Okay, so, ya know, there’s been some talk about how Supports in Overwatch are just “healers” and how that’s all they should be doing. But like, that’s not entirely true. At least here’s how I understand it. Supports have a whole bunch of abilities that go beyond just healing, and not using those abilities can actually put your team at a disadvantage, idk.
Think of it like this, right? It’s like having a toolbox with a bunch of different tools in it. If you only use one tool, like a hammer, and ignore all the other tools, then you’re not gonna be able to fix everything that needs fixing. Same thing with Supports. If you’re only healing and not using the other abilities, then you’re not gonna be able to support your team in all the ways they need.
For example, Mercy has her damage boost ability that can really amp up your team’s damage output. And Ana has her sleep dart and grenade that can shut down enemy players and support your own team at the same time. If you’re not using those abilities, then you’re not playing to your full potential as a Support, ya know?
So yeah, Supports are definitely more than just “healers” in Overwatch, and using all their abilities can really make a difference for your team.
I’ve seen talks of supports not healing, which is their primary function… there are literal memes around the stuff. Battle Mercy, Reddit Lucio, DPS Moira
if you are asking my support rank as a way to qualify my thoughts, I am ranked gold in support as ana and moira and mercy. That is regardless of what I said though so my point still stands that supports are not called healers because they are not healbots. Idk I just didnt include my rank because it is meaningless, I can be bronze 5 and still believe this.
you play support because you want to primarily heal & keep teammates alive; healing is the main purpose of the role whether y’all like it or not . if you don’t , then play dps or tank, they have utilities too. y’all just keep making excuses & pseudo generalizations because y’all play the role poorly and get called out.
No your fine trust me I didn’t mean it anyway directed towards you in that sense. But for “people” (not you) to say supports should “Only” heal that legitmeatly sounds like something I’d only hear in bronze.
100% agree yes. Supports in Overwatch still must primarily heal as their team is relying on them to do so. While they have the potential to deal damage, their primary role is to keep their team alive and healthy during battles. Without a sufficient amount of healing, the team would quickly crumble and lose the fight.
Think of it like a basketball team where the point guard’s primary role is to distribute the ball and create opportunities for their teammates to score. While they may also be able to score themselves, their primary job is to facilitate the success of their team. Similarly, supports in Overwatch are there to ensure that their team can survive and perform at their best.
In addition, supports in Overwatch have a wide range of abilities beyond just healing, such as crowd control and damage boosting. By effectively utilizing all of their abilities, supports can make a significant impact on the outcome of a match. However, healing remains their primary responsibility, as it is essential to the success of the team. I never said otherwise so please understand this is not something crazy to say here.
They’re the only role in the game that can consistently heal all of their teammates. They have their very own heal stat on the scoreboard. Healing is very much the roles identity, every hero in that role uses heals to support the team. Calling them healers wouldn’t be wrong and it doesn’t take away from the fact that they can do other things besides healing.
This is common knowledge in other gaming communities, idk why the OW community can’t understand that simple concept.
While the supports are primarily responsible for healing, they are also expected to contribute in other ways, such as providing utility, crowd control, and damage. They are crucial members of the team and should be treated equally to other roles, not relegated to a lower position just because of their primary function. The thing is no supports are yelling at dps saying kill more kill more as if that is helpful, we know that is their job and it would be silly for us to take the time to type that yet other players choose to take the time as if we supports do not know why we chose our role. It is a common thread of disrespect and the only solution is to accurately describe the role of supports, which i had done correctly. Supports are not healbots and it is disrespectful and degrading to call them that or treat them with those expectations. Not only that but it is coming from a place of ignorance since healbotting will not win fights unless somehow every dps makes every shot a critical hit and doesn’t take too many hits, that is unrealistic. The role of a support is complex and requires strategic decision-making, communication, and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. We should give them the respect and recognition they deserve for their crucial role in the team.
Another one of this red herring fallacies to justify healers not healing and not acting as if its their priority on the game, sick and tired of this toxic people.
