Overwatch Illari guide: Burn brighter and longer with these tips | esports.gg (2024)

You may currently be feeling this burning sensation. An insatiable itch that cannot be ignored. Some would call it an obsession--an unending fire whose presence is constantly felt and seems like it will never go away. For you and others like you, this constant nagging at the senses may never cease. However, you can control it. Temper it, even. Just ask newest Overwatch 2 Support Illari about how to guide that river of rage.... and failing, somewhat.

And yes, I'm talking about the urge to DPS while playing Support. What else would I be talking about?

Blizzard must have gotten tired of folks complaining about teammates who only want to go shooty-pew and not heal. After all, Illari is by far the most offensive Support added to Overwatch to date. And that's a list including the likes of Zenyatta, Moira, and Lucio. So, if you find yourself unable to ignore the urge to shoot first and heal friendlies later then let our Overwatch Illari guide be a healing balm to the senses.

And if anything else is burning then, um... Go call a doctor.

With 250 HP, an omnidirectional movement ability, passive team healing, and a big ole gun, Illari is an effective attacker. I mean, obviously. Look at how big her gun is, after all. If you get anything from this Overwatch Illari guide then let it be that Illari's healing game is very much unlike anyone else in Overwatch. Because of that, typical strategies and ways of playing don't always apply. After all, around 80 percent of your healing is going to come from the Healing Pylon turret.

But, before we get too far into the weeds let's look at the abilities.

SOLAR RIFLE (PRIMARY)

Damage: 75 - 22.5 (max charge); 25 - 7.5 (min charge)
Falloff range: 30 - 50 meters
Spread angle: Pinpoint
Rate of fire: 1 shot/s (max charge); 1.7 shots/s(min charge)
Ammo: 14
Reload time: 2 seconds
Headshot: ✓ (1.5x)

While Illari's gun has two modes of firing we can only really suggest its max charge shot. While the in-game tooltips will say that spamming blasts is a good way to finish off low-HP opponents, it's just not economical. Also, we hope you're good at head shots because it's the only way Illari is truly effective and dangerous.

We recommend you get used to the rhythm of firing multiple max charge blasts in a row. Not only does it maximize Illari's damage potential, but it will--in theory--help steady your aim and keep you from spamming shots.

SOLAR RIFLE (ALT FIRE-HEAL)

Spread angle: Pinpoint
Healing: 105 per second
Reload time: 2.9 seconds (recharge to full);3.36 seconds (cooldown when fully depleted)

Illari's heal is an odd duck. Despite being on the mouse, it honestly is not her primary (or most efficient) way of healing. A Zarya-like beam of energy that heals, it's more of an emergency button than anything. It does a fantastic job of getting that critical HP Tank back up and running, but you simply cannot rely on it as your main heal. Also--and much like Orisa's gun--be weary of using up your entire meter of energy. The cooldown, when depleted, is almost a full second longer than if you don't empty the tank.

OUTBURST

Launches you in the direction you are moving. Knocking back enemies. Hold jump to go higher.
Damage: 10
Move. speed: 18.4 m/s (horizontal input, no charge)
16.7m/s (horizontal input, charged)
6 m/s (no input, no charge)
13.5 (no input, charged)
18.5 m/s (knockback)
Area of effect: 8.5 meters
Casting time: 0.2 + +0.9 seconds
Cooldown: 7 seconds

Both a defensive cooldown and a movement ability, Outburst is a low-CD skill that gives Illari directional movement. If you learn one thing from this Overwatch Illari guide, know that Outburst is a fantastic way to generate space for yourself and others. It also can help you avoid or even neutralize certain dive attacks such as Wrecking Ball's Piledriver, Rein charge, and more.

HEALING PYLON

Deploy a pylon that heals allies.

Health: 50 health, 50 shields
Healing: 30 over .45 seconds
Rate of fire: 1.25 shots/s
Casting time: 0.08 + 0.8 seconds
Duration: Until destroyed
Cooldown: 8 seconds (default)
12 seconds (under attack)

The core of Illari's healing game, the Healing Pylon is Symmetra's turret, in essence. With a long line of fire and fantastic burst healing, this is what allows Illari to be so aggressive without ignoring her healing duties a la a frontlining Moira. If you see an enemy Pylon then immediately destroy it.

ULTIMATE - CAPTIVE SUN

Fire an explosive ball of solar energy. Enemies hit are slowed and explode after taking significant damage.

Damage: 5 {direct hit), 50 (splash), 120-160 (Sunstruck explosion)
Move. speed: 12 m/s (launch); 7.98 m/s (flight); -40%slow
Projectile speed: 32.5 m/s
Area of effect: 8 meters radius
Ammo: 1
Casting time: 0 + 1.2 seconds(launch); 0.02 + 0.6 seconds(solar energy ball)
Duration: 5.2 seconds (flight)
Ultimate cost: 2420 points

Perhaps the scariest part of Illari's kit, her Ultimate ability is a Sigma-like activator that loads one dangerous rocket shot into her gun. Not only does the shot do splash damage but it also paints each person hit with a debuff that, when further damaged, causes it to explode. Best used when enemies are lumped together.

Your first instinct with Illari's Ultimate is going to be trying to hold your shot until the last possible moment of flight. Nah. Take note of every Doomfist player ever and, as soon as you hit Q, be ready to fire your rocket shot. Don't give the enemy time to find cover. Better yet, don't try and telegraph the fact that you're about to hit Q like every Sigma player out there. And for the best effect, combine Captive Sun with the ults of Zarya, Sigma, Rein, or Orisa.

Despite the tool tip's advice, don't mash out your left-click shots to try and finish off opponents. You're far more likely to let them get away or, worse yet, get healed. Instead, save up for that big, juicy max charge. Illari's gun is a menace--as we will see here in a few weeks when she becomes Overwatch League legal. Take advantage of her new status as the headshot queen of Overwatch 2.

The overwhelming majority of your healing will come from Healing Pylon. With that said, be smart about your placement. Don't throw it on the ground in the middle of a team fight, and try to have it deployed before engaging. After all, you want to force opponents to choose between paying attention to your damage or trying to find your turret. This is also easier in Season 9, as her Pylon now comes back faster after being destroyed by enemies.

Make them pay for that indecision. Also don't hesitate to reposition the Pylon. After all, that cooldown is far less than just letting it get destroyed.

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