As someone who mains tank, Junker Queen offers a refreshing and fun take on how to take attention away from your fragile teammates.
The Queen of Junkertown’s kit is hyper aggressive and mostly focused on dealing damage. However, she can also provide valuable buffs to her allies, emphasizing her place as a leader.
She’s one of the few tanks to have no innate armor or shields. In fact, she has the lowest health pool of all the tanks. While she can’t tank in the traditional sense, a competent Junker Queen can wreck so much havoc that you have no choice but to deal with her. She’s definitely a welcome addition to the hero shooter genre.
After many hours playing as her, this is how to play Junker Queen in Overwatch 2 in the most effective way.
Abilities
Adrenaline Rush
Junker Queen’s passive ability is called Adrenaline Rush. This ability heals her for all damage over time dealt by wounds.
Wound is a new status effect currently exclusive to Junker Queen. It deals bleed damage over time to a target when afflicted by her abilities. All her abilities except her primary fire will proc wound, each with varying degrees of damage.
Junker Queen only receives healing from the damage she dealt through the wound status effect. The wound status effect lasts for approximately four seconds, while Adrenaline Rush lasts for six seconds.
If there’s anything you’ll take away from this Junker Queen guide it’s that Adrenaline Rush is the crux to her gameplay and survivability. You’ll have to constantly keep track of this passive’s uptime to sustain her lack of survivability and innate armor or shields.
It’s important to note that this passive stacks as you hit more enemies, so you should prioritize landing your abilities on different targets if you want to heal up faster. One more thing, wounds from your regular abilities don’t stack on each other, but they will stack with your ultimate.
Scatter Gun
Scatter Gun is Junker Queen’s primary weapon in Overwatch 2. It’s a pump-action shotgun made from scrap that holds six bullets at once.
Scatter Gun’s spread is noticeably smaller when compared to other shotgun wielders, like Roadhog and Reaper. But, like the weapon’s name suggests, it performs best up close and personal.
The weapon deals around 80 damage per shot, if all shots connect. It can also deal critical damage when aimed at the head. The Scatter gun is loud, oppressive, and satisfying to use; a perfect companion weapon to Junker Queen.
Jagged Blade
Jagged Blade is Junker Queen’s serrated knife she lovingly named Gracie. It has two effects: one active and one passive.
Its active effect lets you throw your blade; afterward, you can re-activate the ability to return it. If you manage to hit an enemy, it will deal damage 80 damage while causing the wound effect. Re-activating the ability will pull the attached enemy towards you for approximately 10 meters.
Jagged Blade’s passive modifies your quick melee. While holding the blade, use quick melee to execute slash with your knife, wounding enemies. This passive doesn’t work if you recently threw the blade without recalling it.
Jagged Blade is a relatively fast-moving projectile that you should be able to reliably hit after a while. If not, it sticks to the first surface it hits, staying there for a few seconds.
If you missed landing a target with the knife, you can reposition yourself so it slashes enemies on the way back. While this does this minor damage, it does apply the wound effect making it a great way for extra heals.
For a extra niche tip you may never use: there’s a way to effectively launch an enemy behind you with Jagged Blade. After attaching the knife to an enemy and you’re within point blank range, make sure to crouch before pulling them to you. The momentum will send them flying behind you and hopefully your team.
Commanding Shout
It’s critical that if you want to know how to play Junker Queen, remember that Commanding Shout is her best ability. This area-of-effect ability increases Junker Queen’s health by 200, her allies by 100, as well as increasing her team’s movement speed by 30%.
Playing Junker Queen to her highest potential all depends on the timing of this ability. It has a lot of great uses, and it’s up to you to assess when to deploy it.
For example, the speed boost makes great for opening engagements or backing away from a tight spot. However, the health increase also makes it crucial for saving your teammates in the middle of the battle.
Carnage
Carnage brings out Junker Queen’s signature axe to deliver a sweeping blow in a small arc in front of her. There’s a small delay before the actual slash, so you could use it while approaching or from behind cover a nasty surprise.
You can reliably hit Carnage approximately 4 meters away from the enemy. Carnage can slash at enemies further from your quick melee.
Landing Carnage consistently is a deciding factor on how to play Junker Queen. The axe swing deals 90 damage off the bat, followed by the massive wound effect of around 50.
