Mercy

Mercy is a Support hero in Overwatch.

Overview
Mercy’s Valkyrie Suit helps keep her close to teammates like a guardian angel; healing, resurrecting or strengthening them with the beams emanating from her.

Strategy
Mercy is the most healing-oriented for the Support heroes. While not as powerful a team healer as other Support heroes (such as Ana and Baptiste), Mercy excels at single-target or "pocket" support. Her ability to boost the damage of her team makes her crucial for barrier-breaking and focused damage. allows Mercy to compensate for an occasional mistake by her team, bringing an important member back into the fight. Mercy is easily the most team-dependent of the Support, as her personal damage is quite weak, her only mobility relies on her teammates, and the powerful effect of makes her a priority for the enemy team.

Weapons & Abilities

 *  (Passive): Mercy's passive ability. When she has not taken damage for 1 second, she will begin to slowly regenerate her Health.
 * The passive Health regeneration allows Mercy to stay on the front lines to continue healing her allies. When you see your Health beginning to drop, find cover and allow it to regenerate.


 *  (Passive): While airborne, Mercy can press and hold the jump button to begin slowly falling to the ground. Letting go of the jump button will end . You can re-activate it at any time while airborne.
 * is useful for evading enemy fire. Leap off of a ledge and vary your falling speed by "feathering", or tapping the Jump key, using to throw your opponents' aim off.
 * can be used in the middle of a jump to gain a bit of extra height and momentum, often referred to as a "slingshot."


 * : Mercy's main weapon. The primary fire creates a healing tether on the ally closest to the crosshair, while its secondary fire creates a damage-boosting tether in the same respect.
 * Neither of the tethers require you to continue looking at your target to maintain. Use this to your advantage to check frequently for flankers like Reaper or Tracer.
 * The tether will break if an ally moves out of your direct line of sight after a few seconds, such as moving behind a wall, or if they move outside the tether's maximum range.
 * Alternate between the healing tether and damage tether as the situation requires.
 * Remember that your healing output is not sufficient to keep topping off your entire team; heal them beyond reasonable danger and let your other healer finish as needed. If they can't do that, switch to a healer who can.
 * The damage tether's effect is applied as shots are fired, not when they land. Coordinate with your team to boost important abilities as needed.
 * Pharah is one of the best pairs to Mercy, as Pharah can help Mercy remain airborne and away from grounded enemies, while Mercy can substantially increase Pharah's overall damage output and survivability.
 * An example of other heroes that pair well with Mercy are Ashe and McCree, provided they can land their shots.
 * Boosting heroes like Soldier 76 and Roadhog during their ultimate abilities is usually a smart choice, as their already significant damage will be that much better.


 * : Mercy's secondary weapon. It shoots a stream of fast-moving projectiles, similar to D.Va's . The will automatically reload while Mercy has the  equipped.
 * Do not underestimate the . While fairly weak at long range (despite the lack of damage falloff) due to the ease with which the projectiles can be dodged, the can be deadly at close ranges, especially if you land headshots.
 * The pinpoint accuracy of the can be used to safely destroy Torbjörn's  from out of its attack range.
 * Be careful about pulling out the on a whim, as you cannot attack or create a tether during the weapon switch animation.
 * It is often better to boost an ally's damage rather than pull out the ; remember that Mercy is a highly vulnerable healer, and even in situations where it is safe to go on the offensive, it is usually smarter to continue to manage your team.


 * : When activated, Mercy will fly towards the targeted ally, whether they are alive or dead. This ability auto-targets tethered allies, but will otherwise go to the ally closest to the crosshair. This can be changed in the Mercy-specific control settings.
 * has a brief cooldown during which Mercy has no other quick movement options. Think about where you'll end up before rushing to an ally's side.
 * Use this ability to jump between allies to quickly heal them, or to escape from dangerous situations.
 * Continually using this ability on an allied Pharah in combination with allows Mercy to follow Pharah around through the air (even staying airborne longer than Pharah can). Use the  damage tether to enhance her already high damage output.


