Mirage has been in dire need of a fundamental rework since Apex Legends first graced the industry. Here is a character dripping in personality but with fundamental flaws in his move set. Here's our brand new guide, following the Season 5 tweaks.
Any hero based shooter that shapes particular characters to serve specific functions will always have its favourites. A quick glance at the usage statistics for Apex Legends sees Wraith, and her swift repositioning abilities, clearly leading the pack, while newer legends like Revenant and Crypto bringing up the rear.
Despite calls for a "from the ground up" retooling of Mirage's entire move set, he has been largely left alone throughout each seasons development. But with the advent of Season 5, our favourite self-deprecating technological tinkerer has been shown some love. Here are some ways to best utilise his new abilities.
Respawn
Patience is a virtue
Now that you can take direct control of his tactical decoys, Mirage's potential as a bamboozler (spelling?) has skyrocketed. The key here is deploy from a concealed location; don't just throw it out in full view of enemy players. Nobody is falling for that.
One trick we employ is to nestle inside a room with decent cover. Any of the wooden shacks in Kings Canyon will do, or the city buildings in World's Edge. Throw your decoy out of a previously opened door first before taking control.
Once the decoy is outside and clear, think of the room you're in as your own personal mocap studio. Prance around, change direction, and hop about in whatever manner you see fit. Then, if someone gets fooled and opens fire, you'll be able to respond from a concealed position and flank to your hearts content.
Support is key
Mirage is now a much more effective support healer thanks to one major new addition: he now cloaks both himself and the target ally when reviving, and even turns invisible when interacting with a respawn beacon.
Now, it should be noted that his holographic tomfoolery will not be effective once an opposing player gets within 5 metres, but for the most part he can remain hidden fairly well.
If you favour getting stuck in, take some of that aggressive energy and cycle it into something productive. Step up and focus on recovering your squad mates where ever possible. However, one important tip: don't take control of a decoy and then start reviving someone. The decoy will reveal from its posture that you're entering the revive animation, and you might get rushed.
Respawn
His Ultimate is for close quarters combat
Do not use Mirage's Ultimate at range. If you're being pinged by sniper fire, or getting popped by a G7 or Hemlock, using your "Life of the Party" is an enormous waste. Holograms can so easily be tracked at range, especially as their body language and circle positioning start off being aimed at you.
The best time to deploy is when things get personal, and you're being pushed by someone with close range weaponry. The sudden flurry of visual activity, not to mention the replicated movement, will leave enemies quite literally spinning.
Whether you decide to press the attack or retreat to cover is up to you. But Life of the Party should only be used when you're already fighting at close range.
