Positioning Training
This is what we write up to generally go over during Tuesday night training. We try to hit all that we write here, but sometimes that is not possible. I will review what we discussed along with touching up on things we missed and more complex topics.
Rationale: A large portion of deaths and losses is due to a lack of positioning. By teaching you how to properly position yourselves, the team can be set up for success.
Rundown:
Briefing
Enter custom game and teach general positioning
2a. Positioning on offence/defence
2b. Positioning against dive vs. deathball (hit up on some other comps briefly)
Teach map-specific positioning
Critique and assist in positioning improvement
(If there is time)
5. Enter quickplay to assess skills
6. Debrief
Aspects of positioning
Long/Medium range DPS
Tanks
Short range DPS
Support
Flankers
It is reasonable to put the supports in the back for protection and uptime. Supports should rarely move up to front lines.
A DPS should be within the group most of the time for damage protection.
Both tanks should be front line, but the off tank may dive past it and into enemy lines while coming back for protection and blocking.
A DPS should be either out on the flank or thoroughly engaging the enemy at correct times. He or she should know when to disengage or trade properly.
Positioning may vary. For instance, if the enemy team is running long range damage, the supports would want to be closer to the tanks, the team would want to focus on crowding the enemy. (Vice versa)
Some definitions to know
DPS: Damage Per Second
Uptime: How long a player is alive
Funneling: Pushing a team into a narrow position which is not beneficial to them
Engaging: Approaching the enemy and entering deliberate combat
Disengaging: Withdrawing from combat
Choke: A narrow point in a map where there is only one or two paths through
Front line: The first defense/offense for a team
Flank: The perimeters of either the map or a team
Back line: The farther back players for a team
Pocket: The inner area of a team
Highground: A point in a map which is higher and can be used as an advantage
Dive: A full team, rushed attack
Pick: An early kill on a team
General Positioning
General positioning is essential to know before getting to the more complex topics. More than likely, especially in a Deathball composition, everyone is packed tightly behind the Rein shield. This consists of tanks on the frontline, DPS in the pocket, and supports in the backline. One DPS is usually allowed to move to the front line, flanks, or passed the Rein in order for a play to be made. This circumstance usually is because the team is ready to initiate, the enemy team has overextended, or the DPS is attempting to get a pick. One tank may also do the same. Usually, this is because the team is ready to engage in a dive. The DPS and the Tank would initiate an attack, and the rest of the team would follow suit. Supports will hardly ever stray from the back line or pocket. Positioning them in the back line will keep them protected from incoming fire, especially on maps that have incredibly strong chokes with hardly any flanks. An example of this map would be point A on Hanamura. The Tanks will always be on the front line. There is hardly ever a reason to stray behind the pocket besides protecting the support from a flanker; however, that is the job of the DPS sitting in the pocket. It is the tanks' job to absorb and attend damage to them in order to allow the DPS to secure elims.
Escort
On offense, you want to take control of the payload as quickly as possible in order to keep it moving. Often times, this is simple right after spawn because the defense lets off to allow better positioning for themselves. The defense will likely be set up after the first turn and on a highground position. At this point, their Rein shield should be receiving loads of damage. Their highground position is hardly any good without protection to aid them. Once that Rein shield is down, they will likely dive your team. At this point, your team must take advantage of their brief vulnerability. A pick or two should secure defense of the payload. You do not want them to get a quick jump on you as they are engaging, and you do not want to allow the enemy team to disrupt your formation and drag the fight out. All that will do is waste time and allow them more time to reform or eliminate your team. Towards checkpoints, you want to try and funnel them into the tight doors so they cannot contest the payload or get to a good position. This system will repeat itself throughout the majority of the map; however, towards the end, your team will have a heavy respawn disadvantage. The enemy team will have a sturdy position and will quickly receive reinforcements.This will cause the payload to be contested throughout the fight. What you need to coordinate is a team wipe. It is of vital importance that all six of your players are present for the attack. It is much more difficult to reach the final checkpoint without six players.
