If you’re a new or returning player to Apex Legends, the ever-growing list of available legends may be intimidating when you’re looking to find your main. As a means of helping you simplify that process, we’ve put together a guide exploring a handful of central concepts that you can use to narrow down your choices until you find the perfect legend for your play style.

Why Should You Have a Main?

Looking at the variety of available legends, you may find yourself wondering why you should even pick one to be your main. The truth is, there are several benefits to being flexible and comfortable with a few legends, at least to the point of knowing their basics. That being said, overwhelming yourself by learning too many legends can be counter-intuitive, as there is already so much you need to learn between the items, weapons, and map locations.

When you narrow your focus down to one or perhaps two legends, you can master their kit and move on to learn the rest of the game without constantly forgetting which legend you’re playing. There is nothing worse than dying in a battle before you thought you had a different ability available because you forgot which legend you picked.

When it comes to choosing your preferred legend, you need to think about what sort of player you are, or what type of player you want to be. Finding a legend that fits you and your playstyle is going to make the process of mastering them that much easier, and you will likely benefit overall as a player as well. As a means of narrowing your choices down, we’ll take a look at some of the different playstyles or traits and see which legends fit you.

Do You Take Forever to Loot?

There are a lot of items, accessories, and consumables in the game, and it can be easy to be picky. We’ve all been there before, where you’re stuck debating over an R301 or a Flatline, while looking for the perfect attachments, but being a slow looter can lead to you getting left behind by your team or gunned down while you’re nose-deep in a deathbox.

If you find that this is something that is happening often, you should consider maining Loba. Her black market allows you to pick up unlimited ammo, and take two items each time you pop your ult. She drops in with 50% charge on the ult already, and it has a 120-second cooldown so you’ll be able to pop it just after the first minute of the game. This is a perfect tool to help grab your preferred loadout, especially since you know you have the black market available and can begin collecting accessories on the compatible weapons you find before your favorite gun shows up.

Loba also has a useful bracelet to slip out of sticky situations or reposition for an advantage, and her black market is useful through the entire length of the game. You can use it to replenish ammo, grenades, and heals. She can pull shield swaps and even steal care package weapons and loot deathboxes from a distance. If you’re a true loot goblin, Loba is as good as it gets.

You are VERY Aggressive!

There are some players who are determined to fight at every opportunity in Apex. The game is actually designed in a way that benefits that style of play, and there are few things more rewarding than an Apex match where you are stacking up frags. Who doesn’t love bragging to their friends about dropping a 20 bomb in a single match?

The only problem with that is, being aggressive and killing everyone you come in contact with is easier said than done, especially if the legend you’re using isn’t suited for that gameplay or tempo. You’re going to need to find a legend that has abilities that can assist that level of aggression or one that has the tools to escape the situations that come with it. It may seem cowardly to run away from a situation, but even the most aggressive players know some situations may not be winnable, and escaping and healing or repositioning is simply smart Apex.

If this style sounds like you, you have some solid choices to pick from, but we will run through the best three here.

First, check out Apex Legends’ resident speedster, Octane. He’s built specifically for aggression. All three of his abilities are designed perfectly to jump into the action, then pop out of it as quickly as possible.

His stim ability allows you to push something at top speed, or you can escape when you can see the tides turning on the fight. He’s great for third partying other fights and the speed at which Octane moves can be difficult for some players to track and land shots on. If you’re beelining for something, no legend comes close to Octane.

There is a health penalty that comes with his stim, but his passive healing will help to balance that out, and it also saves you some time on healing or topping yourself off.

Lastly, Octane’s jump pad is great for closing distances, taking height, or escaping when you’ve been cornered. You can be sniped out of the sky by a competent player so, it’s not without its risks, but it’s still a great ability for aggressive players.

Pathfinder, the next option, isn’t as meta as he once was, with his passive being one of the worst in the game and his ultimate being mediocre at best, as you’re vulnerable while you’re on the zipline. His grapple, however, is a top-tier ability for aggressive players.

Sure, there are risks with making yourself airborne, but Pathfinder’s grapple is so varied and unpredictable that it’s much harder to track and hit from a distance. Pathfinder can also use his grapple to launch onto an opponent’s head, and he can grapple off of basically any object which provides him with a nearly universal escape opportunity. Grappling accurately may be a bit difficult at first, but when you get the hang of it, it is an extremely powerful and versatile ability.

The third is, of course, Wraith. Though her popularity has waned over the last year, she will always be the original choice of aggressive players. This is mostly thanks to her phase ability, as back in the day it was the ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card. It’s not quite as overpowered as it once was, but it still provides a fair amount of freedom to push limits and play aggressively. Combine it with her portal ultimate, and you can get out of trouble as quickly as you found yourself in it. One last note, if you’re someone who plays with TTV in your name, you are virtually required to main Wraith.

You Want to Play Defensive!

On the opposite end of the spectrum, some people prefer to play carefully while taking it slow and steady. Logically speaking, you have a better chance to win a match if you’re alive at the end of it, even if that comes at the expense of significantly less action on the way there.

Of course, Apex Legends features a number of defensively-minded legends for players who prefer that slower pace. Two legends in particular stand out as excellent defensive-style mains.

We do need to offer a disclaimer, this next legend will make you unpopular, as people will judge you for maining him, and that legend is Caustic.

He stinks, quite literally, and he is so frustrating to play against, which is a testament to how good he is as a defensive legend. His gas is simply unrivaled for its ability to hold down a building, and his ultimate can immediately turn a fight around. Caustic is quite a specialized legend, and his power really works best around small spaces and holding down a position, which is perfect for the defensive-minded player.

The other defensive legend is none other than Wattson, who is great for placing a network of fences around for holding down a building or just space in general. Her generator ability is great for playing defensively, as it gives you protection from grenades, while also helping you regenerate your shields without needing to use up your precious heals.

Both legends are great for defensive play, and depending on your preference, either would make a great main. If you’re a defensive-minded player who also wants to be able to take on a few more fights, however, Gibraltar and Newcastle make for good support options. They will feel comfortable for those who want to play from a defensive advantage, but they won’t have to sit in one specific spot in order to be successful.

Both of these legends really shine when they are supporting the squad, be it with a clutch bubble or a mobile shield, or just pulling out a clutch revive. A good Newcastle or Gibby player is invaluable on a team. Of course, there are still challenges to playing both legends as they are lacking in any selfish abilities, but if you focus on being around to help and protect your teammates, you can rely on their help paying off in your favor as well. If you play a lot of solo queue, however, you may want to consider someone else.

Now, there are plenty of other examples of legends that will fit a specific style of play, without a doubt, but the principle holds true. If you are choosing a main, make sure that they fit your playstyle and help you improve as a player overall.