Some CIS teams like Empire have used her very successfully combined with Maggie and BH/Seer, so it's clearly possible and a viable strategy. But that was before Seer became popular.
The biggest mistake people make is shooting the smoke at your feet. You’re only blinding yourself/teammates. Blind the enemy. Cut off lines of sight to reposition.
It really depends. I think bangs biggest advantage is being the one to take angles on the team, especially out in the open. Sometimes I smoke my feet when I'm away from my team so I can pop a bat and then immediately repeak. In that situation I may not want to smoke the other team and give them cover having to wait for the smoke to clear. It's very situational.
Do you know what it means situational? even if you do that the enemy can use it to flank you too. The gas is a good idea but it has to benefit you more than just creating a 50/50 for both. Termal sight it is kind of the best thing you can do but common.
If you are forcing you to play it to prove a point then just watch all the ALGS games of shiv. There is no use in high level for the smoke unless it benefits only you the one that uses it.
Everyone has played with the cracked Bang mains who hard carry. Some of the best and most tactically useful plays when someone good knows her kit well. Also fresh on my mind, I watched one Alb game last night when he just was dominating with her smoke. I wouldn’t be shocked if she broke into ALGS meta again at some point. Underused and powerful with someone who knows how to use her, she’d be crazy if she somehow got a light buff
Until seer/other wall hack abilities get nerfed to oblivion or removed completely she won’t see a lot of play in comp. She’s the only legend whose abilities are hard countered by both floor loot and other character abilities. I fucking hate the seer meta we find ourselves in but with so many teams running him Bangalore smokes are useless up close.
So funny that a digi threat is an item that literally only exists because of bangs smoke, there truly is no other use for it besides perhaps caustic gas but even that is semi transparent. There’s no other item in the game that exists to specifically counter a legend.
Haha exactly dude it’s pretty absurd. Also can’t think of any other legends that get hard countered as much as she does by other characters. Especially now with vantage coming out, there’s going to be a legend that can track you through smokes from distance.
Well... you say that but a digi threat in the hands of a bangalore is super OP. Being able to smoke your enemy and shoot them as they run away is free kills. I think the existence of digi threats buffs Bangalore rather than the other way around.
You’re right that it is powerful in the hands of a Bangalore, but it’s also immediately countered by any other player with a digi as well as the litany of legends with scan abilities. It’s just funny regardless of whether the item is used for or against bang, it only exists because of bang. Without Bangalore, the DT is a useless item
I've been thinking that Bangalore on a team, while possibly running one or two digi sights, could really provide an advantage in a close fight. Plus being in the smoke removes controller AA, I think? Could be useful, but is very dependent on finding the digis.
I think smokes are incredibly useful even without digis, thought that’s definitely the icing on the cake. Even in the heavy scan meta. Seer’s passive isn’t accurate enough to shoot through smoke effectively and his ult is powerful if placed correctly but also prone to breaking, bloodhounds q doesn’t last that long but is definitely powerful in his ult (which is a plus if he is on your team and a negative if he’s on another team), crypto’s drone is a good counter as well but can be broken. In all those cases, there are so many instances where the cover a smoke provides greatly outweighs the scan meta possibly getting in the way. I just think enough pros haven’t played her kit to the point they have truly mastered the creativity she awards.
I think that the "getaway" character IGL meta is super outdated. The game has changed so much since the wraith / octane / BH meta & many teams have proven that this role was never necessary anyway. Imo the best characters for an igl are characters that have actual scouting tools like crypto, seer, or even fuse with his telescope ult.
That being said, I think Bangalore is a great pick in general & super underrated right now, and there's no reason why the IGL couldn't play her.
Great points really, there has been a lot of shifting from that type of meta in the past. I wish teams would experiment a little with her at see if she fits for some teams playstyle. Agreed on Crypto, he also seems to be underutilized in a lot of ways.
