Gibraltar is the OG tank, and he's still the best Legend in the game at that role. But who is Gibraltar? What abilities does he have? And how should you use him?
Gibraltar is the big, friendly tank that everyone likes to see beside them. He's not good for solo-queuing, which explains the low pick-rate, but alongside good teammates, Gibraltar is an S-tier Legend. Here's how you want to play him!
Who Is Gibraltar?
Gibraltar is the son of two SARAS (Search and Rescue Association of Solace) volunteers. He followed in his parent's footsteps, and volunteered with search and rescue for civilians who got into trouble in the Outlands, before joining the Apex Games. We don't know much about his childhood, but we do know that once, when Gibraltar was a teenager, he stole his dad's motorbike with his boyfriend. They rode off together, but got stuck in a muddy landslide. His parents had to come and rescue them, and his father lost an arm in the incident.
It's said that Gibraltar doesn't compete in the Apex Games for fame or fortune, but to protect his friends who have entered the tournament. What a sweet guy.
How Good Is Gibraltar?
Gibraltar is incredibly strong in a well co-ordinated team, but he's less impressive for solo-queuing. Here's a quick overview of how Gibraltar stacks up in-game:
Rating | Comment | |
Difficulty | 2/5 | Gibraltar isn't a hard Legend to understand or use effectively. Hence, he's one of the best beginner Legends. |
Viability for Battle Royale | 4/5 | As we've mentioned, this would be a 5/5 if you could always gurantee decent teammates. But if you're on a team with players who like to split up and rotate by themselves...Gibraltar won't look so hot. |
Viability for Arenas | 5/5 | Gibraltar's abilities are so combat-focused that even without a good team besides you, you can have fantastic games in the Arenas. |
So whether you prefer Arenas or Battle Royale, you can stick with Gibraltar.
What Abilities Does Gibraltar Have?
Tactical: Dome of Protection
Drop a bubble shield. It works like every bubble shield you've ever seen.
- Charge Time: 30 seconds.
- Effect:
- The Dome has a radius of 6 m and lasts for 12 seconds.
- The Dome stops all incoming and outgoing fire, except for Mad Maggie.
- Gibraltar revives allies 33% faster in the Dome. Normally it would take 6 seconds, but in the Dome it takes 4.5 seconds.
Passive: Gun Shield
Aiming down sight deploys a riot shield, with 50 health that can protect your upper body. If you crouch, it will cover your entire frame. But if it's destroyed, you need to wait 9 seconds for the Gun Shield to recharge.
Ultimate: Defensive Bombardment
Call in a concentrated mortar strike on a marked position.
- Charge Time: 4.5 Minutes
- Effects:
- The mortar strike covers a 24-metre radius area.
- Defensive Bombardment lasts for 6 seconds, and each projectile will deal 40 damage to an enemy when it hits.
- All players can see the area where the Defensive Bombardment has been called in (the area is highlighted red).
This is probably the strongest Ult in the game.
How Should You Play With Gibraltar?
Gibraltar's General Playstyle
Many Legends have abilities that improve movement, and if you've played one of these recently, you might go into a game with the bad habit of wanting to move as fast as possible, trying to outmaneuver enemies. With Gibraltar, the main thing is to slow down. You want to go into fights while you're Aiming-Down-Sight so that you can benefit from your passive shield. You also want to slow down so that you can make clever Dome of Protection plays.
Many of your engagements with Gibraltar won't be about flanking for a surprise attack, or pushing with speed, instead you want to duel against your enemies. Use your Dome to effectively provide two walls of cover between you and the enemy, and then strafe peak in and out of the Dome to pick them off when they leave cover. And if you don't have your Dome, then stick close to cover, because Gibraltar doesn't have any get-out-of-jail free cards, unlike many other Legends.
Gibraltar's Role Within The Team
Gibraltar can offer a solid base for your team to work around, so in other games we might refer to him as an "anchor". Of course, in Apex Legends teams need to move around, so he's not an anchor in the traditional sense, but he should still play in a generally passive way. Other Legends might be focused on hitting long routes and flanking the enemy, or making aggressive direct pushes, but Gibraltar should play his life and hold back slightly.
The Best Weapons & Equipment For Gibraltar
In terms of weapons, you always want something for sustained fire like an LMG, and an SMG/Shotgun for when they get up, close and personal.
Primary | Rampage, Havoc, Devotion |
Secondary | Mastiff, Peacekeeper, R-99 |
Which Are The Best Legends To Play With Gibraltar?
Here are some of the best Legends to pair with Gibraltar,
- In Duos: Valkyrie, Caustic.
- In Trios: Valkyrie, Lifeline, Caustic.
Gibraltar works great with most Legends, especially Valkyrie because she can move the team with her Ult, and then he can hold down the next position. But Caustic is the best natural partner, because you can use the Shield to trap people in Caustic's gas. That combination is fantastic, but it does to practice to pull off.
How Should You Counter A Gibraltar?
Here are some general tips to countering Gibraltar:
- When a Gibraltar pops their Dome of Protection, grenades are your friend. Either throw one above the Dome, so that it lands on the enemy when the Dome runs out, or run inside and chuck one.
- If a Gibraltar doesn't have their Dome ready to pop, they're incredibly vulnerable, so focus fire them before going for other Legends if you see a team moving across an open area.
- Run away asap if you see Gibraltar popping their Ult. This isn't like Bangalore's Ult, this one will kill you (unless you're playing Wattson and have her Ult ready).
- If you're playing Mad Maggie, remember that her drill can pierce a Dome of Protection.
Those are some basic tips to help you fight Gibraltar, they can be a menace, so good luck!
How Popular Is Gibraltar?
Gibraltar has a bad pick rate in lower ranks, but gets progressively more popular:
Rank | Pick Rate |
All Ranks | 3.2% (13th overall) |
Bronze | 2.7% |
Gold | 3.3% |
Master | 3.4% |
...and in the pro-scene, you will see Gibraltar on literally every team.
That'll do it for the complete Gibraltar guide. We hope we've helped, and good look out there brudda!