 * : Mercy's core ability. When activated, Mercy will revive a dead ally in very close-range. They will be returned to full health at the position where they died. The revived teammate also gains a brief moment of invulnerability, during which they can move but cannot attack or use abilities. The cooldown on this ability does not reset upon death, unlike all others.
 * This is an incredibly powerful tool that can turn the tide of a fight by bringing back an ally with a prepared ultimate, your main tank (such as Reinhardt), or even a fellow Support.
 * Think before you act. is powerful, but rather slow, so try and mind the situation you put yourself and your team in by using it. Oftentimes, it is just better to keep healing your living allies instead of reviving a dead one.
 * Use on a dead ally to position yourself for . Mercy will continue to fly towards the target of  while casting . Use this to dart past a group of dead allies, casting  on the way, in order to reduce your vulnerability while using it.
 * Prioritize who to revive. has a long cooldown (which does not reset after death, like Baptiste's ), and some members of the team are more important than others. Your main tank is usually the highest priority, as they can help shield the team while Mercy heals them.
 * Be careful when using this ability in plain view of enemies, as it will nearly always attract enemy fire either on you or your ally.
 * Zarya does not regain the she had collected before death; instead, her energy is reset to 0.


 *  (Ultimate): Mercy's ultimate ability. When activated, all of her abilities are greatly enhanced; in addition to the ability to freely fly, Mercy also gets infinite ammunition on her, and her tethers will split to affect all allies within a certain radius of the target ally.
 * This is easily one of the strongest ultimates in the game, as Mercy can use it to greatly enhance her team's survivability and damage output without worrying about who needs help the most.
 * Try to get the greatest effect out of possible. If the team doesn't desperately need healing, switch to a damage boost instead.
 * Stay in motion and move unpredictably while using . Staying still while airborne makes Mercy easy prey for snipers like Widowmaker and Hanzo, or from ultimates like Soldier: 76's and D.Va's.
 * is always active while is, so Mercy can afford to be more aggressive.
 * While is relatively untouched by, the mobility it provides as well as the buff to  can make it much easier to revive allies.

General Strategies

 * Mercy is a potent Support that can easily fit onto most teams. She is especially good when paired with allies who have no means of self-healing, or allies capable of dealing a lot of long-ranged damage like Pharah or Junkrat. When up against opponents with consistent, long-range damage (such as Soldier: 76 or Hanzo), Mercy is an excellent pick for keeping her team alive.
 * Mercy is almost always a priority target for the enemy team due to the power of . Keep your eyes on your surroundings constantly and watch to see if the enemy team starts bringing out heroes like Widowmaker or Genji to try and kill you. Whenever possible, try to heal allies from behind cover.
 * Don't forget to protect yourself; a dead healer heals no one. Mercy can heal herself by not taking damage for a while, and it's often smarter to choose your fights carefully.
 * While it can be tempting to simply leap to an injured ally with as soon as you see them, try to pay attention to where that will take you. You can easily end up flying into the line of fire of your opponents, making you an easy target for Widowmaker or Roadhog. Try to cancel  slightly before you arrive at the target to stay out of enemy fire. ( can be canceled by activating the ability again while in the air.)
 * Mercy can either stick with her team, or she can "pocket" a single hero (usually Pharah), following them around and providing them with both healing and a damage boost. While this can be a potent pairing, it's best to stay with the rest of your team if they have no other source of healing (such as from Soldier's or another Support).
 * One of the best skills to learn as Mercy is predicting when your teammates are likely to use a heavy damage-dealing ultimate such as Reaper's, Roadhog's , Pharah's , or even Soldier: 76's . Holding a damage-boosting tether on a hero during their ultimate can significantly increase the potency and result in devastating damage to the enemy team. Get to know the audio call-outs for each of these ultimate abilities so that you can instantly switch to them with your damage-boosting beam.
 * Mercy isn't much of a fighter, with her only damaging weapon (the ) sporting a slow rate of fire and projectiles that require you to lead your shots. Let your allies do most of the fighting for you. Try to keep your holstered unless you're face-to-face with an opponent you cannot escape from. At the same time, don't be afraid of pulling it out if you're confident it will help your team take down a major threat. Using the blaster is more of a trade-off — damage from your own weapon, or increased damage to an ally's abilities. Learning when to use the blaster is key.

Story
"Heroes Never Die."

A guardian angel to those who come under her care, Dr. Angela Ziegler is a peerless healer, a brilliant scientist, and a staunch advocate for peace. She is one of the most gifted doctors in the world when it comes to medical technology, and has applied such technology to her own body; effects have possibly included slowing/halting her ageing process. She likes Swiss chocolate and enjoys tea, which she sometimes takes with a nip of brandy after a life-threatening ordeal. She isn't good at making coffee however&mdash;Genji was the only Overwatch member who could stand to drink it.

