Apex Legends has proved wildly popular in the short time that the game has been out. Knowledge is power, and these Apex Legends beginner’s tips are sure to equip you with the tools you need to survive. Whether you’re brand-new to the game or a seasoned battle royale player, we have something here for you to learn!
Apex Legends Tips | Basic Tips
Disable the HUD hit markers & damage numbers for cleaner visuals
A game’s HUD is meant to provide information, but sometimes it can get distracting. Both the HUD hit markets and damage numbers can be disabled to give you a cleaner view of what you’re shooting at. Here’s how to do it:
- Go into the settings (gear on the bottom right of the main menu)
- Click ‘Settings’
- Turn off ‘Crosshair Damage Feedback’ to disable hit markers
- Turn off ‘Damage Numbers’ to disable damage numbers
There are other options to further customize your HUD available. Don’t be afraid to tinker around and set things up in a way that works for you!
You’re harder to hit while sliding
The nail that sticks up gets hammered down, and that same philosophy applies to this game. You can’t go prone in Apex Legends, but you can slide to your heart’s content as long as you’re moving fast enough. This is easiest to do on hills, but you’re eventually going to hit a stretch of flat land. Always slide whenever you can to present a flatter and faster-moving target to your enemies. If you’re going downhill, slide. If you’re running between cover, slide. Just remember that you’ll inevitably come to a stop—make sure that doesn’t happen out in the open.
There is no fall damage
Every battle royale game is different, and one of our basic Apex Legends tips is the kind that you usually wouldn’t want to test in-game. There is no fall damage in the game, so don’t worry about taking that leap of faith from the highest possible point. You may also pick up a good bit of speed on your way down, so you may as well use that momentum to slide and get to cover that much faster.
The red balloons are great for moving quickly
A bunch of red balloons are dotted throughout the map. These devices can pop you back up into the air and let you glide a short distance away. If you need to get somewhere else fast, the red balloons make for a much better option than simply running. Just remember that things will be a little different than the initial jump onto the island—people are going to notice a squad gliding through the air, so be ready for a fight when you land!
Apex Legends Tips | Survival
Sticking together is the key to victory
There is no solo queue in Apex Legends. The beginning of a match has one person randomly designated as the jumpmaster and they get to decide when to jump and where to go. You have the option of breaking away from your team, either by jumping solo or breaking formation once you’ve begun your descent. Don’t be tempted to do this unless you’re communicating well with your team and have a plan—working together as a team is the key to victory.
Knockdown Shields protect you while you’re downed
Inevitably, you’re going to find yourself on the wrong side of a firefight and lose. That doesn’t mean you’re dead just yet—you’ll get to crawl around on the ground bleeding out while you hope that your surviving teammates win the fight and come pick you back up. A Knockdown Shield will protect you from ranged damage—but only from one particular direction. It’s not a bad piece of equipment to carry around, just in case.
You can escape the gas, but it’s tricky
Like most battle royales, Apex Legends has the concept of a circular play area and a health-draining effect outside of the circle. Should you find yourself trapped outside the circle, it’s not all over! Here’s what to do:
- Holster your weapon and start running for the circle.
- If your health gets low, stop only to heal.
- Recover your health as much as you can once you get outside the circle.
It sounds simple enough, but it gets a little more complex if someone goes down. You lose if all three of your squad members go down. If someone is knocked down, the surviving teammates should keep running to the circle. The downed player(s) can keep crawling while the surviving players get to safety and recover their health. Once that’s done, they can go back in and retrieve their teammates.
Apex Legends Tips | Loot
Some guns can’t be reloaded
Most of the Apex Legends weapons use one of four types of ammo: Light Rounds, Heavy Rounds, Shotgun Shells, or Energy Rounds. However, there are a handful of weapons that cannot be reloaded no matter what you do. The Mastiff Shotgun has 4 rounds in the magazine and 16 reserve rounds and the Kraber .50-Cal Sniper has 4 rounds in the magazine and 4 reserve rounds. Once those rounds are gone, you can’t reload them by picking up ammo. The only way to resupply their ammo is to get a new gun of the same type.
Apex robots can be punched for loot
You might encounter adorable little robots while running around on the island. Punch or destroy these little guys and you’ll get some loot, simple as that. You can get weapon attachments, ammo, or other pieces of equipment. They’re the game’s equivalent of a goody bag, so don’t pass them up!
If you don’t need something, ping it and let your team know
The pinging system is one of the most useful tools for communicating in the game. The most common use is typically pointing out where to go or spotted enemies, but you can also use pinging to alert your teammates to items. Whether you’re deciding not to pick up a gun or you’re dropping something on the ground, make sure to take a moment to ping it so your team knows about it. They just might want what you don’t.
Apex Legends Tips | Advanced Tips
Ultimate Accelerant is invaluable—always grab it
Your ultimate ability can be a real game-changer. A well-timed ultimate can decide the outcome of a battle, and anything that can give you an edge in a battle royale is invaluable. Ultimate Accelerant will give you 20% of your charge in a paltry 7 seconds. Use it at every opportunity—just make sure to get to cover first and have someone watch your back. Lifeline is a great choice for using Ultimate Accelerant so you can get her Care Package faster and help everyone out with better equipment.
Be aware of your character’s cooldowns
Every character has special abilities, but not all special abilities are made the same. As an example, Lifeline’s D.O.C. heal drone takes quite a while to come off of cooldown, but Pathfinder’s Grappling Hook is available much quicker. Keep in mind just how quickly your abilities are available and don’t forget to use them—they’re an important part of your arsenal. Once you know the cooldowns well enough, you can anticipate when enemies can use them again, too!
Use grenades & explosives for concealment
Grenades and explosives are excellent weapons for killing, but don’t knock their potential to give you a little cover, either. A few of the Legends like Bangalore have special abilities that will deploy gas clouds, but regular old grenades can do something similar for anyone. The Frag Grenade throws up a short cloud of dust and the Thermite Grenade can pop up a distracting wall of flame. Just remember: concealment is not cover! While a cloud of gas or a wall of flame will make it harder for you to be seen, you’re just as easy to shoot.
