Knowing how to play Fortnite before you jump into combat can help you keep your cool and go far, especially if you’re using some of the extra free time that many of us have right now to take your first trip into the battle royale. We know it’s a daunting prospect to appear as the new face when the existing player base of millions has months or even years of experience under their belts, but it’s never too late to give it a shot and see how things go – you might surprise yourself!
We’ve put together this helpful Fortnite beginner’s guide as a reference point to give you all the fundamentals you need, so you’ll have a solid foundation to build on once you glide down to the island. We’ve drawn on our crack team of Fortnite experts’ hundreds of hours of collective experience to bring you what we believe will be the most useful information about how to play Fortnite, so you’ll be fully loaded when you take your seat aboard the battle bus alongside 99 opponents. The Fortnite vbucks generator is great tool that may help you to get free vbucks
A Beginner’s Guide to Fortnite
With Fortnite Chapter 3, the game continues to evolve, and while the island has changed significantly over the years, the core mechanics are generally still the same – so this Fortnite beginner’s guide will help point you in the right direction towards your first Victory Royale. Read on for a plethora of Fortnite tips and tricks that will show you how to play Fortnite to your strengths, so take your seat on the battle bus, thank the driver, and prepare to leap into battle…
For complete beginners, here’s how to play Fortnite.
1. You cannot take anything you find on Spawn Island with you
When you spawn on Spawn Island, you’ll notice that guns, ammo, and building materials are all over the place, just waiting to be grabbed. You can also take them, but they will not accompany you into the Fortnite map. Consider Spawn Island a training ground for how to play Fortnite, though you’ll probably only be there for a minute or so while the game fills up with 100 players. You can shoot anyone in the area, but the guns will not do any damage; alternatively, if you want to be a temporary pacifist, try your hand at building a quick sniping hut (more details on how to do that below in point 8).
2. Hold off on getting off the Battle Bus for as long as possible
The Battle Bus’ horn will honk as soon as you can drop from it onto the map below, but resist the urge to join the crowd of players who jump from it as soon as possible. Instead, wait about 3 seconds before the Battle Bus reaches the end of its flight path before leaping out. You’ll have little to no competition for landing spots, which means you’ll have a lower chance of getting gunned down in the first two minutes of the game and less competition for loot. When gliding, aim for a house or structure because there’s a good chance a chest, or at the very least some basic loot, is inside. To get in, simply hit the roof with your pickaxe. In terms of the glider…
3. Your glider automatically deploys
There is no way to delay the deployment of your glider when you are falling from the Battle Bus because it opens automatically when you reach a certain height above the ground below. That’s the only thing there is to it. It only folds up once you’ve landed, so be patient and head for the nearest structure.
4. Consume small shield potions before consuming a large one
Around the map, you’ll find small and large blue bottles that give you 25 and 50 shields, respectively, if you drink them with your right trigger (the same button you use for firing your gun). You can’t consume any more small bottles once you have 50 or higher shield, so make sure to drink them first so they don’t take up a slot in your inventory. You can chug large shield potions regardless of shield level, so if you only have one, go ahead and pop the lid and gulp it down as soon as possible.
5. Assault rifles and SMGs are excellent first-time weapons
When learning how to play Fortnite, stick to assault rifles or SMGs as a general rule. Sniper rifles are useless under 75 meters, so keep one on hand but don’t use it in close quarters combat unless absolutely necessary. Another thing to keep in mind when learning how to play Fortnite is that if you’re going to be shooting someone up close and personal, you’ll want to prioritize your shotgun. Shotguns, surprise, do a lot of damage and are good for one-hit kills, so keep one in your hand when exploring houses, basements, or other small spaces.
6. Keep an eye on the rarity scale
Grey guns are the most common, with green, blue, purple, and gold being the rarest. Gold guns are extremely powerful, so don’t pass them up if you come across them. To bring up your inventory, press Up on the D-pad, and if you hover over the guns, you’ll be able to see how much damage they do if you’re having trouble deciding which to keep.
7. Use headphones to play
Make sure you have a good pair of headphones on your ears, because hearing footsteps (or, more likely, gunshots) and determining which direction they’re coming from can mean the difference between life and death in Fortnite. Knowing which direction players are approaching gives you valuable seconds to prepare, whether it’s switching to a shotgun or erecting a quick fortification.
8. Create cover before you heal
While we’re on the subject of construction, always, always, always build walls around yourself before you begin to heal. Healing and drinking shield potions both take valuable seconds to consume (up to 10 seconds for a large healing kit), during which time you can’t move, shoot, or do anything other than twirl the camera. That means you’re extremely vulnerable, and those walls will prevent any bullets from striking your face. Walls can also be clipped into cliffs and hills, eliminating the need to find an empty plot of land.
