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Each Overwatch hero is a special snowflake.

Different guns, different abilities, different movement speeds, different quirks. Learning to excel with one hero doesn't mean you've mastered Overwatch.

Playing a hero the "right" way only gets you so far, of course. Positioning, team formation (on both sides) and overall skill level are still important; you can play a hero perfectly and still lose. But you probably won't win until you learn to play whoever you're using right.

We've got you covered. Read on for tips, strategies and ideal maps/modes to help you suck less at using Overwatch's Shuriken-slinging cyborg ninja, Genji.

Ability breakdown

• Primary weapon: Shuriken. Genji throws three throwing stars straight forward at high speed. Very accurate. If all three stars connect, deals high damage. 24-round "clip."

• Secondary fire: Fan of Blades. Genji throws his standard three Shuriken in a wide spread, with each one dealing light damage (identical per-projectile damage to Genji's primary attack). Draws from the same 24-round ammo pool as primary fire.

• Deflect:For two seconds, Genji deflects all incoming frontal projectile attacks. All deflected attacks reverse direction and deal damage to enemies instead. 8-second cooldown,.

• Swift Strike:A slashing melee strike that propels Genji a short distance forward in whichever direction he's facing. Deals moderate damage to any enemies it strikes. 8-second cooldown.

• Cyber-Agility:Genji has the ability to double jump and climb straight up walls by jumping directly at them.

• Ultimate ability: Dragonblade. Genji draws his katana and uses it to deal high-damage melee attacks throughout the 8-second duration. Shuriken/Fan of Blades not available when Dragonblade is active, but abilities are.

How to Genji

Genji is a versatile flanker who can effectively deal with threats up close and at range. The cost of that versatility is a lower position on the power pyramid; Genji can dish out the damage, but many of the threats on the field do it more quickly.

Shuriken attacks are very damaging in the hands of a skilled player. Accuracy is key. Aim for the head and lead your target. Scoring three Shuriken criticals will knock out most threats, and at any distance since there's no damage fall-off.

Switch to Fan of Blades when you're fighting in close quarters. It spreads the damage out more, but has a higher rate of fire than Shuriken. It's no match for the more traditional shotgun weapons in Overwatch, but Fan of Blades makes accuracy a lesser concern in close combat.

Swift Strike is as multi-purpose as Genji himself: use it to close the distance, to escape or even as a finisher after a Shuriken/Fan of Blades barrage. Capping off an emptied clip with a Swift Strike is often enough to finish a weakened enemy who may be trying to escape.

Don't forget that Genji is a flanker first. His speed and mobility allow him to reach largely inaccessible locations from which he can "snipe" or leap directly into the fray.

Deflect is handy in those latter cases. It's a strong opener when Genji moves in, since he'll often immediately attract fire from anyone in front of him.

Deflect is also a semi-effective counter to a Bastion or Torbjörn turret. You won't often deflect enough damage to wipe out the threat, but having Genji draw the turret's fire allows teammates to step in and assist.

True to Genji's flanker design, Dragonblade works best as a surprise attack. It amps up damage significantly, but forces you to fight at close range with nothing more than a paltry health pool to protect you.

Dragonblade is a great clean-up move that lets you cap off a vicious firefight with an easy team kill. It's most effective when paired with an Ana Nano Boost ultimate, since the bonus damage/damage resistance and speed stack on top of Dragonblade's benefits.

Best maps/modes:Genji is most effective in attack scenarios on Assault, Escort and Hybrid maps, where his ability to get around quickly and scale to great heights let him break through enemy defenses and flank as Blizzard intended. He canbe effective in Control maps -- especially for those proficient with Deflect -- but he can't be counted on to hold a point on his own.