So first I just wanna say I dont play rein at all. Every other tank I at least feel comfortable on so this instance is specific because I’ve seen it alot recently and I dont understand it as a choice.
Busan meka base: quite often recently I’ve had reins on this map go the high ground route out of spawn. Only to immediately drop off the high area to the point when the cap is still on lockdown. I’m just curious what the thought process here is from any of you hammer players. To me its giving up high ground before taking the first fight. Since I’m usually off tank or support it leaves me with the do I follow rein and hope my team does as well or stay with the high squad and hope we can pull out a 5v6. I’ve seen this alot and from my perspective it seems like a bad move to drop before you have to.
Ligiang night market: this isn’t rein specific necessarily but initial fight in this map I dont like pushing outside at all. I like taking it up the gut or sym to window etc… I’ve been booped to many times on this map. I know rein is less likely to have this happen but I’ve punished plenty that go this route. Just want to pick your overwatch brains on why take outside rotation that’s easily punished from my perspective vs front until you have a reason to not take that route. Widow, car wash etc…
As do i depending on hero and comp even if it isnt the choice I would make, these two give me pause everytime, and honestly my hesitation alone might be why they typically dont work out well. I’m just curious what the thoughts are on these two maps from tank players.
On Busan Meka Base: I have no idea why a Rein would give up that teamfight just to be on an locked point
Ligiang Night Market: probably due to it being the most common route to take right off the bat… But as soon as the point is capped I do take the other path… But if you do play Off Tank then be the one who takes that path that Rein will learn eventually (Like I did)
Meka busan: okay i dont understand that play because You wanna control highground before you go to point, the reason why you wanna drop is either a strat or they really screwed up your movement.
Liljang: its not the most optimal and your better off holding going thru main straight to point, but sometimes you might go for that as a shatter play or they are positioned aggressively, you can speed boost and rotate outside straight to point so they have to be forced to go to point and you can have a point fight, although both has risk and that rotation play is kinda outdated because sym tele exist.
On Busan, it isn’t just Reins. I see that one a LOT at gold/plat. I don’t get it either. It’s frustrating, but there’s also nothing you can do to stop it unless you can have a conversation about strategy while still in spawn before the round starts.
My favorite are the ones who make to engage the fight on the high ground, wait for it to kick off, then CHARGE off the high ground and leave their team to lose the 5 v 6. Then whinge when they die alone on point and spam “Defend the objective” or such. Beautiful stuff.
As for Lijiang, it really depends on your comp. Do you have a Lucio? Speed can make it a little bit safer. But really only Ball can ensure his arrival in a timely fashion (he can loop around the outside of the building if grapple is off cooldown). It can be a dangerous play, and I’m not sure it’s often worth it anyway. I generally find that out front is the better place for more most heroes to be engaging for the first fight. Unless you have a Sym strat or something and really want to be in the more secure position on the point. But then you have TP, as noted.
People like to tunnel vision on the objective too much.
Having a Lucio of your own usually gives you a decent enough opportunity to take the bridge route unharmed. You can usually block or stun someone going for a boop as well if you’re listening out for them, though landing a stun on a frog going at 200mph is not always a guarantee.
It’s usually a bad idea to give up high ground without a fight, but taking on a 5v6 is liable to be even worse.
We’re talking in generalizations here, but if you’re playing a long-ranged hero I would hold the staircases and use pillars for cover. This allows you to retake high ground if the enemy drops down, push point if you feel secure, or just gun down enemies from a moderate high ground.
As a side, I find that learning how to play maps properly is one of the most difficult things to learn. Not only is it counterintuitive and hero specific, but I’ve found it hard to find resources on specific map theories and strategies.
For busan dropping off of high ground before the first fight to stand on point is just bad play. A rein doesn’t want to fight in a wide open space so I usually spend my entire time on the high side of the map Inorder to stuff the choke and put pressure on them. Your rein maybe wanted to draw attention away from your team by dropping down or maybe the enemies didn’t try to fight for high ground idk the exact situation but most of the time a rein wants to fight for that spot on the map or if the enemy is camping point rush whoever is there if highground is already won. If you cant take one high ground you at least want the other so your hitscan can contest it.
As rein on nightmarket I usually go through the main area for first fight or join sym tp. If get to point first I plant myself on the entrance way with the two big doors in main and I just swing if they decide to enter. Hopefully my teammates watch the off angles but if they aren’t I try and play more aggressively to punish poorly timed split pushes. The side area is an important part of the map to play Around cause depending on where the enemy is positioned it can give you direct access to the support line and it allows a team to surround whoever is camping point. I dont think pushing the side as all six is a good idea unless you’re quick about it but having a split push on both sides is important cause it makes it easier to overwhelm a team and rattle their positions.
But as a Rein main, there is a reason for an outside rotation onto Night Market. The primary reason is if they beat you to point and stage before you via Lucio Speed or a Sym TP, your shield will get shredded trying to send it main. If you don’t have speed boost or another barrier tank to help mitigate that damage, you’re going to constantly be at a resource disadvantage if they just set up on point and you keep sending it main.
Thanks for the responses. I still enjoy tanking and I actually like control as you just boss onto point and say you shall not pass. I just know my positions on where I want to be are different for my dva, orisa, hog etc… and differ on maps. I typically want to own point with the exception being maps that have high ground on/next to point. I have zero time on rein since like the mass rez days, so wasn’t sure if I was just missing something in how I think the character plays from a supporting perspective.
I play mostly quickplay these days so you get varied skill sets across the board and i like trying to “adapt” to that and pull a hard win. The meka base thing I have seen so much recently I was just trying to wrap my head around it. Like was there a streamer or clip or something people are emulating here but didnt get the full context of, or just lack of experience in positioning and map understanding. To be honest I have seen some competent reins as in their ability usage and fight mechanics do this which I why I had to ask about it here.
The ligiang one like I said is more generalized and if there is a squad I follow. Do my best to get info and bait the boops but man so many team fights are lost right off the bat before the teamfight can even happen on that one from my experience. It’s a guarantee someone on the enemy team has boops if not a few and if your not speeding there or have ball they are gonna be there first right.