Lifeline is easily one of the best characters in Apex, even after the myriad of changes she has received over the years. Gone are the days of reviving with a shield, but now she can do so much more.
She is a very effective legend in any type of play, from reviving your teammates in a public lobby to getting that crucial heal in a ranked match.
The thing is though, she isn't all that easy to play, as some players use her completely wrong. This character can be crucial to any team, so playing her as effectively as possible is the best way to climb the ranks.
Lifeline is a support legend, meaning she can do two things for her team. This passive gives her access to opening support bins around the map, netting her a secret compartment full of healing items and battle gear.
This usually gives a medkit, shield batteries or possibly even a mobile respawn beacon or heat shield. It's a great way to gear up and one thing every Lifeline player should be gunning for.
The next part of this passive is huge for ranked play, as you can craft your teammate's banners at a crafter, to be able to respawn them later on. In a recent patch, this ability now extends to her teammates, as long as she is on the team.
It's a crucial part of her kit and makes any support legend invaluable in ranked scenarios or sweaty public lobbies.
Next, is her actual passive, and one of the most important parts of her kit. Lifeline can revive her teammates without locking herself in an animation. Rather than getting down and reviving like most other legends, Lifeline instead uses her drone to revive.
This means she can move around, reposition and even shoot enemies whilst reviving her teammate.
Her tactical also connects to this, as with a press of a button, Lifeline can send out her drone. This drone will heal allies in an area around it, connecting to them with a pipe. The drone will heal the target at a decent rate.
This is fantastic to throw down whilst popping a shield battery or even as you revive a teammate to ensure they heal more as they get up.
Finally, Lifeline has her ultimate. She can call down a supply drop, catered to her teammate's loot. This means that it will have a purple shield or better if someone on your team needs one, or even a better magazine if you are using a blue. It's such a great ultimate and now comes down insanely quickly.
Lifeline is a pretty easy legend on paper, but to use her effectively it takes a lot of knowledge and practice. To cover her main weakness, I recommend using her with a movement legend like Pathfinder, Octane or Valkyrie as Lifeline needs a way to get around the map.
Now you know how great Lifeline is, let's discuss how to play her better.
How to Play Lifeline Effectively:
15. Don't be the first one down
Lifeline is a combat medic, meaning you need to be there to revive your teammates if they go down. You should still fight but do not be the first one down. That destroys your purpose on the team as you need to revive your team if they go down. Play safe, and play smart.
14. Stick with your team
On the same note, playing with your team is key. Even if they make some stupid decisions, you need to be there to back them up. Staying with them, healing them, reviving them and just being there as a backup will ease their weird choices.
13. Push fights with others, not alone
We all get aggressive in Apex and want to push fights, but Lifeline needs to be with her team. You should only really push fights with your team if they decide to do so. Lifeline shouldn't be off on her own trying to 1v3. You need to be there for that team fight and back your squad up as much as possible.
12. Use your healing drone whilst shield healing
One great tip is to use your healing drone in cover after reviving a teammate then using shield heals. This means you can cover both bases as the drone will heal your health, and the battery will heal your shield.
11. Know when to use the knockdown
Lifeline does have an impactful and powerful revive, but sometimes you need a normal revive to play around with that knockdown shield. If your teammate is being revived like normal, if you stop they can always put up that knockdown to block some shots for you. It's a hard decision, but one you need to implement into your gameplay to play her better.
10. Don't let your teammates dictate when you revive
Lifeline sometimes becomes a crutch for some players online. Whether they blame you for not healing them or attack you for playing wrong. Sometimes this might be valid, but most of the time do not let them dictate how you play. If you know Lifeline enough, then you know when to revive and how to play her.
9. Anchor your team
Being the combat medic, Lifeline is the anchor of her team. You need to call out positions, where to go and overall just be the one dictating the match. You are who your team should play around in most situations, not the other way around.
8. Loadout Options
Just like any other Legend, I recommend using an assault rifle like the R-301 or even the Volt SMG for medium to long range, then having an R-99 or Peacekeeper for those close-range engagements. It's better to be prepared for every situation.
7. Use your Ultimate as Cover and Assert Dominance
Lifeline’s ultimate is pretty loud and everyone in the area will know it's dropping in, but you can use this to your advantage. Whether it's using the drop itself as a form of cover, or even baiting teams into pushing you.
Another thing you can do is assert dominance in a late-game situation. Teams know that area is yours, and that you are ready to fight at any point, so use that against them.
6. Slide into the revive
The best trick for reviving with Lifeline is sliding into the revive. Don't just run or walk up to your teammate as you are a massive target. Slide into them to minimise the animation and to quickly initiate the revive itself. Your teammate will be back up in no time.
5. Keep moving after reviving
Another thing to keep in mind after reviving is to keep up your momentum. Don't just revive and stop, you want to create some distance between you and your teammate. If you are away from them, the enemy has to choose whether to finish off the reviving teammate or push you to finish off the team or get another knock.
4. DO NOT Body Block
On the heels of the last one, DO NOT Body Block as Lifeline. You want to create two targets for your enemy so they have to make a distinct choice. They either choose you or your teammate, not both. If you are body blocking then you become one target, and the enemy will kill you both.
3. Teammates can cancel their own revive
One thing you should tell your teammates is that they can cancel Lifeline’s revive animation if they want to revive normally or move to a better position. Let them know they can do this, as it could save you or them in the long run.
2. Bait with revives
Speaking of cancelling revives, you can bait enemies with reviving as it makes a very loud sound. If you revive normally, meaning not using Lifeline’s passive, you can bait enemies into pushing you. If they know you are a Lifeline, then they will expect a distanced revive without a knockdown shield on display.
You can use this to your advantage, as your teammate can use their knockdown shield to tank some shots whilst you finish off the enemy.
1. Understanding her ultimate
Lifeline’s ultimate is insanely powerful but has one huge secret. If the care package has a shield, it's always going to be on the same side. This will be the side you placed the care package down at, facing towards you.
This is also the same for the other sides, the side to the right will always have the big healing items like a Phoenix kit and a knockdown shield, a helmet or a backpack. Then the other side will always have a weapon attachment and a shield battery.
Learn this to get a quick shield swap or get the loot you need to carry on in Apex Legends.
