Just yesterday, Respawn Entertainment announced the Apex Legends Iron Crown Collection Event, which will coincide with a limited time Solos Mode. But because Apex Legends has its roots in team play, some people believe this is an unusual option for a battle royale that thrives on a team dynamic. But, for those ready to jump in, Spitfires blazing, here are TheGamer’s top picks on which characters to use while aiming for that crown.
Wraith
In the current state of the game, Wraith is easily one of its most valuable players. Her ability to quickly reposition using Into the Void, paired with a Dimensional Rift portal that allows her and other characters to travel longer distances in the blink of an eye, will also prove valuable in solo combat.
In a Solo Mode gunfight, phasing during a bullet battle allows Wraith to survive long enough to find cover and shield the character from damage. This ability also means her character can avoid taking damage in the storm for short periods of time, which can sometimes means the difference between outliving an opponent as players race toward the safe zone.
Wraith’s portal will also prove incredibly effective in Solos as it allows a quick retreat should a player move to a new location and suddenly find themselves being targeted by enemies. However, just as in team play, the player must be aware of enemies the follow Wraith through the portal.
The Voices from the Void ability will also continue to be useful to alert the player when there are enemies nearby or traps in the vicinity, and will also let them know when the character is being targeted or when there’s a sniper in the area.
Additionally, as most players know by now, she also has a small hit box, meaning she’s a harder player to hit when running and moving through Kings Canyon.
Pathfinder
When Electronic Arts first released Apex Legends, many thought this character’s abilities were second-tier as compared to more powerful ones such as Bangalore’s airstrike ultimate, which has a large area of effect. However, Pathfinder rapidly rose to become one of the most popular characters in the game.
Pathfinder’s Passive Ability is useful as it allows the player to locate the match’s next circle before it manifests. However, in Solos, this is only going to be useful when there are no enemies around. In a lobby against 59 other teams of one as opposed to 19 other teams of three, there’s no one else to protect this character while a player is tracking down and using the beacon.
But, the main reason Pathfinder is popular is this character’s ability to quickly reposition. Players with strong Pathfinder skills can rapidly grapple their way out of tricky combat situations, allowing them to retreat and heal. While some characters get speed boosts as part of their slate of abilities, the grapple is extra effective in helping players move away vertically and travel longer distances quickly.
Additionally, the character’s zip line ultimate lets players reach areas of the map that others can’t reach. As in most shooter games, high ground is extremely advantageous, particularly for both hiding out of the view of players on the battlefield and for landing headshots on opponents.
It’s fair to expect that non-Pathfinder solo players will use Pathfinder’s zip lines after the character has already laid them down. But, this is not always a strong strategy as the Pathfinder will frequently have an elevated line of sight that allows them shoot players who attempt to use these zip lines to ambush them.
The potential to hide in elevated positions, land good sniper shots and avoid gunfire using strong grapple skills make this character ideal for solo gameplay.
Lifeline
For players who prefer a combat-heavy play style, Lifeline is a strong choice due to abilities that allow her to quickly restore health and, in some cases, get better helmets and body armor.
Her Passive Ability allows her to heal herself much more quickly than other legends can heal themselves, which is extremely advantageous in any gunfight. And, while it’ll be much tougher for her to use her health drone in a Solo Mode 1-v-1 fight as the player will be unable to rely on teammates for protection while healing, this will always be useful right after a player has won a fight or for a quick replenish should the opponent be attacked by a third-party player.
Lifeline’s Ultimate Ability, which gives a care package that frequently carries Epic and Legendary items, may be tough to use effectively in Solo Mode. While players who main Lifeline are well aware of the dangers of alerting enemies to their positions when calling down a Lifeline package, it seems the danger with be even more pronounced when the player is up against 59 individuals all looking out for themselves.
However, the potential benefits of an Epic or Legendary body shield may make it worth it as these shields, which sometimes appear in Lifeline’s package, provide 50 additional hit points over a regular white shield.
Wattson
Introduced in Season 2, Wattson is currently one of the game’s more popular characters among skilled players. Her Ultimate Ability, which restores shields for anyone within its immediate radius, serves twofold as a way to block grenade spam and Ultimates from characters such as Bangalore and Gibraltar.
While this characters’ benefits are fairly obvious from a team play perspective, the question lingers as to how useful this Ultimate, when paired with the character’s Tactical Ability to build strings of low-damage stun fences, would be for a solo player.
This comes down to play style. It’s highly unlikely that an enemy would choose to attack a Wattson that has barricaded themselves in a house with fences, over a character on the outside that has no stun fence and shield regeneration abilities. For players who believe that the strongest solo mode strategy involves camping safely until a final zone showdown, Wattson may be the strongest pick.
As with any game, it’s best to play as a character that the player feels comfortable playing. But these four characters’ abilities have some clear advantages in Solos and may be worth trying as players battle for the status of Apex Champion.