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Franchiseoverwatch This is from the Overwatch universe.


Fire at will!

Damage (5/10) Utility (7/10) Survivability (8/10) Complexity (7/10)

Zarya is a Ranged Warrior Hero from the Overwatch universe. Until January 4, 2017, Zarya could be obtained for free via the Nexus Challenge.

Aleksandra Zaryanova is one of the world's strongest women and was a promising athlete, but all that changed when the Siberian omnium reawakened. As a soldier in the Russian Defense Force, she now proudly uses her strength to protect the ones she loves.

Zarya is a bruiser that can enable deadly allies and is good at preventing burst damage.

Background[]

Aleksandra was born in a remote Siberian village that was on the front lines of the Omnic Crisis, which began some thirty years ago. Although Russian forces defeated the robots and shut down their omnium, the region was devastated by the conflict. Only a child at the time, Aleksandra was surrounded by the post-war destruction, and as she grew older, she swore that she would gain the strength to help her people recover.[1]

Gameplay Summary[]

Zarya is a Warrior who plays the role of a Bruiser and a Support at the same time. She is unique as she is capable of shielding both herself and her allies, and any damage absorbed by her shields contributes to her energy meter to increase her damage output.

Overall, Zarya fits well in a double Warrior composition, as long the other Warrior is a dedicated tank. She excels against teams that feature multiple burst-oriented Heroes.

Strengths[]

  • Does not use mana, and instead uses Energy.
    • Energy is filled up by absorbing damage with Personal Barrier and Shield Ally.
    • Zarya's damage output is proportional to her current Energy.
  • Very supportive playstyle that gives her a powerful teamfight presence.
  • Flexible talent tree, allowing her to specialize into either support or damage.
  • Particle Grenade is a very effective poking tool, and holds multiple charges.
    • It can become very powerful when Zarya is at full Energy, if talented into.
  • Graviton Surge can single handedly define the outcome of teamfights.
  • Expulsion Zone has very low cooldown for a Heroic Ability, and it is great for defending objectives.

Weaknesses[]

  • Highly dependent on her Energy in order to deal damage.
  • Poor early gameplay and a lack of peeling or crowd control until level 10.
  • No mobility.
  • Susceptible to crowd control.
  • Not ineffective against mobile Heroes.
  • Skilled players can play around her shields and deny her Energy gains.
  • Graviton Surge has a small delay, and is easy to avoid.

Abilities[]

IconParticleGrenade
Particle Grenade (Q)
Cooldown: 8 seconds

Launch a particle grenade that deals 71 (+4% per level) damage to enemies within the area. Deals 50% damage to Structures.

IconPersonalBarrier
Personal Barrier (W)
Cooldown: 12 seconds

Gain a shield that absorbs 583 (+4% per level) damage for 3 seconds.

IconShieldAlly
Shield Ally (E)
Cooldown: 12 seconds

Grants an allied Hero a shield that absorbs 437 (+4% per level) damage for 3 seconds.

Traits[]

IconEnergy
Energy [Passive]

Each time Zarya's Personal Barrier or Shield Ally absorbs 9 (+4% per level) damage, her Energy is increased by 1. Each point of Energy increases Zarya's damage by 2%. After 0.5 seconds, Energy decays by 3 per second.

Heroic Abilities[]

IconGravitonSurge
Graviton Surge (R)
Tier 4 (Hero Level 20)
Cooldown: 80 seconds

Launch a gravity bomb that detonates after 1 second and draws enemy Heroes toward the center for 2.5 seconds.

IconExpulsionZone
Expulsion Zone (R)
Tier 4 (Hero Level 20)
Cooldown: 45 seconds

Launch a gravity bomb that deals 129 (+4% per level) damage and creates an expulsion zone for 3.5 seconds. Enemies who enter the affected area are knocked back and have their Movement Speed reduced by 50% for 1 second.

Talents[]

Tier 1, Hero Level 1[]

IconEnergy
Maximum Charge [Passive]
Tier 1 (Hero Level 1)

Regen Globes now instantly grant 20 Energy.

IconQuestTalent Quest: Spend 150 seconds at or above 50 Energy.
IconQuestTalent Reward: Gain an additional 20 maximum Energy.

IconShieldAlly
Together We Are Strong [Passive]
Tier 1 (Hero Level 1)

Every 6 (+4% per level) damage done by allies while under Shield Ally contributes 1 Energy, up to 30 Energy per shield.

