Pharah

Pharah
Overwatch 2 Overwatch 1
"I will protect the innocent."
Real Name	Fareeha Amari (فاريها عماري)
Age	32
Nationality	Egyptian
Occupation	Security Chief
Base	Giza, Egypt
Affiliation	Egyptian Army (formerly) Helix Security International (formerly) Overwatch
Relations	Ana Amari (mother) Sam (father)
Voice	Jen Cohn (English) Ethel Houbiers (French) Ghadah Al-Akel (German, first voice) Silvia Mißbach (German, second voice) Debora Magnaghi (Italian) Guiyue (Mandarin (China)) Fong You-wei(Mandarin(Taiwan)) Romi Park (Japanese) Cho Hyeon-jung (Korean) Marcela Duarte (Brazilan Portuguese) Irina Índigo (American Spanish) Diana Torres (European Spanish)
Cosmetics	Cosmetic page
Quotes	Quotation page
Role	Damage
Health	200
Character Video

Pharah is a Damage hero in Overwatch.

Overview

Soaring through the air in her combat armor, and armed with a launcher that lays down high-explosive rockets, Pharah is a force to be reckoned with.

Abilities

Hover Jets

SPACE

Type

Passive Ability

Hold to hover.

Duration:

Up to 2 seconds

Move. speed:

+20% buff
4.27 meters per second (vertically)

• Details

Ability details:

• Activated by holding jump button while in the air, or alt-fire button.
• Allows Pharah to gain height when held. When held for 2 seconds, Pharah gains more than 8 meters vertical height.
• Refuels 43% per second automatically when not in use, taking ~2.33 seconds to refill from empty to full.
• The red portion of Pharah's fuel bar signifies the area that will not be refueled by the time Pharah reaches the peak of her Jump Jet.
• Allows Pharah to hover indefinitely when paired with Jump Jet.

Rocket Launcher

Type

Weapon

Effect Type

Projectile

Pharah’s primary weapon launches rockets that deal significant damage in a wide blast radius.

Damage:

Direct hit: 120
Explosion: ~24.6 - 80
Self: ~12.3 - 40

Headshot:

✕

Rate of fire:

1 round per 0.85 seconds

Ammo:

6

Reload time:

1.5 seconds

Area of effect:

2.5 meter radius

Spread angle:

Pinpoint

Projectile speed:

35 meters per second

• Details

Ability details:

• Explosive Damage and knockback decreases with distance from the explosion, reaching 0% at the edge of the blast radius.
• Explosive Damage and knockback also applies to self.

Example Video

Jump Jet

LSHIFT

10 seconds

Type

Ability

Propelled by her suit’s thrusters, Pharah soars high into the air.

Max. range:

11.55 meters vertically

• Details

Ability details:

• Can be paired with a rocket for more height and slightly more horizontal distance.
• Can be paired with a Concussive Blast for more horizontal distance, but no additional height.

Example Video

Concussive Blast

E

9 seconds

Type

Ability

Effect Type

Projectile

Pharah looses a wrist rocket that knocks back any enemies it strikes.

Damage:

Knockback

Headshot:

✕

Area of effect:

8 meter radius

Projectile speed:

60 meters per second

• Details

Ability details:

• Also knocks back Pharah herself.
• Can be used as an additional mobility tool, as it does not deal self damage.
• Mostly deals horizontal knockback.

Example Video

Barrage

Q

2100 points

Type

Ultimate Ability

Effect Type

Projectile

Pharah directs a continuous salvo of mini-rockets to destroy groups of enemies.

Damage:

Direct hit: 40
Splash: 9 - 30
Self: 4.5 - 15

Headshot:

✕

Rate of fire:

30 rockets per second

Duration:

2.5 seconds

Area of effect:

2 meter explosion radius

Move. speed:

Caster immobilized

Projectile speed:

45 meters per second

• Details

Ability details:

• Pharah remains stationary while the ability is active, but can turn.
• Pharah will stay in the air if the ability is used mid-air.
• Ammunition is restored after completion.
• A total of 675 - 3000 damage can be dealt to enemies using the ultimate.
• A total of 337.5 - 1125 self-damage can be dealt through the ultimate.

Example Video

Strategy

Pharah is a hero with excellent aerial mobility, but is somewhat crippled by staying on the ground. Her Rocket Launcher can dish out excellent damage, as it does not suffer from damage falloff and deals splash damage upon impact. Jump Jet launches Pharah high in the air, allowing her to properly position herself for well-angled attacks, or to escape from danger. The Hover Jets, her passive, allow Pharah to sustain her altitude and gain a small amount of height. This can be used to keep her away from threats on the ground, but will leave her vulnerable to enemies with "hitscan" attacks, such as Soldier: 76, Cassidy, and Widowmaker. Concussive Blast deals no damage, instead providing strong knockback both to enemies and Pharah herself. Barrage is one of the most dangerous ultimate abilities in the game, able to wipe out entire teams with ease, provided good setup and communication with your healers. Overall, Pharah is a good backline character, able to harass enemies from afar, deal good damage to shields, and separate the enemy team from each other. Pharah can also use her ability to fly to get to unusual points on certain maps, where enemies won't expect her.

