Apex Legends Shadowfall is by far the game’s most fun and fast-paced mode to date. It can also be the most ruthless and confusing if you don’t know how everything works. As you have probably noticed, endgame tactics vary wildly based on which squad you end up in.
We recently released a mini-guide to help players survive Shadowfall as a living legend. Today we have a treat for those of you have found themselves among the undead and still want to grab that W. Below are four facts about playing as a Shadow that Apex Legends doesn’t tell you. We have paired each with a little tip to help you come out on top in your games.
Shadows keep the Fortified and Low Profile traits
Shadow legends have the same hitboxes they had when alive, but did you know they also retain their damage traits? Low Profile Shadows take 5 percent more damage, and Fortified Shadows take 15 percent less. This minor inconsistency can be game-breaking in some situations. A Fortified Shadow can cross one more Wattson fence than the rest, for example. In that way, some of the worst legends for the mode – like Gibraltar – can find better success as a Shadow.
Regardless of your legend pick, be mindful of your health in the afterlife. Shadows spawn with 30 health, and things which you would normally shrug off can end you instantly. This video by YouTuber Lord Spink demonstrates painfully well that survivors can kill you without even firing a shot.
Revenge cancels resurrection
Correction: we cannot confirm the retribution mechanic, as it does not activate consistently and could potentially be a bug.
Here’s a fun tip for those of you who want to avenge themselves after getting killed by a living player. While dropping as a Shadow, you can temporarily see your killer marked in the world. This is useful not just for tracking survivors, but also because of a hidden Apex Legends Shadowfall mechanic: retribution. If a Shadow kills the player responsible for their original zombification, that player will not respawn!
Use this knowledge with some judgement. On one hand, with less members, it’s harder for the Shadow Squad to win. On the other, knocking your killer out of the match permanently is the ultimate revenge.
Your melee attack works in strange ways
You can really tell that most Apex Legends players avoid everything but Pathfinder and Wraith by the confusion which surrounds melee damage in Shadowfall. A lot of players still think it’s 158, while it is in fact 150 – the Low Profile trait pushes it up to 158. Either way, when approaching Gibraltars and Caustics as a Shadow, be prepared to land an extra hit. You can’t one-shot those two like other legends with white body shields.
There are a few other little-known aspects to the Shadow melee that some players are still not aware of. It reaches farther than it would seem, and jumping while attacking is faster – just like with a living legend. It can break Wattson’s Perimeter Security nodes like normal attacks do, but for some reason struggles to disable Caustic canisters by swiping at the base.
Teamwork is the only way to win
Just like survivors must huddle around their Wattsons and Pathfinders to have a chance to making it out alive, Shadows can’t win without coordination. Sure, as a Shadow you move fast, climb high, and are immune to ring damage. But to actually deny the survivors a win, you need to play safe. Any even moderately organized band of survivors will easily spot you and end you if you work alone. Dying quickly takes you off the map for some time, and it feeds free health to survivors.
Make sure to converge with other Shadows as you drop, and always engage together to secure kills. When busting down fortified buildings, don’t run in single-file – wait for more Shadows to arrive, then storm all entrances at the same time. When running in the open, be aware of environmental noise – your footsteps splash water, and your presence alarms caged flyers as usual. Finally, try to avoid riding ziplines if you can – doing so throws out your mobility advantage, making you a much easier target than when you run and climb.
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Published: Oct 17, 2019 08:52 pm