When to play Zenyatta?

General Discussion
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I love playing this hero but always wonder whether he’s ever the optimal choice these days.

He doesn’t compete for the main healer slot. If Zen’s the only healer he has to switch. He only goes for secondary healer. And yet pretty hard to justify his spot. If you want more healing go with another main healer. If you want stun/armour, Brigitte. Lucio outputs a lot more healing if needed.

I can do alright as Zen, and don’t feel he’s underpowered, he still has some of the highest win rates but I’m always thinking whether that in each scenario another healer could have put in more work. There’s just no niche it feels anymore, and feels much harder to fit into team comps. While before you could pretty much pick Zen every map. Discord is great, but how do you know looking at the team comp picking zen for Discord is the right option?

Even Damage sure Zen outputs a lot and the orb increases that. But you could argue if I provided more healing with the others, the DPS/tanks would be allowed to go more aggressive and in turn do more damage themselves.

Any advice/thoughts of the right situations to pick Zen (and picking him for his discord orb)?

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Zen can crack open certain enemy comps, especially when teamed with a good Ana–and especially against non-shield tanks. As you said, Discord (and Zen’s damage contribution in general) is pretty huge. Volley was nerfed, but it can still obliterate heroes who have been subjected to CC. So if your team has a Doomfist, or a Mei, or an Orissa, and even a McCree, you can reliably land some or all of the Volley shots to put on good pressure.

I don’t think I’d ever criticise someone for picking Zen (my rank probably isn’t high enough to criticise anyone for anything!) If you’re playing 2-2-2 or GOATS, then he’ll always have a spot, IMO. But for solo-healing, I agree he struggles with HPS, and lacks the mobility/cc to survive group dives. If you’re being bullied/focused, then you might have to switch–that’s the only time I’d say you might as well play Brigitte. She has a similar Heal Pack range (to Harmony) but is miles better in a deathball. Lucio, too, especially with disruptive boops, can deal damage, separate teams, and cause problems.

In truth, though, if you ‘love playing this hero’, you’re doing it right. And good for you. :slight_smile:

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Zen is my favourite character to play also, I think due to his discord and ult he is useful in all comps but has to be paired with a good main healer imo. I use discord myself on people I see are about to engage one of our flankers in a 1 v 1 and give the healing orb to my teammate who is about to fight them and any situation my other teammates are ok and I see a 1 v 1 happening, Also I use discord on anyone I see diving the team as fast as possible so they take maximum damage coming in and then forces them to retreat faster or die, I totally get your points about other healers being more sufficient in other ways and situations but for me his ability to make certain ults and ult combos useless, help divers and flankers in 1 v 1’s, heal and have good damage behind shields makes him a good choice,but that’s my opinion. Like Jez said as long as you are enjoying it then ya doing something right. Experience tranquility!:v:

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There are a few easy ways to know when to pick Zen:

  1. You have 5 DPS: Healing isn’t really important in this case. Your win-con is to murder them all very quickly, since Zen does a ton of damage himself, he’s basically another DPS. So put Discord on a squishy, call it out, then everyone goes at that squishy. GGEZ

  2. Slow pick comps (Winston+D.Va+Hanzo+Widow+Mercy): You spend a ton of time in the posture phase here trying to find an opening. Discord and the volleys can do that. You can even call a Discord onto a squishy and with the Mercy Boost, your sniper can one-shot body shot them and then the dive is called to take the backline out.

  3. Full OG Dive (Winston+D.Va+Lucio+Genji+Tracer [or Doomfist]): Not complicated…call the Discord, then the four divers go in on it.

  4. Against Rein+Zarya when you’re not playing mirror. Discord for Rein, Trans for Grav.

Things to bear in mind:

  1. Ana. She wrecks you…so badly. Like Ana’s whole kit including her primary fire wrecks you. If they have Ana and you don’t have the most coordinated Dive in the world, GG Go Next.

  2. Bad 1v1 Matchups: Widowmaker, Hanzo, Genji, Doomfist, Tracer, Winston, D.Va, Wrecking Ball, Pharah, Symmetra, Roadhog

  3. You can counter: Widowmaker (throw a volley at her peak spot when she’s shooting your teammate), Hanzo (Counter Dragon), Genji (Counter other Dragon), Doomfist (call Discord on his fat ass), Wrecking Ball (Trans over his minefield to clear it out and keep your teammates alive), Soldier 76 (I’ve got you in my - oh. You Trans’d…kay), Reaper (Big hitbox for volleys and Glowy Boi>EdgeFlower), Torbjorn (Turret dies to volley).

There are others but I’m tired now.

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