When we’re talking about designing teams we can either do it simply or we can attempt to craft a proper one, which requires a few points of thought.
Such points include;
1. Synergy, how specific traits tied to the hero’s playstyle match or emphasize with another ally on the team.
2. Diversity, how we cover up the basic stat weaknesses a team may have.
3. Covering specific weaknesses and emphasizing on strengths.
4. Identity, as we like to stand out not just through play, but through a unique, visual identity in each of our teams.
I will go into greater detail on each of these points.
1. Synergy is important because it allows us to gain unique, or often situational strengths in our teams that may greatly improve how powerful a team can be with the limited (often 5 man) teams you can make. In the end the goal is to cramp as much power into the limited space, and synergy is a great way to do that aside from balancing the base stats in your team.
2. Diversity is just, if not more important because every team consists of heroes with (mostly) balanced stats. One hero has less health, and is more prone to assassination, but deals high damage or healing, while another hero could have incredible survivability, but deals feeble damage. A team made of high damage characters is often very squishy, and are prone to fall apart quicker. On the other side a team of tanks cannot deal enough damage to take out the staple of the enemy team quick enough. This ties to the next point.
3. Covering weaknesses and emphasizing on strengths is key to creating an amazing team. A team much squishier can benefit from having a shielder to ‘prevent’ damage. But a team mostly consistent of tanks can lack damage and thus a damage booster might do the trick. What it all comes to is that you want to create the principle of your team around 3 or 4 characters and creatively use the last slot to cover the weaknesses or emphasize on its strengths.
Using both synergy and diversity together makes it possible for you to use two of the last slots to strengthen your team instead of covering up a weakness.
A prime example of this is Shivs and Shank. Through synergy of passives Shank can deal amazing damage, as well as having crowd control and a large health pool. Shivs on the other hand gets sustain from Shank’s actives while having more than great damage. With just these two you can already possess the necessary damage to take out crutch components and also have sustain for the two. Since this covers Shank’s inability to deal damage and Shiv’s issue with a lack of sustain What remains are 3 slots to either fill up identity, diversity or to emphasize on their strengths.
4. Identity
For some winning is all they care about. However, to some it is also about sending a message, or standing out from the crowd. This lovely community has their ways of showing that off.
Some people around here have heroes or morals that either they, or others identify them with.
It can be due to their uniqueness, because they use severely underrated heroes or because they simply make something ridiculously strong. All these points eventually contribute to the identity of a team. And to me, it is just as important with how it is incorporated to craft the perfect team. This goes to show that the perfect team isn’t for everyone or isn’t the strongest team, it is also the uniqueness that plays a role in its strength.
Through the points I have shared I would like to mention Raijin’s release and complement the developers on him.
Not only did they bring out a hero with a lot of potential for all the mentioned points. They also grew the identity for another hero with him. By including Ronin into his lore they gave him more identity (which he lacked) and both their passives allow for synergy that is genially tied to their lore.
There is no better way to justify my perspective than with an example, using the newly identified duo I will make an example team and go through the reasoning of that selection
(Disclaimer; i am not implying it is the best team by any means)
For starters we begin with our duo of Ronin and Raijin.
Ronin and Raijin both have high base damage and have shields at their disposal to sustain themselves. Although, not much other sustain or high crowd control.
Combining these two together grants synergy through their passives.
Ronin gains bonus damage when allies have lower max HP than him and gives a bonus HP to them in return. This entire team will be granted that bonus through careful picking.
In addition, Raijin’s passive to add more damage to energies will also apply to Ronin from this 4 man energy team. Giving Ronin and Raijin even better base damage.
This synergy allows me to have absurd damage through just two heroes. Meaning even if one dies I will remain with yet a lot of damage potential for my team.
Now for the three remaining slots I merely have to add healing and survivability boosts. While they both have shield sustain they cannot mend damage that passed it nor can they temporarily hinder enemies.
I can add some overloaded heroes to this team. However, for the sake of simplicity in my example I will add more simple heroes to show the creativity one can have.
As third I am adding Bucket. These two together lack proper crowd control and healing. However they do not need it as frequently due to their shield sustain. Bucket provides them with a brief but strong heal while exposing their enemies. Leaving them vulnerable for their well timed attacks as is their playstyle. In addition she can take the heat off them with a taunt.
Now I am adding Fiber without a skin
This in purpose of her triggering Ronin’s boost, and since she is an energy, she triggers Raijin’s as well.
Fiber add stability to my team through strong cover for their small profiles, adds extra base damage and can provide safety when they return to cover. It perfectly synergizes with their playstyles.
This team is now very rich in damage potential, has frequent moments where they can be relieved and strike weaknesses, and it is rather sturdy.
We already have identity in this team with our renowned brother duo and a rare sighting of a Bucket.
Since the weakness of long term sustain is now decent there is only crowd control left as its weakness. While there is some it is not particularly powerful or can be timed to debilitate threats you cannot kill at the time. So i will fill this gap with a high CC hero who can also potentially fix any holes brought in my team.
Flatline.
She can provide my team with a lengthy single target stun. Perfect to create openings or shut down a threat until i deal with it. Alonside she brings an occasional, strong heal and can singehandedly prevent someone digging into my defenses by providing them with her lifesaving passive and in worst case scenario, revive someone.
And if it wasn’t clear, she contributes to both the brother’s passives.
This team has only 1 tank and 4 others considered squishy (for the sake of example)
While somewhat diverse I instead cover these weaknesses through synergy.
By using ronin’s health boost I nullify the weakness i brought on myself by purposely choosing squishy heroes. By bringing a near full energy team I pain myself against mech heroes, but with the damage boosts given through their passives I nullify any lack of damage against them as well as hard counter Bio’s.
What remains is the act of fixing the new problems that hide under the big problems and simultaneously strengthen what is already strong.
All in all it creates a team I would call perfect. Not in the sense that is always wins, but in the sense that it is unique, strong and thoughtful.
I hope this helps people create their own unique and strong teams.
Thank you for reading! If you have any questions, want to share your team, need advice or want to add any points feel free to post down below!