Overwatch hero guide: Soldier 76
Soldier 76 is the closest hero you'll find to a traditional FPS build in Overwatch.
Overwatch hero guide: Soldier 76
Role: offense
Soldier 76 is the most familiar hero for anyone who's played other online shooters. He sprints into the battle and carries a rifle and rockets, and is great for getting to grips with Overwatch's unique take on the first-person shooter. His Pulse Rifle is surprisingly versatile.
Latest updates to Soldier 76
76 sees an increase in his ultimate charge requirement by 10% and his accuracy spread that decreases with duration of fire, will reset to full accuracy after a short delay as opposed to instantly. These updates are meant to make burst fire to feel more reliable as a tool for medium range engagements.
Strong against: Pharah, Torbjorn, Mercy
Weak against: Mei, Tracer, Genji
Soldier 76's abilities
Sprint
Sprint makes Soldier: 76 one of the fastest heroes on the ground. He can't fire or use other abilities while sprinting, but if it's a race to a health pack or to reach cover, he'll win.
Heavy Pulse Rifle
The first bullet from Solder 76's rifle is very accurate, but keep your finger on the trigger and they'll begin to go wild. Burst fire is essential, or try single taps of the trigger for accurate shots at a distance.
Helix Rocket
Helix Rockets do damage to a target and burst damage, so even if your aim is a little off you can still hurt an enemy.
Biotic Field
This drops a healing patch that will heal Soldier 76 and any allies standing within it. It lasts for five seconds.
Ultimate Ability: Tactical Visor
Tactical Visor pulls up a crosshair that automatically targets the closest enemy and guarantees a hit. This is great for using against fast moving targets. It lasts for six seconds and 76 reloads faster while it's in operation.
Soldier 76 strategy tips
- Soldier 76's Pulse Rifle is good at all distances. Lock the trigger down for close range, burst fire for medium and single taps for long range.
- You should be using sprint whenever you're not shooting your weapon. Speed is a massive tactical advantage that many heroes don't have.
- If you're about to go toe-to-toe with an enemy, drop the Biotic Field to give you regenerating health as you fight.
- Tactical Visor only targets an enemy's body, so use it against hard to hit heroes rather than slower tanks.
Back to Overwatch guide: best heroes, abilities and strategies for Blizzard's shooter