Ramattra’s gameplay brings a fun, challenging tank to Overwatch 2’s ever-growing hero roster

Overwatch 2’s newest tank hero, Ramattra, has arrived and, after experiencing some of his gameplay, I have to say I love everything about how he plays. From the look to the abilities, Ramattra checks all the boxes for me. There’s a lot to love here, but also a lot of nuance — thankfully, after spending a little time with him on the PTR, I’m getting the hang for what be the most fun tank hero in Overwatch I’ve ever played.

Let’s take a look a closer look at his abilities and how they might be best used. 

What are Ramattra’s abilities in Overwatch 2?

Ramattra is not your standard tank like Reinhart, nor is Ramattra your standard assassin like Reaper — he’s really the best of both worlds. Ramattra can change between two different forms, Omnic and Nemesis. In Omnic Form, Ramattra can do considerable damage from range and also shield himself or his allies for a brief period of time. In Nemesis Form, he is a melee powerhouse with a strong attack and blocking ability.

Void Accelerator (Omnic Form)

Void Accelerator is Ramattra’s primary attack in Omnic Form. It fires a stream of projectiles in a fixed pattern and does 4.5 damage per projectile and 112.5 damage per second.

As this is Ramattra’s default attack, this is one that I ended up using more often than not. With an impressive range, I could easily hit enemy targets from a distance comparable to a sniper’s range. This encouraged me to seek cover and dash around the map to get a better vantage point. Or, if needed, I could easily provide fire cover for the team. I also found it was easier to get headshots from a distance than I normally would playing my original main, Ashe. The reload time is quick enough that you won’t lose a step if you are completely in the thick of it. Unfortunately, this attack is only available when Ramattra is in Omnic Form, so keep that in mind.

Void Barrier (Omnic Form)

Void Barrier is Ramattra’s other ability in Omnic Form. This creates a barrier at a targeted location within 35 meters. The barrier has 1000 Health and lasts for 4 seconds.

The beauty of Void Barrier is that it can be placed wherever you need it to be placed, much like Mei’s Ice Wall. Therefore, if your team is fully engaged with the other team, you can strategically place Void Barrier in front of them to protect them from damage for a short period of time. If timed right, it could be the difference between securing a checkpoint or successfully defending cargo. The barrier is strong and withstands a good amount of damage, but it should be used sparingly since it does have a 15-second cooldown. Void Barrier can also aid some of your more vulnerable teammates, like your dedicated ranged heroes, who might find themselves isolated from the team or heroes in need of healing.

Nemesis Form

Again, Ramattra is a dual-form hero who can switch between Omnic and Nemesis. When going into Nemesis form, you change to melee attacks and gain 150 Armor. In addition, your left-click Void Accelerator attack is replaced with Pummel, and your right-click Void Barrier is replaced with Block.

If you primarily play ranged heroes, then this change to Nemesis Form will take some getting used to. The trick is finding the right time to change forms that will benefit your team. In my playthroughs, I found that if the team is going in for a big push or trying to defend, then Nemesis Form is the better option. It allowed me to do as much damage as I could in close range and provide support to any other tanks in the battle. The armor increase certainly helps in these situations.

Pummel (Nemesis Form)

Pummel is the primary attack in Nemesis Form. With this attack, you punch forward and create a wave of energy with every swing. It does 100 damage per second and has a max range of 12 meters.

At this point, Pummel might be a little overpowering. Not only does it do a good amount of damage, but it can also punch through barriers — and it can’t be absorbed. This is a good attack for anyone who enjoys getting up close and personal with the enemy team. In my playthroughs, I mainly stayed in Omnic Form, but I did find that shifting into Nemesis form helped in situations that required more tanks and bigger damage.

Block (Nemesis Form)

Block significantly reduces damage taken from the front and also reduces movement speed by 50%.

This ability is a perfect complement to Pummel and ensures that Ramattra is an unstoppable force when in Nemesis Form. Block allows Ramattra to push forward to carve a path through the crowd. It’s also useful in protecting other teammates. There is no cooldown for this ability, but it does reduce your speed. The 75% damage reduction is absolutely worth it, but make sure that the rest of your team is with you because the movement reduction will prevent a speedy retreat.

Ravenous Vortex (both forms)

Ravenous Vortex is Ramattra’s (E) ability that can be used in either form. You fire a nano ball that explodes when it hits the ground and creates a damaging vortex that slows enemies by 40% and pulls them down.

This ability definitely comes in handy, especially against aerial heroes like Mercy, Pharah, or Echo. The placement of the Vortex is key, of course. It has a 4 meter max radius and 9 meters max height but only lasts for 3 seconds. You cannot throw the projectile at walls; it has to be thrown on the ground for it to work. In some of my matches, I felt that the Vortex wasn’t as effective as it could have been. The height max of the Vortex does make things a little bit of a challenge. 9 meters might not be enough against the high flyers, but if you see an enemy close by, you can get lucky. The movement penalty is nice, though, so keep it ready when you see a crowd. 

Ultimate: Annihilation

When Annihilation is active, you enter Nemesis form and create an energy swarm. This swarm lashes out toward nearby enemies dealing damage and pauses the duration when damage is dealt.

This Ultimate is a challenging one to pull off successfully. It’s great for crowd control and, depending on the opposing hero, quite effective in a one-versus-one situation. But you have to be ready to go into the fray and do what damage you can. It is definitely one Ultimate that works best in tangent with other Ultimates. On its own, the team has to be ready to inflict some major damage because Ramattra will be in the thick of it and vulnerable. It is important to remember that the enemies need to be in the line of sight to be damaged by Annihilation or it won’t be as effective. 

Ramattra’s overall kit is a unique, fun addition to Overwatch 2’s tank roster

Overall, Ramattra is a fun and versatile hero to add to your collection of mains. Ramattra has a lot of health with a strong shield, making him the perfect Tank support for someone like Reinhardt, Doomfist, or Roadhog. The ranged support makes him great to pair with Cassidy, Ashe, Widowmaker, Reaper, or anyone who attacks from range. Devs have referred to Ramattra as a “tempo tank,” and that is an apt description of this hero. Ramattra goes with the flow of the battle and is able to change form to suit the needs of the team and that makes him a hero worth checking out.