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Apex Legends Armor and Gear [Season 11]: Evo Shields and Gold Gear explainedEvo Shields, Helmets, Backpacks, and Knockdown Shields explained

Evo Shields, Helmets, Backpacks, and Knockdown Shields explained

An Apex Legends screenshot of various pieces of Gear and Armor in the Firing Range.

Want to understand more about the different types of Armor and Gear in Apex Legends?Gear such as Evo Shields, Backpacks, Knockdown Shields, and Helmets are some of the most important items you can find inApex Legends. Each one offers very powerful benefits which can help you stay alive and dish out all sorts of death over the course of a match.

Learn about each different type ofApex Legends Gearin this Armor and Gear guide. We’ll also cover the unique effects of each piece ofGold Gearbelow.

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Apex Legends Armor and Gear

Armor and Gear is enormously important in Apex Legends. There are four types of gear that you can find in a match:

You can also find every type of Gear in four different colours or rarities, ranging from common (white) to rare (blue), epic (purple), and finally legendary (gold).

Apex Legends Starter Kits

Since Season 9, all Apex Legends players begin the game with a starter kit containing the following:

In addition, White Helmets and White Knockdown Shields no longer spawn as floor loot. White Evo-Shields still spawn (for the purposes of armour-swapping), but their frequency is greatly reduced.

Gold Gear: All Legendary Gear effects

Each piece of Gold Gear has a unique and powerful effect found nowhere else in Apex Legends. It’s rare that you’ll find a piece of Gold Gear (unless you loot it off somebody else), but the rewards are more than worthwhile:

Aside from these benefits, the Gold Gear pieces are all functionally identical to their Purple counterparts.

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Apex Legends Evo Shields

Evo Shields are the only piece of gear that can reach the red “Heirloom” rarity if fully upgraded.

Apex Legends Helmets

Apex Legends Knockdown Shields

Knockdown Shields can be activated once you’re knocked, and will provide a directional barrier in front of you while you hold left-click. This barrier will absorb a certain amount of damage before breaking, which can prevent enemies from fully killing you in certain situations.

Apex Legends Backpacks

Backpacks increase the number of slots in your inventory, allowing you to hold more items such as grenades, consumables, attachments, and more. As such they’re probably the most useful piece of Gear in a match except for the Evo Shield.