With mobile phones becoming a socially acceptable platform for gaming (sometimes even more than the PC), it’s no surprise that the popular first-person shooter and battle royale video game, Apex Legends, finally has its own mobile version.
Apex Legend Mobile arrived on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store back in March, and it has now joined the list of battle royale games that have their own mobile version next to the original PC and console platforms where they were originally released. Such games include PUBG and Call of Duty, among others.
Developed by Respawn Entertainment, Apex Legends has been appropriately tagged as “the next evolution of hero shooter” for its unique concept of allowing players to choose from various characters with differing abilities that makes for an unexpected match every time you play.
I have never played Apex Legends at all. How do I get involved?
I’ve been hearing it all the time, and there’s nothing wrong nor something to be ashamed of if you have never played or heard of Apex Legends before. If you’re new to Apex Legends or to the battle royale genre of video games in general, here’s a quick overview.
Table of Contents
- Apex Legends Mobile Champions and Abilities
Battle Royale games require strategy to survive and win
As with every battle royale-kind of game, Apex Legends requires its players to plan their every move from the moment you land on any point of the map. The common strategies for battle royale games are to quickly search for loot (weapons, equipment, and med kits) and carefully scan your surroundings to outplay other people and gain their loot.
With Apex Legends and its mobile version, the common tactics are very much applicable. However, it also asks you to familiarize yourself with the champions you choose and the skills the champions possess so that you have a better grasp on how to play the character to gain upper ground and be of help to your team.
So, Apex Legends want us to team up with others?
Correct. As for Apex Legends: Mobile, it is currently available for squad games only, unlike PUBG or COD Mobile that allow players to play in solo queues. The game randomly teams you up with two other players once you’ve queued up for a match.
This is a positive point, especially for those who have never played Apex Legends before nor the battle royale genre, because you are supported (and get to support) other players. It also makes for a challenging experience because playing with two other people gives you time to focus on making use of your abilities to aid others.
Apex Legends Mobile Champions and Abilities
It is the core of Apex Legends that players get to choose from various champions that lets them experience an entirely fresh gameplay every time they enter a match.
Please take note that the Apex Legends available on mobile is still a soft launch, hence there are only nine available characters to choose from as of writing. However, we can safely expect that more characters will come to the mobile version after they have been beta tested.
Bloodhound
Our all-time favorite hunter and technological tracker is back on mobile with his trust in the Norse gods and his capability to reveal enemy squads by sweeping the area.
Bloodhound fits well with players who prefer to seek enemies and initiate a chase.
Passive Ability: Tracker
This is Bloodhound’s way of ensuring that the team can follow through an enemy squad who has been in the area prior, as it gives him vision to see tracks left behind by the opposing team. It’s also possible to check how long it’s been since enemies left the area by looking at the map.
Tactical Ability: Eye of the Allfather
It’s Bloodhound’s ability to activate his sonar device that sweeps in a certain direction briefly. This would reveal nearby enemies, traps, and even clues.
Ultimate Ability: Beast of the Hunt
There’s no escaping once Bloodhound tracks his foes down. His ultimate ability grants him boosted movement speed and agility. It also marks nearby enemy players red for him to easily track down opponents.
Playing as Bloodhound
It’s important to consider that Bloodhound is the ‘lookout’ of the squad. That’s why you have to use your tactical abilities wisely, as it has cooldowns before they can be used again. Use it to scan an area on the map to ensure that no other teams are looting on the same spot.
It’s also great to scan areas to assure your team that opposing squads are not hiding, waiting to ambush.
The best way to use Bloodhound’s ultimate ability is when you are detecting unwary players to close in on them unexpectedly. Remember that with Bloodhound in the team, your squad members will feel safer when it comes to opponents or traps they cannot see.
Bangalore
Next up is our frontline warrior, Bangalore. Hailing from a military background, Bangalore became an Apex Legend in hopes of reuniting with her family.
Bangalore is perfect for players who like to charge head-straight into the fray.
Passive Ability: Double Time
Bangalore’s movement speed increases by 30% if she is taking fire if only for a brief period of time (about 2 seconds).
Tactical Ability: Smoke Launcher
Bangalore fires a smoke canister which creates a vertical wall of smoke on where it lands. It’s perfect for hiding from enemies when caught in a crossfire and healing, or it may also come in handy for confusing enemies because of their lack of vision.
Ultimate Ability: Rolling Thunder
It gets chaotic as Bangalore calls down an artillery strike that decimates a wide area, making it easier to dash at opponents and fire at close range while they’re panicking from the chaos.
Playing as Bangalore
Double Time serves its purpose by choosing to use the short boost in movement speed to escape from enemy assault, but it can also be used to confuse enemies while you’re firing at close range.
Be careful when launching a smoke canister because you might get lost in your own wall of smoke instead of confusing the enemies with it. You may also use the smoke to heal up or revive your fallen team members.
Don’t get hasty even though Bangalore is a frontline warrior. Rushing straight into battle without a correct strategy or support from your team could easily make you an open target.
Octane
Octavio Silva used to be a daredevil (he still is upon joining Apex Legends) until he got into a horrible accident which resulted in his bionic legs. Octane is back on mobile for more thrills.
Octane fits well with players who enjoy the rush; that is, those who love to run around the map, flanking enemies and quickly healing up.
Passive Ability: Swift Mend
Octane automatically gains 1 HP of health lost over time.
Tactical Ability: Stim
Upon injecting himself with the Stim, Octane gets 30% movement speed for up to 6 seconds. However, this also makes Octane pay with his health, so you have to use this ability wisely.
Ultimate Ability: Jump Pad
Octane sets a jump pad which other teammates can also use. This catapults you and the team high in the air in the direction you jumped.
Playing as Octane
Use Stim wisely as it cuts away a percentage of your HP for every use. This could either help you close in on opponents or escape. Make sure that your weapons are fully loaded in case you get caught in a crossfire.
Know when to back away from a crossfire, because Octane has the passive ability to repair himself. Make sure to keep yourself hidden or allow your teammates to support you while you recover.
Gibraltar
Our gentle giant graces the mobile platform as he continues to support his squad. Since he caused an accident which made his father lose an arm, Gibraltar dedicates his life to save others.
Gibraltar is a tank-based character and is perfect for players who always keep an eye on others before themselves.
Passive Ability: Gun Shield
For every time Gibraltar aims down sights, he activates a gun shield from his arm which blocks incoming attacks.
Tactical Ability: Dome of Protection
Gibraltar’s ultimate defense system. He deploys a huge dome shield that protects him and his teammates from enemy fire within the dome. While inside, he gains a boost in reviving his teammates.
Ultimate Ability: Defensive Bombardment
Gibraltar literally takes on the ‘offense is the best defense’ tactic as he calls down a mortar strike on a given position.
Playing as Gibraltar
While Gibraltar takes pride in defending and supporting team members, it’s crucial to remember that you still take damage whenever an enemy team flanks you. You can’t protect others if you’re down yourself, right?
Dome of Protection as the ultimate defense system has to be used properly and, if possible, save your squad especially when a squad member has fallen. You can only summon one dome and abilities do have cooldowns, so you have to use it strategically either to save yourself, others, or all three of you.
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Lifeline
24-year-old medic, Ajay Che a.k.a. Lifeline is back to bring support to the squad! Lifeline left home when she realized her family was a war profiteer.
Players who feel more comfortable supporting the team should definitely try their hand with Lifeline.
Passive Ability: Combat Revive
Lifeline deploys her D.O.C. drone to immediately revive teammates. Additionally, compared to the PC and console versions, Lifeline retains her revive shield on the mobile platform.
Tactical Ability: D.O.C. Heal Drone
Lifeline sends her drone to heal teammates over time.
Ultimate Ability: Care Package
Lifeline proves she is the ultimate support by sending out a care package pod full of high-quality loot complete with equipment such as shields, magazines, and repair/healing kits.
Playing as Lifeline
Remember that abilities have cooldowns, so it’s best to make use of Lifeline’s abilities—especially her ultimate—carefully, or you and your squad might be left waiting when supplies are needed the most.
Lifeline, although a support character like Gibraltar, works best in the background as she does not have defensive mechanisms, unlike the latter. That said, it’s equally important to look after yourself or else you’ll find yourself down even before you can help revive your team.
Pathfinder
Booted long ago with no idea of his past, much more who he is and who created him; Pathfinder is the ultimate scout, and his purpose for being here is to find his creator.
Pathfinder is perfect for quick scouting as well as providing an escape for the team.
