Apex Legends, discovering Valkyrie

Apex Legends

In collaboration with Electronic Arts.

Apex has risen from the ashes of Titanfall 2, a choice made by Respawn Entertainment in collaboration with Electronic Arts which, while on the one hand has put one of the best first-person shooters of recent years in the drawer, has also expanded and supported development team and a publisher with an incredibly successful title.

The thread between the two products, however, is evident not only by observing the lore and the setting, but also by the continuous references in terms of paraphernalia and Legends that Respawn inserts on a regular basis within Apex. As if to underline how the universe of Titanfall is always alive and pulsating, ready at any moment to explode again.

The latest Legend to arrive at Apex, for example, turns out to be a sort of fusion of the two worlds, a charismatic character and the daughter of none other than a Northstar pilot. Kairi Imahara, aka Valkyrie, arrives with a truly unique skill kit. Let's discover the new legend of Apex Legends.

The jetpack as the focus of the experience

With her jetpack, there are no boundaries for Valkyrie After stealing her father's titan as a child risking her death, Valkyrie then no longer followed in her parent's footsteps, preferring a less comfortable way, perhaps, but certainly more exciting. Between raids, raids and mercenaries Valkyrie has become an unparalleled fighter and with the landing in the Apex arenas she has fully armed herself to take advantage of her flying skills, turning into a crazy splinter thanks to a mobility decidedly above the average.

This Legend presents itself as a unique class, capable of introducing new and decidedly disruptive variables into the meta, so out of the box that some nerfs have been introduced to its jetpacks in the most recent patch. Val's passive ability, the famous Vtol Jets, fits perfectly with the Recon class of which she is a part, allowing her to quickly reach high positions and acquire data on the map: a vision of the character that is then perfectly reflected even during the phase start of the game when, just during the post drop glide, the viewers will allow you to identify and track your opponents with extreme simplicity.

The rear jetpacks, on the other hand, allow you to make short prolonged jumps at will, using fuel as a consumable resource to avoid abuse in the game. Activation is simple and works like any double jump, being able to then decide the altitude by turning the backbones on and off. Each ignition will consume some of the fuel and, when you reach the end of the tank, it will take you a full minute to be able to return to flutter around freely, without even having to pay attention to an altitude limit, remaining confined only by the normal unexplored areas of Olympus and the Arenas. .

It is however not possible to abuse this passive skill to surprise opponents with attacks from above as, once landed, Valkyrie will perform in a default animation of a couple of seconds, preventing you from extracting the weapon and fire or use shields and medkits - something that will make you an easy target. Another element that counterbalances jetpacks is the great predictability of air travel which, in the case of medium-skill opponents, will make you a target with easily plucked wings.

The advice we can give you with Valkyrie is therefore to use the jetpacks with caution, exploiting them for movement rather than as a tool for engagement or evasion from combat. Finally, do not underestimate the chaos that a reactor on your back spreads when it is turned on and always keep in mind that, whenever you turn them on, all enemies in a large area around you will be aware of it.

The legendary skin is undoubtedly our favorite While you are in the air (or even on the ground, but with greater difficulty if you prefer), although you cannot fire unless you leave control of the reactor, you can always activate a swarm of missiles, addressable at will to unsuspecting enemies. 12 missiles with a cooldown of about 30 seconds are ready to rain from above, passing barriers and covers, perfect for flushing out the cursed RVs. A volley of missiles is already pretty dangerous, but it is more dangerous when associated with the possibility of causing a stun to all enemies hit. With the update released in the hours in which we write, the fuel consumption during the use of the salvo has been then normalized by preventing its abuse, a necessary nerf, but which will not change the strength values ​​of this Legend.

The rear boosters also have another feature and that is to allow you to quickly reposition yourself within the map, perhaps also hooking up your teammates and thus receiving a new drop using the ultimate. All the passives listed above apply, which will allow you to locate enemies directly through the viewer interface and greatly simplify hunting or escape.

A perfect legend to start over

In case you have recently resumed playing or have started directly with this ninth season, Valkyrie lends itself perfectly to being bought on impulse. The ability to jump here and there without too many restrictions saves you from having to forcibly climb any surface gaining precious time and also allows you to position yourself in strategic points to take opponents by surprise. The jetpack can also be used to avoid a whole series of ultimate and ground level damage, simply by lifting yourself a few meters, without necessarily running in desperate search for cover while you are enemy fire. Then imagine being able to use this enormous mobility by moving the team while Gibraltar offers you cover with its bubble, using the Vtol to change areas and safely restore all your shields or let two other teams wear each other out. With the arrival of the arenas, it was almost obvious to find the perfect Valkyrie for the current destination.

Fierce, decisive and lethal. Valkyrie is a perfect Legend! Of course, legends like Bloodhound or Lifeline are perhaps more decisive given the narrow play area but we can assure you that having a volley of missiles to be launched towards the enemy spawn point or towards them in cover can give an extremely considerable tactical advantage. Perfect for scouting and reconnaissance, the ultimate obviously has less impact in this circumstance, precisely due to the reduced playing field that contains its effectiveness, although with a cost of 200 credits it is one of the cheapest ultimate.

Valkyrie is a character we fell in love with right away, especially in her legendary skin made of Northstar pieces. She is an excellently animated legend, with a particularly strong kit and able to fit into the current meta quietly in the highest positions both within the Arenas and in the Battle Royale mode. Due to her references to the Titanfall series and her clearly being her fan service, Val di lei is undoubtedly one of the most distinctive characters added to the Apex roster.

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