Apex Legends Movement Tips: Side to Side Strafing, Sliding & More
Battle Royale demands constant movement from players. If they don’t, they’ll be at a disadvantage, because time is a limited resource in these games. Apex Legends is famous for allowing people to efficiently pull off different movement tricks: side to side strafing, wall jumps, climbing, etc.
This maneuvering potential comes with expectations. If you want to be good at the game, you’ll need to move well. It means learning the usual tricks, taking advantage of the environment whenever possible, and experimenting. You have to out-maneuver your opponents, and victory is always a question of who moves better.
Some movement tricks are pretty straightforward. The very environment is suggestive, motivating you to pull off some stunt or other. Other moves are trickier, high level, and obscure. For instance, the game won’t tell you about b-hop, but if you learn to do it, you’ll be more dangerous than ever.
Running & Sliding
These two actions are the chief Apex movement techniques. Although rather straightforward, many advanced movement patterns require a decent understanding of running and sliding. The main questions are: when to slide, how to run efficiently, and how to combine the two actions.
Such knowledge will help you get better in the game. For practical improvements (for instance, grinding), you can go through the Apex Legends Services on sale.
Sprinting
You’ll need to start sprinting as soon as you touch the landing spot of choice, and you’ll likely have to sprint most of your time in the matches. The controls themselves are primitive: press down «SHIFT» and go. And there aren’t many hidden techniques regarding the sprint.
The one thing you should remember is to run with your gun unequipped when possible and safe. That increases your running speed by 15% but leaves you virtually defenseless. If you want to hide the gun and increase your speed, remember these tricks for moving fast and weaponless:
- While running across the map, only use it if you can clearly see the surroundings, and there are no places where an enemy could hide;
- Use it when you need to get to a location faster — for instance, to save your downed comrade or reach the ring;
- Make use of some characters’ passives — for example, Mad Maggie has a passive ability that let her walk and run with a shotgun at the same speed as when her weapon is holstered.
Sliding
This action is achieved by pressing the crouch button («CTRL») while sprinting. The movement is essential, it lowers your hitboxes and grants a short speed boost. It’s a part of several other movement sets. Even so, there are several specific Apex tips and tricks in this regard.
- Use in combat
It’s possible to shoot in this position, allowing you to use the action as your opening move, to reduce the chances of being hit or to get to cover faster. It may be an effective combat tool, but it’s also predictable. You can’t change the direction, which is exploited by seasoned players.
- Use with slopes
If you go down a slope of any kind, your legend won’t stop sliding until after the slope ends. It works with long hillsides, sloped building roofs, and other instances of a tilted surface. It speeds you up immensely, and you can use the opportunity to shoot or heal yourself.
Sliding Boost
This move combines sliding and sprinting to get an even bigger speed boost. To perform it, you’ll need to start sprinting, slide and start sprinting right after it ends. Sometimes you’ll also want to include a jump right before the last step. It will give you a speed bonus, and it’s helpful for closing gaps with enemies.
Experienced players remember to use this move every time they want to slide. It’s very efficient if done right, but is sensitive to timing. Measure for yourself how far the sliding gets you and start sprinting after it stops. This way, you’ll travel more distance without slowing down.
Climbing
Climbing is an integral part of movement in Apex Legends. You may neglect this gameplay aspect, but it’ll mean abandoning a large degree of vertical mobility, important vantage points, and a generally serious advantage. What’s more, it’s deeper than just going up the wall. There are many advanced techniques.
Basics
To climb a vertical surface, come close to it and press «SPACE». The legend will then attempt to climb it. If it’s not too high, you’ll reach the top. It doesn’t stop at the buildings and other walls. You can scale objects, steep slopes, and other surfaces you would never jump over.
Advanced Climbing Tricks
There are many ways to use climbing to your benefit or to maximize climbing efficiency. Be open to opportunities efficient vertical maneuvering presents to you. Treat every wall as climbable. And if it’s not, there are other ways to get atop a structure in Apex Legends Season 13.
