Apex Legends Season 9: Legacy is finally available to play after an admittedly rough launch, with servers down for most of the evening. Those players that were able to get in were left with just the Battle Royale mode, and the base roster of characters. Playing Apex Legends like it’s 2019.
But now the servers have mostly recovered, and after breaking its own Steam record, Apex Legends Season 9 is finally live, allowing players to become immersed in the new Arenas mode, and play with what might be the most exciting new addition, the new Legend, Valkyrie .
Valkyrie is a brand new Apex Legends character with a deep history that ties into Titanfall 2 . Even her abilities are inspired by the Northstar Titan , and for good reason. In this guide we’re going to break down everything you need to know about Valkyrie in Apex Legends, including her backstory, her abilities, and the strategies you need to play as her in Apex Legends Season 9: Legacy.
Valkyrie Background And Lore In Apex Legends
Valkyrie has close ties to Viper and the Northstar Titan from Titanfall 2. You may remember that Viper appears as a boss, and appears to be killed by you. In Apex Legends’ Northstar trailer we see Viper before his demise taking care of his daughter Kairi Imahara , who took a joyride in Viper’s Northstar Titan, getting into a fair bit of trouble.
It seems that following this event, Kairi grew up and took on the moniker of Valkyrie. She worked with Kuben Blisk , the leader of the Apex Predators , and Rampart helped her create the gear she now takes into the Apex Games , which is complete with VTOL Jets that have Valkyrie flying through the air, and a missile barrage system that is a small-scale version of that which made the Northstar Titan famous. Click here for more on Kairi Imahara’s backstory and lore .
Valkyrie’s Abilities In Apex Legends
Valkyrie
Valkyrie’s abilities are finally fully confirmed and are going to give you a rundown of each here, and how to use it efficiently in battle.
Recon Perk
As a Recon-class character, ApexGameZone Valkyrie will be able to use the Survey Beacons which are spread across the various maps, allowing her to view where the next ring will be in advance.
Passive Ability - VTOL Jets
VTOL Jets has to be Valkyrie’s most interesting ability, allowing her to fly high into the air - though she flies fairly slowly. This gives her the ability to survey the battlefield and spot enemies in advance, but she will not be able to fire her weapon while ascending - though she will be able to use her Tactical Ability: Missile Swarm . Valkyrie will only be able to use her guns when descending, making it difficult to aim at distant enemies - though skilled players will certainly do just that. There is a height limit and a fuel limit to Valkyrie’s jets, but she will still have the most mobility out of any of the Legends on the roster - even Pathfinder .
Tactical Ability - Missile Swarm
As mentioned, Missile Swarm mimics that of the Northstar Titan from Titanfall 2. This allows you to mark a small section of the map with an array of red beacons, and a barrage of missiles will follow shortly after. This can be used every 30 seconds. Missiles will need to eject from Valkyrie’s gear and then move to the target location from overhead - meaning this is useless in areas with shallow ceilings, and you’ll need to be aware of how much clearance you have before using it. This might best be used to clear opponents out from behind cover, similar to a well-placed Thermite grenade.
Ultimate Ability - Skyward Dive
The Skyward Dive essentially turns Valkyrie into a mobile jump tower , allowing her to take her full team to the skies, and then land at another point in the map. This gives your whole team excellent mobility, taking you across the map quickly, especially when combined with actual Jump Towers . This takes three minutes to recharge, but as a bonus Valkyrie will also mark all enemies within line of sight on the HUD for all party members whenever she is skydiving, making this a powerful method to locate and hunt down enemy teams, or retreat from a bad encounter.
Strategies And Tips To Play As Valkyrie In Apex Legends
Now that you know what Valkyrie’s abilities are, you probably have a good idea of how to play her in Apex Legends - but there are plenty of minor things you have to keep in mind in order to perform well in battle with this powerful Legend.
VTOL Jet Limits
As mentioned, you cannot fire while ascending using the VTOL Jets , and you will ascend fairly slowly - this is nothing like Horizon’s speedy gravity lift from previous seasons. This does mean that Valkyrie is a fairly obvious target, and even when she starts descending you can get some good hits in. If you’re a good shot with a sniper, Valkyrie can be taken down with ease, and that’s what you need to be aware of as a Valkyrie player. Staying in the air for too long can be a really bad decision. Be aware of the limits of your jet, and also aware of how far you need to fall before you can get behind cover and heal again. The jets are also fairly loud, so nearby players should instantly have a good idea of where a Valkyrie player is.
Skyward Dive Strategies
The Skyward Dive is built for repositioning, but what you might not be considering is how useful this is in tense situations. You can probably imagine dozens of moments where you’ve been stuck between the encroaching ring and an enemy team, and this is where the Skyward Dive thrives, not only allowing you an easy escape but also painting enemies on your HUB so you’ll know where you can consider a safe landing spot. Combine Valkyrie’s Skyward Dive with Mirage’s skydive decoys and you should be able to mystify enemies and relocate quickly and easily.
Next: Apex Legends: Legacy - Arenas, Valkyrie, Lifeline Tweaks, Olympus Changes, And Everything From Our Hands-On
