Bangalore enters the Apex Games with one hand holding her trusty Smoke Launcher and the other, well, virtually any gun possible. This Apex Legends heroine brings weapon specialization into the mix, and Bangalore’s toolkit allows her to manipulate any part of a firefight to her team’s favor. Sadly, some fans of the Respawn Entertainment title might see Bangalore as “the typical FPS combatant” - but it’s that simplicity that makes her such a lethal force in any match.
Granted, as one of the starter Legends in the game, Bangalore fits well with beginner players. However, gamers who attain a mastery over her combat style can transform Bangalore into a force to be reckoned with. How can Bangalore users maximize her potential?
Bangalore served as part of the IMC Armed Forces - with IMC being the same conglomerate responsible for creating the Titans of Titanfall. Unfortunately, an accident sends Bangalore to a Syndicate-controlled planet while her brother is presumed dead.
Since then, Bangalore has been searching for her brother as a mercenary. She eventually joins the Apex Games, hoping to hire a pilot willing to take her home and reunite with her family.
Why Use Bangalore?
Players who get the base Apex Legends game will immediately unlock Bangalore - and this is for good reason. Granted, access in the base game implies Bangalore serves as a starting Legend. However, players shouldn’t underestimate her just because of her straightforward skillset. In fact, Bangalore easily serves as one of the best assets a team can have.
As such, players might want to consider using Bangalore for the following reasons:
Straightforward means uncomplicated. Unlike other Legends, Bangalore has extremely straightforward Abilities. However, these don’t make her weak or predictable. Rather, Bangalore fits players who want a Legend with practical and usable skills regardless of the situation. This establishes familiarity for players coming from FPS titles or even tactical shooters such as the fast-paced CS:GO or the more strategic Rainbow Six Siege.
Create the disadvantage. Players who want to give their enemies a hard time could easily create disadvantageous situations via Bangalore’s Tactical and Ultimate. For instance, the Smoke Grenade can temporarily block the enemy’s vision, while Rolling Thunder can transform the area between the enemy and Bangalore’s squad into deadly terrain.
Adaptable strategies. Aside from her Abilities becoming area denial tools, Bangalore can use these skills to adapt to any situation. Unlike other Legends that have situational Abilities, Bangalore can adjust her skills to fit almost any situation. For instance, her Smoke Grenade can flush the enemy out (aggressive) or give her and her squad room to escape (defensive).
Get an instant teacher. When players ping any gear via Bangalore, she will make an effort to give short trivia about them. Thanks to pings via Bangalore, newcomers can get useful feedback about weapons and if they’re useful for their current playstyle.
At its core, Apex Legends classifies Bangalore as an Offensive Legend. Compared to other Legends, Bangalore has a more balanced playstyle that gives players a balance between aggressive incursions and defensive approaches. In turn, Bangalore possesses Abilities perfect for any scenario in a match. These are the following:
Double Time (Passive): Bangalore gets a short speed boost whenever she gets hit or almost gets hit. Players can use this to spot attackers - great for escapes or for repositioning.
Smoke Launcher (Tactical): Bangalore deploys a Smoke Grenade to a direction of her choosing. As the name implies, the Grenade bursts into a smokescreen. Players can use this offensively or defensively, depending on their strategy.
Rolling Thunder (Ultimate): Bangalore throws a Flare to a direction of her choosing. This Flare sends missiles to its front and slowly detonates each. Essentially, players can use Rolling Thunder for area denial.
As with other Legends, Bangalore possesses a Passive that complements her overall theme. Given her combat specialization, it makes sense for her Passive to connect with this motif. Thanks to Double Time (Passive), Bangalore gets a temporary speed boost whenever she sprints while taking fire.
Essentially, this Passive breaks down into the following components:
Fire in “taking fire…” can mean different things. Bangalore gets her speed boost from both projectiles and grenades. This also happens while inside Gibraltar’s Dome of Protection (Tactical), meaning an enemy has entered their space.
Double Time gives a 30-percent sprint boost for two seconds. Bangalore only benefits from the speed boost whenever she’s sprinting.
Being hit or almost being hit triggers the Passive. Bangalore receives the speed boost not just with hits. Rather, Bangalore also gets the speed boost whenever shots almost hit her.
Double Time: Mobility Wins The Encounter
Remember, all Legend Abilities emphasize their theme or playstyle. As a former military personnel, Bangalore experienced her fair share of battles. And in combat, not moving can get the best soldier killed. With this in mind, Bangalore can maximize Double Time with these tips:
Enemies activate Double Time. Getting Double Time’s speed boost means Bangalore lies within an enemy’s firing range. Additionally, since projectiles always leave a trail to denote their trajectory, players can determine where visible shots come from.
