Apex Legends players might be compelled to avoid its fast-paced nature for a more relaxed pace, especially when there’s a ton of indoor spaces where teams can hang out and chill. However, with the lack of defensive Legends, enemies can tear through an indoor spot and kill the player and their allies. This is exactly where Wattson comes in to save the day. Thanks to her toolkit, Wattson can fortify areas with electric fences to protect her teams, giving enemies a jolt that not only deals damage, but also gives her pwn team insights where they’ll be coming from.
In a game like Apex Legends where combat is intense, Wattson and her walls provide a way to slow down enemies and remove them from their element. When combined with the right Legends, a team with Wattson can transform any space into a trap.
Wattson: Electricity Enthusiast
Most participants in the Apex Games are there for desperate reasons, but not Natalie Paquette. An “electricity enthusiast,” Natalie grew fond of the orderliness of electricity that helped calm her usual hyperactive self, to the point that this helped her discover her calling for engineering. Spending most of her time behind the scenes of the Apex Games, Natalie worked with her father to develop the competition’s Modified Containment Ring.
Unfortunately for Wattson, her father died when the Ring was introduced in its matches. Left alone, Wattson would have given up on life if it hadn’t been for other Legends who came to the rescue, helping her discover a home in the Apex Games. Now a familiar face in the competition, Natalie - now Wattson - has been a reliable power source if anyone ever needed a shock.
Why Play Wattson: Introduction To Defense
Players who care less about killing others and more about securing defensive points might appreciate Wattson, since her skills are catered to reinforcing protective spaces. These perks make her more viable in the long term, and her electric fences can deter enemy advances at crucial points regardless of their weapons. Here are a few insights as to why Wattson is a viable choice:
- Conserve resources: Thanks to Spark Of Genius (Passive), Wattson can passively recharge shields and carry more Ultimate Accelerants, giving her more access to defenses and her own toolkit. This appeals to players who like the idea of conserving consumables such as Ultimate Accelerants and Shield Batteries.
- Control areas with electric fences: With Wattson’s Perimeter Security (Tactical), she can connect up to 12 nodes that can transform into electric fences, damaging and slowing enemies who pass by. This can become a great asset for players who love defending indoor spaces.
- Resident technician: Thanks to Interception Pylon (Ultimate), she can deploy a gadget that constantly replenishes Shields. It can also absorb projectiles and throwables to render them useless. This allows Wattson to turn the tide of battle against opponents who would rather throw objects instead of getting into a firefight.
Wattson's Toolkit: More Defense Than Offense
Given Wattson’s area-securing toolkit, her skillset isn’t an immediate choice for offensive-leaning players in any Apex Legends map. However, players who love powerful weapons like Machine Guns enjoy sticking behind Wattson’s defensive perimeter and picking off enemies who try to invade their space. Players who appreciate this kind of defensive playstyle should check out Wattson’s toolkit.
- Spark Of Genius (Passive): Wattson has passive Shield regeneration, an extra Ultimate Accelerant slot, and Ultimate recharge from a single Accelerant.
- Perimeter Security (Tactical): Wattson can release nodes that connect to electric fences, damaging opponents and slowing them when passed through.
- Interception Pylon (Ultimate): Wattson releases a device that disables gadgets and deployables, as well as providing constant Shield regeneration to Wattson and her allies.
Passive: Spark Of Genius
Wattson and her love for electricity extends in her performance in the Apex Games, with her knowledge of the containment Ring allowing her to get certain advantages in matches such as passive Shield healing and even getting more use of her Ultimate Accelerants - allowing her to use her Apex Legends weapon combo more efficiently.
- Properties: If Wattson doesn’t take damage for 6 seconds, she recharges 1 Shield point every 2 seconds. She also gets an extra Ultimate Accelerant slot, and using an Accelerant immediately puts her Ultimate ability at full charge.
- Use Ultimate Accelerants immediately: Given the innate advantage of Ultimate Accelerants in Wattson's hands, she’s more useful in combat with her Ultimate constantly charged. Since she can carry two Accelerants at a time, having one for immediate use and another for reserve allows Wattson to use her Ultimate in quick succession.
- Never fully depend on Shield regeneration: Like Octane's Passive HP regeneration via Swift Mend, Spark Of Genius won't heal Wattson’s Shields immediately. Players should consider using Wattson’s Swift Mend when augmented with Shield Batteries, giving her more survivability.
Tactical: Perimeter Security
Perhaps the most notable of Wattson’s toolkit, Perimeter Security (Tactical) allows her to reinforce most areas with connecting nodes of electricity. The multi-connecting nature of these nodes allow Wattson to create various angled “shapes,” allowing her to defend even the weirdest of angles with a pistol, provided she can expand enough nodes to connect them.
- Properties: This ability has a 15-second cooldown per node, with Wattson being able to hold up to four nodes at a time. When deployed, Wattson can place up to 12 nodes on the map. Fences stay until destroyed, as they have 24 Health. They disengage for 0.4 seconds when Wattson and her squad hit them, while enemy passers will alert Wattson and the team via the map. Enemy passers-by are dealt 20 damage every second with a 3-second slow.
- Deployment intricacies: Unlike other gadgets that are thrown, Wattson needs time to deploy her nodes which may affect her combat performance. Wattson moves at her unarmed speed when placing and reading her nodes. Nodes need to be within 30 meters of each other to create a fence, and may connect with up to two other nodes. These fences can't connect through terrains or past walls. Any Wattson can connect their fences with existing fences from other Wattsons.
