Apex Legends: 5 Characters for New Players

Apex Legends can be a daunting experience for new players. Veterans have had two years since its release to learn all the ins and outs of the high-octane battle royale. Newcomers might have a tough time getting up to speed since on all the weapons, the attachments and unique hop ups, armor and helmet types, various healing items, the different maps, and the current roster of 16 characters and their abilities. Most players wind up finding their preferred legend or two, and there’s certainly more popular characters in Apex Legends, but those new to the game might want to select from a handful of characters that will help them get a feel for the game.

Every character has a passive ability, a tactical ability that is available frequently, and an ultimate ability that will take a while to charge. That’s a lot to account for when multiple squads start fighting each other. Luckily there’s a handful of legends that are easier to use than others. And once players have the basics down, there’s plenty of tips and tricks for advanced Apex players.

Apex Legends‘ gameplay is centered around team synergy, and a good way to learn the ropes is to play as character that’ll help the squad in basic ways or allow new players to focus on survival against the enemy. These five Apex Legends characters will help new players ease into the game with their straightforward abilities and promotion of team play.

Apex Legends Character for New Players: Bangalore

Bangalore’s passive ability, Double Time, might be the most useful for new players who are unfamiliar with Apex‘s maps. Double Time gives Bangalore a speed boost whenever an enemy fires on her. More speed is always an advantage in an already fast-paced game, and quickly getting to cover is imperative when an enemy squad shows up suddenly. Bangalore’s voice lines might also benefit new players as an unintended perk. She has a habit of explaining what items do when they are highlighted with Apex Legends‘ pinging system.

Bangalore’s tactical ability will also help her stay alive. The Smoke Launcher has a decent range, and blankets the impact zone with a thick fog, interrupting sight lines. Launching smoke at the ground when caught unawares is a great way to make a quick escape. Rolling Thunder, Bangalore’s ultimate, will also help newcomers situate themselves in battle by disorienting and scattering enemies. Rolling Thunder drops artillery in advancing rows from where its marker is thrown, and then each detonates in the same sequence.

Each explosion will deal 40 damage and slow down enemies. It can’t damage squad mates, but will slow them down too, so it should be placed carefully if the objective is to quickly reposition while the enemies take cover.

Apex Legends Character for New Players: Caustic

Caustic is one of two characters in Apex Legends (along with Gibraltar, because of their hit box sizes) that has a bonus perk reducing all damage by 15% and is immune to the slowing effects of incoming bullets. This alone makes him a tantalizing pick for new players, and his relatively straightforward abilities help make him easy to learn.

His Nox Gas Traps are very helpful when trying to hold a position or leaving a surprise behind for enemies trying to follow. Any enemy caught in the proximity triggered trap will take progressively more health damage, ignoring shields, the longer they remain inside the gas cloud. Shooting the bottom of a trap will destroy it, but putting a bullet through the inflated top will set it off prematurely, making it a good option for deterring enemy advancement in a pinch.

The Nox Gas Grenade ultimate has the same basic principles as the traps, but is throwable and the gas cloud covers a larger radius. Caustic is immune to the effects of his own gas (and that of enemy Caustics), so throwing a Nox Gas Grenade straight at the ground might buy players enough time to heal. Any enemies caught in Caustic’s gas will be highlighted in a bright green too, thanks to his passive ability. Check out Caustic’s character guide for more.

Apex Legends Character for New Players: Fuse

Fuse is the newest legend added to Apex in Season 8, and he can help new players with something that might not appear immediately important: inventory management. Fuse’s passive ability, Grenadier, lets him carry two grenades in a single inventory slot. Grenades can be extremely helpful, but sometime have to be dropped for other supplies, especially after inventory stacking was reduced. In addition to carrying more grenades, Fuse’s mechanical arm lets him launch them further than any other legend.

Fuse’s other abilities in Apex Legends are similarly explosives-based and are relatively easy to master. The Cluster Knuckle tactical ability will stick to surfaces and enemies before discharging a cluster grenade that does 50 damage per explosion. It’s particularly helpful for clearing out enclosed spaces or doing some damage to hidden enemies.

The Motherlode – Fuse’s ultimate ability that rains down a ring of fire – has a variety of uses that can help new players secure kills or ward off attackers. It takes a couple seconds for the fire to reach the ground, so it’s difficult to time against moving targets. It’s easier to use it for trapping downed enemies and cutting off choke points. If Fuse does manage to capture a whole Apex Legends squad with The Motherlode, launching a Cluster Knuckle right into the middle makes for an explosive one-two punch.

Apex Legends Character for New Players: Lifeline

Lifeline is definitely the most team-oriented legend, and will really help beginners feel like they are contributing. Her D.O.C. Heal Drone can be deployed to gradually restore the squad mates’ health. D.O.C. can also be used to remotely revive a squadmate behind a shield, allowing Lifeline to keep fighting or perform another revive at the same time. Lifeline is particularly enticing for new players who are afraid they might be taking damage often. Her Heal Drone works on herself as well, essentially giving her a permanent healing item.

The Care Package, Lifeline’s ultimate, is also a game-changer. When a Care Package arrives it will contain loot in all three of its sides. One side will have a level 3 Evo Shield, Helmet, or Knockdown Shield; the second side will offer level 3 weapon attachments and digital threat optics; an assortment of healing items will be given from the final Care Package slot.

The high level items from Care Packages are extremely useful early on in a round, so Lifeline should be given any Ultimate Accelerants the squad has found. It’s also a much easier way to get level 3 gear than searching for the Epic Loot Ticks.

Apex Legends Character for New Players: Pathfinder

Pathfinder, one of the original legends that finally has a backstory, is useful for new players because he has high mobility and can help maneuver a whole squad. His Grappling Hook tactical can get him to hard-to-reach spots in a pinch, or help him disengage from combat quickly. It can be pretty tricky at first, but with just a bit of practice players can pull of some truly impressive stunts with the Grappling Hook.

Pathfinder can help the whole squad reach a vantage point when he uses his Zipline Gun ultimate ability. One end deploys where he’s standing, and the other where the player is aiming. It’s also helpful for outrunning the ring. Speaking of the ring, Pathfinder’s passive ability lets him scan survey beacons scattered around the map in order to learn the next ring’s location. Knowing where to go next in Apex Legends will help alleviate some anxiety for new players, since they won’t have to worry about planning on the fly.

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