Weapons & Abilities

• Hover Jets (Passive): Pharah's passive ability, activated by jumping. Slowly lifts her upwards, but has a fuel cost.
  • This ability is mainly for maintaining altitude to rain rockets down on the enemy.
  • Hover Jets should not be held down, as this wastes fuel. Instead, tapping jump in quick succession will allow her to maintain height while she waits for Jump Jet to recharge.
  • Hovering creates a loud noise to the enemy. If you are planning to flank the enemy team, avoid using it in the position where they can hear your coming.
  • While sliding off some unintended location such as roof WILL NOT refill the fuel, this can be very helpful to flank the enemy by sliding off without any noise from the jets as you don't have to use it.

• Rocket Launcher: Pharah's primary weapon. Fires high-damage splash projectiles at a fairly moderate fire-rate. The rocket can deal self-damage.
  • Because of their devastating damage, concentrated fire on "choke points" can force the enemy team to select an alternate route to get to their objective.
  • Since the projectile travels rather slowly, Pharah may need to "lead" her shots to be fully effective.
  • Rocket Launcher can be used to "rocket jump" by shooting at a nearby wall or at the floor to propel yourself away from it. Note that Rocket Launcher will damage Pharah.
  • Don't underestimate the effect of rockets' splash damage. While it is not as damaging as landing a direct hit, it is still impressive.
  • Rockets deal mild knockback to both enemies and yourself.

• Jump Jet: When activated, Pharah will launch herself high in the air in a short time.
  • Used in conjunction with Hover Jets, Jump Jet can allow Pharah to stay in the air almost indefinitely.
  • Jump Jet is a good escape option, provided that there is room to fly.
  • Jump Jet allows Pharah to get to points most heroes can't reach. This can both be used to get to a good vantage point, or to position yourself behind the enemy to attempt to flank.
  • Try not to use the ability when you are about to reach the skybox (where you can't go higher than that) as it will quickly knock you back and make it hard to maintain the right altitude afterwards.

• Concussive Blast: Fires a projectile that deals incredible knockback, but no damage.
  • Much like Rocket Launcher, Concussive Blast may be used to help Pharah quickly reposition herself. Unlike Rocket Launcher, however, it deals no damage whatsoever.
  • Concussive Blast has potential for environmental kills. For example, it's very easy to knock enemies off the bridge at the beginning of Rialto, or into the well on Ilios.
  • Because of its great knockback and decent radius, Concussive Blast can be used to break up the enemy team or push them away from your allies.

• Barrage (Ultimate): Pharah's Ultimate ability. When activated, Pharah will bombard the enemy with rapid-fire rockets that deal large amount of damage on both contact and splash damage. She can't move or stop the ultimate by herself for the duration. Rockets deal self-damage.
  • While Barrage has fantastic damage output, it leaves her incredibly vulnerable to enemy fire. The smartest use of Barrage is in combination with another teammate to cripple the enemy's mobility.
  • Like Reaper's Death Blossom or Moira's Coalescence, Barrage is immediately cancelled if Pharah is stunned during it. Position yourself so enemies like Brigitte and Cassidy can't reach you.
  • Try not to use Barrage when the enemy has shields up. While it will easily destroy them, that still means a great deal of your ultimate will be blocked or even getting yourself killed.

General strategies

• With frugal use of Hover Jets and Jump Jet, Pharah can stay in the air almost indefinitely. However, she is rather slow horizontally, which can make it difficult for her to dodge. Use Concussive Blast to reposition yourself, or else drop behind cover if you feel threatened.
• Avoid staying on the ground. Pharah deals excellent damage, but her attacks are fairly slow, and much more difficult to avoid when coming from above.
• Pharah is a good counter to enemies with slow-moving projectiles or short-ranged guns that can't hit her in the air, such as Reaper, Mei, Junkrat, Reinhardt, Lúcio, and Symmetra. Prioritize such enemies.
• "Hitscan" is arguably Pharah's greatest threat. Scoped shots from Widowmaker and Ana, Soldier's Heavy Pulse Rifle, and Cassidy's Peacekeeper can easily take her down with good aim. Either find cover until they are dealt with or attempt to knock them out of position with Concussive Blast.
• You have incredible mobility as Pharah, so use it to behave unpredictably. Enemies with projectile weapons can still take you down if you move predictably.
• While Pharah can stay fairly safe up in the air, she should not be without support. A common pair for Pharah is Mercy, who can boost her damage and heal her while staying with her in the air. Remember to be a team player.
• Practice is a key factor to improving with all heroes, especially Pharah. Get used to the travel time of your rockets, practice leading your shots, and pay special attention to your mobility.

