Fuse Guide - Apex Legends

Apex Legends is packed with unique and interesting legends to take for a spin, but the cocky Aussie explosives expert Fuse can be one of the most annoying characters for enemy squads to face off against. This makes him a truly enjoyable pick if you're the type of player who enjoys pushing your foe's buttons and getting them riled up. And lucky for you, if you're looking to make the most of Fuse's abilities, you've come to the right place--we have a selection of tips and tricks for how to best utilize his explosive move set and annoy the hell out of your opponents.

Explosive abilities

Fuse is the only character who can stack two grenades per inventory slot with his passive ability Grenadier, freeing up extra space for healing, ammo, or just way more grenades. But it's the second aspect of his passive that is worth pointing you. Fuse flings grenades incredibly far and with pinpoint accuracy, adding them as a viable option for long-range combat.

Meanhwile, his Knuckle Cluster tactical ability means he always has access to grenades. A direct hit from Knuckle Cluster will initially deal 10 damage with the four subsequent explosions doing 10 damage each for a combined total of 50 damage. If you don't land a direct hit then the overall damage will depend on how many of the explosions hit the target.

Fuse has an amazing ultimate ability called The Motherload, and while it lacks the overall area of effect that Gibraltar and Bangalore have with their ultimate abilities, that's a small tradeoff when you factor in that this ability is a brutal trap. Those inside the ring of fire it creates will be forced to remain in place or risk taking damage. If they try to escape the circle, they'll immediately take 35 damage and be slowed, taking an additional five ticks of 8 damage, for a total of 75 damage once all is said and done. And this ability has range--Fuse can fire it up to 200m away.

Know your basics

Though Fuse can be an excellent character for temporary area denial if you don't have a Wattson or Caustic in your squad (both of whom offer a more effective solution), it's not his strong suit. Fuse is at his absolute best when out in the open, spearheading his squad's offensive efforts, especially when third-partying (which, for those not in the know, is the act of joining an ongoing fight between two other squads once they've both thinned each others' numbers a little).

But while you want to be aggressive with this legend, it's worth noting that his abilities excel best at mid- to long-range, so weapons that can handle combat at both ranges are ideal complements--the 30-30 Repeater, G7-Scout, Hemlock, and Triple-Take are some great choices.

You're gonna get countered sometimes

Wattson is a hard counter to Fuse, as her Interception Pylon will intercept all thrown grenades, Knuckle Cluster, and The Motherlode--essentially canceling out all of his abilities. If you spy a Wattson, you need to hit hard and fast before she has a chance to set up.

Octane, Wraith, Pathfinder, and Horizon can soft counter Fuse by using their abilities to outrun or avoid his abilities, and Caustic and Bangalore can soft counter Fuse by using their abilities to blind him (to be most effective, all of Fuse's abilities require you to have some idea of where an enemy is).

But you can also counter others

Fuse is a hard counter for both Lifeline and Rampart. Knuckle Cluster can finish off targets being revived through Combat Revive or trying to heal with D.O.C. Heal Drone, and The Motherlode can easily trap targets who are huddled around D.O.C. or Lifeline's Care Package. Rampart's abilities don't fare much better--Knuckle Cluster instantly destroys Amped Walls and can be easily stuck to a Rampart who's prone while using her Emplaced Minigun, and The Motherlode can easily trap Rampart while she's using Emplaced Minigun.

Fuse is a soft counter for Revenant, as The Motherlode can trap targets using or returning to the simulacrum's Death Totem. The Motherlode soft counters Loba as well by punishing squads that group around Black Market Boutique. Fuse is also a soft counter to Mirage, as a well-placed Knuckle Cluster will damage Mirage and likely destroy all (or at least most) of his decoys if timed to go off just after he uses Life of the Party.

Know who to team up with

Fuse benefits from having a Pathfinder or Octane on his squad, as either one can use their ultimate abilities to help him get to high ground and rain down destruction. Octane's Jump Pad is also helpful for getting you over the flames and into the center of The Motherlode to finish off a squad you trapped (remember: you also take damage from your abilities so do not walk through the flames). Additionally, Fuse pairs up well with Bloodhound and Crypto, who can reveal enemy positions in order for him to better hit far-off targets with Grenadier and The Motherlode.

Make the most of Grenadier

Thanks to Grenadier, Fuse can pull off some incredible ricochets with Frag Grenades, as he fires them with enough force that they keep going quite a ways even after bouncing off a wall. You don't even have to put your incredible geometry skills to good use either, as Fuse can see the path the grenade will take after the bounce.

When using Loba's Black Market Boutique, Fuse can steal two grenades of the same type at once, provided that two grenades of the same type are in the area. This is a great way to make sure you always have enough explosives to take full advantage of Grenadier.

Knuckle Cluster is versatile

Knuckle Cluster is a great breaching tool for doors; use it to ensure no one is trying to ambush you--the cascading explosions will damage and likely clear out any targets lying in wait near the doorway. In other words, if an enemy is holding a door closed while healing, don't bother kicking open the door when your tactical ability is ready to go--not only is Knuckle Cluster faster but you'll likely down them with the subsequent explosions.

When fired in an enclosed space, Knuckle Cluster is a great way to stave off an enemy's advancement just long enough to pop a shield cell or begin your retreat, so if your team is on the back-pedal, fire your tactical--the enemy may still push through it, but at least you'll know that they'll have to take damage to do so.

Like Rampart's Amped Wall, a direct hit from Knuckle Cluster will instantly destroy Loba's Black Market, Wattson's Perimeter Security, Crypto's Surveillance Drone, and Revenant's Death Totem. And since the ability is surprisingly loud, you can use it to mask the noise made when reviving a squadmate.

Burning ring of fire

Your ultimate ability The Motherlode can only be fired upwards in an arc, so you should never use it while indoors unless your plan is to corner yourself alongside your enemies so that you can yell, "I'm not trapped in here with you, you're all trapped in here with me!"

The Motherlode pairs well with Horizon's Black Hole--let her drag an enemy squad together so that you can trap them all at once. Or, conversely, fire The Motherlode first and then place Black Hole near the edges to drag enemy squads into the damaging flames. Either way, you can get some extra damage by firing your Knuckle Cluster into the mix or have Caustic toss in his Nox Gas Grenade or Gibraltar call in his Defensive Bombardment.

Strangely (though thankfully), The Motherlode doesn't affect teammates--only enemies and yourself. So even if you can't run through the flames in order to finish off a trapped squad, your allies can. That's what we call supporting your team!