Newcastle is currently the least-picked Legend in the game. Does he deserve to be in that spot, or is he an underrated goat?
Newcastle was first featured in Season 13 of Apex Legends as a defense legend and a rival to then-dominant Gibraltar. The Legend was a cross between Gibraltar and Lifeline, who combined the positive characteristics of each.
Upon his release, Newcastle was deemed a broken Legend. Even the pro players started to pick Newcastle in scrims and tournaments. However, as time went by, his pick rate started to decrease in ranked, casual, and tournaments.
Newcastle currently has the lowest pick rate of any Legend in Season 16, sitting at only 1.1%. Yet, Lifeline, formerly seen as the inferior Newcastle, now has a pick rate of 5.3%. But is Newcastle truly that ineffective, or is his value simply underappreciated?
Is Newcastle Underrated?
A recent Apex Legends clip from u/Desperate-Bicycle-10 demonstrated how Newcastle can easily outplay someone during a fight. Newcastle can not only use his Mobile Shield to protect the team from enemies but also use his fallen teammates to bait res them and use the Revive Shield to confuse opponents.
Watching this clip may take you back to the old days when Lifeline mains used to play with their opponents by bait reviving their fallen allies.Despite of the mobility handicap, that Lifeline was considered overpowered due to her Revive Shield. As a result, her res-shield was later nerfed and completely removed.
However, Newcastle’s Revive Shield is a clear improvement over that. He can move freely while reviving a teammate with a shield facing toward the enemy. Not to mention, having a Golden Knockdown shield can also be a game-changer for Newcastle.
Moreover, Newcastle is now a Support Legend who can access Blue Bin’s secret compartment and craft ally banners when they are dead, thanks to the massive Legend-class overhaul. Nonetheless, there are still many cases where having another Controller Legend or Support Legend can be more useful than having a Newcastle in a team. So, what’s your opinion regarding this matter? Is Newcastle really underrated or not?
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