WinCon

Building a hero pool: a main and a couple of backups

3 min read · checked against Nov 10 rates

The short answer

Keep one main you know well, and add a backup or two for the games it's banned, taken by a teammate, or a poor fit for the team. Good backups play like your main, pair with it, or cover what it can't do. Most coaches advise a main and one backup below Diamond, and a third hero from Diamond up. On tank, add one more: a tank for a different plan.

Rates of Nov 10

In this lesson: 7 parts
  1. Why it works
  2. Tonight's example
  3. Try it
  4. In your games
  5. Live numbers
  6. Next
  7. How we know

Why it works

Knowing a hero is worth a lot.

In League of Legends, one study predicted 75.1% of results before play began, from how much each player had played their pick. Overwatch has no such study, so read it as a strong hint.

Three things take your main away:

a ban in Competitive, a teammate who locks it in first, or a team it doesn’t fit.

A good backup does one of three jobs.

It plays like your main, with the same kind of weapon and movement, so your aim and habits carry over. It pairs with your main: in role queue the teammate who takes your hero plays your role, so your backup stands beside it. Or it covers what your main can't: together your heroes can play dive, brawl and poke, shoot down a Pharah or an Echo, and, on support, carry the team's healing.

Ban rate sets how many.

The more often your main is banned at your rank, the more a second backup pays. It’s the only rate the Hero pool reads: backups come from how heroes play, never from win or pick rates.

Tanks get one more.

The tank sets the team's plan, so a tank for a second plan gives you the most options.

Tonight's example

Your main's ban rate at your rank, beside the rest, from Blizzard's numbers as on the hero pages. Tonight, in Competitive at every rank:

  • **Zarya** has the highest ban rate of any hero: 35.8%, 1st of 15 tanks.
  • **Orisa**, the most-picked tank, is at 16.9%, 3rd of 15 tanks.
  • Three heroes share the lowest, 0.1%: Baptiste, Emre and Wuyang.

So a Zarya main will need a backup far more often than a Wuyang main. Either is a fine main; their pools just want a different depth.

Blizzard's competitive rates at every rank, mouse and keyboard, fetched Nov 10.

Try it

Predict, then see the coach

Choose your role and your main. The page builds a 5v5 game from the Coach's example teams where your main is gone: a teammate took it or, on tank, it's banned. You get three backups: one the Hero pool marks “Plays like” your main, one that pairs with it (on tank, one that adds a plan), and one other.

Map
Oasis
You · Tank
Open
Damage 1
Pharah
Damage 2
Ashe
Support 1
Mercy
Support 2
Sombra
Banned
Orisa

Orisa is banned. Which backup would you play?

No score. Pick another to see its line.

Open this team in the CoachBuild your pool

In your games

  • Pick your main for comfort and fun. It's the hero you'll play most, so enjoy it.
  • When your main is banned or taken, go to the backup you've played most.
  • Give each backup some real games, Quick Play included, so it's ready when you need it.

Zarya tonight

Picked4.5%11th of 15 tanks
Wins46.6%13th of 15 tanks
Banned35.8%1st of 15 tanks

Blizzard's competitive rates, every rank, mouse and keyboard, fetched Nov 10.

Next

Build your pool: the Hero pool, which works without an accountYour main's ban rate by rank: Stats by rankNext lessonHow hero bans work now: Roster, Preferred Hero and Lobby Bans

How we know

  • Blizzard's numbers: Ban rates, Competitive, fetched Nov 10.
  • Most coaches advise: One or two heroes in all below Diamond, a third above it, and wider pools on tank, as CounterWatch's pool page passes the advice on (updated and read 10 Nov 2026). The coaches it credits couldn't be checked.
  • Outside research: Do and others, Foundations of Digital Games, 2021 (League of Legends).
  • WinCon's Hero pool: Plays like, pairs with and covers gaps, from WinCon's hero data; ban rate sets only how many backups.