On defense, you want to start off on the highground, out of a direct line of sight. Once the payload comes around the first corner, your team should be focusing the Rein shield and any possible picks that can be made. If a pick is made, your team should dive the payload and take control of it. If the team wipe is successful, your team should regroup back on the highground and be ready to look for another pick or tearing down the Rein shield, depending on if they regrouped effectively. If there was no pick, you should have been able to break their Rein shield. At that point, the team is incredibly vulnerable, and you do not need to dive them unless they move too far. You can rely on your DPS to handle the enemies. If your shield cracks first, you can resort to either two things: you can either retreat and fall back to fight them on the ground or dive them straight away. The former is less commonly used and allows them to move the payload quite a bit, but it will put you in front of the enemy and hopefully allow your Rein to recharge. The latter is riskier yet more common. Diving them can cause a disruption in their formation, and nearly negate the one-sided Rein shield. Rein will be forced to drop his shield to join the fight. Your team should capitalize on this element of surprise by getting an early pick and stomping them from there. If one of your teammates gets killed but you win the fight, you should probably allow some leeway as the offense has a respawn advantage. This cycle repeats similarly through until the end. Towards the end of the path, your main goal is to avoid being team-wiped. This is where your positioning might get a tad out of line as you begin to feel pressed against your own spawn. More than usual, you need to ensure the safety of your supports and to keep their ults at hand. A soundbarrier or ressurection can be vital in determining the outcome of a game, but so can an offensive graviton surge wombo combo. Picks are most important at this stage. One kill against the offense can stop their entire push. They almost always need six to finish the game. They DEFINITELY will need six if your supports stay alive with ults. In the case your team does get wiped or nearly wiped, someone needs to quickly contest the payload no matter what. You have a heavy respawn advantage.
In all cases, if you are the last one in a fight and you are in a situation of certain death, you should either jump off a cliff or just let them kill you. There is no point in wasting time or charging their ults. You must regroup with your team.
Assualt
Assault is a much simpler scenario. You can either dive or Deathball so long as your team maintains its general formation. On point A offense, one for one trades are amazing things. Your respawn advantage is so prominent that you can have your reaper trade with a McCree, wait for your respawn, then push in and dive. In that time, there will still be a five versus six. Once you are on the point, their is not much of a chance of losing it unless you cannot secure kills. Keep the general formation, and you should be fine. Point B is where it gets tricky because you need to team wipe (This is common for any last point if you have not noticed). Ult economy becomes more important and sticking together may be difficult as this portion of the map is often layered with many entrances and exits. Again, keep formation, and try to take highground if there is one. Sometimes, highground may be taken like on Hanamura. This will force you to take the middle or alternate route. Keep your team wipe ults safe and make sure they cannot prevent the team wipe.
On Defense, you want to hold the choke and the alternate route. It is their only way through. The most important thing on point A defense is to make sure no one gets picked. One pick can lead to a complete loss of a point. Trading is also useless as they have a respawn advantage. Even a two for one can end up causing you to lose. Supports should be effectively as far back as possible since the defense of the choke guards them from a back side flank regardless. If a flanker happens to get through, they can return closer to the pocket for protection. Once point B comes around (as it likely will), you need to prevent a wipe. If you get wiped, you will be funneled into your spawn, and they will easily win. Just like on escort, keep your preventive ults safe. For example, this could mean having your Lucio stand on the right balcony on Point B Hanamura to avoid an Earthshatter or Graviton Surge. If he is stunned or killed, he cannot use his ult to save his team, leading to a loss. Preventing wipes will win the game.
Control Point
On control, you want to look for highground, space, cover, and flexibility when coming out of spawn. Not only do you need to control the point, but you also need to control certain areas of the map such as the middle space on Lijiang Tower: Garden. Controlling that middle ground will force them to either engage you or use the alternate route which causes them to funnel in to one small area. A great example of an area to control is on Nepal: Village. The highground to the side of the point is excellent. There are many ways you can go from their. You can take easy shots at the enemy, move behind your ground cover, dive the enemy, or go to the point. That area should always be on reset after a fight. Since control maps are symmetrical and have no respawn advantage, a one for one is an advantage for whomever died first. That person will be in the game sooner than the other. That means value kills are more essential in this gamemode. Keeping your main roles safe is most important whether it be main tank, DPS, or support. Keep that in mind when positioning yourselves.
Conclusion
There is not always a set way to position a team every time. Overwatch is a strategic, flexible game which can change, but there will always be that general 'default' way of doing it. That sets the groundwork for more complex ideas. Hopefully this post will assist you in your games. In the future, you can always come to the trainings hosted by Plight (TS), Tweedles (TI and PL), and myself (TI) for a more personal and interactive training. If more people come, we can do more fun and interesting things while assisting in your improvement of the game. We work hard to do so.
Thanks for reading. This was a bit of a lengthy one :)
I paint my pictures with words and construct my buildings from thought.
Typo in the title. Should say 11/15.