The best team comps in Apex Legends

Building a good team composition is important if you seriously want to improve at Apex Legends. At all levels of the game, it’s important to figure out which characters work the best together.

Whatever your level in Apex is, you’ve likely noticed some squad comps work better than others. If you’re trying to climb the ranked ladder or just want to improve your skill, it’s important to know which characters have useful synergies and those that don’t. Each season provides a new meta to work around. This is evident in Masters and Pred lobbies where pros three-stack, adjusting to whatever change comes their way. But that Octane pick won’t take you far this time around.

Below, you’ll find some of the best team comps you can pick in Apex. Generally speaking, the best legend to pick is usually the one you’re most comfortable with. But due to the huge season 23 support buff that makes Newcastle an unstoppable machine, it’s best to adjust your comp to the meta or try to counter it.

Best Apex Legends team comps for season 23

7) Ash, Rampart, and Newcastle

A great comp in the leadup to Plat, this was my team’s go-to composition for World’s Edge and Storm Point. While it isn’t recommended on the long road to Masters, this comp is helpful to those working on team synergy. Ash and Rampart compliment each other with Ash’s snare, trapping multiple enemies at once, while the Rampart lets her Sheila sing. Newcastle acts as a point to fall back to with his Shield and Wall, while Ash can provide some limited rotation options around the map with her ult, taking buildings or pushing up on a fight alongside Newcastle’s aggressively placed Wall.

You have clear defensive strategies in place with Rampart and Newcastle Walls, easily allowing you to take a building and have Ash there to punish anyone trying to claim your spot.

It’s limitations come with Ash’s smaller rotation path compared to a Valkyrie or Pathfinder. You may find that moving up after downing someone isn’t enough to wipe a squad due to the support buff that lets a team easily reset. This means you’re more likely to be punished pushing than other team compositions. Because of this, it’s better to play for finding the best spot in the final Rings rather than trying to stay on the edge of zone looking for fights.

Upgrades

This comp offers more versatility in its weapon composition. You aren’t restricted to shotguns here, but they are still recommended for their faster time to kill compared to SMGs. We recommend either the Flatline or Nemesis, paired with a Mastiff or EVA-8 (based on your preference).

6) Valkyrie, Newcastle, and Wattson

More of a hybrid comp, Valkyrie acts as the Pathfinder on the team, combining great rotations with the map room knowledge of enemy team whereabouts. A more accurate beacon than Survey, Valkyrie can see enemies through walls as she’s skydiving in (with the right upgrade), giving this information to all squad members. Wattson acts as the second support player due to her Revive Expert upgrade, letting her revive teammates faster, allowing Newcastle to play more aggressive than he normally would.

The Newcastle-Wattson pairing lets you easily control space inside buildings or create a fortress in an otherwise open area. Wattson protects the team from Gibraltar ultimate, Maggie Riot Drills, and Fuse Knuckle Clusters, while Newcastle wall stops any incoming bullets from hitting the team. Valkyrie has greater movement than Pathfinder, making her the perfect fragger to look for fights and relay information back to the IGL.

There are more diverse choices when it comes to weapons and utility. Depending on whether you’re strictly playing for godspot in the Ring or are making last-minute decisions to move into the Ring with a Skyward Dive, you want to pick a loadout that suits both fighting in buildings or controlling space in an open area. You should use burst weapons or marksman rifles, alongside our usual recommendation of the Mastiff for Newcastle players.

Upgrades

5) Lifeline, Catalyst, and Gibraltar

While I’m a huge fan of Pathfinder, I find Catalyst’s Veil is more useful in the endgame than Pathfinder’s Zipline. Catalyst becomes the rotation enabler in this comp. Her Veil is especially helpful to cut off the line of sight from enemies that are looking to push, or cut the playing field in half in the final circle (if your games ever reach round five). While Lifeline and Gibraltar both offer a small zone for resets, Lifeline is preferred over Newcastle to rez behind Catalyst’s Veil or holding a position protected by Piercing Spikes and Reinforced Doors without having to move too far from the rest of her team.

Your team can protect each other easier than Newcastle, who (without a Gold knockdown shield) will force the Gibraltar to fight a third party on his own, only to rez an armorless Catalyst. Unlike other recommended compositions, this team is best played inside buildings, where Cat can truly shine. Her Piercing Spikes are particularly useful inside buildings and out, dishing damage directly outside of Gibraltar bubbles and Castle Walls, while simultaneously having opposing teams waste precious ammunition to destroy her Spikes.