Since this is Junker Queen’s regular ability that does the most wound damage, its imperative to decisively land this skill. Ideally, if you can hit multiple targets at once you’ll receive more healing to support your aggressive offense.
Players who have a better understanding of Reinhardt knows how to manipulate the camera in order to extend his melee swing. In essence, you can move the camera during the swing animation to hit more enemies.
This technique also applies to Junker Queen’s carnage, but it’s a niche tech to know. Carnage swings faster and more vertically, compared to Reinhardt’s long and horizontal swing.
Rampage
Rampage is Junker Queen’s ultimate ability. Using it locks her in place for a short moment, before bursting forward while swinging her axe.
This ultimate does decent damage, applies the wound effect, and even applies an anti-heal effect, similar to Ana’s Biotic Grenade. Obviously, this ultimate can decide a fight when used well, so make sure to tag as many targets as possible while placing yourself near their backline.
If done right, Junker Queen’s self-healing will be more than enough to sustain her while you go to town on their supports. The anti-healing effect also ensures that you’ll have a short amount of time to take them down.
Once you commit this ultimate, you’re right in the middle of the whole enemy team. Make sure that you’ve allocated enough RAM in Overwatch so lag spikes won’t affect your performance.
Junker Queen Guide
Adrenaline Rush Uptime
The very first rule of how to play Junker Queen in Overwatch 2 is to constantly keep Adrenaline Rush’s passive up. As mentioned previously, Junker Queen is soft compared to other tanks, and she’ll quickly go down to focus fire.
Adrenaline Rush will proc from all your abilities, so its important to use them as often as possible. It’s best to apply your wound effect to multiple targets in order to receive more healing from your passive.
A sneaky way to apply multiple procs of wound is to throw Jagged Blade behind enemy lines, and pulling it back to slash multiple targets. This is especially good to know if you can’t find a target to to attach Jagged Blade on.
As much as possible, spam Carnage and your quick melee against the enemy tank. This is easiest way to have a constant source of self healing. Additionally, Carnage is your largest source of non-ultimate healing, so it’s important to use it often.
Junker Queen Gameplay and Abilities
Junker Queen’s abilities certainly puts you in a stage where you always want to charge forward. But, if you do that without a thought, you’ll learn that she doesn’t take damage well.
Keep in mind that even if you hit all your abilities and have the best healers on your team. Junker Queen is going to go down to focus fire and there isn’t much she can do.
Therefore, Junker Queen is at her best in maps where there’s a lot of natural cover. It’s good practice to dip in and out of cover to allow yourself to heal after taking heavy damage.
Before learning how to play Junker Queen in Overwatch 2, you need to know how to properly position yourself during fights. For example, Junker Queen can use the payload for natural cover for frequent small breaks during fights. This also allows her to be close enough for effective use of her shotgun and abilities.
On the contrary, Junker Queen is subpar in maps where she has to hold or push her team through a choke. For instance, she can’t reliably push through the first choke point in Eichenwalde. Even though she could commit Commanding Shout to break through, she’ll be left without that useful ability while capturing the payload.
Playing Junker Queen in maps with long and open sight lines is detrimental to your team. Snipers have free reign to eliminate your team members and there isn’t much you can do about it. Generally, you’ll feel her lack of options against teams holding the high ground.
Junker Queen can really let loose in Control or King of the Hill maps. These maps usually play out like chaotic brawls—a situation she excels at.
Just be sure to contest enemies as close to them as possible, like near the entrance of a door or hallway. Don’t allow them to poke and eliminate your teammates from a distance.
During these moments, keep the pressure by deathballing or rushing towards the enemy team. It is during these moments that Junker Queen reminds me of the notorious GOATS meta prevalent in old Overwatch.
When it comes to her abilities, landing meaty axe cleaves and precise Jagged Blade’s will net you some kills. But, the crux of winning teamfight’s is efficient use of best ability: Commanding Shout.
While it is tempting to use it off cooldown, the sudden burst of health and speed will cause the enemy team to quickly disengage. During most teamfights, reserve this ability as a surprise buff to your teammates after the opposing team committed their abilities.
For example, if an enemy Genji dashes in looking for a quick elimination on your support. You can activate Commanding Shout to give them a burst of much needed health. Additionally, the speed boost lets them disengage while the rest of your team closes in on him.
