Overwatch: Cassidy, the High Noon Gunslinger

Since Overwatch is a game that has been around for several years, many heroes have already become really popular. The only hero in the game with a different name than the original one is Cassidy, a hero that was known as McCree. Due to numerous reasons, Blizzard decided to change it, but thankfully, they decided to keep the hero’s abilities and role.

Cassidy is one of the strongest DPS in a game and a hero that can make a real difference. Despite not being the easiest to master, he can easily out-damage most other heroes. What’s more, his ultimate can win team fights independently, assuming players use it when needed.

Since many people who are new to Overwatch often have problems when playing with the hero, this quick guide will go over the things everyone should be aware of.

Cassidy requires a steady aim

Let’s face it, some heroes in Overwatch are easier to play than others. If we take Solider: 76, for example, this hero can deal a lot of damage and easily rip through his opponents even if the player is not the best aimer in the world. With that being said, heroes like McCree are more special because they require players to be more precise.

There have been several changes that affected this hero over the years, and some of them were related to the fire rate. When you combine this with the fact that he has a small magazine size, it is easy to see why people should be more careful when playing with this hero than usual. Instead of trying to spam shoot as many bullets as possible, players should try to be more precise.

The fact that you need to be more accurate doesn’t mean you should only focus on that. On the contrary, Overwatch is a game where you need to do consistent damage to kill your opponents (at least in most cases). So, don’t spend a couple of seconds aiming because you will lose more damage in the long run.

The heroes you have to be aware of

Cassidy might be a dangerous opponent to face, but this doesn’t mean the hero is immortal. There are a couple of opponents that can make his life hard. One of them is Tracer.

Although McCree can one-shot her from a close distance, a good Tracer can quickly kill this hero in seconds. She is highly mobile and can kill almost any hero in seconds. Needless to say, a good Tracer won’t have any problems killing McCree and dodging his attacks.

Widow is another hero that does surprisingly well against McCree. Despite the fact that Cassidy is good in long-range combats, it is not that good against Widow because she can position herself miles away. Thanks to the range advantage, the hero can easily one-shot McCree before he gets the chance to come close.

Save your Combat Roll for when it matters

Cassidy is not the most mobile hero in Overwatch, which is one of the reasons why he is harder to master. Unlike things like Hanzo or Genji, who can escape from difficult situations by climbing a wall, McCree has to be aware of his position. 

Speaking of positioning, the hero has an ability called “Combat Roll”, which allows him to dive in the direction he’s moving. While doing this, Cassidy will also reload its weapon, which means you will have 6 more bullets to work with. Combat Roll has six seconds cooldown, the maximum range is around six meters, and its duration is 0.4s.

Since this is the hero’s only movement ability, you have to know when to use the Combat Roll and how to utilize the ability to its full potential. Some people prefer to use it offensively because it allows them to chase an enemy, use Flashbang, and score a kill. This may work in some situations, but if you play against people who know what they’re doing, it is advisable to save this spell for when you need it.

You can use the roll to escape from combat and hide behind pillars or shields. Of course, it all depends on the heroes you have to play against. Sometimes, you will need to be more careful.

Flashbang can make a real difference

Since McCree is one of the few heroes that can stun a target, he is extremely dangerous in a 1v1 scenario. Thanks to the Flashbang, he can quickly kill a specific target within seconds. With that being said, this ability is useful only in situations when the hero uses it close to his target. 

According to the official stats, Flashbang’s maximum range is 7 meters, whereas the AoE is 3 meters. In other words, you can easily flash more than one unit and use your Peacekeeper to kill them. Let’s also not forget, that it does 25 damage, which is sometimes more than enough to kill someone.

Deadeye is amazing, but you don’t need to wait for the perfect opportunity 

Every hero in Overwatch has a unique ultimate, and McCree is not an exception. This hero is notorious for his ability to kill almost everyone. Deadeye is an ability that allows the hero to target his opponents and deal damage, depending on the “cast” time. In order to do maximum damage, McCree needs to wait for 1.5 after using the ult. Of course, there are cases where this won’t be possible, but if the hero manages to hold his ult between 1 and 1.5 seconds, he will deal 275 damage. This is more than enough to bring down almost DPS hero.

There are many scenarios where Deadeye can be extremely dangerous. One of them is when you get the chance to go behind the enemy team’s tank. This allows Cassidy to “snipe” enemy heroes with his ultimate. There are some maps where you won’t have that many problems achieving this, but there are cases where it is easier said than done. If you manage to catch your opponents off-guard, you can expect to kill multiple opponents.