Apex Legends: The Ultimate Newcastle Guide

Firefights end up fast-paced in Apex Legends due to the game’s nature of having characters with a wild arsenal of offensive skills, making combat between squads rather short as victory rests in the team who overwhelms the other the fastest. This strategy usually works, at least until one of the teams has a Newcastle on their side. Thanks to this defensive Legend’s toolkit, players have access to convenient shields and even entire walls that can transform a losing battle into an opportunity for an exit or even a fierce counter-attack.

Compared to other characters in Apex Legends, Newcastle specializes in absolute defense, making him more of a protector and a tank compared to some Legends that specialize solely in hardcore combat. However, just how can players help Newcastle shine in a game where many teams lean towards extremely fast-paced gameplay?

Newcastle: New Hero, Old Soldier

Lamont Craig was content in his stay in the small town of Harris Valley with his family, especially when the knight Newcastle was there to protect them from threats. Unfortunately, Newcastle had a dark secret: he had actually sold the town off to the Forgotten Family gang, with Newcastle dying in their hands when they came to collect. It’s only thanks to Lamont’s military acumen that the Forgotten Family was fended off, but they always had ways to come back to collect.

However, Lamont also had a secret of his own: he was actually Jackson Williams, a former IMC soldier who refused to follow orders he knew was a losing mission. Knowing he would face retaliation for not following orders, he abandoned his sister Anita to keep her safe while he let the world think he died in that last task. And now that he wanted to keep Harris Valley safe, Jackson/Lamont now donned the armor of Newcastle and participated in the Apex Games to earn the prize money to slowly pay off the town’s debt - and hopefully avoid being discovered by Anita, who also joined the Games as the Apex Legend Bangalore.

Why Play Newcastle: Mobile Defense Supremacy

It’s one thing to protect the team as a member of the vanguard and another to have a kit precisely tailored to ensure the team survives an active firefight. Thanks to Newcastle’s shields and walls, players who dreamt of being tanks in an FPS can finally get the opportunity to deploy shields while attacking the enemy with the fiercest of Apex Legends weapons. However, players who want to see Newcastle’s appeal as a more mobile defender may also want to check these reasons for using him:

Become a mobile defender: Thanks to Newcastle’s Retrieve The Wounded (Passive), he’s able to drag downed allies - something that only he could do. This allows him to become a more viable Legend to secure an ally’s safety even without healing, something a prospective mobile defender player may want to consider.
Get aggressive with active shields: With Mobile Shield (Tactical), players who want guaranteed protections while going on the offense will appreciate Newcastle. This ability allows him and his allies to push control over a location with a mobile drone deploying a bullet shield to protect them. Despite its limitations, it can give the team enough time to deploy their own kits to secure and maintain advantage.
Create walls anywhere: Players who love the building aspect of Fortnite can go wild with Newcastle’s Castle Wall (Ultimate), especially since this not only makes him jump and make an awesome landing, but also create a large fortified wall in his location. A well-timed and well-positioned Castle Wall can transform even the most indefensible positions into sudden fortress.

The Basics Of Newcastle: Proactive Defense

Players interested in a defensive Legend to use in any Apex Legends map can get immediately attracted to Newcastle and his shield-focused build. After all, it’s not every day that an Apex Legend has the power of not just deploying shields and even creating gigantic walls, but also remaining fully capable of striking back at opponents. Gamers who want an idea of Newcastle’s offerings may want a quick run-through of his kit:

Retrieve The Wounded (Passive): Newcastle deploys his Revive Shield while reviving an ally and gets the ability to move them in the process.
Mobile Shield (Tactical): Newcastle deploys a Drone that releases a shield in front of it and can move with Newcastle.
Castle Wall (Ultimate): Newcastle releases a large wall the equivalent of a fortified stronghold.

Passive: Retrieve The Wounded

Perhaps the epitome of Newcastle’s supremacy as a mobile defender in Apex Legends gameplay, Retrieve The Wounded (Passive) allows him to drag downed allies while reviving them. In the process, Newcastle will be deploying his Revive Shield to protect them from any Apex Legends weapon combo. This transforms Newcastle into a repositioning specialist, especially for allies who can’t move when revived by someone else.

Properties: Newcastle no longer needs to hold “Use” when reviving. He deploys a Revive Shield while reviving allies which has the same stats as his Knockdown Shield.
Consider interactions with other abilities: Despite being a healing Passive, this ability is still a skill, meaning it can be affected by certain abilities. For instance, interacting with certain things will cancel the revive, such as Silence (Revenant), Launch Pads (Octane), Gravity Lifts (Horizon), and even Gravity Cannon. Likewise, Newcastle can drag allies towards a Dimension Rift (Wraith) and then heal in their destination.
Use the free hand for other tasks: Since Newcastle has a free hand to move when using his revives, he can focus on other tasks such as repositioning his Mobile Shield.

Tactical: Mobile Shield

One of the best abilities in Newcastle’s kit as a character that can make him effective with even an Apex Legends pistol, Mobile Shield (Tactical) allows Newcastle to deploy his drone that can constantly shield him and allies near him. This allows him to protect allies and even defend them throughout a tricky combat situation. Here are things to consider when using this ability:

Properties: This ability has a 15-second cooldown that lasts for 20 seconds or until it’s destroyed. Newcastle can deploy this up to 25 meters, and deals 20 damage if it hits an enemy. He can reposition the drone to a location without changing its direction, with a speed equivalent to weapons-out crouching speed. The shield has 500 Health for its upper and lower component, respectively.
Check special interactions: Compared to other shields, players have special effects when dealing with Newcastle’s Mobile Shield. For instance, the drone’s shield can bypass Perimeter Security (Wattson) nodes. Likewise, Newcastle and his allies can’t damage his shields and even have bullets pass through them.
Consider minute tinkering with deployment: Newcastle players need to master fine-tune deployment and repositioning to maximize the usage of their Mobile Shield. For instance, a close quarters firefight might make use of the Shield when deployed nearby and only redirected afterwards. In pursuits, Newcastle can just deploy his Shield in front of him and direct it towards his opponents afterwards.