Omnic Crisis
"I wish I could remember the last thing my mother said to me before she walked out the door with my father on that morning all those years ago. It was cold and gray, and a stifling haze hung over everything, including my memories. That was the last time I saw my parents alive. They had been volunteering at a local hospital as we tried to cope with the aftermath of the devastating attacks on Switzerland when omnic forces swept through Europe during the Crisis. My parents were killed in an air strike there. We never allow ourselves to believe that the people we love will disappear, and we are rarely prepared to say goodbye when the time comes. In the days after, people assured me that the hurt would lessen with time, but even today, that pain comes back at the slightest reminder."

- Angela Ziegler

Ziegler was a longtime family friend of the Lindholms.

As a child, Ziegler grew up during the Omnic Crisis. The last day she saw her parents alive were when they left the house to volunteer at the local hospital as they usually did, as Switzerland dealt with the consequences of the war. Both of them were killed in an airstrike. Waiting for them to come home, she learnt the truth when a police officer came to her house, delivering the news. People assured her that the pain would lessen over time. In truth, the emotional pain would return at the slightest reminder. Despite this tragedy, Ziegler was consumed not by a thirst for revenge, but by a desire to aid the imperiled and advocate for peace.

Pre-Overwatch
As a teenager, Ziegler established herself as a medical prodigy. While still studying, 14-year-old Ziegler visited Torbjörn in the hospital after the loss of his arm in Operation White Dome.

Later as she was still a student in university she would visit the Overwatch base and once posed for a photo with Torbjörn, other Overwatch members and a young Fareeha Amari.

Joining Overwatch
"I have more than enough soldiers. What I need are thinkers. Dreamers. People who want to make the world a better place. You could be on the cusp of a breakthrough that could change the lives of every living person on the planet. I want to make that a reality and take away all the roadblocks so you can focus on revolutionizing your field."

- Morrison to Ziegler

After obtaining her MD and PHD in Switzerland, Ziegler rose to become the head of surgery at a prominent Swiss hospital before pioneering a breakthrough in the field of applied nanobiology that radically improved the treatment of life-threatening illnesses and injuries. It was this expertise that attracted the attention of Overwatch. She personally met with Commander Jack Morrison at Overwatch HQ. He was impressed with a paper she'd written on nanobiotic healing. She believed that it had the potential to completely revolutionize the way that medical care was given, not just in the examination room, but also throughout the entire structure of the medical profession. She believed that Overwatch would give her the opportunity to quickly get her ideas out into the field.

Morrison told her that he wanted her to become head of Overwatch's medical research. Ziegler was greatly tempted by the offer, but stated her reservations&mdash;she wanted to focus on the civilian and peacetime applications of her work. She didn't want to create new ways for Overwatch commanders to send soldiers into danger. Morrison was cordial in his response, and pointed out that if she joined Overwatch, she wouldn't have to worry about grants or haggle for new equipment. Whatever she needed, she'd get. Smiling, Ziegler agreed to join Overwatch.

Early Service
During her Overwatch years, she once dressed as a witch for Halloween.

Because her parents had been taken by war, Ziegler was opposed to the organization's militaristic approach to keeping global peace. Ultimately, she recognized that Overwatch offered her the opportunity to save lives on a much larger scale. As Overwatch's head of medical research, Angela sought to leverage her work for healing in frontline crises. The result was the Valkyrie swift-response suit, which Ziegler herself piloted on many Overwatch missions. However, this was a point of contention for her. The Valkyrie suit had been created to prove her technology worked. But her teammates wanted her to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them, and she acquiesced. This marked the beginning of her "Mercy" persona, while Doctor Angela Ziegler faded into the background.

At some point she and an Overwatch team helped people in Venezuela in the aftermath of a massive storm.

Despite her contributions to Overwatch, she was often at odds with her superiors and the organization's overarching aims. Despite Morrison’s word that her research would not be misused, Angela sometimes found herself at odds with the commander, and felt the technology she developed was being exploited and weaponized for war. One example was the development of the biotic rifle by Torbjörn. Torbjörn provided assurances that the device was only intended for healing, but Ziegler maintained that this was setting Overwatch down a road that could lead to the weaponization of biotic technology, and that she had only conducted research in the field on the condition that it would not be used for offensive purposes.

Retribution
Eight years before the present day, Ziegler treated Gerard Lacroix for injuries he received after surviving a Talon attack on the Blackwatch Rome facility. She reported that she expected him to make a full recovery.