Double Time literally means to act in double time. Proccing Double Time screams an impending enemy encounter. As such, the squad only has an instant to think of their combat approach.
Capitalize on dodging. Since Double Time activates even when Bangalore gets a close call, dodging easily becomes her best strategy. The faster players move, the more close calls they’d get. In turn, this gives them free Double Time without having to take damage.
Bangalore’s bread and butter lies with her handy-dandy Smoke Launcher (Tactical). Courtesy of this Tactical, Bangalore can unleash the equivalent of a high-velocity smoke bomb upon a destination.
Players can further break down Smoke Launcher into these components:
Smoke lasts 23 seconds, hits for 10 damage. When the canister hits its destination, it splits into three separate pellets. They explode into a perpendicular line of smoke that lasts 23 seconds. If a player has impeccable aim, a canister can hit the enemy for 10 damage before exploding into smoke.
Two times’ the charm. Like other projectile-based Tacticals, players can use the Smoke Launcher to launch up to two charges of smoke canisters at a time. Each charge has a separate cooldown of 33 seconds.
“High-velocity” is the real deal. As per the Tactical Ability’s description, the Smoke Launcher fires a “high-velocity” smoke canister - and “high-velocity” happens in-game as well. Smoke Launcher fires its canisters farther and faster compared to regular grenades.
Multitasking is encouraged. As with other projectile-based Tacticals, Bangalore can use the Smoke Launcher alongside other actions. These include things such as healing, reloading, or even firing. In turn, players can prime the Smoke Launcher in the middle of combat or as she recovers from a skirmish.
Smoke Launcher: Get The Head In The Game
Granted, the Smoke Launcher seems a bit too “ordinary” compared to other Abilities, right? It’s just the classic smoke bomb from any military FPS! Thing is, it’s exactly its nature as a smoke bomb that makes this Tactical so deadly. This smokescreen acts as a convenient barrier Bangalore can use on so many levels. Here’s how Bangalore can maximize her Smoke Launcher:
Tell enemies where to go. Thanks to the smokescreen, enemies will find it difficult to see Bangalore and her squad. This forces them out of the smoke to recover their vision. Unfortunately for them, the only way they’d do that is to get to the edge of the smokescreen - giving Bangalore and the team an idea exactly where to look and wait for them stealthily.
Flush the enemy out. Another offensive use of the Smoke Launcher is to flush an enemy in hiding. For instance, an enemy inside a building has a lot of opportunities to escape or seek cover. Bangalore can launch a smokescreen there to force them out, forcing them into an engagement.
Make it hurt. In a general sense, Bangalore’s smokescreen doesn’t have inherent damage. However, she and other teammates can make the smokescreen hurt. For instance, enemies can find it hard to spot thrown explosives (or even Caustic’s Tactical) in the smokescreen, giving players the opportunity to damage them and force them out.
Cover escapes and revives. Bangalore can also use her Smoke Launcher defensively. She can launch the canister in the direction of the team to cover a clutch team revive, as this gives her time to heal an ally and run away. Likewise, launching the canister on the team can cover them as they retreat to a safer vantage point.
Smokescreen Caveats
Despite the practicality of the Smoke Launcher, its smokescreen remains a double-edged sword for Bangalore and the team. Here’s what players should be careful of:
Smoke can attract enemies. Not a lot of things cause smoke, and Bangalore’s smokescreen remains iconic among the Legends. Enemies who don’t have a Bangalore with them can get attracted at the prospect of a smokescreen.
Smokescreen can become a death wish. Of course, a good smokescreen can mask a quick teammate revival. However, if the enemy is already approaching the downed teammate from a distance, a steady fire in the general direction can take out both Bangalore and the downed teammate. Likewise, the smokescreen itself can obscure the team’s vision and encourage enemies to wait for them at the edge.
Highlighters can see through the Smoke Launcher. While smoke canisters effectively block off an enemy’s line of sight, certain things do bypass this disadvantage. For instance, Bloodhound’s Tactical and Ultimate, Crypto’s Drone, as well as Digital Threat Optics can highlight threats beyond the smoke.
Some Abilities render the Smoke Launcher useless. Other Abilities outright make the smokescreen useless. For instance, Wattson’s Interception Pylon (Ultimate) can destroy the canisters. Likewise, Revenant’s Silence (Tactical) can hinder Bangalore from launching a canister.
While Bangalore doesn’t carry an arsenal of weapons, she still has access to heavy artillery. Thanks to Rolling Thunder (Ultimate), Bangalore can rain down hell on enemies thanks to an artillery strike that slowly traverses the area.
