Battle Royale games are here to stay. That is until one of the big publishers run the concept into the ground, of course. We’ve had plenty of games and spin-offs in the “new” subgenre over the past year or so, but PUBG is, more less, seen as king; the one that made it big first. But there’s one massive contender for its crown: Fortnite Battle Royale, the extra mode that was built on top of the base game and has already far outstripped its PVE component in terms of popularity.
If, like millions of others, you are thinking of getting into Fortnite Battle Royale, you may be a little bewildered at to begin with. Picking up the gunplay is one thing, but how do you build a base? Should you stay in one spot or constantly be on the move? Luckily for you, we have some Fortnite tips to help you out.
However, it’s important to note off the bat that these are by no means definitive tips. You should always check out what others are suggesting about the game as well as checking some of Fortnite’s most popular streamers to see what they do, the little quirks they pull off to great effect. It’s also a good idea to mention that I am nowhere near being a pro player – I have a handful of wins to my name and a K/D that alarmingly fluctuates.
That being said, here are some of my tips for Fortnite. Got any of your own? Sound them off in the comments.
Easy Fortnite Tips For Beginners
1. Use your ears
By far and away the most simple but essential Fortnite tip I have to give. Sound is a huge part of Fortnite, allowing you to pinpoint player movement and the direction of gunfire, which can then lead to a lot of tasty scraps when you pick off the weakened victor. I’ve lost track of the amount of people I’ve ran up on oblivious people who simply weren’t paying attention. Pick up your headphones and get hunting.
2. Material shields
This one is pretty vital, especially if you’re caught out in a field with little cover. The solution? Make your own cover. The second you hear a gunshot whizzing past you or hitting its target, throw up a quick wall, perhaps even fancying it up with a ramp. It will save your ass and also give you a better chance to scope out where the attacker is. Don’t just sit in the box, though: when you know an opponent is running at you, take shots or build higher.
3. Shield up
Personally, I don’t particularly like the implementation of shields in Fortnite, but they’re such a huge part of gameplay — if you don’t find any early on, you’ll be back in the lobby before you even had a chance to settle in. If you see a mini-shield potion, sink it as fast as you can. With a full-sized shield, however, you may want to hang on until you find some minis as you will not then be able to use minis if your shields are over halfway full. It might be worth stacking up small shield potions for the later, frantic stages of the match instead of fifties, though this will ultimately be determined by your playstyle.
4. Organise your inventory
If cleanliness is next to godliness, not arranging your inventory into distinguished areas is next to dumbness. Or something like that. Basically, I assign all of my weapons to the first few slots and then leave any health items and the like to he “right” side. This way, I know what to press if I’m in the middle of a firefight and need to switch guns rather than accidentally getting my bandages out and trying to nurse my attacker to death.
5. Pick your battles
See a guy hundred of metres away and only have a stock assault rifle? Leave him to it: you never know how well-equipped he might be and how vulnerable you will become. Follow them for a while and get up close and personal if you can, or just leave them for another day.
6. Find your rotation
When you first play Fortnite, you’re probably going to drop somewhere completely blind and hope for the best. After a while, though, you will get a good idea for the map, which is when you should start finding “routes” and drop points to easily pick up loot and resources. I have a strat where I drop on top of the disco near what used to be Flush Factory and then hoover up all of the mats and chests. It’s low-conflict and straightforward, but you can pick up a fair few kills still.
7. Get farming
If you want to succeed in Fortnite (and don’t want to simply hide in bushes), you’re going to have to get farming for resources. You want to try for 500+ of stone and wood if you can and have at least a couple hundred wood for emergencies or building quick ramps. Metal is the least abundant and a bit of a bore to farm, so I typically stock up on wood by hitting trees as I wander. You will need metal for the final stages, though, especially if you’re going to tower up but don’t forget that it’s very brittle when initially placed.
8. Hit the blue spot
This seriously took me longer than I would have liked to realise. When you hit stuff, do you see that blue circle that comes up? You have to hit that to break things down quicker with critical hits: normal hits do 50 damage and criticals do 100.
9. Practice your shotty hops (shops?)
I, admittedly, suck hard at this, but it’s a fundamental of gameplay whether you like it or not: jumping while in close range of an opponent while popping off shotgun shells. There’s a trick and a rhythm to it, but the basic idea is to try not to zoom in while shooting as it can leave you a little bit lost aim-wise; “free” aiming is the best way to keep up with a constantly moving enemy. In the current meta, hit your pump shot and then swap to an SMG, Deagle or AK for the follow-up.
10. Be wary of the storm once you’re out of it
A common mistake of mine, I all too often stop right in my tracks once I have ran through the storm and into safety. The problem? I’m more than likely not the only one who’s just escaped it. It can be tempting to heal up as soon as you’re safe, but try to get to some cover first. As a bonus, being ready and healed is a good way to catch any unaware stragglers.
