Storm Rising is an Arcade brawl exclusive to the Archives event.
Brawl rules[]
Default[]
- Heroes: Tracer, Winston, Genji, Mercy
- Only 1 of each hero per team
- No hero switching
- Complete several mission objectives
All Heroes[]
- All heroes allowed
- Only 1 of each hero per team
- No hero switching
- Complete several mission objectives
Functions[]
Four players must reenact the Overwatch mission to capture Maximilien before he escapes from Havana, Cuba. In default mode, the four heroes are Tracer, Winston, Genji, and Mercy. In the All Heroes mode, as its namesake indicates, all heroes are allowed. Hero stacking is not allowed in either mode. The players will be guided by Sojourn and occasionally, their teammates.
There are four difficulties for this mode: Normal, Hard, Expert, and Legendary. The higher the difficulty, the more enemies will spawn, the more intelligent the AI will be, and the more damage the enemies will inflict. The HP for all enemies will remain the same.
Anytime a hero gets killed, they will lay down and be incapacitated for 45 seconds. Within that time, if they are not revived by Mercy's Resurrect or by another teammate standing next to them and holding the proper button, the game will end with a loss.
The mission can be divided into multiple sequences:
Sequences of Events[]
There are three basic stages.
- Stage 1 - Between the garage (starting area) and the distillery.
- Stage 2 - Inside the distillery
- Stage 3 - Between the distillery and the sea fort
Enemies[]
Stock[]
- Trooper: Most common enemy, based on Soldier: 76. Machine gun, lowest damage output, usually the meat of small groups (4-6 enemies).
- Enforcer: Shotgun enemy, can charge attacks to fire multiple rounds in a single blast. Typically 1-2 in a group of Troopers. Has high health for a common enemy, nearly half of which is shield health, and can spawn in groups of 4-6 on harder difficulties or All Heroes.
Special[]
- Sniper: Ranged enemy, based on Widowmaker. Aims with a visible laser sight and will fire after a few seconds of locking on. Medium health with nearly a matching amount of shields (not quite half and half), can use Grappling Hook and will switch to a pistol when cornered.
- Assassin: Flanking enemy, like a mix of Tracer and Genji. Will perch on walls by clinging, and will Blink between spots when under fire. Will usually charge enemies, knocking them down and rapidly stabbing them until suffering enough damage, being interrupted, or being stunned. Will do wide slashes like Dragonblade when retreating or cornered and is more durable than an enforcer while still having a similar proportion of health and shield.
- Heavy Assault: Tank enemy, like a mix of Bastion and Reinhardt. Spray fires two minigun arms, can use a sweep melee to knock enemies backwards, and will close distances by charging. Will also suffer headshot damage if hurt on the red glowing vents on the back.
Special Enemy Strategy (Aimed towards All Heroes Mode)[]
- Sniper
- The sniper is standard fare for anyone who has had to deal with a Widowmaker. She's less intimidating to flank as she only has a slow-firing pistol, and is easily countered from afar with an accurate or hitscan hero like McCree or Soldier: 76.
- The sniper is an enemy best given priority, as she can very easily overwhelm given the chance. In situations of minimal cover or being swarmed, it's very easy to lose a player by her chipping away when you're preoccupied.
- Assassin
- The Assassin's rush works like Reinhardt's charge if he came to a dead stop after pinning. As such it can be interrupted even after pin by stun attacks (like Flashbang) and it is blockable with immovable entities like Mei's Cryo-Freeze. Sombra's hack and EMP as well as Junkrat's Steel Trap will also interrupt a charging assassin.
- Additionally, the rush move can be countered by confusing the AI. For example, if you clip through a rushing Assassin with Reaper's Wraith Form or Genji's Swift Strike, the Assassin will simply stand in place similarly to being stunned, before retreating to the walls again.
- Heavy Assault
- The Heavy Assault has physical buffs from Orisa's Fortify, but none of the status immunity. He is immune to pinning, pulling, and knockback, which limits the use of moves like Charge, Graviton Surge, and Whole Hog. However, is not immune to stunning, freezing, or sleep, making moves like Earthshatter, Blizzard and Sleep Dart potentially useful.
- The Heavy Assault's charge attack is like an upgraded Reinhardt's Charge: it cannot be interrupted by an intercepting charging Reinhardt, but he can be knocked out of it by a stun move like Flashbang or Rocket Punch. He will often use it to close the distance between you, so make sure to keep track of how recent his last charge was.
- It is often much better to play the long game with the Heavy Assault, especially so on harder difficulties. Luring him into an area with good cover and escape routes can make dealing with him much easier and reviving allies less stressful provided you don't mind chipping away at his health slowly.
- One of the greatest dangers of the Heavy Assault is not the boss himself, but his backup. Remain very aware of your surroundings while battling him, as Troopers and Enforcers will continue to slowly spawn into the map and try to push you out of cover by flanking. This is best countered with a crowd control or DPS hero like Reaper or Mei keeping tabs on them.
Achievements[]
Complete Storm Rising (Story) with each of the 4 heroes.
Reward: "Light the Way" Spray
Complete Storm Rising (All Heroes) with 8 different heroes.
Reward: "Almendron" Spray
Complete Storm Rising (Story) on Hard difficulty.
Reward: "Ambush" Spray
Complete Storm Rising (All Heroes) on Hard difficulty.
Reward: "Big Plans" Spray
Complete Storm Rising (Story) on Expert difficulty
Reward: "Hot Pursuit" Spray
Complete Storm Rising (All Heroes) on Expert difficulty.
Reward: "The Broker" Spray
Complete Storm Rising (Story) on Legendary difficulty.
Reward: "Cut the Brakes" Spray
Complete Storm Rising (All Heroes) on Legendary difficulty with no incapacitations.
Reward: "New Strike Team" Spray
Notes[]
- This brawl is the only mode where the heroes are equipped with their default skin, unlike Uprising and Retribution.