Match-Ups and Team Synergy

Tank

Hero	Match-Up	Team Synergy
D.Va	While D.Va suffers from damage falloff and her shotgun-like spread at long range, she's the best Tank hero against Pharah. Her Defense Matrix can protect her teammates from rockets or even negate a Barrage. Your best bet is to fire at D.Va only when she's distracted or when you want to force her to waste her Defense Matrix, otherwise it's best to avoiding firing at D.Va altogether. D.Va's hitscan weapons are very dangerous to you if you fly too low or land near her. D.Va's high health makes her harder to kill, even with consistent rocket hits, and forces you to play further back and avoid getting cornered. Boosters allow D.Va to catch up to you, knocking you out of the air and attacking at her preferred closer range. D.Va becomes even more dangerous if there are aerial platforms that she can land on to fire at you from. However, once D.Va is out of her mech, she's little more than cannon fodder, and you're one of the best characters at killing D.Va in this state - and you should make it a priority to do so.	(To be added)
Orisa	(To be added)	(To be added)
Reinhardt	Reinhardt's Barrier Field only protects any damage coming from the front, not from above, and while it is possible to angle the shield upwards, this leaves him vulnerable to attacks from the ground. Reinhardt has little ability to attack Pharah - his low-speed Fire Strike can easily be dodged, and the melee range of his hammer is miniscule. Pharah can put pressure on his teammates, slightly disrupt his position with a rocket or Concussive Blast, or outright destroy his barrier with help from your team; Reinhardt's shield won't last long against direct rocket hits. Reinhardt will most likely try to guard his teammates to the best of his ability and let them deal with you. Barrage will quickly tear through Reinhardt's shield, but the shield can negate a lot of the attack's power and make it easier for the enemy to respond.	(To be added)
Roadhog	Roadhog's Hook is hard to land on Pharah when he's in an open-area where he can't find a roof or ceiling to stand on. Her rockets are dangerous to Roadhog as his large hitbox is easy to land direct hits on. If you are too close to him, your Concussive Blast will blast both of you away from each other. Sometimes your Concussive Blast can even make him die to an environment kill due to his lack of mobility. However, a low-elevation Barrage can be disrupted by a Hook, and landing anywhere near a Roadhog (or even descending too low in the sky) is a good way to get grabbed and killed. If the Roadhog fails to fire immediately after he Hooks you, though, you can sometimes survive the attack.	(To be added)
Sigma	(To be added)	(To be added)
Wrecking Ball	(To be added)	(To be added)
Winston	Winston can use Jump Pack to attack you for 1 or 2 seconds, but that's about it. Other than that, Winston has no way to attack you mid-air. His Barrier Projector has lower health compared to Reinhardt's Barrier Field, making it less effective at defending his teammates, but as the barrier is spherical, it is more effective at preventing you from attacking from above or behind - while Winston himself is not much of a threat, if he bubbles a Widowmaker, Soldier 76, or other threat to you, he can make it much easier for them to calmly target and kill you. However, Winston's large hitbox makes him easier to hit with rockets, and Barrier Projector won't do any good against Barrage. If he tries to jump and attack your allies, he's either leaving his own team open for you to attack, or leaving himself somewhat vulnerable to you switching targets and attacking him while he tries to go for your backline. Bear in mind that you're vulnerable to his Tesla Cannon while grounded or near elevated platforms, especially if he can force you into an enclosed space. Note also that Barrage cannot kill Winston if he uses Primal Rage, and Concussive Blast is mostly useless against him as he can Jump Pack to safety.	(To be added)
Zarya	Zarya's primary fire isn't long enough to reach Pharah mid-air and it will be very difficult for her to hit you with her secondary fire, especially when you are in an open area where Zarya can't chase you. However, if you fly too low, Zarya's primary fire can hit you and is highly effective against you. Shooting a rocket at the wrong time will only increase Zarya's Energy, giving her higher firepower to use against your team, and making it all the more dangerous to approach her. She can also use bubbles to protect her teammates from a Barrage long enough for them to bring you down. Unless Zarya has both her barriers on cooldown, don't fire at anybody while Zarya is near her team - she can barrier her team and absorb the damage before the rocket hits.	(To be added)

