Hello, ladies and gentleman! Ever since custom game modes have come out, I’ve wanted to recreate a game mode similar to those of TF2’s custom games (Saxton HAAAAALLLEEEE!!!) and share it, and now the share feature is available I can finally do that!
But a wrench was thrown into such plans with the Workshop. With such powers at my fingertips I’ve dedicated the last few hours to creating a unique experience that reminds people what a true 1v6 should be.
I’ll be adding heroes over time, but below you’ll find the current version (and any previous versions later), alongside a guide to playing each hero in the game, along with their team bonuses (and flaws)!
Version 0.1 - X65V3 (Only has one boss and a few heros, no HUD features except Health)
Version 0.2 - 3DX88 (Introduces 3 new bosses, HUD Features and Boss Scaling!)
General notes of the game mode
- The boss is strong, but not invincible. A well formatted team that knows about team work can defeat the boss, but it’s not an effort free experience. At the same time, the game is designed as a 1v6, so if you’re playing with less heroes than that well you might have some trouble.
- The hunters are divided into several difference groups, but ultimately usually share common themes: Tanks heroes can soak more damage than usual, letting them take a few hits from the boss, but have low damage output. Damage heroes build ult much faster than usual (especially in combat) and usually have minor traits which make them useful, such as increased damage or cooldowns. Support heroes are the lifeblood of a team of hunters, so you always want at least one. Their healing is magnified along with their abilities, but they are always incredibly easy to take out of so keep them safe (unless you’re the boss, in which you should target them).
- The health and hero of the Boss are displayed in the top right corner, giving you a good idea as to how much damage you’ll need to put out to stop them from winning. The boss’s health is determined by the amount of players they’re fighting. That doesn’t mean it’ll be super winnable for a 4 man to go up against the boss, but it’ll be easier.
- You can’t hide forever, as 3 minutes is the marker for the capture point to appear, so the best way to deal with the boss is to take him on before that becomes available. In addition to that, you become revealed near the same time so no matter where you are the boss can and will find you.
- Most abilities that have knockback have been altered so the damage is reduced but the knockback is huge. This is a survival attempt for hunters so they can keep bosses that require a close reach at bay. Cooldowns are usually increased, however.
Below are a list of guides to playing the heroes of Boss Vs Hunters. Almost every hero is changed in some way, so it’s good to become acquainted with your chosen pick.
Below are a list of guides to playing the heroes of Boss Vs Hunters. Almost every hero is changed in some way, so it’s good to become acquainted with your chosen pick.
Boss Heroes
Reinhardt
“Ah, this old dog still knows a few tricks!”
The living meteor himself, Reinhardt is a terror to any hunter who cannot escape the swing of his hammer. Any fan of descending on your enemies to pummel them into the dirt is sure to find Reinhardt their personal favourite.
Traits.
- Reinhardt packs a base HP of 2500, increasing by 1250 for each enemy player putting him on a proper 10000 HP against a full team. In addition, his movement is increased to make it easier to chase down foes, and the damage of his swings, fire strike and charge pack an even mightier punch with an additional 30% damage.
- For Reinhardt, the skybox is the limit. His jump distance is greater than the average Winston, and his slightly below normal gravity allows him to stay in the air to survey his foes from above. However, if that doesn’t suit your fancy, you can crouch in the air to fall faster.
- Along with his health, Reinhardt is equipped with an awesome 10,000 HP shield to block any incoming projectile (besides projectiles that pass through shields). However, he can’t activate it in the air, can’t jump or move using it, and it doesn’t recharge. Use it to block enemy ultimates and barrages so you can find the opening you need to destroy your enemies.
- Reinhardt’s charge turns him into a rocket, sending him soaring at 3 times his normal speed wherever he’s facing. However, you need to wait 30 seconds after the start of the match before you can use it, and it’s cooldown is rather hefty. Use it to cross great distances and pin unsuspecting enemies.
- The greatest weapon in Reinhardt’s arsenal is his new an improved ultimate, Meteor Shatter. Reinhardt can only use his ultimate after spending half a second in the air, alerting any enemies below of their impending doom. All enemies (even ones with invincibility abilities active) within 20 or more feet of Reinhardt are hit instead of a cone, and along with being knocked down, they are also set on fire for 5 seconds. The longer he stays in the air after ulting, the bigger the range of his ultimate becomes. It still doesn’t pass by structures or enemy barriers, so be careful of any shield wielding hunters.
Bastion (New)
“Beep Boop!”
