How to play Wattson in Apex Legends: Abilities, tips, more

James Busby
Wattson

Wattson adds a shocking touch to any team comp, so we’ve put together a few tips and tricks that will help you electrify your enemies. 

Wattson may be one of the least played Legends in the Season 8 meta, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t a strong pick. In fact, Respawn has even stated that Wattson has one of the five highest win rates in the game, placing her just below Horizon, Wraith, Gibraltar, and Lifeline. This is partly thanks to her game-changing ultimate that enables her to deny even the most aggressive pushes. 

Unlike other Legends in the game, the Static Defender’s passive also enables players to instantly charge her ultimate with just a single Ultimate Accelerant. Wattson is also armed with electrified fields, which can both block off her enemies’ path and slow them in firefights. While these abilities may seem simple enough, there are a number of tricks you can use to increase your win rate. 

How to make use of Wattson’s abilities

Passive: Spark of Genius

Wattson Apex Legends
Wattson’s passive helps charge her ultimate.

The Spark of Genius enables Wattson to instantly charge her ultimate whenever she uses an Ultimate Accelerant. This means Wattson can instantly place down her Interception Pylon as long as she has this access to the game’s ultimate-boosting item. 

Standing near any Interception Pylons will also boost Wattson’s Tactical Ability recharge, enabling her to put up new defenses with Perimeter Security. As a result, you’ll always want to carry plenty of Ultimate Accelerants if you’re looking to constantly use your ult aggressively. 

Tactical Ability: Perimeter Security

Respawn Entertainment
Wattson can stop even the most aggressive squads with her electric fences.

The electrical engineer is known for her defensive capabilities and Perimeter Security is Wattson’s bread and butter ability. When activated, Wattson can place up to 12 electrical fences that damage and slow enemies. 

Perimeter Security can be used to block off building entrances, chokepoints, and any areas that see a lot of player traffic. Well-placed fences can often force Wattson’s foes into unwanted situations where they are forced to take damage, so always be on the lookout for potential placements.

Ultimate: Interception Pylon

Wattson ultimate
Wattson’s ultimate can give you the edge in a lot of firefights.

The Static Defender unleashes an electrified pylon that destroys incoming ordnance and repairs damaged shields for 90 seconds. Up to three Interception Pylons can be placed at once, which enables you to constantly repair your team’s shields and deny enemy squads explosive items and ults. 

As soon as you find yourself in a firefight, simply place down the Interception Pylon and begin to launch a deadly attack. If placed away from enemy view, this ultimate can often give you the edge needed to take down even the toughest opponents. 

Wattson tips and tricks

1. Perimeter Security fence placement

Wattson Apex Legends
Knowing where to place your fences can give you a huge edge.

Many players often place Wattson’s electrical fences in bad positions where they can be easily destroyed. If you wish to really electrify your enemies and deliver a shocking surprise, then you’ll need to first find a decent position. For example, placing them outside with little to no cover will instantly render them useless. 

Instead, try to place them inside buildings or behind structures that make destroying the pylons extremely difficult. By keeping the fences away from your enemy’s view, you’ll be able to force them into situations where they are simply forced to breach your defenses or waste precious resources to destroy them.

2. Stock up on Ultimate Accelerants

Apex Legends Ultimate Accelerant
By having your ultimate constantly charged, you’ll be ready for anything.

This point is incredibly important, especially if you’re looking to aggressively use your ultimate during firefights. Make sure you tell your team that you’re looking for these items and consume them whenever your ult is charging. After all, the explosive denial and shield repairing can give you the edge needed to sway particularly bloody firefights in your favor.

It’s important to note that Wattson’s Interception Pylon completely counters airstrike ultimate’s like Fuse’s Motherlode, so make sure you always have an ultimate ready during the late-game rounds.

3. Aggressively defend

Wattson abilities
Wattson’s abilities can be used to stop hyper-aggressive pushes.

While Wattson’s abilities may cater towards the defensive, she is often played best when you aggressively look for opportunities to force fights. Check the map and try to plot where enemy squads will be heading. Blocking off popular routes that see a lot of player traffic will not only give you an edge, it will also draw other players towards the action. 

You can even use your Perimeter Security to bait out potential fights. Simply place them in areas where they can be easily seen, then wait for your foes to begin scouting out the area. Most enemies will either avoid the area entirely or let their curiosity get the better of them. Once they’ve been lured in, simply pepper them with a hail of deadly AR and sniper fire. 

4. Best Legends to team up with Wattson

Caustic

As you might have guessed, Wattson’s defensive abilities also work particularly well with other supportive Legends. Caustic’s noxious gas not only helps slow and damage opponents, it can also prove even more lethal when paired with Wattson’s electrical fences. 

By placing both of these deadly traps inside buildings and high-priority zones, you’ll have a particularly lethal combo. This is made even worse when you place a Bangalore smoke into the mix, which further adds to the mayhem. 

Wattson also works incredibly well with Gibraltar as his dome can keep your electric fences safe, which enables you to safely recharge your team’s shields with Interception Pylon. 


If you follow these Wattson tips & tricks, you’ll be able to secure more electrifying kills in no time. Make sure you follow @TitanfallBlog for all the latest Apex Legends news and updates.

About The Author

James is Dexerto's Associate Games Editor who joined the website in 2020. He graduated from university with a degree in Journalism, before spending four years freelancing for GamesRadar+, PCGamesN, RPS, LoL Esports, Red Bull Gaming, and many more. You can find him covering everything from CoD, Apex Legends, Genshin Impact, and Monster Hunter. Need to get in touch? Email James at james.busby@dexerto.com.