Ultimate: Castle Wall

Perhaps the most innovative gadgets useful to any Apex Legends team, Castle Wall (Ultimate) gives Newcastle the ultimate defensive edge when deployed properly. He jumps upward and, upon choosing an area, slams hard on the ground and deploys a large wall to protect himself and his allies.

Properties: This Ultimate has a 2-minute radius, with the Wall lasting until it’s destroyed or replaced. Newcastle begins his animation by leaping towards a range of 35 meters or towards a squadmate and their Death Box, which can extend the range up to 75 meters. When landing near an enemy, there’s a knockback.
Maximize the Wall’s defenses to the team’s advantage: Newcastle’s Castle Wall isn’t just huge for the heck of it, as the Wall itself has immense advantages. The wall has nine (9) segments with 750 Health each, with Newcastle having the option of taking down certain segments for shooting. Enemies can destroy each segment with only two (2) melee attacks, with destroyed longer segments taking down the short segments with it. Outward faces of the Walls are electrified for 30 seconds, which deals 20 damage and stunning enemies who try to climb over it.
No need for line of sight for allies: When targeting allies, Newcastle no longer needs line of sight - just a landing area. This guarantees the ally is protected inside Newcastle’s wall without unnecessary risks.

Newcastle Gameplay: Frontline Scouting Defense

With skills that allow him to deploy shields, and walls, and even carry allies to safety, Newcastle quickly becomes one of the game’s best defenders. However, his reliance on heavy defense skills like his Apex Legends Tactical may discourage fast-paced players from using him in some of the most intense matches they encounter. The thing is, there are ways of using Newcastle’s innate tankiness to ensure the team gets the best protections in even the most dangerous of combat situations:

Defend from the flank: While Newcastle’s kit makes him viable as a frontline defender, he’s much more useful as an emergency escape in times of danger. With Retrieve The Wounded (Passive), Newcastle is more useful when supporting teammates from the flank and dragging the wounded away while another teammate is distracting foes.
Regularly stop the opponent’s advance: As a defender who has flanking capabilities, a well-used Mobile Shield (Tactical) can allow players to stop enemies from pushing or making an aggressive approach. Once players notice enemies zeroing in on their location, countering with an attack with a Mobile Shield can reaffirm control over the area and force enemies to retreat.
Get strategic with Castle Wall: While it’s extremely tempting to just jump to an ally’s defense with Castle Wall (Ultimate), players need to remember that it’s just as important to know where exactly to deploy the Wall than its protective components. A properly-placed Wall isn’t just a way to provide cover in a gunfight. Rather, it can become an obstacle to the opponent’s general direction, become cover for an exit, or even a way to jump to more difficult locations.

Support Class: Cement Defensive Potential

Newcastle as the premier shielder of Apex Legends gameplay can fortify even the worst positions possible, especially in the thick of battle. Sadly, Newcastle’s defenses are best used in knocked-down teammates, since his shields can protect him well enough while reviving his downed allies. Unfortunately, it’s tougher for Newcastle to be useful when a 0 HP ally has to be revived at a Respawn Beacon, and even worse if that team’s Ally Banner has already expired. Now that Newcastle is a Support Class Legend, he is now more capable of boosting his defensive potential. Here’s the perk Newcastle receives with this position:

Ally Banner crafting: As a Support Class, Newcastle is now able to craft Ally Banners of expired teammates, provided he has access to a Crafting Station. For 30 Crafting Materials, Newcastle can craft a Banner for all recoverable allies, allowing him to become a last-ditch reviver and even turn back the tide in even the worst of situations.

Loadout Recommendations

Being a defensive specialist, Newcastle and his shields are capable of even transforming the worst combat situations into a viable control point. Even with a base Apex Legends pistol, Newcastle’s shields can give his team enough time to plan a comeback or even retreat to a safer position. However, players who want to dish out the most damage while using Newcastle’s shields may wish to plan his toolkit using heavy-damaging weapons. Here are some of the best weapons to give Newcastle:

EVA-8 Auto (Shotgun): Given how Newcastle’s kit allows him to proactively defend his team without focusing too much on button mechanics, it helps for players to have weapons that allow him to transition to combat quickly should enemies interrupt his defense. In this case, the EVA-8 Auto is a great choice to punish opponents up close without having to worry about controls, especially with its auto-firing nature.
Triple Take (Marksman Rifle, Energy Ammo): Players using Newcastle to deploy his shields means it’s advisable for him to punish opponents from afar since they won’t be able to damage him immediately. However, players who aren’t confident with their sniper game may want to consider using Triple Take instead, as it boasts a 3-in-1 shot component that might seem like ammo-heavy at first, but it at least guarantees that one of Newcastle’s shots will hit if they miss the mark.
Spitfire (LMG, Light Ammo): One of the best LMGs in the game has to be the Spitfire, courtesy of its convenient handling despite its rather tricky firing rate. However, the compatibility of Spitfire with Newcastle has less to do with its firing rate and more to do with the convenience it gives in close-to-mid-range combat. As soon as Newcastle spots enemies trying to make an advance to his defensive point, whipping out the Spitfire allows him to shoot enemies before they even pose a threat.

Apex Legends is playable on the PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.