In Apex Legends, teamwork is everything, and support characters are essential for keeping a squad healthy and alive. That’s where Gibraltar comes in. At 6’4″, he is described as a gentle giant. As the son of search and rescue volunteers, Gibraltar specializes in protecting those who are close to him. That personality is fully reflected in his abilities.
Abilities
- Gun Shield (Passive): Gibraltar deploys a shield atop his arm each time he aims down his gun sights. It protects the upper half of his body and can be disabled with a push of a button.
- Dome of Protection (Tactical): With this ability, Gibraltar tosses down a deployable shield, protecting teammates behind it from bullets and grenades. The shield will require 20 seconds to recharge once it’s used up.
- Defensive Bombardment (Ultimate): With this powerful move, Gibraltar throws a marker grenade on the ground. A circle will appear around the grenade, marking the strike zone, which is followed by a massive bombardment to destroy enemies in the area. Requires 4 minutes and 20 seconds to recharge.
Beginner Tips
Gibraltar is often described as one of the most beginner-friendly characters available in Apex Legends. But keep in mind that he is currently the largest character in the Apex Legends roster, making him an easy target for opponents. Increased size doesn’t equate to increased health or armor, either. So, players will have to do their best to survive.
The key advantage Gibraltar has during a gunfight is the Gun Shield. It either forces enemies to aim for the legs or to spend ammo taking it down. You’ll be able to use this opportunity to get in some extra shots, but at the same time, teams will likely want to concentrate fire on the big blue shield. However, this can work to your team’s benefit, as you Gibraltar can distract opponents while squadmates move in. Just remember to deactivate the shield when sneaking up on foes.
The Gun Shield works best when Gibraltar is standing behind cover, protecting his legs. Doing so provides a significant advantage in long and medium range conflicts. In close quarters combat, push in super close so that they can only aim for the shield.
Gibraltar’s most versatile ability is the Dome of Protection. It’s a fairly straightforward barrier that can be quickly thrown down when you see incoming shots. It’s also useful for providing cover in open areas. The shield will provide protection and valuable time for your team to take in the situation and respond to it. When you’re better at using Gibraltar, you might want to save your shield for protection against enemy ultimates, when reviving allies, or when healing.
Keep in mind that although the shield will prevent bombs and bullets from coming through, enemies can still run straight through it. The dome also prevents fire in both directions, meaning that you and your teammates can’t shoot through it either. You’ll need to step outside of it to shoot or throw grenades. But the tradeoff is that it protects against ultimate moves like Bangalore’s Rolling Thunder, making it an invaluable ability in matches.
Gibraltar’s ultimate, Defensive Bombardment, is a devastating move that will bring the hurt down on anyone that’s pursuing you. Just remember that the bombardment will hurt you and your teammates too, so try to either throw down a dome shield or stay well outside the area of effect.
Advanced Tips
Gibraltar mainly excels in defensive tactics, but he can dish out plenty of damage, as Defensive Bombardment demonstrates. Once you see an opponent go down, toss a Defensive Bombardment grenade in to discourage enemy teammates from reviving them. It’s also a great move for getting at players who are hiding behind cover.
Defensive Bombardment can also be used to thin out or scatter opponents before you squad presses its own attack. The bombardment will slow your teammates down but it won’t hurt them, so they will have the opportunity to go in and eliminate some foes.
If and when things go bad, the Dome of Protection can be used to cover a retreat. Having Wraith or Pathfinder on your team will help with getting out of sticky situations. Your dome can protect them while they set up portals or ziplines to more advantageous areas.
You’re free to get a little creative with dome placement. If you’re trying to outrun a sniper or are crossing an open area, you can throw it down a little ahead before running through it. You could also use the dome to bait enemies. Calling in a Defensive Bombardment may force opponents to run under the dome, where you can be waiting with a shotgun. Or throw down a grenade to blow them all up before dashing out of the dome.
Communication with your squad is key to success with Gibraltar. Squadmates should be pinging prime bombardment locations, or indicating when they want to push forward with an attack. As a support character, Gibraltar isn’t likely to rack up a ton of kills, but Apex Legends is a squad-based game, so protecting teammates benefits everyone in the long run.
That’s all for now. Get out there and good luck!
