Vendetta, also known as Lal Lupa, marks a historic addition to Overwatch 2 as the game's first dedicated melee DPS hero. This 45th hero brings a unique playstyle centered around her massive greatsword, the Palatine Fang, combining aggressive close-quarters combat with defensive utility. Her backstory reveals she seeks vengeance for her late father Antonio, a former high-ranked member of Talon, driving her mission to destroy those who took everything from her.
This Boosting Ground guide provides everything you need to master Vendetta, from basic mechanics to advanced techniques and optimal perk selections.
Hero Statistics and Base Kit
Understanding Vendetta's baseline stats is essential before diving into her abilities. As a melee-focused DPS, she possesses durability that exceeds most damage heroes.
The armor component provides natural damage reduction against rapid-fire weapons, making her more resilient when closing distance on enemies.
Primary Fire: Palatine Fang
Vendetta's primary weapon is a hard-light greatsword called the Palatine Fang, standing approximately two Torbjörns tall. Unlike the straightforward swinging mechanics of Reinhardt's hammer or Brigitte's flail, the Palatine Fang operates on a three-swing combo cycle with varying damage values.
Damage Breakdown
The sword follows a specific rhythm: swing, swing, overhead. The damage values are:
| Swing | Damage | Range |
|---|---|---|
| First Swing | 50 damage | ~5 meters |
| Second Swing | 50 damage | ~5 meters |
| Third Swing (Overhead) | 130 damage | ~7.5 meters |
This creates a total potential damage of 230 per full combo cycle. The overhead swing is critical to Vendetta's damage output and should be prioritized whenever possible. The extended range on the overhead swing allows Vendetta to finish kills on retreating enemies or catch targets who believe they've escaped her reach.
Critical Hit Mechanics
The overhead swing counts as an ability critical hit. This distinction is important because it bypasses the 25% critical damage reduction that all tank heroes receive from their passive ability. When fighting tanks, landing overhead swings becomes even more valuable since you deal the full 130 damage rather than a reduced amount.
Advanced Techniques
- Swing Extension: You can extend your swing hitbox by turning left and right as you swing, allowing you to hit multiple targets if they're positioned apart. Players familiar with Reinhardt will recognize this technique.
- Overhead Slam: The overhead swing functions as a mini ground slam, capable of spiking airborne enemies downward approximately 10 meters.
- Jump Lunge: If you press jump immediately before the overhead swing, Vendetta will always lunge forward toward where you're facing. This technique can even save you from falling off the map without using other abilities.
There is a slight delay after completing the overhead swing before you can begin another combo cycle. This recovery period effectively functions as the sword's "reload" time, preventing infinite continuous swinging.
Passive: Onslaught
Vendetta's passive, Onslaught, rewards aggressive play by increasing her combat effectiveness as she deals damage. A wolf icon UI indicator appears in the center of your screen to track your current stacks.
Building Stacks
Stacks are built based on the number of targets hit, not the number of attacks. If you hit two enemies with a single swing, you gain two stacks. Any damage from Vendetta's kit refreshes the duration and adds stacks:
- Primary fire swings
- Whirlwind Dash damage
- Soaring Slice sword throw
- Projected Edge projectile
- Standard melee attacks
- Ultimate damage
Secondary Fire: Warding Stance
Warding Stance transforms Vendetta's greatsword into a defensive tool, allowing her to block with the blade. This channeled ability uses an energy resource system that creates strategic decisions about when to defend versus attack.
