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Pharah portrait

YOUR MAIN · DAMAGE

PLAYING PHARAH

Who to ban, which matchups hurt, where to play and who has your back.

TierS
Win rate52.7%
Pick rate4.9%
Ban rate12.8%

OFFICIAL KIT · DAMAGE

KIT

  1. Rocket Launcher

    Weapon

    Long-range explosive projectile weapon.

  2. Jet Dash

    9s

    Ability

    Boost horizontally.

  3. Jump Jet

    14s

    Ability

    Fly rapidly upwards. Grants some fuel.

  4. Concussive Blast

    8s

    Ability

    Launch an explosive blast to knock back enemies.

  5. Hover Jets

    Passive

    Hold to hover. Slows falling when fuel is empty. Fuel only regenerates while on the ground.

  6. Barrage

    2,200 pts

    Ultimate

    Launch a continuous volley of mini-rockets.

Minor perksLevel 2 · pick one

  • Concussive Force

    Concussive Blast deals up to 30 explosion damage.

  • Helix Shields

    Convert 125 health to shields. Direct hits with the Rocket Launcher triggers passive shield regeneration.

Major perksLevel 3 · pick one

  • Fuel Stores

    Jet Dash grants 50% fuel. Maximum overfuel is increased by 100%.

  • Rocket Salvo

    After using a movement ability, your next primary fire also shoots two spiraling mini-rockets, each exploding for 30 damage.

Cooldowns from the Overwatch Wiki and the patch notes, ultimate cost in points.

Ability and perk icons and descriptions © Blizzard Entertainment.

KNOW YOUR PROBLEMS

TOUGH MATCHUPS

Heroes that counter Pharah, strongest first. Tap one to see what beats them.

STRONG2 PICKS

Ashe Strong Damage B

Reliable hitscan pressure punishes Pharah in the air and sharply limits safe flight angles.

  • OPEN SIGHTLINES
HOW TO PLAY IT

Avoid long open sightlines Ashe can track. Fly low and use cover, and ask your team to pressure her first.

PERK PICK Solid pickDefault build

MinorHelix ShieldsMajorFuel Stores

Ashe plays as a sharpshooter, so mobility and range matter most. Helix Shields brings sustain; Fuel Stores brings mobility.

Echo Strong Damage B

Echo can match Pharah's vertical mobility and pressure them directly in the air.

  • VERTICAL SPACE
HOW TO PLAY IT

Echo can match you in the air. Stay near cover and your team, and don't take a long air duel you can't win.

PERK PICK Clear pickDefault build

MinorHelix ShieldsMajorFuel Stores

Echo plays as a recon, so anti-air and mobility matter most. Helix Shields brings sustain and anti-air; Fuel Stores brings mobility and anti-air.

GOOD8 PICKS

Cassidy Good Damage D

Reliable hitscan pressure punishes Pharah in the air and sharply limits safe flight angles.

HOW TO PLAY IT

Don't hover in Cassidy's range. Use cover between rockets, and fight from angles where he can't track you.

PERK PICK Solid pickDefault build

MinorHelix ShieldsMajorFuel Stores

Cassidy plays as a sharpshooter, so mobility and range matter most. Helix Shields brings sustain; Fuel Stores brings mobility.

D.Va Good Tank D

Mobility lets D.Va contest Pharah's vertical space and force them off comfortable angles.

  • CLEAN ENGAGE REQUIRED
HOW TO PLAY IT

D.Va can follow you in the air. Stay near cover and your team, and don't hover alone when she's looking for you.

PERK PICK Solid pick

MinorConcussive ForceMajorFuel Stores

D.Va plays as an initiator, so anti-dive and crowd control matter most. Concussive Force brings crowd control; Fuel Stores brings mobility and anti-dive.

Juno Good Support B

Juno can pressure aerial movement consistently while staying mobile enough to avoid easy retaliation.

HOW TO PLAY IT

Juno can pressure your air movement. Stay near cover and change angles often so she can't track you.

PERK PICK Solid pick

MinorConcussive ForceMajorRocket Salvo

Juno plays as a survivor, so burst and duels matter most. Concussive Force brings burst; Rocket Salvo brings burst and area damage.

Soldier: 76 Good Damage D

Reliable hitscan pressure punishes Pharah in the air and sharply limits safe flight angles.

