Apex Legends Wattson Guide - Lore, Abilities & Best Gun Loadouts

Wattson is a Legend that needs patience and requires her team to work together in order to achieve the best results in battle. Her tactical comes equipped with Perimeter Security and allows her to fortify areas and buildings with electrical fences that slow whoever passes through them.

Her passive Spark of Genius can recharge her Ultimate instantly by using an Ultimate Accelerant and decrease her tactical’s cooldown, but in order for that to happen she must have her Ultimate Interceptor Pylon placed nearby on the ground, which is primarily used as a trophy system to deflect incoming artillery and grenades.

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Wattson Lore

Wattson, Static Defender, Apex Legends

Gender: Female
Heirloom: N/A
Voice Actor: Justine Huxley (@JustineHuxley)

Natalie Paquette is a familiar face in the Apex Games, though for a different reason than most. Daughter of the Games’ lead electrical engineer Luc Paquette, she studied his manuals to stay close to him and discovered her calling at a young age. Though she could be completely distracted one moment and hyper-focused the next, electricity grounded her – its ordered, predictable flow made sense in a way the rest of the world didn’t.

She devoured every book she could on the subject, and eventually became such a skilled engineer that she was commissioned by the Syndicate to build the Apex Games’ Modified Containment Ring. Unfortunately, her father died the day it was revealed, leaving her alone. At her lowest moment, a group of competitors invited her to return to the arena with them, assuring her she would always have a home. She now fights alongside her friends in the arena she helped build, destroying incoming missiles, recharging shields, creating fences, and using her pylon to silence fights that get too loud. Nobody knows the arena better than Wattson – anyone who underestimates her is in for a shock.

Wattson Abilities Guide

Tactical Ability – Perimeter Security

Perimeter Security		Tactical
	Cooldown	30 seconds
	Description	Connect nodes to create electrified fences that damage and slow enemies. (Max:12)
Information
You can hold up to four charges of this ability, and gain one charge every 30 seconds. Deploying a new node at the max amount will destroy the oldest node.Up to 12 nodes can be placed. It stuns and damages enemies, and pings the breached fence’s location. The damage is 15 each tick and the slow lasts roughly 1-2 seconds. A node can be connected with up to 2 other nodes at the same time. They can also be picked up to refund a charge. Fences will temporarily disengage when Wattson or her squadmates pass through them. Each node has 25 health.
Interaction
Doors that get in the way of a fence will shatter. Wattson can connect her nodes to nodes placed by enemy Wattsons. The fence in between will belong to the Wattson who linked them. The fences can trigger Caustic’sNox Gas Trap and can be damaged by it as well. The fences cannot be damaged by The Ring. The fences ignore Knockdown Shields health and will damage the health of those affected. The fences can’t be seen through Bangalore’sSmoke Launcher. Enemy Mirages can send decoys into the fence to determine your location. Gibraltar’sDome of Protection will block line of sight for nodes like any wall would. Crypto’sDrone EMP will destroy every node in range. Tridents passing through fences will be disabled for 5 seconds.
Advanced
The fences are NOT traps. Like the name implies, the fences are to guard your flanks and alert you to enemies, slow them down or force them to a choke point your squad is guarding. Most of the time, your goal is not to get enemies to run into your fences. It’s to scare them into avoiding a particular route. Hide the nodes behind cover and close to yourInterception Pylon so enemies must approach to destroy the fences. You can use this ability offensively by using the fences to block any exits before attacking The fences don’t require solid ground between nodes, so you can place them over gaps like stairways or vertical ziplines. Place fences around long ziplines. It’s hard to shoot the nodes while ziplining, so most players will avoid taking them. When working with a Wraith, place fences through herDimensional Rift to instantly electrocute enemies that chase you through it. Stand in the way of fences to disengage them and trick enemies into thinking it’s safe to rush you down. Instead of making basic fences with two nodes to block doorways, get into the habit of making triangle fences with three nodes to block doorways. This way, the enemy or enemies will take twice the damage if they go through it.

How to Use Perimeter Security

Perimeter Security is a very unique skill as it allows you to protect areas with buildings and choke points so you can manipulate the fight in your way.

One of the most common uses of Perimeter Security is to place fences behind doorways, but for more advanced plays you can consider making a triangle instead of just a straight fence, that way when the enemy passes through both sides they will get two times the damage.

Wattson’s tactical is also very useful for creating harder pathways for her enemies, dissuading them from pushing and generally makes chokepoints way harder for them to plan an attack. You can place a total of 12 nodes on the map.

