Players of battle royale games like Apex Legends know that chasing enemies is an integral component of any match. And thanks to Bloodhound, players have a means of getting ahead of the competition with his superb tracking abilities. Having been built as a tracker, Bloodhound dominates the active stalking scene as he can immediately sense opponents hiding in any direction, allowing his team to perform precision strikes before enemies even have a chance to escape.
With Apex Legends entering a major overhaul with February 2023’s Season 16: Revelry, Bloodhound also gets interesting changes to his abilities that lets him become more fit for his classification as a Recon Legend. Players of Apex Legends who got used to Bloodhound or plan on trying him for the first time may want to pay attention to certain things in his gameplay. Rewritten by Rhenn Taguiam.
Bloodhound: Hunter Of The Old Ways
When a meltdown destroyed the facility that housed their engineer parents, a young Bloodhound was adopted by their uncle Artur and taught the Old Ways. While the Old Ways rejected modern technology in place of a love for nature, Bloodhound was always fascinated with modern developments. The fusion of traditional hunting methods with modern gadgetry became their focus as a hunter, transforming them into the Outlands’ best game hunter.
Unfortunately, when an unceremonious battle cost the life of Bloodhound’s lover, they vowed to earn the both of them enough kills to enter Valhalla. This was Bloodhound’s primary motivation to enter the Apex Games - a competition that not only provided them with enough money to gain access to the best hunting gear, but also with more than enough foes to kill to aid them in their quest.
Why Use Bloodhound: The True Meaning Of Tracking
Players who use Bloodhound for the first time might be surprised at the wealth of information he provides about the battle royale’s surroundings. As one of the game’s first characters, Bloodhound encapsulates the true meaning of recon in Apex Legends solo gameplay, with a toolkit built to persistently track and engage with foes regardless of where they are in the map. Players should pick Bloodhound if they want to do the following:
- Use his kit to familiarize with game interactions: While what Bloodhound sees with their tracking is usually things that players can observe in real time, Bloodhound is the only character that can get prompts out of things such as footprints and even sounds of gunfire. Players new to the game can use this character to start getting more familiar with the title’s subtler elements.
- Continuously find and engage foes: Considering the vast environments of Apex Legends, Bloodhound mains can use their kit to level the playing field by being able to see whether enemies are ahead of them in any given area. This makes Bloodhound an ideal Legend to use for those who want fast and loose playstyles.
- Lead the team in any confrontation: Thanks to Bloodhound’s nature as a tracker, they make a perfect leader for squads in Apex Legends. Players who love getting into the thick of battle as soon as they spot opponents can appreciate Bloodhound’s kit - especially since they immediately announce what they see to their teammates, encouraging them to engage in combat.
The Basics Of Bloodhound: Tracking Extraordinaire
There’s a reason Bloodhound is one of the first Legends players of Apex Legends encounter, and this is usually attached to the idea that they’re the game’s most straightforward tracker. Thanks to their toolkit, Bloodhound players can easily spot enemies and even identify minute movements in the map that no one else has access to, making a Bloodhound using an Apex Legends Assault Rifle a force to reckon with. For a brief primer on their abilities:
- Tracker (Passive): Enemies who interact with portions of the map leave various prompts that Bloodhound will comment on, including recently-interacted objects, recent combat areas, and even foot trails and bloodprints. In Season 16: Revelrie, a white raven may appear that leads Bloodhound to the closest set of enemy tracks, allowing players to become more aggressive.
- Eye of the Allfather (Tracker): Bloodhound activates a scan that reveals the inside of a conical area of effect, highlighting relevant things such as clues, traps, and enemies for a duration. It’s this ability to detect enemies in closed areas that can help Bloodhound become an extremely offensive-oriented gameplay.
- Beast of the Hunt (Ultimate): Bloodhound taps into a surge of energy that gives them a speed boost as well as sensing tracks of nearby enemies. The same white raven from Tracker appears to lead Bloodhound to enemies, and prolong the duration of the effect after kills.
Passive: Tracker
Perhaps the most important ability in Bloodhound’s kit, Tracker (Passive) allows players to detect even the subtlest clues in the battlefield and get information about how it can affect their immediate situation in the battle royale. When used properly, Bloodhound can get the jump on enemies even before their opponents realize it - an ability extremely useful with a fast-paced weapon such as an Apex Legends SMG.
- Properties: Bloodhound can see various “clues” that enemies leave behind when engaging in interactions. Clues also indicate how long ago they have been interacted with, though vanishes after 90 seconds. When pinged, Bloodhound gives unique messages that describe these situations.
- Distance is no means of escape: Bloodhound who has access to a scope can also spot clues depending on the distance of their scopes. This means they can ping extremely far items and clues, as long as the enemy interacts with them, and he can see it through a scope.
Tactical: Eye Of The Allfather
Considered the bread and butter of Bloodhound’s arsenal, Eye of the Allfather (Tactical) allows them to be the premiere tracker in Apex Legends. At its core, Bloodhound scans an area to reveal enemies as well as useful clues such as traps that can aid the tracker in their journey to eliminate enemies. When used properly, Bloodhound with Apex Legends LMGs can simply burst open a room as soon as he scans them to rain fiery hell on opponents.
- Properties: Bloodhound releases a 125-degree cone in front of them that reveals all enemies and clues such as traps through highlights. This has a 25-second cooldown, and has a 1.8-second activation time. The tracking itself lasts for three (3) seconds.
- Check for permanent highlights: Bloodhound’s scan also permanently tags certain objects, such as D.O.C. Heal Drones (Lifeline), Launch Pads (Octane), Interception Pylons and Perimeter Security Nodes (Wattson), and Nox Gas Traps (Caustic).
