Be the best McCree that you can be
If you are new, start from the top of the guide and work your way through. If you are an experienced player then jump right down to the Tips and Tricks for more advanced help.
"Did you know that Jesse McCree is the name of the Blizzard developer who works on Diablo III?"
We met him at the BlizzCon Charity Dinner last year. He's an awesome guy!
McCree is one of Overwatch’s most popular Assault Heroes. Not only is he popular but incredibly powerful too. His ability to attack from range with his revolver while having huge burst potential in close quarters makes him a versatile Hero. Unlike Reaper and Tracer who are both close range, or Pharah who only excels at maximum distance, McCree can straddle both. His revolver shots are accurate at any distance, allowing him to poke comfortably from afar. When the needed arises he can also burst down enemy players with a combination of his stun, Flashbang and alternative fire or a couple quick headshots.
Unsurprisingly, this combination of damage and utility has made him one of the most sought after Assault Hero in competitive Overwatch and it’s not difficult to see why. Throw in the fact he can roll in any direction to avoid damage or to close the gap on enemies and you’ve a recipe for a seriously powerful character.
|
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
|
Amazing ranged poke potential |
Has no mobility to quickly get around the map |
|
His close range burst from his alternative fire is his key move |
He suffers damage fall-off from afar (it's relatively severe) so he can't snipe with his primary attack |
|
He has an invaluable stun |
His lack of mobility makes life difficult versus very fast Heroes |
| His Ultimate can secure multiple kills near instantly | Deadeye is easily avoided if players listen for his "Tell" |
| Great on Defence and Offense | He needs to get in close to deal his highest burst |
Story
McCree had already made a name for himself as a member of the notorious Deadlock Gang, which trafficked in illicit weapons and military hardware throughout the American Southwest, when he and his associates were busted in an Overwatch sting operation. With his expert marksmanship and resourcefulness, he was given the choice between rotting in a maximum-security lockup or joining Blackwatch, Overwatch's covert ops division. He chose the latter.
Although he was initially cynical, he came to believe that he could make amends for his past sins by righting the injustices of the world. McCree appreciated the flexibility afforded to the clandestine Blackwatch, unhindered by bureaucracy and red tape. He was given instruction by Gabriel Reyes, another Blackwatch member. But as Overwatch's influence waned, rogue elements within Blackwatch sought to bring down the organization and turn it to their own ends. Wanting no part of the infighting, McCree set off alone and went underground
Abilities
Peacekeeper - Providing McCree with pin-point shots that deal 70 damage per bullet, his Peacekeeper is incredibly powerful. Past 45 meters, his primary fire will deal 20 damage, a huge falloff. His primary fire is capable of firing two rounds every one second while his alternative allows him to fan the hammer of his Peacekeeper to release 6 rounds almost instantly. Unsurprisingly the burst potential of six bullets dealing 45 damage each is enormous and is more than capable of killing the majority of Heroes instantly (landing all 6 bullets will deal 270 damage). Even though the spread on his alternative fire is fairly inaccurate, if you lead with a Flashbang you’re sure to keep your target on one place. Make sure to pull down a little when you Fan The Hammer, the recoil pulls your sights up slightly. You don't want to miss any shots.
A Cool Combo To Maximize Damage - Flashbang + One primary fire headshot (70*2=140 dmg) + Fan The Hammer (45*5=225 dmg) + Combat roll (reloads ammo) + Fan The Hammer (45*6=270). That's a total of 635 damage, allowing you to even burst Roadhog with Symmetra shields.
A Thing To Keep In Mind - If you Flashbang a low health target, shoot them twice in the head for 280 damage rather than Fan The Hammer, it deals more damage and is more reliable. It also leaves you with 4 more bullets in your chamber.
Tip - Your Peacekeeper pistol suffers fall-off to prevent you sniping from afar with it. It doesn't mean you can't use it to poke free 20 damage from maximum range.
Combat Roll - Combat Roll allows McCree to dive in the direction he’s moving. Not only is it invaluable at avoiding attacks from enemy players, but its secondary use is to reload his Peacekeeper instantly. This effectively gives McCree two full rounds of ammunition, allowing him to poke from afar with his primary attack before using Combat Roll + Alternative Fire to quickly fan 6 bullets into an opponent. Management of your Combat Roll and knowing when to use it (offensively and defensively) is key to McCree play.
Tip - Combat Roll reloads your Peacekeeper. Use this for double alternative fires if necessary.
Flashbang - Allowing McCree to throw a small grenade, dealing 25 damage and staggers an enemy struck stunning them for a very short duration (0.7 seconds). Paired with your alternative fire or two quick headshots, will kill most targets.
Fun Fact - If you throw only Flashbangs, it will take you 4 minutes (240 seconds) to kill Roadhog.
Tip - Two quick headshots deal 280 damage while landing all 6 of your alternate fire deals 270. If you are confident in your aim, go for the headshots.
Deadeye (Ultimate) - Deadeye is an incredibly strong Ultimate ability that allows McCree to track enemy players in his sight. Once locked on, he can release his shots to deal instant damage. The lower health his targets are, the quicker the ultimate aims and it deals 170 damage per 1 second of casting. In effect, the longer you keep sight on a player the more damage it will do once released. The major drawback to Deadeye is the fact McCree can only walk while aiming and he vocalises that he’s used it, resulting in players quickly finding cover if they’ve heard his tell. It lasts 6 seconds, allowing you to zone an area for that long if all enemies retreat.
