Our Only Goal is to Make You a Better Roadhog!

If you are an experienced players jump down to the bottom to Tips and Tricks for some cool things you can do with Roadhog.  There are even some videos to check out.  If you are new then start right here!  Welcome aboard. 

Roadhog is a popular tank and although he performs the task reasonably well, I’d define him as a bruiser or brawler. Unlike Reinhardt or Zerya, he has no means of physical mitigation and no way of protecting his team. Besides putting himself in harms way as a meat shield, there’s nothing he can do to prevent his team from taking damage. Instead he’s much more offensive and has far greater capability of killing players than any other tank. This means that your team is far better off with Roadhog as your second tank. I would not recommend solo tanking with Roadhog.

His ability to hook single targets to drag them towards himself, is devastating. Most Heroes he can comfortably kill instantly using the hook + primary fire combination. Armed with a Scrap Gun that acts similarly to Unreal Tournament’s Flak Cannon, he relies on being close to enemies to deal damage effectively. Even his alternative fire has limited range. Fortunately for Roadhog he does have some self-sustain thanks to his ability, Take A Breather. This heals him for a significant amount but requires him to be stationary to use it - this makes him particularly vulnerable.

Pros

Cons

His Hook and Primary Fire (LMB) is an incredibly powerful combo

Has no means of protecting his allies besides using his body

He can withstand a fair amount of punishment

Easily targeted due to his size and lack of speed

Has some self-sustain through his heal

He needs to be close range to do any damage

A much more offensive “tank”

Relies almost entirely on his Hook

Incredibly strong on close quarter maps

Story

After the Omnic Crisis, government officials gifted the Australian omnium and the surrounding area to the omnics that had nearly destroyed their country, hoping to establish a long-term peace accord. This arrangement permanently displaced Mako Rutledge and a large number of the Outback's residents, a scattered collection of survivalists, solar farmers, and people who just wanted to be left alone.

Furious over the loss of their homes, Mako and others turned to violent rebellion. They formed the Australian Liberation Front and struck against the omnium and its robot population to take back the lands that had been stolen. Events continued to escalate until the rebels sabotaged the omnium's fusion core, resulting in an explosion that destroyed the facility, irradiated the region, and littered the Outback with twisted metal and wreckage for kilometers around.

Mako watched as his home became an apocalyptic wasteland, and he was forever changed.

Adapting to his environment, he donned a mask and took to the broken highways of the Outback on his ramshackle chopper. Little by little, his humanity was forgotten. The last vestiges of Mako faded away and the ruthless killer Roadhog was born.

Abilities

Scrap Gun - As a flak cannon, Roadhog’s Scrap Gun is a very short range weapon that blasts scrap at enemies. Due to the fact it sprays scrap in a wide area, you’ll need to ensure that targets are very close to you to maximize its damage potential. Firing when enemies are medium or long range will do very little. Unsurprisingly it’s paramount that you use your Scrap Gun and its primary fire in combination with your Hook as this then allows you to drag foes next to you before swiftly shooting them for a point-blank shot.

Where his alternative fire is concerned, it has two stages, the first is a large projectile dealing 50 damage. When it reaches the end of its range it explodes into your primary fire spread. Its damage after it explodes is the same as your primary fire, allowing you to quite comfortably to poke down and pressure enemy players. It is particularly strong against Torbjorn’s turrets (as it tends to splash Torbjorn as well) as well as large targets such as Reinhardt. I must stress that due to the way his alternative fire works, you should only use it at medium to long ranges - using your primary fire deals far more damage close quarters.

TLDR - Get a good idea of how far the alternative fire travels before detonating. If the target is closer than that distance, use primary fire. If they are farther, use alternative fire.

Take A Breather - Healing Roadhog for a considerable amount (300hp per second over 1 second) it’s your only form of sustain if you don’t have a healer. Unfortunately Take A Breather also prevents you from moving and although you can withstand some punishment while healing, Heroes such as McCree can use it as a window of opportunity to burst you down instantly. If you can, try to just back off and find a quiet space before using Take A Breather. It’ll allow you to heal a large amount in a small space of time before getting back into the fight.

Not so helpful tip - Can be used to troll low dps heroes such as Mei since they cannot out dps your heal.

Chain Hook - Roadhog’s signature skill and key to his playstyle, his Chain Hook (or Hook as it’s referred) allows him to drag an enemy player to him. Its range is fairly large and generous in its hit detection making it particularly easy for you to single out a player, bring them to you before shooting them in the face. It’s really important that you spend time not only practicing landing your Hook, but the combination of Hook > Primary Fire > Melee Attack. It’s a huge spike of damage that can kill most Heroes instantly.

Hook Hitbox Tip - The hook has a very, very generous range on vertical distance from hook. The hook can hit heroes that are very far above or below. Use this to hit that annoying Pharah who got a little too close.

Whole Hog - Roadhog’s Ultimate ability pushes enemies away quickly, while also dealing high damage. However, the damage falls off rapidly with increased range. If you are looking for kills with the ultimate, be sure to use it in an area where you can pin enemies to a wall or other terrain. Whole Hog can also cause environmental kills by pushing enemies off of the map. It is a great tool for destroying shields/barriers, disrupting enemies, or zoning an area. Be careful to avoid stuns as they will cancel your ultimate.