Damage Reduction
| Attack Type | Damage Reduction |
|---|---|
| Standard attacks (frontal) | 75% damage reduction |
| Melee-based attacks | 100% damage reduction (complete nullification) |
The complete melee block is Warding Stance's most powerful feature. The following abilities are fully nullified:
- Junker Queen's Carnage swing and standard melees (including with Gracie equipped)
- Reinhardt's hammer swings
- Brigitte's flail swings
- Genji's Dragonblade
- Hazard's Violent Leap
- Mirror Vendetta swings
- Mauga's Overrun (specifically the stomp critical portion)
Energy System
Warding Stance operates on an energy meter displayed with three bars. Key mechanics include:
- Energy consumption: 40% of incoming damage blocked is converted to energy cost
- Regeneration rate: 9% energy per second
- Regeneration delay: 0.75 seconds after last use before regeneration begins
- Minimum energy to activate: 30% (if not already active)
Ability: Projected Edge
Projected Edge is a ranged attack option available exclusively while Warding Stance is active. It allows Vendetta to project offensive pressure without fully committing to melee range.
Projected Edge is the only ability in Vendetta's kit that barriers can block. The ability shares its resource meter with Warding Stance, creating a strategic trade-off. You can fire up to three Projected Edge projectiles at full energy before depleting your resource entirely.
Practical Applications
- Finishing low-health enemies who've escaped melee range
- Dealing damage while approaching enemies
- Poking through choke points
- Hitting multiple grouped enemies with a single projectile
- Maintaining Onslaught stacks from safety
Ability: Whirlwind Dash
Whirlwind Dash provides Vendetta with mobility and area damage, allowing her to close gaps and threaten multiple enemies simultaneously.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Cooldown | 10 seconds |
| Dash Distance | ~11 meters |
| Slash Damage (center) | 80 damage |
| Slash Damage (edge) | 40 damage |
| Slash Radius | 3.5 to 6.5 meters |
Movement Properties
Whirlwind Dash locks you into forward-only horizontal movement. You cannot move backward, sideways, or vertically during the dash portion. The movement lock releases the moment the circular slash begins, allowing slight directional adjustments.
If Vendetta collides with a wall or object during the dash, the circular slash triggers immediately rather than waiting for the full 0.6-second dash duration. This interaction can be used intentionally for faster damage output.
When you collide with an enemy during the dash, you knock them back and carry them with you. Like other sword-based abilities, Whirlwind Dash damages enemies through barriers.
Ability: Soaring Slice
Soaring Slice is Vendetta's signature mobility tool and combo enabler, allowing her to throw her sword and fly to its location. This ability creates Vendetta's most spectacular plays and opens up vertical engagement options.
Overhead Swing Window
After using Soaring Slice, you have a 3-second window to press primary fire for the overhead swing (130 damage). This window persists even through other actions, allowing for complex ability combinations.
Mid-Air Capabilities
While airborne from Soaring Slice, you can use:
- Warding Stance (and therefore Projected Edge)
- Whirlwind Dash
- Ultimate ability
Pressing jump during the flight cancels Vendetta's movement toward the sword early while maintaining momentum. This technique allows you to prep your overhead swing earlier, adjust your landing position, and surprise enemies with unexpected attack timing. Both the sword throw and the follow-up overhead swing penetrate barriers.
Ultimate: Sundering Blade
Sundering Blade is a devastating channeled ultimate that cleaves through defenses and deals massive damage in a line. It introduces several unique mechanics that make it exceptionally powerful against grouped enemies.
Charge Stages
| Stage | Charge Time | Direct Hit Damage | Range | Indirect Hit Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 second | 100 | 8 meters | 50 |
| 2 | 1 second | 200 | 16 meters | 100 |
| 3 | 2 seconds | 400 | 24 meters | 200 |
Total channel duration is 4 seconds if you hold to maximum charge. The ultimate automatically releases after stage 3 completes. Direct hit width is 2.5 meters (consistent across all stages).
Special Properties
Sundering Blade possesses four unique properties that make it extraordinarily powerful:
- Deployable Bonus Damage (50%): Deals bonus damage equal to 50% of enemy deployable maximum health
- Armor Piercing: Ignores armor damage reduction entirely
- Barrier Piercing: Passes through all barriers, dealing damage to enemies behind them
- Sundering: Ignores ALL damage reduction and deletes overhealth completely
- Ground movement: 50% speed reduction
- Aerial descent: 2.5 meters per second (very slow)
- Knockback resistance: 60% while channeling
- Vulnerable during charge time
Perk System
Vendetta has two minor perks and two major perks available. Understanding these options allows you to customize her playstyle.