IconFeeltheHeat
Feel the Heat [Passive]
Tier 1 (Hero Level 1)

Zarya's Basic Attack deals 8.50% additional damage to enemies in melee range.

IconParticleGrenade
Demolitions Expert [Passive]
Tier 1 (Hero Level 1)

IconQuestTalent Quest: For every 5 enemy Heroes hit by Particle Grenade, its recharge rate lowers by 0.4375 seconds, up to 3.5 seconds.
IconQuestTalent Reward: Once Particle Grenade has hit 40 enemy Heroes, its radius is increased by 15%.

Tier 2, Hero Level 4[]

IconSpeedBarrier
Speed Barrier [Passive]
Tier 2 (Hero Level 4)

Shield Ally increases the allied Hero's Movement Speed by 50% for the duration.

IconShieldAlly
Give Me Twenty [Passive]
Tier 2 (Hero Level 4)

IconQuestTalent Quest: Regeneration Globes increase Shield Ally absorb amount by 15, up to 300 permanently.
IconQuestTalent Reward: After collecting 20 Regen Globes, permanently reduce the cooldown of Shield Ally by 2 seconds.

IconPersonalBarrier
I Am the Strongest [Passive]
Tier 2 (Hero Level 4)

Personal Barrier absorbs an additional 146 (+4% per level) damage.

IconDefensiveShielding
Defensive Shielding [Passive]
Tier 2 (Hero Level 4)

Upon expiration or breaking, Personal Barrier and Shield Ally grant 75 Physical Armor against the next 2 Hero Basic Attacks for 6 seconds, reducing the damage taken by 75%.

Tier 3, Hero Level 7[]

IconPersonalBarrier
Explosive Barrier [Passive]
Tier 3 (Hero Level 7)

Upon expiration or breaking, Personal Barrier explodes, dealing 104 (+4% per level) damage to nearby enemies.

IconEnergy
Hit Me [Passive]
Tier 3 (Hero Level 7)

Damage absorbed by Zarya's Shields contributes 15% more Energy.

IconFeeltheHeat
To the Limit [Passive]
Tier 3 (Hero Level 7)

While above 50 Energy your Basic Attack size is increased by 35%.

IconParticleGrenade
Pinpoint Accuracy [Passive]
Tier 3 (Hero Level 7)

Particle Grenade deals 40% more damage to enemies hit by the center of the blast.

Tier 4, Hero Level 10[]

IconGravitonSurge
Graviton Surge (R)
Tier 4 (Hero Level 20)
Cooldown: 80 seconds

Launch a gravity bomb that detonates after 1 second and draws enemy Heroes toward the center for 2.5 seconds.

IconExpulsionZone
Expulsion Zone (R)
Tier 4 (Hero Level 20)
Cooldown: 45 seconds

Launch a gravity bomb that deals 129 (+4% per level) damage and creates an expulsion zone for 3.5 seconds. Enemies who enter the affected area are knocked back and have their Movement Speed reduced by 50% for 1 second.

Tier 5, Hero Level 13[]

IconPersonalBarrier
Unstoppable Competitor [Passive]
Tier 5 (Hero Level 13)

Personal Barrier makes you Unstoppable for up to 2.0 seconds.

IconSpellBarrier
Spell Barrier [Passive]
Tier 5 (Hero Level 13)

Upon expiration or breaking, Personal Barrier grants a Spell Shield that reduces Ability Damage taken by 75% for 3 seconds.

IconEnergy
Endurance Training [Passive]
Tier 5 (Hero Level 13)

While at or above 75 Energy, Zarya gains 20 Armor, reducing all damage taken by 20%.

IconPainisTemporary
Pain is Temporary
Tier 5 (Hero Level 13)
Cooldown: 30 seconds

Activate to consume all Energy and gain a shield that absorbs 0.5% of Zarya's maximum Health per Energy consumed and lasts for 3 seconds. Zarya may only have one personal shield active on herself at a time.

Tier 6, Hero Level 16[]

IconSpeedBarrier
Gain Train [Passive]
Tier 6 (Hero Level 16)

Shield Ally now grants an untalented shield to a nearby ally upon impact.

IconParticleGrenade
Plasma Shock [Passive]
Tier 6 (Hero Level 16)

Particle Grenade slows Movement Speed by 35% for 2 seconds to enemies near the center.

