Yesterday while scrolling through the subreddit I saw a post talking about how healers often get blamed for letting people die despite said some people having poor positioning and low awareness. The post was short and too the point but after a rough day of ranked today it occurred to me that it was missing something.

This applies for all roles but varies slightly from Role to Role.

Target Priority and Threat Management

Target Priority and Threat Management are such crucial skills to have in many games but especially in team games like OW.

For starters, there is a very distinct difference, though it is slight as they due tend to blend into one another.

Target Priority: Target Priority is very simple, all it takes is you thinking about what is happening (or not happening) and who is causing it, then figuring out what you can do to fix it. This problem isnt exclusive to the DPS classes, sometimes a support can be doing a really good job always keeping their team at full health, other times it seems like the enemy tank can't ever be taken down, and yeah sometimes the enemy Hanzo it just headshotting everyone that walks into his sight line.

But you have to stop for a moment (during your spawn timer is a good time) and think to yourself. "Who is causing the most trouble for my team?" The answer to this question is always different but the solution is always the same. You have to do the best you can to counter whatever that issue is. It might be as simple as switching from a Zenyatta to a Mercy to give your team some extra heals. A Junkrat to a Solider to take care of that opressive Pharah. Maybe a Junker Queen to a Rein because your DPS is too afriad to challenge the enemy team. It might also be as horrifying as actually talking to your teammates. (scary I know but trust me on this) Though sometimes even your best effort isn't enough but that's okay because as long as you recognized the problem and tried to solve it, that makes you a better player and you'll learn how to better adapt and read those bad situations in the future.

Threat Mangement: Threat Management is a little different as it pertains more to keeping the threat "in a box" so to speak. While you might not be equipped to handle every situation that gets thrown at you, there are things you can do and keep in the back of your mind that will help you in alot of situations. Once you've identified the problem it's now time to deal with it. This can be different from Role to Role but every Role can have some form of impact.

This is where the mental notes come into play, it's something you just need to make sure you keep track of. For example if they have been Zarya/Hanzo ulting alot then as a tank player you can go D.va or Orisa and holding onto your Matrix or Javlin Spin and try to eat grav before it lands, which if successful, immediately taking out a massively impactful ult for the enemy.

Same example but for a dps, try to focus on taking out the Hanzo or even the enemy supports, without her back line Zarya will fall eventually and won't be able to combo grav.

Or as a support player take the Zenyatta or Moria and save your ult for grav, Zenyatta is a wonderful counter for any grav combo.

That was just one example but it can apply to any situation you mind for yourself in.

Overall though, know what is hurting your team the most. Sometimes it might be diversifying your team comp to help deal with a specific problem or it might be specifically watching for something that you can stop or even jump onto if you notice your team just can't quite finish.

And I do have one final tip that you can apply to every Role overall.

Focus the Supports

DPS: While taking out the enemy DPS is important or building your ult from the tank so you can get that sick potg. Always make sure to focus the healers. The supports are the back bone of any team and if you can constantly apply pressure to them they won't be able to heal their team.

Tanks: Be a bit more mindful, both of your own positioning and of your supports. I understand you want heals, and by all means I will give them too you. But when Genji is constantly trying to see how fast he can build his ult 200 damage at a time, and Junkrat is turning the back-line into the D-Day secen from Saving Private Ryan. Please understand I need you to make sure I'm doing okay from time to time. I know your busy trying to arm wrestle with Zarya but me an the other support are currently being hunted down but some blue spider lady and i'm horrified to turn any corner that's outside spawn.

Supports: It's okay to be a little more independent, sometimes your Rein is just gonna charge in and die, then rinse and repeat. All the while Symettra and Torb are setting up an impenetrable bunker that not even Sombra could get into. So it's gonna be up to you to get your team in line and do the best you can to keep them alive. But always keep yourself and the other support alive, they're gonna become your best friend over the next 20 minutes provided you show them they can trust you. It won't be easy and often times your Hanzo with 460 damage that when 2/8 the first round, is gonna complain that he wasn't healed. It's okay, just do your best and move onto the next game if this one isn't working out. Your team will thank you for it, regardless of the outcome.

Tl;dr Dont be bad at the game :5head:

Really though, Know who/what the issue is for your team, do your best to solve it, and take whatever knowledge you learn from that match with you so you can improve with a few more of the skills necessary to do so. And please for the love of the Iris, Focus The Supports regardless of team or the role you are. They are the backbone and nothing can happen without them.