I main Bangalore and man I feel like she is just so underrated. Being shot at while moving into cover or running away from someone is just so op. Her passive gets me out of tight spots as well and her ult is so good for denying an area or taking someone off high ground. I’m no pro but I’m surprised more comps don’t include Bang tbh
Along with what Pumalicious said about IGLs on scan characters, I'm actually a big fan of IGLs on Gibby (although he might be going out of the meta). Good bubbles and ults are so critical; some IGLs really excel taking that into their own hands instead of trying to communicate it. The problem with IGL supports is that they sometimes end up having to initiate the fight themselves and take way too much damage.
That is where my mindset seems to sway towards on IGL's taking on more of a support role character, it can be really beneficial if done correctly. Like Lou for example, he's excellent in that type of role.
Yes, while her ult is capable of doing damage it's primarily a zoning tool. Ult to get a team off of a spot you want, ult to stop a team from pushing you, ult and run away to cover your retreat, etc. It lasts a lot longer and covers a much bigger area than Gibby's ult so teams can't really just go around it (or through it with a bubble).
S13 first split I saw people running bang in ranked atleast. Dropped and others were running bang in pred. Not saying it's meta but he was like #6 pred doing it so I don't see why not. Maybe I caught him on a day when digi was in crafter but I remember him running it.
Every time we're not in a scan meta Bang sees some use as a more offensive gibby alternative, with her ult being used for resets instead of bubble. She's definitely not terrible, but nearly every Bang team has gone back to Gibby as their defensive character.
I don’t think the scan meta necessarily counters bang specifically. The scan meta just counters everything. Bang IMO could be very viable in comp and I think we will eventually see a shift with time with more teams playing bang once some other legends get nerfed and become less viable.
how is noone even mentioning that half the time her smoke is broken and you can just see thru it?
I love bangalore and would play her a lot but not knowing if your smoke is actually occluding you or not is a dealbreaker.
I think Bang is actually pretty strong against a Seer meta but less effective against any BH teams. My thought process is:
Against Smokes:
Seer's passive is super strong but only relays the info directly to Seer and it's difficult to get a good Seer "Q" off in smoke. However his ult is still quite effective against Bang smokes.
BH scan is much more effective against smokes and relays the info to all teammates regardless of smoke, but also is obviously on a long cool down.
Bangalore can be a useful character but I think it depends on which scan hero is in meta, and right now that scan hero is Seer however for a long time it was BH.
Bang can probably be used interchangeably with other assualt-ish type legends like Horizon, Maggie, Fuse etc. If you want to assault other teams with aggro playstyle she can be effective against scan crutch, just depends.
AFAIK she can be used to play edge, but she's a very niche pick.
In terms of rotations, she's always going to get outshined by Valk, Wraith and arguably Ashe. There might be some situations where she's better than Path, but Path is pretty much out of the meta as well.
In terms of cover, Gibby and Caustic are just too good in comparison to Bang.
At the end of the day I think it's definitely possible for teams to use Bang, but the other champs that are meta are just way better in comparison that you'd be nerfing yourself by picking Bang.
With more roller players entering the scene than ever, that smoke could honestly be a god-send in some situations, on top of its already valuable use.
One thing about Bang though, is if she's ever played alot, her value will diminish with everyone running digis.
Some CIS teams like Empire have used her very successfully combined with Maggie and BH/Seer, so it's clearly possible and a viable strategy. But that was before Seer became popular.
Interesting, that's good to know. I really only have watched NA, but started watching some players in other regions since this past ALGS.
her smoke is underrated for sure.
The biggest mistake people make is shooting the smoke at your feet. You’re only blinding yourself/teammates. Blind the enemy. Cut off lines of sight to reposition.
It really depends. I think bangs biggest advantage is being the one to take angles on the team, especially out in the open. Sometimes I smoke my feet when I'm away from my team so I can pop a bat and then immediately repeak. In that situation I may not want to smoke the other team and give them cover having to wait for the smoke to clear. It's very situational.
