Apex Legends gear, healing and ammo
How armour, knockdown shields, backpacks, heals and ammo work in Season 30. Most of it changed between Season 24 and Season 30: helmets lost their headshot protection, red armour left the levelling path, knockdown shields stopped being loot and energy ammo was replaced by regenerating stockpiles. Every row says where its number comes from.
Armour
Every legend has built-in armour that levels up with EVO, earned by damaging enemies, knocks, assists, revives and EVO Harvesters. Levelling stops at purple. Health is 100 at every level.
| Level | Shield | How you get it | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 50 | Every legend drops with it | Wiki |
| Level 2 | 75 | 450 EVO | Wiki |
| Level 3 | 100 | 1,700 EVO (was 1,350) | EA, Season 24 |
| Gold helmet | 100 | Sets armour to 100 whatever your level, and doubles what Shield Cells and Syringes heal | EA, Season 24 |
| Red helmet | 125 | Sets armour to 125 whatever your level; the only way to red armour | EA, Season 24 |
You still have to level up to unlock Legend Upgrades while wearing either helmet. EA took both out of floor loot in Season 26 (EA, Season 26). Shield Cores from death boxes refill your shield by their own level, 50 to 125, if that is more than you have (Wiki).
Helmets
Season 24 removed the white, blue and purple helmets from the loot pool, dropped the white helmet from the starter kit and removed headshot damage reduction altogether, so a headshot does the same damage to everyone (EA, Season 24). The gold and red helmets above are armour upgrades, not headshot protection. The headshot damage for every gun is on its weapon page.
Knockdown shields
Since Season 28 knockdown shields are no longer loot. Your knockdown shield matches your legend's armour level, so it upgrades as you earn EVO (EA, Season 28). How much damage each level blocks while you are down:
Damage blocked, from the Wiki.
Backpacks
Gold backpacks were removed from the loot pool in Season 30 (EA, Season 30), and the white backpack moved into the starter kit in Season 28 (EA, Season 28). Inventory slots by level (Wiki):
Healing items
Every legend drops with 4 Shield Cells and 4 Syringes. Since Season 29 you can queue the next heal while one is running, once or on repeat, under the Chain Healing setting (EA, Season 29).
| Item | Restores | Time to use | Per slot | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shield Cell | 25 shield | 2.5 s | 6 | EA, Season 24 |
| Syringe | 25 health | 4 s | 6 | EA, Season 24 |
| Shield Battery | Full shield | 5 s | 2 | Wiki |
| Med Kit | Full health | 8 s | 2 | Wiki |
| Phoenix Kit | Full health and shield | 10 s | 1 | Wiki |
| Ultimate Accelerant | 35% ultimate charge (25% for Loba) | 7 s | — | Wiki |
Season 24 cut the Shield Cell from 3 to 2.5 seconds and the Syringe from 5 to 4, and raised both stacks to 6. With the gold helmet each Cell or Syringe heals 50.
Ammo
| Ammo | Per slot | Weapons | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light RoundsCut from 72 in Season 29 | 60 | Alternator SMG, C.A.R. SMG, G7 Scout, M600 Spitfire, P2020, R-301 Carbine, R-99 SMG | EA, Season 29 |
| Heavy Rounds | 40 | C.A.R. SMG, Hemlok Breach AR, Prowler Burst PDW, Rampage LMG, VK-47 Flatline | Wiki |
| Shotgun Shells | 16 | EVA-8 Auto, Mastiff Shotgun, Mozambique Shotgun, Peacekeeper | Wiki |
| Sniper Ammo | 28 | Charge Rifle, Longbow DMR, Sentinel, Wingman | Wiki |
| Energy AmmoNo longer loot: each energy weapon carries its own regenerating stockpile | — | Devotion LMG, HAVOC Rifle, L-STAR EMG, Nemesis Burst AR, RE-45 Burst, Triple Take, Volt SMG | EA, Season 30 |
Energy weapon stockpiles
Since Season 30 each energy weapon carries a set number of magazines and refills one magazine's worth every 18 seconds, pausing while you fire or reload. A bigger magazine raises the stockpile with it. In Wildcard they get one extra magazine and refill in 12 seconds (EA, Season 30).
Care Package weapons and the Bocek also carry their own reserve rather than using ammo boxes; the Bocek holds 40 arrows (EA, Season 25).
Questions
- How much EVO do you need for purple armour in Apex Legends?
- 1,700 EVO takes your armour to Level 3, purple, with 100 shield. EA raised it from 1,350 in Season 24 and made purple the highest level you can earn; Level 2, blue, comes at 450 EVO.
- How do you get red armour in Apex Legends now?
- Not by levelling. Since Season 24 red (125 shield) comes from the Mythic Armor Upgrade Helmet, and gold (100 shield with doubled Cell and Syringe healing) from the Gold Armor Upgrade Helmet. Both were taken out of floor loot in Season 26.
- Are helmets still in Apex Legends?
- Not as headshot protection. Season 24 removed the white, blue and purple helmets and headshot damage reduction with them; the only helmets left are the gold and red armour upgrades, which reduce no headshot damage.
- Can you still find knockdown shields?
- No. Since Season 28 knockdown shields are no longer loot: your knockdown shield is the same level as your legend's armour, so Level 2 armour means a blue knockdown shield.
- How long does a Shield Cell take?
- 2.5 seconds for 25 shield, and a Syringe takes 4 seconds for 25 health; both stack to 6 per slot since Season 24. A Shield Battery takes 5 seconds, a Med Kit 8 and a Phoenix Kit 10.
- What happened to energy ammo in Apex Legends?
- Season 30 removed energy ammo from the loot pool. Energy weapons now carry a stockpile of two to four magazines that refills one magazine's worth every 18 seconds, pausing while you shoot or reload.
Related
Healing and ammo values also come from Regen and Ammo on the Apex Legends Wiki.