I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been around so many toxic people that you are confusing me for one of them. I do not deny that the importance of healing in Overwatch. While it’s true that supports have other roles and responsibilities, healing is a fundamental part of their job and neglecting it can have a significant immediate impact on the team’s performance. Watch how fast the team dies if a support dies and you will understand that a team without healing is a dead team. Regardless, It’s very important for all players to understand and respect the roles and responsibilities of each hero in the game, including supports.
I’m currently mid to high plat on console, there are a lot of whiners in that area that if they see you do even the tiniest tick of damage instead of healing, will scream like a bunch of toddlers about how you’re just a DPS playing Support and that your only job is to heal. I’ve had DPS cry about not getting a single bit of healing despite I’ve been attached by the hip to them 70% of the match as Mercy with 10-15K+ heals.
Personally speaking, as you reach the Diamond stretch, if you need healing that often, then you probably belong in Cardboard 2 or Tin 5. Because there is no way that your positioning and ability to fight back is that bad that you need to be babysat every moment of the match at Plat.
Im just tired of people saying that the role doesn’t revolve around healing, it 100% does and I believe the healers have always had this privilege of not being called out or always being treated as this light beings that never do no wrong or treating them like they are making us all a favor for playing the role, its completely toxic because healers can suck too and I have seen them multiple times, they completely tunnel vision and never heal but the people immediately in front of them or healers that most of the match are doing damage and when called out they start with the gaslighting that they are not healers and are “supports” and that the role doesn’t revolve around healing.
I believe the most toxic role right now is the support role for a variety of reasons, not that the role is toxic per se but the people that play it are really toxic most of the time.
Because the original idea behind the “Support”-role was merely just placing classifications on how certain heroes “fit” a specific mold.
For example, the original “Support”-roster included Symmetra and even Torbjorn and Sombra were debated on being placed into the Support-role because of their utilitarian functions.
After OW1’s beta ended; Blizzard decided that all future Supports would be healers, primarily, and the first healer introduced that fit into that mold would be Ana.
yes exactly this is the same thing all of us supports are going through thank you for explaining it so well. yes, very relatable.
I agree that the support role in Overwatch is more than just being a “heal bot,” and that it includes a variety of other functions such as crowd control, utility, and damage boosting. However, it’s important to note that healing is still a crucial part of the support role, especially in a game where damage output is so high and fast-paced.
While the support role may have included different functions in the past, it’s clear that healing is now a primary function of the role, and that supports are designed to keep their allies alive and in the fight. The fact that Blizzard chose to name the role “support” rather than “healer” does show the importance of the complex abilities supports have. We should all be able to admit that supports are not healers. The term “support” better encompasses the multifaceted role that these heroes play on a team, rather than just focusing on their healing abilities.
It’s also important for players to recognize and respect the role of supports in Overwatch, and to understand that without supports, teams would have a much harder time surviving enemy attacks and achieving objectives. By working together and utilizing the unique abilities of each hero, teams can achieve success in the game, and supports play a crucial role in that success.
That and if you do nothing but heal bot, you’re never getting passed Plat. If all you do is heal, then the fight is a 3 v 5 rather than a 5 v 5 unless the enemy team’s Support is also heal botting. The unfortunate circumstance is that you have to choose between healing and playing as Support was intended and more often than not, you’re stuck choosing to heal. Without 24/7 babysitting, sometimes your DPS or tank just falls face first on the floor because of bad positioning and being more aggressive than the rest of the team is willing to be.
I am someone who can play Support and Tank at a Plat/Diamond level and DPS at a Gold/Plat level. The most infuriating thing as a Tank or DPS is wanting to push in, but your team mates are so afraid of taking damage that they stall at choke. This leaves you with the choice of try to make a play and likely die for it because of no support from your team, or just sit with them and wait until they all press Y/Q/Triangle at the same time.
The most infuriating thing as a Support is watching either one of your team mates (likely your tank) rush in alone and then complain or watching all of them cower behind cover.