Damage

Hero	Match-Up	Team Synergy
Ashe	(To be added)	(To be added)
Bastion	Without cover, flying over to a Bastion in Sentry Configuration will just get you killed. Bastion's massive firepower will shoot you down from mid-air in less than a second, even without headshots. With cover, you can peek launch rocket onto Bastion and go back to cover to minimize the damage you takes between shots; however, with Self-Repair as well as protection from teammates, Bastion will usually be able to survive a prolonged battle of attrition. Concussive Blast has no effect on Bastion during Sentry Configuration, so hold on to it rather than shooting Bastion with it. Bear in mind that even in Recon Configuration, Bastion's hitscan weapon is very accurate and can potentially shoot you out of the sky. If you can catch Bastion by surprise, a Barrage can run him down before he can fire back.	(To be added)
Cassidy	Cassidy is able to pick off Pharah in just three shots. However, due to his quick damage falloff and Pharah's ability to maintain distance, Cassidy is a strong counter only when he can reliably hit headshots. As Pharah is often airborne, Cassidy's strong point, Flashbang, can't do anything against her. Other than flying in the air, she can find cover on high ground and launch a rocket into Cassidy's position, which disrupts his aiming. Try to fly far away from Cassidy's effective range, then launch a rocket at his position and keep dodging his shots mid-air; your Hover allows you to be good at evading mid-air. Find cover immediately once you hear him using Deadeye, as you will always be the first victim in his sight while airborne.	(To be added)
Doomfist	You shouldn’t have any problems with Doomfist, his primary fire won’t pose much of a threat to you and him landing any abilities on you will prove to be extremely hard, don’t worry about his ultimate since it cannot actually do anything to you as long as you’re mid-air.	(To be added)
Echo	An enemy Echo is not a favorable matchup for a Phara, your kit is more centered in mobility while Echo’s kit up is centered on aggressive abilities, this will give her an upper hand in any 1v1 scenario, If you’re in the air she can use flight to attack you directly, her sticky bombs can leave you at a dangerously low health and her focusing beam can often prove fatal, her primary fire is also way easier to hit targets directly and doesn’t rely on any type of splash damage compared to your slow moving projectiles, which means you’ll have a hard time shooting her down if she’s airborne, try to get your team to help you take her down since you’ll usually lose against her on your own.	(To be added)
Genji	Although Genji's shuriken is hard to land on Pharah due to its low speed, his Cyber-Agility and Swift Strike allow him to fight Pharah at the same vertical level. Genji's Deflect can be used to reflect rockets, potentially back to Pharah with good predicting. He can use Fan of Blades when he is on the same height as you are, then perform Swift Strike to stop your retreat. However, it is still challenging for both heroes to directly kill each other. Pharah's devastating ultimate, Barrage, can be countered by Genji's Deflect, so try not to use it when his Deflect is available. However, it is very unlikely you'll be within range of Dragonblade, so don't be worried when he uses his Ultimate - he will likely be focused on your teammates.	(To be added)
Hanzo	Commonly, Pharah's airborne attitude gives her an upper hand against most projectile-type weapons. Hanzo is another story though, as he has a fast and high damage projectile to counter her. In addition to fully charged arrows, his Storm Arrows can quickly snipe you down if you aren't careful. Hanzo's arrow has a minor arc, so he has to predict his shots to use against your movement in the air. A rocket can wave his position from attacking you, so as long as you are attacking him, he will lose more potential to counter you. One good shot from Hanzo is enough to force you to find cover. Concussive Blast is a good way to push Hanzo out of his spot, ensuring the safety for your teammates.	(To be added)
Junkrat	Junkrat's worst nightmare is Pharah. He has nothing to counter her aerial superiority, and at long-range, his grenade launcher suffers a rather quick arc, making it impossible to hit Pharah while at high altitude. Pharah's rocket can destroy his mines and traps within one hit or even RIP-Tire with a direct hit, protecting her teammates. She can make short work of Junkrat, especially when he is on his preferred high ground - Pharah's rocket will travel to him faster while he can't fight back at all. However, it is possible for Junkrat to throw a Concussion Mine high enough to hit Pharah - be very careful about flying low when Junkrat is nearby.	(To be added)
Mei	While Mei's Icicle is as fast as Hanzo's arrow, her damage falloff and casting delay cut her from countering Pharah as much as Hanzo does. Mei's stronghold is on the ground where she can trap the enemy, split their team and kill them later. If you remain in the air, Mei's Endothermic Blaster has no way to reach you. With aerial sight over the battlefield, you can warn your teammates about Mei's location and be ready to ruin any of her trap plans. Mei is still capable of fighting Pharah if she manages to land a few Icicles within her effective range, but unlike Hanzo, she needs to deal several shots to kill Pharah.	(To be added)
Pharah	Pharah's main role is aerial control, so a fight between two Pharahs is an intense and long-lasting dogfight that ends when one or the other runs out of fuel. The primary fire is hard to hit as it travels very slowly. Try to predict the other Pharah's movements and make a clear shot for your rocket to hit. Only 2 shots without healing is enough to kill Pharah mid-air, but bear in mind that this applies to you as well.	(To be added)
Reaper	Reaper's shotguns are nigh-impossible to deal their full damage to Pharah in mid-air. His quick damage falloff lets Pharah remain healthy and repeatedly fire rockets at Reaper. He can use Wraith Form to flee from both her normal attack and her Ultimate, which may make him difficult to finish off. If you are on the ground near Reaper, try to activate Jump Jet before he can kill you at close range.	(To be added)
Soldier: 76	Soldier: 76 has far better range than Cassidy, so it isn't hard for him to shoot you down mid-air. With a larger magazine, perfect accuracy isn't as necessary as with Cassidy. He can keep you at bay, killing you mid-air or applying enough pressure to force you to stay on ground behind cover. If the enemy's Soldier: 76 has a good enough aim to bring you down while flying, try to get some cover and shoot a rocket to disrupt his position. On the ground, Pharah is putting herself at risk to be hit by Helix Rockets, which travel at a faster speed. Tactical Visor is a great counter during your flight, which brings you to ground as a corpse within seconds. If the enemy team has a Soldier: 76, it's best to stay on the ground or focus him before he can shoot you down.	(To be added)
Sombra	Sombra's Machine Pistol doesn't work well in long-range combat. As her weapon has a wide spread, killing you at a distance will be a hard mission for her. Sombra's Hack will stop you from using Jump Jet, Concussive Blast and Hover. While you may be able to handle Sombra in a 1 on 1 fight, if you're Hacked in a team fight you're as good as dead, so try to steer clear from her if possible. EMP and Hack will also stop you during Barrage, so try to use it only if she's in your view or you know she's dead, just so you're not surprised by a Hack in the middle of your Barrage.	(To be added)
Symmetra	Symmetra's primary and secondary fire are not likely to hit you while you're airborne. Her Sentry Turrets are often set up on walls and ceilings, mostly avoidable places thanks to your Jump Jet. Your rocket launcher can destroy a turret with one shot, allowing your teammates to push forward. There may be some turrets that Symmetra tried to set up as high as possible to target you, but you can just destroy those as well. Symmetra may use her Teleporter to get her team to higher ground to fight you; if you see a Teleporter out in the open, a few direct hits should be able to destroy it. Be wary about using Barrage while Symmetra is nearby, as a Photon Barrier can block all of its damage (or, if placed directly in front of you, can cause you to kill yourself instantly).	(To be added)
Torbjörn	Torbjörn's Turret is immobile; If you fire direct rockets consistently, you can finish it off quicker than he can repair it. However, flying around while Torbjorn has a turret up can be a bad idea as it can nick down your health easily. Try to launch rockets from cover, which will save you health. Torbjorn himself is usually no problem as his shots are hard to land on an airborne Pharah, but with enough aim, as well as Overload's damage boost, a precise Torbjorn's primary fire may be capable of landing headshots and taking you out, so don't get cocky around him. Molten Core is most potent on the ground, so make sure you stay airborne when he activates it.	(To be added)
Tracer	Tracer's Pulse Pistols are ineffective at anything far away, especially a Pharah who is always in the air. Tracer possesses no mobility to reach the sky like Genji to make it a fairer fight. While she can Blink to find a cover or even Recall to recover her health, that is only buying her time in action. Unless your fuel is low enough that you will fall to ground, Tracer has no chance at fighting you. She'll most likely fall back and let her teammates deal with you.	(To be added)
Widowmaker	Widowmaker's nature as a hitscan hero with unlimited range and no damage falloff makes her one of the most dangerous for you to face. A fully charged body shot on you is enough for you to lose over half of your health, and a headshot will instantly kill you, though that is fairly difficult to land in many cases. You must avoid allowing Widowmaker to predict your movements; you're better off peeking her from behind cover and shooting at her sniper nest. However, Widowmaker can escape from the spot fairly easy with her Grappling Hook, and if Widowmaker repositions herself frequently, it can be difficult for you to fight back. Using Barrage while an enemy Widowmaker is nearby is risky, as you are immobile while using it, making you an easy target for a headshot.	(To be added)

