Apex Legends, battle royale shooter credited with reinvigorating the idea behind dropping your character head first into a shooter loot grab. Apex Legends debuted a huge 50 million monthly player sign on in March of 2019, not a monthly static figure Electronic Arts has stated Apex averages around 8 to 10 million players monthly. Respawn has recently announced another milestone after reaching 70 million players, Apex has quickly become publisher EA’s fastest growing title ever. No end in site Apex continues to release new maps, Legends, skins and content there is even promise of a playable mobile platform. Free to download playable on Xbox One, Playstation 4 and Origin on PC, what may be tugging at any newbie or veteran battle royale players mind: who are the best Legends, who is most effective, what skills are useful and which ones are the equivalent of using a fork for soup. Luckily we had just enough hours to throw away grinding out an Apex Legend play rotation to help answer.

It is worth mentioning the Legends stats and abilities are not static, likely to change and update as player feedback comes in. No Legend is a one size fits all, you may find what works for some doesn’t quite suit you and that is perfectly ok.

Life Line (Ajay Che), the Combat Medic. Ajay Che, aka Lifeline, isn’t someone you would expect to find in the Apex Games. Once the child of wealthy war profiteers, she left home when she learned of the damage her family had caused and enlisted in the Frontier Corps, a humanitarian organization that aids Frontier communities in need. She’s since devoted her life to helping others and joined the Apex Games to fund the Frontier Corps with her winnings. EA.com

“Takes a lot to take me out” -Lifeline

No surprise seeing the combat medic make our list, the surprise is that she is currently the only medic class. Physically one of the smallest playable characters (second to smallest) her minimal gear appearance gives you a hit box that requires a steady aim to hit. Having a small hitbox is an afterthought when you are the only shimmering ray of hope for your incapacitated squad, Lifeline’s passive ability combat medic allows revival of a downed teammate in just 4 seconds. What she may lack in firepower she makes up for in support, Lifeline has a passive shield when reviving a downed teammate that acts as an essential barrier creating crucial gaps in combat. Raining down loot goodness her ultimate ability care package is a godsend when limping through a match with low level gear. Double edged sword the Lifeline drop is easily spotted and sure to catch the attention of nearby enemy squads. Sporting the D.O.C heal drone tactical ability this drone can heal multiple squad mates at once (at a cost of reduced healing) this ability can be the only thing that saves you from scavenging for health. D.O.C however doesn’t differentiate between friendlies and enemies, heals any enemies close enough. Lifeline is also one of the low profile legends that receives the added passive ability low profile that increases incoming damage by 5%.

Be vigilant that your medic isn’t inadvertently used as an enemy asset. While Lifeline’s ultimate ability is an obvious dead give away for other squads no one said you can’t use this to your advantage and stage a trap. Without another medic option Life Line is an easy choice for some, no matter what the situation a medic is a welcomed sight in any match. 

Bangalore (Anita Williams), the Professional Soldier. Born into a military family where she, her parents, and her four older brothers all served in the IMC Armed Forces, Bangalore has been an exceptional soldier since she was young. She was top of her class at the IMC Military Academy and the only cadet who could take apart a Peacekeeper, equip it with a Precision Choke hop-up, and put it back together in under twenty seconds – blindfolded. EA.com

“No cluster foxtrots on my watch” -Bangalore

Bangalore is the rough and tough soldier, not a legend to tango with capable of dishing hard to counter offense with a great fall back defense. Surgical with a G7 Bangalore uses some of the most useful abilities in Apex. Beware of engaging a Bangalore in the open field she is capable of calling in the ultimate ability rolling thunder,  artillery strike that rains down ordnance chewing through shields and health bars. Since the Apex Legends season 3 update her ultimate now deals twice as much damage. My personal favorite is the passive ability double time, under fire Bangalore receives a significant speed boost of 130% for a brief period. Tactical abilities don’t get better, her smoke launcher contains two smoke canisters that can blanket an area with thick smoke for 15 seconds. Landing a direct hit with a canister will even dish out lite damage throwing off your opponents response. Thick smoke screens and increased speed allows Bangalore to play hit and run defense or act as a hard hitting attacker that engages multiple enemies then disappearing in seconds. 

Combining a versatile offense and easy to learn defense Bangalore is best paired with an aggressive play style. Accept early on that you will often be the leading offensive force on your squad, nothing causes more entropy then some smoke and a rolling thunder drop. A force when part of your squad and a harrowing opponent in solos.

Octane (Octavio Silva), the Adrenaline Junkie. One day, Octavio Silva was bored. In fact, he was bored most days. Heir to the preoccupied CEOs of Silva Pharmaceuticals and wanting for nothing in life, he entertained himself by performing death-defying stunts and posting holovids of them for his fans to gawk over. So, this day, he decided to set the course record for a nearby Gauntlet by launching himself across the finish line – using a grenade. EA.com

“Don’t worry about my legs getting tired! I made sure that would never happen again!” -Octane

Adrenaline does not encompass this half bionic speed machine, Octane has a level of mobility that is seldom seen on two legs (robot or not). Addicted to the thrill of danger and drawn to the Apex games Octane may be in front of you one moment only to reappear on the opposite end of the field behind you. Technically tied with Bangalore at a 30% speed boost when factoring in abilities, Octane is the true speed king since he can maintain this speed boost. Deploying a launchpad with the ultimate ability derivatively named launch pad Octane’s ultimate allows you to rocket yourself into the air and over obstacles, greater momentum for bigger jumps. A clever escape device or deceptive ruse to lead your enemies to their demise you decide. Stim, a tactical ability for Octane will allow the aforementioned speed boost for a small cost of your health. Stim will not kill you so feel free to stim up as needed to create or eliminate distance between targets. Match made in heaven, the swift mend passive ability will allow players to self heal on the go, avoiding incoming damage Octane restores 1 health every 2 seconds, (keep your peasant bandages). 

