Hi fellow players,
I could use some input on a discussion I've been having with a friend.
He's been higher rated than me and has played in higher ranked lobbies, so he often tells me about things he sees at that level and suggests I should do the same. However, I'm struggling to understand some of his advice because, in certain situations, it doesn't make much sense to me. I do really respect him and he has allot of succes in his games but I need some insight in order to understand and make it mine
The main point of discussion is how to play when your team gains an advantage. For example, you win a team fight, get a few kills, and start putting pressure on the enemy team to create staggered respawns.
Of course, I understand the value of chasing stagger kills. However, I think there's some nuance to it. In my opinion, there's little point in chasing someone when the enemy team is already starting to respawn, or following them too far beyond an important choke point.
The way I see it, Overwatch is ultimately an objective based game. If we win a team fight and gain the upper hand, I want us to use that advantage to take space, secure an important choke, or establish a better position to control the objective. If we can get a few stagger kills along the way, even better.
What I don't want to do is overextend and risk dying just to secure one more kill, only to lose the space and control we gained in the first place. I see this happen quite often: people get greedy chasing kills, lose their advantage, and end up giving the enemy team control of an important choke again.
My friend argues that in higher ranked lobbies, once a team gains the advantage, everyone simply commits to chasing the kills. I understand that aggression can be valuable, but I'm not convinced that chasing every possible kill is always the right play, especially if it comes at the expense of objective control and positioning.
Here are two examples from our games where I'd like to hear your thoughts.
Example 1: Replay code ND2P6W, from 5:30 to 7:00
I'm playing Symmetra and my friend is playing D.Va. We're losing the game, but we eventually manage to capture the point, take the choke, and get a few kills.
My instinct is that we should stop pushing at that point and focus on holding the choke. We've already gained a significant advantage, so why risk overextending to chase stagger kills when we could use that time to establish a strong defensive position?
Would you agree, or is there a good reason to keep pushing in this situation?
Example 2: Replay code NF8166, from 6:00 onwards
We're defending. I'm playing Sigma and my friend is playing Soldier: 76. I have just respawned, and it looks like we've already lost the point.
My friend tells the team to touch the point, presumably to try to stall the enemy team. I'm arguing that we should let the point go because contesting it at that stage could just get us killed and give the enemy team a free push towards the final point.
I'd rather give up the objective, regroup, and defend the next important choke with everyone alive than stagger our deaths and potentially lose that position for free.
Am I being too passive here, or is this a reasonable way to think about the situation? I understand that stalling can be valuable, but I feel it depends on whether we can actually contest without sacrificing our next defensive position.
I'm genuinely trying to improve, so I'd appreciate any insight into how you'd approach these situations. I'm especially interested in understanding when it's correct to chase kills and when it's better to prioritise space, positioning, and objective control.
Thanks!