HOW TO PLAY IT

Don't hover in Soldier: 76's lines. Fly low, use cover between rockets and change angles after every burst.

PERK PICK Lean

MinorConcussive ForceMajorFuel Stores

Soldier: 76 plays as a specialist, so mobility and burst matter most. Concussive Force brings burst; Fuel Stores brings mobility.

Widowmaker Good Damage B

Reliable hitscan pressure punishes Pharah in the air and sharply limits safe flight angles.

  • OPEN SIGHTLINES
HOW TO PLAY IT

Avoid long open sightlines. Stay near buildings and don't hover where Widowmaker can line up a shot.

PERK PICK Solid pickDefault build

MinorHelix ShieldsMajorFuel Stores

Widowmaker plays as a sharpshooter, so mobility and range matter most. Helix Shields brings sustain; Fuel Stores brings mobility.

Emre Good Damage D

Ranged fire can contest Pharah’s flight paths when Emre has clear sightlines and room to track.

  • MAP OR COMP DEPENDENT
HOW TO PLAY IT

Stay out of Emre's clear sightlines. Fly near cover and change angles often so they can't track you.

PERK PICK Lean

MinorConcussive ForceMajorFuel Stores

Emre plays as a specialist, so mobility and burst matter most. Concussive Force brings burst; Fuel Stores brings mobility.

Baptiste Good Support D

Hitscan bursts can contest Pharah while healing nearby teammates; clear sightlines and aim matter.

  • MAP OR COMP DEPENDENT
HOW TO PLAY IT

Stay out of Baptiste's clear sightlines and use cover between rockets. Fly near buildings instead of hovering in the open.

PERK PICK Solid pick

MinorConcussive ForceMajorRocket Salvo

Baptiste plays as a tactician, so burst and duels matter most. Concussive Force brings burst; Rocket Salvo brings burst.

Illari Good Support D

Accurate hitscan shots contest exposed flight paths; cover and long-range angles still matter.

  • MAP OR COMP DEPENDENT
HOW TO PLAY IT

Avoid exposed flight paths. Use cover and fly between buildings instead of hovering in Illari's lines.

PERK PICK Solid pick

MinorConcussive ForceMajorRocket Salvo

Illari plays as a survivor, so burst and duels matter most. Concussive Force brings burst; Rocket Salvo brings burst and area damage.

SITUATIONAL2 PICKS

Wrecking Ball Situational Tank B

Mobility lets Wrecking Ball contest Pharah's vertical space and force them off comfortable angles.

  • MAP OR COMP DEPENDENT
  • CLEAN ENGAGE REQUIRED
HOW TO PLAY IT

Wrecking Ball can reach you on high ground. Stay aware, and use Concussive Blast to knock him away when he commits.

PERK PICK LeanDefault build

MinorHelix ShieldsMajorFuel Stores

Wrecking Ball plays as an initiator, so anti-dive and sustain matter most. Helix Shields brings sustain; Fuel Stores brings mobility and anti-dive.

Jetpack Cat Situational Support B

Community teamfight data favors this matchup, but aerial team support is not a reliable solo answer.

  • MAP OR COMP DEPENDENT
HOW TO PLAY IT

Jetpack Cat can contest your air space. Stay close to cover and fight with team support, not alone in the air.

PERK PICK Solid pick

MinorConcussive ForceMajorRocket Salvo

Jetpack Cat plays as a tactician, so burst and duels matter most. Concussive Force brings burst; Rocket Salvo brings burst.

LEVEL UP RIGHT · RECON

PERK BUILD

One minor perk at level 2, one major at level 3. The highlighted pair is the default; each tough matchup above says when to switch.

MINOR PERKLevel 2 · pick one

  • Concussive Force

    Concussive Blast deals up to 30 explosion damage.

    • Burst
    • Crowd control
  • DEFAULT

    Helix Shields

    Convert 125 health to shields. Direct hits with the Rocket Launcher triggers passive shield regeneration.

    • Sustain
    • Anti-air
MAJOR PERKLevel 3 · pick one
  • DEFAULT

    Fuel Stores

    Jet Dash grants 50% fuel. Maximum overfuel is increased by 100%.

    • Mobility
    • Anti-dive
    • Anti-air

  • Rocket Salvo

    After using a movement ability, your next primary fire also shoots two spiraling mini-rockets, each exploding for 30 damage.

