When Fortnite Chapter 2 officially launched, it changed Epic’s battle royale phenomenon in a ton of ways. Not only did the map change, but play styles, strategies, and a lot more were effected. While Fortnite may seem like a pretty easy game from an outside perspective, there’s much more to it than meets the eye.

In an effort to help make you a better Fortnite player, we’ve compiled some simple tips, tricks, and tactics that might benefit you when it comes time to go out and grab a Victory Royale. These tips will serve you well across all of the various game modes in Fortnite, so make sure to study up before heading out.

Tips for winning in Fortnite

Pick your fights carefully

One of the biggest things you’ll need to learn right away is that it’s perfectly OK to not engage first when seeing an opponent. Rushing into a fight blindly is a surefire way to get yourself eliminated early, and unless you have the skill necessary to take down a full team of players, it’s best to sit back and allow enemies to make the first mistake.

Remember, your objective is to survive, not rack up a ridiculous kill/death ratio. Start building or get to some high ground in an effort to give yourself the best chance at staying alive, and you’ll be rewarded for it.

Keep an eye the storm

Another big rule when it comes to surviving in Fortnite is to be wary of the storm. While you never want to be in the middle of the map and in the open, staying too close to the storm is a dangerous game. There’s plenty of ways to get out of the storm, but if you’re out of options, it will take you down quickly.

The best key to playing it safe while also optimizing your chances of winning is simply keep an eye on the storm. While playing, always make sure to check how close the storm is to you, and when it’s going to be moving. You want to keep the storm to your back, but always be ready to move at a moments notice at the same time. Should you end up stuck, looking for a cart or boat is your best bet.

Don’t be one dimensional

There’s tons of weapons in Fortnite, so don’t box yourself in by only using one or two. The worst thing any player can be in a game of Fortnite is too one dimensional, so make sure you have a variety of weapons at your disposal. You never know when a fight is going to break out or what type of fight it’ll be, so it’s important to have a weapon for every occassion, including things like explosives.

Just as you wouldn’t want to use a sniper in close quarters, you wouldn’t want a shotgun up against someone who can land accurate shots from hundreds of meters out. The rule of thumb in Fortnite is to always have a shotgun, assault rifle, and/or sniper rifle/SMG with you at all times. Use the other inventory slot for something to heal yourself and another item of your choosing, but make sure you’re ready for anything when it happens.

Keep an eye out

This one sounds pretty obvious, but you’d be surprised at how often you’ll find yourself eliminated thanks to poor awareness. Due to the nature of Fortnite, it’s easy to want to quickly run around and get into battles, but doing that will often give away your position. If you happen to be in an area that seems too quiet or desolate, make sure to do a check of your surroundings, and try to spot any builds or structures an opponent has made.

For instance, if you see a ramp leading up a mountain, you can probably bet (or you should at least assume) that enemies have taken a position up there. Keeping an eye out for structures and enemy players is the simplest way to stay alive, and it doesn’t take any effort at all.

Build, build, build

If you’re looking to improve your Fortnite skills, the biggest and best thing to do is build. The biggest difference between Fortnite and other battle royale games is Fortnite’s use of building mechanics. In matches, players can build structures to defend themselves, and learning to how to do it is the difference between a good and bad player.

The most used structure that players often use in Fortnite is a simple 4×4 box with a ramp in it. Practice making this structure and you’ll be ascending to the heavens in some epic battles very quickly. Just make sure to keep an eye on your materials, though.

High ground is key

In any shooter, high ground tends to be the most favorable position against your enemies because you can scout and see more, which also means you can shoot at more areas that they try to hide in. In Fortnite, though, high ground is attainable through a variety of ways, including building your way to the skies.

Being able to build a multi-tiered structure over your opponent’s head while they’re struggling to dodge your shots can make them panic, and your ability to dictate the pace of the engagement by making them build up to you almost always tips the scales in your favor.

Know when to disengage

One of the skills you’ll need to pick up on right away is gauging the war of attrition. We tend to speak of ammunition in that regard, but it’s impossible to know how much they’re carrying.

Instead, use the health prompts to figure out whether you can win a fight. When you shoot an enemy, you’ll see numbers appear above their head indicating how much damage you’ve dealt. If the numbers are blue and then begin turning white or yellow, it means they had a shield potion and you’ve completely exposed their health bar. If your shots aren’t showing blue and you still have some of your shield, you’re winning. If not, you’d better look into your options for retreating fast.

Fishing is your new best friend

One of the newest mechanics added into Fortnite’s Chapter 2 expansion was the ability to fish. Players can now literally fish not only for animals, but loot, and can be an important tool in your arsenal.

While fishing might not be the most effective way to get loot, if you’re in a pickle and can’t find any health or weapons, you might want to turn to the water. Not only can things like medkits be found there, but basic weapons can also be found, giving you an extra fighting chance should you need one.

Farm early, farm often

You have a pickaxe in Fortnite for a reason, and it’s to gather materials as soon as you land in the game. Since building is such a big factor in Fortnite, you’ll need to make sure you’re constantly well stocked when it comes to materials, so gathering them as often as possible is key.

Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to get materials in Fortnite. Simply go up to any tree, bench, car, or house and start swinging your pickaxe. Make sure to time your swings with the blue reticle on the screen to gather the maximum amount of material, and save up for when you’ll need it late in the game.

Don’t be afraid to change your controls

Every player is different, so the default controller settings for Fortnite might not be everyone. Tweaking things like sensitivity and button layout are available, but players can also tweak how they build and loot as well.

Since the building mechanics are so important, you’ll want to at least experiment with Builder Pro, a controller scheme that places your build buttons as shoulder buttons, with the left and right trigger offering access to stairs and walls, respectively. This control scheme allows you to build without having to take your finger off of other buttons, making it not only faster to do, but far safer.

Get health boosts by eating nature’s bounty

Often in Fortnite, you’ll come across consumable items that are scattered throughout an area. Some areas will have a bunch of Apples which restore a small portion of your health, while the material left behind by the big meteor crash seems to have introduced some shield-generating space tofu. Find them — especially the shield food — and never worry about health again.

Communication is your greatest weapon

What’s the first thing you should do when you spot an enemy? On your own, it may be to take a shot and pray for the best, but when you’re in a squad it’s worth relaying everything you learn about your enemies and their position to your teammates before you decide to make a move.

You should also get on the squawk box to talk about the items you find, the location of the storm and the safe zone, whether you have ammo, or need to heal or reload. While Fortnite has adopted a pinging system similar to that of Apex Legend, it’s much easier (and faster) to be direct in your communication. Some of this info may seem small in a vacuum, but together it will dictate your strategy in every single phase of the match.

Practice makes perfect

The biggest aspect of becoming a better Fortnite player is practice. Getting into games and getting killed almost immediately won’t teach you anything, so make sure you’re learning each time you lose. Whether it’s going into a game with a plan and try to execute it, or simply head into the Playground to polish up your building skills, you’re only going to get better if you keep at it.

Have any other tips?

There are many more little things you could mention about Fortnite that could help you in success, but it’s impossible to list them all. Give a holler in the comments section if you have a pro tip of your own that you want to share!