Glass cannon comes to mind when taking the Octane speed train out for a spin, gliding across the field you will find it rare to actually have a full health bar, stim can be an Achilles heel if used poorly. Many sad loot goblins have fallen prey to the woes of over stimming to snatch up higher tier loot before enemies and squad mates. Finding a delicate balance between speed and health diminishing can determine if you are the guerrilla fighter that fuels battlefield chaos or the glass Legend that keeps pinging respawn stations.

Wraith (Renee Blasey), Interdimensional Skirmisher. Wraith is a whirlwind fighter, able to execute swift and deadly attacks and manipulate spacetime by opening rifts in the fabric of reality — but she has no idea how she got that way. Years ago, she woke up in an IMC Detention Facility for the Mentally Ill with no memory of her life before. She also began hearing a distant voice whispering in her mind that would keep her awake for days on end. Despite nearly driving her insane, once she started to listen and trust it, the voice helped her harness her newfound power of void manipulation and escape the facility. EA.com

“Pain… death… nothing phases me” -Wraith

Arguably one of the most popular Legends, there is no denying Wraith has all the skills to end any champion. Essentially 11 from stranger things but all grown up and pissed off Wraith uses the tactical ability into the void to literally disappear from the map. Disappear is a little misleading you are still able to be followed by a faint energy trail when Wraith activates her ability, running through the void you will be unable to interact with any objects for 3 seconds but are completely invulnerable. Anyone else hearing a spectral voice in their head may want to get a second opinion but when it’s Wraith it means her passive ability voices from the void is warning you of approaching danger. Wraith’s Demeanor may scream lone wolf but the ultimate ability dimensional rift screams friends fast travel through my wormhole. Placing the dimensional rift will assign a 25% speed boost and allow 11 seconds for players to place the other portal end. You might even consider it a fourth hidden ability, Wraith has the smallest hitbox by a significant margin. Players will even notice her crouched/hunched run style helps to further minimize the target area for enemies. Wraith is also another Legend that receives the low profile passive ability buff.

Capable of transporting herself and others across map the Wraith playstyle can be one of the  hardest to master but comes with it a level of versatility few can counter. Viable options are playing it safe and hugging the edge, picking off stragglers maneuvering behind more aggressive players. Acting as living bait luring unsuspecting victims into dimensional rifts to be hailed with gunfire on the other side.

Pathfinder (MRVN), Forward Scout. Pathfinder is the picture of optimism, despite his circumstances. A MRVN (Mobile Robotic Versatile eNtity) modified to specialize in location scouting and surveying, he booted up decades ago in an abandoned laboratory with no idea who created him or why. With only his MRVN designation to hint at his identity, Pathfinder set off in search of his creator. EA.com

“Watch out or I’ll grapple you” -Pathfinder

If you can handle hilarious dialogue Pathfinder might be the Legend for you, this optimistic cynical robot is good for more than laughs, a support class entirely capable of tipping the tide in a fight. Other than the four legged monstrous Leviathans Pathfinder is Apex’s most obvious acknowledgement to their Titanfall roots. Using the grappling hook tactical ability players are given more than just the option of closing distance between point a and b. Taking into account your grappling surface, strafe and look direction Pathfinder can use his grapple to swing grapple from points and even slingshot vast distances, you will find more information regarding the grapple mechanics here. You have undoubtedly heard the phrase ring is coming, Pathfinder’s passive ability insider knowledge eliminates this stress all together. By linking up to survey beacons you are able to access information regarding where the next ring safe zone will be. An added boon, the next ring location is made available to the whole squad via the mini map. If you have ever wanted to clean up a post squad engagement and can’t possibly get there in time, you simply need Pathfinder to deploy his ultimate ability zip line gun. Zip line deploys a large grapple tower that can be angled to cover greater distances, the zip line is permanent and can be used by anyone while zip lining players can view their surroundings and shoot.

A scout play style may be the best option when utilizing Pathfinder staying ahead of your teammates alerting them of incoming danger. Grapple adds a unique mobility that when done correctly can make chasing down a Pathfinder a fruitless effort. 

Your play style (or lack of it) will always be the main factor when choosing a Legend: there are plenty of characters to choose from but identifying your role can make or break your win record. Not much point in playing a medic, gunman or scout role if you have none of the tools to succeed in it. Do you have a favorite legend that we missed, a play style strategy that leaves your friends and competitors decimated? Leave a comment about what you thought, something we should have been mentioned or anything you think expands on the content. 

All of the mentioned Legend’s biographical information (italicized paragraphs) is available courtesy of the hardworking folks at EA games, here you can find even more information and Apex Legend lore https://www.ea.com/games/apex-legends/about/characters. Piff.game.blog does not own or claim rights over any of the mentioned content.