The best sniping spots for Widowmaker on Volskaya Industries
The sniping spots on Volskaya Industries that all beginner and intermediate Widowmaker players should know. Learn the best places to contribute to the battle.
Check out all the articles in my series about the best sniping spots for Widowmaker:
Hybrid Maps
Assault Maps
Escort Maps
Aim is important, but positioning is the key to victory. As a sniper, having a good aim is indispensable, but knowing the positions from where to shoot without being seen makes the difference between life and death. I analyzed streams, videos, and pros gameplay to compile a list of the best and most used sniping spots.
Positioning when pushing, flanking, and in teamfight. We will have a look at the best placements to push, defend, take part in teamfight, and predict the movements of the enemy Widowmaker - both on offense and defense.
No Grapple shots. A Grapple shot is a scoped headshot performed in mid-air, using Grappling Hook to reach max height and “fly” momentarily. This article is thought for new or intermediate players, and I consider Grapple shots a mechanic for advanced ones. I might prepare a guide on them in the future.
Widowmaker duels. Depending on the situation, bodyshots and a correct use of your SMG (often underestimated) may be crucial, but when facing another Widowmaker you should always attempt to headshot her. We will study the best places to kill her while remaining concealed.
Keep moving. Thanks to Grappling Hook, Widowmaker is a relatively mobile hero - you should exploit this strength to rotate the spots and escape from flankers. Relying too much on the same location could be your ruin.
Note: even if I have explained some placements only from the perspective of the defenders or the attackers, you can use several of them for both purposes.
While explaining the spots, I might use some map callouts: List of all map callouts, and credit to their creators.
Beware from mobile. All pictures are optimized, but there are over 100 on this page.
First Point - Attack
The roof of Shrine is the most prominent placement in the first sector of the map.
From the left to the right, there are several spots you can use to gain vision on the area immediately past the choke.
The middle section offers some protection because you can crouch and partly hide your body.
On the right side, you have access to the small room of Garage. Beware of the enemy heroes that might hit you from Window.
You can also fight inside Shrine for a partial shelter. There is a big health pack on your right, but your teammates will pick it most of the time.
Killing the opponents near the choke isn’t simple from this position as they are often protected by a shield-tank, but this is also the only placement to deal with snipers, hitscan heroes, and turrets camping on Bridge.
Manor is an under-used position, but effective when you have problems surviving on the standard ones.
From the small balcony (image 3) you have vision on garage and a portion of the choke, but this spot is also fully open and easy to counter.
This small area (images 5 and 6) gives you some cover - remaining behind the corner, the enemies from Window can’t attack you.
Once your team advances past the choke, you can grapple to Window and contribute to the fight taking place on Mid. Relocate elsewhere when they move on the point.
Let’s have a quick look to all the possible places on the ground level.
Pass through Garage and you will gain access to a side-view of the point. This spot is particularly useful to assassinate the opponents camping on the high ground at the opposite side of the map (image 3).
Continuing, go past Comms for another placement near Dock (image 5). This position isn’t exceptional, but it still gives you access to about a half of the point and to several areas: Ops’ room and high ground, the left side of Dock, and the boxes next to the point which can be used for cover by some heroes.
As the attacker, I do not recommend any placement on the right side of the map because they are too easy to flank. Also, always prioritize the high ground spots for a better view on the area and more escape routes.
There are many high ground spots around the point.
The truck (image 1) is a viable alternative to Window while the team is fighting on Mid.
Afterwards, grapple to Hut as the battle will move on the point.
Note that both from Hut and the truck is possible to snipe the adversaries coming from the spawn, but the next high ground is preferable for this purpose.
Comms is a perfect placement once the battle takes place on the last segment of the first point. You have an excellent view on all the area around, and a long line of sight on the spawn.
Being able to kill some defenders after they respawn will greatly boost your team’s chances to conquer the point.
Finally, it is also possible to grapple on the black cable (image 2) to exploit an under-used spot which might give you some safety if the enemies keep chasing you away from the standard ones.
