Fortnite Guide

Fortnite Guide

Released in 2017 by Epic Games, Fortnite graces the halls of the online multiplayer battle royale world with its own take on the genre. Like its predecessors, the premise itself is clear enough: you drop in, gear up and try to survive until the end.

Safe to say, the battle royale craze has not passed us by, and with Fortnite it is even more visible thanks to its colorful graphics and a very unique building mechanic that lets players create obstacles for cover, among many other things within the realm of their imagination.

System Requirements

As with all games, there is a minimum standard your computer or mobile device must meet to run Fortnite. If you’re playing on PC, make sure you have at least an Intel Core i3. Intel integrated graphics are enough to run Fortnite, as long as you have at minimum an Intel HD 4000 or Iris Pro 5200. Windows users will also need Windows 7 or later installed. And for those of you on a Mac, your system must be running at least macOS X Sierra (10.12.6) and support the Metal API.

Besides PC, Fortnite is also available on most mobile devices, such as your phone or tablet, as well as on all major gaming consoles. However, there are certain caveats depending on the console you play on. Be sure to look them up before deciding to play.

Diving In

As we mentioned, the whole premise of the game is pretty cut and dried. So what better way to learn than to just jump in and experience it yourself? You’ll start in a practice area, also known as Spawn Island. There you’ll find buildings, weapons and ammo lying around for the taking. The match itself will start loading once 100 players have gathered, so use this time to get a feel for the game’s mechanics. When you think you’re ready (or even if you’re not), you’ll automatically be pushed onto the Battle Bus and dropped onto the Fortnite map.

The key to the game is survival, so let’s talk about how many ways you can die in the game. Obviously, being eliminated by another player. And of course, getting caught in the Storm. There is also fall damage, generally from above three stories. That last one can slip under your radar if you’re new, so be careful when jumping from high places.

Gameplay Know-How

Now let’s talk about some basic survival tips that will come in handy. These aren’t super technical tricks, but rather some general advice to help you get into the right mindset when playing to win.

First of all, you’ll want to avoid jumping off the Battle Bus the moment it lets you. The vast majority of players do this, and many of them will surely end up dead seconds after touching the ground. Yes, you get first dibs on finding loot and gearing up, but the risk of dying also increases, especially when other players land right next to you. Then again, this won’t always turn out badly, and you’re perfectly capable of taking the risk. However, we suggest you at least get familiar with the map before going full Rambo. Otherwise, just wait until you’re over a fairly safe spot to dive, with fewer players and, as a direct result, a lower risk of dying.

In addition, potion management is vital, because potions not only take up space in your inventory but can also save you in emergencies. For this reason, you want to use up all your Small Shield Potions first before burning through the big ones. Not only does this free up space, but Small Shield Potions cannot be used once your shield level is at 50% or higher, unlike the big Shield Potions, which can be used at any time.

As one of the key components of the game, it is absolutely important to learn how to build, and how to build fast. This will give you important cover, whether you’re camping or healing in combat. To that end, you should get into the habit of collecting materials with your pickaxe while you’re on the move and not fighting. There is actually no height limit in this game, so you can build a structure as tall as your heart desires, but be careful, because one false move can knock you off the edge and send you on a one-way trip to the afterlife. You should also keep in mind that a structure will collapse in on itself if its foundation is destroyed. More on this later.

Weapon rarity is also present in Fortnite, in the following order from lowest to highest rarity: gray, green, blue, purple and gold. In general, the higher the rarity, the higher the damage, so don’t pass up a rare gun if you come across one. For beginners, an assault rifle or SMG is a great pick-up because they are so easy to use. You might also want to get into the habit of keeping a healthy stock of weapons in your inventory for different situations, whether you’re trying to snipe someone or another player ambushes you.

Another tip we’d like to share is to make use of crouching. Crouching reduces the noise of your footsteps, making it easier to sneak up on someone. You can also turn this around and listen for the sounds of running, hammering or, most likely, gunfire to figure out whether enemies are nearby and in which direction.

This should be a no-brainer, but never leave obvious clues for players to track you down. This means you should avoid completely destroying trees or houses as you move. Instead, leave them with at least some of their health. This will make it harder for players to figure out that someone else has been in the area, and they can also be used as cover in an emergency if you’re suddenly pulled into a firefight.

