Beginner's Guide to Apex Legends

New to Apex Legends? This guide covers everything you need to know: dropping, looting, pinging, ring awareness, and combat fundamentals.

Dropping & Landing

  • 1The Jumpmaster controls where the team drops. Ping your desired location before jumping.
  • 2Drop at a 45-degree angle toward your target for maximum speed.
  • 3Avoid hot drops when learning. Land at quieter POIs to get comfortable with looting and controls.
  • 4Break off from your squad before landing to avoid competing for the same loot.
  • 5Learn the supply ship and hot zone locations for high-tier loot when you are ready for action.

Looting Efficiently

  • 1Prioritize a weapon, body shield, and ammo before anything else.
  • 2Blue and purple shields are significant upgrades. Swap armor from deathboxes during fights.
  • 3Carry enough ammo for two fights. Too much ammo wastes backpack space.
  • 4Health items priority: Shield Batteries > Shield Cells > Med Kits > Syringes.
  • 5Ultimate Accelerants are valuable for legends like Lifeline and Gibraltar.

Pinging System

  • 1Ping enemies by aiming at them and pressing the ping button. This alerts your whole team.
  • 2Double-tap the ping button to mark enemy locations as hostile.
  • 3Ping items you find but do not need. Your teammates may want them.
  • 4Use the ping wheel to communicate without a microphone.
  • 5Ping where you want to go so your team can follow without voice chat.

Ring Awareness

  • 1Always check the ring timer and your distance from the safe zone.
  • 2Rotate early to get good positioning inside the next ring.
  • 3Carry at least one Heat Shield for emergencies.
  • 4The ring deals increasing damage each round. Late rings are lethal very quickly.
  • 5Use the ring as cover. Enemies rarely watch the ring edge, making it a safe rotation path.

Combat Basics

  • 1Hipfire is very accurate in Apex. Use it in close-range fights for better movement speed.
  • 2Strafe left and right while shooting. Standing still makes you an easy target.
  • 3Armor swapping from deathboxes is faster than healing. Do it mid-fight when possible.
  • 4Use cover constantly. Peek, shoot, and return to cover between shots.
  • 5Learn to crouch-spam and slide during gunfights to make yourself harder to hit.

Legend & Weapon Picks for Beginners

  • 1Start with Bangalore, Lifeline, or Bloodhound. Their abilities are straightforward and effective.
  • 2The R-301 and Flatline are the most versatile weapons. Learn these first.
  • 3Pair a mid-range weapon (assault rifle) with a close-range weapon (SMG or shotgun).
  • 4Avoid snipers and marksman rifles until you are comfortable with the game mechanics.
  • 5The C.A.R. SMG accepts both Light and Heavy ammo, making it great for ammo flexibility.