Move over Fortnite, there’s a new king in town. OK, maybe it’s too early to be saying stuff like that, but there’s no denying the impact that Apex Legends has had on the gaming community. According to the latest report, the game has amassed 25 million players, but that number has likely expanded. It’s also the top individual game on Twitch, and it has bumped Fortnite to third place (behind League of Legends).
It’s clear that the game is generating an enormous audience, and as such, more and more people are flocking to it. But this isn’t like most games. Yes, it has a tutorial, but that is very brief and hardly goes into the mechanics and complexities of the game, its controls, and its various strategies. This obviously results in many ignorant players, many of whom could probably be better players if they knew the intricate mechanics of the game rather than just the base controls.
Like Dark Souls, Apex Legends contains many “hidden” mechanics, and it expects you to learn as you go. And that’s not a bad thing. Unfortunately, this causes a rift between the experienced players and the newbies. How dejecting is it to see your level 5 player with one kill next to a level 85 adorned with achievement badges?
Lucky for you, we’re here to help. These are fifteen things that you might not have been aware you could do, and ten mistakes that new players commonly make.
Can Do: Pathfinder Can Grapple Enemies
Pathfinder is an often overlooked Legend, mainly because the majority of people sleep on his tactical and ultimate abilities. Why shoot zip lines when you can rain down missiles, you know? However, his grapple is actually very effective in the right hands and can be utilized offensively. Pathfinder can grapple enemy players, which of course swiftly closes the gap between their respective locations. Follow this up with a quick shotgun blast, and you can see how useful it can be.
Mistake: Don’t Execute In The Middle Of Battle
Players love to execute each other. It’s a nice way to rub your victory in their faces, and it looks cool to boot. But there’s a time and a place for executions, and the middle of a gunfight is not one of them. You’re better off shooting a downed enemy, because performing an execution leaves you wide open for attack. Plus, the animation is slow, so you’re only wasting precious time by showing off. Save the execution for the last player.
Can Do: Interrupt Executions
And while we’re on the topic, you can absolutely interrupt an enemy’s execution. Like I said, performing executions are very slow and they leave the player wide open for attack, so you might as well take advantage of the opportunity. But beware, attacking an enemy snaps them out of their attack animation, allowing them to defend themselves and/or perform counter attack against you. So you better make it count - a nice shotgun blast or two should do the trick.
Mistake: Shooting At Enemies Halfway Across The Map
It happens in most games - a particularly overzealous player sees some specks in the distance, pings their location to their teammates, and starts shooting at them with an assault rifle. This is probably the worst thing you could possibly do. Sure, if you have a sniper rifle, then go crazy, but otherwise leave them alone. It’s not only a huge waste of ammo, but it gives away your position to them and the squads in the nearby vicinity. Try tracking instead.
Can Do: Jump From Any Height
A lot of new players like to play cautiously. Therefore, they will sidestep around a massive ledge and find a way safe way down rather than just jumping. There is absolutely no fall damage in this game, so you are free to jump from any height, including from the supply ships. It helps keep the game flowing, and it allows for quick escapes if you find yourself in trouble. Seriously, go against your instincts and don’t be afraid to jump!
Mistake: Picking Up Everything
New players may feel the need to pick up everything - after all, you never know when a Skullpiercer will come in handy! The only thing is that certain items are only applicable with certain weapons, and that Skullpiercer is useless if you’re using a Devotion and Peacekeeper. Picking up random items is a good way to needlessly clog your backpack, and worse, you could be inhibiting your teammate who DOES have a gun compatible with the Skullpiercer. Pay attention to what does what!
Can Do: Destroy Caustic’s Gas Traps
Caustic’s gas traps are one of the most frustrating things to encounter in the game. Finding yourself in the middle of a gas maze almost always results in elimination, and the traps can seem way too OP as a result. Luckily, there IS a way to counter the traps (aside from utilizing tactical abilities). Simply shoot the red portion of the trap (located near the bottom) in order to disable it, allowing safe passage for you and your team. Easy peasy!
Mistake: Always Going For The Hot Zone
The Hot Zone is the initial area on the map with incredible loot. Naturally, teams flock to it in the hopes of obtaining high tier armor and weapons. And there’s nothing worse than a new player going to it and getting downed in the first thirty seconds while their teammates are on the other side of the map. We understand that dropping there makes for a good learning experience, but if you want to train, play with friends and not with randoms.
Can Do: Burst Open Doors
Opening a door is boring. Violently kicking it open is where it’s at! There may come a time when you are unable to open a door - someone is on the other side, or there’s a dangerous gas trap waiting to be tripped. Luckily, you can knock down doors by running at it and holding the melee button. Your character will burst down the door, which in turn will knock over an enemy or disable a gas trap! Respawn really did think of everything.
