In every weapon class of Apex Legends, there is one gun which stands out. The Prowler is the game’s oddest submachine gun and – when used competently – one of the most powerful firearms you can find. This guide will teach you everything you need to know to get the most out of this quirky and savage SMG.
A hunter’s weapon
The Prowler is most likely named after the hostile predatory animal inhabiting Leviathan and encountered in Titanfall. The creature is fearsome and agile, rushing in to take down its prey with overwhelming force. This is incidentally the best way to use Apex Legends‘ Prowler. The weapon’s mobility, primary fire mode, and high up-front damage make it perfect for players who like to charge headlong into battle.
For some general information on using submachine guns, check out our primer. Know, however, that the Prowler is very different from the other two SMGs in Apex. For starters, it uses heavy ammo, which makes it harder to keep fed. It also has a different set of compatible attachments.
Your first concern should be securing a heavy extended magazine. Due to its 5-shot burst design, the Prowler gets more mileage out of an extended mag than other SMGs. Following that, you should hope to find the Selectfire Receiver hop-up to unlock the gun’s fully automatic fire mode.
While the Prowler’s sheer damage is enough to make it somewhat effective at mid range, it really shines in close quarters combat. In burst fire mode, the weapon retains its accuracy on the move. That means you can dance, slide, and generally make yourself an incredibly difficult target, all while still landing most of your shots.
Conversely, standing and firing continuously results in compounded recoil and reduced accuracy, especially in full auto. For that reason, a conventional x1 or digital threat optic is a nice addition, but not really a priority.
Full auto versus burst
With the lowest projectile speed in its class, and with it being unable to equip a barrel stabilizer, the Prowler’s maximum effective range is slightly lower than the other SMGs. Nevertheless, you can still hit enemies at mid range, and even farther, by firing in bursts. You can do this manually, even when the weapon is set to full auto.
Burst fire effectively resets the scatter after each burst, helping you track targets and landing most of your shots. Whether you are firing in burst or full auto, some aiming conventions apply. At around the 30-meter mark and further, aim directly for the body, as the upward recoil carries the bigger half of your shots into the target’s head. Anywhere closer than that, go for the throat: aim at their upper chest, just below the neckline, to make almost all connections headshots.
This method will help you achieve maximum damage safely, accounting both for enemy movement and your own recoil. The Prowler gets its damage from its high rate of fire and massive magazine. For that reason, it’s best to land more shots on target than to make them all headshots.
Hip-firing this SMG while in burst mode is surprisingly effective, and it’s how you should be using it at close range. The main idea behind fighting with a Prowler is to never stop moving, shooting on the run. If you favor the fully automatic mode, however, aiming down sights will only reduce your movement speed by 14 percent, so you can still stay on the move.
Regardless of how you use it, the Prowler is a ferocious weapon. What it lacks in precision it more than makes up for in sheer, sustained damage. And if you lean into its mobile and aggressive play-style, it will carry you to victory against the harshest of odds.
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