Support Roles are The Real Carries.

Recently, I’ve been playing Overwatch 2. I played the first one around 2017-2018, but never really got serious into it. This time, I try to play on ranked, with pressure. The problem is, I don’t really play Overwatch that much, let alone trying to be versatile with the hero selection. In Overwatch, there’s this game mode where you pick your role before you even start the game. You want to be a damage dealer, a tank, or a support? Trade-offs being a damage dealer is the longest queue time, while the tank is the fastest. Since I don’t have a lot of free time (I am employed, sadly), I always check the “All” option, which queues me into Tank. Because nobody wants to play Tank. And now I understand.

People always see the damage dealer, or the heavy hitter, the one who deals the most serious damage, as the carry. I mean, that’s the accepted terms on DOTA 2. With all due respect, I beg to differ. I do agree that they probably held the most responsibility to eliminate the enemy team and advance the game, but to say that they are the “MVP” of the game, the best single most important person on the team, is… wrong. First of all, most people wanted to play that role. At least I believe so. On Overwatch, the longest queue is to play the DPS. On DOTA 2, as far as I remember, is the Pos 1, A.K.A. the hard carry, A.K.A. the damage dealer. If I ask myself why, I can only think of two. One, you might want the match highlight with big KDA numbers on your name, or two, because it is easy. (Respectfully)

Being a tanker or a support, in my humble opinion, has a lot more technicality to it. Being a support, say a healer or a disabler, you do not really tell your “carry” what to do. You follow them, give them buffs, and debuff on a timely manner. You need to have a good positioning because your health most of the time are lowest, and you are the easiest and most important target to be eleminated first. Being a tanker, on the other hand, you have to create a space for everyone in your team or destroy the enemy’s space. You have to strategize. Do I poke the enemy? Do I dive onto the enemy? Or pick a direct fight with the enemies? Am I on range of my team’s support? And so on, and so on. As a DPS, respectfully, I never struggle with those problems… My tank or the initiator will open the space, my support will buff me, sometimes the enemy are debuffed already I just need to jump in and get the play of the game. It’s a simpler thought process.

Do you know that Ford v Ferrari meme? Yep, that’s me. Sometimes, you got more commend or endorsement from your enemy team. It’s often unrecognized, but hats off to you all non-carry main.