After playing the game of Fortnite for a year and a half now (all on a console, btw), I can safely say I know what it takes to win. Do I always have what it takes? No, but I've now won 22 (I keep updating as I win more games lol) solo games, including eight games this since the start of Chapter 2. Yes, adding bots to the game has certainly helped, but you still have to overcome human opponents. I know 15 wins is nothing to be impressed with, but that's because I don't usually play to win. I play to have fun and to try do new things in the game each time (and beat challenges). If I set my mind to it and played to win, I bet I could win a lot more. But if I were to do that, I would rage at the end of every loss and it would not be good for my blood pressure. But I do know what it takes to win. This is it.
- Get good loot somehow someway: It's very hard to win a game of Fortnite without good loot (Good loot meaning good weapons, shields, utility items). That means probably landing in a named location, or get lucky and land somewhere where no one else is. If you land near people, you have to do what you can to either continue looting there (and hope they don't see you or leave you alone) or you have to engage them and take their loot from them by defeating them. Often times the victors of big named locations make it far and have a good chance of winning. If you can ever manage to be the last player standing in a named location, you're off to a great start. If you get screwed on loot, look for air drops and try to get to them quickly before anyone else. Fishing is also an option if you're desperate for at least a rare weapon or shields.
- Be selective in your battles: I previously had this as "being aggressive more than defensive", but I don't think that's an effective strategy. An effective strategy is picking your battles. If you witness a fight and one of the players is eliminated, quickly swoop in and try to get an easy elim if you can, since the surviving player is likely low on health. If you're looting or moving through the map and a player attacks you first, you either need to find someway to get the advantage back by firing back quickly or gaining high ground. If you are outmatched, there is no shame in running away and using whatever utility/mobility items are in the game to get away. Just recently, I won a game having run away from multiple players because my health and loot were not ideal, yet I was able to slowly build it up throughout the game and get the victory royale.
- Learn how to build quickly: This is something I am still working on as it's harder to do as a console player. But those who know how to "Crank 90's", which is creating stacks of builds with four complete walls and floor/ramp, are the ones who have a distinct advantage. Being able to get a height advantage is huge, and the best (and usually only) way to do that is through out-building your opponent. Even if you aren't able to do that, at least be able to quickly build up a defense if you get shot at and be able to spam builds if you're constantly getting shot at. A lot of pro players suggest to practice builds in Creative mode, which I have a little, but probably should do more of. And to go with this, you'll need materials to be able to out-build someone else, so if you can't get them from someone else, you'll have to farm for them a bit.
- Learn the map: This comes with experience, but there's almost always something to be learned about the map every time you play. Maybe it's a chest location you weren't aware of, maybe it's a good sniping or hiding spot. And with experience, you can find out which drop locations are heavy in loot but light in players dropping there, which for many is ideal. The more players drop into a location, the less likely you'll come out of there victorious. Whenever there are significant map changes (as there was for the start of Chapter 2), study the map and perhaps even go into Creative mode to learn where things are. And don't drop into the same location every time, because the zone will rarely focus in on your drop zone, and you want to keep track of a number of different locations.
- Adjust your gameplay to the game's current set-up: Epic Games makes a lot of changes to Fortnite. For example, in Chapter 2 Season 1, there were basically no mobility items. Therefore, players had to adjust their game and loot for less time if they dropped in a location outside of the first zone. Or, they could fish, stock up on Floppers, and just recover from storm damage once they do eventually get in. Know what items and weapons are currently in the game and adjust your gameplay accordingly. Know which weapons are better than others, and know which items and weapons are trash and should never be picked up unless you're in the most dire of circumstances.
- Play both Team Rumble and Solos/Duos/Squads: One thing that has helped me is playing both Team Rumble as well as Solos/Duos/Squads. Team Rumble is a great opportunity to work on your shooting, aiming, and even building, since there are unlimited respawns. It's also a good opportunity to see how you fare with each gun in combat. Some people like the regular assault rifle, some prefer the heavy or the burst. Find out what works best for you. Team Rumble is also good for working on your sniping, which can come in handy in solo matches. On the flip side, you don't always want to play Team Rumble, as you won't learn (or you'll forget) how to be sneaky, and you can develop a bad habit of just rushing into battle.
- Don't get caught between two players: In solos, the worst thing that can happen is getting caught between two players. Obviously, it's every player for themselves, but if you're the closest opponent to two different players, that puts you at a distinct disadvantage (a 1 vs. 2, essentially). This is especially problematic if they are the only two opponents left in a final zone. In the final zone, position yourself so that the zone is behind you and any opponents are in front of you. Never position yourself in the middle of the zone if you can help it.
- Pray for an easy final opponent: I'll be honest, a lot of my recent wins have had an easy opponent in the final two with me. One opponent fell into a trap I set, another dropped down to my level and basically let me kill him, and another tried pickaxing a wall I was behind even though there was an open doorway and I was able to rush him and take him out. Each time I was at a distinct disadvantage. The first game I was low on health, the second game I never found or used shields all game, and the third I was also a bit low on health. Yet I won each time because my opponent made a careless mistake. Sometimes, you just need to get lucky. I can't even begin to count the amount of times I made it to the final two before my first solo victory, and thus I was the other person's easy final opponent. Each time, it seemed like my opponent was significantly better than me. Even if you're not terribly good at the game like me, you're bound to get lucky and get an easy opponent at some point.
- Watch others: One thing that really helps is watching professionals or experienced players play the game. Either you can watch on YouTube or Twitch, or without even having to go to a different app/device, you can spectate players in the same game as your own. If you die, you get the option to spectate whoever killed you. Often times I've sort of died "on purpose" so that I could spectate. Watch what others do, their habits, what they do in certain situations, and try to emulate them. Or, you can try a Squads game and watch your teammates. But don't die on purpose then.
Fortnite's a great game, and despite the lack of updates and changes in Chapter 2, I am still playing it. Some day when I can keep my cool, I may try to play aggressively and see if I can possibly win two matches in one day for the first time. I will say if you never win, it can get pretty disheartening and not be quite as fun. I didn't win my first solo match until about 300 games in. It takes time and practice and determination. If you follow my advice and put in the time, you'll be winning matches in no time.
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