Highguard Atticus Guide: Abilities, Strategy, & Best Weapons

Atticus is practically the poster boy for Highguard, being the most prominent Warden in its infamous announcement trailer, flashing his electrified spears. He's classified as an Assault Warden, and unlike the subversive strategies of Slade, playing Atticus means leaning into his role and going for kills.

Highguard is a team game, though, and Atticus can be a key part of strategic pushes. While his kit focuses on dealing damage and getting better gear, some nuance in how you approach his abilities can be a huge benefit to your teammates, and give you the edge in crucial firefights.

How To Use Atticus's Abilities

The official descriptions of Atticus's abilities are as follows:

Supercharged Axe

We'll start with Atticus's Passive, both because it's the simplest to use, and because there seems to be an untold mechanic. Very basically, Supercharged Axe lets you harvest Vesper, the blue crystals you can use to buy items, more efficiently. What the game doesn't outright tell you, is that Atticus's axe gets charged if you perform the Vesper mini-game perfectly. Strike the crystals with the correct rhythm, and the next batch you bash will explode and send a shockwave that destroys nearby crystals and item containers.

Shockspear

Atticus's Tactical is incredibly versatile, and it makes him a nuisance to play against. Hold the Tactical button to see the throwing arc, and release to let the Shockspear fly. It sticks into whatever it hits, and emits electricity in the immediate vicinity, damaging foes in range. This can do some valuable chip damage, helping you rack up kills, but it's also an excellent area denial tool.

Keep in mind that the Shockspear can be destroyed by enemies shooting it, so you want to land it around corners if you're using it defensively. On the inside of a doorway might stop enemies from pushing a bomb site. Even used in the open can buy your team valuable seconds. Try throwing it on the Shieldbreaker to keep enemies from picking it up immediately.

Powerstorm

The benefits of Powerstorm will be immediately obvious the first time you use Atticus's Ultimate. Two throws near an enemy (you don't have to hit them directly) seems to be enough to kill them from full health. Just keep in mind that you are not invulnerable while using Powerstorm; you can be killed while flying with Atticus's Ultimate. You'll want to consider the timing of activation, and make sure you're not immediately in the entire enemy team's line of sight when you ascend.

Don't overlook the fact that Powerstorm's spears also do damage to structures. If you're having trouble getting to a bomb site during a raid, pop your Ult and go to town on a building – you may be able to open up key flanking routes. This makes Powerstorm risky to use in your own base, though. Be careful using Atticus's Ultimate while defending, because an errant spear might help the other team.

Best Weapons To Use With Atticus

The range of Atticus's abilities makes him a great all-rounder and capable of controlling fights out in the open. You almost always want to have an assault rifle on hand, whether it be a Dynasty, Vanguard, or Sabre. The first two might be your best option, because Atticus is a great candidate to carry a Ranger, Highguard's only sniper rifle, in his second weapon slot.

The long arc on Shockspear means you'll have a lot of influence on a fight if you can position yourself on a good perch. For this reason, I also recommend using a Zipline Gun as your raid tool. Since Powerstorm can destroy walls, you won't need a rocket launcher per se. Staying high and out of the fray will help keep you from being killed when you use your Ult, and you'll have a good vantage point to place a zipline and reach other high places.

While it's not as flashy, don't ignore Atticus's ability to harvest Vesper. You're liable to get into some sniper duels, so it can be helpful to remember to purchase the best helmet you can from the trader. Vesper can also keep you stocked on armor, and supply you with valuable resources like Wall Repairs and Wall Reinforcements. If there's one character who can bend the Highguard economy in their favor, it's Atticus.