- Scanning goes both ways: When Bloodhound detects enemies through his scan, the detected opponents also get an alert that a Bloodhound scanned them nearby. Players who encounter this as Bloodhound should periodically scan the area to gain the tactical advantage, since their enemies know they’ve been scanned anyway.
Ultimate: Beast Of The Hunt
Perhaps the ultimate indication of Bloodhound as the perfect hunter in Apex Legends gameplay, Beast of the Hunt (Ultimate) transforms them into the perfect predator. They get a special greyscale view that “enhances” their senses, automatically revealing enemies while being able to move much faster. For a more vicious effect, Bloodhound can use Apex Legends Pistols while chasing enemies.
- Properties: This ability lasts for 30 seconds or until Bloodhound is downed, which then starts its 3-minute cooldown. Various clues are now highlighted - enemy footprints and enemies themselves are marked red, and teammates get blue highlights.
- No more visual escape: During this ability, Nox Gas (Caustic) and smokes still reveal enemies to Bloodhound, making this the ideal detector. Meanwhile, there are slight indicators for abilities such as Perimeter Security (Wattson), Dome of Protection (Gibraltar), and Wraiths in the middle of phase.
- Take advantage of hostility: During Beast of the Hunt, Bloodhound gets a 30-percent speed boost, making it more ideal for him to chase enemies who are trying to escape. Since he practically has a permanent Eye of the Allfather, it’s still advisable to activate this periodically for his allies to also get a view of his enemies.
Bloodhound Gameplay: Nowhere To Hide
Thanks to Bloodhound’s toolkit, enemies are practically unable to hide from their sights, making them a useful Legend with aggressive Apex Legends teammates. When used properly, their abilities allow them to not just stalk his prey but even see them on the move, personifying the adage of: “you can run, but you can’t hide.” However, players who want to maximize Bloodhound’s skillset may want to consider utilizing their abilities in this manner:
- Aggressive play ends battles quickly: Due to how Bloodhound can easily declare enemy positions with their scans, it’s imperative for his teammates to know how to zoom in for the kill. This is especially considering how enemies detected by the scans can also see the direction of the Bloodhound scan. The scan becomes a timer for an impending conflict, with rush-reliant Legends such as Wraith, Mirage, Horizon, and Ash being reliable for follow-throughs.
- Constantly pinging to maximize Tracker: Thanks to Tracker (Passive), players as Bloodhound can spot certain interactions in the battlefield that others don’t necessarily know. In turn, Bloodhound should always ping combat-related hints such as footprints and conflict zones in order to constantly prepare his teammates for potential fights.
- Scan with anticipation: Due to Bloodhound’s Eye of the Allfather (Tactical), they become anideal candidate for quick incursions. Before Bloodhound scans an area, players should anticipate entering the premises for an immediate battle - which means they should transition to their ideal close-ranged weapons. Likewise, always anticipate a third-party encounter after scanning, especially since other teams from faraway may be able to spot Bloodhound’s scan cone.
- Beast of the Hunt for the burst and clear: When Bloodhound uses Beast of the Hunt (Ultimate), players need to remember that the switch of colors allows them to spot enemies faster, allowing them to ping enemy positions despite distractions such as Caustic and Bangalore’s smokes. Likewise, the speed boost Beast of the Hunt provides should encourage Bloodhound to be a speed demon in encounters, with quick movement making him harder to hit - and therefore allowing players to secure ideal vantage points for fast kills.
Recon Class: Ultimate Tracking
Players love Bloodhound both as veterans and newcomers to Apex Legends due to their tracking prowess - especially when their toolkit can not only detect enemies but also their movements. As a Recon Legend, Bloodhound has access to Survey Beacons that can detect special properties to aid his Apex Legends Tactical and Ultimate skills. However, with Season 16: Revelry’s Recon Class reclassification, Bloodhound can enjoy the following perks:
- Use Modified Survey Beacons: Instead of having a basic Survey Beacon, Recon Legends such as Bloodhound now have access to Modified Survey Beacons. When activated, the positions of all enemies are revealed on the Map and Mini-Map for half a minute. However, enemies are also alerted whenever Bloodhound uses a nearby Survey Beacon. Depending on the player’s approach, knowing where enemies are situated can transform Bloodhound into a hyper-aggressive juggernaut.
Loadout Recommendations
Given Bloodhound’s nature as more of a tracker and less of a surveillance Legend, it’s important for players to ensure they have access to quick-firing weapons that allow him to enter combat quickly. This means Bloodhound is more useful with weapons that benefit close-quarters combat, prioritizing pure firepower and firing speed instead of distance. Some ideal Apex Legends loadouts include:
- R-301 Carbine (Assault Rifle): Perhaps one of the most accessible ARs in the game, the naturally-high damage output and decent handling of the weapon makes this an all-rounder companion for the tracker. This allows Bloodhound to attack enemies on the get-go, or even use this in conjunction with long-ranged optics to become a makeshift sniper.
- R-99 (SMG): Another easy-access weapon for Bloodhound users would be the R-99 SMG. It doesn’t have as much oomph compared to a shotgun, but it boasts enough firing rate and decent per-bullet damage to eliminate opponents in closed spaces without worrying about precision. This is especially useful in cases where Bloodhound has to chase enemies in mid-range.
- EVA-8 Auto (Shotgun): Given how Bloodhound’s stalking potential allows him to burst into rooms and attack on the get-go, a Shotgun like the EVA-8 Auto is a dependable weapon to get the job done. The auto-firing mode of the Shotgun alongside its 8-shaped burst shots allow it to become a devastating weapon to use in close quarters, especially against enemies who are too focused on running.
Apex Legends is currently playable in the PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and the Nintendo Switch.