- Fence durability: Players should note how nodes are affected differently versus other deployables. For instance, fences don’t get damaged from friendly fire and the Ring. It triggers Nox Gas Trap (Caustic), but gets damaged from Nox Gas Trap (Caustic), and completely destroyed by Drone EMP (Crypto). They also ignore Knockdown Shield health. Tridents get disabled for five seconds when passing through fences.
- Scare enemies with nodes: Instead of relying on the fences to damage enemies, use the nodes to force enemies not to take a particular path. Closing off an outdoor area can force enemies indoors to use a specific exit and lead themselves straight to an ambush.
Ultimate: Interception Pylon
Perhaps the deadliest ability in Wattson’s kit as a member of an Apex Legends team, Interception Pylon (Ultimate) forces enemies to get upfront in firefights by making enemy grenades useless while healing the team’s overall shields.
- Properties: This ability has a 3-minute cooldown, with the Pylon having 150 Health and lasting until it’s destroyed. Only one Pylon can be deployed at a time. It recharges at a rate of 1 shield point every 0.2 seconds, up to a total of 250 shield points across all Legends in the vicinity. For Wattsons, Perimeter Security charges now fill up every 3 seconds instead of every 15 seconds. It destroys all ordinances, such as grenades and other deployables from Legends.
- Immediate setbacks: The Interception Pylon has its caveats, especially the glaring fact that it is a neutral gadget. Entering its radius will heal the shields of all players, even opponents. It also won’t shoot down neutral throwables, such as Domes of Protection (Gibraltar) and Heal Drones (Lifeline). It’s also prone to friendly fire and can be damaged by the Nox Gas Trap (Caustic) and Drone EMP (Crypto).
- Treat the Pylon as an obstacle: The Pylon is more interactive than players realize. They can climb the Pylon like an environmental object, making it viable as an obstacle when deployed as a blocker. The Pylon is more viable when deployed in corners and other tricky locations in areas where it’s harder to shoot. It’s better to use the Pylon close to the end of the match, as its healing capabilities can prove useful in the last rounds.
Wattson Gameplay: Prioritize Indoor Defense
Wattson’s defensive-leaning skills are perfect for players who love securing spaces for combat domination. After all, while it’s thrilling to be in a high-stakes firefight against opponents, it’s still satisfying to lead opponents right into a trap. Players who use Wattson’s toolkit properly can ensure even the most mundane spaces can become deathtraps for opponents. Here are some tips and tricks to consider for Wattson’s gameplay.
- Approach with caution: Given Wattson’s lack of combat utility, she’s almost always useless in aggressive gameplay. Instead, take advantage of her Shield recovery and her consumable conversation, and tap into more careful gameplay. Sniping with Wattson and leading enemies into traps are interesting approaches that can ensure her safety.
- Zone areas instead of making traps: Since Wattson’s Perimeter Security (Tactical) is more visible compared to other deployable defenses, they’re better used as control points instead of traps. Wattson should place her nodes in inaccessible areas or cover so that they’re hard to destroy. Use them to zone relevant areas such as Care Packages, and to guard the rear. Remember, a destroyed or penetrated electric fence gives Wattson a warning, allowing her to spot enemies nearby.
- Secure safety in indoor areas: Given how Interception Pylon (Ultimate) boosts shields and stops upcoming projectiles, it’s much more useful in indoor than outdoor locations. The team should prioritize securing indoor locations, allowing Wattson to use this ability in conjunction with her electric fences. This makes Wattson more viable in the long-term, as a well-defended perimeter can force enemies to risk their lives in the endgame to pursue Wattson and her team.
Controller Class Perk: Ring Console Access
While much of Wattson’s toolkit involves securing control over indoor locations, a lot of her skills are useless if the team has to move away from an impending Ring closure because they haven’t been able to predict it in advance. Thanks to the Season 16: Revelry rework, Wattson is reclassified as part of the Controller Class, giving her a Perk that allows her to enhance her potential to control locations by letting her know Ring locations in advance.
- Ring Console access: Ring Consoles are only accessible to Controller Class Legends. When activated, Ring Consoles reveal the location of the next Ring, a feature previously relegated to Survey Beacons.
Loadout Recommendations
As a defensive specialist, Wattson can theoretically defend an interior space even a simple pistol. However, players with more tactical flair can plan Wattson's indoor defenses more carefully with the right loadout.
- Mastiff (Shotgun): Wattson needs to be prepared to meet enemies who pass her defenses. This is where the Mastiff Shotgun comes it. Its pellets spread on a horizontal line, which makes for a perfect pseudo-AOE gun that can eliminate foes up close and personal.
- VK-47 Flatline (Assault RIfle, Heavy Ammo): While Wattson is a defensive Legend, she doesn’t contribute much in combat when confined to close quarters combat. In that regard, an all-rounder weapon like the Flatline can be extremely helpful, especially when equipped with the Anvil Receiver that ups the ammo cost to 2-per-shot but doubles the damage in semi-auto mode.
- Sentinel (Sniper): Given how Wattson protects her immediate spaces, she won’t be as useful when enemies don't trigger her fences. This is where the Sentinel Sniper Rifle comes in. With enough training with, Wattson can use the Sentinel to make easy pickings of enemies. Enemies who escape are baited into trying to get to her location, where they meet her electric fences.
Apex Legends is playable on the PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.