Apex Legends: How To Play Wattson Effectively

Updated:

04 Jul 2023

Wattson might be a fan favourite amongst the community, but she is one of the most complex Legends in the game. Because of how her tactical works, in conjunction with each map, it can be quite daunting picking up Wattson. The thing is though, if you master the character, she can be very effective in the right hands.

Wattson is a Controller Legend, meaning she has access to the Controller’s passive ability to scan beacons. These beacons appear on each map in select locations, and scanning them will reveal the next ring location. Though it's not an insane ability, it's still insanely useful in ranked or if you just want to know where to rotate next.

Her passive is also incredibly important to how you play her. Unlike every other Legend in the game, Wattson passively regenerates her own shields. This regeneration is quite slow but can make a difference when it comes to carrying shields. Just remember that you don't need to use that last cell, as by the time you get into the next fight it's already going to be recharged.

Next, is Wattson’s bread and butter, her tactical ability. This ability is one of the most complex in the game, despite being super simple on paper. Wattson can place electrical fences around the map. She carries 12 nodes to place, which connect to a fence.

If enemies walk through this fence, they will take a small amount of damage, but will most notably be stunned. The stun is the best part about her kit as it slows down enemy pushes or allows you to get a free kill on them. I will go deeper into how this tactical works later on.

The thing that makes her tactical even more potent is her ultimate. Wattson’s ultimate is an electrical pylon she places down. This does a few things. One, it regenerates her allies' shields in an area and even boosts her regen as well. This is fantastic if you are setting up or just want to heal whilst fighting.

Then, the main part about this ultimate is that it acts like a trophy system from Call of Duty. This means it will zap grenades and other projectiles out of the sky. It's a great ability and probably the easiest part of her kit to master. Another thing her ultimate does is recharge her pylons insanely quickly.

Wattson is a Legend that takes time, effort and understanding to fully master, but it's a rewarding process. She is such a fun Legend that can destroy others in the right hands. The thing is though, she does have some glaring weaknesses, such as having no movement abilities. This means that pairing her with Legends like Mad Maggie, Valkyrie and Octane covers her weakness perfectly.

Now you know how great Wattson is, let's discuss how to play her better.

How to Play Wattson Effectively:

15. Place your fences on doors

Wattson’s fences can be used in many different ways, but one of the best is to place them on doors. Even if you just place the nodes on one side of the door and the other, it stops people from just rushing through.

Make sure to place the nodes as far away from the entrance as possible though, so people can't just shoot the nodes instantly.

14. Place your fences in choke points

In the same way, you should place them on doors, and place them in choke points as well. Whether it's a corridor, a building or an open area, it creates space for you against your enemy. They either shoot the nodes, go around or run through the fences taking damage and being stunned for an easy clean-up kill.

13. Stand on your fences to block them

One simple yet effective technique for Wattson is to stand on her nodes once placed. This will block the electric part of them, so enemies won't know they are there. This will come into play for the final way to play Wattson effectively, but it's a nice thing to know either way.

12. Fence during combat to mess with your enemy

Wattson is a Legend that requires creativity for her fences to be used optimally, but just placing them down whilst fighting sometimes works well. If you somehow get your enemy to walk into them whilst fighting you, well, they will most likely die.

11. Use your ultimate in buildings to create space

Wattson’s ultimate is insanely strong, so use it when you can. Using it in a building creates a lot of space as you get shield regen as well as your team, your pylons come back quicker and enemies will panic.

10. Use your ultimate to block doorways

Placing your ultimate in a doorway completely blocks it, and enemies might not be able to squeeze through if you place it correctly. It's a cool strategy, but will most likely just end in your ultimate being shot at and eventually destroyed.

9. Remember, you have 12 nodes

One great thing about Wattson is how many nodes she can have out at once. You can have all 12 out at once, meaning fences galore. Make sure to track your fences with the little HUD indicator whilst placing them as you don't want to override older ones that could still be of use.

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. Ultimate accelerants

One secret thing about her passive is that it also makes ultimate accelerants way better for Wattson. Not only can you carry two of them in one inventory slot, but they also instantly charge her ultimate ability, unlike other Legends that get a small percentage. This is fantastic for late-game situations where you seriously need her ultimate.

6. The Triangle Method

Now that you understand Wattson a little bit more, let's get into some more advanced techniques. First of all, don't just place two fences on a door and call it done. The triangle method uses three nodes to create a pattern which becomes harder to get through. It means the enemy needs to destroy two nodes to get through rather than one.

5. Fence Patterns

To play Wattson in the most optimal and effective ways, you need to perfect her fence patterns. Creativity is key here, but luckily Wattson mains all around the world have created some great patterns. From having 3 cubes interconnecting to zigzagging. Get researching and testing things out as you might find the ultimate fence pattern.

4. Pylon Bait

Her Pylons can also be used as bait as they do block damage. Placing them down and moving around them baits your enemy to change position to shoot you easier. This is great as your team can then move in on them and get a free kill.

3. Connect your nodes

You don't need to make 6 separate connected fences to use Wattson correctly, in fact, it's better to connect them all. Just continuing to place your nodes in an interconnected pattern is way better than placing one or two interconnected fences. Just keep placing them without cancelling the ability to do this.

2. Movement techniques

Just like any other Legend, to play better you need to perfect the game’s movement. I'm not saying you need to become a movement god but just understand and know how to do the basic movement. From superglides to wallbounces and tap strafes.

1. Door Trick

Finally, the hardest trick on Wattson, and one of the best tools in her arsenal. Place a node on the outside of a door, then sit on the door. When someone comes to attack the door or contest you, place another node connected to the one outside in front of you. This will connect the two, stun and damage the enemy, whilst also breaking the door for an easy kill. It's a hard technique, but if you master it, it will win you fights.