Commanding Shout is also important to have after you use your ultimate. When using Rampage, tag as many enemies as possible and aim to land near the backline.
Commanding Shout and all the healing received from Rampage will keep you topped up as you chase after their vulnerable backline. This sequence is a huge commitment so you have make sure to get the job done.
Junker Queen Synergies and Counters
Compared to other tanks, Junker Queen is a more selfish hero. Aside from Commanding Shout, she isn’t built for team coordination. Therefore, her best teammates will synergize with her brawl playstyle or empower her to do that.
On the contrary, Junker Queen’s counters are there to punish her offensive playstyle and turn it into a favorable situation for them. It’s good to know both to know how to play Junker Queen in Overwatch 2.
Junker Queen Best Teammates
Mei
Mei perfectly complements Junker Queen by eliminating most of her weaknesses. First off, her primary fire slows enemies, which means they can’t kite away from Junker Queen.
Ice Wall is a muti-faceted tool to enable Junker Queen. It can block the enemy’s escape routes, cover long sight zones, and even provide her a safe way to approach. Don’t forget that teammates can now walk right through the Ice Wall, which Junker Queen can take full advantage of.
Mei’s area of effect ultimate slows then freezes enemies in a wide circle. This moment of chaos lets Junker Queen go ham on the opposing team. And if they get frozen, this is an instant elimination for Junker Queen’s high damaging abilities.
Lucio
Lucio is another immediate synergy when thinking about how to play Junker Queen in Overwatch 2. His speed aura and boost stacks with Junker Queen, letting her reach her enemies much more quicker.
Aside from that, a competent Lucio can distract any snipers hanging in the back, removing some of Junker Queen’s burden from protecting her backline. Soundwave is also a good tool, providing both the peel and disruption she desperately needs.
Ofcourse, Sound Barrier provides a lot of protection for Junker Queen. Overall, Junker Queen is a new race to rush compositions, and Lucio is the best support hero for that playstyle.
Reaper
Out of all the damage heroes, Reaper stands the most to gain from Junker Queen’s playstyle and abilities. Commanding Shout’s speed boost and health is everything Reaper needs to power through the enemy line to take down key targets.
Additionally, Rampage is a reliable way to proc anti-heals on the whole enemy team. Their lower health and inability to heal lets Reaper clean up the remaining enemies.
Finally, Commanding Shout is a great way to empower Reaper during his ultimate. Giving him speed boost and more health is reminiscent of Beyblade Reaper, where his Death Blossom can easily wipe out the opposing team.
Junker Queen Counters
Zarya
Zarya is an easy to counter Junker Queen’s playstyle, though the match-up is still skill based. Zarya can protect herself and her allies from Junker Queen’s onslaught of attacks.
In doing so, Zarya gains more damage and can definitely outdamage Junker Queen’s self-healing. Since Junker Queen doesn’t have any way to block Zarya’s attacks, she’s going to eat a thick beam of laser.
This also extends into protecting her team, as Junker Queen can’t do anything about Zarya’s Graviton Surge. However, if you feel like her ultimate is coming, Commanding Shout’s speed boost is a good way to scatter the team.
Zenyatta
Zenyatta’s Orb of Discord completely melts Junker Queen whenever she appears. She’s already weak to focus fire, taking additional damage worsens that flaw.
Orb of Harmony can negate wound damage on the frontline. Additionally, Snap Kick can knock you back far away if you come too close to Zenyatta. Fortunately, you can also counter him back by applying anti-heal when he’s about to use transcendence.
Ana
Ana is everything Junker Queen doesn’t want to fight. She has a long effective sight range and can efficiently hold high vantage points. Her primary heal is one of the best in the game, and can usually outburst the damage you output.
Sleep Dart can cancel your ultimate, especially during the brief moment when you’re charging it. Since you’re near melee range, she’ll have an easy time landing it.
Biotic Grenade completely shuts down Junker Queen’s passive. This is very dangerous after you’ve committed your abilities. It’s best to reserve Commanding Shout for a much needed health and speed boost to safely disengage.
Lastly, Nano Boost can give a target a huge burst of healing and empower them. Since Junker Queen lasts crowd control, you’re going to have a hard time dealing with empowered targets. You’ll need a good flanker or sniper on your team to deal with a good Ana.
