⚡ Give Mercy an Ability on her Reload Key

General Discussion
1

Mercy’s reload ( R ) button is currently an unused, open button that could be easily and simply used to fix the current problems with her (lack of a burst heal/impact/midfight power).

Currently, Mercy’s reload button when she has her staff equipped and is using her beams serves no purpose. Giving it a function would be an elegant solution and allow for limitless possibilities to give Mercy more burst impact and skill.

This wouldn’t be clunky, and would work on both PC and Console, since she current uses reload for her pistol in the standard way anyways.

Here are the best ideas I have heard, seen, or thought of for abilities on her Reload key (when her staff is out):

  • :zap: Caduceus Overcharge: :zap:
    Mercy’s staff overcharges with biotic energy, healing an extra 30-40%.
    This could work as a cooldown ability for 3-5 seconds, or on a resource meter similarly to Defense Matrix that recharges slowly over time after being used.

Some other ideas for this ability:

  • Using Overcharge causes Mercy’s staff to overheat when the ability is over, making it do reduced HPS for a few seconds
  • Damage boosting causes the cooldown to speed up/resource to fill up more quickly (similar to Moira’s resource system)

or

  • :zap: Caduceus Overload: :zap:
    Mercy stores up Biotic Energy within her staff over time by healing and damage boosting, filling up a resource meter. This meter caps out at 300 healing. While Mercy’s beam is on someone, she can press R to Overload her staff, burst healing her ally for all the healing stored within the staff.

During Valkyrie, these abilities could either work on all chain beamed allies, or simply work on the main beam target but in an enhanced way (increased healing)

or

  • :zap: Angel’s Blessing :zap:
    Pressing Mercy’s reload key while her beam is attatched to someone provides them with a different buff depending on whether she is currently healing or damage boosting them.
    If Healing: Provides her ally with a halo-shaped zarya bubble which cleanses said ally of a negative effect (hack/nade/freeze/stun)
    If Dmg Boosting: Provides her ally with a slight buff to attack speed/fire rate

etc.
The possibilties are endless, and don’t require removing her current E ability (Which the Devs don’t want to do)

All in all, these changes would allow Mercy to have more active midfight value and potential, reward good cool down/resource management thus making Mercy more interesting and skillful, and overall would solve a lot of the issues the community has with playing as her/having her on the team.

:innocent: I’d appreciate your thoughtful comments and criticism below. Also, any other ideas for Reload-button abilities are welcome! :innocent: I strongly think this is the best direction for Mercy.

33 Likes
2

Reload button is for re-nerfing her.

3 Likes
3

100hps for 2 seconds, on a 10sec cooldown sounds reasonable.

10 Likes
4

I like the Angel Blessing idea.
Gives her a non-burst heal clutch play that could really swing a fight while sticking to a non violent/less agressive playstyle.

Could also be balanced in a variety of ways, resource meter, charges, amount of effects it removes or tweaking it to shorten durations instead of instantly cleansing.

I really like that one.

2 Likes
5

I actually think I prefer this idea. It’d be a nice quick burst of heals.

3 Likes
6

I think in general, the idea should be to design Mercy as a healer that is best at supporting ~200hp heroes.

Ana/Moira got the whole Tank thing down.

Mercy needs her own niche.

9 Likes
7

As much as I’m not really opposed I feel like the amount of characters with useless reloads would make implementing something like this difficult.

2 Likes
8

What about it’s an ability for her Staff?

Pressing “R” whilst healing a player will give a x2 boost of whatever is being used. Whether that be damage or healing for that specified player, only.

During her Ultimate (Deciding on Dev’s could be either) Does not work, or… Does work.

E.g, if Dev’s decide on something like this, it’s up to them whether the ability works for her ult healing a group of players or whether it just heals the specific player you’re healing/damage boosting still.

3 Likes
9

Dude, great idea. But not for the reasons you think.

I was thinking of an ability that would allow Mercy damage boost to additionally cause projectiles to bypass Defence Matrix. (Add in Reflect so that it’s not just one hero).

But it was kinda problematic, because it didn’t have a cooldown.

This would be perfect.

1 Like
10

Or something similar to your idea, being able to use it on a select player to bypass shields. Reinhardt, Brig, Orisa.

11

Actually I got a better idea.

Make it give bullets the ability to pierce through multiple enemies. (But get blocked by shields).

2 Likes
12

so how would this effect damage boost, other than it fills it up faster? It feels weird overcharging the Caduceus staff doesn’t add any extra effects to damage boost but damage boost fills it up faster

this feels like it could get real op real fast depending on how fast it fills up even if it was 300 hp only once every 20 seconds max, that would still feel too fast especially since mercy has such consistent good healing, so maybe reduce max hp to around 150-200 max and have it be around 10-15 seconds to charge to max?

Personally I liked this idea the best

Can she even become an unstoppable god of death and destruction for both teams?

1 Like
13

I… don’t really understand why she needs an ability for her reload button.

Brigitte also has a reload button that does nothing. So does Reinhardt, D.Va, Torbjorn when using his hammer, Moira, maybe I forgot about someone.

1 Like
14

we could also do that idea i had long ago and make Resurrect a passive

essentially “healing” the soul with her primary fire would resurrect them

(im not going on the specifics on the idea now)

then thats another free slot

1 Like
15

Give them all reload abilities!

16

Because Mercy lasts burst healing/impactful cooldowns outside of Rez, but the Devs said they are keeping Rez on E. It’s not that complex, just suggestions Ive seen many youtubers like Stylosa reccomend also.

17

Yessss I love these ideas

18

uh…

Reload your gun?
“but i dont use my gun at all, not even to finish off a low target or repel an attacker.”

k.

1 Like
19

Yes! I agree Mercy really does need this and you have amazing ideas! I cannot wait for Jeff to hear this. <3

1 Like
20

They aren’t saying it to give reload a purpose, they are saying this to give mercy some midfight value so she can be a main healer again.

1 Like