Overwatch hero guide: Baptiste skill list

Overwatch's latest hero, Baptiste, is a medic that combines distension back up skills with area-of-issue healing abilities. Baptiste's exo boots can besides allow him to leap out of harm'due south way and reposition while empowering allies with a range of tools. His Immortality Field tin can finer block powerful ultimate skills like D.Va's and Junkrat's, saving allies from decease. He can as well create a field that grants bonus damage or healing to projectiles that pass through it, making ranged attacks more lethal than they would otherwise be.

Hither'south a rundown of his abilities and what they mean for the game.

Overwatch Baptiste ability listing

"Baptiste wields an assortment of experimental devices and weaponry to go on allies live and eliminate threats under tearing atmospheric condition. A battle-hardened combat medic, he is merely equally capable of saving lives every bit he is taking out the enemy," according to Blizzard. Unlike other support characters, who mostly stand back in a team fight, Baptiste is meant to exist on the forepart lines of combat. He does a lot of harm himself with his primary weapon, but more than than healing, he's meant to keep his allies alive if they're under heavy fire.

Withal, Baptiste is more than just a new support grapheme. His kit is the start of its kind in the game and utilizes weapons and abilities that no other characters have.

Medic SMG

Baptiste's primary weapon is his Medic SMG. Information technology'south a iii-round-burst hitscan weapon that holds up to 45 bullets at a time. It'southward a decent weapon that does significant damage and can hold its own both close and long range (but don't look him to compete with snipers or other hitscan like Ashe).

At the time of this writing, it's the but outburst gun in the game. Other characters can shoot burst projectiles, like Genji, but the SMG has a completely different rhythm than other primary weapons.

Biotic Launcher

The secondary fire on his SMG is the Biotic Launcher, which heals allies. Shooting out one of the projectiles (there'south ten in a clip) heals players within range of its touch on. This is a alter that might take some getting used to for players used to, for case, Zarya's alt shooting out a damaging projectile.

Unfortunately, you tin can't heal yourself with this power, merely that's where the side by side one comes in play.

Regenerative Burst

This is looking to exist the main focus of future Baptiste strategies. His Regenerative Burst, every bit the proper name implies, releases a outburst of healing that heals him and nearby allies over fourth dimension. The dandy matter virtually this power is how you can leave his side as shortly equally you become hit with information technology. Getting healed over time isn't contingent on being near him. It has a xv-2d cooldown.

Exo Boots

The boots are Baptiste'south passive ability. If yous hold the button to crouch, you can charge up a jump, which you can then use to reposition yourself.

The Exo Boots are the oddest Baptiste characteristic and the biggest deviation from other Overwatch heroes. While you can use a spring boost as an escape with characters like Junkrat, information technology'due south mostly used hither to set up attacks or get to higher areas, merely it'south ineffective in close-quarters combat. Information technology takes a flake to charge and then you accept around a second to utilize information technology (and hit the jump push button) before information technology times out.

Considering no other character's main kit utilizes the hunker button and that you accept to utilise ii buttons to pull off this move, it'southward going to exist awkward for a lot of Overwatch players to pull off. I see this generally being used for setting up when yous're not being overrun by the enemy team.

Immortality Field

This is another key chemical element of Baptiste's skill list. He tin throw out this device, which creates a field that prevents allies from dying. It doesn't do any healing, merely it does tack on an extra 20% health (usually around 40 HP for characters with effectually 200 total HP) that can't be removed unless the histrion moves out of its range. Even when the field goes downwardly, players afflicted will still maintain that boost, but they can then dice. It lasts around eight seconds at the time of this writing.

It'southward also targetable, so enemy players tin can destroy it. Still, information technology'south a corking way to quickly counter a team-wiping ultimate like D.Va'southward Cocky Destruct or Junkrat'southward Rip-Tire. Baptiste merely has to be on mitt to do some healing when it goes downward. It has a 20-second cooldown.

Ultimate: Amplification Matrix

Finally, nosotros have the Distension Matrix. Baptiste creates a wall of energy that doubles the damage and healing effects of friendly projectiles that pass through it. This seems to work with anything from Ana'southward bio grenades to Baptiste's own biotic projectiles. It doesn't take too long to get, so it'south peachy for setting up combos with your team.

How does he work with other characters?

Baptiste isn't what people were expecting. He's an experimental support and DPS (damage-per-second) fighter that can potentially dish out a lot of heals, simply his main purpose is to provide additional impairment and protect against team-wiping ultimates. He works dangerously well with other ranged heroes like Ana who are easy targets simply tin turn the tide in a game with a strong projectile. An obvious combination is Baptiste'south matrix combined with Ana'south Nano Heave or her biotic grenades (this dangerous mix is probably why Blizzard reduced the amount of healing the Boost does in the latest patch notes).

He also doesn't do annihilation to the biggest upshot in Overwatch right now: the GOATS meta, or three tanks and three back up. Fans were hoping that Baptiste might provide a counter to GOATS, but if annihilation, he seems to exacerbate it. Keeping him shut to tanks will make it tougher to accept them out, plus he works as a counter to character ultimates that can be used to suspension up tight groups.

However, what Baptiste does provide is a change for players looking to attempt something different or who might prioritize support roles in competitive mode. His odd kit — including the clunky Exo Boots — is unique to Overwatch, and players will have fun figuring out how to best utilise it.

A lot of these observations are subject area to change. Baptiste is still only in PTR at the moment, and Blizzard could apply small tweaks before he's officially released. For now, Baptiste is looking like frontline back up that can dish it out every bit well equally he tin accept it.

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