Alright, so the other day I was getting absolutely wrecked by this Hammond player. Like, this guy was a menace, rolling around, slamming, and just generally making my life miserable. I knew I had to figure something out, so I decided to hit the practice range and do some experimenting. Here’s what I did:
Experiment Time
First things first, I jumped into a custom game with a buddy. We wanted a controlled environment, so I asked my teammate plays Hammond, while trying some different heroes.
- I picked Sombra first. Hacking Hammond seemed like a no-brainer, right? Turns out, it’s pretty good! When he’s rolling around, a quick hack forces him out of ball form, making him way easier to hit. The problem is, the hack itself can be tricky to land when he’s zipping around at max speed. And, a good Hammond will adapt.
- Then I tried Reaper. Close-range, high damage…seemed perfect! I could unload a couple of shots into him, especially when he was diving in. This worked better than I expected, actually. The key was to save Wraith Form for when he used his minefield, so I could just float right through it.
- Next up was Roadhog. I figured I could hook him out of his roll, just like with Sombra’s hack. This was… okay. It definitely stopped him, but then I had a giant hamster in my face, which isn’t ideal. The hook-shoot-melee combo did some serious damage, though, so that was a plus.
- Mei was another hero that crossed my mind. Slowing him down seemed like a solid plan. The freeze wasn’t as effective as I’d hoped, but the wall was clutch. I could block his escape routes or separate him from his team. It required some quick thinking, but it definitely disrupted his flow.
- Bastion. I switched to Configuration: Sentry, waited for Hamond. After he came, the shredding began! Oh boy, I could see his health disappeared in 1 seconds!
Putting It Into Practice
After the custom game, I queued up for some quick play to test these strategies in a real match. Here how it went:
- Sombra was still good, but I had to be more patient with the hack. Waiting for him to engage on someone else made it way easier to land.
- Reaper was consistently strong. I just had to watch my positioning and make sure I didn’t get caught out in the open.
- Roadhog was hit-or-miss. If I landed the hook, it was great. If I missed, I was in trouble.
- Mei’s wall was more useful than I anticipated. I wasn’t always freezing him, but I was definitely controlling the space he wanted to use.
- Bastion was a complete success. The enemy team switched Hamond soon.
I’m not saying I’m a Hammond counter-master now, but I definitely feel way more confident dealing with him. It’s all about picking the right tool for the job and playing smart. Don’t be afraid to experiment and see what works best for you! It’s a process, but you can overcome the rolling menace. Keep practicing!