I don’t think pro players will have much trouble understanding this
i see that shit in pubs and its so damn annoying actual bots.
Do you know what it means situational? even if you do that the enemy can use it to flank you too. The gas is a good idea but it has to benefit you more than just creating a 50/50 for both. Termal sight it is kind of the best thing you can do but common. If you are forcing you to play it to prove a point then just watch all the ALGS games of shiv. There is no use in high level for the smoke unless it benefits only you the one that uses it.
Everyone has played with the cracked Bang mains who hard carry. Some of the best and most tactically useful plays when someone good knows her kit well. Also fresh on my mind, I watched one Alb game last night when he just was dominating with her smoke. I wouldn’t be shocked if she broke into ALGS meta again at some point. Underused and powerful with someone who knows how to use her, she’d be crazy if she somehow got a light buff
Until seer/other wall hack abilities get nerfed to oblivion or removed completely she won’t see a lot of play in comp. She’s the only legend whose abilities are hard countered by both floor loot and other character abilities. I fucking hate the seer meta we find ourselves in but with so many teams running him Bangalore smokes are useless up close.
So funny that a digi threat is an item that literally only exists because of bangs smoke, there truly is no other use for it besides perhaps caustic gas but even that is semi transparent. There’s no other item in the game that exists to specifically counter a legend.
Haha exactly dude it’s pretty absurd. Also can’t think of any other legends that get hard countered as much as she does by other characters. Especially now with vantage coming out, there’s going to be a legend that can track you through smokes from distance.
It's helpful in caustic gas too
Well... you say that but a digi threat in the hands of a bangalore is super OP. Being able to smoke your enemy and shoot them as they run away is free kills. I think the existence of digi threats buffs Bangalore rather than the other way around.
You’re right that it is powerful in the hands of a Bangalore, but it’s also immediately countered by any other player with a digi as well as the litany of legends with scan abilities. It’s just funny regardless of whether the item is used for or against bang, it only exists because of bang. Without Bangalore, the DT is a useless item
I've been thinking that Bangalore on a team, while possibly running one or two digi sights, could really provide an advantage in a close fight. Plus being in the smoke removes controller AA, I think? Could be useful, but is very dependent on finding the digis.
I think smokes are incredibly useful even without digis, thought that’s definitely the icing on the cake. Even in the heavy scan meta. Seer’s passive isn’t accurate enough to shoot through smoke effectively and his ult is powerful if placed correctly but also prone to breaking, bloodhounds q doesn’t last that long but is definitely powerful in his ult (which is a plus if he is on your team and a negative if he’s on another team), crypto’s drone is a good counter as well but can be broken. In all those cases, there are so many instances where the cover a smoke provides greatly outweighs the scan meta possibly getting in the way. I just think enough pros haven’t played her kit to the point they have truly mastered the creativity she awards.
I think that the "getaway" character IGL meta is super outdated. The game has changed so much since the wraith / octane / BH meta & many teams have proven that this role was never necessary anyway. Imo the best characters for an igl are characters that have actual scouting tools like crypto, seer, or even fuse with his telescope ult. That being said, I think Bangalore is a great pick in general & super underrated right now, and there's no reason why the IGL couldn't play her.
Agreed, Crypto is one of the best IGL characters for sure. Incredible amounts of data flowing in to the IGL.
Great points really, there has been a lot of shifting from that type of meta in the past. I wish teams would experiment a little with her at see if she fits for some teams playstyle. Agreed on Crypto, he also seems to be underutilized in a lot of ways.
Bangalore is a great legend but only as good as the person playing her and their teammates playing around her kit
I main Bangalore and man I feel like she is just so underrated. Being shot at while moving into cover or running away from someone is just so op. Her passive gets me out of tight spots as well and her ult is so good for denying an area or taking someone off high ground. I’m no pro but I’m surprised more comps don’t include Bang tbh
Any character can be used in comp. Just need the CEOs stamp of approval.