Upgrades

When in doubt, if Lifeline isn’t working out with this comp, try out Newcastle, as this is often used in the Apex pro scene to complete the Gibby-Cat pairing.

4) Lifeline, Gibraltar, and Wattson

Similar to Mad Maggie, Wattson acts as a counter to Gibraltar ultimate while providing great defensive utility to control space and stop pushes, similar to Catalyst. The goal with this comp is to find god spot every match, meaning you need to keep a look out for Ring Consoles and head for the next zone as fast as possible. Stock up on Evac Towers and use these to move around the map, with Gibraltar bubble and Lifeline ult providing cover when possible if you get pushed.

This comp excels at getting safe resets. If you waste Gibraltar bubble to safely reposition into a building or venture out into the open during a rotation, Wattson’s Interception Pylon (placed behind cover) can protect you from enemy utility. If Wattson goes down, Lifeline can tap to rez inside Gibraltar’s bubble, freeing both players to protect the reviving Wattson from incoming enemy fire. Instead of leaving it to a single player to defend, two teammates can protect the third from being full killed inside the bubble.

Due to the space control this comp provides, any and all weapons are a viable option, but due to the shotgun buff and high probability your enemies are using them, it’s best for at least two players to use a shotgun. Outside of this, a sniper would be a great pick if you’re playing for buildings and god spot in the endgame. This is a zone-based comp, so burst weapons, sniper rifles, and shotguns are recommended here.

Upgrades

3) Newcastle, Conduit, and Mad Maggie

If you’re awful at Newcastle like me, then you might want to come up with a way to counter him. It’s guaranteed you’ll run into this OP legend in season 23, and it’s always best to run him yourself. But if you’re looking for a way to fight back against the opposing Newcastles and Gibraltars, Mad Maggie may be the one for you. As the clear fragger on the team, Maggie can dish persistent damage to otherwise impenetrable surfaces like Newcastle wall and Gibby bubbles. Acting like a well-placed thermite, Maggie can deal ticking damage to teams attempting to reset or heal behind their walls.

The Conduit pick over Lifeline is so you can retreat from a fight if your teammates are taken out using her fast-moving passive ability. This lets you easily move to a Replicator, crafting banners and a Mobile Respawn Beacon, to safely bring the team back into the fray in a secure spot. Mad Maggie provides rotational support with her Wrecking Ball speed boost, while Gibraltar gives that much-needed breather to strategize, push into buildings, or hide from incoming damage with the bubble.

Shotguns are a must in this comp for each member, as Maggie and Gibby can move faster with them, giving an advantage in bubble fighting and moving to a space with Maggie’s Wrecking Ball. Remember that Mad Maggie no longer destroys Gibraltar bubbles, so don’t attempt to use this to push bubbles or it’ll severely backfire. Just like the other comps (aside from Pathfinder), you need to stick together to make full use of each legend’s kit.

Upgrades

2) Newcastle, Gibraltar, and Lifeline

No longer is playing on your own and taking one-vs-ones a viable option in this battle royale. Landing triple support is, without a doubt, the best pick in ranked. It has guaranteed reset capabilities against a third party, but you still need to worry about winning that first fight. Everyone has the opportunity to regain health with a single rez in this comp, where health regens after being picked up. This, alongside the D.O.C. drone and a Newcastle Castle Wall all that restores health and shields, means your team should be healthy before the next team inevitable rocks up.

The downside to this comp is its overall defensive playstyle. Evac Towers are a must for this team, and you’re better suited to rotating early and finding a good spot in zone to hunker down due to the slower-paced movement from the entire team. Sniper rifles are great pick if you’re decent with them, but we recommend this on the Lifeline only. Movement options will be achieved primarily through Lifeline’s glide. Due to everyone’s revive capabilities, you can adjust your upgrades to better suit a more hybrid playstyle.

Upgrades

Swapping the IGL role to Gibraltar, your bubble placement will be crucial here. In charge of resets, you need to protect your team against incoming damage from opposing Gibraltar ultimates, Mad Maggie Drills, and Fuse Knuckle Clusters. Again, this comp requires shotguns to make proper use of bubble and wall fights.

1) Newcastle, Gibraltar, and Pathfinder

The arrival of season 23 brought the rise of support. The ability to craft banners is no longer restricted to support, but instantly spawning a mobile respawn beacon is. Season 23 is the idea of “if you can’t beat them, join them.” The unstoppable (unless I’m playing him) Newcastle provides defensive and aggressive capabilities with his kit. An unbreakable shield acts as a means to push or a way to reset and restore health. Replenishing two armor slots with a single shield cell is overpowered, especially when paired with Lifeline’s fast healing ultimate that resembles the OG Gold backpack. But we’re not talking about her new kit here.

