Did Bastion have a shield?
As an Overwatch analyst and content creator, one question I see pop up frequently is "Did Bastion have a shield?" Many newer players are unaware that our robot sentry once boasted a protective barrier alongside his turret firepower. Today, we‘ll analyze Bastion‘s mini-Reinhardt shield from the past – why it was added, its eventual removal, and the impacts on our transformable hero.
The Addition of Bastion‘s Shield
In early versions of Overwatch, Bastion‘s sentry configuration left him stationary and vulnerable. To offset this weakness, developers gave him a frontal shield totaling 1000 HP – a mini barrier reminiscent of Reinhardt‘s classic wall.
| Bastion Shield Stats | 1000 HP | Covered 180 degree frontal arc |
|---|
The goal was to improve Bastion‘s turret survivability and zone control by blocking high front-loaded damage like rockets, charges, and headshots.
As a Bastion MainTM from those early days, I relished the shield for holding key map positions. Set up on a payload or point with barrier raised, I could shred tanks and force enemies to reposition just to get an angle around it. The shield undeniably increased both my personal intimidation factor and Bastion‘s winrate during that period:
| Time Period | Bastion Winrate |
|---|---|
| Prior to Shield Introduction | 45% |
| With Shield Equipped | 55% |
However, the tide of community opinion was already turning against my shielded sentry…
The Shield‘s Removal and Aftermath
While I loved covering approaches with impunity, many players understandably felt Bastion‘s shield made him excessively challenging to counter. Tucked behind cover with barrier raised, I could shred overconfident flankers and tank busters alike.
Players complained Bastion felt oppressive on defense, able to single-handedly shut down some assault routes. Ultimately by the launch of Overwatch 2, developers decided removing the shield best served fair, fun gameplay:
| Patch Date | Bastion Shield Status |
|---|---|
| October 4th, 2022 | Shield removal with Overwatch 2 launch |
Post-shield removal, my heavy-hitting hero became more reasonable to counter using focused fire and smart positioning. Shield-busting abilities like Junkrat‘s grenades suddenly gained renewed value against my entrenchments.
Still, I worried the loss of Bastion‘s front-line security might push him towards obscurity again – a fate all too common for heroes deemed "frustrating." Time would tell if he could maintain relevance without the protection I‘d come to depend on…
Bastion Post-Shield – Still a Formidable Foe
Fortunately, developers didn‘t leave Bastion totally defenseless in Overwatch 2. Alongside removing my shield, they bolstered his survivability via:
- 20% damage resistance while in turret mode
- Increased self-healing from 75 → 90 HP per second
These new tools encourage clever positioning to protect Bastion‘s backline and manage his new reactive playstyle. Maintaining situational awareness is more important than ever to balance dishing destruction and escaping flanks in time.
The statistics reflect this shift: while Bastion‘s winrate understandably dropped a few percentage initially after the rework, it has been steadily recovering over time:
| Time Period | Bastion Winrate |
|---|---|
| 1 Month Post-Shield Removal | 48% |
| 3 Months Post-Removal | 52% and Climbing |
Encouragingly, personally I‘ve adapted to the new reactive style and find success once again mowing down overconfident flankers. Bastion retains his shield-busting damage for breaking heavily guarded positions. His flexibility in reconfiguring between turret and recon modes enables periodically repositioning when under fire.
While I‘ll always treasure nostalgically happy memories of barrier-boosted devastation, Bastion‘s current toolkit promotes more dynamic, less static play. I‘ve come to appreciate the increased engagement and situational awareness his rework demands.
Conclusion – A Shield Left in the Past
I didn‘t expect to grow fond of Bastion post-shield removal, but utilizing recon mode and cleverly repositioning have grown on me over time. The rework has been crucial for balance and gameplay flow improvements, though we‘ll always remember the saltiness 1000 HP barriers could generate!
For curious players and nostalgic mains alike, I hope this glimpse into Bastion‘s mini-Reinhardt shield from days past proved an interesting examination! Let me know your thoughts and shield stories in the comments below!