IconShieldAlly
Cleansing Shield [Passive]
Tier 6 (Hero Level 16)

Causes Shield Ally to remove all disabling effects and reduces its cooldown by 3 seconds.

IconEnergy
Born in Battle [Passive]
Tier 6 (Hero Level 16)

While at or above 75 Energy, Zarya's cooldowns regenerate 25% faster.

Tier 7, Hero Level 20[]

IconGravitonSurge
Gravity Kills [Passive]
Tier 7 (Hero Level 20)

Increases Graviton Surge's duration by 1 second and causes it to deal 175 (+4% per level) damage over the duration.

IconExpulsionZone
Clear Out [Passive]
Tier 7 (Hero Level 20)

Increases Expulsion Zone's radius by 15% and Zarya's maximum Energy temporarily increases by 15 per enemy Hero hit for 10 seconds.

IconParticleGrenade
Grenadier [Passive]
Tier 7 (Hero Level 20)

All Particle Grenade charges are returned at once.

IconUnyieldingDefender
Unyielding Defender
Tier 7 (Hero Level 20)
Cooldown: 60 seconds

Activate to reset the cooldown of Personal Barrier and Shield Ally.

Talent Builds[]

  • Energy Build: focused on maximizing the effectiveness of Zarya's Energy build-up, adding a good blend of damage and survivability. This build aims on keeping Zarya always above the threshold specified by her two key talents, Maximum Charge and Born in Battle to greatly increase her damage output.
    • This build is recommended for most situations.
  • Particle Grenade Build: focused on improving the damage and cooldown reduction of Zarya's Particle Grenade, allowing Zarya to deal consistent high damage and poke opponents more often.
    • This build is recommended when the team lacks an additional source of damage. However, it is not recommended when fighting a very mobile team composition, as it makes harder to hit with Particle Grenade.
  • Basic Attack Build: focused on improving Zarya's Basic Attack damage. The key talents are Feel the Heat and To the Limit, increasing Zarya's damage and radius, respectively.
    • This build is recommended when fighting a team composed mostly by Melee Heroes.

Tips[]

  • Don't be afraid to cast Personal Barrier and purposedly soak damage from enemy structures in order to gain quick Energy.
  • Try to anticipate damage to get the best of Personal Barrier and Shield Ally.
  • Positioning is key when using Zarya's Basic Attack, as it pierces all enemies in a line for 100% damage. Use this to quickly clear minion waves and Mercenary Camps.
  • Use Graviton Surge when the enemy team is at a vulnerable state (such as casting an ability) or afflicted by another form of crowd control.
  • Use Expulsion Zone to trap opponents on choke points.

Matchups[]

Pairings[]

Anub'arakplate
Also another great shield target for Zarya due to his propensity to dive into the enemy team. Zarya also pairs nicely with him because they shore up the other’s weaknesses as a solo-Warrior (Zarya lacks disables and Anub'arak has lower Health).


Aurielplate
While she can't contribute as effectively as other characters while under the effects of Bestow Hope, Zarya synergies with Auriel are almost perfect; both characters use their own resources other than mana, meaning they can keep their presence in the battlefield with high effectiveness, and don't need to visit Health Fountains in order to regain the fuel for their abilities. Zarya can shield Auriel and fuel her own power, which in turn converts into energy for Auriel's healing. The only flaws of this pairing are the lack of mobility and reliable crowd control, as Auriel requires to hit enemies against walls when using Detainment Strike and Zarya's Heroics both have high cooldown.


Genjiplate
Zarya’s shields are great for allowing Genji to get into the enemy team’s backline and trade effectively. When Genji engages a squishy Assassin, enemy teams may overreact while trying to quickly eliminate him; in turn, a well-timed shield from Zarya not only can instantly fill her energy should Genji becomes swarmed by his enemies, but can also be the difference between the quick death of Genji, or that of the enemy team.


Illidanplate
Illidan loves dive partners, and Zarya adds the extra tankiness that Illidan love. Since he thrives on aggressiveness, he makes a great shield target, as he can dive deeper and give Zarya a ton of energy in the process.


Lúcioplate
Similar to Tassadar, Zarya pairs well with Lúcio in that she can negate enemy burst damage. Heroes who work well in multi-Warrior compositions also pair well with Lúcio, as they are tough enough to survive enemy burst damage while also providing a strong front line for Lúcio to hide behind.


