Charging at an enemy and letting a couple of shots hit you before popping the barrier is going to put them in an awkward position. Do they stay and waste bullets while charging you up, or just withdraw and give up the space for a couple of seconds?
- Look for places where you can take advantage of surroundings to absorb damage and get energy. Walking through a room laced with Symmetra’s sentry’s or taking a couple shots from Torbjorn’s Turret will really get you going. It can absorb whole ultimates if timed right, too. Keep an ear out for the sound of a Junkrat tire or D.Va’s self destruct, and be there when it counts.
- Zarya pairs well with Reaper and Roadhog, as her barrier is extra useful when protecting them from interruption during their ultimates. Someone like Pharah could be a great partner as well, because Zarya’s ultimate chains especially nicely with hers. Be careful of Reinhardts, who will use their big body and their charges to push you away from your team. Quick characters like McCree, Genji, and Tracer can really give you problems too, as it will be difficult to lock your beam on them for extended periods of time.
If your looking for more insight on how to grow strong as a mountain, come by the Overwatch Wiki. And let us know how Zarya is treating you on Facebook and Twitter.