Uprising
Seven years before the present day, Ziegler was involved in an unsanctioned mission authorized by Strike Commander Jack Morrison to end the King's Row Uprising in London, England. Earlier the same day, Ziegler argued with Morrison over Overwatch's inability to intervene in the conflict due to the English prime minister expressly forbidding any Overwatch action within the United Kingdom. Dr. Ziegler expressed her concern for the thousands in the city who needed medical aid, and lamented how Overwatch was made to help people, not sit on the sidelines. After Jack authorized the mission, while preparing to board an aircraft, Ziegler welcomed Cadet Lena Oxton to the team. She commented on how her inspirational words convinced Jack to authorize the mission, and how he was very invested in her career, and had asked Ziegler to keep an eye on her. Ziegler then told Oxton how she could call on her if she ever needed any help.

Storm Rising
"We know all about you and your associates. Oh, I have many associates. Perhaps it's not clear what I have to offer. My resources are...quite substantial. Let me ask, what might you be in the market for? An introduction."

- Mercy and Maximilien

Six years before the present day, Ziegler took part in an operation in Havana alongside Winston, Tracer, and Genji. Under the command of Captain Sojourn, their mission was to extract Maximilien, an omnic in league with Talon. The Talon forces were moving through the city in a convoy; one which the Overwatch agents engaged. Mercy swept over the convoy, causing one of the vehicles to crash. Fighting their way through the city on foot, the team was able to apprehend Maximilien, who suggested they could make a deal. Mercy said that he was in no position to negotiate and that they already knew about his associates. However, when asked what Overwatch was in the market for, Mercy stated "an introduction." In the end a deal was indeed struck, as Maximilien told Overwatch that Doomfist would be in Singapore in three weeks and in exchange requested that Overwatch not tell Doomfist of his betrayal.

The End of Overwatch
In Overwatch's final days, the group was faced with a series of allegations, and Ziegler was interrogated in the hearings conducted by the United Nations. In light of the fight between Overwatch members Jack Morrison and Gabriel Reyes, Ziegler admitted that the outcome had been inevitable. They had drifted further and further apart ever since Morrison had been chosen over Reyes for the position of strike commander, and that rift had widened despite her efforts.

Post-Overwatch
Ziegler ultimately left Overwatch due to being conflicted with the organization's militaristic methods. Afterwards, Ziegler dedicated herself to helping those affected by war. Though she spent most of her time caring for the broken and dispossessed in crisis areas around the world, Dr. Ziegler could be counted on to don her Valkyrie suit whenever innocents were imperiled, hoping to make a more peaceful world. The fallout of Overwatch's disbandment and disgrace damaged her professional reputation, and she went by her real name rather than "Mercy" during this period.

Ziegler continued to work in medical facilities, but with less advanced technology than what she had access to within Overwatch. These locations included Poland, South Korea, and Venezuela. Wherever she went however, she felt the echoes of Overwatch, and the guilt over the problems it had left behind when it had fallen apart. She reguarly visited the Lindholms during Christmas.

Egypt
Ziegler worked in an aid camp on the outskirts of Cairo for two years. She held Overwatch responsible for much of the country's suffering, and wanted to help fix it. However, the people there told her to "go home. You've done enough damage." Nevertheless, she remained in the country and worked as a doctor, reminding herself that she hadn't become a doctor to be thanked. She may have applied to work at a proper hospital, but as she commented, "being a prominent ex-Overwatch official isn’t the sort of experience on your CV that people are looking for."

Recall
When Winston issued a recall of Overwatch agents, Ziegler was in the Middle East performing triage in a makeshift tent clinic. She was unsure if Overwatch should be restored. She reasoned that doing the same thing they'd done in the past would only lead to disaster. She didn't doubt Winston's heart was in the right place, but that didn't mean he was right.

Valkyrie
Ziegler was reunified with Jack Morrison and Ana Amari as they crashed in her appartment. Morrison had been wounded by Reaper, and said that all he needed was a few medkits. Ziegler couldn't help but feel some irritation with Ana, as she was using a biotic rifle; an adaptation of Ziegler's technology that had been made without her approval. While she was happy that both of them were alive, both of them were still a manifestation of a past she had sought to escape. They asked why she was in Egypt, and why she wasn't working at a proper hospital, but she avoided answering both questions. Nevertheless, Morrison stated that he was hunting "the truth" about what happened to Overwatch, and, seeing Ziegler's skepticism, asked if he should answer Winston's recall order. She told him that vengeance wouldn't achieve anything, but he scoffed at the assertion.

