How You've Been Playing Apex Legends Wrong This Whole Time
While Fortnite still holds the title of "most popular battle royale game" at the moment, there's a chance the newly released Apex Legends will give Epic Games a run for their money. Apex Legends has taken the battle royale genre and managed to make it unique. This is no easy task in an oversaturated market. A battle royale game that only changes small details like setting or art style would be white noise, but Apex Legends has implemented teamwork, class systems, and many other aspects that make it stand out as a legitimate competitor.
Because Apex Legends is still so new, many gamers are finding themselves lost. They've gone into the game thinking it would be the same as any other battle royale, and the limited tutorial does little to tell them otherwise. There are many common mistakes new players make that can be easily avoided. Treating Apex Legends like any other battle royale game would be the first. Be prepared to change your mindset and adopt some new strategies as we go over common ways new players are playing Apex Legends all wrong.
Change the default control configuration
Control configuration is one of the first things that can set apart a noob from a seasoned player. Sticking with the default controls, while not the end of the world, can hold you back. With Apex Legends specifically, there are a few clunky things about the default configuration that you'll want to change. Of course, the controls should be tailored to your needs and what makes the most sense to your personal gaming style. But there are a few tried and true changes to be made to aid in your victory.
For those playing Apex Legends on a computer, the first thing you'll want to do is change the mouse sensitivity. The default sensitivity is incredibly high and can become disorienting in an already eventful and distracting game. Another configuration change that will help is the damage number settings. Changing your damage number settings to "floating" allows you to see how much damage you're dealing with every hit. Though a cumulative number can be helpful, seeing exactly what shots are most effective gives you concrete examples of how to improve.
Use Smoke Launcher for more than combat
Tactical abilities are one of the things that sets Apex Legends apart from other battle royale games. Having different classes with a host of unique abilities creates a synergy on your three-person team. Instead of fighting with your team on dominance, you're forced to work together. With every legend having their own passive, tactical, and ultimate abilities, it can get confusing fast. This is especially true when you try out a new class for the first time.
One common mistake that players make is with the legend Bangalore. Bangalore's tactical ability is called Smoke Launcher. This skill creates a large wall of smoke wherever the canister is thrown. The obvious advantage is that your enemies can't see you. While you might be tempted to use it simply as a combat advantage, another use for the cover of smoke is the ability to revive your teammates in relative safety. Your opponents can see as little as you can, which means they won't be able to easily find you. This is especially useful against ranged attackers. If you have a downed teammate and use Smoke Launcher, chances are you'll have the time to sneak to your teammate to give them a helping hand. This ability can also be useful for looting an area while avoiding snipers. Make sure you use Smoke Launcher in a variety of situations in order to take full advantage of it.
Know when to use your ultimate abilities
The different passive, tactical, and ultimate abilities each legend possesses in Apex are a way to give your squad a leg up in the competition right from the beginning. If you know the best way to utilize them, that is. Lifeline's Care Package ability, for example, will provide your squad with the equipment they need at the start of the match. But if Lifeline waits until the end of the match to use it, chances are your squad will already have everything the care package could possibly provide.
Offensive abilities like Bangalore's Rolling Thunder will be best utilized to take out enemies in a larger area. Strategic abilities like Pathfinder's Zipline Gun, Wraith's Dimensional Rift, Bloodhound's Beast of the Hunt, and Mirage's Vanishing Act will give your squad the ability to travel discretely and keep a closer eye on your enemies. Vanishing Act in particular is a fantastic ability to use throughout the entire match, as the decoys provide enough confusion to enemies to give you time to find cover. When Vanishing Act is used in conjunction with Dimensional Rift, you can be far away from enemies before they get a single shot on your squad. The best way to master these combinations, is to try out every class at least once and see where your strength lies.
Swallow your pride and use the Mozambique
When it comes to a battle to the death, you can hardly be picky about what weapons you use. If you land in a place with tons of loot and few players, then by all means, take your time to pick. But odds are, if there's a location with high-quality loot, your squad won't be the only one there. When you first land on the map, your number one priority should be acquiring weapons and gear. This means taking literally anything you can get. Yes, even the Mozambique. Don't let your pride get you killed when another squad finds you completely unarmed.
Developers for Apex Legends have acknowledged that the Mozambique is a relatively garbage gun for most players. But if used correctly, it's a much better find than many people know. The triangular pattern the bullets fire in is actually strategic. When you take the time to aim the gun, the pattern is set up to land one shot in the head and two shots to the body. This is obviously very effective when done correctly, given that each bullet can land 15 damage to the body, and 22 to the head. So instead of throwing that Mozambique away in the hopes that you find a better gun before you get killed, just learn to use it better.
