OVERWATCH SUMMER GAMES 2017 LUCIOBALL AND COPA LUCIOBALL
Overwatch: LUCIOBALL TIPS AND TRICKS
The Summer Games are back in Overwatch, and this time around the stakes are a whole lot higher for fan-favorite brawl Lucioball. Not only was the game adjusted to get rid of the boop the goalie and ultimate to pull the ball in the goal tatic (which Jeff Kaplan himself referred to as “cheesy”) but there is now a competitive system entitled Copa Lucioball that not only awards competitive points, but has exclusive sprays for those who do their placement matches and rise to be one of the top 500 players in their region.
In order to sharpen up your Lucioball skills, follow these quick tips so you can win match after match and get those juicy new skins in you Summer Games loot boxes. So let’s break it down!
SUCK IT UP AND BE THE GOALIE IF NEED BE
Overwatch: LUCIOBALL TIPS AND TRICKS
There’s sort of an unwritten rule in Lucioball, that if you spawn in front of the goal, you are now the goalie. Sure everybody wants to be in the front lines booping it up to get a clutch goal on the enemy line, but without that sole Lucio guarding the net you’ll soon find that things won’t be going in your favor.
So if you’re in the net, stay in the net! And if you notice someone on your team being greedy and leaving their post then know you might have to step up and make sure somebody is covering as goalie. This doesn’t mean you have to sit and wait for the action to come to you the whole game, its fine to venture out into center field while still being mindful that a lob shot might zoom over your head if you’re not careful.
And let’s be real, the goalie is usually the one who has the most opportunities for making easy shots if the ball happens to run right up center field. A carefully timed boop can launch the ball directly into the net rather than having to rely on bouncing it off the walls or other teammates for a lucky shot. You might find that sticking in the net could be you best bet at getting all the golds in your placement matches and starting at a higher level for competitive play.
DON’T CLUMP UP WITH YOUR TEAMMATES
Overwatch: LUCIOBALL TIPS AND TRICKS
We know you are your teammates are all good pals, but for the sake of ensuring there’s no accidental goals on your own net, make sure your team is never all clumped together in one place when the ball is nearby.
Last year, Lucio was able to boop the enemy team, as well as the ball. This time however, he is only able to boop the ball, meaning running into a crowd with a bunch of other Lucio’s at high speeds could result in the ball ricocheting off a couple heads and right into your goal. This is especially troublesome right in front of the net, as if an offensive player sticks too close to the goalie, then the goalie might mistakenly knock the ball off his teammate and right back into their own net. It’s often best to leave the goal-tending to one person, as anticipating the trajectory and angle of an incoming ball is a lot easier without a bunch of teammates around who could mess with its arc.
So spread out, and make the best use of the field. The only time clumping up might be useful if you were in front of the enemy goal, but even then the odds of the ball going into the net are more up to chance rather than from a purposeful Soundwave.
JUMP PADS AND WALL RIDING
Overwatch: LUCIOBALL TIPS AND TRICKS
This one seems obvious, but a surprising number of Lucioball players seem to forget that using the jump pads and wall riding to get around the arena is an absolute no-brainer in becoming a better Lucioball player. Getting a goal is all about placement in front of the ball, and getting to that ideal placemen as quickly as possible. Lucio does have his amp it up ability for speed, but its high cooldown means the majority of the time you will be moving relatively slowly, so the jump pads and curved arena walls were included to make up for that.
You do have to remember that using the jump pad or wall riding to the end of the arena isn’t always the best bet. Say for example an enemy player is coming up center field and you jump on a pad to meet him, if he happens to stick closer to the ground and amp it up to get away, you’re stuck flying over his head in the wrong direction, becoming useless in defense for your team.
The best time to use the jump pads or wall ride is when the ball has just left your own goal and is soaring towards the enemy side of the field. Chances are a few of the enemy players would still be on your side of the arena trying to play offensively, so beating them to their net and 1v1ing the goalie is your best bet at an easy goal.
UTILIZE THE JUMP PAD IN YOUR GOAL
Overwatch: LUCIOBALL TIPS AND TRICKS
Sure everybody know about the jump pad right outside the goal area, but precious few make use of the much more useful and strategic inside jump pad for goal tending purposes.
When using the jump pads, you always have to be aware of where the ball is at any given time. Jump up at the wrong time, and you’ll have to wait as Lucio falls back down leaving you vulnerable as a goal could slip by you while you are at gravity’s whim.
What makes the inside jump pad so crucial is the top roof of the goal itself acting as a stopper so you never accidentally jump too high. By jumping inside the goal rather than outside, you can cover the entirety of the net without jumping over it leaving you open for offensive pushes for a few precious seconds. Even if you have to stand inside the goal line, simply have your Soundwave or melee attack ready to jump up and save those mid-height shots without drifting back down from a height you never intended to reach.
USE YOUR ULTIMATE DURING KICKOFF
Overwatch: LUCIOBALL TIPS AND TRICKS
The old Lucioball in 2016 had an ultimate that drew the ball in close to you, but this was scrapped and changed to an ultimate allowing Lucio to move faster, hit the ball farther, and jump higher for a set amount of time.
The best time to make use of this Super Lucio ultimate is right during kickoff after a goal, especially if the ball is in center field. Being the first person to make it to the ball can drastically change whose net the ball will end up in in the long run. If you happen to spawn as the goalie, it’s best to save your ult for the next kick off and leave the offensive pushes to your teammates.
Make sure while ulting to not just run for the ball and boop it as soon as you can. Ulting will ensure you have a couple seconds before the enemy team makes it up the center field, so make sure to position yourself to be directly behind the ball and parallel to the enemy goal. One good Soundwave should launch it up in a glorious arc over the enemy offensivemen and hopefully right into the goal if the goalie is caught off guard or miscalculates a save jump.
For more Summer Games 2017, check out everything you need to know about the update, or all the latest skins released for characters like Sombra, Solider: 76, Reaper, and more.
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