Support

Hero	Match-Up	Team Synergy
Ana	Without scoping, Ana's weapon shoots a very fast projectile which isn't easy to hit Pharah with. Once scoped, however, Ana fires a deadly hitscan shot. Ana's rifle can't deal headshots, but 80 damage per shot is enough to scare Pharah off. Her Sleep Dart is capable of shutting down Pharah's Ultimate as she is immobile while using it. If Ana has no cover cover, you can fly to Ana's position and engage with her directly. As she doesn't have a mobility tool like Widowmaker's Grappling Hook, she won't be able to escape from the situation outside of an accurate Sleep Dart shot. Any splash damage from your rockets can disrupt Ana's position as well. Be wary that Ana's Biotic Grenade can hit you while you're grounded, disabling any healing you may be getting from a Mercy or Zenyatta.	(To be added)
Baptiste	Baptiste's hitscan damage should be respected at medium-range, although at longer ranges its falloff and recoil will make it harder for him to do reliable damage to you. Watch out for his Amplification Matrix, as his increased damage output (as well as the damage output of your other counters) can take you down extremely quickly. Immortality Field can save him from your Rocket Barrage theoretically, however you can quickly destroy the Field, and he will die almost instantly.	(To be added)
Brigitte	Brigitte is a short-range melee hero with nothing to counter you. The most she will be able to do to you is hit a Whip Shot on you if you are flying low. Keep applying pressure to her to force her to play more passively.	(To be added)
Lúcio	Lúcio has nothing with which to properly counter Pharah. His primary fire isn't suited for use in combat for most situations, and it's low travel speed doesn't have much chance of hitting you. Soundwave is useless against you unless your Hover is out of fuel and your Jump Jet is on cooldown (which isn't very likely). Amp It Up's healing isn't enough to heal Lúcio and allies back to full health if you hit direct rockets consistently. Lúcio is capable of surviving a Concussive Blast if he manages to find a wall to ride. When not directly hit, his healing can slowly negate the splash damage from Pharah, making him survive longer. Sound Barrier isn't enough to protect the entire team from her Barrage, even when paired with Amp It Up. However, Lucio can use his speed boost to exit the area before Barrage can kill him.	(To be added)
Mercy	Mercy is completely defenseless against Pharah's airborne superiority, as she is able to be killed in two direct rockets (three if she's allowed to heal). The only way for Mercy to survive is if she stays close to a Pharah on her own team. If that is the case, she will be a hard target to hit by a rocket while airborne. The healing from Mercy's staff can't outheal the direct hits from Pharah in any situation, but if you are only landing splash damage, she should be able to keep her ally alive. If she can find a cover, she will get her health back quickly from your damage thanks to her health regeneration. Try to catch Mercy in an open-area, as it will be difficult to harm her when she is in a room or behind cover. A Mercy using Valkyrie may be able to contest you if she focuses on trying to gun you down, as she has superior air mobility and no need to reload during the ultimate.	(To be added)
Moira	Moira will pose no threat to you at long-range, however be wary of flying too close to the ground, as she will be able to use Biotic Grasp on you with its surprisingly long lock-on distance. However, you should still be able to kill her with two direct rockets even if she is attacking you. Coalescence can also pose a risk to you, especially as it has longer range than her primary attack, and she heals constantly during it.	(To be added)
Zenyatta	Pharah's rockets are deadly to a Zenyatta who can't find cover from her, but his ability to fight back makes him somewhat hazardous prey. While he has no mobility, Zenyatta's high firepower and his large magazine allow him to spam his orbs at you. While not as fast as Hanzo's arrows, his orb attacks along with Orb of Discord's damage magnification can force you to find a cover, as she can receive high damage from him and his teammates. His Transcendence ultimate can negate all damage from her Barrage, so it is prudent to avoid using Barrage in situations where he might use his own Ultimate to counter you.	(To be added)

