The long wait has ended as the 26th legend in Apex Legends finally makes her debut. Following a character hiatus in Season 20, Respawn Entertainment introduces a new hero (or should we say, a villain) in their latest Season: Upheaval.
Meet Alter, the latest addition to the legends roster. With a fixation on "ends of worlds," Alter emerges as a formidable force in the game's dynamics. In the hands of a skilled player, her exceptional abilities significantly disrupt the game's meta, solidifying her status as a legend with a high skill ceiling. Here's everything that players need to know about her.
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All of Alter's Abilities, Explained
Like every other legend, Alter boasts three distinct abilities: a Passive, a Tactical, and an Ultimate. Below, you'll find all the essential details about these abilities.
Passive Ability: Gift From The Rift
Alter's passive ability, Gift From The Rift, allows her to detect deathboxes through walls from a distance, but that's not even the best part. You can also remotely take items from these deathboxes, with an impressive range. However, there are limitations to this ability. You can only take one item per deathbox, and it cannot be a Shield Core.
You can snatch another item from a different deathbox, but cannot take more than one item from the same one. Stealing Shield Cells or Batteries is allowed, which can be a godsend if you find yourself in dire need of an armor refill but lack the necessary resources.
Alter's passive ability is two abilities crammed into one. First, detecting the presence of a deathbox provides vital information about past skirmishes, and depending on the scenario, you can choose whether to pursue it for looting purposes. Second, the ability to steal items is akin to a watered-down version of Loba's Black Market Boutique, though limited to a single item instead of two.
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Tactical Ability: Void Passage
Alter's Tactical Ability will likely be your most frequently used tool. It enables you to generate a two-way portal through most surfaces, offering useful options for traversal. However, there are some limitations to consider.
You can use this ability not only for horizontal movement, but also for vertical mobility. The latter can be done by creating a portal on a high surface, creating a beam toward the ground that you can pass through. The cooldown timer for this ability is only 30 seconds, but this duration can be further reduced with a Golden Helmet.
The portal deployment is swift, but it does have some caveats. You can only cast a portal onto a surface within a 45-meter radius of your current position. Additionally, the surface's thickness cannot exceed 20 meters. The two-way portal remains active for 15 seconds and is accessible to both your allies and foes.
One notable feature of Alter's Tactical Ability is its hold function. By holding down the designated button, you gain the ability to precisely select the location of the portal. Holding the button also tells players whether a portal can be created on a surface or not, as well as indicating the surface's depth. White indicates a portal can be created, while red signifies the opposite.
The portal used for gaining height has a shorter range of only 20 meters, as opposed to the standard 45 meters. Additionally, you'll need to press your designated interact button to phase through it.
Upon passing through a portal, you enter a phasing phase for half a second. This brief moment allows you to orient yourself without being vulnerable to enemy fire. However, it's important to remain vigilant, as it gives your enemies some time to react.
Ultimate Ability: Void Nexus
Void Nexus grants Alter the ability to deploy an interactive portal device. Once thrown, you must look at it from a distance and interact with it to teleport to its location. However, be cautious, as it also creates a one-way portal from your initial position to the device's location, making it accessible to your enemies. On the bright side, your allies can also use it for transportation. The one-way portal closes after 15 seconds.
A great aspect of the device is it can be used by your allies as well; they can interact with it by looking at it and pressing the designated button. Their teleportation also triggers a temporary one-way portal, meaning your teammates can also unintentionally bring some enemies with them. This temporary portal also remains active for 15 seconds.
The device does come with some limitations. Once thrown, players can only interact with it within a 200-meter radius. The map also displays its range, akin to Loba’s Boutique. Moreover, it will be destroyed after all teammates have used it to teleport. If left unused, it will automatically vanish after 120 seconds.
It's essential to be strategic about the device's placement, as it can be destroyed by bullets, explosions, and melee attacks. Avoid tossing it into plain sight. In this regard, its functionality is similar to Revenant's original Ultimate Ability, the Death Totem, before the rework.
Void Nexus serves as a valuable escape tool, offering you and your teammates a "get out of jail free" card in sticky situations. Whether you've overcommitted to an aggressive push or are quickly retreating from formidable opponents, this ability proves helpful. Moreover, it can be used to outrun the ever-closing treacherous circle, although the circle will instantly destroy the device upon contact.
This ability has a cooldown timer of 210 seconds. You can reduce its duration by consuming an Ultimate Accelerant or equipping a Golden Helmet.
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Alter's Armor Upgrades
Similar to other legends, enhancing your Evo Shield will grant unique upgrades that further improve your base abilities. Two upgrades are available in two tiers, and players can select only one from each tier.
Upgrade 1 Tier
- Ultimate Cooldown: Reduces Ultimate Cooldown ability by 30 seconds.
- Void Vision: Allows you to see foes’ health and armor after exiting from the Tactical Ability portal.
Upgrade 2 Tier:
- Eternal Nexus: The Ultimate Ability, aka teleportation device, has unlimited duration, meaning it won’t vanish after 120 seconds.
- Tactical Cooldown+: Reduces Tactical Cooldown by 10 seconds. (Combine it with Golden Helmet and you can spam the ability every 15 seconds.)
Alter belongs to the Skirmisher Class, meaning she has access to its unique skill. This skill allows her to see the highest value item in Care Packages from a considerable distance. The ability will help you determine whether pursuing the Care Package is worth it or not. Notably, the range of this ability is vast.
Tips for New Alter Players
As previously mentioned, Alter is a Skirmisher, making her an ideal choice for players who prefer to harass their opponents. Her abilities enable her to get in and out of combat situations quickly. However, she becomes even more formidable when paired with specific operators, some of whom belong to the Recon Class.
Utilizing Alter's Tactical Ability allows you to close the distance on enemies who are bunkered down within buildings. However, a well-timed Bloodhound’s Eye of the Allfather scan or Seer’s Exhibit ability will significantly increase your chances of success, as it provides precise knowledge of their exact location.
Several other operators can prove beneficial for Alter. Mirage's ultimate can sow confusion among enemies, creating opportunities for strategic maneuvers. Gibraltar and Newcastle's ultimate abilities can provide much-needed cover during close-range engagements, offering protection in the heat of battle. Conduit is another operator that synergizes well with Alter, as her tactical ability can buff up your armor, improving your survival chances.
Last but not least, employing Controller Class legends such as Wattson, Rampart, and Caustic can be pivotal for protecting the teleportation device. Defending the device is paramount, as its destruction would remove your emergency exfill option. Placing Caustic traps, Wattson's fences, or Rampart's amp cover near the device can effectively protect it from enemies.
Apex Legends
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 74%
- Released
- February 4, 2019
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Respawn Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Engine
- Source on console/PC, Unreal Engine 4 on mobile
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS4, Switch & Xbox One
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, iOS, Android, Switch
- Genre(s)
- Battle Royale, First-Person Shooter
