Apex Legends, a fast-paced battle royale developed by Respawn Entertainment, stands out for its unique blend of first-person shooter mechanics and hero-based abilities. In this game, it’s not just about shooting accurately; it’s about utilizing your Legend’s abilities, team play, and strategic thinking to outlast the competition. Whether you’re new to Apex Legends or a seasoned player, this guide will cover essential tips, strategies, and advanced tactics to help you survive and thrive in the arena.
1. Choosing the Right Legend for Your Playstyle
Apex Legends offers a variety of Legends, each with unique abilities that can drastically affect your gameplay. Choosing a Legend that suits your playstyle is key to excelling in the game.
Aggressive Legends: Push the Fight
If you prefer aggressive play, consider Legends like Wraith, Octane, or Bangalore. These Legends excel at closing the distance between you and your enemies, with abilities designed for mobility and fast-paced engagements.
Defensive Legends: Holding Your Ground
For players who prefer a more defensive or supportive role, Legends like Gibraltar, Caustic, and Wattson are ideal. Their abilities revolve around fortifying areas and protecting the team from enemy fire, making them great for holding choke points and late-game circles.
2. Mastering the Drop: Where and How to Land
The drop is one of the most crucial moments in Apex Legends. Your choice of landing spot will determine your early-game loot and combat opportunities.
Hot Zones and High-Risk Areas
If you’re looking for action, drop into high-traffic areas like Skull Town (on King’s Canyon) or Fragment (on World’s Edge). These areas have high-tier loot but attract many players, leading to early fights. Prepare to engage as soon as you land.
Safe Zones for Steady Start
If you prefer a more controlled start, land in quieter areas that are farther from the flight path. These locations give you time to loot and prepare for mid-game without the immediate threat of combat.
3. Efficient Looting: Gear Up Quickly
Once you land, efficient looting is key to survival. Apex Legends’ fast-paced nature means that slow looting can leave you unprepared for upcoming fights.
Prioritize Armor and Healing
Always prioritize finding the highest-tier armor you can and stock up on healing items like Shield Cells, Shield Batteries, and Med Kits. Shield management is crucial in Apex Legends since shields regenerate separately from health.
Best Weapon Combinations
A well-rounded loadout typically consists of a close-range weapon (like the Peacekeeper or R-99) and a long-range weapon (such as the Triple Take or Longbow). This allows you to be effective in both close-quarters combat and ranged engagements.
4. Team Coordination: Playing as a Squad
Apex Legends is a squad-based game, and teamwork is essential for victory. Even if you’re playing with random players, good communication and coordination can greatly increase your chances of survival.
Communication Without Voice Chat
If you’re not using voice chat, make use of Apex Legends’ excellent ping system. You can ping enemies, loot, locations, and even suggest strategies like where to rotate. Keeping your team informed is crucial for coordinated plays.
Sharing Resources
Always communicate with your team about extra gear and resources. Sharing shields, ammo, or healing items can make a huge difference, especially in the late game. A well-prepared team is much harder to eliminate.
5. Using Abilities to Gain the Advantage
Each Legend in Apex has unique abilities that can drastically change the flow of combat. Knowing when and how to use these abilities is critical.
Tactical and Ultimate Abilities
Legends like Bloodhound, with their scanning ability, provide crucial intel, while Gibraltar’s Defensive Dome can save your squad in tight situations. Make sure to coordinate the use of these abilities with your teammates for maximum effect.
Don’t Forget About Passives
Many players focus on tactical and ultimate abilities but forget about passive abilities. For example, Lifeline’s passive allows for faster healing, and Bangalore’s passive gives her increased movement speed when taking damage. Using passive abilities wisely can turn the tide of battle.
6. Mastering Movement: Stay Mobile
Movement is a key aspect of Apex Legends. The game’s fluid movement system allows for fast-paced combat and quick rotations around the map.
Sliding and Bunny Hopping
Make use of Apex’s slide mechanic to move quickly downhill or evade enemy fire. Sliding into cover or around corners can make you a harder target to hit. Bunny hopping while healing is another advanced movement tactic that allows you to stay mobile while recovering health or shields.
Zip Lines and Jump Towers
Use zip lines and jump towers to reposition quickly across the map. These tools can get you out of dangerous situations or give you a height advantage over enemies. However, remember that they also make you vulnerable, as enemies can easily track your movement.
7. Managing the Ring: Positioning and Rotations
The shrinking ring in Apex Legends forces players into smaller and smaller areas, and managing your position relative to the ring is essential for survival.
Early Game: Avoid Ring Damage
In the early game, focus on looting but always keep an eye on the ring. Avoid staying outside the ring for too long, as it deals increasing damage over time. Plan your rotations early to avoid being caught in the storm.
Late Game: Holding High Ground
In the late game, positioning is everything. High ground provides a massive advantage, as it allows you to spot enemies and gives you better angles for combat. Try to rotate into favorable positions before the final rings close in.
8. Advanced Combat Techniques: Winning Gunfights
Gunplay in Apex Legends is fast and chaotic, but mastering certain combat techniques can give you the upper hand in engagements.
Armor Swapping in Fights
During combat, if your shield is broken and you’re low on healing, consider armor swapping. This involves quickly picking up a fresh armor from a death box to immediately reset your shields, giving you a better chance of surviving the fight.
Strafing and Cover Usage
Strafing left and right during a gunfight makes you a harder target to hit. Always use cover to your advantage, peeking in and out of it to deal damage while minimizing the time you’re exposed to enemy fire.
9. Reviving and Respawning Teammates
Apex Legends offers unique mechanics that allow downed or dead teammates to rejoin the fight, unlike many other battle royale games.
Safe Revives
If a teammate is down, look for opportunities to revive them in a safe location, ideally behind cover or within a Gibraltar Dome. Make sure you’re not exposed to enemies while reviving, as it takes precious time.
Respawn Beacons
Even if a teammate is fully eliminated, you can grab their banner from their death box and take it to a respawn beacon. This gives them a second chance to come back into the game. Be aware that respawning a teammate alerts enemies to your location, so only use respawn beacons when you’re sure the area is safe.
10. Post-Game Analysis: Learning and Improving
Every match of Apex Legends offers a learning opportunity. Whether you win or lose, reviewing your gameplay can help you identify areas for improvement.
Analyzing Mistakes
After each match, reflect on key moments where things went wrong. Did you overextend in a fight? Did your team fail to rotate in time? Identifying these mistakes and learning from them will help you improve in future games.
Watching Pro Players
Watching professional Apex Legends players or streamers can give you insights into advanced strategies and techniques. Pay attention to their movement, positioning, and decision-making. Try to incorporate what you learn into your own gameplay.
Conclusion
Apex Legends is a game that rewards strategic thinking, teamwork, and skillful execution. By choosing the right Legend, mastering movement, using abilities effectively, and working with your team, you’ll greatly increase your chances of securing victories. Whether you’re aiming to climb the ranks in competitive mode or just looking for more wins in casual play, the tips in this guide will help you improve every aspect of your gameplay.