Story

"I Will Protect The Innocent."

With a strong sense of justice, Pharah's commitment to duty runs in her blood. She comes from a long line of highly decorated soldiers and burns with the desire to serve with honor. A serious but altruistic individual, Pharah seeks to make the world a better place, and bring order out of chaos. She loves the feeling of entering the unknown, and has an udjat tatoo on her right eye, bearing the Eye of Horus. Every action she undertakes comes from "a deep place" within her spirit. Fareeha has a mixed relationship with her mother, and while her relationship with her father was initially complicated as well, it is currently more familial. Pharah has strong instincts, honed by her training. She enjoys listening to Classic Rock, and is not a Boston Bruins fan.

Childhood

Fareeha and her mother

Fareeha was born in Canada to her mother Ana Amari and her father Sam.

Initially, Fareeha had a good relationship with her mother, who taught her martial arts. As a child, she grew up in the company of Overwatch; She dreamed of following in her mother's footsteps and joining the organization. She spent her life training, doing everything she could to ensure that one day, she could join Overwatch herself. However, her mother was against it, and made a concious effort to steer Fareeha clear from this path. Furthermore, she became emotionally distant, keeping Fareeha at arm's length. This led to a strained relationship between mother and daughter, that would worsen later on. Fareeha still loved her mother, despite a complicated relationship. Born with her father's last name, she had it changed to "Amari" in order to match her mother.

Her relationship with her father Sam was also complicated growing up. However, it is now more familiar, as she says to Torbjörn that shshe makes an effort to visit him during the holidays.

At some point, Fareeha asked for a toy rifle, but Ana refused, telling her daughter that she'd shoot her eye out. Her mother later came to regret her comments.

File:PharahMercyCassidy.jpg

Fareeha with Ziegler and Cassidy

Fareeha met Winston as a child, and kept a photo riding on his back. By her teenage years, she had met (and was familial with) Angela Ziegler and Cole Cassidy. Notably, she was apparently aware of his real name of "Cole Cassidy."

After her mother was apparently killed in action, she got her udjat, to honor her memory. Her mother had borne a similar tattoo, and told her it was a symbol of protection. At the time, Fareeha had assumed that it meant that her mother would always protect her. Ana later sent letters to Fareeha, explaining her absence, but Fareeha never gave a response.

Soldier

Fareeha enlisted in the Egyptian Army. Her dogged persistence and tactical prowess caused her to rise up through the officer ranks. She was a courageous leader and earned the loyalty of all who served under her. With her exemplary record, Fareeha was well placed to join the ranks of Overwatch, but before she had that opportunity, Overwatch was disbanded.

After leaving the army with a commendation for distinguished service, she was offered employment with Helix Security International, a private security firm contracted to defend the artificial intelligence research facility beneath the Giza Plateau. The top-secret facility was touted as vital to the safety of not only the region but countries across the globe. Fareeha gladly accepted the choice assignment and received training in the Raptora Mark VI, an experimental combat suit designed for rapid mobility and devastating firepower.

Pharah within the skies

Under the call sign "Pharah," she worked to safeguard the AI installation. Though she mourned Overwatch's passing, she still dreamed of fighting the good fight and making a difference on a global scale. She was assigned to a strike team under the command of Captain Khalil, with the rank of lieutenant.

Mission Statement

“	I was afraid that someday I'd have to make this decision. Which is more important...the man...or the mission?	„
	~ Fareeha "Pharha" Amari

Pharah and her squad

When the Anubis AI broke free of containment, Pharah's team was sent in to neutralize the AI. They found a wounded member of the engineers that had been sent ahead, revealing that Anubis had taken control of the sentry bots assigned to the site. Pharah ordered that they move on, despite the protests of Saleh that the engineer needed medical attention. Pharah stated that the mission was more important than any of their lives, given what was at stake if Anubis breached HSI's firewalls. Khalil conceeded the point, but pointed out that Pharah needed to work on her attitude, that the squad was her "family." The team came under attack by security bots, and in the ensuing firefight, Khalil was killed. Per the chain of command, Pharah took command of the squad. Pharah ordered the squad to push on. Anubis had attacked their "family," echoing Khalil's words. The squad entered the temple, and engaged in combat with the security bots. The ordnance caused a pillar to collapse, threatening to crush Tariq. She saved him, much to his confusion—didn't the mission come first? She dismissed the question, and she and her squad held the line while Tariq hacked Anubis's systems. He was wounded, but Anubis was shut down, and the squad exfiltrated the site. As Tariq was loaded into the squad's APC, he told her that Pharah was her captain now, and that he'd always follow her. Pharah reflected on her udjat, and that she'd misunderstood what her mother had told her all those years ago. It did not mean that she was protected, but rather, she was the protector.

