Apex Legends features a diverse roster that will only grow in number as time goes by, and one of the two unlockable characters at the moment is the holographic trickster, Mirage. He has a very interesting kit that revolves around deceiving your opponents with holographic clones, and since the game is still relatively new, a lot of players have yet to unlock him. I personally spent a bit of money to get him immediately because I felt that his skills would work really well with my aggressive playstyle, and if you're just like me, I'm sure you'll enjoy using him. With that said, let's take a closer look at Mirage.

ABILITIES

Encore (Passive) - Mirage's passive ability drops a clone of himself and temporarily cloaks him for around five seconds whenever he's downed. While it may not seem that useful, it can help you crawl behind cover, which could give your teammates time to get rid of any nearby threats and pick you back up. With that in mind, whenever you knock down an enemy Mirage, make sure not to waste any ammo on the hologram he leaves behind (I see a lot of people still falling for it). Also, take note that he isn’t completely invisible while Encore is active.

Psyche Out (Tactical ability) – Mirage’s main ability is that he summons a decoy that runs to wherever he’s aiming (It can be used while healing/recharging shields). Aside from confusing people, you can use it to bait enemy fire and expose their positions. If a decoy is killed, the person who shot at it is briefly pinged, so if you find yourself falling for it, you’re very likely going to have to reposition or fight.

Vanishing Act (Ultimate) – It deploys a few clones around Mirage’s position and cloaks him for a few seconds. Similar to Encore, he’s not completely invisible while it’s active, and the group of holograms he spawns will all stand still unless you stand beside an edge, where any clone that falls off will run in the direction they’re facing (I’m not sure if this is an intended feature though).

FOOL ‘EM

Psyche Out is on a very short cooldown and using it as much as possible is a great way to draw out enemies, even if you don’t plan on engaging anyone. Mirage’s decoys will continue to move until they hit an obstacle they can’t run through, and they’ll mimic whatever he’s doing prior to casting the ability (e.g. sprinting, crouching, and even sliding). One way to make them look convincing is by sending them towards supply crates and death boxes, giving the illusion that you’re looting.

You can also send out up to two decoys while dropping. Use this to fool nearby enemies into thinking that there’s another team dropping in their area. Some jumpmasters tend to veer off into other locations when they see that a squad is landing in their destination first, so don’t underestimate the usefulness of this ability if you’re trying to avoid confrontation right off the bat.

BE AGGRESSIVE

Mirage’s entire kit is built around distractions, making him perfect for players who love flanking. If your team engages in a fight, find a position where the enemy squad can’t see you. Once you’re out of sight, quickly throw a decoy out in the open and hope that the misinformation pays off. Most of the time, if they detect your decoy and it doesn’t get shot down, your enemies will be too busy paying attention to where they think you are, leaving their rear flank open for a few moments.

His ultimate ability can also be a great offensive tool if used in the heat of battle. While it doesn’t render you completely invisible, it can be enough to throw enemies off your scent and give you the opportunity to sneak right behind them while your squad gets their attention. Defensively, it’s best used when you’re close to a lot of cover because you’re completely vulnerable (you won’t be able to shoot or even reload) for the entire duration of the cloak, and as mentioned earlier, you’re still partially visible.

CONCLUSION

Mirage is all about playing mind games on your opponents and using him effectively relies on your ability to set up convincing illusions using your decoys. Take advantage of Psyche Out’s low cooldown, but don’t just keep throwing it out in the open hoping that somebody shoots at it. If a more experienced player kills your decoy, they’ll be able to figure out where you are/were based on where your clone was going to, making you the one who got bamboozled.

He’s a decent choice for both offensive and defensive players as the distractions he provides can give you or your teammates an opportunity to pick off nearby enemies or revive a downed ally. Overall, I’d say that Mirage is well worth the 12,000 Legend Tokens (or 750 Apex coins, if you’re willing to spend real money on the game), and I hope these tips will help you if you ever decide to unlock him!

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