11. Watch for dust trails
It’s quite easy to spot people in Fortnite due to the dust trails that they leave behind. This isn’t to say that you should constantly be looking down at the floor, rather that it’s something to watch out for if you aren’t sure where someone is. Bear in mind though that a player who goes around a corner may just be waiting to shoot you the second you turn the same corner. Don’t forget that this works both ways, either.
12. Reconsider medkits
If you’re down to a worrying amount of health, a medkit is your best option. However, due to the ten seconds it takes to apply them, it’s not always feasible for the later stages of matches; this is especially true for Chug Jugs. I typically stack small shields and, if my inventory allows, bandages so that I can heal up well enough without feeling exposed while I apply them. Slurps are now probably the most useful thing you could have, though.
13. Don’t completely break down big trees
I regularly play with randoms in Duos and Squads matches and I keep having to drum this into default skins — treat ’em mean, and all that. Don’t break down the huge trees that give you huge amounts of wood because it’s basically a massive sign to enemy players that you’re there. Leave it on 50 “health” and you should be able to farm in relative peace. You’re good for smaller trees, though relatively nearby players may be able to see the “black fog”.
14. You don’t have to take every build-off
Fortnite is often a game about showing off, effectively unzipping your balls from their fabric holster and plopping them down on the table for all to see. Many players think that an incredible build-off is the game at its best, but really, it’s just them at their stupidest. Do not be afraid to disengage if the height is getting too much as it’ll be all too easy for a third-party to roll up and break it all down.
15. Don’t rush out of the first house you land at
You managed to land at a house undisturbed and have found a weapon, what do you do next? If your answer is rush out and try to kill everyone, you’re a brave fool. Instead, you want to stock up on resources by breaking down things like furniture for easy wood. You should look to leave with a minimum of 100 mats, especially if you’re in a busy spot.
16. Hop hop hop
One of the classic Fortnite tips that may never go out of fashion. You’re going to want to hop almost everywhere if you’re out in the open; just assume that there is always a sniper watching. Jumping around may make you more obvious to some, but it makes you a damn sight harder to land a headshot on. If you have plenty of time before the storm moves in and are out in the open, weave around and hop erratically to throw people off.
17. Pick off the weak
Hear a gunfight in the distance? Make your way towards it and keep an eye on your kill-feed. If you’re bloodthirsty or confident enough, you could potentially take both of them down, but it might be wiser to watch it unfold and then strike when one of them comes out on top. They might be weakened, which is when you should move in like a shark and finish them off. It’s dirty, but it’s effective.
18. Just get in the final circles ASAP
Unless you’re a master killer, simply getting into the final circles is more important than eliminations as just getting licked by the storm at that point in the match will destroy your health. If you’re hearing other players fight each other, use the distraction to get into the safe area. From there, you can suppress anyone trying to get to safety, which may force them back in the storm and an easy death.
19. Save your materials for the final circles
So many deaths happen in the endgame of Fortnite because players run out of mats. If you have <500 materials across the boards going into the top ten, be very conservative with them — you may want to avoid building a ridiculously tall tower. Likewise, don’t spam builds unless you can really help it, you will need them to ramp up hills if the circle is on higher ground or if you are going for the skybase approach.
20. Wall up right after a sniper shot
If you’re engaging another player in a snipe-off, consider bringing a wall up in front of you as soon as you shoot your shot. This will (hopefully) protect you from their shot and also give you a platform from which to get a different shot off. Staying in one place during a sniper battle is a quick way to get shot right in the head.
21. Put that Rocket Launcher down
Many players believe that finding a Rocket Launcher is like inputting a cheat code. While the weapon is a huge help in some situations, it’s horrendous for others and doesn’t really improve you as a player if you need it to get a win. It can also be suicidal in close quarters and can be countered by anyone who knows what they’re doing. Pick up a Sniper, Minigun, or maybe even an additional heal instead.
22. Finish your fights ASAP
While there may be the temptation to taunt a player you’ve backed into turtling up, don’t. Third-partying is a common thing in Fortnite (especially in Solo) so you want to dispatch of enemies as quickly as you can. If a fight is dragging on for far too long with the other player just putting up wall after wall, it may be worth simply disengaging or taking a second to look around your surroundings to see any incoming players before you continue your assault.
23. Utilise first-shot accuracy
Bloom is a real pain in Fortnite and can often be the flip of a coin. To negate this, Epic introduced first-shot accuracy. This is basically where you crouch and keep your aim still, making your crosshair as tight as possible. First-shot accuracy is exactly what it says: it allows you to hit your shots, which is vital if you’re going for mid-to-long range shooting.
Need more gaming tips? We’ve got some suggestions for how to progress in Siege that may tickle your pickle. Just want more games coverage? Check out all of the 2019 games you should be rather stoked for. Or you could just completely ignore me and check up on what the best Fortnite players are up to instead.
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site. We cover gaming news, movie reviews, wrestling and much more.
