Echo, Overwatch’s latest hero, has added a new dimension to the game. Her kit offers a unique way to dominate the competition. However, Echo is a hero who requires significant skill and game-sense to master. This Echo guide will provide an overview of how to use this character to her full potential so you can start dominating your matches.
1. Position Yourself Carefully
Unlike Overwatch’s tankier heroes, Echo is what you might call a glass cannon. Essentially, she is very powerful but also very quick to die. If you don’t know how to position with Echo, you could end up feeding your opponents ult charge and costing your team the match.
For the best results, you should make sure not to let yourself get too far out in the open without support. Additionally, make sure that your cooldowns are available before you engage. Doing these two things will keep you alive on Echo longer, enabling you to maximize her damage output potential.
2. Choose Your Duplication Targets Carefully
Echo’s ultimate, duplicate, is unlike any other in the game. It allows you to take on the form of an opposing hero for a brief 15-second window. During that time, your ultimate for the hero you’ve duplicated will charge very quickly. Understanding this and knowing how to maximize its value is key to getting the most out of Echo.
We recommend that you target heroes for duplication based on how fast their ultimates charge. Reinhardt is the best option because of how quickly Earthshatter charges and how valuable it can be. Other solid choices include Tracer and Junkrat.
3. Partner With a Mercy
If you want to play Echo in your matches, try to do so with a Mercy whenever possible. These two heroes synergize incredibly well. With a Mercy pocket, Echo is able to take more aggressive positions and dish out increased damage without worrying about dying so quickly.
Additionally, Mercy’s damage boost will add 30% to Echo’s DPS output. This is especially powerful when combined with Echo’s sticky bombs. These normally do 180 damage but will cross the 200 damage threshold with Mercy’s damage boost. That’s an important number because it allows Echo to one-short many of Overwatch’s healers and DPS characters.
4. Target Barriers with Focus Beam
Echo’s focus beam ability produces a whopping 200 damage per second when its target is below half health. However, it can be difficult to target opposing players with this ability, since they will typically retreat to cover before the damage boost kicks in.
Instead, use your focus beam to target enemy barriers. They’re very easy to hit and breaking one can give your team the opportunity it needs to engage the enemy. Doing this well could be all it takes to win your team its next fight.
5. Don’t Play Echo Every Match
While playing a new hero is always fun, it’s important not to insta-lock Echo every match. More specifically, playing Echo into an enemy Mccree, Widowmaker, or Sombra is asking for trouble. Widowmaker and Mccree can kill Echo in just one or two shots. Sombra can hack her repeatedly, making all of Echo’s wonderful abilities absolutely worthless.
Echo is good enough to play as your main hero. But don’t cost your team the game by running her into a counter. With that in mind, and by following the other tips listed in this Echo guide, you should be able to start climbing the ranks of Competitive Queue in no time.