Malfurionplate
Zarya helps shore up one of Malfurion’s biggest weaknesses: dealing with burst damage. Malfurion’s heals over time will continue to renew everyone’s Health behind the safety of a shields, making the whole team very hard to kill.


Effective against[]

Effective foes[]

Chenplate
Zarya’s lack of disables from the Warrior position makes her team have a difficult time consistently interrupting Chen’s Fortifying Brew. In addition, Chen can easily capitalize Zarya's poor movement with Wandering Keg, or simply by body-blocking her.


Lunaraplate
While Zarya’s shielding is great against predictable burst damage, she struggles against damage-over-time and area of effect damage. In addition, Zarya doesn’t have the lockdown necessary to really punish the fast moving Lunara.


Malthaelplate
Malthael truly shines when fighting opponents with high health, namely Warriors. Since Zarya has poor movement speed and lacks any form of crowd control outside of her Heroic Abilities, she is an easy target for Reaper's Mark.


Zagaraplate
Zagara’s pushing potential gives Zarya a hard time, as she can’t consistently get high energy to allow her to adequately clear the waves pushing into her base.


Skins[]

Defender of Russia (base)
Zarya - Defender of Russia Zarya - Steel Zarya - Maroon Zarya - Industrial
Defender of Russia Steel Maroon Industrial IconShard 150
High Gravity IconShard 100
The Tobelstein Reactor is an emergent technology, and its full potential has yet to be tapped. Rumor has it that the Gravitic Harness is the next great advancement in energy projection.
Zarya - High Gravity Zarya - High Gravity - Cobalt Zarya - High Gravity - Quartz Zarya - High Gravity - Crimson
High Gravity Cobalt Quartz Crimson IconShard 150
Cyberdemon IconShard 400
Reverse engineered from Overwatch's cyberization techniques, the Jigoku battle armor offers most of the benefits of cybernetic augmentation without requiring invasive surgery.
Features altered voice-over and themed abilities.
Zarya - Cyberdemon Zarya - Cyberdemon - Indigo Zarya - Cyborgdemon Zarya - Cyberdemon - Golden
Cyberdemon Indigo Cyborgdemon Golden IconShard 600
Zarya - Cyberdemon - Restored
Restored IconShard 600
Thunder Guard IconShard 400
Armed with their Mjolnir Cannons, Zarya Aleksdottir and the Thunder Guard serve as the Midgard megalopolis' last defense against the Jotunheim Republic and their frost golem army.
This skin is related to the Midgard themed-skins. Features themed abilities.
Zarya - Thunder Guard Zarya - Thunder Guard - Emerald Zarya - Thunder Guard - Spectre Zarya - Thunderguard - Citrine
Thunder Guard Emerald Spectre Citrine IconShard 600
Phantom Knight
The Black Knights have served as the mercenary protectors of Raven Court since age immemorial. It is only natural that their commander, Zarya, the Phantom Knight, serves as one of the four generals of the Raven Lord's army.

Trivia[]

  • The "Cyborgdemon" variant of her "Cyberdemon" skin makes a reference to Genji, in both color scheme and name.

References[]

Patch changes[]

  • Patch (Patch December 12, 2017Note: Citrine Thunderguard Zarya and Industrial Zarya added.
  • Patch (Patch October 17, 2017Note: Crimson High Gravity added.
  • Patch (Patch September 26, 2017Note: Golden Cyberdemon Zarya, Restored Cyberdemon Zarya skins added.
  • Patch (Patch April 25, 2017Note: Cyberdemon Zarya, Indigo Cyberdemon Zarya, Cyborgdemon Zarya skins added.
  • Patch (Patch March 28, 2017Note: Fixed an issue that could cause players to stall when Zarya was affected by certain attack speed modifiers.
  • Patch (Patch March 14, 2017Note: Zarya's Basic Attacks can now be affected by attack speed modifications.; Damage that occurs just before Zarya’s Barrier breaks will now correctly grant her energy.
  • Patch (Patch January 27, 2017Note: Basic Attack damage reduced from 21 to 20.
  • Patch (Patch January 24, 2017Note: Fixed an issue preventing the “Drop and give me Twenty” quest indicator from disappearing after the quest was completed.
  • Patch (Patch October 12, 2016Note: Basic Attack damage reduced from 24 to 21; Base Maximum Health reduced from 2336 to 2225; Base Health Regeneration reduced from 4.87 to 4.64.
  • Patch (Patch September 27, 2016Note: Added.
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