The one constant in a live service game such asApex Legendsis change. New legends, new maps, new weapons, all on top of updates to existing content make the hero shooter battle royale game feel fresh and relevant as time passes. So when something remains the same for too long, especially if that something is anoverpowered legend like Gibraltar, players can expect changes sooner or later.
Ever since his buffs in season 3, Meltdown, Gibraltar has been one of the most picked legends in high-rankedApex Legendsplay. His Gun Shield passive ability protects him from most frontal attacks. His Dome of Protection is an impregnable bubble that can give him and his squad some much-needed breathing room. And in case foes want to push their luck and walk through Gibraltar’s defenses, his Defensive Bombardment punishes those who get too close. Gibraltar has been the bane of many aggressiveApex Legendsplayers for so long that it was only a matter of time before Respawn Entertainment buffed one of the game’s offensive legends to deal with him. That legend is Mad Maggie.
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The Strange Salvonian
Mad Maggie is a bit of an oddball when it comes to her abilities.Her Warlord’s Ire passiveallows her to run faster with shotguns and momentarily highlight enemies she has damaged. While it does feed into her Riot Drill tactical ability (a skill that damages enemies through surfaces), the wallhacks Warlord’s Ire provides are very short-lived. To get to enemies in time, players have to use Mad Maggie’s Wrecking Ball ultimate ability - a giant ball that leaves a trail of speed pads that can be used to close distances quickly.
Save for her passive ability, Warlord’s Ire,Mad Maggie’s abilities are all situational. Riot Drill is good for indoors and places with lots of cover while Wrecking Ball used to only be good for open spaces (to make full use of the speed pads). Because of her abilities not synchronizing well with each other, Mad Maggie quickly fell off in terms of legend pick rate.
Enter The New Season
Season 14, Hunted, introduces some new buffs to Mad Maggie. Her Riot Drill travels farther faster and can be deployed in an almost straight line now. Wrecking Ball also travels twice as far while deploying the same amount of speed pads on the ground. These buffs don’t do much for Mad Maggie in general, but her biggest change has to be theadded ability of Wrecking Ball to deal damageto enemy placeable objects. These include items such as Loba’s Black Market, Newcastle’s Castle Wall, and most important of all, Gibraltar’s Dome of Protection.
While Mad Maggie’s Riot Drill has been somewhat of a counter to Gibraltar’s invincible bubble, it could easily be avoided by moving to another side of the Dome of Protection. Giving Mad Maggie’s Wrecking Ball the ability to outright destroy placeable objects has the potential to increase her pick rate. Whereas Wrecking Ball could only be used in the past as a way to run towards or away from enemies, it can now be used to displace camping players. Squads who set upCaustic’s Nox Gas Trapsor Gibraltar’s Dome of Protection now have to be wary of an incoming Wrecking Ball, as it can be used to clear an area of traps before an enemy squad pushes in.
These new buffs may not make Mad Maggie a character worthy of being a meta legend, but they are a good step towards improving her kit. Players who make full use of her abilities can feel more like the unstoppable warlord Mad Maggie is supposed to be instead of cowering with her once-subpar skills. With a little more love,Mad Maggie could prove to be a more viable pickinApex Legends.
Apex Legendsis available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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