Sharing is caring
One habit fans of the battle royal genre are trying to break when playing Apex Legends is the "every man for himself" mindset. In a game where you're supposed to be the last one standing, you can get used to doing everything you can to get ahead. But in Apex, because you're forced to be on teams, you need to alter your normal playstyle to match a team-oriented system. That means learning to share.
In a normal battle royale game, you'll want to get all of the gear you can before any other player has a chance to snag it. In Apex, not only do you need to share gear with your teammates, but you want to make sure they're well equipped. This means not taking a gun you may favor if you already have a weapon and have an unarmed teammate. Teamwork is rewarded in Apex Legends, and the better prepared your squad is, the more likely you'll all succeed. After all, if you get downed by another player, you'll want a squad who can not only take the opponents out, but can come and revive you as well. And no one wants to revive a weapon hoarder.
Use Mirage's decoy while skydiving
While most fans of Apex Legends know that the different unique abilities are valuable, not everyone may know the best way to use them. For example, Mirage has a particularly useful ability when he sends out his decoy. While this ability serves him well on the ground, confusing other players and giving them a fake target, it can also be utilized before your squad ever hits the ground.
If you use Mirage's decoy ability while skydiving in the very beginning of a match, you can give your squad a huge advantage. Mirage can send his decoy flying in another direction, effectively convincing other squads that there's an enemy landing in their area. This gives your opponents something to look for in one direction, while you land in a different area and can get the drop on them. This ability can distract your enemies just long enough to get your team the gear they need and set up a perfect ambush. The panic you can induce with a decoy is priceless and not many players have realized yet that you can utilize abilities while airborne.
A well-timed melee can prevent being stunned by a fall
Something that sets Apex Legends apart from Fortnite is the fact that there's no fall damage. While this may seem like a relatively small detail to get excited over, it can mean the difference between a victory or a crushing defeat. In Fortnite, your escape route is often cut off by an enemy on one side and a steep drop-off on the other. Because the fall damage has been taken out of Apex Legends, you no longer have that added stress. You can instead focus on the main event. This means more creative paths into the safe zone and more escape routes when engaged in combat.
This isn't the only fall-related difference in Apex. While your character won't take any damage when jumping from a high cliff, they will have a brief stun period. This stun effect immobilizes them for just a moment, and it's an almost negligible amount of time. But sometimes, in a battle royale, a moment is all it takes for your opponents to shoot you dead and steal your victory. Luckily, there's a way to avoid the stunning effect a long fall can cause. If you manage to execute a melee attack right before hitting the ground, you'll cancel out the stun. This just might save your squad when surrounded by hostiles in the arena.
You can still interact with doors while knocked down
No one wants to admit that they get knocked down in a match, but even the best players get downed occasionally. The difference between a noob and a veteran is knowing what to do when you get to that downed state. For the most part, there's only so much that can be done to defend yourself if your enemy manages to knock you down. If you happen to have a certain knockdown shield, you can use that to guard yourself against unfriendly fire, but those aren't exactly easy to get. And while the fact that your teammates can revive you does take some of the risk away from dying, it still hinders your entire group and gives you a greater chance of being defeated.
There are things you can do to give yourself some shelter when knocked down in Apex Legends. If you didn't manage to find a knockdown shield, you can use the land around you as a shield. While in a knocked-down state, your character can still interact with doors. You can use these doors as a physical shield between yourself and your enemy. This is particularly effective when your enemy is far away and using a sniper rifle. If you get inside of a structure and close the door, you give your squad more time to help you.
All legends have the same damage potential and travel speed
There are some ideas that have been ingrained in the minds of gamers for generations. Tanks are good a taking hits, healers are squishy, and offensive classes are good at DPS. But things are different in Apex Legends, and it's been difficult for some players to wrap their heads around. All of the legends in this game deal the same amount of damage, because they all access the same weapons. Unlike games where your classes can use either light, medium, or heavy gear, the legends in Apex Legends can use any weapon they can get their hands on.
The same holds for their mobility. All of the legends in this game have the same speed. The bigger legends often seem like they run slower, but this is only because their arms pump at a slower rate. The amount of ground they cover is exactly the same as the smaller heroes.
But while many things about the legends are similar, there are still differences that give you advantages based on your playing style. If you prefer stealth, you may do better with someone like Bloodhound or Wraith, and if you enjoy being the healer in a group, Lifeline is the legend for you. But even with the differences and similarities between the legends, it's nice to see a game breaking the tank/DPS/healer trope.