Ziegler fell asleep, but was awoken by an explosion. Morrison and Ana told her that someone had attacked the Temple of Anubis, and that they had to go. Ziegler protested that Helix Security would handle it, but Morrison pointed out that the attackers were Talon. Ziegler acquiesced to the pair, and decided to join them, and donned her Valkyrie suit. She flew over Cairo and at the Temple, saw the firefight between Helix and Talon. Morrison and Ana went after Reaper, despite her protests that the people caught in the crossfire came first. Flying down into the smoke, she found a young girl named Hanan pinned under rubble. She healed the girl's injuries using her and told her that she'd fly her to safety. However, Hanan said that they needed to save her brother as well, who was still trapped in the collapsed building. The pair descended into the structure and managed to find Hanan's brother. The three ran as the building collapsed around them. As the building collapsed, Ziegler used her body to shield Hanan's brother, losing consciousness.

Ziegler regained consciousness after a period of time, finding Morrison above her. Ana told her that she had Hanan, and they got out of the building. The following day was a flurry of activity, as Ziegler and Cairo's medical services treated the injured. By the day's end, she was exhausted, and was only still awake thanks to coffee. At the aid camp, Ana and Morrison came to see her. Morrison told her that Reaper was still alive, and that they intended to follow him to Europe. Ana asked Ziegler to come with them, but the doctor refused. Ana and Ziegler parted on good terms, accepting that they were following different paths in life. She reflected how she'd stood at their graves when they'd been presumed dead. This time, she doubted she'd see them again.

Awhile later, Ziegler discussed things with Mahmoud; a co-worker in the camp. He told her that Hanan's parents were dead, and that they were looking for the children's next of kin. Watching Hanan and her brother, Ziegler reflected how recent events had awoken a sense of heroism within her. Feelings that she'd doubted would ever return. Watching Hanan in one of the aid tents, she reflected that her battle wasn't over.

Reflections
At Christmas, Ziegler was working at an aid station. She received a letter, possibly sent by Genji. At/around this time, she was in/near Egypt.

Zero Hour
"Let's get you back in the fight."

- Mercy healing Mei

When Null Sector attacked Paris, Ziegler was among a number of former Overwatch agents who converged on the city to battle the attacking omnics. Descending from the sky in her trademark fashion, she healed Mei, who'd previously been injured. Together, they were able to defeat the enemy. In the aftermath, Winston declared that Overwatch was indeed back.

A New War
"Trouble is cropping up all over the world. It's not just Null Sector. A lot of lives are riding on what we do next. We'll have to fight one city at a time."

- Winston and Mercy

Following the battle in Paris, the team traveled to Watchpoint: Gibraltar, which they used as their base of operations. As it turned out, Paris was just the beginning of Null Sector's war against the world, and they weren't the only enemy Overwatch had to deal with. In conversation with Ziegler, Winston declared that they'd fight through one city at a time. She provided support for him at Route 66, where they fought their way through Null Sector's forces.

Trivia

 * The official website used to state Mercy's age as 34. Recall retconned it to 37, and her info page on the official website has since been changed to match that.


 * She enjoys the apple pie Ingrid Lindholm makes for the holidays.


 * While part of Overwatch, Mercy's agent ID was "3945_46."


 * Moira has some backstory with Mercy, as one utilized tech developed by the other.


 * A magazine image of Mercy could be found in an outhouse on Route 66. The magazine was removed in a later patch.


 * In reply to a support ticket, Blizzard jokingly stated that Mercy's heart "belongs to Roadhog".


 * Mercy's wings are available as a cosmetic item in Diablo III for players who purchased the Origins Edition.
 * Mercy currently has a total of 174 cosmetics of which 69 of them are skins - 46 team skins (Including 6 2018 skins), 1 OW League skin (Grey), 13 legendary skins, 6 rare skins, and 4 common skins. 8 emotes, 9 victory poses, 31 voicelines, 51 sprays, 4 highlight intros, and 1 golden weapon.

Merchandise

 * A Mercy Funko Pop figure went go on sale in 2018. A Mercy Witch model went on sale in October of the same year.


 * A 36cm Mercy statue is on sale from the Blizzard Store.


 * A Hasbro 6" Mercy figurine will go on sale in spring 2019.


 * A Figma Mercy statue will go on sale by Q1 2020.

Development
Mercy's design stems from a playable class in the cancelled Project Titan; in the original pitch for the game that would become Overwatch, the class was named Guardian and was envisioned as wielding a heal beam and a weapon called a stinger, with abilities named Salvation and Resurrection. In a later pitch she was named Angelica and was envisioned as also having a teleport. She was later renamed Mercy, which had previously been Pharah's name.

Mercy had a different voice actress early in the beta; the role was later recast with Lucie Pohl, who is fluent in German.

The Witch's resurrecting voice line, "My servants never die!", was added for Mercy's Witch skin due to fan request.