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Junkrat's Frag Launcher is easy to use and is particularly effective against large targets such as Roadhog or Reinhardt, while it’s also very powerful in close quarter environments. The fact the grenades bounce also allows Junkrat to poke from obscure angles and attack from safety. A well angled grenade can comfortably reach opposition players, even if you don’t have vision of them.
Junkrat is strongest on defence. His ability to lay traps, set a Concussion Mine and constantly harass with his Frag Launcher makes him a constant nuisance. His range also ensures that he can comfortably attack with little risk of death although he will struggle against close range, offensive Heroes.
- If you love Junkrat, check out this real life Junkrat bomb launcher.
|
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
| Amazing at defending a set location | Weak versus fast moving Heroes |
| His Ultimate ability can wipe an entire team | Stronger on defence than attack (but still good on attack) |
| Frag Launcher is amazing at poking from afar or from around corners | Steel Trap and Concussion Mine can both be destroyed before being triggered |
| Steel Trap works as a brilliant warning system when being flanked | Frag Launcher takes practice to land shots effectively |
| Concussion Mine offers some much needed mobility |
His RIP-Tire can be destroyed by the enemy team |
Story
The attack on the Australian omnium's fusion core forever altered the landscape of the Outback. After the detonation, the area was transformed into a harsh, irradiated wasteland, littered with debris and the twisted fragments of the ruined facility, and unlivable to most.
But there were some who survived. Calling themselves the Junkers, they scavenged the husk of the omnium and formed a lawless, cutthroat society in its shadow. Junkrat was one of them, eking out a living reclaiming metal and components from the ruins. Like many others, he was affected by the lingering radiation. This touch of madness made him ideal for handling dangerous explosives, a love which he turned into an obsession.
He came to notoriety when he discovered an extremely valuable secret in the bones of the omnium. Though few knew the nature of what he found, he was nonetheless pursued by bounty hunters, gangs, and opportunists wherever he went, until he made a deal with the Junker enforcer Roadhog, who grudgingly agreed to be his personal bodyguard in exchange for a fifty-fifty share of the spoils.
With Roadhog in tow, Junkrat left the Outback, and embarked upon an international crime spree leaving nothing but havoc and bedlam in their wake. They were responsible for a string of robberies, arson, murder, and other crimes stretching from Sydney to King's Row. They had a creed of "no job too big, no score too small." It is known that they performed the heist of the Banco de Dorado. Their spree of mayhem and chaos caused untold millions in property damage around the world.
British, French, and Latin American authorities offered rewards for information on the fugitives, and theorized that they were intent on crossing the Atlantic to North America. Their activities were reported on by A Moment in Crime, by which point the bounty on their heads had reached $25 million.
At some point, Junkrat and Roadhog were called in for a job on behest of a "suit" from Hyde Global in Sydney. He claimed that a factory of his in downtown Sydney had been taken over by omnic terrorists, and its workers taken hostage. Wanting to keep the police out of it, he asked the pair to deal with the situation, as he knew there was no-one better for getting jobs done "quietly." Junkrat was onboard—he was happy to take out omnics, and the down payment looked enticing. Ergo, the pair set off to the factory, Junkrat even open to the idea of "going legit." This job could be a new start for them. What wasn't a new start was his approach to problems, namely to blow open a hole in the factory roof and jump straight in, any thought of the hostages barely registering. Only there were none, only a horde of cop bots. The two blasted their way through the opposition, exited the factory, and then set the whole thing crashing down in yet another explosion. Marveling at the destruction, Junkrat was reminded by Roadhog that there were meant to be hostages. Only, there were none, only the robots. And as he inspected them, Junkrat realized that they weren't omnics, but rather Hyde Global automatons.
