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All Overwatch heroes exist in a delicate balance.

Each member of the game's large roster brings a wholly unique set of abilities to any firefight, and yet somehow no one feels overpowered or "better" than anyone else. And the secret to that success? Every hero can be countered.

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SEE ALSO:4 'Overwatch' hero strategies for beginners to master

Overwatch rewards quick reflexes and smart, tactical play, just like any other shooter, and facing each threat with the right hero is a huge part of that. You wouldn't, for example, sic Mercy on a Bastion. Genji though? Perfect.

Using the right counters doesn't guarantee a win 100 percent of the time, but it's very hard to stay competitive when you're using the wrong ones. Read on for a rundown of ideal counters for each Defense hero in Overwatch.

Bastion

Credit: Blizzard Entertainment

• Genji:There's no one better at shutting down Bastion than the cyborg ninja of Overwatch. Genji's speed, damage and range all work to his advantage when facing off against the robot, but it's his Deflect ability that tilts the balance. Activate it just as sentry-Bastion starts firing and watch as it blasts itself apart with its own bullets.

• Tracer:Tracer's speed and mobility help her avoid Bastion's fire while laying down some of her own. Using Blink, she can quickly close the distance or zip behind an opposing Bastion and finish it off. Rely on hit-and-run tactics, using Recall to reset Tracer's position -- along with her health -- after pushing forward to deal damage.

• Widowmaker/Hanzo:Bastion can deal with threats at range but it's no match for a sniper. Widowmaker and Hanzo both can either pick off the robot in sentry mode or deal enough damage in one shot to force it to change position, and they can do it from a position of relative safety.

Hanzo

Credit: Blizzard Entertainment

• Widowmaker:You don't bring a bow and arrows to a sniper duel. Hanzo has plenty of his own advantages in a battle, but there's no better pure sniper in Overwatchthan Widowmaker. Use her rifle to wipe out a sniping Hanzo before he ever sees you coming. You'll always have the benefit of more accurate fire, especially at range, since the bow fire needs to account for arrow drop.

• Tracer:Nothing is more infuriating for a slow-firing Hanzo than a buzzing Tracer that won't sit still. Tracer's speed is a big advantage against the bow-wielding sniper, but she also benefits from having a small stature. Hanzo's arrows just have a hard time finding her, especially while Tracer is also chipping away at his health with her dual SMGs.

• D.Va:Tanks are often better leaders than followers, but D.Va's rockets allow her to chase down a fleeing Hanzo even as he scales past buildings and walls. Her Defense Matrix shield is also an effective counter to Hanzo's bow, which has a relatively slow, visible wind-up before it fires. She may not dish out a lot of damage, but D.Va is very effective at knocking a sniping Hanzo out of position.

Junkrat

Credit: Blizzard Entertainment

• Widowmaker/Hanzo:Junkrat doesn't have the range to take on the Overwatchsnipers. If he can corner one up close, great -- but it doesn't happen often. Widowmaker and Hanzo both have the ability to operate and deal damage from outside the range of Junkrat's grenade launcher or abilities, making them a perfect counter to his neverending fountain of explosives.

• McCree:McCree can shut down Junkrat in a way that flankers like Tracer or Reaper can't thanks to his Flash Bang. A good Junkrat knows how to use his remote explosive to quickly launch himself away from a close-range threat. McCree can interrupt that with his Flash Bang, stunning Junkrat long enough for a Fan the Hammer to whittle his health down to nothing.

• Pharah:If anyone is more effective at stopping Junkrat than the snipers, it's Pharah. She's nigh impossible for Junkrat to hit when she's hovering in the air, and her rockets can make quick work of him. There's nothing more to it than that: just hover and pepper the Aussie with rockets until he's toast.

Mei

Credit: Blizzard Entertainment

• Widowmaker/Hanzo:The damage-oriented snipers are interchangeable when it comes to Mei. Her icicle projectiles give her more of a shot at surviving than Junkrat if she finds herself targeted by Hanzo or Widowmaker, but their ability to deal high damage, quickly and from outside her effective range, has the edge.

• McCree:Another Junkrat-like counter situation. McCree can use his Flash Bang to temporarily disrupt Mei's most tide-changing tactics -- her freezing spray and her self-healing Cryo-Freeze. While she's stunned, a well-placed Fan the Hammer is often enough to finish the job.

• Pharah:Yes: when it comes to counters, Mei is basically Icy Junkrat. She flails the most against heroes that deal damage from outside her range. When a Mei surfaces, Pharah should take to the skies and pepper the her with rockets from higher ground.

Torbjörn

Credit: Blizzard Entertainment

• Widowmaker/Hanzo/Ana:Countering Torbjörn primarily means countering his turret, which tracks in-range enemies very efficiently but doesn't move unless Torb builds a new one. That makes the turret a sitting duck against snipers. Torb usually hangs out close to the turret so he can affect repairs, but that just gives you another target. Take him out first, then the turret.

• Junkrat/Zarya:This unusual hero pairing has one thing in common: the ability to deal indirect damage. Junkrat and Zarya can both fire arcing shots that allow them to damage a Torb turret -- and repairing Torb -- from a concealed position. Aiming well requires some luck mixed with trial and error, but these heroes can shut down a Torb without ever showing their faces.

• Pharah:Pharah's rockets might not fly so quickly, but they travel in a straight line and don't stop until they hit something. That makes Pharah a perfect counter to Torb, effectively using her weapon to "rocket snipe" his turrets. Pair that tactic with Concussive Blast to keep a repairing Torb away while you finish off his creation.

Widowmaker

Credit: Blizzard Entertainment

• D.Va/Winston:Countering a sniper like Widowmaker isn't so much a matter of shooting her down as it is about keeping her out of position. A Widowmaker that can't stop moving is also one that can't pick off your teammates. D.Va and Winston are uniquely suited to this task thanks to each one's distance-closing ability. D.Va's jet boost and Winston's leap both let them quickly shut down Widowmaker's chief advantage: her range.

• Genji:Genji is no sniper, but his fast-moving, high-damage burst of throwing stars make for a decent counter-snipe. The key for him is pairing that offensive asset with Deflect, since it can reverse Widowmaker's carefully aimed shot and the damage it would have dealt. Harry her with stars then Deflect before she fires.

• Widowmaker:When all else fails, the best defense against a skilled sniper is another skilled sniper. Widowmaker's own tools -- scoped aim, high-powered fire -- are devastating when you turn them against her. Sniper the sniper, lest she snipes you first.

TopicsBlizzard EntertainmentEsportsGaming

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