To be a better Wattson player you must have considerable knowledge of the map’s layout and certain areas that provide her tactical better opportunities for protecting her and her team, for example in King’s Canyon, The Cage, The Pit, Bunker and Market are very good areas to setup fortifications. In World’s Edge, Epicenter, Sorting Factory, Thermal and Geyser are very solid points but if you want to engage into some more quick intense fights so you can learn to use your abilities faster then try dropping at Fragment West or East.

Pushing into buildings isn’t always the better plan but with Wattson your role will be to make them impossible to get into so if the enemy finally manages to get inside make sure they realized it was a mistake doing so.

Wattson is a Legend that needs patience and serious teamwork tactics in order to utilize her fully in a match, unlike Caustic who places traps and catches enemies by surprise, Wattson’s abilities can be seen from a distance thus warning the enemies not to come any closer and makes them search for an opening to attack.

Passive Ability – Spark of Genius

Spark of Genius		Passive
	Cooldown	N/A
	Description	Can carry 2 Ultimate Accelerants that fully charges your ultimate and slowly regens shield over time.
Information
Wattson recharges 1 shield per 2 seconds, after avoiding damage for 6 seconds. This also stacks with Interception Pylon’s recharge rate. Perimeter Security charges have 3-second cooldowns instead of 30 when near an Interception Pylon, made by either you or another Wattson.
Interaction
Wattson may store up to 2Ultimate Accelerants per inventory slot, she can also pick 2 of them from Loba’sBlack Market Boutique.
Advanced
If you find anUltimate Accelerant at the start of the match, pop it as it’ll give Wattson so much more potential. It’s best to carry at least oneUltimate Accelerant in your Inventory at all times. Try saving anUltimate Accelerant for the last few rounds (especially on Rounds 5 or higher) as her abilities increase in utility as the play area shrinks. This ability can allow you to save up on shield cells and shield batteries. Just like Octane’s Passive, this ability will take a very long time to fully recharge your shields, so it should only be counted on when you only have a few shields to heal.

How to use Spark of Genius

This is one of the simplest passives in the game, Spark of Genius fully charges Wattson’s Ultimate when using an Ultimate Accelerant and her Perimeter Security gets recharged much faster.

She can carry two Ultimate Accelerants in her bag which is working in synergy for her ultimate because she can place a total of three Interception Pylons on the map.

Do not depend on shield regeneration too much, it’s not going to do heal you completely since it just gives you only 1 shield per 2 seconds, which means 150-160 roughly every round without using any shield items.

The good thing, it stacks with her ultimate which regenerates 2 shield per second.

Ultimate Ability – Interception Pylon

Interception Pylon		Ultimate
	Charge Time	180 seconds
	Description	Place an electrified pylon that destroys incoming ordnance and repairs damaged shields for the next 90 seconds (Max:3).
Information
The pylon will also destroy outgoing ordance if it will land in its radius. Deploying a new interception pylon while already having the maximum amount deployed will automatically destroy the oldest pylon. Recharges around 2 shields per second. The Pylon lasts for 90 seconds, seen as a countdown around the base or by hovering over the placed Pylon’s ping. The Pylon has 150 health. The Pylon is neutral and therefore can recharge enemy shields and shoot down your squad’s ordnance. The shield recharge effect doesn’t stack if there are other Pylons nearby. The Pylon won’t protect you from any ordnance or airstrike if it hasn’t got clear sight or if the ordnance has already landed. The Pylon can be destroyed by shooting it. It can also block doors and is climbable. Perimeter Security charges have 3-second cooldowns instead of 30 when near an Interception Pylon, made by either you or another Wattson.
Interactions
Incoming ordnance include: Grenades such asFrag Grenades,Thermite Grenades,Arc Stars, Tacticals fromRevenant’s Silence, andBangalore’s Smoke Canisters,Caustic’sNox Gas Traps. Ultimates fromBangalore’s Rolling Thunder,Gibraltar’s Defensive Bombardment, andCaustic’s Nox Gas Grenade,Black Hole, and Fuse’sThe Motherlode. The Pylon will not shoot down throwable objects, likeGibraltar’s Dome of Protection,Lifeline’s D.O.C. Heal Drone andLaunch Pads. The Pylon can be damaged by an enemy Caustic’s Nox Gas Trap. The Pylon cannot be damaged by The Ring. The Pylon will be instantly destroyed by Crypto’sDrone EMP, regardless of health. Gibraltar’sDome of Protection will block line of sight for the Pylon like any wall or cover would.
Advanced
Hide the Pylon into a place where it cannot be shot like building corners. While fighting and behind cover and you’re in need to heal, you can place a Pylon nearby and while using a consumable, you’ll be regenerating shield health at the same time. This can also be done if you need to recover some shield health while reviving a teammate at the same time. Try saving a Pylon for the last few rounds (especially on Rounds 5 or higher) as her abilities increase in utility as the play area shrinks.