Players can break down Rolling Thunder’s general interactions with these elements:
A Creeping Barrage that explodes after six seconds. Bangalore initiates Rolling Thunder courtesy of a flare, which she throws to her destination. This sends in rows of missiles, which explode after six seconds.
The front remains an inconvenience. Unlike Gibraltar’s Defensive Bombardment (Ultimate), Bangalore’s summons missiles in front of the flare. Meaning, it works best if enemies have a reason to walk to the front of the flare. This caveat explains why Rolling Thunder isn’t an overt offensive tool.
Some Abilities render Rolling Thunder useless. In fact, some Legend Abilities can also disable Bangalore’s Ultimate. For instance, Wattson’s Ultimate can also destroy the missiles before they land, and the flare before it makes the call. Likewise, Revenant’s Tactical can stop Bangalore from using Rolling Thunder in crucial moments at all.
A frontal barrage of up to 70m. Bangalore’s ultimate will bring down missiles to a 6x6 square row in front of the flare. Missiles can land a maximum distance of 70-meters away from the flare.
Devastating damage with slow effect. Enemies caught in the area will get 40 damage for each missile they’re close to. Moreover, enemies caught in the blast will get temporarily slowed. Bangalore and allies caught in the area won’t get damaged, but will also receive the slowing effect.
Rolling Thunder: More Defensive Than Offensive
Enemies caught inside Rolling Thunder are in for a world of hurt - and they only have six seconds to run away from the general vicinity. Thing is, enemies can use those six seconds of missile prep to escape or to avoid the blast radius entirely.
Interestingly, more effective usage of Rolling Thunder can transform it into an unescapable death zone for enemies. Here are things players can do to maximize the Ultimate:
Capitalize on area denial. Whereas smokescreens can “block” an enemy’s vision, the six-second timer of Rolling Thunder can become an area deterrent. This is where Bangalore’s area denial specialization kicks in. If players don’t want enemies to access an area (e.g., to escape), Rolling Thunder is a good way to do it.
Dictate the combat flow. The mere presence of Rolling Thunder’s missiles alone can be a huge psychological attack to the enemy. They will want to run away from the barrage area. Granted, the lack of damage can get frustrating for Bangalore - unless it’s her plan to lead them somewhere else all along. Bangalore can lead enemies straight into an ambush by scaring them with the Rolling Thunder.
Deny enemy revives. Interestingly, Bangalore should use Rolling Thunder when they’ve downed an enemy. Unleashing Rolling Thunder around the enemy’s death box will discourage enemies from getting to their teammate. This forces the enemy squad into a 3-versus-2 battle.
Get them inside. Since the missiles have a six-second activation time, enemies can just run away from it, right? To avoid such an occurrence, Bangalore should position the missiles to an enemy’s quickest exit - which usually means Bangalore splitting up to block their flank. If the rest of her teammates chase the enemy away, they can go straight into the missile barrage.
Rolling Thunder Hurdles
Granted, Rolling Thunder can rain hell down on enemies. However, Bangalore’s Ultimate isn’t always useful in all situations. Here are some caveats of Rolling Thunder that Bangalore users need to note to ensure the Ultimate won’t compromise their play:
Lacks firepower on its own. Unlike other Legend Ultimates such as Rampart’s SHIELA railgun that packs the punch, Bangalore’s isn’t extremely powerful. Rolling Thunder works best as damage-over-time, meaning Bangalore and the squad need enough base firepower to take down the enemy or Rolling Thunder will just obliterate their shields at best.
Wastes 180 seconds if not used properly. As with other Legends, Rolling Thunder takes a while to load - in the case of Bangalore, a whopping 180 seconds. Given that it’s more of an area denial tool and lacks the right firepower, using Rolling Thunder the wrong way will effectively waste 180 seconds of Bangalore’s time.
Won’t work indoors. Granted, logic dictates that an aerial strike can’t pass through ceilings and get indoors. However, Bangalore players in panic might forget this and activating Rolling Thunder indoors anyway, wasting its potential.
Frontal area of effect requires spatial awareness. Similar to Fuse’s Motherlode (Ultimate), Bangalore needs spatial awareness to properly use Rolling Thunder. Remember, the Ultimate’s missile barrage will only happen in front of the flare. Meaning, Bangalore has to throw the flare in a way that its front is where players want missiles to explode.
As an Offensive Legend, it’s right for most players to assume that Bangalore has a more aggressive playstyle. However, unlike her mobile and more aggressive counterparts, Bangalore actually encouraged a balanced combat approach. Thanks to her kit and area denial potential, Bangalore and her teammates can approach combat in a multitude of ways.