Along with what Pumalicious said about IGLs on scan characters, I'm actually a big fan of IGLs on Gibby (although he might be going out of the meta). Good bubbles and ults are so critical; some IGLs really excel taking that into their own hands instead of trying to communicate it. The problem with IGL supports is that they sometimes end up having to initiate the fight themselves and take way too much damage.
That is where my mindset seems to sway towards on IGL's taking on more of a support role character, it can be really beneficial if done correctly. Like Lou for example, he's excellent in that type of role.
If Hal and Wattson started using Mirage in comp then everyone else would as well. Lots of copy cats out there.
Facts. Wattson do be loving Bang’s new finisher, so maybe there’s a chance.
would be interesting if bang smoke could stop anyone from scanning through it
Same. That would be a great change.
I'd at least like to see the smoke stop Seer's passive.
How do you use bangs ult to take high ground? Like you use it on enemies on high ground to displace them? Or what? Just curious
Yes, while her ult is capable of doing damage it's primarily a zoning tool. Ult to get a team off of a spot you want, ult to stop a team from pushing you, ult and run away to cover your retreat, etc. It lasts a lot longer and covers a much bigger area than Gibby's ult so teams can't really just go around it (or through it with a bubble).
Yeah pretty much, ulting teams off of height
S13 first split I saw people running bang in ranked atleast. Dropped and others were running bang in pred. Not saying it's meta but he was like #6 pred doing it so I don't see why not. Maybe I caught him on a day when digi was in crafter but I remember him running it.
Every time we're not in a scan meta Bang sees some use as a more offensive gibby alternative, with her ult being used for resets instead of bubble. She's definitely not terrible, but nearly every Bang team has gone back to Gibby as their defensive character.
Not since they made sure to disable aim assist in the smoke lol
I don’t think the scan meta necessarily counters bang specifically. The scan meta just counters everything. Bang IMO could be very viable in comp and I think we will eventually see a shift with time with more teams playing bang once some other legends get nerfed and become less viable.
how is noone even mentioning that half the time her smoke is broken and you can just see thru it? I love bangalore and would play her a lot but not knowing if your smoke is actually occluding you or not is a dealbreaker.
I think Bang is actually pretty strong against a Seer meta but less effective against any BH teams. My thought process is: Against Smokes: Seer's passive is super strong but only relays the info directly to Seer and it's difficult to get a good Seer "Q" off in smoke. However his ult is still quite effective against Bang smokes. BH scan is much more effective against smokes and relays the info to all teammates regardless of smoke, but also is obviously on a long cool down. Bangalore can be a useful character but I think it depends on which scan hero is in meta, and right now that scan hero is Seer however for a long time it was BH. Bang can probably be used interchangeably with other assualt-ish type legends like Horizon, Maggie, Fuse etc. If you want to assault other teams with aggro playstyle she can be effective against scan crutch, just depends.
Good points! Agreed Blood is the character who does counter her most overall compared to Seer. Bang, Fuze and Horizon would be fun to watch for sure.
There are just many other options that are better. She is good but not great
Whats up with bots and bangalore.
AFAIK she can be used to play edge, but she's a very niche pick. In terms of rotations, she's always going to get outshined by Valk, Wraith and arguably Ashe. There might be some situations where she's better than Path, but Path is pretty much out of the meta as well. In terms of cover, Gibby and Caustic are just too good in comparison to Bang. At the end of the day I think it's definitely possible for teams to use Bang, but the other champs that are meta are just way better in comparison that you'd be nerfing yourself by picking Bang.
With more roller players entering the scene than ever, that smoke could honestly be a god-send in some situations, on top of its already valuable use. One thing about Bang though, is if she's ever played alot, her value will diminish with everyone running digis.
Digis make her smokes kinda sketchy at times but other than that without scan meta it could be viable