The latest patch for Paladins introduces another champion to the roster — Lex. He is a new Flanker, but with tons of damage on his hands. He can wield two weapons and has a lot of HP — 2,200 to be exact. But he’s also less mobile than flankers like Androxus, so there is some trade-out on that front.
In any case, this guide will help you learn how to play Lex in the best fashion possible, using his weapons and abilities with a short overview of his best cards.
How to Use Lex’s Weapons and Abilities in Paladins
Here’s a look at all of Lex’s abilities:
They’re pretty self-explanatory, but let’s break them down a little more and talk about how you can use them to your advantage in the arena.
Magnums
- Dual magnums that fire every 0.7s, dealing 700 damage.
This ability means that Lex is one of the few Paladins champions who carries pistols — second only to Androxus. Lex’s 0.7s rate of fire is a bit slower than The Godslayer’s 0.5s — but if you’re patient and can aim well, then Lex can easily kill almost any target in just three shots.
In Pursuit
- Begin rapidly firing your Magnums at the nearest target to you with perfect aim.
This is clearly not the best ability, as it deals 1050 damage over 1.5s, while Lex’ default shooting deals 1400 damage over 1.4s. The only reason you’d need to use this ability very often is if you have bad aim — or you’re in a tight situation where aiming becomes next to impossible. But really, a little focused practice will basically negate any real need for this ability.
Retribution
- You have a Retribution target that is revealed to you when nearby. Killing your target grants additional Credits if they are on a killstreak. Activating Retribution randomly selects a new target.
This is quite a peculiar ability that could be used for gaining extra credits on kills/damage. But the real benefit of Retribution comes when one is hunting after the invisible champions, such as Skye or others who have consumed Stealth Grass.
Combat Slide
- Activate to quickly slide forward in the direction you are facing.
Slide makes Lex, who is generally a slow character, a bit faster — either when chasing or escaping his enemies. But other than that, it’s just your typical Paladins mobility buff — a lot like Cassie’s dodge roll.
The Law (Ultimate)
- Release an infallible surge of judgement, executing targets at or below 65% Health. Targets above 65% will take 600 damage and be slowed for 1s.
Lex’ ultimate ability can be used to finish off champions that got damaged, but haven’t died yet. It’s not the strongest ultimate in the game, but under the right circumstances it could be match-defining. The Law is especially useful when you’ve had to disengage from a big fight that your teammates couldn’t secure kills in. If your opponents are running for the hills at low health and thinking they’ve gotten off scot-free, pop this ult and make them think again.
Just be discerning about when and how you use this ultimate. The Law should only be used when you are sure that the enemy team will stay dead after you cast The Law.
Best Cards and Loadouts for Lex
Lex has one huge drawback — low mobility. So when you create his loadout, be sure to increase his speed of movement as much as you can. Another thing you can greatly benefit from is his Retribution, so try to stack up a few cards that put it to good use.
Here are some suggestions for specific cards that synergize well in a Lex deck.
Commencement
- Rarity: Common
- Ability: Combat Slide
This card increases the distance of Lex’ Slide ability by 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% respectively. It’s an essential buff for mitigating Lex’s low mobility.
Conditioned
- Rarity: Common
- Ability: Armor
Another speed movement accelerator for Lex – which makes him up to 20% faster. This card, when combined with Commencement, means Lex doesn’t look that bad anymore.
Requip
- Rarity: Rare
- Ability: Combat Slide
Requip doesn’t improve your speed, but it does give you more ammo every time you use Slide. So keep hitting that F button, and you’ll never be out of bullets.
Keen Sight
- Rarity: Common
- Ability: Retribution
This is a great card for increasing the radius of the Retribution ability. Lex will be able to identify invisible targets as far as 40 units.
The Hunted
- Rarity: Rare
- Ability: Retribution
Apart from gaining extra credits, Lex can now gain extra life in case the target is being killed using the Retribution ability.
Heroism
- Rarity: Legendary (default)
- Ability: Combat Slide
This legendary card that you get for free increases the attack speed by 25% every time you use the Slide ability. This means that Lex will be capable of shooting by 0.175s faster than usual, which brings him ever closer to Androxus.
Death Hasten
- Rarity: Legendary
- Ability: Weapon
Death Hasten is a card you should consider if you want to quickly get rid of tanks without the help of your teammates. It is absolutely possible, since this card boosts up your damage by 45% — which makes Lex deal 1,050 points of damage at once.
Discovery
- Rarity: Legendary
- Ability: Damage
You can probably ignore this card unless teamwork is of the highest priority for you. It basically reveals the targets to your teammates when you use Retribution.
Overall, Lex is a really powerful champion, although a tad slow. He is the first Flanker with so much damage on his hands that upcoming nerfs are more than expected. So don’t fall in love with him just yet, but do be sure to check him out in the current patch.
Stay tuned to GameSkinny for more Paladins news and guides as the game continues to expand on PC and finishes out its beta on consoles!