How to Use Interception Pylon

It is better to use this Ultimate inside buildings at corners where it’s hard for it to be hit and if you are going to place it outside make sure it’s behind some obstacles like rocks or boxes.

Wattson’s tactical recharges way faster when she is nearby her Ultimate, it also recharges shields by 2 every second but be careful as this works on your enemies too.

Remember, you can place a total of 12 fence nodes and your tactical recharges every 3 seconds when you have an Interception Pylon nearby so be prepared to use them fast and fortify the area as needed, try and use all of the 12 fence nodes, this will bring more confusion to your enemies as to where they connect.

Interception Pylon can be used as a temporary cover, useful for reviving a fallen teammate or help you be covered in fights with no immediate cover in the area, you should keep in mind that you can only have it placed for 90 seconds and the maximum Interception Pylons you can place on the map are 3 so make sure to keep those Ultimate Accelerants in hand so you can have the ability to place all of them.

Best Weapon Loadouts For Wattson

G7 Scout, Apex Legends

Mastiff Shotgun/EVA-8 Auto& R-301 Carbine/VK-47 Flatline

This is a very useful loadout for protecting your team in close range or pick mid to long distance fights, but the assault rifles can also be used for suppressive fire.

The shotguns are mostly useful after the enemies have reached your location and if luckily they hit one of your fences, they become slowed and get a little bit of damage so use that opportunity to blast their face with a Mastiff or an EVA, both weapons do equip Shotgun Bolts but the EVA can also use a Double Tap Hop-up.

Sometimes when you’re swarmed you might need to switch up to your other weapon, the shotguns don’t have many shots so as Wattson you should prioritize protecting your team and if you see the fight is going on your favor switch up to your R-301 and your Flatline to finish your enemies. It’s better to switch weapons than reloading.

For the R-301 and Flatline most people use a 2x HCOG or 1x – 2x Variable Holo Sight and 3x HCOG.

NOTE: The “Double Tap” Hop Up has been removed from the loot pool for Season 8.

NOTE: The “Anvil Receiver” Hop Up has returned to the loot pool for Season 8.

NOTE: The Peacekeeper is back for Season 9 and is a good alternative to the Mastiff and EVA-8.

NOTE: The “Anvil Receiver” Hop Up is vaulted for Season 10.

P2020/Mozambique Shotgun & M600 Spitfire/Devotion LMG

Another loadout that can work very good for Wattson is the LMGs and Pistols.

You can use the Spitfire and Devotion for mid range combat, because they have a sizeable magazine, you can use them to either knock an enemy from a distance or use it for suppressive fire.

The Spitfire can equip a Heavy Extended Magazine and the Devotion an Energy Extended Magazine, recommended sights are a 2x HCOG a 1x – 2x Variable Holo Sight and 3x HCOG.

The P2020 & Mozambique are perfect weapons for close range if they have the Hammerpoint Hop-up, without it they are pretty much useless but if you find one early on, it will become a very useful tool for finishing enemies after you crack their shield, so a good way is to shoot the enemy with the LMGs until their shields are destroyed and shoot them with the Pistols to take them out quickly, but remember Wattson is not a character that pushes into the fight so even if your enemy isn’t knocked down do not push unless they are the last person from the enemy squad.

For the P2020 and the Mozambique we recommend you equip them with a 1x Digital Threat the moment you find it but in other cases the P2020 can equip a 1x HCOG Classic or a 2x HCOG Bruiser and the Mozambique can equip a 1x Holo.

NOTE: The “Turbocharger” Hop up is back in the loot pool for Season 8 and can be used on the Havoc and the Devotion.

NOTE: The “Hammerpoint” Hop Up has been removed for Season 9 meaning you will not get the additional damage with the P2020 and the Mozambique, you can alternatively use SMGs like theVolt SMG or  R-99.