Fun Fact - Reinhardt cannot Charge through your Whole Hog. This can allow you to get some silly kills where you redirect him off the map.

Strategy

Roadhog excels at looking for that one pick with his hook that turns the fight in your favour. He should be looking for a hook on any hero with 200 health or less if possible. Another great target is Reinhardt. He can be pulled when he attempts to Fire Strike, giving your team an amazing opportunity to kill the enemy tank with little cost.

When it comes to playing offensively with Roadhog (and you absolutely should) it’s imperative that you land your Hook. Not only will it allow you to combo them to deal enormous damage but it also allows your team to spike those down that you pull out of position. Choosing squishy targets such as Tracer, Zenyatta, McCree, Widowmaker and Mercy are key. At the very least they’ll be pulled out of position and best case scenario, they’ll take a ton of damage (LMB + Melee) and - hopefully - be finished off by you or your team.

Keep in mind that Roadhog’s hook does stun targets briefly, canceling channeled abilities such as other Roadhog’s Whole Hog. It can also be a great way to shut down dangerous heroics such as Soldier 76’s Tactical Visor. If you can land the hook, a quick LMB and melee will kill any low health target.

Finally and when it comes to your ultimate and use of your heal, both are very situational. If you’re being attacked, it’s not the time to use your heal. You’ll mitigate some of the incoming damage but take more damage than can heal while standing still. Find cover and use it when you can ensure you can heal without interruption. It only takes a second but ensures you’ll be back into a fight at full health. As for using Whole Hog, it’s a great tool for zoning enemies off of an objective (or off the map). It can also be used in small rooms to pin enemies to the walls.

Matchups

Heroes listed here are particularly challenging for Roadhog. While those listed can still be killed, they pose a particularly difficult challenge for her so be sure to take extra care. 

Hero

Threat 

Genji: Similarly to Tracer, he’s easy to kill if you hook him but his speed ensures he’s incredibly slippery. He’s guaranteed to deal high damage to you in a very short space of time.

7/10

Tracer: She’s super squishy and if you Hook her once she’s dead. Despite that, it’s Hooking her that’s part of the problem. Her speed and reset can make your life hell.

8/10

Pharah: Her ranged poke and ability to fly can cause you real problems although she is particularly vulnerable during her ultimate.

7/10

 

Reaper: His ability to make himself invulnerable combined with his close ranged burst damage make him a real threat. Try to hook him once his Wraith Form is on cooldown.

8/10

 

 

Tips

This list of tips and tricks are just a handful of things we think will help your Roadhog 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. 

An incredible video by Game Jammin that tests how to hit with Roadhog's hook. This is almost a must watch if you want to understand how his hook works. 

 


Learn how to melee effectively

 


Mythbusting Roadhog's Hook 3.0

 


Believer's Roadhog Montage

 


1. As obvious as it sounds, try not to miss or waste your Hook. It has a lengthy cooldown and is your primary initiator. 

2. You can Hook Junkrat's tire and D.va's Self Destructing Mech. Use this to defend your team from them.

3. Against Heroes such as Pharah who can fly, pull them back to earth using your Hook. It'll also interrupt the ultimate. 

4. Your ultimate ability allows you to rapidly destroy enemy shielding, such as Reinhardt's barrier. Use it in close quarters for maximum impact.

5. Remember your strongest rotation is Hook > Primary Fire > Melee attack. You should, with practice, be able to perform this near instantly. 

6. Always focus on high priority, squishy targets. Pull them out of position with your Hook. 

7. Never heal out in the open, you're vulnerable as you can't move. Find cover. 

8. You have absolutely no means of protecting your team from damage besides being the damage dealer or the bullet sponge. Just be sure you stay near your Support Heroes. 

9. Fast moving targets are particularly challenging for Roadhog. Be prepared to practice against them in order to successfully land your Hooks

10. Your alternative fire is for poking from range. It's ideal for pressuring enemy teams who are bunkered in or for sneakily sniping a turret. 

11. Roadhog works best if there's another tank with him (such as Zarya) or a very high damage team. This affords him the opportunity to be a damage dealer and a nuisance. 

12. You can destroy Winston, if you bait out his bubble shield.  Most will drop it when they land.. wait to hook until you burn down the bubble. 

13. Don't feed the enemy ults by playing out in the open.  Find cover. 

14. Try to stay at max hook range.   Even if your damage doesn't kill your victim, pulling them 20m from their team mates likely will. 

15. Genji can't use his abilities while ulting.   Hook him away from your squishies. 

16. Your hook is amazing. The threat of using it can be even more powerful.  You can often force back opponents just by moving towards them with the threat of using your hook. 

17. You are the 1 v 1 god.   Most opponents will run if they are smart.  

18. Use your massive hitbox to soak damage that would kill your supports.   

19. Use your massive hitbox to body-block opponents from escaping. 

20. Right-click before you hook as long as you have at least 2 ammo in your gun. 

21. You can hook an ulting Zenyatta.  Pull him away from his team. 

22. Hook opponents who have high ground advantage on your team early and often.

23. Use your melee attack as a "fake" hook to bait out deflects from Genji, blinks from Tracer, etc.   

 


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Last Updated: Mar 24, 2017

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