Even though Apex Legends has been available for nearly five years at this point, it remains one of the more mechanically dense free-to-play battle royale shooters in the mainstream market. Starting the game back in 2019 was daunting enough, as people had to get used to the characters’ abilities, unique movement options, and fictional guns that could be difficult to understand. Like, if you find an AK-47 in Call of Duty: Warzone and you’ve been playing video games for any amount of time, you know what to expect. Yet, when you drop into King’s Landing and the first weapon you find is a shotgun-pistol-thing called a Mozambique, all bets are off. Having said that, Apex has only grown more complicated since launch as Respawn Entertainment has constantly updated the game with new weapons, characters, and maps, so one has to imagine that getting into the game now is more challenging than ever. To help alleviate some of that stress, I wanted to share some top Apex Legends tips for beginners since every day likely sees plenty of people either playing for the first time or wanting to improve their skills.
I’m presenting the information here from my own perspective. I’m not an Apex Legends pro (I’m still waiting on my first Heirloom Weapon, dammit!) but having played since release, I think I can provide a helping hand to those who simply want to enjoy the game with their friends. No one wants to be carried to victory, so let’s at least make sure you get there standing on your own two feet!
1. Get Moving and Sliding!
Apex Legends is arguably the fastest battle royale on the market (not counting F-Zero 99), demanding that players who want to win get mobile as they explore the map. One of the game’s best features is the slide, which will give you a substantial speed boost when used downhill. With that in mind, you should be sliding as much as possible, so if you’re playing on PC, I highly recommend remapping the slide button (by default it’s the same button you use to crouch) to the most accessible key possible given how often you’ll be using it.
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This applies to movement both in and out of combat, by the way. Recent updates have sped up Apex Legends and with the addition of characters like Ash and Catalyst, staying ahead of your opponents and avoiding abilities that intentionally destroy momentum is an absolute must. Plus, the maps are huge, and the Ring moves fast so you should take whatever speed advantage you can get. While games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds may reward players for bunkering down in one spot (otherwise known as “ratting), that’ll only get you swift death in Apex.
2. Don’t Fear the Ring… at First
Maybe this seems a little counterintuitive based on how I ended the last point, but it’s an important realization many players have too late: the Ring doesn’t necessarily mean death, especially in the early stages of a match. While the characters may constantly sprout warnings about the circle closing, there’s no need to rush through looting just to make sure you stay within the playable boundaries. If you do get caught outside of the Ring and the blaring, fiery red light envelops your vision, just run for the closest exit point and start using meds to heal the damage.
Healing supplies should be one of your priorities when it comes to looting, so make sure you have plenty of syringes and med kits to keep you going. If you pick up enough, you can stay outside of the Ring for a surprisingly long time. Use this to your advantage and loot places that other teams may have avoided in hoping to keep their pants unsinged. I will caution you though that healing your way through The Ring is only really possible for the first two rounds. After that it begins to chunk away at your health. Oh, and don’t use Shield Cells to counteract the Ring’s damage; it only goes for your health. Your armor means nothing here!
3. Stick By Your Loot
When it comes to guns, Apex Legends has PLENTY to choose from. So many, in fact, that deciding which to keep and which to toss can be difficult. My advice is to stick to two weapons rather than constantly swapping your loot out for something you think might be better. This kind of indecision drastically slows down looting and can lead to scenarios where your backpack’s limited storage is stuffed with items and ammo you don’t actually need. Now, I’m not saying to grab the nearest P2020 and call it for the day; in that scenario, you obviously want to keep your eyes open for something more sustainable for the mid and late-game.
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What I’m getting at is that once you’ve found a weapon you’re comfortable with that CAN take you all the way, like an R99, EVA-8, or Triple Take, stick with it rather than looking for something better. Not only will you begin to understand how the different weapons work, but you won’t be held back when it comes to engaging in battles and leveling up your shields. Oh, I also recommend trying to keep one close-range and one mid-to-long-range weapon on you just to make sure you’re covered for most kinds of encounters. My personal favorite combo is the Peacekeeper and Flatline, but your mileage will likely vary.
4. Third Party Is the Winning Party
When you’re starting out the game, it’s likely that you won’t be winning any fair, balanced encounters. That’s the painful truth. Honestly, even with hundreds of hours in the game, it’s a 3-v-3 brawl that can go either way based on countless factors. If you’ve played with people who know what they’re doing, then you’ve likely heard the term “Third Partying” thrown around. It means waiting for two groups to engage and then, once the dust has fallen and one team is eliminated, swooping in and destroying the survivors before they have an opportunity to heal up. It’s not a strategy that’s exclusive to Apex. You can find it in nearly every popular battle royale game. It just so happens that with the split power levels and abilities, capitalizing on those moments is usually essential to prevailing in the Apex Games.
There’s a reason why certain Legends like Bloodhound, Ash, and Crypto have abilities that allow them to track players. Aside from just getting the jump, it’s often more fun to trail a team until they get into a firefight with a different group. Apex Legends has the pace of a sprint, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be a little sneaky and thoughtful when it comes to setting up the perfect trap.
5. Guerillas in the Mist
Given how fast Apex Legends moves, it’s refreshing that the time to kill is so high. I haven’t checked in with Warzone in a while but when I last played Call of Duty‘s battle royale, it felt like people would drop instantly. With rechargeable shields that upgrade with the more damage you dish out, it can take a while to bring an opponent down. In a 1-v-1 battle, you better make sure your aim is true because you’ll need every bullet in a magazine just to destroy an opponent’s shields. That’s why it’s often better to duck and weave out of encounters. When you get the drop on a player, pump enough lead into them to shatter their shields and then immediately pull back, take cover, and reload. Yes, you’re giving them an opportunity to heal, but you now also have a chance to reload. It takes longer to use a single Shield Cell than it does to swap magazines.
That doesn’t mean you should just stand out in the open, jumping about like a Fortnite player while reloading. Always take a second to breathe behind cover before heading back into the fray and finishing off your target. Fights in Apex almost always take place in two parts and they’re won and lost in the second bout, so make sure you’re as prepared as you can be when re-engaging.
Again, I highly doubt these are tips that will see you competing alongside the best players in the world. but everyone has to start somewhere. Apex Legends is probably one of the toughest battle royale games to get into and understand, so don’t get down on yourself if you keep dying. That’s just the nature of the beast. As long as you keep moving forward, stand by your decisions, and conduct your encounters like a pack of filthy Star Wars Rebels, you’ll feel the improvement faster than you might think.
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