Note: The new weapon for Season 10 is the Rampage LMG which is able to take a Thermite Grenade and increase its fire rate by 30%, a very useful weapon for defensive Legends.

Hemlok Burst AR/G7 Scout& Sentinel/Triple Take

This is the mid & long range loadout, better for open areas and to assist your team into getting the kills or to stand your ground depending on the characters your team consists off.

If your eye catches far away enemies and your team is ready to fight you can shoot them with the Snipers but if the enemies are looking to push you at once then you should first use some fences to fortify the area, use your ultimate and get your Scout or Hemlock out, then keep your ground and wait for the enemy to make their move first.

In case you are inside a building then it will work better in your favor because the team who pushes inside the building are most likely to fail especially with Wattson’s ultimate since it can destroy incoming grenades.

Grenades are the most useful items to flush out enemies from buildings.

For this tactic Lifeline, Gibraltar and Caustic work best.

The Triple Take and Sentinel are most useful when your team has Offensive type Legends like Wraith, Mirage or Octane, they can push and keep your enemy busy for quite a while which gives you the opportunity to set up defenses and give supportive fire from afar.

Depending from the nature of the fight you can choose to prioritize making fortifications or assist your team, if there is more than one squad then you should fortify an area as soon as possible and then let your team push, but if there’s only one squad then you should prioritize giving supportive fire.

The Triple take has two fire modes one with Precision Choke and one without it and the Sentinel can be charged with 2Shield Cells for a powerful shot that deals increased damage 70 -> 88.

Both snipers can equip a 3x HCOG a 2x – 4x Variable AOG, but Sniper rifles work best with sniper scopes such as the 6x Sniper, the 4x-8x Variable Sniper and the 4x-10x Digital Sniper Threat.

NOTE: The “Double Tap” Hop Up has been removed from the loot pool for Season 8.

NOTE: The Triple Take has been entered in the Care Package Rotation a good weapon to replace it is the newly added Bocek Compound Bow (Which can take two Hop Ups, “Shatter Caps” allowing your weapon to work like a shotgun and “Deadeye’s Tempo” that increases the rate of fire of your weapon when you firing at the perfect moment.

NOTE: “Deadeye’s Tempo” can also be equipped by Sentinel.

NOTE: The “Quickdraw Holster” Hop Up has been vaulted for Season 10 and is replaced by the “Boosted Loader” Hop Up which can be equipped by Wingman and Hemlok, this new hop up features a reload function that adds more ammo in the weapon if the player chooses to reload it before near the end of the magazine but not at 0.

How to play Wattson

Wattson, Cyberpunked, Apex Legends

Wattson is a very complex character that needs a lot of patience and map knowledge to master her, players who know how to play with Wattson show that they have dedicated their time learning how to play with her, because her abilities recquire tactics over offensive plays, that means you have to work in a smart way and be prepared for the enemy to come you.

Wattson is perfect for a team that has great synergy and communication, she needs to prepare the location with fortifications and with the help of her team bait the enemies to do the wrong decisions.

In most cases Wattson can fortify buildings with her Perimeter Security, by using that skill you place a node and if you place a second one you will create an electrifying fence that slows enemies and deals damage, but the nodes can be destroyed and if you only have two connections, your fence will fall apart quickly.

An experienced player would make a triangle, it doesn’t have to be a perfect triangle any type works fine, the triangle fences are best for door frames but since they are easily destroyed you should consider which point of view can the enemy use in order to shoot down your nodes and then place the nodes at the hardest place for them to be hit.

Her passive Spark of Genius becomes very useful when you have your ultimate already charged and ready to deploy, that way when you get swarmed you create a Perimeter Security and place the nodes and then use yor ultimate Interception Pylon, you should consider placing it at points where they will be harder to be hit.

Wattson’s passive allows her to recharge her tactical faster so it’s better to create the fences first and then place your ultimate because then you will have your tactical ready to go again, you can use it to place more nodes quickly or replace ones who are broken, don’t forget you can only place a maximum of 12 nodes on the map.

Wattson can stack two Ultimate Accelerants in her backpack and since she can recharge her ultimate fully, it’s best keep one slot free for them, this helps her place all 3 Interception Pylons to cover a bigger area from throwables and ultimates.

When the Interception Pylon is placed on the ground it will start recahrging shields for 2 every 1 second and 3 seconds for each node.

Also dont forget Wattson can connect her nodes to enemy Wattson.

Wattson needs teamwork in order to be effective in battle if you are looking play with her then it’s better to find a team and practice together.