Newcastle is here in the latest season of Apex Legends, and he is strong. Equipped with multiple shields to help protect himself and his squad, the character can be frustrating to play against at the best of times. When one shield goes down, there always seems to be another one ready to take its place.
Never fear, though. The newest character in the game isn’t without his own flaws and weaknesses, and there are several characters players can use to directly counter a good Newcastle on an enemy team. Whether it’s the ability to take down Newcastle’s walls quickly, or ignore his defenses entirely, a few characters in the game can have you eating enemy Newcastles for lunch.
Best counters to Newcastle in Apex Legends
Gibraltar
Why bother trying to go through Newcastle’s shields when you can just take him down from above?
Newcastle might have multiple shields that provide his team with cover, but he notably lacks defense from aerial threats. That’s an issue when multiple legends in the game can call in ordnance from the skies, and one of those legends is Gibraltar. When Newcastle puts down his Castle Wall, don’t hesitate to throw out Gibraltar’s bombardment. The Newcastle team will either be forced to retreat or try to live through the massive damage the Gibraltar ultimate can dish out. Either way, the ult should give Gibby’s squad the time and space needed to flank the Castle Wall and take the fight to the enemy Newcastle.
And if Gibraltar’s team isn’t in a position where they can push, no problem! The Gibraltar ultimate will still lay down damage on the wall itself, making it easier for his team to take down the rest of the Newcastle defenses, making him a sitting duck.
Bangalore
Let’s keep things in the family. One of the best counters to Newcastle just so happens to be his sister, Bangalore.
Similar to Gibraltar’s ultimate, Newcastle’s shields are also susceptible to Bangalore’s Rolling Thunder. The artillery comes from directly above, meaning there’s no angle for Newcastle’s shields to take that can effectively block the strike.Â
Just like the Defensive Bombardment, Rolling Thunder should either do serious damage to Newcastle’s shields and team or else flush them out from their cover. Unlike the Gibby ult, however, Rolling Thunder covers a much larger area, making it more difficult for a Newcastle squad to get away from the artillery even if they wanted to. Even just stunning a Newcastle or his teammates with Bangalore’s ultimate can give a squad opportunity to push the team and wipe them.
Caustic
Gas doesn’t care about shields unless they can completely cut off the source. And unlike Gibraltar’s Dome of Protection, Newcastle’s shields don’t do that.
A well-place Nox Gas Grenade will send any Newcastle squad trying to huddle behind one of his shields fleeing, as the shields won’t block off the gas from getting in and around the Mobile Shield or the Castle Wall. The instant health damage that Caustic gas does can also be useful offensive tool when Newcastle is trying to drag away a downed ally. Instead of players trying to melt through the Newcastle’s knockdown shield, the Nox gas can do double the work, damaging Newcastle and securing the kill on his downed teammate at the same time.
Fuse
Sure would be a shame if a team just ignored shooting Newcastle’s shields and just started lobbing grenade after grenade after grenade over them wouldn’t it?
Fuse’s ultimate ability would work on a Newcastle squad, yes, but why even bother investing the ultimate when grenades can work just as well? Between his Knuckle Cluster tactical ability and his passive allowing him to carry double the amount of grenades as normal legends, Fuse can pack the ordinance necessary to flush out any team trying to hide behind a Newcastle shield.
Or, if you feel like wiping out a Newcastle all by yourself, unleash The Motherlode right on top of a Castle Wall as soon as you see it deploy. Newcastle will be caught inside the ring of fire, a sitting duck for as many grenades as Fuse can throw at him. Happy exploding, legends.
Ash
All of these counters so far have focused on ordnance and other projectiles that can be tossed over Newcastle’s shields. But what about when an enemy team pairs a Newcastle with a Wattson that can negate all that incoming artillery with her ultimate? Try a different tactic, with Ash’s Phase Breach.
Since none of Newcastle’s shields offer 360 degrees of protection and are all directional in some way, Ash can quickly and effectively flank an approaching Newcastle team with her Phase Breach, suddenly creating multiple angles for Newcastle’s team to worry about. Octane and Wraith can open up these angles as well, but Ash’s ultimate accomplishes the flank the quickest, and without risking taking damage like Wraith must while setting her Dimensional Rift or while flying through the air via Octane’s Launch Pad.
Need one more tip for flanking with Ash’s portal? If you see an ally Ash teleporting directly behind a Newcastle team, turn around and back your way into the Phase Breach, instead of running headfirst into it. This way, you’ll exit the Phase Breach facing the enemy, instead of having to turn all the way around before you can begin fighting. That split second can be the difference between winning and losing a fight, so take advantage of it.