Passive Ability: Insider Knowledge
Pathfinder scans for a survey beacon which enables him to reveal the ring’s next location ahead of time.
Tactical Ability: Grapple
Pathfinder fires a grappling hook that can be used in almost any terrain. This allows him to propel forward to escape or quickly join fights.
Ultimate Ability: Zipline Gun
It allows Pathfinder to set up a zip line from point A to point B on the map that fellow team members can use.
Playing as Pathfinder
Grapple is a handy ability to use for Pathfinder to quickly zoom in and out of battle. However, this still has a cooldown, and you are still an open target even when you’re grappling across the map.
The Zipline Gun is the ultimate escape mechanism, much like Octane’s Launch Pad. Use it most especially when escaping from buildings where it can get pretty crowded and confusing once enemy teams decide to fire fight.
Wraith
Known as the interdimensional skirmisher, Renee Blassey (Wraith) cannot seem to remember her own past. She is capable of manipulating spacetime.
Wraith is a fan-favorite among those who like to play assassin as she does have a sneaky surprise in her arsenal of abilities.
Passive Ability: Voices from the Void
Wraith is aided by the voices inside her head which also warns her when a nearby enemy player is nearby. Similarly, a voice warns Wraith when the enemy is looking towards or targeting you.
Tactical Ability: Into the Void
Wraith phases, which make the character invisible for a brief period of time, becoming immune to enemy fire.
Ultimate Ability: Dimensional Rift
Wraith forms two connected portals for 60 seconds, which allows her to travel between 2 points depending on where you decide to connect the two ends of the portal.
Playing as Wraith
Wraith can help scout around the area too, with abilities that help her spy on your enemies and make the necessary escape when needed. In this way, your squad can relax about hidden enemy locations.
Be careful when using your tactical abilities, especially when escaping from a fight. Find a safe place to hide and recover before Wraith’s phasing ends.
Caustic
The mad scientist has returned to mobile to unleash mayhem. Alendander Nox (a.k.a. Caustic) used to be a part of Humbert Labs, but he went crazy and ambitious with his full-proof pesticides.
Caustic is for players who like to play passively, and on a defensive level.
Passive Ability: Nox Vision
It gives Caustic vision of enemies through his own (as well as enemy Caustic’s) gas. Enemies spotted will be outlined in green.
Tactical Ability: Nox Gas Trap
Nox lays down gas canisters that activate when enemy players are near it or when you fire at them.
Ultimate Ability: Nox Gas Grenade
Throws a gas grenade that impacts a massive area and damages enemy players within the affected area.
Playing as Caustic
Caustic’s passive ability allows you to easily spot opposing players to help you track and take them out with ease. You may also use this to warn your team, in case opposing players are nearby.
The gas traps may act as a way to prevent enemy teams from easily entering a building or coming out. It may also serve as a way to delay enemy squads from looting or creating an ambush.
Mirage
He used to work as a bartender before his mother gifted him with a set of holo-devices, which allowed Mirage to create holographic versions of himself to trick and confuse enemies.
Mirage is for players who enjoy trolling their opponents while going for the kill.
Passive Ability: Now You See Me
This ability enables Mirage to conceal himself while reviving fallen members or plugging their names in the respawn beacon.
Tactical Ability: Psyche Out
Mirage’s core deception skill that enables him to deploy a hologram of himself complete with limited health and footsteps.
Ultimate Ability: Life of the Party
It’s one hell of a party out there when Mirage deploys 5 hologram decoys instead of 1! Additionally, Mirage also turns invisible for a short period of time.
Playing as Mirage
Use his ultimate ability to completely confuse even all 3 of the enemy team and take them out while they’re busy guessing. However, use these decoys as part of your escape plan if you are surrounded by enemy players and your teammates are not nearby to support you.
Mirage can also serve as an assassin once his holograms are deployed correctly. This means you can ambush unwary enemy players by first sending out a decoy then firing at the enemy, especially when they’re busy reloading.
It’s about exploring your playstyle and learning more…
With the various guides scattered across the internet for either of the platforms Apex Legends is available, this does not mean,however,r that you have to follow it by-the-book.
You can always discover more on your own and improve your play style the more you get into the game! It’s best if you get to experience various matches once you’ve learned the basics so that you may get a better grasp of the champion or champions you wish to master.
What do you guys think? Did we miss anything? Share your favorite characters and strategies in the comments section below.