Apex Legends is one of many in the Battle Royale trend, but it has truly found its stride. After establishing refreshing traits like the ping system and faster gameplay, there has been a satisfying increase in content over time. EA has similarly improved Battlefront II in this way. Respawn even started off the new year with an event that cycles multiple Limited-Time Modes every two days.
And with season four just around the corner, many newcomers have refined their skills since launch. The level of strategy is also far more pronounced for the genre—and essential among teammates that frequently lack common sense. So, here are some clever tips for skilled players that have learned to become creative and quick-witted.
Armor-Swap
Unless you’re sporting some gold, healing can easily get you killed. And even if you eliminate an entire squad, you are always vulnerable to a Third Party. They will be looking to take advantage of your weakened health after hearing all the gunfire. True, many have learned that looting an eliminated enemy will offer up a full Body Shield. However, this can also be crucial in the middle of a firefight. If you’re out of Shield Cells or Batteries, you can finish off a knocked opponent for their armor. More likely, it can also genuinely be worth it to swap for lesser armor sitting nearby, just to survive in a pinch. Particularly if your teammates are down, leaving you without cover or time.
Wire-Hop
Ziplines are always tricky, despite allowing you to traverse great distances. Most importantly, it is very difficult to aim while riding a zipline, and you’re perfectly lined up for the enemy. Additionally, the entire zipline wobbles. This further signals players who might not even notice you at first. So, there will frequently be occasions to turn around and hop, in order to go backwards. This method can be spammed while moving forward. This is useful to be preventive, but especially when you’re under fire. Jump, catch onto the zipline again, and swiftly repeat. But once you near the end of the zipline, quit, because it will automatically reverse your direction instead of continuing forward.
Balloon Surveillance
Jump Towers will consistently give away your position, once you launch from the top. And often, they’re used in a hurry to outrun the relentless Ring. But those players who rotate with planned strategy can use Jump Towers for another purpose: recon. Rise up the Jump Tower, and just before you reach the balloon, drop back down.
This can allow you to review vast distances of the surrounding area. This will help to locate enemy squads, spot which Supply Bins have been looted, and plot your next course. Even if an enemy spots you, at least you aren’t walking into their ambush up ahead.
Control Your Magazine
Particularly with automatic weapons, it can be easy to exhaust your entire magazine the instant an enemy pops out. But it is always important to control your panic, and to refrain from stubbornness. If you are missing, do not continue to spray and pray. Take just a split second to readjust and secure a well-aimed shot instead. It might seem counter-intuitive, but firepower doesn’t necessarily compensate for lesser aim. Skilled shooters have developed a tricky strafe as far back as Halo: CE, and worse, they shoot simultaneously. So, do not force yourself to reload, or resort to a lesser secondary weapon, unless you have to. And if the enemy peeks out from a corner, don’t unload an entire magazine, just hoping to clip them.
Lifeline Shield
Although Lifeline heals more quickly, including downed teammates, her shield is a beacon to the enemy. It signals a squad to push on you, because two-thirds of your team is occupied. However, these characteristics can be used to your advantage in a pinch. Firstly, you can use the whirring sound of D.O.C. as bait to suggest that you need healing when you don’t. The same goes for Lifeline’s shield, luring the enemy to attack, when you’re actually ready to defend. But trickiest of all, you can use Lifeline’s shield as a literal shield in close-quarters combat. Begin to revive a teammate just while the enemy is shooting, then release and fire back. Repeat as necessary, and it might just save you. These tactics are especially handy when both teammates are down.
Portal For Revival
Portal’s Chell had the right idea—now make GLaDOS proud. Obviously, Wraith’s ability to phase while she extends a portal is highly useful for crossing dangerous terrain. Your entire squad can escape the sharpest eyes of a sniper. However, Wraith’s portal is also useful for downed teammates. Instead of defending another knocked teammate who tried to be a lone wolf, offer them a portal to safety.
You can revive them on your end, rather than fend off the chaos. This is also a great way to help out teammates that might otherwise bleed out from the Ring. If they’re out of health, they can still crawl through Wraith’s portal to survive even longer.
Final Round Ultimates
The final round can result in some bizarre positions. This is when even the tournaments become messy. Strategy is correspondingly reduced as the Ring subtracts available area. This also heightens the effects of every maneuver. Ultimates can be used to turn the tide in the final round. Lifeline’s care package can offer you cover if everyone is forced into the open. Pathfinder’s zipline can be used to swing back and forth like the equally quippy Spider-Man, above a maelstrom of warring squads in the tiniest zones. And if teams are trapped above and below each other, some ultimates decide champions. Drop air strikes at your feet to attack the ceiling. Or if it’s a health war, use the maximum capacity of Wraith’s portal to survive the orange as it closes in completely.
Noxious Cover
Caustic has many straightforward uses—leaving traps at various doors, at the end of ziplines, and so forth. However, there are also defenses that some might not realize. If a teammate has been downed, drop a Gas Trap and shoot it to create a cloud of cover while you revive them. And while Caustic’s ultimate grenade might seem like a distinctly offensive ability, it can also be used for perfect cover. From a distance, throw your ultimate directly onto downed teammates. This can prevent the enemy from securing their kill while you calculate a plan. It’s basically a poisonous Bangalore tactical. In choke points and tighter Rings, this mindset can also allow your squad to push, heal, or re-position.
Two-Step Finisher
This isn’t literally a finisher, but rather, a workaround for knockdown shields. True, it’s generally best to leave knocked enemies be while you finish their teammates. However, they will always give away your position. And you might actually need their armor in tough situations, like a Third Party’s attack. So, here’s a little tip for finishing them off quickly—a knocked enemy cannot turn as quickly as you strafe. Slide to the left, convincing them to point their shield at you, then promptly slide to the right. Unless they drop their shield altogether, they won’t turn quickly enough to stop your bullets. Fooling them into turning the wrong way, trying to anticipate your movement, consistently works.
Always Re-Position
Movement is life, almost every time. Once a team recognizes your position, they can formulate a plan to eliminate you. This even holds true in the middle of a firefight. It’s easy to get trapped in a building while the enemy flushes you out, or decides to push. Generally speaking, it is best to stick together. But it can also help to level-change within structures, particularly if your teammates are already down. Somehow, it is surprisingly easy to lose an individual if they circle around, double back, climb or descend throughout combat. And if the enemy is weakened, you can even catch them unawares while they try to loot your dead teammates.