Trying to learn how to position better on Ana
but need someone please explain how positioning is even a thing in OW. For starters…blizzard has seen to it that many of the maps dont allow for long lines of sight, most maps are built in such a way that even if you find a good position…there are always things blocking your line of sight. Cars, walls, plants, trees, signs, billboards, the sled, rocks…and various other things.
All of that, however, isnt even really the main issue…it’s the fact that the battle is always moving, so even if you find a good place to be, it only lasts for a split second before your dive tank or dive dps, or any of your team really, go running off around a corner or somewhere where you cant see them. Then there is the dive dps or tanks from the other team who wont let you get away with being in a good position.
So with all of this, you are always having to keep moving in order to maintain LOS with your team, but also trying to keep out of LOS with the other team.
Im just trying to understand the whole thing behind how positioning works in a game where everything is changing by the second.
thanks!
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Corners! Corners are your friends, always try to work around corners, so you can have sight on your team, while the enemy team can’t see you aroung corners. If there’s a flanker, move around a corner and break LOS, corners are your bestest friends, for as long as your team doesn’t overextend.
Did you know that, after Napoleon subdued the Netherlands, many people of unknown origin where just assigned random Dutch surnames? One of them was Vanderhoek/Van der Hoek, which basically meant “from the corner”.
That’s right. Any Dutchman with this surname stems from a poor lad who was literally found from around the corner.
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agree, corners are good, but as a healer, i find myself either constantly being dove…or constantly having to change position because my team is always spread out and going in places that are out of my LOS so i basically have to follow them…which puts me always out of position, and in danger of always being in the line of fire.
how does one get around the always moving aspect of the game, and still be able to maintain good positioning?
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Just watch Emongg he’s the only streamer worth watching, literally gives play by plays and is entertaining.
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Map knowledge is good for that, but that requires an investment of time. If your team happens to make a collective move forward, you should straight up follow and stay with the team, as well as using them as meat shields, then use corners once the fight begins.
If they spread out, it’s best to stick with heroes that don’t dive. Anyone who dives should expect to not be babysat by a healer and supports should always know that not everybody can be saved.
If the enemy does not have any ranged DPS, you’re actually allowed to roam more free than usual, as long as you keep your distance.
Always remember that switching to other heroes is important when dealing with a disadvantage. You’re not supposed to ram Ana’s head into a full dive comp.
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Positioning has so many variables like you say because the pace changes.
It’s also going to depend on map, your team comp, and the enemy’s team comp.
Usually you hang back with Ana while your support protects you. Like that’s a default start position.
At the same time depending on the flow of the fight you want to be close enough to accurately throw nade to save your front line or punish the Frontline if the tanks barrier breaks.
There’s not a set rule because your team nor your hero want to get predictable in a position unless the enemy can’t break your defense.
You have to have your head on a swivel as a support so also have yourself positioned near escape routes where you can corner peak from mid range/snipers trying to poke you.
Sometimes you gotta move forward aggressively with your team, some times you can’t risk it especially if the enemy is a good shot.
But you are one of the all-star pieces because that made can roll the enemy if you are in the right spot to splash them with purple.
It’s a lot of layers because you gotta figure out do you need to position by ceiling cover to not get jumped by Pharah/Echo.
Should you play far back or stay up close to make an enemy Ram think twice about ulting or risk you putting him to sleep.
Positioning and spacing is always changing in the game.
But to keep it simple, put yourself in the best positions to heal but give yourself the least exposure to enemy fire.
You are slow and diveable. And primary target of a dive tank like Dva and flankers.
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When protecting yourself from dives, consider buddying up with your co-support or a dps. Also make yourself cost the enemy team their cooldowns to get to you. E.g. a Tracer that has to use all three blinks just to get close is not as scary as one that has all of them up and is ready to dodge. Be conservative with your nade and sleep in these situations as well. An Ana without her cooldowns is a diver’s dream.
For a spread out team, keep in mind who your co-support can see and heal and who you can. E.g. a Mercy running around with the dps on off-angles should be enough to take care of them while you focus on the tank. You do sometimes have to give up advantageous positions to get to your team when they’re pushing, but don’t go out of your way to try and save players 1v5ing. I’m not gonna give up highground for a Doom around 3 walls in the enemy’s backline.
Also, try planning where you can push or retreat to in advance. “If we get a pick, I can push forward to this corner, but if we lose someone, I can fall back here and still help my retreating team.”
If fights kinda fall into complete chaos with everyone everywhere, imagine your team’s positions as a net you want to be in the center of. Try to keep to cover even if it’s just the payload or a stray Winston bubble. Anyone that goes for you specifically will technically end up ‘surrounded’ in that situation. A teammate paying attention should help, but I know that’s asking a lot for some lobbies lmaoooooo.
