Fortnite Season X: How To Counter The BRUTE Mecha

It's not unbeatable.

Brute

Fortnite Season X is here, and while many agree that the Battle Pass is great and the promise of continuous map updates is intriguing, the BRUTE mecha has not been nearly as well-received. A certified killing machine, you’re in for a bad time if one of these two-man vehicles of destruction line you up in their sights.

Though they are pretty daunting to go up against thanks to having 1000 HP and a whole lot of firepower, they are far from invincible. In fact, if you know how to counter the BRUTE, they may end up just being a mild annoyance instead of the game-ruiner many find them to be.

Here’s everything you need to know to counter the Brute in Fortnite Season X.

Keep your distance
Easily the most essential tip of them all, don’t try and trade fire with a Brute from close-range. Not only will the rockets be on you in a second, but its shotgun can tear you apart without much fuss. Stay in mid-long range and pepper it with rifle shots while also being mindful the commotion isn’t attracting other players. A Driftboard is also a brilliant vehicle to have for this tactic.

Boogie on down
Boogie Bombs are some of the best and most beloved utility items in Fortnite, being a major part of the game ever since almost its start. Those sick of Ballers for the last two seasons made use of Boogie Bombs to dislodge players from them, and it works the same when it comes to BRUTEs. Once the enemies are out of the mecha, you can either shoot them up or climb into the mecha yourself for some poetic justice.

Shoot them in the head
All Brutes have an orange dome that protects the gunner, which can withstand a good bit of damage. However, it will soon break with a couple of well-placed sniper shots or concentrated rifle fire, leaving the gunner exposed. You will need to do roughly 300 damage on the head of the Brute to kill the gunner, which is a damn sight better than having to rack up 1000. At the moment, most BRUTE operators tend to stand still more than they should (particularly in solo), so this shouldn’t be too difficult a strategy to pull off.

Shoot them in the crotch
If a BRUTE is moving around, that means someone is driving it from its “special” area. These players are completely unprotected, so you can make short work of them with some rifle fire. A sniper headshot is incredibly unlikely considering that their heads are somewhat obscured, but if you get lucky then that’s the mecha’s mobility completely gone. If it’s duos or squads, the enemy player left in the BRUTE will be like a sitting duck.

Jump in
A pretty ballsy technique, but one that can pay off for you if you time it just right and avoid all of the BRUTE’s attacks. If a solo player is operating the BRUTE, that means there’s an empty seat waiting for you to jump in. Once you’re inside the BRUTE, you can either mess around with the other player or set it to self-destruct, which will cause 100 damage and potentially eliminate the enemy player. Be vary wary about even trying this when in duos and squads, however.

While all of these tactics can work wonders against a BRUTE, sometimes there is absolutely nothing you can do against them, especially if you’ve just landed. While they are a fun addition to casual play, their placement in ranked modes is very questionable. Similarly to every other big new season addition (planes, for instance), expect some significant nerfs to the BRUTE somewhere down the line.

For our money, there are two things Epic should do to make the BRUTE less of a game-changer. First off, those rockets are incredibly excessive, so they should be reduced down to five while sticking to the same amount of time it would take to shoot ten. In addition, the HP could do with a nerf, though not too huge of one — 750 HP instead of 1000 HP should do it.

MORE FORTNITE SEASON X:
Fortnite Season X/10 Map Changes From Week-To-Week
Fortnite v10.0 Leaked Skins & Cosmetics: Bronto, Bubble Bomber, Facet & More
Fortnite Season X/10 Battle Pass Skins & Styles: Catalyst, Ultima Knight, Eternal Voyager & More

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