Minor Perks
| Perk Name | Effect | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Siphoning Strike | 30% life steal on overhead swings | Sustain during extended fights |
| Relentless | Max Onslaught stacks increased to 8 (40% attack speed, 32% movement speed) | Team fights with multiple targets |
Major Perks
| Perk Name | Effect | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Swift Vengeance | Killing your Vendetta target grants 125 overhealth + full cooldown reset | Snowball potential after trades |
| Raging Storm | Whirlwind Dash gains 3 additional spins (40 damage each, 200 total potential) | AOE damage and quick stack building |
Ability Combos
Basic Engagement Combo
- Throw sword at target with Soaring Slice
- Fly to target location
- Execute 130 damage overhead swing
This is your bread-and-butter engagement for reaching backline targets.
Extended Air Combo
- Throw sword and begin flight with Soaring Slice
- Activate Warding Stance and fire Projected Edge (80 damage)
- Cancel flight early or let it complete
- Use Whirlwind Dash (80 damage)
- Finish with the primed overhead swing (130 damage)
This combo deals up to 340 damage while maintaining mobility.
Matchup Considerations
- Barrier Tanks: Reinhardt and Sigma cannot protect their teams from Vendetta's sword penetration
- Melee Heroes: Warding Stance completely nullifies melee attacks from Reinhardt, Brigitte, Genji (Dragonblade), and mirror matchups
- Grouped Teams: Sundering Blade excels against clustered enemies
- Low Mobility Supports: Soaring Slice enables easy backline access
- Ranged DPS: Heroes who maintain distance pose problems for Vendetta
- High-Mobility Heroes: Short cooldown escapes can be difficult to pin down
- Burst Damage: 6-second and 10-second cooldowns create vulnerability windows
- Coordinated Focus Fire: Limited defensive options when caught without Warding Stance energy
Tips for Success
- Prioritize overhead swings: The 130 damage overhead represents more than half your combo damage. Learn the rhythm of swing-swing-overhead and always aim to complete the full combo.
- Maintain Onslaught stacks: The attack and movement speed bonuses significantly impact your effectiveness. Even basic abilities like Projected Edge can refresh your stacks from range.
- Use Warding Stance proactively: Don't wait until you're low health. The 75% damage reduction (and 100% melee block) can prevent significant damage when used predictively.
- Manage your energy resource: Projected Edge and Warding Stance share the same energy pool. Don't deplete all your energy on ranged pokes if you'll need blocking capability.
- Respect your cooldowns: With 6-second and 10-second cooldowns on your mobility abilities, you can be punished for overextending. Engage when you have escape options available.
- Exploit barrier penetration: Vendetta uniquely threatens enemies who believe they're safe behind shields. Coordinate with your team to punish grouped enemies.
- Save ultimate for high-value targets: Sundering Blade's unique properties make it devastating against clustered enemies with overhealth, damage reduction, or barrier protection.
Summary
Vendetta brings unprecedented melee DPS gameplay to Overwatch 2 with a complex but rewarding kit. Her ability to penetrate barriers, nullify melee attacks, and deal true damage through her ultimate makes her a unique threat that enemies cannot ignore. Mastering her swing combos, ability chains, and resource management separates good Vendetta players from great ones.
The combination of mobility through Soaring Slice, area damage from Whirlwind Dash, defensive utility from Warding Stance, and the devastating Sundering Blade ultimate creates a hero with answers to many situations. However, her reliance on closing distance and managing cooldowns means positioning and timing remain critical to success.
Practice her combos, learn the matchups, and embrace the aggressive playstyle that Vendetta's kit demands. With dedication, you'll be cleaving through enemy teams and claiming vengeance in no time.