    • Burst
    • Area damage

WHY THIS BUILD Covers what Pharah's toughest matchups punish most: mobility, range and sustain.

Perk names, text and icons as published on the official Pharah page. Picks are rule-based from this hero's matchups, not win-rate data.

YOUR TARGETS

PHARAH IS GOOD INTO

These matchups depend on timing, positioning and teammate follow-up. Check the conditions before swapping.

DoomfistTank · strongReinhardtTank · strongVendettaDamage · strongVentureDamage · strongBrigitteSupport · strongD.MonTank · goodHazardTank · goodOrisaTank · goodRamattraTank · goodAnranDamage · goodJunkratDamage · goodMeiDamage · goodSymmetraDamage · goodKirikoSupport · goodLifeweaverSupport · goodLúcioSupport · goodMizukiSupport · goodWuyangSupport · goodTorbjörnDamage · goodReaperDamage · situational

HERO BANS

BAN THESE

The counters you're most likely to actually face in Bronze → Diamond.

  1. 1AsheStrong counter · B tier9.5%pick rate
  2. 2CassidyGood counter · D tier17.5%pick rate
  3. 3Soldier: 76Good counter · D tier14.6%pick rate

Ranked by counter strength × how often each hero is picked.

MAP VOTE

WHERE TO PLAY

Pharah's win rate on each map compared with Pharah's own All Maps average. All ranks, PC Competitive.

VOTE FOR

  • Lijiang Tower+5.3 pts
  • Ilios+3.7 pts
  • Oasis+1.6 pts

AVOID

  • Havana−4.7 pts
  • Blizzard World−3.8 pts
  • New Junk City−3.3 pts

Blizzard Hero Statistics, 2026-10-15. Maps with low pick rates are left out.

Map images © Blizzard Entertainment, via OverFast API.

TEAM UP

COVERS YOUR WEAK SPOTS

Teammates who answer the heroes that counter Pharah. One pick per role.

Weighted by counter strength and observed pick rate.

NEXT STEP

BUILD AROUND IT

Your main needs backup picks for the matchups above.

Rate Pharah + Widowmaker as a pool All Pharah counters How the latest patch hits Pharah Full tier list Analyze my last match
CHANGE YOUR MAINSearch all 54 heroes
D.Va portrait D.Vatank D.Mon portrait D.Montank Domina portrait Dominatank Doomfist portrait Doomfisttank Hazard portrait Hazardtank Junker Queen portrait Junker Queentank Mauga portrait Maugatank Orisa portrait Orisatank Ramattra portrait Ramattratank Reinhardt portrait Reinhardttank Roadhog portrait Roadhogtank Sigma portrait Sigmatank Wrecking Ball portrait Wrecking Balltank Winston portrait Winstontank Zarya portrait Zaryatank Anran portrait Anrandamage Ashe portrait Ashedamage Bastion portrait Bastiondamage Cassidy portrait Cassidydamage Echo portrait Echodamage Emre portrait Emredamage Freja portrait Frejadamage Genji portrait Genjidamage Hanzo portrait Hanzodamage Junkrat portrait Junkratdamage Mei portrait Meidamage Pharah portrait Pharahdamage Reaper portrait Reaperdamage Shion portrait Shiondamage Sierra portrait Sierradamage Sojourn portrait Sojourndamage Soldier: 76 portrait Soldier: 76damage Symmetra portrait Symmetradamage Torbjörn portrait Torbjörndamage Tracer portrait Tracerdamage Vendetta portrait Vendettadamage Venture portrait Venturedamage Widowmaker portrait Widowmakerdamage Sombra portrait Sombrasupport Ana portrait Anasupport Baptiste portrait Baptistesupport Brigitte portrait Brigittesupport Illari portrait Illarisupport Jetpack Cat portrait Jetpack Catsupport Juno portrait Junosupport Kiriko portrait Kirikosupport Lifeweaver portrait Lifeweaversupport Lúcio portrait Lúciosupport Mercy portrait Mercysupport Mizuki portrait Mizukisupport Moira portrait Moirasupport Wuyang portrait Wuyangsupport Zenyatta portrait Zenyattasupport Doctrine portrait Doctrinesupport

Matchups reviewed for 2026-10-06. Rates from Blizzard Hero Statistics (2026-10-20). Use the explanation, not just the label.