At this point the police arrived. Despite Junkrat's assertion that they were "professionals," that didn't prevent a shootout from starting (not that Roadhog being called "fat" by one of the officers helped his disposition). In the hail of gunfire, Roadhog helped Junkrat realize that the suit had set them up. It was a realization that was accurate, for in reality, the suit had intended for the pair to destroy the factory for the insurance payout. But the next day, Junkrat and Roadhog paid him a visit, stringing him up on a crane, and leaving him to die in an explosion that consumed the entire HG Sydney office block. As they made their escape, Junkrat was reaffirmed in his dislike of "suits," and could only ask whose idea it had been to "go legit" in the first place.
Abilities
Total Mayhem (Passive) - When Junkrat dies he’ll leave behind a satchel of explosives after a short delay. When the grenades explode anyone nearby will take damage, with close proximity to all the grenades dealing 300 damage. If you’ve been fighting another player in close quarters and they’ve taken damage, Total Mayhem can often be enough to finish them off. If you know you’re going to die, it’s best to try and hug your opponent so that when you fall, they’ll be caught by the explosion.
Tip - The grenades dropped from Total Mayhem drop straight down. Momentum you have has no effect on their trajectory.
Frag Launcher - Junkrat’s Frag Launcher allows him to fire arcing grenades that bounce off any surface. After a very brief period of time after they hit the ground they’ll detonate and deal damage to those near them. If they strike a player directly they’ll explode instantly. Due to their travel speed and the fact they bounce, it can be difficult to land them. Often the best course of action is to bombard a specific area with them, partly to zone out the enemy but also in the hopes you’ll hit someone.
Tip - The blast radius from your Frag Launcher grenades can harm you. Try not to hit yourself!
Concussion Mine - Allowing Junkrat to throw a small mine in front of him, the Concussion Mine not only deals damage (120) but also knocks back those caught in the blast. Considering the mine can be placed anywhere (it sticks to all surfaces!) it’s ideal for use in tight spaces or when ambushing enemies. It’s also good to get in the habit of placing the Concussion Mine on top of your Steel Trap. That way anyone caught will take unavoidable damage the moment you detonate. Finally, Concussion Mine allows you to leap in any direction. Simply place it at your feet, run over it - jump - and then detonate. You'll be propelled forwards, high into the sky.
Fun Fact - If you place a Mine then wait for the cooldown, you can launch yourself with the first mine, place another beneath you mid-air and fly farther.
Tip - Be aware that Concussion Mine can be killed by other players. Be sure you place it in locations where players won’t expect.
Steel Trap - When activated Junkrat will throw a bear trap on the ground. Anyone who touches it will be caught and incapacitated for 3 seconds, while receiving 80 damage. The two main functions for Steel Trap are to not only keep those caught in it trapped, but it also alerts you when a trap is triggered. This is a great way of keeping track of where the enemy are and allows you to reposition accordingly. Just be aware that like your Concussion Mine, Steel Trap can also be destroyed.
Tip - Try to place your Steel Trap in locations that are small, such as corridors and doorways. There’s less chance of players avoiding them.
RIP-Tire - When you activate RIP-Tire Junkrat takes control of a tire loaded with explosives. You’re able to pilot it and then detonate it on command. It deals enormous damage when detonated (600) and can comfortably clear an entire team if positioned properly. Interestingly the RIP-Tire can also climb walls if you hold space when next to it. This allows you to pilot it across routes that the enemy team might not expect. If you do happen to die while controlling RIP-Tire, you’ll continue to do so until it detonates or is destroyed. The RIP-Tire only has 100 health and can be killed easily.
Tip - RIP-Tire has a clear audio queue, resulting in the enemy team listening out and expecting it. Try to take sneaky routes to the enemy.
Strategy
Junkrat is all about zoning the enemy team and he achieves that by covering his flanks with his Steel Trap while bombarding an area with his primary fire.
It's incredibly important that you protect your flanks but also bombard the oncoming Tank. Whether it's Reinhardt, Winston or Roadhog, as long as your team are with you, you can comfortably pressure them. Their size makes them difficult to miss and you'll quickly and easily charge your Ultimate as a result. Once you have, release it when you know the enemy team are advancing as a group and if possible, try to come up behind them so they're caught unaware.
