Overwatch Symmetra Guide: Portals and Lasers

In our guide, we explain how you can be a useful addition to any team with Symmetra from Overwatch .

Satya “Symmetra” Vaswani – Perfection through Order

We continue our series of Overwatch guides and take a closer look at the Indian Satya Vaswani, better known as Symmetra. In the game, she is a support character but unlike all other supporters, she cannot heal her team. How she is still an important addition and can lead to victory is what we reveal here.

Symmetra in Raw Numbers

Symmetra has 200 hit points (100 health, 100 shield). The shield automatically regenerates after a few seconds if she does not take damage.
The Photon Shield grants the targeted teammate a shield of 25 points.
The Photon Projector deals 24 damage per second. The longer the weapon hits the same target, the more damage increases. The maximum is 120 damage per second.
In the alternate mode (right-click), Symmetra charges a slow projectile. This deals between 25 and 125 damage depending on the charge time.
The turrets deal 25 damage per second and slow the hit enemies. A maximum of 6 turrets can be active at the same time.
Her ultimate Teleporter is automatically destroyed after the 6th use.

Symmetra – Only Useful in Defense?

Most players consider Symmetra only worthwhile when used in defense. While some mechanics, like the turrets, do function better at protecting objectives, Symmetra can also be a real boost in attack. On control maps where points must be taken and held, the turrets and the teleporter can prove to be an invaluable advantage. However, if unsure, it’s best to practice with Symmetra only in defense at first. Regardless, someone on the team will complain that you should play a “real supporter” – don’t let that discourage you.

Photon Shield – “That’s just 25 health points!”

Many players underestimate the usefulness of the Photon Shield. 25 additional hit points may not seem like much at first, but most people forget that these 25 health points constantly regenerate on their own. So if you’re in multiple firefights and considering your actions, you benefit from the shield repeatedly. Thus, the statement that Symmetra can’t heal is not entirely correct, as her shield automatically regenerates, regardless of line of sight or proximity to the boosted ally.

Those who die also lose their shield. When an ally returns from the spawn, give them a new shield immediately!
Especially Zenyatta and Tracer benefit in fights against Widowmaker from the shield. They then have 175 health points and cannot die from a single fully charged body shot from Widowmaker (which deals 150 damage).

Turrets – Where and How to Place?

Using Symmetra’s turrets correctly is not as easy as it seems. New players often spread the turrets all over the map where they barely fulfill a purpose or can be spotted from 50 meters away. The greatest use from the turrets is obtained when they are placed so that enemies can only see them once they are already firing. Suitable locations for this are usually the door frames of a room (from the inside!) or the corners of a room. Make sure that the turrets are not all clustered together, but are somewhat spread out at their respective location. Nothing is more frustrating than having all 6 turrets destroyed with just one shot – as the turrets each only have 1 hit point.

With all 6 turrets in one place, you can deal 150 damage per second – characters like Tracer or Zenyatta melt under the fire.
Experiment! Often you can hide the turrets in bushes or behind other map objects so that enemies notice late where they have been placed.
The turrets also act as early warning signals! A single turret at a side corridor informs you when an enemy approaches – sometimes this information is more valuable than another turret in a spot where it does actual damage.

Photon Projector – One of the Deadliest Weapons in the Game

Symmetra’s weapon is often underestimated because it initially deals little damage. However, when the Photon Projector is active on a target for several seconds, the damage increases from 24 per second to a devastating 120 per second. Since this “charging” is not lost immediately, you can occasionally take out multiple enemies in a row. You can charge the beam on a Reinhardt and then switch to other characters who are more fragile. As the weapon is homing, you don’t even have to aim precisely and can focus entirely on dodging.

The power of the alternate fire should also not be underestimated. A fully charged projectile deals 125 damage – to all targets it passes through. Is the enemy team hiding behind a Reinhardt? The projectile penetrates the shield and damages anyone hiding behind it. This is especially devastating if you can attack from behind the enemy.

To “charge” the alternate fire, take cover. Only expose yourself when you are ready to fire the projectile.
By quickly right-clicking, you can also fire many “small” projectiles that deal less damage but are much more visible to the enemy – many enemies then hesitate to cross an area being perforated by Symmetra’s projectiles.

The Teleporter – A Tough Decision

The biggest benefit to the team comes from the Teleporter, Symmetra’s ultimate. Symmetra places the Teleporter so that allies can come “in her line of sight” through the portal when they enter the counterpart in the spawn area. Whether attacking or defending, with a portal you can quickly return to the scene of the action. However, finding the right position for a portal is difficult – generally, you should always place it “out of sight”, i.e. around corners or on elevations that can only be viewed from your side of the match.

The moment you place a Teleporter, the enemy team receives a warning about it. Therefore, after placing the Teleporter, you should remain unseen in cover for a few seconds, as if you are seen immediately after this warning, the enemy can quickly guess where your Teleporter is located.
The portal has a total of 6 charges, which you can view at any time at the bottom of the screen.
While your portal is active, you cannot generate any further charge for your ultimate ability.

To conclude, here are some general tips for Symmetra:

At the beginning of a round, be particularly defensive. Only after your Teleporter is placed can you be a bit bolder. Until that point, you should primarily shoot from a distance with the alternate fire mode to avoid the greatest dangers and to gather charge for your ultimate.
Even if it’s annoying: Jump in close combat! Symmetra’s slim silhouette makes it hard to kill her with precise shots up close. Jump and run around your opponent while roasting them with the Photon Projector. Even characters like Reaper or Roadhog often struggle to take down a wildly jumping Symmetra.
Hurry up if you are on the defender team! The sooner you reach the objective, the more turrets you can place. Those who dawdle or wait in the spawn room will have a disadvantage later.