Strategy
McCree is a strange one when it comes to strategy because he can literally fulfil every roal. He can comfortably escort due to his ranged poke and close quarter damage. He’s brilliant at flanking thanks to his Flashbang + 2 Headshots or Alternative fire burst. He’s even excellent when left to his own devices because if the enemy isn’t aware of him, he can happily arm his Ultimate and secure multiple kills instantly. What you should regularly be doing with McCree, regardless of how you choose to approach a fight, is to simply poke from afar with your primary fire and when you can guarantee a kill lead with your Flashbang.
Part of the reason why McCree is so popular in competitive Overwatch is the fact that he’s a Swiss-army knife and brings so much value to the team as an offensive Hero. Unlike Tracer who is all single target damage with little to no utility, or Reaper that needs to get in close, McCree can fit nicely into any composition irrespective of their playstyle.
Tip - McCree is at his best when he's mid-range. Long enough to poke with his primary fire but short enough to Combat Roll and use his Flashbang should he need to.
The one downside to McCree is that as an Assault Hero he has absolutely no mobility outside of his Combat Roll. This results in him having to take conventional routes everywhere and his travel time back to battle, after death, is particularly slow because of it. This puts him at a significant disadvantage over his peers because it means his death is particularly challenging for his team, especially if they don’t have Symmetra to bring him back to the frontlines quickly.
Not So Helpful Tip - You can't die if you kill all of your enemies.
Finally and when it comes to using your Ultimate ability, always try to use it from a location where you aren’t easily seen. Its range is enormous so don’t feel pressured to get close to your enemy. Be as far back as possible, almost out of sight, and while the enemy is distracted begin your Ultimate. If you can, it’s a good idea to start your Ultimate from around a corner before walking into view. This way when the enemy immediately looks around for you after hearing your warning, they won’t see you coming. It can also be used behind a Reinhardt to zone enemies from an area for a very long time (6 seconds).
Matchups
Heroes listed here are particularly challenging for McCree. While those listed can still be killed, they pose a particularly difficult challenge for him so be sure to take extra care.
|
Hero |
Threat |
|---|---|
|
Bastion: You can comfortably poke him but there's no real chance of you getting in close to Flashbang. If you do poke from afar he'll likely heal through it and cut you down quickly. Try to flank if possible. |
8/10 |
|
Reaper: Fighting Reaper tends to be based on who attacks first. If he has, you can die near instantly. Even if a fight against Reaper is going south, as long as you have your Flashbang you can always turn it around. Quickly release it and headshot him twice or alternate fire while Reaper is stunned. Just be aware that Reaper has the ability to go immune from all damage, although this cannot be used while stunned. |
7/10 |
| Soldier 76: His rate of fire is quicker and more accurate from a distance, his Ultimate is also similar to your own except much quicker. His alternative fire also hits really hard and has fairly generous splash. You'll rarely get close enough to stun him. 3 shots within 20 meters will kill him (2 shots if either are headshots). | 7/10 |
|
Pharah: Her ranged poke and aerial mobility is amazing, she also has an attack that can knock you back. She's a real headache to deal with. Your falloff is too high to fight her while she is airborne. Wait for her to land to kill her. |
7/10 |
| Tracer: Can be particularly challenging for McCree simply because of her speed, although a well-placed Flashbang will stop her in her tracks. Despite that, she’s hard to land shots on and a skilled tracer will ensure she Blinks or Recalls away from your stun. | 7/10 |
| Genji: His speed, mobility and deflect can be a nuisance. Fortunately for you he has low health and he needs to get in close. This works in your favor as it puts him in Flashbang range, which can be a guaranteed kill. Do'nt let Flashbang get deflected back at you. | 8/10 |
| Roadhog: A skilled Roadhog can comfortably Hook and kill you instantly, don't be afraid to Combat Roll if you think he is about to Hook. | 7/10 |
Tips
This list of tips and tricks are just a handful of things we think will help your McCree 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.
Playing McCree on Hollywood
Playing McCree on Nepal
McCree's Ultimate Explained with Tips in Under a Minute
Maximizing Impact on McCree
How To Kill Bastion 2.0 - Hotfuzz17
Sentry Mode Flank Combo - HS -> HS -> FB -> FTH
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Recon Mode Combo: HS -> FB -> HS (or HS -> HS -> FB)
How To Position as McCree
How To Use McCree's Ult Successfully
McCree Recoil Guide
1. Your Peacekeeper and its primary fire is your bread and butter. You should constantly be firing from afar in order to poke and pressure the enemy team.
2. Your alternative fire is your only burst and deals 270 damage. That's enough to kill low health heroes. Keep in mind that 2 primary fire headshots deals 280 damage and leaves you with 4 more bullets.
3. Using your Combat Roll reloads your Peacekeeper instantly. If you need to reload during a firefight, Combat Roll instead.
4. Combat Roll can be used to avoid attacks and skills that would normally kill you. It can be particularly good for avoiding shots from Pharah or Roadhog's Hooks.
5. McCree is the master of 1 on 1's thanks to his Flashbang and rapid reload. Even if you're caught unaware, as long as you've a window of opportunity to use your Flashbang you should always win.
6. Regardless of role you choose to pick (flanking, escorting, roaming) McCree can excel, just ensure you constantly target low health Heroes (Zarya/Lucio/Symmetra).
7. Your Ultimate ability takes several seconds to prime and prevents you from running. Only ever use it from where the enemy can't see you or if you're far back enough that they can't gun you down.
8. Maps with narrow corridors or a Control Point mode work best for McCree as it ensures close quarters for his alternative fire (Ilios/Lijiang Tower)
9. Always Left-Click - Flashbang - Left-Click rather than just Flashbang - Left-Click. It costs you nothing and is free damage.
10. Your ultimate can lock on to players as they are resurrecting. Very handy for ruining Mercy's day.
11. Make every shot count. Spray and pray doesn't work with McCree. Take the time you need between shots to aim.
12. Protect your healers. They are your sustain.
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