To witness the final form of this hero is a nightmare. Able to transform over the course of a match, Bastion is a boss you want to be rid of before he reaches his final transformation and completely decimates your team.
Traits.
- Bastion comes in with a starting HP pool of 1500, increasing his hit points by 750 for each enemy player to a max of 6000 against 6 players. However, once he transforms into his Sentry form, he doubles his maximum hit points and gains half of it back as healing until the end of the match.
- Bastion comes in 3 different forms, each with their own strengths. Starting in 1st form, Bastion’s progression to his next forms are displayed under his hit points, so the goal for a Bastion Boss is to stay alive until you reach 100% in all forms.
- Once Bastion spends 50 seconds in his 1st form, he gains the ability to transform into his 2nd form. Sentry. While in 2nd form, Bastion can no longer move or return back to 1st form. However, he gains a massive increase to damage to tear his foes to shreds and a large health boost. His lack of mobility being his only weakness, should Bastion reach enough points to activate his final form the game is practically over. In addition, all hooks, earth shatters and charges on enemy hunters become disabled!
- Once Bastion has been in 2nd form for 50 seconds, his Final Form unlocks: Tank. With all the damage amplifiers of the 2nd Form, and the mobility of the 1st Form, nothing can stand in the way of such a monstrous opponent. If Bastion’s health isn’t below 20% at this stage, the fight can almost be considered a guaranteed win for Bastion.
- Now, Bastion’s only weakness is the inability to use his self-repair, or change back into his previous forms. The lack of healing makes taking him down easier than a regular Bastion, and he is most vulnerable at the start of the game.
Orisa (New)
“Cease your resistance!!”
Orisa is the very definition of juggernaut. Incredibly tanky, incredible damage output and generally unstoppable, Orisa’s only weakness is her own speed. The longer you stay in her line of sight, the higher chance you have of an incredibly fast death.
Traits.
- Orisa has an incredible maximum HP. With 2000 HP and a 3000 HP increase per enemy palyer, her maximum total HP comes out to 20,000, the tankiest in the game thus far. Without her shield ability however, she can only rely on this flat amount to keep her alive.
- Orisa’s damage increases the longer her weapon is firing, along with the speed of her projectiles. The only time that she can be attacked without fear is the very small window given by her reload animation.
- Orisa however slows down as she fires, making her easy to hit and hard for her to catch her opponents. She’s given some breathing room, as using her fortify still grants her the damage reduction and CC immunity she needs.
- Orisa’s final ability of note is her Halt! is still available, albeit with a much higher cooldown. If the ability is used, it resets Orisa’s current attack bonuses, so be careful with how you use it. Every other ability, including her ult, is locked.
McCree (New)
“I’m the quick. You’re the dead.”
“I’m the quick. You’re the dead.”
McCree is one of the highest damage dealing bosses. With mobility and a time-slowing down at high noon, little can stand up against this cowboy if the player has a good aim. Oh wait, he has that too.
Traits.
- McCree’s HP comes out at 1000, which increases by 250 for each enemy player, bringing him to a max HP of 2500 against a full team!
- McCree’s damage has a bonus of 50%, making every headshot an instant kill anyone but the rare few able to take a shot or two. Pair this with his increased magazine that gives him a total of 18 shots before he needs to reload, and you have yourself a deadly boss to encounter.
- McCree’s has a large boost to his mobility, able to jump high and has increased moving speed. This mobility paired with his huge health pool makes him hard to catch, and makes it easier for him to catch hunters.
- McCree’s Dead Eye now slows down time after the words of death are spoken. Giving hunters little time to react, McCree’s speed and damage remain the same during the now 12 second duration. If the hunters haven’t managed to activate your defensive abilities, hunters will have little time to find cover before they’re pinned down. However, you’ll know what time it is thanks to a counter in the top righ hand corner of your HUD, below his displayed health.
- McCree’s abilities are still functional, with his Combat Roll giving him 1 second to let him pass through enemies and granting him invincibility, thoguh the ability has a higher cooldown. His flashbang, however, don’t benefit the same way, instead just having a higher cooldown.
- McCree’s secondary fire has been replaced with an auto-aimer, allowing players to target their foes with relative ease for 2 seconds every 30 seconds. This can also be used to find hunters in case they’re hiding away. (Note: Can autolock onto dead targets, so only use it when an enemy is closer to your reticle.)
Hunter Heroes
Lucio
“I could do this all day!”
