On the fence about Wattson? Read on…
Wattson is a fan-favorite legend. She has a dedicated and loyal fanbase out of game. However, Wattson's in-game pick rate has remained fairly low for several seasons. She is seen as a primarily defensive legend, which is unappealing to most casual players.
Rival players will be shocked at what you can do if you follow this Apex Legends Wattson guide.
Apex Legends Wattson guide: what makes Wattson a good legend?
Wattson's strengths are around holding a position and shield economy. This is why we've seen Wattson as a staple in several ALGS metas. Her Pylon gives you free shield heals, helping you save meds while levelling up your EVO shields. The network of fences she can create are great for holding buildings, opening spaces, or simply showing presence to enemy teams.
Strengths:
- Wattson can provide your team extra shield healing.
- Lock down a position or a building with her fences.
- Counter all ordinance and throwables with her Interceptor Pylon.
Weaknesses:
- Wattson is very vulnerable when caught in the open.
- She is at her best in sweaty end games with lots of teams alive, which isn't common in some game modes.
- Her Passive heals shields very slowly.
Wattson Tactical:
- Create electrified fences by connecting nodes. Fences damage and slow enemies.
- Up to 12 nodes can be active on the map at once. Deploying a new node at the max amount will destroy the oldest node.
- When an enemy passes through, the breached fence's location is pinged on the screen and map.
- Fences deal 20 damage once every second if an enemy is in contact with them.
- The slow lasts 3 seconds.
- Fences will disengage for 0.4 seconds when Wattson or her squadmates pass through them.
Wattson's Perimeter Security helps her lock down positions and spots. Setting up a network of fences that deter, damage and stun enemies. These can act as an early warning system or even help make areas uninhabitable.
Tips for Perimeter Security:
Tip #1:
Perimeter Security can be a great counter to things like a Wraith Portal. You can place a fence that directly intersects the portal. Anyone who then comes through it will be immediately stunned and take damage.
Tip #2:
While there can only be 12 nodes placed at any one time, there is a way to get a few extra fences out of those nodes. Each node can make two connections. That allows you to join up existing nodes to get some extra fences if they are laid out in a certain way.
Tip #3:
Consider the fences not as you would say, a Caustic Trap, but as both a signal to enemies and as an extra pair of eyes for your team.
Wattson Passive:
- Ultimate Accelerants fully charge Wattson's Ultimate and she can carry more Ultimate Accelerants. Wattson slowly restores her shields over time.
- Wattson recharges 1 shield per 2 seconds, after avoiding damage for 6 seconds.
- Wattson may store up to 2 Ultimate Accelerants per inventory slot.
Wattson's passive is very simple. She slowly restores shields (we mean slowly), and she can get her Ultimate back in full at any time by using an Ultimate Accelerant.
Tips for Spark of Genius:
Tip #1:
In late game circles, having your Interception Pylon is crucial. Because one Ultimate Accelerant restores your Ultimate charge in full, in the later zones it is always worth immediately using an Ultimate Accelerant. That means you always have the protection of your Pylon. This is also a good tactic if you are placing the Pylon somewhere you think it will be quickly destroyed.
Tip #2:
Wattson's shield regeneration really isn't going to blow your socks off. It's very slow. However, every little helps! If you are not in an immediate fight and you're half a bar down, you can comfortably save your cells. Additionally, you can also take your teammates shields to heal them up as well. This is especially powerful when you are low on heals as a team.
Wattson Ultimate:
- Place an electrified pylon that destroys incoming ordnance and repairs damaged shields. Standing near Pylons boosts Wattson's tactical recharge rate.
- The Pylon has 150 health and no set duration.
- Deploying a new Pylon while already having one deployed will automatically destroy the existing Pylon.
- The Pylon is neutral and therefore can recharge enemy shields and shoot down your squad's ordnance if they enter its radius.
- Recharges 1 shield every 0.2 seconds.
- Taking damage while regenerating Shields via the Pylon delays continued regeneration by 1 second.
- Remaining shields can be seen as a countdown around the base or by hovering over the placed Pylon's ping.
- Ordnance is zapped when the Pylon detects that it would hit any surface within range and line of sight of the Pylon.
- The Pylon cannot destroy ordnance that has already landed.
- Perimeter Security charges have 3-second cooldowns instead of 15 when near an Interception Pylon, made by either you or another Wattson.
Wattson's Interceptor Pylon is a strong counter to several legends. It eats almost all throwables in the game, as well as heals your teammates shields. Notably, it also reduces Wattson's tactical cooldown.
Tips for Interception Pylon:
Tip #1:
If you take over a position, always place your Interception Pylon before you do anything else. This allows the Pylon to work most effectively. It will heal you, if you took damage on rotation, it prevents any grenades or other abilities from entering your position and it reduces Wattson's tactical cooldown. As a result, setting up a network of fences to protect your position will happen much quicker.
Tip #2:
Don't feel like you need to use this ability inside buildings. Sure, it can be destroyed but the benefits it can deliver in the short term are worth it. Especially if you have Ultimate Accelerants to hand. Throwing it down if you get stuck in a Bangalore or Gibraltar airstrike is still a valuable use of the ability if you have no other escape.
You can also throw it down before you revive a teammate. The Pylon will stop you being killed by Grenades, and it will heal you while you revive and your teammate after you revive them. This can let them double heal by using a Medkit instead of a Shield Battery.
Tip #3:
It's important to remember that this ability does not discriminate in terms of which team has thrown or used something it can intercept. Don't waste your Grenades in the range of your Pylon. This also goes for things like Bangalore smokes and other abilities.
Apex Legends Wattson guide: What legends work well with Wattson?
Wattson is a defensive legend. She is suited to bunkering down, having good positioning and being inside the zone. However some have used her aggressively, "Combat Wattson" is a rare but dangerous sight.
Aggressive Playstyles:
For those aspiring Combat Wattsons, the Bangalore combination is a strong one. Bangalore works especially well in open spaces, Wattson in closed ones. This gives your team fantastic flexibility in all situations. Catalysts Dark Veil also provides extra rotational abilities, while Seer's Exhibit helps you defend your bunkered down positions.
Passive Playstyles:
Both Loba and Crypto work well with Wattson because they are suited to being in zone. Wattson can provide heals while your team levels up your EVO Shield. Loba gathers loot, Crypto gathers information. The EMP also creates a great way to counter push enemies. Valkyrie's Skyward dive allows you to move around the map safely, and always ensure you are in a great spot in the zone.
Wattson is a strong legend in close quarters fights, and games where rotating to zone quickly is valuable. Sure, she isn't a 20 bomb in pubs legend, but in those high level games, she is among the best there is.
Thanks for reading our Apex Legends Wattson guide.
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