Decoding Kiriko’s Healing: A Comprehensive Guide to Overwatch 2’s Agile Healer
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Kiriko, the nimble and impactful Support hero from Overwatch 2, boasts a unique healing mechanic centered around her Healing Ofuda. These paper talismans act as her primary means of restoring her teammates’ health. When activated, Kiriko sends out a volley of these Ofuda towards allies she’s aiming at. The Ofuda seek out their targets, delivering a burst of healing upon contact. A key element of Kiriko’s healing is that it is projectile based, not hitscan. This means that the Ofuda take time to travel to their target, requiring the player to lead their shots, especially at longer distances or against fast-moving targets. Successfully landing all Ofuda allows Kiriko to deliver significant healing, making her a potent force in team fights. She balances this healing capability with her mobility and utility, offering both sustain and strategic advantage to her team.
Understanding the Mechanics of Healing Ofuda
The Nature of the Talismans
Kiriko’s Healing Ofuda are not simple projectiles. They’re imbued with a homing capability, which seeks out allies within a certain range. The player’s aim plays a crucial role, as the Ofuda will initially travel in the direction the player is facing before acquiring a lock onto a teammate. This means precise aiming is key to maximizing efficiency, especially in chaotic scenarios.
Once thrown, the talismans display different colors depending on their status:
- Yellow: Indicates that the Ofuda has successfully locked onto an allied target and is actively homing in to heal them.
- Blue: Signifies that the Ofuda has been launched without a locked-on target and is traveling in a straight line. However, even these “blue” Ofuda can still heal allies if they happen to cross their path, offering a chance for opportunistic healing.
The projectile speed is another important aspect. The Ofuda are not instantaneous; they require a short travel time. Mastering the prediction of your teammates’ movements is essential to ensuring the Ofuda connect consistently. The best Kiriko players understand how to lead their shots and adjust for the travel time, maximizing their healing output.
Healing Output and Efficiency
Kiriko’s healing output is substantial, making her a valuable asset in any team composition.
The healing is burst-oriented, meaning that the healing is delivered in chunks as the Ofuda reach their target. While the actual instant burst heal is high, in practical use is around 72 health per second (HPS) when consistently landing all talismans. This considers the small time delay of the talismans reaching the ally.
This burst healing can be crucial for saving teammates from critical damage. The healing is consistent enough to allow tank players to stay in the fight much longer.
Synergies and Strategies
Kiriko excels in compositions that favor close to mid-range engagements, where she can more reliably land her Healing Ofuda. Her ability to teleport to allies with Swift Step allows her to quickly reposition and provide support to teammates in need.
Complements and Counters
Kiriko synergizes well with heroes who benefit from burst healing and mobility support. Here are a few examples:
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Dive Tanks: Teammates like Winston and D.Va, who dive into the enemy backline, are fantastic synergies. Kiriko can use Swift Step to follow her teammates and provide quick support, healing them through the chaos.
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Aggressive DPS: Genji and Tracer benefit immensely from Kiriko’s healing and protection. Her Protection Suzu can cleanse negative effects and provide temporary invulnerability, allowing them to continue their assault without fear of being immediately eliminated.
While Kiriko is a versatile healer, she does have some vulnerabilities:
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Shields and Barriers: Enemy shields, such as those deployed by Reinhardt, Sigma, and Winston, can block her Healing Ofuda, preventing them from reaching their intended targets.
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Absorption Abilities: D.Va, Orisa, and Sigma can use their respective absorption abilities to negate the effects of the Ofuda, further limiting Kiriko’s healing potential.
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Long-Range Hitscan: Skilled hitscan DPS at long range can take advantage of Kiriko’s predictable movement to eliminate her from the back line. Snipers like Widowmaker and Ashe excel at applying this type of pressure.
Beyond Healing: Utility and Offensive Potential
Kiriko’s impact extends beyond pure healing. Her Kunai offer a reliable source of damage, particularly against exposed targets. While the Kunai have a slow rate of fire, they deal increased critical damage.
The ultimate ability, Kitsune Rush, creates a pathway that increases movement speed, attack speed, and reload speed for allies who move through it. This can be a game-changing ability in team fights, allowing for aggressive pushes and overwhelming offensive pressure.
Finally, Kiriko’s Protection Suzu is an invaluable tool for cleansing negative effects and providing temporary invulnerability. It can counter a wide range of abilities, including Ana’s Biotic Grenade and Reinhardt’s Earthshatter, making Kiriko a crucial counter-pick in many scenarios.
Mastering Kiriko: Tips and Tricks
- Practice Your Aim: Consistently landing Healing Ofuda requires practice. Focus on leading your shots and predicting your teammates’ movements.
- Utilize Swift Step: Use Swift Step to quickly reposition and provide support to teammates in need. Don’t be afraid to use it aggressively to escape dangerous situations.
- Time Your Protection Suzu: Use Protection Suzu wisely to cleanse negative effects and protect teammates from burst damage. Timing is crucial to maximize its effectiveness.
- Balance Healing and Damage: Don’t neglect your Kunai. Look for opportunities to deal damage to exposed targets while keeping your teammates alive.
- Communicate with Your Team: Coordinate your Kitsune Rush with your team to maximize its impact. Let them know when you’re planning to use it so they can capitalize on the increased speed and damage.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Kiriko’s Healing
1. Is Kiriko a main or off healer?
Kiriko can function as both a main healer and an off-healer, depending on the team composition and playstyle. Her high healing ceiling allows her to sustain a team, while her utility and mobility make her a valuable asset in a more flexible role.
2. Can Kiriko heal herself?
Yes, Kiriko benefits from the passive support ability that provides automatic self-healing after a short period of not taking damage. This allows her to survive longer and stay in the fight.
3. What is the difference between blue and yellow healing Ofuda?
A yellow Ofuda indicates that it has locked onto an allied target and is actively homing in to heal them. A blue Ofuda means it was launched without a target and is traveling in a straight line. However, allies can still receive healing if they cross the path of a blue Ofuda.
4. Can Genji deflect Kiriko’s healing?
Yes, Genji can deflect Kiriko’s Healing Ofuda with his Deflect ability. If he successfully deflects them, they will heal his allies instead.
5. Can Kiriko’s healing go through shields?
No, shields can block Kiriko’s Healing Ofuda, preventing them from reaching their intended targets.
6. Does D.Va’s Defense Matrix block Kiriko’s healing?
Yes, D.Va’s Defense Matrix can absorb Kiriko’s Healing Ofuda, negating their healing effects.
7. Who is Kiriko to Genji?
Kiriko and Genji have a close, familial relationship. They shared a bond of mischief and camaraderie during Genji’s time at Shimada Castle.
8. Is Kiriko’s healing good?
Yes, Kiriko’s healing is very powerful, offering both burst and sustained healing to her teammates.
9. Why is Kiriko considered a good healer?
Kiriko is a good healer because of her high healing output, mobility, and utility. Her Protection Suzu can cleanse negative effects, and her Kitsune Rush can provide a significant advantage in team fights.
10. Is Kiriko difficult to play?
Kiriko is a challenging hero to master, requiring good aim, positioning, and timing. However, with practice, players can become highly effective with her.
11. What is Kiriko’s healing per second (HPS)?
Kiriko’s theoretical maximum healing per second is much higher than that of most supports. In practice, she can achieve roughly 72 HPS.
12. Who is the easiest healer to play in Overwatch 2?
Moira is often considered the easiest healer to play due to her straightforward abilities and forgiving playstyle.
13. Is Kiriko better than Ana?
Kiriko and Ana are both strong healers, but they excel in different situations. Ana offers long-range healing and anti-heal utility, while Kiriko provides mobility and cleanse. The better choice depends on the team composition and the map.
14. Is Kiriko a flex healer?
Kiriko is generally considered a main support due to her high healing output and ability to sustain her team through prolonged engagements.
15. Who is the best healer to pair with Kiriko?
Lucio pairs well with Kiriko. Her burst healing makes up for when Lucio is not using Amp It Up. Additionally, Lucio’s speed boost can help the Kiriko and her teammates move in and out of the fights with aggression.
By understanding these nuances, players can unlock the full potential of Kiriko’s healing abilities and become a formidable force on the battlefield. For more information on games and learning, be sure to visit the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.