Alliance's Yuki Brings Rampart into ALGS Week 1
With the all new class system in Apex Legends Season 16, the pro meta for the ALGS saw a little bit of a shake-up. Every Legend who was previously able to scan beacons for the next ring location lost that ability and four new Legends now have it. This provided the perfect opportunity for some off-meta Legends to take the spotlight.
Rampart Mains Rejoice
For most teams, Catalyst seems to have taken the spot of the dedicated Beacon Legend, but Caustic, Wattson and Rampart can also fill that role. Thanks to Oscar “Yuki” Jiang from the Swedish esports organization Alliance, ALGS fans got to see some Rampart action on Day 1 of the EMEA matches.
Rampart is a usual pick for the ALGS Pro League, as she offers more of a defensive play style compared to what most pros run. Even when you compare her to other defensive types or controller Legends, she brings less to the table. She can block doors just like Caustic, Wattson, or Catalyst can, but unlike Rampart, those three all have tactical abilities that not only deny entry but deal damage if someone tries to breach.
Wattson’s ultimate restores shields and protects the party from incoming ordinance. Caustic’s noxious gas provides immense pressure on enemy teams who don’t retreat and try to fight in it. While Catalyst seems to have completely taken over the meta.
Why Run Rampart?
If other Controller Legends provide more tactical strengths, why would Yuki choose to run Rampart over them? It could be that Yuki feels more comfortable on Rampart with his squad’s composition, as John “Hakis” Håkansson was on the Seer for scans and Miron "Effect" Novikov was running Valkyrie, who Yuki has commonly played as well. Regardless of how many mechanical benefits a Legend may provide, sometimes there’s no accounting for familiarity and comfort picks.
There’s possibly an easier and less analytical reason for the Rampart pick as well. It could be that Yuki just really likes playing Rampart because she’s fun.
Rampart’s Benefits
But Rampart isn’t without her own benefits. They’re just not commonly valued in the pro meta. For example, with Rampart now being a Controller with the ability to scan beacons and find out the next ring location, she is uniquely suited to get there early, find a good spot that overlooks choke points or high-traffic areas and set up her Amped Cover. If any of your team is using sniper rifles, the rest of the lobby becomes a shooting gallery.
A charged-up Sentinel with Amped Cover will do over 200 damage with a headshot. That’s enough to drop anyone in a blue shield with one shot. And let’s not forget Rampart’s ultimate ability, Sheila, which allows her to pull out a massive mini-gun that shreds through doors and eats up anyone who steps in front of it. In the right hands, Rampart is a nightmare and Yuki seems to know exactly how to handle her.
Regardless of what the meta says, Rampart, Seer and Valkyrie did work out well for Alliance as they ended Day 1 of the ALGS Pro League in third place with 56 points. They trail Pioneers in Second by just 3 points, with Fire Beavers taking a massive lead at 82 points. It’ll remain to be seen if Yuki keeps to the Rampart or if they’ll change up their strategy going into week 2.
You can catch all of the Apex Legends Global Series Split 2 Pro League on the official Apex Legends Twitch and YouTube Channel. Matches are streamed every Saturday and Sunday until May 7th.