Lucio is a man who excels at keeping the team healed and helping the slow hunters pick up the pace. Despite his low health, Lucio has the mobility most healers lack to avoid the harm most bosses can dish out.
Traits.
- Lucio’s Amp It Up has a much lower cooldown, and his ultimate gain is increased, especially in combat. Staying in the fight as much as possible allows keep your team alive using these abilities as often as possible.
- Like all healers, Lucio has an increased healing, doubling the normal healing output. However, his base speed is decreased by 10%, so if you aren’t speed boosting the boss may just catch you. Paring that with the 40% reduced max health and you need to play it cool or perish in the flames of battle.
- Lucio’s greatest asset over any support, his mobility, doesn’t suffer such a great loss. As the champion of the game Molten Floor, Lucio knows how to get off the ground. The longer you stay of the ground and on the walls, your speed gradually builds until you zoom around so fast you lap around the map before Tracer can say “Cheers, love!”. This ends as soon as you touch the ground, so try to keep those feet high along with your confidence. There is a an add-on on the HUD to help you keep track of it.
Mercy
“I have the distinct feeling that I’m needed somewhere.”
To Mercy, death is just an obstacle. As the only hero who can bring the dead back to life, she’s one of the best options for any hunter team. However, as the squishest and slowest support, you need to take care of her or she becomes dead weight.
Traits.
- Mercy’s healing is 250% more effective, which includes her self regeneration. However, her own health has taken a 40% reduction, so it takes little more than one hit to bring her down.
- The cooldown of Mercy’s Guardian Angel has disappeared, allowing her to use it as much as she likes. This helps with the 25% reduced speed, making her easy to catch without allies to fly to.
- Despite her damage output being reduced, Mercy’s handgun has an infinite amount of ammo. If she’s in a tight spot, she can whip it out against a boss, and it might just give her the boost she needs to Valkyrie away.
- The greatest power at her command has received a substantial buff. Mercy is now capable of resurrecting at a much more frequent rate, with only 30% of her normal cooldown still on the ability.
Reaper
“If it lives, I can kill it.”
Reaper is a powerful weapon against any boss at close range. With new weapons and an incredible ultimate rate, he has the power to face down a boss alone and last as long as a tank if he’s lucky.
Traits.
- Reaper’s shotguns only fire one shot each now, but his damage has been increased by a decent margin. His personal healing has also increased, allowing him the ability to survive off the damage he deals.
- Both of Reaper’s abilities, Shadow Step and Wraith Form, have greatly reduced cooldowns, and he himself has a very slight increase to his own walking speed. This gives him the mobility and invulnerability needed for such a close range combatant.
- Finally, Reaper has finally blossomed into his ultimate form. His Death Blossom generates incredibly fast, and for each successful shot of his guns the ultimate gain is extreme. Keep close and keep alive to become the gardener you’ve always wanted to be.
Reinhardt
“Let me show you how it’s done!”
Reinhardt has joined the fray to protect his friends. With his barrier able to block devastating ultimates and his charge able to take the bosses away from his allies, his assistance in any hunt is greatly appreciated.
Traits.
- Reinhardt’s barrier paired with his incredible health pool allows him to keep that shield up for most of any match. But be careful, it’s recharge rate has been slowed so that if it’s broken it takes a long time to reach full strength.
- Reinhardt’s damage has taken a slight reduction, but he more than makes up for it with his ultimate’s crowd control. With each successful swing, he gains a large portion of his ultimate to knock down any boss.
- Reinhardt’s charge and hammer swings have more force behind them, able to shove a boss away from any team mate. In addition, the cooldown of his Charge is halved.
Roadhog
“That’s my business, and business is good.”
The terror of early Overwatch, Roadhog joins the fray as an incredible tank with large CC and self healing, with the intention of making himself a big and annoying target.
Traits.
- Roadhog’s chainhook is already a huge asset, able to pull any boss away from his team. Paired with his increased health and health gain from Take a Breather, and you have yourself a hog that’s hard to get rid of.
- Roadhog’s movement has been slightly reduced to compensate for the extra defense, and the cooldown of his Take a Breather has been tripled. Still, paired with a healer a Roadhog should never go down easy.
- Despite his reduced damage and incredibly low clip size, if Roadhog can stay alive long enough to gain Whole Hog, he can send a boss flying to the far reaches of the map. With increased knockback, it can mean life or death for himself or a team member.
Soldier: 76
“Old soldiers never die… And they don’t fade away.”