While it sounds like this is a purely defensive comp, Newcastle has the opportunity to push both with his Mobile Shield or Castle Wall. He can leap to defend his team, or push a solo trying to retreat to the nearest crafter. Alongside this, Pathfinder zips around with Newcastle with his mobility while adding that crucial means to rotate in and out of the zone. You can push teams where you’ve gained entry damage with a knock, or retreat from an area if you find yourself in a pinch.

Finally, Gibraltar provides endless shields to the team with his synchronized plays in his pairing with Newcastle. Able to defend against enemy Gibraltar ultimates with his bubble and Newcastle’s Mobile Shield, you can use his kit to rotate from building to building or out in the open. Be sure to have ultimate accelerants on hand for Gibby and Newcastle; that way you have your ultimates on hand for a third party.

Upgrades

This comp should revolve around Newcastle. We recommend the IGL of the team placed on this role, with the Gibraltar acting as support (only reviving if Newcastle is knocked or critically low), and the Pathfinder acting as the fragger. Here are our upgrade selections for each legend when heading into your next match:

Newcastle’s Ultimate Savior upgrade is more situational than others, but it does allow for a partial reset to restore shields as if a Conduit was in your party. It’s particularly effective when you’ve lost shields but need to push another Newcastle attempting to rez. His Wall impact can disrupt the enemy revive, provide shields to teammates in the nearby vicinity, and destroy any previously placed Newcastle Walls.

It’s imperative you use shotguns with this composition. A lot of your fighting will exist behind Newcastle Walls or within the Gibby bubble. Play slow and patient, waiting out your enemy to attack and peek to deal high damage from the Mastiff. Faster-paced players using mobility legends may be better suited to the EVA-8 shotgun over the Mastiff.

The best team compositions in Apex Legends, summarized

When you’re choosing the best team compositions in Apex Legends, you have a few different options:

1. Newcastle, Gibraltar, and Pathfinder: The pro pick.
   • Use Pathfinder to get angles and entry frag for the team. Zipline to the zone and out of terrible positioning, utilizing Newcastle wall to protect the team or move up onto a fight were enemy teams are trading knocks or you previously got a knock. Sync the bubble and shield together as Gibby and Newcastle, providing endless impenetrable support so you can reset and strategize while enemy util is wasted.
2. Newcastle, Gibraltar, and Lifeline: The meta pick.
   • No one has to play support if you all are. Look for ultimate accelerants and Gold knockdown shields to revive teammates shields, alongside their health bar through the support passive buff of season 23. Play slower and more patiently in each fight, using shotguns to fight in your bubble and engaging in combat as one seamlessly moving unit.
3. Newcastle, Conduit, and Mad Maggie: The counter pick.
   • Aim for Conduit to be last alive so she can use her passive to easily reset the team through Replicators and mobile respawn beacons. Mad Maggie can counter Newcastle and Gibraltar, providing a more aggressive comp than playing triple support.
4. Lifeline, Gibraltar, and Wattson: The safety net.
   • Play in the open and create opportunities by finding god spot and setting up shop with Newcastle Wall and Wattson fences. Counter incoming util and Gibby ultimate with Wattson Pylon, using Lifeline to rez any downed teammates inside Gibby’s bubble.
5. Lifeline, Catalyst, and Gibraltar: The space controllers.
   • Restrict enemy line of sight with Catalyst and play from building to building, using Cat to reposition and Gibraltar to protect the team from enemy util. Lifeline should be the main one rezzing in the team, freeing two players to protect any downed players, preferably inside Gibby’s bubble.
6. Valkyrie, Newcastle, and Wattson: The observers.
   • Move around the map freely as Valkyrie, giving you insight into the safe zone and where teams are positioned. Valk can look for angles while Newcastle and Wattson bunker down in a secure spot with their abilities.
7. Ash, Rampart, and Newcastle: The punishers.
   • Catch enemies in Ash’s Snare, trapping them when Gibby bubble drops or while teams attempt to reposition in the open. Use Sheila to punish anyone trapped in a Snare. Move up and protect the team with Newcastle, setting down walls with Rampart to control a spot. Protect the area with Newcastle Mobile Shield in case of enemy util and grenades.

These are the best team compositions in Apex for season 23, but using them to their full potential relies coordinating well with your teammates. Good luck!