Long Range Controls The Battlefield
While her toolkit makes Bangalore perfect for frontline attacks, the weapons specialist can become just as deadly at long range. Her Abilities, when used properly, can unwittingly force enemies to right where Bangalore needs them to be. She might not score the kills herself, but Bangalore at long-distance can dictate the flow of battle:
Triple Take (Primary). The Triple Take (Sniper Ammo) has a decent firing rate and its three-shot spread is perfect for mobile targets - which enemies tend to be in long distance. Additionally, its strong hipfire can allow the Triple Take to become a shotgun in case of emergencies.
Charge Rifle (Alternative Primary). Players who can get past the Charge Rifle (Sniper Ammo)’s 2-per-shot requirement get a hitscan weapon that hits targets as soon as players press the trigger - which makes for a mean weapon at any range.
Heights give clear lines of sight. As a long-ranged combatant, Bangalore needs clear line of sight. Getting to higher ground allows Bangalore to get better shots with both her weapons and her Abilities. This also allows Bangalore to position her Abilities better - perfect for manipulating the battlefield.
Trap enemies in an area. Bangalore can trap enemies in an area even without Rolling Thunder. Her smokescreen alone can flush enemies out, revealing their position to her. When doing this in an open area, an enemy rushing out of the smokescreen can be the perfect prey. When thrown inside a building, Bangalore can identify very few usable exits.
Sabotage a position with Rolling Thunder. A great way to capitalize on Bangalore’s long-range potential is to sabotage a position with Rolling Thunder. Thanks to the throwable nature of its flare, Bangalore can position a Rolling Thunder just right to disorient an enemy or sabotage an ongoing firefight with the Ultimate’s missile barrage.
Mid Range Capitalizes On Adaptability
Bangalore makes for the ideal mid-range combatant given her toolkit. Her smokescreen can be a great way to save allies or trap enemies in an area, while her Rolling Thunder can help block certain areas of her choosing. Players who want to play Bangalore on mid-range will have a more aggressive approach in combat:
VK-47 Flatline (Primary). The VK-47 Flatline (Heavy Rounds) might have poor long-range performance, but its 2X headshot multiplier and high damage per shot easily encourages mid-ranged play. Its auto-fire nature makes it great for both ADS and hipfire engagements, great for when Bangalore has to transition from moving around and shooting.
Volt SMG (Alternate Primary). The Volt SMG (Energy Ammo) is one of the best Bangalore companions for an aggressive playstyle - it has decent DPS, one of the fast reloads in the game, and low recoil. This makes it reliable in fast-paced short combat incursions, which is always great for Bangalores who want to eliminate squads quickly.
Disrupt the engagement. Unlike the more careful long-ranged play, Bangalore at mid-ranged relies on disrupting the enemy’s “flow.” This means launching a smokescreen towards them to obstruct their vision - blocking their view of the players or even a view of their downed ally. Likewise, this move instantly gives battlefield control to Bangalore, as now her squad can start the assault.
Flanking works. As soon as Bangalore spots an enemy, she can break off formation to catch them by surprise. A smokescreen or Ultimate to the enemy’s front can easily trap them in place for a few seconds, perfect for Bangalore to sweep in for the kill.
The Ideal Secondary Weapon
Players might notice that the above playstyles don’t have recommended Secondary Weapons for Bangalore. That’s because secondaries really depend on how players want to approach their respective Plan Bs. Here are some considerations players should note:
EVA-8 (Secondary). The EVA-8 (Shotgun Shells) easily takes the cake for an ideal Secondary Weapon, especially at close range. Its fast firing rate and handling can help Bangalore spray-fire mobile enemies in clutch close-range encounters. Sadly, it’s unviable in mid-range, hence its relegation as a Secondary.
Mastiff (Alternate Secondary). The Mastiff (Shotgun Shells) can discourage players due to its slow reload, distracting animation, and inconsistent long-range performance. However, the Mastiff does fire eight pellets at a horizontal line, perfect for mobile targets. Since ADS reduces the horizontal spread, the Mastiff can be a great weapon when facing multiple enemies at close range at a time - great for emergencies.
R-99 SMG (Alternate Secondary). The R-99 (Light Rounds) can scare newcomers for its high recoil and its lowest damage-per-shot compared to other SMGs. However, it compensates by boasting the highest RPM in the game and high magazine capacity. These, alongside its high firing rate and fast ADS movement make the R-99 a reliable go-to when having to switch guns to face in desperate close-ranged firefights.
R-301 Carbine (Alternate Secondary). As one of the easiest guns to control in the game, it’s better off as a Secondary option for better range or in case of emergencies - to make room for more powerful Primaries. The R-301 boasts fast bullet speed, high accuracy, and decent firing rate - great for those who want to be confident with the second gun they’ll equip.
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