Apollo Guide — Abilities, Builds & Strategy

Apollo Base Stats

• Role: Assassin
• Max Health: 770
• Max Move Speed: 7.2
• Stamina: 3
• Base Health Regen: 1
• Light Melee Damage: 63
• Heavy Melee Damage: 116

Apollo Weapon Stats

• DPS: 48.685
• Sustained DPS: 33.842
• Bullet Damage: 18.5
• Rounds Per Second: 2.6316
• Clip Size: 15
• Reload Time: 2.5s
• Bullet Speed: 127
• Can Crit: Yes

Apollo Abilities

• Ability 1: Disengaging Sigil
• Ability 2: Riposte
• Ability 3: Flawless Advance
• Ability 4: Itani Lo Sahn

Apollo Guide — Strategy & Tips

Quick Answer: Apollo is a high-mobility fencer who picks off isolated targets with precision strikes and a timing-based lunge, Flawless Advance. Lean on Riposte to deflect incoming attacks into a dash, stun, and Melee Resist shred, and keep Disengaging Sigil ready to slow and leap out. His ultimate, Itani Lo Sahn, locks a priority hero in slow motion and finishes them while he is invulnerable.

Apollo is a high-mobility fencer who picks isolated targets apart with precise strikes instead of brawling the whole enemy team head-on. His kit lives on timing: Flawless Advance only pays out its maximum damage when you release inside the perfect window, and Riposte turns an enemy's incoming attack into a free stun and a dash straight into their face. Disengaging Sigil is his escape hatch, a slow plus a backward leap, and later charges refund a stamina and reset his air jump and dash limit for a clean exit. He snowballs off clean single-target kills, using his ultimate, Itani Lo Sahn, to lock a priority hero in slow motion and delete them, dealing bonus damage against half-health enemies. Pride of Ixia has no damage falloff and a medium range, so he can poke safely from distance while he waits for a mistake to punish. Play him patiently, strike when the enemy overextends, then leap out before the fight turns into a 1v2.

Early Game

In lane, hold your weapon range and trade with Pride of Ixia, since it deals full damage out to its max range with no falloff. Punish with Flawless Advance when an enemy is held in place, and remember that Riposte only deflects player attacks, so it will not trigger off troopers or neutrals and is wasted clearing waves. Keep Disengaging Sigil available as your way out of a losing trade, because it damages and slows anyone caught in the explosion while you leap backward. Watch for the isolated enemy, chip them down, and commit only when your key abilities are up.

Mid Game

Mid game, roam to pick off stragglers and push waves, using your mobility to arrive at fights first. Start engagements with Flawless Advance to close distance and land your lunges, then let Riposte handle the retaliation by dashing in for the stun and reduced Melee Resist. If a target has an escape, hold Itani Lo Sahn to freeze them in place before they can bolt, then finish with weapon damage inside the time slow. Spend Disengaging Sigil to reposition onto a fleeing enemy or to slip out when a fight goes wrong, and take the stamina refund from a landed hit to keep moving.

Late Game

Late game, Apollo is at his best hunting a single carry, so look for split pushes and isolated targets rather than diving into five-man standoffs. Channel Itani Lo Sahn on the highest-priority enemy to lock them out of acting or healing, then kill them during the slow before the delayed damage even resolves. Bomb a squishy target with a Riposte dash into Flawless Advance and a perfect-timed release, and keep Disengaging Sigil untouched until you actually need to leave. If the enemy groups up, stay at the edges, poke with your long-range, no-falloff weapon, and wait for someone to step out of position.

Combos

Open with a bait: let an enemy attack into Riposte, which gives a brief invulnerability, a dash to them, a stun, and reduced Melee Resist. Follow the Riposte dash immediately with Flawless Advance, holding for the perfect-time release to hit maximum damage and, with the first upgrade, a 35 heal on the hero hit. Use Disengaging Sigil as the finisher or the reset: the explosion slows the enemy while you leap clear, and its recast and stamina refund set up a second approach. Against a single priority target, channel Itani Lo Sahn first so they are stuck in slow motion, then dump Flawless Advance and weapon damage before the time slow expires.

