Overwatch Guide: How To Play Sigma

Overwatch now has four barrier tanks, namely, Orisa, Reinhardt, Winston, and Sigma. While the first three are commonly considered tanks in the game, players are still confused where Sigma fits in the puzzle.

But like most heroes in Overwatch, Sigma is just as good as the player who controls him. And no matter how capable he is on the battlefield, his value is only as good as how you can capitalize with him.

Instead of spending hours trying to develop strategies based on what he can offer, it might just be best to understand Sigma’s abilities and what they can do in team fights.

Hypersheres

This is the hero’s primary attack, which is a projectile volley capable of dealing 60 damage upon impact and capping out at 120 damage. Hypersheres are strong enough to eliminate any squishy heroes, especially when amplified. But in order for this skill to be effective, you must be able to anticipate your enemy’s movements in order to land your shots accordingly. Your goal here is to keep the distance between you and your target, but make sure it is within a range where your shots can land.

Accretion

Accretion is Sigma’s second go-to damage skill. It allows him to hurl a massive boulder at a target to knock him/her down upon impact. The most important thing you need to remember here is the distance between you and the target. You see, the farther you are from your enemies, the longer they will stay on the ground when hit. While you might think it is fine to just go hurl a boulder, you might find it best to shut down your opponents from a distance. This will give your team the space they need to win the battlefield.

Kinetic Grasp

Kinetic Grasp is somewhat similar to D.Va’s old cool-down based defense matrix, although it comes with some significant variations. Lasting for two seconds, the skill can absorb enemy damage and turn 40% of it into shields (maxing out at 400). Everything can be absorbed except for beam weapons, but there is already a massive difference between the skill and D.Va's defense matrix, namely Sigma’s Kinetic Grasp is able to block Roadhog’s infamous hook.

So, if your opponents are fond of the never-ending Orisa-Roadhog team-up, then you can always steer clear form the halt-hook combo. You have to time your skill correctly, though, in order to do so.

Experimental Barrier

The biggest mistake most newbie Sigma players do is treating the hero’s barrier similar to a disposable leave-it-out shield. You know, the likes of Winston’s or Orisa’s. Surprisingly, it is not how it works – and it is definitely now how you can win games when using the skill.

Keep in mind that Sigma’s barrier (1,500 HP) is more durable than a single Orisa or Winston barrier despite being 500 HP less than Reinhardt’s. The coolest thing about it, though, is the way you can deploy and retract the barrier, giving your team the much-needed space to lobby and withstand big chunks of damage.

Gravitic Flux

This ultimate is seriously one of the best in Overwatch right now. It offers damage in two instances. The first cast is when an enemy gets lifted and takes 50 damage. The second one is all about dropping the enemy and reducing the total HP to half.

When using the ultimate, Sigma will be able to travel in the air for a short period of time. This is the perfect time to land shots onto your opponents, particularly those whom you can easily kill. Go for heroes with 200 HP, or those who can be deemed lower targets like McCree. Your goal here is to make these heroes your priority.