First Point - Defense
Some spots to achieve easy kills at the start of the match. Do not overextend in these positions, and retreat once the adversaries are approaching the choke.
Jump on Shrine, and exploit the area around the statue to gain access to all the exits from the attackers’ spawn.
You can also launch your Grappling Hook almost to the top of Manor. No one expects an attack from this height!
Window is a classic position you can utilize several times during the defense at the choke to score a kill and retreat.
There are many great high ground placements for the defenders, and I suggest rotating among them depending on the area attacked by the adversaries.
On Hut (images 1 and 2), there are the standard starting positions as they give you a full view on the choke. Use the small box on the right side for cover.
Comms (image 3) limits your view on the left side of the choke, but is safer if dive heroes invade Mid.
The high ground on the left side of Dock (image 1) is useful when you lose the choke, and from here you can snipe the enemy Widowmaker camping outside Garage.
Bridge (image 3) is a very popular placement for many heroes, and works well also as an anti-flank position to defend your back-lines.
This robot above Dock has several “secret” locations. I have already explained one, and honestly they can all be used by both attackers and defenders, but overall I believe the placements are more suitable as defensive positions.
Left (image 2): an amazing spot that grants you vision on the entire first area of the map. It can easily be used at any time of the match, and usually the opponents will need some time to detect you.
Mid (image 4): this is probably the least useful placement, but it still gives you the element of surprise, and vision on the choke, most of the point, and the entrance from Garage.
Right (image 6): thanks to the height, you have a good vision on the choke from a very long distance. I suggest leaving this spot once the enemies reach the point as they can easily kill you from the high ground on Comms.
Finally, a quick look to all the possible placements on the ground level. I consider these spots subpar to the high ground ones, and recommend using them only situationally.
The room is located on the left side of the choke; the boxes are on mid.
The room on the left side of the point, and the boxes on its back, are also possible placements while the enemies are still moving to the point.
The Dock area (left, mid, and right side) is also decent for a few shots while you are rotating from a position to another.
Second Point - Attack
From Tower, you have vision on the right side of the point and on a few high ground areas.
Grappling to Fence you get an even better view on the point.
On the right side, Turbine is a very popular placement as it gives you access to most of the point.
Not many players know they can grapple to the top of Turbine. This is an amazing spot because it grants you as much vision as the previous one, and almost nobody will expect an attack from here.
Station is quite dangerous, but it does its job while the teams are clashing on the point. You can easily snipe the opponents coming from the right side of the spawn.
Finally, a quick look to the placements on the ground level:
The main entrance while your team is advancing to the point (image 1).
The small room on the right side, and also Long, give you vision on the left side of the point (image 2).
You can use this area near Mid for cover (image 3).
Pit for a side-view on the point (image 4).
Two possible flanking positions.
The first one has a direct line of sight on the spawn, and you can reach it via the high ground. You can use it to kill the opponents spawning while your team is contesting the point.
This placement is reachable via your Grappling Hook. The stairs hide you from the opponents coming from the spawn, so you can easily kill them as soon as they move towards the point.
Second Point - Defense
Turbine and Fence can be used also by the defenders for some quick kills. They are effective at the start of the match, but even afterwards if your team contests the main entrance.
As the defender, you can use all the high ground placements: Bridge (images 1 to 3), and Closet (image 4) - more or less they grant you vision on similar areas.
I suggest avoiding the right side as that high ground is easy to flank.
On Bridge, you can also reach a higher height moving on the doors. You can do it both on the left (image 2) and the right side (image 3).
Basic placements on the ground level (left, mid, and right). They are all viable, and the second one is rather safe if there is a shield-tank on the point, but your vision is limited.
The ones at the sides can be dangerous if there are flankers moving through these areas.
I have seen only a few Widowmakers on this spot. It grants you vision on a small portion of the area outside (image 4), but it covers the entire point. It is great when the fight is taking place there as no one will ever look up here for an enemy.
Beware: you need to keep moving left and right otherwise the hero will drop down after a while :P.