Strong Against

Apollo thrives against squishy, isolated heroes who have to stand and fight, because a landed Riposte turns their own pressure into a stun and a Melee Resist opening. He is strong versus targets with no reliable escape, since Itani Lo Sahn pins them in slow motion with no action or healing until the damage lands. He also does well against enemies who clump for one big burst of damage, as Riposte can deflect that incoming attack and punish it. Single carries caught split-pushing are his ideal meal, especially when they are already below half health for the ultimate bonus damage.

Weak Against

Apollo struggles when he cannot get a clean, isolated fight, so coordinated teams that collapse on him punish his committed dives hard. Enemies who never throw a deflectable attack, or who throw damage from troopers and neutrals, deny Riposte value and leave him without his best trigger. He is also vulnerable when everything is on cooldown, since Disengaging Sigil, Riposte, and Flawless Advance are all his offense and defense at once. Fighters who force prolonged close-range trades after his escape is used can grind him down before his pick tools come back.

Synergies

Apollo wants teammates who lock enemies in place so his Flawless Advance perfect hits and Itani Lo Sahn land cleanly on a stationary target. A hero who can start a fight or pull an enemy out of position gives him the isolated duel he is built for, turning a single stun into a guaranteed kill. Follow-up damage from an ally during the ultimate's slow motion stacks on top of his delayed burst, and healing or shields that keep him alive through the channel let him commit more freely. He pairs well with anyone who can punish the enemy for grouping, since his job is to clean up the one target everyone else softened.

Common Mistakes

• Wasting Riposte on trooper or neutral damage, when it only deflects player attacks and should be saved to punish an enemy's commit.
• Releasing Flawless Advance early instead of holding for the perfect window, which trades maximum damage and the heal for a much weaker hit.
• Committing a dive with Disengaging Sigil already down, leaving Apollo with no slow and no backward leap to exit a losing fight.

Matchup Notes

• vs Vindicta — Close the gap with Flawless Advance lunges and drag the fight into Riposte range, because once you deflect and dash in, your stun and weapon damage punish a target who wants to stay far away.
• vs Haze — Hold Riposte for the moment she commits to her bullet pressure, then turn that deflection into a dash, a stun, and reduced Melee Resist before she can reset the fight.
• vs Seven — Force the duel with Itani Lo Sahn to lock him out of acting and healing, then burst him with Flawless Advance during the slow while your ultimate keeps him trapped.
• vs Wraith — Bait her into opening with an attack you can Riposte, then dash in for the stun and follow with a perfect-time Flawless Advance, using Disengaging Sigil to leave once her team rotates in.

Frequently Asked Questions

What role does Apollo play?

He is a high-mobility fencer who hunts isolated targets with precision strikes, ideal for picking off carries rather than fronting team fights. His kit rewards timing and clean single-target kills.

How does Riposte work?

Riposte prepares to deflect the next incoming attack; on a successful deflection Apollo becomes briefly invulnerable, dashes to an enemy hero, stuns them, and reduces their Melee Resist. It does not trigger against trooper or neutral damage, so save it for player attacks.

When do I deal the most damage with Flawless Advance?

Hold the ability key to time your lunges and release during the perfect window, which deals maximum damage. The base hold deals 25 damage, a full hold deals 40, and a perfect release deals 65 before Spirit scaling.

What is Disengaging Sigil best used for?

It draws a slowing, damaging sphere in front of Apollo and launches him backward, making it his primary escape. A later charge restores a stamina and resets his air jump and dash limit, and the sphere also gives Fire Rate and Bullet Speed when upgraded.

How should I use Itani Lo Sahn?

Channel it, then release a long-range slash that pins struck enemies in slow motion so they cannot act or heal, dealing bonus damage against half-health targets when the debuff expires. Apollo is invulnerable during the slow, so use it to delete a priority hero.

Is Apollo a ranged hero?

Pride of Ixia is a medium-range weapon with no damage falloff, so it deals full damage all the way out to its max range and none beyond it. That lets him poke safely from distance while setting up a pick.