Finally, if you do die, don’t leave the match just yet. You’ll be put into spectator mode, letting you watch the player who killed you strut around, only to get taken out by the next player around the corner. Petty reasons aside, it’s also a good learning opportunity to see whether other players have any tricks or strategies up their sleeves. And if you feel like you’ve died too many times for the same reason, this is a good time to reflect and identify the mistakes you’ve made.

Building Tips

As you probably know, building is key to becoming a good Fortnite player. While we can’t guarantee our tips will get you into the top 1% of the competition, they’re probably a good place to start. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

You want to build for protection. Again, you’re trying to be the last person standing in the match, and your building should help you get there. Even if you consider yourself a fairly aggressive player, you should always keep in mind that everything you build should go toward keeping you alive longer. This means that whenever you come under enemy fire, your immediate thought should be to put up a wall as quickly as possible. After that, you can build yourself a set of stairs to a vantage point to launch a counterattack. And while you do this, be sure to build walls around yourself to cover your blind spots. One trick is to confuse players by building multiple staircases so they can’t figure out your exact location.

As with all games, taking the time to get familiar with the map goes a long way toward keeping up with other players. Find out which places offer the resources you need and the most efficient way to gather plenty of materials in the shortest possible time. For example, you can look to giant trees for wood, rocks for brick and cars for metal. Keep in mind that harvesting metal can be risky, as cars are often found in places with plenty of cover where enemies could hide, and hitting them will make a ton of noise. Of course, you can also loot defeated enemies, but that isn’t a very sustainable way to gather resources. That said, you should still remember to clear out all the resources they have besides their weapons, if you have the room.

You also want to take the time to learn how to edit your structures. In edit mode, you get a grid view of your structures and can change each individual tile to your liking. Use this to create doors or ramps to give yourself an escape route when needed. It will save you a lot of time compared to tearing down walls completely. Another trick in edit mode is that it lets you see through your structures while your opponents are none the wiser. For example, you can look at a wall and enter edit mode, spot enemies on the other side and keep them in your sights while you instantly edit in a window for a quick, clean kill.

Another important tip to keep in mind is knowing your materials. There are only 3 materials in the game, each with different levels of defensive capability. Naturally, metal is the strongest of the three with high HP, but for the same reason it takes the longest to build. As such, it’s always a good idea to stick with wood during combat and save brick and metal for when you’re building a proper shelter. And speaking of shelters, if you’re familiar with Minecraft, you should apply similar building methods here. What we mean is that you want to build to your advantage. That could mean creating enough room to maneuver in case your opponents fight you indoors, or creating fake rooms and paths to confuse them.

There is more to building than creating shelters or traps. Building the right structures at the right time will help you outsmart your opponent and give you an edge even in the middle of a battle. For example, if you see someone building, you can sneak up on them and build onto their structure without them realizing you’re actually there. This is done by using the same material they’re using to mask the noise of your building, convincing them it’s coming from them. You can also choose to box them in with roofs before dropping in from a blind spot for the kill.

Crafting Guide

Besides building structures, you can also craft your own weapons and traps. For this, you’ll need two things. First, materials. Second, schematics.

For weapons, those within the same classification and rarity will generally have the same crafting requirements, with some laser weapons being the only exception to the rule. You can always check the details of the materials needed to craft weapons in the Collection Book, under the Armory section. As for weapons, you want a relatively diverse set to cover fights at all ranges. You also want weapons that your ammo fits. For example, if all you have are Medium Bullets, you’ll want to prioritize crafting assault rifles over SMGs.

Also study the meta to find out which weapons deal the most damage in a given season, and work on adopting them into your gameplay. And as we mentioned earlier, don’t forget to collect as many materials as possible while you travel around the map. But make sure you farm efficiently, because you don’t want to waste time gathering for weapons you won’t craft.

While traps are generally simpler to use than weapons, finding ways to use them properly can sometimes require real ingenuity. There are several types of traps, mainly ones that damage your opponent, ones that heal and ones that launch players into the sky. For the sake of getting kills, we’ll obviously focus more on damage traps, so that’s mostly what we’ll talk about here. You’d think to place them on floors, but they can also go on walls and ceilings. So if you lure a player into an enclosed space, try placing your traps where they’d least suspect and where they’re most likely to walk in. Doorways are a common spot that fits the bill, as even experienced players can forget to check them out of carelessness.