Recall

Winston sent out a recall to Overwatch agents after Talon's attack on Watchpoint: Gibraltar. The order was forwarded onto her three times by former Overwatch agents—first Lena Oxton, then Reinhardt Wilhelm, then Brigitte Lindholm. However, Pharah had no intention of joining Overwatch, instead choosing to remain with HSI.

Reflections

Pharah at Christmas

At Christmas, Pharah visited Canada in order to spend the evening eating dinner with her father.

New Blood

Cairo

“	Fareeha, I'm so sorry for holding you at arm's length all those years. For interfering with you, for abandoning you...For every way I disappointed you. I can't possibly express the weight of it all. And then to see--to see the incredible woman you became despite what I put you through. If I could take it back... You can't take it back, mum. No. Of course not. But perhaps I can set some things right.	„
	~ Ana and Pharah make amends

In Cairo, things were not well, as a Talon terrorist cell operated in the city with impunity. Over a period of months, Pharah led a series of HSI missions against them, all of which ended in failure. Events reached a head when there was a firefight in a marketplace, as the cell tracked an unidentified target, but instead resulted in a firefight with two other targets.

File:PharahCassidy.jpg

Pharah reunites with Cassidy

Pharah and her squad tracked the Talon agents to a set of warehouses, and launched an attack, which razed the warehouses to the ground. However, Pharah reflected that this would do little to dent Talon's operations in Cairo. Nevertheless, she ordered her fellow Helix troopers to secure the perimeter and bring in medics to treat the wounded. Amidst the cheering crowd, she sensed that someone didn't belong. However, she didn't have to find him, as instead, Cole Cassidy revealed himself, much to Pharah's shock.

The pair returned to Helix's headquarters. Pharah said few, if any words, as she got out of her armor and reflected on Cassidy's presence. How it had brought back memories, some good, some painful. Eventually, Cassidy asked if she was ready to talk. She told him that Winston's recall order had already been forwarded onto her, and that her place was with HSI. That she couldn't abandon her team. Cassidy told her that he wasn't asking her to, but pointed out that Pharah had grown up wanting to be a hero. He asked her if this was where she was needed most. Pharah told him that it was.

Pharah and her mother reunite

Cassidy told her that her mother wanted to see her, and took Pharah to see Ana. The reunion was strained, but Pharah demanded that if Ana had anything to say to her, she could do it face to face. However, the meeting was interrupted as they were attacked by Talon forces. Pharah called for reinforcements, and activated her Raptora jump jets (sans the full suit). She took to the skies, opening fire with her rocket launcher, while Cassidy and Ana fought their way through on the ground.

Pharah realized that Talon must have been tracking them; waiting for them to meet. Worse, the HSI reinforcements she requested were intercepted en route. Ana ordered her daughter to lead the Talon troops out into the open, and Pharah realized she was right. The longer the chase drew on, the more Talon forces could arrive to join it. A Talon trooper fired a rocket at Pharah, wounding her, but in response, she unleashed a rocket barage, eliminating the Talon forces.

Ana treats Pharah's wounds

Pharah descended to the ground, and despite her initial protests, allowed her mother to treat her wounds. As Pharah's physical wounds were tended to, her mother tended to her emotional ones as well. She apologized for how she'd kept her at arm's length. For trying to steer her clear from the path she wanted. For abandoning her. Pharah told her that none of that could be taken back, a point to which Ana admitted. However, the world needed heroes again. And to that end, she suggested that Pharah go with Cassidy. That she could achieve more in Overwatch than she ever could in HSI.

To that end, Pharah talked with Cassidy. Leaving HSI to join Overwatch wasn't a choice to make lightly, and she remained mum on the subject. Cassidy told her that if she decided to join Overwatch, she knew where to find him. Pharah returned her attention to her mother. Hugged her, and said, "it's good to see you again. I wasn't sure I'd ever get the chance," before flying off into the night sky.

Busan

“	You guys dropped in just in time. Thanks for having our backs. Happy to help.	„
	~ Overlord and Pharah

Pharah unleashes a rocket barrage

Pharah was later reunited with Cassidy, as he, Zarya, and Baptiste turned up in an MV-261 Orca. They flew to Busan, which was under attack by Null Sector. Wearing a new version of her Raptora suit, Pharah flew into battle, unleashing her suit's micro-missiles, destroying the command ship's drop pods mid-deployment. In the battle, she flew alongside D.Va. Working with MEKA Squad, the two groups were able to force Null Sector to retreat. Overlord told Pharah that they'd arrived just in time.

