Currently, the Preseason Invitationals are taking place, the first official eSports tournament by EA and Respawn in Apex Legends. Many different teams are participating, but already it stands out: One specific combination is being played repeatedly and often wins.
This combo often wins: In almost every match of the Preseason Invitationals, one of the professional teams plays a combination of the three legends:
- Wattson
- Pathfinder
- Wraith
This combo has also often been played by stronger players in previous tournaments, and usually, it is this combo that can secure the victory. The new legend Wattson has probably already been nerfed for this reason. Let’s take a look at what makes the combo so strong.
This is how professionals win in Apex Legends
What makes the combo so strong: With this combination of heroes, players have the freedom to move to almost any position on the map, barricade themselves there, and if necessary, even disappear quickly.
Pathfinder allows the entire team to choose a position even in higher areas. Wattson can effectively block this, and Wraith provides an escape route if the situation becomes too critical.
In general, the combo is based on security, mobility, and aggressive action. It combines defense and offense, leading teams to victory.
This is how the abilities interlink: What makes these three legends so powerful in this setup is that they complement each other ideally:
- Pathfinder is mobile and can scout well but offers no protection to his team even in good positions.
- Wattson can turn any place into a fortress, but is an easy target and takes less damage lately.
- Wraith is ideal for dismantling enemy positions and repositioning, but can be quickly taken out by watchful enemies without strong support.
The abilities of the respective legends almost completely offset each other’s weaknesses in this combination.
What tactics can I learn? Professionals usually follow a process when they play this combination. It always runs the same or similarly and can be hard for opponents to counter:
- Pathfinder sets up his zipline to bring the team to the desired position.
- Wattson secures the zipline and possible passages with electric fences. She then sets up an Interceptor Tower to protect the position against thrown projectiles and recharge shields.
- The entire team fires at enemies from the secured position.
- If the position is overrun or the ring closes in, Wraith opens a portal to safety while the others hold the position or provide covering fire.
Once the team has to abandon a position, this tactic is simply repeated at a new location. Small houses with few entrances are particularly well-suited, as fences can be easily set up here while there is also natural cover.
A significant advantage of this combination is also Pathfinder’s passive ability to predict the next position of the ring through scattered devices. This allows positions to be secured that can be held for a longer time instead of having to give them up soon.
Additions to the pro combo
What weapons are being used? In an impressive clip, the team Misfits demonstrates the combo in action. They achieved a total of 20 kills at the end – a third of all players.
Three of the utilized weapons stand out particularly: The Peacekeeper (a shotgun), the Wingman (a pistol), and the Alternator (an SMG). Peacekeeper and Wingman serve as “sledgehammers.” Both weapons have few shots but deal powerful damage that can quickly end a fight when aimed well.
Particularly noteworthy is the Alternator. Since the weapon adjustments of Season 2, the Alternator has a modification for disruptor rounds. This allows it to deal more damage to shields and turns it into one of the possibly best weapons in the game.
Are there any more tricks? Two particularities can be observed in the clip. Firstly, the Misfits notably use the Alternator through its attachment specifically to remove enemy shields. They then switch to take out the enemies.
Secondly, they use Pathfinder’s zipline offensively in this situation. The round has progressed to a point where the ring only offers a small combat area. The Misfits take advantage of the sudden appearance with the zipline from above.
Another trick could also secure the round for you if you master it:
