High-skill Overwatch trick lets Pharah completely ruin D.Va bombs
Blizzard EntertainmentD.Va bombs present some of the most dangerous moments in Overwatch and usually hiding is the best counter. But players have taken notice of a Pharah trick that, while requiring a lot of skill, can absolutely ruin a Self Destruct throw.
D.Va’s ultimate ability, Self Destruct, takes three seconds from toss to explosion. That gives players just moments to run and hide when they hear the dreaded “Nerf this!” And hiding, either behind a shield or in cover, is usually the only option.
Unless you’re a Roadhog mid-heal, or have a shield tank handy, no character in Overwatch can survive a full-frontal D.Va bomb. But there is another option to counter the big boom and it comes in the form of a 200 HP, shieldless hero: Pharah.
As shown in a clip by YZN, Pharah’s Concussive Blast alternate fire can also be used on a D.Va bomb. While this may seem intuitive, it likely wasn’t something many players had even dared to try in the past.
How to dodge dva bomb pic.twitter.com/xeZ5Nmazk6
— YZN (@YZNSA_) June 30, 2021
Concussive Blast is best known for quickly repositioning as Pharah or for mischievously booping enemies off of the map. But the ability also has defensive characteristics, as it can be used to move a charging Reinhardt off his death path or… divert a D.Va bomb.
In the clip, YZN saves themself but directs the bomb toward an unlucky teammate. While that’s an unfortunate conclusion, it does show the potential of this ability so save your team completely.
BlizzardTheoretically, while the deflection doesn’t go very far, it could be used to push a thrown Self Destruct into a weaker spot. If you could bounce its trajectory toward the water in Rialto or behind a vehicle on Havana, the threat could be fully nullified.
The tech requires both accuracy and timing, so it’s a very high-skill trick to pull off. But the potential is astronomical if players keep this in mind, as it could save them and their team from well-placed doom.
