Apex Legends is getting spooky for Halloween with the Fight or Fright collection event, and the life of the party is definitely the new, time-limited Shadowfall game mode. Taking players out of season three's new map and back to an after-hours version of King's Canyon, the game begins like as a solo free-for-all, but once killed, players return as Shadows. They're fast-moving, low health versions of their chosen characters that can't utilize weapons or abilities, but their inhuman speed and lethal melee attacks make them a force to be reckoned with.
After the number of living Legends is whittled down to ten, they're banded together in a cooperative group with the goal of reaching the dropship and escaping as the Shadow Squad attempts to stop them. It's a great deal of fun, but the going can be pretty tough whether you're scraping by as a living Legend or hunting survivors as a Shadow. If you're having a little trouble adjusting, keep scrolling to check out ten vital tips when it comes to mastering the ins and outs of Shadowfall.
10 Wattson & Pathfinder Are The MVPs
When it comes to surviving as a living Legend, Wattson and Pathfinder have what are by far the most essential skills for doing just that. Pathfinder is pretty obvious, as his grappling hook and zip line are great tools for evading Shadows and getting to the dropship intact.
Wattson's fences are generally a nuisance to the living, but when it comes to the fragile, low-health Shadows, they're absolutely lethal and nearly impenetrable. The operative word there is "nearly," of course, but Wattson players that hole up inside of buildings continuously rack up impressive body counts with well designed defensive perimeters.
9 Shadows Can Destroy Wattson's Fences
One of the reasons for Wattson's immense power in Shadowfall has to do with the fact that most players fail to realize that they can actually destroy her fences as a Shadow, which is understandable considering how difficult it can be to accomplish.
The issue is positioning, for the most part. The Shadow melee attack has a sort of lunging effect that can make it difficult to hit precise targets, and Wattson's fence nodes have an incredibly small hitbox that is restricted to the base of the node. But once mastered and accounted for, they can be dealt with.
8 Keep An Eye On The Sky
Once Shadows are on the ground, they can be difficult to detect until it's too late. They do have audio cues that will clue you in, but once you can hear them, they can close the gap with unexpected alacrity. The best defense against Shadows is to know they're coming before they get there.
When a Shadow respawns, they enter the map through the conventional skydive, and they leave bright red dive trails in their wake. You can keep an eye on the number of shadows in play via a counter at the top left of the screen. Once that number starts to rise, you'll want to check the sky occasionally to see if they're coming for you.
7 The Ring Doesn't Affect Shadows
This is good to know whether you're a living Legend entertaining the bright idea of losing your low-health adversaries outside of the ring, or a Shadow wondering if you'll bite the dust if you chase a target beyond that glowing, orange, and typically harmful boundary.
Whatever your particular case might be, the answer is a definitive and absolute "no." The ring doesn't affect Shadows in the least, allowing them to dip in and out of it freely, or even better, to lie in wait for prey that's lagging behind the pack.
6 Supply Bins Contain Jumpscares
In addition to the game mode taking place at night, King's Canyon has upped the creep factor with a Halloween makeover. Spooky candles, spiderwebs, and other Halloween themed pieces of decor definitely help set the mood. Even the supply bins got a few "decorations" of their own.
While this is more of a caution to adjust your headphone volume than it is a hot tip, supply bins now have a chance to spawn spiders or zombies. They're largely harmless, but they emerge with a shriek that can definitely catch you off guard. Killing them will produce a bit of loot, though their ammunition drops seem to be bugged, providing a single bullet rather than the usual stacks.
5 Kill Shadows To Heal Yourself
You'll often find yourself wounded and unable to heal during tricky situations. Whether healing would give away your position or you simply need to keep running, the simple solution is to not bother. In fact, you may not even want to waste the inventory space on healing items.
Killing Shadows will restore a small amount of health. And given how quickly you can down them, it adds up pretty fast. If anything, focus on replenishing your shields instead. You'll have more than ample opportunity to heal yourself with Shadow kills.
4 All Kills Reveal Your Location To The Shadow Squad
Fights are best avoided unless absolutely necessary for survival. Whether you're gunning down a Shadow or a living Legend, it'll show a marker on the map that is visible to everyone. Respawning Shadows will know exactly where to go if they're looking for a target.
What's more is that the player you've just put down will be given a special "revenge" marker when they respawn as a Shadow, showing them approximately where your last known location was if they want to even the score with you. Needless to say, your odds of survival are significantly reduced with an angry, undead specter tracking you for the rest of the match.
3 Getting To The Dropship
The actual escape is, unsurprisingly, the hardest part of the game. Once the dropship arrives, you have an unforgiving thirty-second window to get on board before it takes off and leaves you behind with all of your remarkably friendly Shadow buddies.
Shadows will know where the dropship is, and the greater bulk of them will most certainly be waiting for you. Ideally, you want to move as a group with the rest of the survivors for mutual cover. But Mirage's Vanishing Act, Wraith's Into the Void, and obviously Pathfinder's grapple will pay off beautifully when it comes to actually making it.
2 Teaming Up (Before The Final 10) Seems To Be Popular
Surviving into the final ten, as mentioned, bands the survivors together into a cohesive, cooperative squad for the rest of the match. However, a surprising number of players are willing to team up before then if they happen to encounter like-minded survivors.
It's a contentious strategy, but nonetheless popular. If a living Legend is holding their fire, shooting into the air, or crouch spamming, they're likely trying to signal friendly intentions. Of course, there are just as many players that'll gun you down regardless, but if you're having trouble securing that coveted ride on the dropship, it's worth considering not shooting at everything that moves.
1 Shadows Have Unlimited Climbing Abilities
Securing the high ground definitely provides an advantage, but it's not the game-winning move that it generally amounts to during a normal match. Where living Legends can only climb a short distance, Shadows have the ability to scale practically anything they can get a solid grip on.
Bumpy vertical terrain can be a little troublesome. But sheer surfaces, like the sides of a building, are no trouble at all. This is crucial knowledge when it comes to hunting as a Shadow, and a necessary consideration when picking a hiding spot as a Living Legend.