Soldier: 76 is a balanced member for any team of hunters. With damage, increased aim and supreme healing, he can look out for any team while whittling the boss down from a distance with incredible accuracy.
Traits.
- Soldier’s damage has been increased to have a harder hit against any boss, along with his ult gain. Once again, Tactical Visor lasts more than 50% longer, allowing you to really pummel any boss with bullets.
- Jack’s not as young as he used to be, and his speed has taken a small hit. Use sprint to get around and run from your foes, because you won’t be able to get around without it.
- The Helix Rockets have more use than ever. With a slightly increased cooldown, the rockets now knock back bosses tripled the normal amount, making it a good ability to use for your own or anyone’s survival.
- Finally, like any Dad: 76 would know, keeping your kids alive is important. Soldier’s Biotic Field has an increased cooldown, reduced by 40%, and heals faster than normal.
Torbjörn
“I’m giving it all I’ve got!”
Torb has come to help with a little extra weaponry, and tankier armour in exchange for damage. To any boss, a Torb is one of the most annoying and frustrating hunters to fight against.
Traits.
- Torb’s damage has taken a small reduction of 20%, in exchange for an increased health pool of 40% extra health! This also applied to armour gained from Overload and the maximum health of your Turret!
- While just the tiniest bit slower, with a longer cooldown on a destroyed Turret and a slower Overload duration, Torb can use Overload a lot more frequently to help him survive in those tough spots.
- Within Torb lies a beast so foul that even bosses fear it: consistent damage from everywhere. Torb gains his ultimate four times as fast, and even faster in combat. The lava sprayed from his Molten Core also lasts a little bit longer, just to help keep the boss on their toes.
Tracer
“Time is on my side.”
With one of the fastest members of the hunters on a team, any boss might have more than enough trouble catching a Tracer. If you enjoy kiting and poking your opponent while remaining just out of reach, Tracer is the hunter for you.
Traits.
- Tracer’s blink has a slightly shorter cooldown, able to use it far more frequently. However, as a cost her Recall has a bigger cooldown, so use it only if you have to.
- Tracer’s damage has been slightly increased to help bring a boss down, and her ultimate benefits with each hit. A careful Tracer should be able to use 2 or more Pulse Bombs a match with the increased ultimate gain she has.
- To make sure she can survive more than just one hit, Tracer’s HP has been increased to 225 HP.
Widowmaker
“A single death can change everything…”
Widowmaker makes one of the deadliest hunters, each bullet tearing through a boss’s health. As the highest damage per shot dealer in the hunters, she is a force to be reckoned with.
Traits.
- Widowmaker’s rifle has been upgraded to take down the mightiest of foes. Every shot deals double damage, with even a fully charged headshot able to instantly kill some bosses. However, her clip sized has reduced, so going in guns blazing isn’t the smartest move.
- To make up for her incredible rifle, Widow has to give up some health and speed, making her easy to pick off. To make it worse, her Venom Mine is no longer available to use, and her Grappling Hook has a slightly increased cooldown.
- But any good Widowmaker knows that with time comes reward. Widow gains her ultimate at an incredible pace, and while it’s duration is short, knowing the location of any boss is an asset to a team of hunters.
- When Widow holds her scope up, she begins to charge a Hunter Attack. Should it charge to 100%, Widow’s next scoped attack will deal 4 times the normal damage! A sound effect will also play to notify you when the ability is active.
Zenyatta
“Patience…”
Zenyatta’s guidance as a master of both Harmony and Discord is something to be desired. Able to assist his team with damage and keep them alive with little room for error, he makes for a mighty member of any hunter party.
Traits.
- Like all supports, Zenyatta’s healing has been increased. Anyone with his Harmony Orb or within the randius of his Transcendence gains twice as much healing.
- Utilising the Orb of Discord against the boss helps an entire team whittle down its health. Zenyatta himself suffers a small penalty to the damage he deals so he cannot benefit from it as much. Despite that, he can fling his Orbs of Destructive twice as many times before needing to reload.
- Zenyatta’s health has been reduced by 80%, but he hovers around a little faster and gains ultimate charge twice as fast to help him stay alive against a boss’s damage.
Bastion (New)
“Boop Beep!”
Bastion is a stable damage dealer with a high self heal and incredibly fast ultimate generation. Able to stay in the fight for long periods of time, Bastion can prove as a hard hunter to deal with.
Traits.
- The hunter Bastion deals considerable less damage than the average Bastion, coming out with a damage debuff of 20%. However, without an ammunition requirement, he no longer needs to reload and can consistently whittle a boss down.