Mistake: Testing Out New Weapons By Firing Them
I get it - you’re new to the game, and you don’t know what weapon does what. So, naturally, you pick it up and fire off a few rounds to see what the baby can do. Please don’t do this. Apex Legends places a huge emphasis on sound, and distant gunshots are a huge part of that. Needlessly firing off your gun not only wastes ammo, but it gives away your location to nearby enemy teams. Keep those bullets in that gun!
Can Do: Destroy Apex Pack Robots
Littered throughout the map are glowing robots that look like the Apex Packs. These aren’t cute little Easter eggs - they’re actually very valuable (and rare) finds, and you shouldn’t sleep on them. If you punch or shoot these robots, they will break open and spill valuable loot, which you can easily snag to get a leg up on your opponents. They often contain level 2 or 3 shields and helmets, along with various useful items like scopes and gun stocks.
Can Do: Ask For Weapon Upgrades And Ammo
Apex Legends is a hectic game, and as such, it’s entirely possible to miss fantastic weapon upgrades or ammo. Luckily, you can ask your team for help. Simply press the menu/start button and hover over what you need. Then simply press the ping button and your character will ask for whatever it is you pinged. If you have particularly helpful teammates, they may drop whatever you need from their inventory or ping you whenever they come across the item in their travels.
Can Do: Drop In The Coastal Areas
Rather than dropping into the Hot Zone, try to land in a coastal area. Devout players have already done some mental gymnastics and discovered that the coastal areas in the game (places like Airbase, Thunderdome, and the Water Treatment plant) have the greatest chance of containing high tier loot - far more than in-land locations. Teams don’t tend to converge in these locations either, allowing you the freedom to loot and stock up on good stuff before venturing into battle.
Can Do: Use Bangalore’s Smoke Launcher While Healing
You wouldn’t know it, but Bangalore is a fantastic choice for defensive players. She arguably has the greatest passive in the game (faster movement while being attacked), and her smoke launcher is great for disrupting enemy momentum. Plus, you can heal WHILE using your smoke launcher. Combine all three (dash away, heal, and lay some smoke) to make a very fast and effective getaway! Yeah, you don’t save THAT much time, but in a game like this, every second counts.
Mistake: Going Solo
This is part 2 to the “dropping into the hot zone” entry. Apex Legends is undoubtedly a team-based game, and you NEED to stay with them if you hope to survive. You may fancy yourself as Rambo, but trust us, you’re not - going solo will do nothing but infuriate your team and get you eliminated. It doesn’t matter if you have the highest loot possible, you WILL be downed if a three-man squad converges on you. This is not the game for heroes.
Mistake: Treating It Like An FPS
Apex Legends may be a first-person shooter, but it’s not a first-person shooter if you know what I mean. This isn’t like Call of Duty or Battlefield where you can just go gung-ho. The point of this game is to survive, not to take out as many enemies as possible. Yes, it nets you more XP, and that’s good, but it’s not a great strategy if you hope to actually win the game. Just hang back, strategize, and use your brains rather than your brawn.
Can Do: Run Up Walls
Apex takes place in the Titanfall universe, so you can take advantage of wall running. While running, you can press and hold the jump button to run up certain walls (you obviously can’t scale an entire building - keep your priorities in check!). This is a handy little tool for saving time, as you don’t need to run around looking for a staircase. It also makes for a great escape strategy, as you can scale a nearby wall and take cover while you heal.
Mistake: Don’t Join In A Battle
While playing Apex you will undoubtedly come across two or more teams duking it out. This is especially prevalent near the end as the teams are forced closer together. But please, if you see various teams in the middle of a battle, DO NOT join in! Simply hang back and observe, and when the time is right, attack the surviving team. Not only will they be weakened, but they’ll be too busy healing and looting the eliminated players to pay any attention to you.
Can Do: Wall Hang
Walls really are a handy tool in Apex. Not only can you run up them for a quick getaway, but you can also hang from them to observe an enemy team. To wall hang, simply run up the wall like you normally would, but don’t vault over - simply stop as you near the ledge. Stealthy players can then utilize the wall hang to observe players, look around for nearby loot, or ping nearby items of interest. It’s certainly better than charging in all willy-nilly!
Mistake: Not Utilizing The Ping System
And while we’re on the topic of pinging, new players NEED to utilize the system! It’s easy, and it serves as an effective communication device. In short, it’s essential. If you see a level two or three shield and you already have one, ping it for your teammates. If you see a cool weapon or ammo that your teammates have asked for, ping it. Ping a location that you want to check out. In short, use the pings! Embrace the pings.
