Apex’s Conduit is a shield healer with a lot of personality

Apex Legends’ newest character, Conduit, “borrowed” a radioactive Titan battery to use in the Apex Games. And when she launches in season 19, she’ll use that battery to heal allies’ shields, create obstacles for enemies, and even get an occasional bump in speed.

Conduit’s kit comes with a bit of a throwback to Titanfall 2. She stole the battery from a Monarch Titan, and the Monarch’s energy-transfer tech served as an inspiration to her kit, according to legend designer Chris Winder.

Conduit joins the ranks as a “shield healer”—a supportive legend who can restore or reinforce teammates’ shields, Winder said. Her tactical, Radiant Transfer, lets her do just that: Activating this ability creates temporary shields for both Conduit and one of her teammates. These shields generate over time and fill any missing shield capacity, according to Winder. Enemies can pause that generation and damage shields with bullets, grenades, and other damaging effects.

“The key here is that Conduit dramatically increases the survivability of her squad in combat,” Winder said. Her tactical can top up an ally’s shield and open a getaway, give them a bit more protection to stay in the fight, or even be used as a form of peace of mind when an ally is healing, he recommends.

Since Conduit’s tactical benefits from staying close to teammates, her passive opens up room for heroic rescues or just to catch up with allies. Savior’s Speed gives her a “burst of speed” when moving toward an ally that’s outside the range of her tactical, which can be great for catching up in the wide, open maps of Apex.

The last part of Conduit’s skillset is her Energy Barricade, which creates a long cluster of shield-jamming devices. These gadgets will slow and damage foes in their radius, though enemies can shoot individual devices to create safe passage. This gives Conduit a bit more offensive potential, though mastering this tool can be tricky.

Conduit’s electrifying personality shows up in more than just her kit. Her bubbly personality shines through her dialogue, and you can spot it in her vibrant design (complete with blue nail polish) and her friendly demeanor in the launch trailer.

Joining the Apex Games for Conduit comes with a price, however. The battery she stole is radioactive and gradually poisons her. But “even with all the seriousness of her situation, she’s the first one to crack a joke or say something silly,” narrative lead Christal Rose Hazelton said.

Once Apex’s season 19 launches on Oct. 31, you can rest a little bit easy knowing your team has a Conduit. If you see one on the enemy team, though, watch your back: She might just talk about how she was a fan of you in the Apex Games right before putting a bullet in your head.