- Bastion’s Self-Repair has a longer duration and repairs faster than usual, allowing him to outlive a Boss’s damage for a short time. However, the recharge rate has been slowed so once it’s used up it takes a long time before he can abuse it again.
- In order to stay safe in Recon Mode, Bastion’s movespeed has been increased by 10%, allowing him to move faster when he’s not in Sentry Mode.
- Bastion builds ultimate incredibly fast while attacking a boss, and once he has it his true colours shine. The duration has been decreased by 40%, but each hit keeps a boss away with a 400% increased knockback.
D.VA (New)
“The best things in life come in small packages!”
As a tank, D.VA provides her team distraction and protection, able to take multiple hits in her mech and out of it! However, if she’s the only one on the team, there’s little she can do by herself to win.
Traits.
- D.VA has an incredibly high health pool, with both her mech and out of it receiving increased maximums. This makes her harder to kill. Paired with her Defense Matrix that can last twice as long, and you have yourself a high-damage soaker. However, little thing about the Defense Matrix: it only recharges at 60% normal speed.
- D.VA’s ult charge builds quick, and even quicker when she’s in the fight. Use both of her ults to knock bosses away with an incredible boost to knockback.
- D.VA’s boosters have a bit of a longer cooldown so she can’t run away as often, along with a 5% decrease to her normal movement speed. However, the boosters can be used offensively to knock bosses back with 50% more effectiveness.
- Even with D.VA’s rockets flying through the sky at increased speed, her damage output has been hampered with a 15% damage reduction, so make sure to keep your team alive.
Genji (New)
“Measure twice, cut once.”
Genji is a agile and deadly hunter, providing strong damage while keeping out of reach of most bosses. When he draws his blade, he also has far more of a presence in a fight.
Traits.
- Genji is an incredibly mobile hunter. Despite having a 5% reduced speed, his jumps are higher and his swift strike only has half as much of a cooldown. Use this to keep moving and avoid deadly blows from any boss.
- Genji’s deflect is one of the few things that provide him survivability outside his mobility. Using it against projectile bosses, especially when they use their ultimates, becomes incredibly valuable. However, it does have a 50% increased cooldown, so don’t expect to use it too often.
- To make up for his lacking speed and high cooldown on deflect, Genji deals 10% increased damage and gains ultimate 3 times faster universally! Once active he takes half damage, has 50% increased movement and the duration is increased by half it’s normal length! Use it to get in a boss’s face and do some damage.
McCree (New)
“A man’s gotta have rules.”
Facing down a boss at midday, McCree joins the fray in hunting the boss. With him on a team, the hunters will always know when it’s 12 o’clock.
Traits.
- McCree provides a uniqueness to a team of hunters. Not much about his kit has changed, save for a slightly high damage output and higher ammunition size. Both of his abilities have a higher cooldown, however, so make sure not to use them carelessly.
- McCree’s ultimate builds like a clock, consistently ticking away. Once ready, his Dead Eye doesn’t impede his movement speed so he can chase down a fleeing boss! Be warned, most Dead Eye’s are incapable of killing a boss, use it instead to grievously wound them over several uses!
Hanzo (New)
“Ignore all distractions.”
As a sniper, Hanzo deals incredible damage to any boss, tearing especially slow or unprotected bosses to shreds. But such power doesn’t come without a cost, as Hanzo’s movement has been heavily restricted.
Traits.
- Hanzo deals twice as much damage, making him an ideal hunter. With a short cooldown on Storm Arrows he can pummel a boss with three fully charged shots.
- Hanzo can keep his eyes and his teams on the boss with a 40% decreased cooldown on Sonic Arrow. Use it to mark the boss so the team knows their location as much as possible.
- For every shot, Hanzo gains a huge portion of his ult if it lands. When ready, release the dragon to deal a ridiculous amount of damage to a boss, tearing them apart the longer they’re in it.
- To make up for his high damage, Hanzo’s health has been cut in half, and his movement reduced by a significant margin. His only escape from an approaching boss is Lunge, which sends him three times the normal distance away! But be warned, the cooldown is five times as long, so only use it when necessary.
Well, I hope you enjoy the game mode! I’ll be adding heroes to both the Hunters and Boss groups, as well as extra features such as no environmental death to bosses, as time goes on. If you have any ideas, let me know in the replies, or in the server for the game mode. You can join the server at discord.gg/AEd7SRP.
Good hunting!