9. Above three storeys, there is fall damage
Falling from a significant height (above three storeys, to be precise – that’s three standard walls one above the other) will deplete your health, so either build ramps downwards or try to slide down hills or cliffs.
10. In a fight, always try to gain the upper hand
When things get tense and you’re in a gunfight with one of the 100 people running around the map, you want to be as high as possible. No, not in that sense. Make sure you are higher than your opponent by either building ramps into the sky or jumping repeatedly (which has the added bonus of making you harder to hit). A good strategy is to construct four walls in a square around yourself, then construct a ramp up to the wall facing your enemy. This will provide you with a good sniping platform from which you can retreat when reloading. Simply repeat the building formula (jump to build below your feet) until you’re in a makeshift tower with the upper hand – and gun, and grenade, and so on…
11. Stock up on grenades, bandages, and shield potions
It’s worthwhile to have at least one of the items listed above in your toolbar. Grenades are an excellent way to destroy some of your opponent’s cover, particularly if you target the lowest part of their structure. Once the bottom level is destroyed, the rest of it will collapse, leaving them exposed and vulnerable to your barrage of bullets. Extra healing and shields will come in handy when you’re cornered but don’t want to give up, or you can share them with your squadmate if they’re in need of some first aid right away.
12. Do not completely destroy trees
Using your pickaxe to destroy trees is an important way to obtain wood for building materials, but do not completely destroy trees. Instead, stop when the tree has 50 health remaining on its hitbar, as leaving a trail of destroyed vegetation in your wake makes it extremely easy for other players to track you down and hunt you down.
13. There are no longer various types of bombs
In the past, we’ve experimented with a variety of bombs, including smoke bombs, boogie bombs, stink bombs, and shadow bombs, which became difficult to keep track of. However, in Chapter 3, things have been greatly simplified because there are now only standard grenades available, and we all know how they work. Time will tell if different types of bombs return to the game, but for the time being, you can only throw grenades.
14. Double-check that you’ve selected the correct mode from the lobby
When you start the game, it will attempt to place you in a squad with all of the slots filled by random players. You may prefer to play solo or in a duo, so simply change the game mode first. Whatever mode you’re in, it’ll say “Play!” just above the word “Play!”
15. Crouching reduces the amount of noise made by your feet
Sneaky is as sneaky does, and being stealthy can be an excellent way to get closer to that coveted Battle Royale. Keeping yourself hidden is part of the problem, but moving while crouched is much quieter than running. If you can hear someone nearby, this is a very useful trick because you can maneuver yourself into a better hiding place before they come after you.
16. To obtain the majority of the rewards, you must purchase the Battle Pass
Although there are some free perks available, if you want the best skins and other items, you’ll need to purchase the Battle Pass. It costs 950 V-Bucks, which means you’ll need to purchase the smallest V-Bucks bundle, which costs $9.99 / £7.99. After that, it’s just a matter of playing and completing as many quests as you can to start earning some gear.
17. Your pickaxe can break (almost) anything
Don’t worry if you think you’ve gotten stuck in a building or built yourself inside one. With your pickaxe, you can break (almost) anything, so start smashing your way out. But be careful, that little red circle icon that appears means you’re making a noise that anyone nearby will hear, so take your time getting out of your current situation.
18. In the locker, you can change your skin, stickers, and emotes
Your Locker contains all of the skins, banner icons, gliders, harvesting tools, loading screen, contrails, emotes, dances, sprays, and other items. You can switch them in and out from here before each match, but you won’t be able to change anything during the game, so make sure you’re happy with your appearance and equipped items before you drop.
19. Use Battle Lab mode to become acquainted with the map
Learning the map is one of the most important aspects of improving at Fortnite. Jumping into public games and fighting 99 other players each time can get tiring if you’re not succeeding, so enter Battle Lab mode and select Create A Battle Lab to explore the map to your heart’s content. You have complete control over the battle royale island, from Slurpy Swamp to Steamy Stacks and everything in between. All possible chests and vehicles are also guaranteed to spawn in Battle Lab, so you can learn where each chest is likely to be and become acquainted with your favorite locations. You can use the Fortnite generator app to generate free v bucks fast.
20. Make it a habit to collect materials as you run
While the player with the best aim will usually win a fight, building is critical to giving yourself the best advantage possible. To build, however, you must have materials, which can only be obtained by harvesting materials. The most common material is wood, and it can be used to destroy everything from trees and bushes to chairs and wardrobes. Determine which structures provide the most materials, then harvest them as you run from one location to the next to maximize your resources.