To build on the use of your Ultimate, if you can and due to the massive damage it deals, try to always take down more than one opponent if possible. Enemies will often spread out when they hear it and if you are unable to take down multiple heroes then aim for a tank such as Reinhardt, or their healer such as Lucio.
Finally, clever use of your Concussion Mine can often secure you and your team a win. It allows you to position yourself where the enemy might not expect. This can often allow you to bypass enemy bottlenecks so that you can then release your RIP-Tire or rain down explosives from behind enemy lines. If you can, it's also worth saving your Concussion Mine after you've landed so that if you do need to escape you can quickly blast away.
Matchups
Heroes listed here are particularly challenging for Junkrat. While those listed can still be killed, they pose a particularly difficult challenge for him so be sure to take extra care.
|
Hero |
Threat |
|---|---|
| Pharah: Height is a huge disadvantage for Junkrat because of the arc nature of your primary weapon. You simply can't get the distance needed to shoot at Pharah. She'll rip you to pieces. | 9/10 |
| Reaper: Simply because of his invulnerability and teleport, he can bypass your Steel Trap and Concussion Mine while gunning you down in seconds. His shotguns deal eye watering damage and are nearly unavoidable. | 8/10 |
| Tracer: Her speed combined with Blink and Recall make it nearly impossible to hit her. Unless she stumbles into your Steel Trap, there's very little hope of survival against a well skilled Tracer. | 9/10 |
| Zarya: Her Barrier's and ease of aiming with her primary fire allow her to withstand a lot of punishment. | 9/10 |
Tips
This list of tips and tricks are just a handful of things we think will help your Junkrat play. We'll continue to add to the list as required and if you have any tips you'd like to share, let us know in the comments below and we'll place them here.
- Junkrat's Steel Trap will pop Bastion out of sentry form. Throw it on him (if you can get that close).
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Watch secret path GIF by yang55 on Gfycat. Discover more junkrat GIFs, overwatch GIFs, yang GIFs on Gfycat.
Junkrat Tips and Advice from Great British Gaming
GameSpot's Junkrat Guide - The Basics
KRITICALKRIS Junkrat Guide - Character Strategy + The Basics
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Keybinds by PvPTwitch
Junkrat Guide to King's Row by PvPTwitch
1. Be aware of your limitations. Junkrat works best against large slow moving targets or those incapable of moving. Against fast Heroes or those capable of reaching locations above street level, you can struggle.
2. Your main method of travelling around the map is your Concussion Mine. Its cooldown is short and with practice you can leap great distances and over scenary for quick access to the frontlines.
3. If you're against a close-quarter Hero, use Concussion Mine to put distance between you and them. Its knockback is fairly substantial.
4. Don't be afraid to constantly fire your Frag Launcher. Its reload time is short and its rate of fire quick. You'll always have ammo when you need it and pressuring the enemy team through bombarding them is worthwhile.
5. Your Steel Trap is very valuable. Simply place it in an area that your enemies are regularly using to flank you. This ensures if a Genji, Tracer or Reaper does happen to make their way to you, they're highly likely to be caught. Placing it between doorways is best.
6. RIP-Tire deals 600 damage. That's enough damage to kill any Hero instantly.
7. Your Concussion Mine can stick to any surface and like your Steel Trap is best placed in locations where it's impossible to avoid.
8. Use the natural bounce of your Frag Launcher's grenades to fire at enemy players without being seen. This not only keeps you alive, but makes it difficult for the enemy team to locate you.
9. Delaying your Riptire can distract the enemy team, giving your teammates time to reposition and push.
10. Creating space through constant Frag Launcher fire is great... unless you are charging up an enemy Zarya's ultimate or building healer ultimates by chipping damage that is easily healed. Use your head and make wise decisions.
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