If you have played other FPS games like Call of Duty, you'll love Overwatch. It's addictive and unlike any FPS game, you have played before. Instead of only having customisable weapons and load outs to fit different situations, with Overwatch, you choose characters that have unique abilities and weapons.

To stand a chance of advancing, choosing the right hero is vital but not easy. There are over 29 heroes to choose from and more are coming. You can go the trial and error route but that you will take a bashing and it will take longer to learn all the heroes. So, make the best bet and try out these five Overwatch heroes and thank us later!

  1. Damage – Soldier 76

A great offence is the best defence. Soldier 76 is the most intuitive and effective damage character you can pick on Overwatch. His weapon of choice is a rapid-fire assault rifle. You also have alternative options include a missile launcher and the ability to heal himself by resting in a deployable circle of healing.

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If you need to make a run for it, he can sprint at will. Even though Soldier 76 is very relatable to people that have played FPS games before, he is one of the most versatile attack heroes in the game. Nonetheless, you will find him to be easy and manipulate and understand. That’s why he is a great character for beginners.

  1. Defence – Bastion

You have quite a few options to pick for your defence, but Bastion is by far the best choice you can make. Even for first time players, Bastion can be devastating.

He is a mechanical combat version of the Hulk with the ability to switch to turret mode and shred through enemy packs like paper.

You might find that he sits lower in the overall Overwatch rankings. His position shouldn’t let you undermine his potential. When well positioned on the map, his character will disrupt attacking teams with ease giving you the best chance for success.

With Bastion, you can focus on understanding the finer details of each map and master positioning which you can use with any character going forward. If you can manage to convince a tank to shield Bastion and minimise damage, you will easily carry your team.

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  1. Tank – Orisa

If you have been asking around on the best tank character for new players, you might wonder why we choose Orisa over Reinhardt.

True! For the longest time, Reinhardt was a great option for new players on Overwatch. He still is if you’re shopping for a hero with lots of health and simple skills. But, you might want to take some time to master Orisa.

Her primary skill is laying down shields. He has an advantage over Reinhardt because her shield is a projectile and you can deploy it anywhere. Even though her shield is not as strong as Reinhardt's, it recharges super fast!

A few other interesting facts and abilities about Orisa is that she can deal with damage from a distance and use her “Halt!” feature to get enemies out of position.  Even though it takes more time to learn about her skills and ability, she has a relatively low skill floor, so you don't feel like a waste of time as you master her abilities.

  1. Support – Mercy

Everything from her name to her angelic attire is precisely what you want in a support character. Even though she has fallen a couple of spots in the Overwatch ranking, she was and still is one of the most effective support heroes the game has to offer.

She is a easy to learn character with a simple style of play. Her weapon of choice is a staff she latches onto the closest team member to quickly heal them.

With Mercy, all you have to do is go close to a team and press the fire button down. She also has an invaluable skill that is key when separated from the group. She can quickly fly to the nearest teammate, so you're never separated. Even though her healing speed has slowed down from when the game was released, she is still the go-to support hero if you're looking to learn an Overwatch hero quickly.

  1. Support – Moira

Moira is an excellent alternative to Mercy as long as you don't mind taking a little more time to learn about her skills and abilities. She is quickly becoming the preferred support hero for beginners on Overwatch. She is a tad tougher to learn but that only means you have more skills and abilities at your disposal if you take the learning curve seriously.

She has healing and damage orbs which can be slightly confusing at first. She can heal multiple heroes at once as long as they are in the vicinity of her healing spray.

Her free range beam of energy is her best-kept secret. You don't even need to aim at the target for her to cause some damage and her damage orbs help to get attackers out of position. Are you feeling cornered and about to be killed? Don't worry, Moira has a ‘fade out' function that melts her out of dreadful situations.

Don't sit and watch yourself being run out of every map and position you take. Overwatch is meticulous and you need to choose your initial heroes carefully. They will help you learn the routes as you hold your own. Once you have the plans and positioning down, you can take on more advanced heroes.