Newcastle is easily one of the best support Legends in the game and for good reason. Reviving is a major mechanic in Apex Legends, and it's one of the most unsafe things you can do. If your team goes down out in the open, or without cover, it's really hard to get a safe revive on them and get them back into the action. Newcastle completely negates that issue, as he can grab a teammate and move them whilst reviving.
Newcastle is the revival support for the entire team, which means he should be the one helping out his team rather than running into a battle and going down first. With his support passive, Newcastle can open a secret compartment in support bins, allowing him to get more medical supplies for himself and his team.
At a basic level, Newcastle should be sticking with his team, getting the best revive shield possible and sticking around in the fight to safely revive his team.
Newcastle’s tactical ability allows him to throw down a shield he can direct. By pinging in a specific direction, Newcastle can make his shield move towards that area. This shield has a limited amount of health and can be broken into two sections.
It's fantastic for pushing forward as you can block a good amount of damage before it breaks, but it doesn't have too much health so watch out.
Newcastle’s ultimate ability gives him the power to jump up towards a teammate and place down a massive castle barricade. This wall can take an insane amount of damage, even a Rampart needs to use most of Sheila to destroy it. With this wall, he can safely revive his team, hold down choke points or even prepare for a larger fight.
Finally, Newcastle’s Passive is what makes him work. Rather than reviving a teammate whilst stationary, Newcastle can move them and hold up his knockdown shield to block shots. The better his knockdown shield, the better the shield is in the revive animation.
Newcastle can move freely in this animation, making it easier to get that teammate into cover or away from an enemy.
All of these abilities make Newcastle one of the best Legends in the game and in my opinion the best support. The thing is though, he isn't easy to play. Newcastle might have one of the largest skill ceilings in Apex Legends. One character that makes him better though is Lifeline.
Newcastle players sometimes feel pressured to revive and support their teammates, but Lifeline can be there as a backup. If you can't get in and revive, then she can do it for you.
Now you know how great Newcastle is, let's discuss how to play him better.
How to Play Newcastle Effectively:
15. Use his shield as much as possible
Your tactical might seem like the weakest part of your kit, but in reality, it's one of the strongest. To get the most out of this protective Legend, use his shield as much as possible. Whenever you are moving up towards a team, running away from a fight or just going through no man’s land, it's super useful.
14. Remember to redirect your shield
The ability to redirect your shield is something Newcastle players often forget, but it's one of the best aspects of it. Make sure to redirect the shield in the direction you are moving as it can block shots more than you think.
13. You can even use his shield for damage
One of the goofiest parts about Newcastle’s tactical is that it can be used for damage. In certain pinch situations where you need that little bit of damage to knock someone, throwing your shield at them will deal around 20 damage. It's funny but might come in handy sometimes.
12. The Shield can break in half
Newcastle’s tactical shield doesn't have that much health, so it's going to get destroyed. The thing is though, depending on where the opponents are shooting it, it will break in different ways. The shield is separated into two parts, the top barrier and the bottom layer.
Most people will shoot the top layer as it's massive, leaving the bottom layer. You can crouch behind this layer and still direct the shield. It's so good for moving through an area and should let you live long enough to get where you need to be.
11. You are the tank, so act like it
Many Newcastle players will treat him like your usual character, but you really shouldn't do that. Yeah, high-skilled movement players can play him with ease, but most people will struggle. The best way to treat Newcastle is like a tank in any other game.
Stick with your team and help them out. Block shots, use your walls and revive them. Be a team player, don't run away to miss a super glide and get one shot by a Peacekeeper.
10. Lifeline Coverage
Lifeline can be the perfect backup for Newcastle, especially if he goes down. No matter how well you play, sometimes you get caught off guard and get knocked. If you're the only support for the team, that can be catastrophic, but if you have a lifeline she can back you up.
Lifeline has a similar revive power to Newcastle as she doesn't have to revive herself, instead, her drone does it. Get a lifeline in your team for extra coverage, it might help out in the long run.
9. Pick a good loadout
Newcastle wants to be with his team as much as possible, which means you need a variety of ranges accounted for in your weapon choice. 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.
8. Ultimate onto teammates
Newcastle’s ultimate can be used in one of two ways. One way is to direct it towards a teammate, allowing Newcastle to superhero jump onto them and protect them. This can come in clutch if your team is pushing off a little too far, so help them out if you can.
7. Ultimate for yourself
Another way Newcastle can use his ultimate is on himself. He can jump no matter what, but sometimes you want to protect yourself rather than your team. Use the ultimate in buildings, smaller areas or even to move away from a battle. It's so versatile so get ready for either situation. Help your team, or save yourself.
6. Keep Moving Up
Newcastle is inherently a defensive Legend. He wants to support his team, but he's a tank at the end of the day. This doesn't mean that you need to stick back though, pushing up is a great idea. If your team is moving towards a fight, then get with them.
You can use your own tactical to create some defence as you move or even use your ultimate for space. He is fantastic for moving up with his team, so use that ability to your advantage.
5. Remember your counters
Newcastle has many positives, but also some downsides. He wants to protect his team, but remember that he can be countered easily. When you are using your revive shield, some players are just good at stopping you or might be playing Legends like Rampart who can just destroy your shield. Your ultimate has lots of health, but it's not infinite, remember players can team-fire it and destroy sections.
4. You have a large hitbox
Newcastle is a large character, meaning his hitbox is pretty damn big. This is a huge downside as he will get shot more than others. Luckily the game has a way to combat this as he has the Fortified passive, allowing him to take less damage. Still, make sure you know you're a huge target.
3. Push with your team
One of the biggest things you need to do as Newcastle is just play with your team. Sometimes they will make weird choices or mistakes, but be there to help them out. YOU are the support, not them. You need to be there to revive them and help them out when they need it. It's annoying, yeah, but that's the character you've chosen.
2. Revive your teammates
It might sound simple, but some Newcastle players forget about it for some reason. Push a revive as soon as you can. You have so much safety depending on your knockdown shield rarity so you can revive in the middle of a fight. People panic when Newcastle pops his revive, so force them to panic. Get into a battle and revive when you can.
1. Knockdown Shield Priority
Finally, the most important part of Newcastle is the knockdown shield. We all get those teammates who steal the best loot even if they don't need it. Im looking at you Octane mains who take golden helmets first.
Anyways, Newcastle needs the best knockdown shield in the team. If someone has purple and you have white, they should give that to you. If you find a golden knockdown, the team needs to give that to Newcastle.
The reason we want the best knockdown shield is because his revive passive uses the knockdown rarity for its health. Sometimes people will be annoying, but just ask nicely and you might get the item you need.
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