The two squads docked at MEKA Base; Pharah was present as Cassidy asked D.Va if she wanted to join Overwatch. After the request being approved by Captain Myung, D.Va made her way to board on flight to leave with her new crew. Before boarding, D.Va was stopped briefly by Fareeha, who was waiting for her outside the ship, wearing a light beige shirt and cargo pants with her dogtags around her neck. The two exchanged words and Pharah puts her hand encouragingly on D.Va's shoulder before they made their way onto the ship together. Piloting the ship, Pharah asked Cassidy where he'd even acquired the ship. He responded that they'd stolen it from a Talon base in Mongolia, to which Pharah responded "should have known." Flying the ship over the ocean, Pharah set the dropship towards Watchpoint: Gibraltar.

Achievements

Name	Icon	Description	Reward
Clearing The Area		Knock an enemy to their death using Pharah's Concussive Blast in Quick or Competitive play.	Pixel
Death From Above		Kill 4 enemies with a single use of Barrage as Pharah in Quick or Competitive play.	Cute

Trivia

Pharah from the GamesCom 2017 banner

• Chris Metzen has joked that Pharah has "a little bit of a Captain America type of vibe."

• A Pharah portrait is available in StarCraft II for those who purchase the Origins Edition.

• Pharah's design, which includes the Egyptian Eye of Horus symbol around one eye and armor reminiscent of a falcon, is a reference to the ancient Egyptian falcon-god Horus, god of the sky and protector of the pharaoh.

• A giant action figure of Pharah was displayed in Busan as part of a pre-release promotion for Overwatch.

• Ana Amari shares a similar Eye of Horus tattoo as Pharah.

• A Funko Pop Pharah statue is available from the Blizzard Store.

• Pharah's father's First Nation tribe is known by the developers. They may reveal it at a later date.

• When asked about Pharah's sexuality, Gavin Jurgens-Fyhrie commented "we don’t have anything to share on this yet."

Development

Concept art

Pharah's design stems from a playable class in the cancelled Project Titan. In the original pitch for the game that would become Overwatch, she appeared as a jetpack-equipped class called Phoenix, which used a rocket launcher and an ability that called down napalm; in a later pitch, Phoenix was reinvisioned as a hero concept with a flamethrower and explosives, while the jetpack and rocket launcher were moved to a new hero that would eventually become Pharah. The design of Pharah was "bottom-up"; where developers start with gameplay mechanics, and later build a character around them. Her original design was done by Geoff Goodman. It was a simple concept of a male hero with a jetpack, simply named "Rocket Dude." Another one of the original concepts was done by Justin Thavirat. More iterations were went through. Her official codename was Rocket Queen. Early in development she was also briefly given the name Mercy; Mercy was named Angelica at the time.

Asp Pharah skin concept art

Aviator Pharah skin concept art

Aviator Pharah weapon skin concept art

Orbital Pharah skin concept art

Orbital Pharah weapon skin concept art

Overwatch 2 Pharah early concept art

Inspiration for her was taken from the Tribes series. She was one of the first characters implemented in the game, coming in at around the same time of Tracer, Reaper, and Widowmaker (the first three heroes implemented).

Pharah's core design wasn't altered for Overwatch 2. Rather, the developers experimented with different colors. They harkened back to white and blue (the colors of the Overwatch team). Her visor was redesigned to be more opaque, making it easier to see her emotions. The new design made its debut in New Blood Issue 5.

Balance Change Log

Patch

Description

11 Mar 2021

Hover Jets

• Regeneration rate increased from 35 to 43 per second

Developer Comment: The intent for Pharah's Hover Jet fuel adjustments is to find a balance where it enables her to maintain an altitude reasonably well with careful fuel and cooldown management, but not so easily climb to the extreme heights some map ceilings allow for as it can lead to less interactive gameplay.

13 Aug 2020

Hover Jets

• Movement speed increased 20%
• Regeneration rate reduced from 50 to 35 per second

Barrage

• Duration reduced from 3 to 2.5 seconds

Developer Comment: We’re making some adjustments to Hover Jets that should increase her flight speed and make her more agile. To compensate for this change, we’re also lowering her hover uptime. Rocket Barrage has such immense damage output that the tail end of the duration was often more of a liability than a benefit, especially with fewer barriers around to blast through.

6 Apr 2020

Rocket Launcher

• Explosion damage increased from 65 to 80
• Impact damage decreased from 55 to 40

19 Mar 2019

Rocket Launcher

• Minimum explosion damage increased from 16.25 to 20

9 Oct 2018

Concussive Blast

• Cooldown reduced from 12 to 9 seconds

Rocket Launcher

• Attack speed increased
  • Lowered recovery time between shots from 0.9 to 0.75 seconds
• Damage redistributed between explosion and impact
  • Explosion damage reduced from 80 to 65
  • Impact damage increased from 40 to 55
• Explosion knock back reduced by 20%
• Self-knockback amount increased by 25%

9 Aug 2018

Barrage

• Now restores ammunition after completion

15 Nov 2016

Rocket Launcher

• Minimum explosion damage has been increased by 13%
• Minimum explosion knockback has been decreased to 0%

Jump Jet

• Lift increased by 35%

External links

• Official Site - Pharah
• Pharah Guide on Icy Veins