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there’s not much collective about my games, being a solo queue quick play player. most of the time it’s…“hey…they’re all going different directions again…cool!” 
im not? i thought counter swapping was the “DEBIL”!
good points on the rest though…corners, dive, ranged…thanks! 
so, i do have a confession of a problem…im stubborn…yeah! i know, i admit it…there…i said it…im stubborn! what i mean by that is, when i see a widow, my mind doesnt go to “oh, i better get behind cover”…nope…my big head thinks i can duel widow as an Ana…“if i can just duck in and out of cover and get shots off quicker…maybe she’s not a good aim and i can win this due…” SPLAT…licking my wounds as i return from spawn.
yeah…that’s my life
lol, and i do that with a lot of other heros too. see i dont pay attention to that “get behind cover nonsense”…NOOOOO…im like “i can get that kill, i need to pump out some damage…i KNOW i can win this figh…” splat…licking my wounds as i return from spawn
sometimes i do win them though…but i think over all they call it a pyrrhic victory…
i tend to do this, because i think it’s my job to always be in a position to help the team, rather than holding a good position that might not be able to get everyone, but can help those in the vicinity.
Counterswapping is core part of a hero shooter. Those who speak against it are justified when talking about how it may give too much of an edge, but those who want it wholly removed might as well play S76 5v5s. There’s no shame in sometimes trying a Brig or Moira, all what counts is that you have fun and assist the common cause.
Expecting coordination from QP is the wrong way to go right now. It’s best to play self-sufficent heroes like Moira in there.
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yeah, im trying to be a better Ana, but i generally just dont have loads of time to play, so i dont have a team that i run with and since i can only play on weekends, well ive heard that solo queue on weekends is the worst time to play comp, so i generally dont mess with comp much anymore either.
so, i try to trudge on with Ana, just trying to revel in the good games
also, there is sombra…who…literally will not give me a moments rest…where, it doesnt matter where im at…she’s there…torturing me like a gnat on my chocolate cake on picnic day! just wont leave me alone and spends the entire match focusing on the supports…
so there’s that.
also, it seems every hero is a dive now…even orisa lol
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am i the only one who flanks on ana?
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probably not…i just dont dare, because i cant move an inch in any game without someone always knowing where im at, and gunning for me. it’s brutal sometimes in QP…it’s like, no matter where you pop up, someone on the other team always knows where you are…and the other team always seems to run a tracer/sombra or genji/sombra combo…
ive watched players like widow and ana on the other team, literally stand in one area for several minutes shooting and healing…and NOBODY notices they are there. That never happens with me…as soon as i pop into view and take a shot…someone is shooting back at me.
I wish i could figure out that secret…
As a rule of thumb, try to always keep: 1. immediate cover(corner, large object) 2. an exit/fallback route and 3. a way to safely move up within a few seconds at most of your current position. Positioning entails a LOT. like more than could be covered in a 10-page essay i feel, but IMO positioning at its core is trying to have as many options as possible while being able to do your job (which will change from dps to healing on support depending on other stuff.)
What about Dafran? Or Gale?
If your team spreads out immediately, get to a position where you can keep people on the point alive.
Or to keep a pushing tank alive.
If it turns out that a dps is carrying your match, try to get a position where you can help that dps from while not ignoring the tank.
If nothing else, that tank is the distraction that the carrying dps needs to keep getting the picks they’ve been getting.
If you have a good position, try to communicate to your team not to push too far forwards.
If i see someone go behind a corner alone, i usually use the “come to me for healing” “or fall back” in conjunction with a basic “here” ping on a point where i can see.
I shoot at the wall a few times to let them know the spot i can see and where they can stand to get heals at.
This communication works best right after a teamfight.
It doesn’t work all the time, but a few times people have figured it out on maps like Ilios well and other such maps with stationary defence areas.
On maps with mobile defence areas, like payloads and pushbots. Corners are your friends. As well as keeping an eye on flank routes all the time. If you have to scope, remember to glance at flank routes every few shots. Especially if you can’t see the enemy flankers in the teamfight.
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On a ana zen it’s simple,
You need to take positions with the widest los available on the fight taking place so you get full view and can support everything taking place.
Remember range is not a problem on ana and zen
That said make sure it’s near cover and in a way its not on the main focus lane of your team , so you don’t take spam and if enemy want to focus you they have to split attention.
Obviously you need to change this position in accordance to if they have snipers then it’s best to cut los to sniper but maximize rest
If it’s dive either play close to other support of they peel or even further away so that they need to expend resource to get you.
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i think i realized something and tell me if im wrong, but…ana is not good on all maps. for example, maps that have capture points where it’s a small area…im assuming you just dont use ana there, do you? better to go with a more mobile, easier to aim like juno or kiriko?
Also others have said corners and high ground but also factor in something that not enough people mention which is there is no perfect position. If you’re getting dove consistently while playing in relation to your team then eventually you’ll have to give up that corner or high ground
play close till just before a fight then back up i little bit.
do not self isolate yourself
corners are only good sometimes since you are predictable peeking them, which is why you see lots of high ranks stand in the open and use their movement
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