Building is an essential part of the Fortnite: Battle Royale experience, as it allows for the high octane and unique combat that separates the game from its competitors to take place. However, for new players the building mechanic can be troublesome and intimidating, especially in the midst of a battle with a player who is a seasoned pro. If you are looking to improve your skills in order to take on those building extraordinaires, we have some tips and tricks for you that will have you building like the best players in the game.
Building Controls
Being successful at building in Fortnite has a great deal to do with being able to quickly build strong and tactically advantageous structures within seconds, as a fight could break out in the blink of an eye. You can tell a player is a Fortnite veteran if they are able to build a solid structure in no time at all.
One of the best ways for you PC players out there to increase your building speed is to bind your different building options to the keys in close proximity to your movement keys. This will allow you to seamlessly transition from running into building cover and ultimately a structure to give you the advantage. F,R,E and Q are the best keys to play around with when it comes to configuring your layout for building, as they can be reached easily from your usual movement keys of W,A,S,D.
Unfortunately, Xbox One and Playstation 4 players do not have the luxury of being able to completely customize their control scheme for building. However, practicing entering your building mode immediately when you are being fired upon with a quick flip of your thumb from your right thumbstick to O (PS4) or B (Xbox) will have you developing the habit of making sure your first move in a fight is to protect yourself by building. With Y (Xbox) and Triangle (PS4) assigned to cycling through your building materials, and the right trigger assigned to building the structure, developing a consistent path that your fingers can follow from each button to the next will help in establishing muscle memory that will have you building without even thinking about it.
When it comes to the mobile version of Fortnite, building is all based on the touch screen. With each building control on the right side of your screen, memorizing exactly where you need to tap for a certain building function will allow you to keep your focus on your enemy. This will stop you from letting your eyes drift off to the side to make sure you are pressing the correct portion of the screen.
What to Build in a Fight
While building quickly is a very important part in becoming a successful combat builder in Fortnite, it will not help you in the long run if you are not building the best structures possible for a given fight. When you engage in a fight your first action should be to build a cube around yourself to absorb the oncoming fire from all sides. Your next step should then be to construct a ramp inside of your cube to give yourself a height advantage over a grounded target, while still being protected from your cube.
If your enemy begins to build themselves and takes the height advantage away, make sure to begin building stairs up from your ramp to retake the high ground. However, do not only build stairs as you make your way higher. Building flat pieces of material in between every two or so set of stairs will allow for you to have a potential landing spot if your enemy destroys the stairs from under you, while also decreasing your fall distance and the amount of damage you will take if you do hit the ground.
What to Build With?
When it comes to what materials you should use to build in a combat experience, steel is by the strongest and will provide the most protection for the longest amount of time. However, the majority of time you will find yourself with much more wood and bricks available in a fight. To make up for the lack in strength, building multiple layers of both wood and brick will fortify your structure and allow it to not be destroyed from a hail of bullets or explosives immediately.
Adding these building tips and tricks to your arsenal of Fortnite knowledge will help you in making Bob the Builder proud, as you begin to see much more success in the many fights that await you in the popular Battle Royale game.
Interested in more helpful Fortnite guides? Check out our guide for how to enjoy the brand new Blitz mode for Fortnite: Battle Royale.
(cover photo courtesy of Meta Bomb)
