Orisa is a hero who has been at both the top and bottom of the Overwatch hero tier list. While she can be a strong counter-pick to many heroes, sometimes her lack of mobility reduces her effectiveness. To counter her effectively, you need to play around ability cooldowns and prioritize the backline.
Here are the best counters for Orisa in Overwatch.
Orisa counters in Overwatch
- For tanks, good Orisa counters are Zarya, Winston, and D.Va.
- For damage, good Orisa counters are Mei, Echo, Bastion, and Reaper.
- For supports, good Orisa counters are Moira, Zenyatta, and Ana.
- Regardless of the hero, try to ignore Orisa and focus on the backline.
Orisa’s strengths and weaknesses in Overwatch
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| + High survivability | – Low mobility |
| + Strong counter-pick |
Orisa’s kit is designed for survivability and constant brawling. Javelin Spin blocks projectiles while Fortify grants damage reduction and bonus health. Both the Javelin Spin and Energy Javelin can push enemies away, making Orisa a strong counter-pick to multiple heroes, like Ramattra. However, apart from the movement boost during Javelin Spin, Orisa doesn’t have any movement abilities.
Best Orisa counters in Overwatch
Orisa’s main goal is to attract attention and absorb damage using Fortify. To counter this playstyle, you want to capitalize on Orisa’s lack of mobility to attack her backline or isolate her from the rest of the team when Fortify is on cooldown to eliminate her.
Here are the heroes Orisa struggles against most:
| Tank counters | DPS counters | Support counters |
|---|---|---|
| Zarya, Winston, D.Va | Mei, Echo, Bastion, Reaper | Moira, Zenyatta, Ana |
For beginners, some of the easier counters to pick up include D.Va, Bastion, and Zenyatta. With Bastion, aim to shred Orisa after she uses her abilities, and with Zenyatta, your primary goal is landing the Orb of Discord.
How to play around abilities and beat Orisa in Overwatch
Because Orisa wants you to focus on her, you must play around her cooldowns. While Fortify is active, prioritize the backline and eliminate supports. Trying to kill Orisa during Fortify rarely provides value and mostly benefits the opposing team. Once the supports are gone and Fortify is on cooldown, that’s when you can try to secure the kill.
Best tank counters for Orisa in Overwatch
Zarya is the go-to tank counter to Orisa. Her beam can deal damage even when Orisa uses her Javelin Spin to negate projectiles. The Russian weightlifter also has the advantage of being able to shield herself or a teammate being pushed by Orisa with a Bubble.
D.Va’s ability to absorb Orisa’s primary fire and Javelin with her Defense Matrix is a godsend for teammates as they try to push forward. Being able to cop a few bullets while protecting your allies is an excellent way to give your team room to make a move against the backline. The Booster Jets allow her to escape dodgy situations, including the Terra Surge Ultimate.
Winston is a tank that can ignore Orisa and dive straight for the backline, which is the opposite of what Orisa wants. Winston’s ability to dive and quickly disengage will disrupt healing, leaving Orisa vulnerable.
Best DPS counters for Orisa in Overwatch
For damage, you need a hero that can deal high DPS when Orisa’s abilities are on cooldown or someone that can isolate her. Echo’s abilities can tear through an Orisa’s health easily. Since Orisa’s only mobility comes from her Javelin Spin, she is an easy target to hit as an Echo. Echo can stay mobile to avoid Javelin and Javelin Spin, dealing high damage with Focusing Beam.
Bastion and Reaper can both shred Orisa when the timing’s right. In the Configuration: Assault mode, Bastion becomes deadly, while Reaper is a designated tank buster. The most important part is timing your engagements with Orisa’s cooldowns.
Aside from Mei’s primary fire, which can go through Orisa’s Javelin, her wall is also great to force Orisa out of position and get her stuck. A perfectly timed Mei wall to separate Orisa from her team allows you to burst her down easily.
Best support counters for Orisa in Overwatch
Most supports are roughly in the same spot when playing against Orisa. However, Moira, Zenyatta, and Ana stand out as more general picks. Moira’s obvious strength against Orisa is that she has few abilities that Orisa’s Javelin Spin will stop. In addition, Fade allows her to dive with teammates and escape easily.
Zenyatta’s Orb of Discord makes killing Orisa easy, especially when paired with a DPS like Bastion or Reaper. While this ability is essential in making a tank’s life hell, don’t forget about the enemy supports. Lastly, Ana is a more general pick thanks to her Sleep Dart and Biotic Grenade. Much like Zenyatta, Ana can help kill Orisa much faster. However, be mindful of using the Sleep Dart as Fortify makes Orisa immune to crowd-control.
Heroes that struggle against Orisa in Overwatch
When playing against Orisa, you want to avoid close-range heroes, as Orisa can easily punish them. This includes tanks like Reinhardt, DPS like Tracer, and supports like Lucio. Reaper is an exception due to his higher survivability and safer disengage. Tanks like Roadhog or Ramattra can also be pushed around with Javelin Spin, even during their Ultimates.
FAQ
Who is Orisa’s hardest counter?
Zarya and Zenyatta. Zarya’s beam goes through Javelin Spin, and Zenyatta’s Orb of Discord makes killing Orisa much easier.
How do you stop Terra Surge?
During Terra Surge, Orisa is immune to crowd control. The best way to deal with it is to escape.
