Okay, so, I’ve been playing a ton of Overwatch lately, and one character that always gives me a headache is Hammond, also known as Wrecking Ball. This guy, or rather, this hamster, is super mobile and disruptive. I tried to find some tips, and you know what? There are some simple tricks to take him down.
First off, I started by watching some pro matches and high-level streamers. Just observing how they dealt with Hammond gave me some good initial ideas. One thing that caught my eye was how they used heroes with abilities to interrupt his movement. You see, Hammond relies a lot on his grappling hook to swing around and gain momentum. If you mess up his flow, it makes him way easier to handle.
Ways to Counter Hammond
-
Using Mei
One of the first heroes I experimented with was Mei. Her primary fire, that freezing spray, is pretty good at slowing Hammond down. When I got the hang of it, I could freeze him mid-swing, making him an easy target for my team. But her wall was key. I started using it to block his path when he was rolling around, either trapping him or cutting off his escape. It took some practice to get the timing right, but man, it was satisfying to see him just slam into the wall.
-
Hacking with Sombra
Sombra was another hero that worked wonders. Her Hack ability is a direct counter to Hammond’s mobility. I would wait for him to engage, and as soon as he was in a vulnerable spot, I’d hack him. This would cancel his abilities, including his grappling hook and his shields. I also used her a lot to destroy mines. A hacked Hammond is basically a sitting duck. Plus, her EMP ultimate is great for shutting him down completely, especially when he’s in the middle of the enemy team.
-
Stunning with McCree
McCree’s Flashbang is another solid tool. It was a bit trickier to use since it requires precise timing, but when I managed to stun Hammond as he was rolling in, it was super effective. The stun would interrupt his momentum, and then I could follow up with his primary fire to deal some heavy damage. Teaming up with a teammate while doing this almost always guaranteed a kill.
-
Sleep and Trap with Ana and Junkrat
I also tried using Ana and Junkrat together, and it was pretty effective. I would use Ana to sleep dart Hammond when he was in a predictable path. Then, I’d have Junkrat place a trap right under him. As soon as he woke up, boom, trapped! It was a free kill most of the time. This combo requires some coordination, but it’s really powerful when executed correctly.
-
Pinning with Reinhardt
Reinhardt’s Charge was a high-risk, high-reward option. It was tough to time it right, but when I did manage to pin a swinging Hammond, it was incredibly satisfying. It takes a bit of prediction and a lot of guts to go for it, but a successful pin usually meant an instant kill.
After implementing these, my win rate against Hammond went up a lot. It’s all about disrupting his movement and catching him off guard. Team coordination makes it even better, so I always try to communicate with my teammates about focusing on Hammond when he’s vulnerable.
So yeah, that’s my experience on how I dealt with Hammond in Overwatch. Hope these tips help some of you guys out there struggling with the same problem. Just remember to stay calm, focus on his movement, and use the right heroes to counter him.
