Apex Legends has been out for well over a week now and you've had a fair chunk of time to get to grips with Respawn's battle royale shooter. When you hit the ground and scramble for your loot, the only thing that separates you from everyone else is which is the Legends you picked. Each grants you special bonus abilities, both passive and activated, and all of them can help to turn the tide of battle in your favour. But which is the best?

Bangalore

The nearest Apex comes to a standard character, Bangalore is nevertheless an offensive force to be reckoned with. Her Ultimate calls in an artillery strike which can prove helpful for weeding out enemies hidden behind cover. She’s not bad at going out of a spot of trouble either. Her Passive means she runs faster while under fire, while the Smoke Launcher can be used often as both an offensive and defensive tactic. No one wants to see Bangalore charging through smoke with a shotgun.

Tactical Ability

Smoke Launcher - Fire's a high-velocity smoke canister that explodes into a smoke wall on impact.

Passive Ability

Double Time - Taking fire while sprinting makes you move faster for a brief time.

Ultimate

Rolling Thunder - Call in an artillery strike that slowly creeps across the landscape.

Bloodhound

Bloodhound is a robot who’s all about tracking abilities. Their Tactical allows for a quick scan to identify the location of any enemies in the vicinity, even through walls, while the Passive allows them to track footprints and decipher whether an enemy moved through the area recently. When you’re feeling a little more aggressive, Bloodhound’s Beast of the Hunt highlights all enemies in red and amps up movement speed, allowing for devastatingly quick attacks in the right hands.

Tactical Ability

Eye of the Allfather - Briefly reveal hidden enemies, traps, and clues throughout structures in front of you.

Passive Ability

Tracker - See tracks left behind by your foes.

Ultimate

Beast of the Hunt - Enhances your senses, allowing you to move faster and highlighting your prey.

Caustic

One of two unlockable characters, Caustic focuses on gas traps to one-up his foes. His basic ability drops gas traps that can be triggered when enemies walk past, useful to sealing up canyons as the circle closes in. His Ultimate is the same but on a larger scale, blanketing an entire area in Nox gas while also being able to see through it. Think of it as a supercharged version of Bangalore’s smoke ability.

Tactical Ability

Nox Gas Trap - Drop canisters that release deadly Nox gas when shot or triggered by enemies.

Passive Ability

Nox Vision - Allows you to see enemies through your gas.

Ultimate

Nox Gas Grenade - Blankets a large area in Nox gas.

Gibraltar

Gibraltar is the main defensive Legend, a tank-like pick who specialises in staying alive at all costs. His dome-shield is a fantastic tactical ability for new players, although be warned enemies can walk right through it. For those who like to peek Gibraltar’s Passive pops up a front-facing shield while aiming down sights. Lastly, his Ultimate is a mortar attack that has a very similar effect to Bangalore’s Ultimate, making them somewhat interchangeable.

Tactical Ability

Dome of Protection - Throw down a dome-shield that blocks attacks for 15 seconds.

Passive Ability

Gun Shield - Aiming down sights deploys a gun shield that blocks incoming fire.

Ultimate

Defensive Bombardment - Call in a concentrated mortar strike on a marked position.

Lifeline

Lifeline is a powerful team player capable of healing squad mates and reviving under fire while using a shield. Her Ultimate also proves helpful in the early game for vital defensive gear, or if returning players need some starting kit after a respawn. Lifeline is all about keeping the team alive and you want her to be played by your most survival squad member.

Tactical Ability

D.O.C. Heal Drone - Call your Drone of Compassion to automatically heal nearby teammates over time.

Passive Ability

Combat Medic - Revive knocked down teammates faster while protected by a shield wall. Healing items are used 25% faster.

Ultimate

Care Package - Call in a drop pod full of high-quality defensive gear.

Mirage

Currently one of the two unlockable Legends, Mirage is all about the tricksy plays. Her neatest analog is Alibi from Siege. Her Tactical allows for a simple decoy to be placed, while her automatic cloaking after being downed can prove a  godsend. It’s Mirage’s Ultimate that sets her apart though. At the press of a button, she can send out an entire team of decoys and cloak. It’s an absolutely lethal combination if you’re having a firefight indoors.

Tactical Ability

Psyche Out - Send out a holographic decoy to confuse the enemy.

Passive Ability

Encore! - Automatically drop a decoy and cloak for five seconds when knocked down.

Ultimate

Vanishing Act - Deploy a team of Decoys to distract enemies while you cloak.

Pathfinder

While Pathfinder sounds great in theory, in practice he’s a tricky character to use effectively. Pathfinder’s abilities centre all around a grappling hook. It can be used to reach places quickly or grab enemies, while the zipline gun can be handy for any last-ditch escapes during the close of the circle.

Tactical Ability

Grappling Hook - Grapple to get to out-of-reach places quickly.

Passive Ability

Insider Knowledge - Scan a survey beacon to reveal the ring's next location.

Ultimate

Zipline Gun - Create a zipline for everyone to use.

Wraith

One of my personal favourites, Wraith uses interdimensional rifts to outfox her foes. The Tactical ability allows her to go briefly invisible for a moment and all avoid all damage. Try charging toward an enemy while using this, then pop up behind them for the lethal finish. Her Dimensional Rift Ultimate Ability is perhaps the hardest ability to master in the game, but the pair of portals are already being used for some insane high-end play.

Tactical Ability

Into the Void - Reposition quickly through the safety of void space, avoiding all damage.

Passive Ability

Voices from the Void - A voice warns you when danger approaches. As far as you can tell, it's on your side.

Ultimate

Dimensional Rift - Link two locations with portals for 60 seconds, allowing your entire team to use them.

That's all eight Legends that are currently found in Apex then, but which of this ragtag bunch is your 'Rook Mine', your go-to character of choice for any jump into the zone? Get voting and let us know why below!