As for healing traps, they’re good for when you want to save time on bandaging or when you’re completely out of bandages. As for launch pads, they give you extra mobility by letting you glide through the air temporarily. But keep in mind that you’ll be a sitting duck if there’s an enemy nearby.

Weekly Challenges Walkthrough

Besides killing players and surviving, players can also try to complete certain challenges to earn more XP and level up their Battle Pass faster. In Fortnite, these weekly challenges usually refresh every Thursday at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET / 3 PM BST. There are 8 challenges in total: 7 Epic and 1 Legendary quest. At the time of writing, here are the guides on how to complete the Season 12, Week 12 weekly challenges.

Visit the Zero Point

In case you didn’t know, the Zero Point is located in the center of the map. All you need to do is reach it and you’ll complete the quest.

Craft Pistols

This one is simple enough too. You don’t need to go out of your way to craft super high-end stuff. Craft whatever you can and tick this quest off your checklist.

Defeat a Spire Guardian

This is where things can get a little tricky, especially if you’re not prepared. To find Spire Guardians, you’ll have to make your way to (you guessed it) the Spires. There are a certain number of them placed on the map, and you can choose to drop on them right from the start. However, it isn’t advisable to try defeating a Spire Guardian without any gear, so be careful not to land too close to a Spire. Instead, head to a nearby spot where you can find weapons and ammo before you go to defeat the Guardian. Alternatively, you can try to stick the landing at the very top of the Spire. Since Spire Guardians spawn at ground level, you’ll immediately start from a higher vantage point. However, the gear you find there comes down to pure luck, as with all weapons you find on the map.

While not too hard to deal with thanks to its relatively low HP, the Spire Guardian packs quite a nasty punch, so discretion is key here.

Hunt Predators

Predators in this case refer to the wolves as well as the raptors you see in the game. They spawn in a bunch of different locations, so they shouldn’t be too hard to find. However, they tend to wander around a bit, so you may need to search for them if you can’t find them right away. While they’re not hard to kill, they often travel in packs, which can be dangerous, especially if another player is already hot on your tail.

Tame Boars Outside Colossal Crops

To do this, keep a healthy supply of vegetables to feed the boars, keeping your distance until they’re ready to interact. Otherwise, they’ll attack you on sight almost immediately.

Chicken Glide at Colossal Crops

Similar to the previous one, you’ll need to “tame” a chicken, so to speak. Essentially, it’s just sneaking up on a chicken and grabbing it. After that, head to Colossal Crops and you should be able to glide with the chicken every time you jump, which will complete the challenge.

Steal an Artifact from Stealthy Stronghold and Coral Castle

To complete this quest, you’ll need to get an artifact from two locations. Each location has a total of 4 such spots, and you only need one from each to complete this challenge.

At Stealthy Stronghold, the artifacts in question come in the form of bird-shaped statues. The locations are as follows:

  • First artifact: Found slightly west of the central area, on the lowest floor of the ruins. There is a chest next to it.
  • Second artifact: Head to the surface and continue east from the previous statue’s location. You should find the second artifact just peeking out from the side of a tree.
  • Third artifact: Found slightly north of the second artifact’s location, tucked into one of the ruins.
  • Fourth artifact: Further north of the third artifact’s location, by the corner of a collapsed wall.

At Coral Castle, the artifacts will resemble a frog figure. The locations are as follows:

  • First artifact: Can be found around the southern edge of the structure.
  • Second artifact: Can be found submerged inside the central structure of Coral Castle.
  • Third artifact: Can be found under the arch to the north. Also hidden underwater.
  • Fourth artifact: Can be found on top of the hill to the northeast.

Once you’ve completed the first 7 weekly challenges, you can move on to the final Legendary challenge, which is spending Gold Bars. There are several ways you can do this, so just figure out which one suits you best or what you most like spending them on. There’s no point holding on to them, as they don’t carry over between seasons and will simply go to waste if left lying around.