Charge is a high-risk, high-reward ability where Reinhardt speeds forward with minimal control towards left or right. If he comes into contact with an opponent head-on, he will deal a maximum of 300 damage if he pins them against a wall.
Of course, charging also runs the risk of putting the character out of position, leaving him vulnerable to attack and the team without a shield tank. So balance-wise, it’s in a good spot.
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That said, some players do find the ability to be inconsistent, with the charge sometimes knocking enemies back while at other times, it manages to scoop them into it even when it looks like it would miss.
What is Flats’ Cradle?
Now, thanks to some investigative work by streamers Flats and SVB, the mystery has been solved and players can finally land their pins with a much higher success rate.
The trick comes down to what has been dubbed “Flats’ Cradle.” When Reinhardt pins, his body contorts to a unique shape and, if you’re able to get a foe within this cradle, the charge will connect.
“It will pull them in no matter where they are,” SVB explained. “Even if they are jumping away from you, Flats’ theory is that it will suck as long as it’s in this cradle where he’s pinning.”
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Behold! The truth about the Reinhardt Pin hitbox! Never miss another pin!
I present to you what will henceforth be called "Flats' Cradle". Discovered by the Rein God himself, @Flats_OW, sent to guide Rein mains back to the righteous path!
Left shoulder succ, right shoulder boop pic.twitter.com/2BGXB5SXhi
— SVB (@OW_SVB) July 21, 2020
Aim to the left
In a video demonstration, the streamer showed how a pinning to the left of a training bot still resulted in a pin.
“I should not have hit that pin!” he exclaimed. “With the left side, it sucks because of Flats’ cradle.”
He then proceeded to try it again, but purposefully went a bit too far on the right side. This time, it simply booped the bot away and the pin didn’t connect normally.
“The same angle, but on the right side, it will knock them away. So, this is really important. It’s not something you will instantly pick up, you need to keep it in your mind. But this is the new pin mechanic,” SVB concluded.
Next time you play Reinhardt, remember that going slightly to the left can be extremely beneficial. Try it out if you want to score those pins and get the maximum value out of them.
