The Heavy Attack: Your Guide to Timing, Spacing, and Counters in the Current Melee Meta

In a melee meta often dominated by lightning-fast light attacks and complex combo strings, the Heavy Attack remains a powerful, if misunderstood, equalizer. When used with precision, it can break defenses, control space, and psychologically dominate an opponent. Here’s how to master it.

The Art of Timing: Patience as a Weapon
Throwing a raw heavy is a recipe for punishment. Its true power lies in frame-trapping and parrying. Bait your opponent by whiffing a light attack or stepping just into their range. Their instinct to punish will often see them swing into the startup of your heavy, trading in your favor due to your hyper armor or superior damage. Against aggressive players, use your heavy as a parry or crushing counter tool, timing it to intercept their incoming strikes for a devastating blow.

Mastering Spacing: The Threat Zone
A heavy attack’s range defines your “threat zone.” Use extended forward movement heavies to space opponents. Retreat slightly to make them whiff, then immediately step forward with a heavy to punish their recovery. This “whiff-punish” game is crucial. Your mere presence at max range applies mental pressure, forcing them to hesitate and second-guess their approach.

Building Counters: Adapt and Overwhelm
The current meta’s counters are built on adaptation:

• Against Turtles: Utilize feints and unblockable variations. Feint a heavy to draw out a parry attempt, then guard-break their exposed defense. Unblockable heavies from neutral force a reaction—a dodge you can punish or a parry attempt you can feint.
• Against Hyper-Aggression: This is the heavy attack’s sweet spot. Your superior damage and hyper armor (on many heroes) allow you to trade efficiently. Calculate when they will commit and throw your heavy just before to win the exchange.
• Against Dodge Attacks: The meta is saturated with dodge attacks. Feint-to-Parry is your best friend. Feint your heavy, and as they dodge-attack on cue, parry it for a heavy punish of your own.

Conclusion
The Heavy Attack is not a brawny alternative, but a strategic cornerstone. It demands reads, controls pace, and punishes predictability. In a meta focused on speed, a well-timed, perfectly spaced heavy is the ultimate counter-meta tool. Stop spamming, and start commanding.