- Jumping and climbing
You don’t need to be at the bottom of the wall to conquer it. You can jump towards the barrier, face it, and press «SPACE». The legend will then start climbing the barrier. You also don’t need to leap directly towards it — doing it at an angle is also possible. So, if you really want to climb something, you’ll do it.
- Peeking through windows
Peeking through windows higher than your line of sight is another way to make good use of climbing. To do it, stand against a wall with a window on it, climb above the window, and drop. While you’re falling, try firing a few shots. You can do it several times before they figure out where the bullets come from.
- Peeking above cover
Some tall covers (like concrete blocks or busted cars) can be climbed to provide a field of view in front of the player. You need to climb, but not mount them. The legend will hang from the ledge and look over the object. It’s not relevant with high walls, but a tall cover can be climbed quickly and with little risk to the player.
Wall Jumps & B-hopping
Some instances of advanced movement in Apex revolve around timely jumping. Bunny-hopping is a well-known way to get around maps. It increases your speed significantly (but not insanely, like in some games). Wall jumps, however, are only present in games with vertical mobility, like Apex.
Wall Jumps
This action includes jumping toward the wall and bouncing back from it in a chosen direction. It allows the players to get to higher ground faster or access an area they wouldn’t be able to climb. It’s also a great way to confuse enemies and get a jump on them.
To bounce off the vertical surface, you’ll need to sprint directly to it, slide, jump right after, and hit the wall in the middle of the leap. Do make sure to stop going forward before hitting the barrier. Immediately after contact, press «JUMP» and aim where you want to go. This way, you’ll bounce off in that direction.
B-hopping
B-hopping (or bunny-hopping) is a movement pattern that involves rapid jumps while crouching. As soon as you hit the ground, you need to hop again. By doing so, your legend can accelerate to very high velocities. It’s effective in open, flat areas and for getting somewhere fast.
It’s an advanced technique that requires timing and practice. The basic Apex Legends tips for b-hopping would be to bind jumping to one of the unused buttons on your mouse (scroll wheel, side buttons, etc.) to make repetitive tapping easier. Also, try hopping forward and slightly to the side to avoid losing momentum.
Some Apex Legends characters are easier to b-hop with. Namely, playing Horizon is a good way to learn b-hopping. She has more air control, making it easier to time the hopping.
Moving in Combat
It goes without saying that you have to move while shooting. There are some practical tricks you can do to make sure people hit you as little as possible. Besides them, the usual advice is to initiate fights from unexpected positions, use confusing moves and constantly be out-of-reach.
You can practice many of these moves with your friends or at the Apex firing range. It exists specifically to let players practice movement patterns. You’d do well to visit it a few times to try the moves. And if you need practical coaching or lessons, you can pay for them.
Strafing & Cover Strafing
Strafing is a good way to remain on the move. The usual way of strafing is to go from side to side – preferably in an unpredictable way – so that enemies always have to realign their scopes on you. Side to side strafing, for its part, is a way of moving to the side and back, usually from cover.
It’s good for leaving your cover to shoot for a moment and going back in. It’s what most players do when fighting at a medium to long range indoors or simply when being hit is unaffordable. With it, you’ll also want to move at unpredictable intervals.
Constant Crouching
It’s another good way to minimize the chances of being hit. It involves crouching and standing up in rapid succession (preferably while strafing). This way, you’ll change your hitbox in addition to changing your position. It’s a good way of dealing with players who always aim for the head.
Tap Strafe
Tap strafing is a powerful technique used by seasoned pros to give them an extra edge in the heat of battle while dodging enemy fire – but it’s hard to do consistently.
To perform this technique slide jump and spam the “move forward” button (W default on PC, forward on the left analogue stick for both PlayStation and Xbox). At the top of the jump, rapidly move the mouse in the desired direction. It may be easier with binding “forward” to the mouse scroll (up or down), but while it sounds simple, it’s really hard to master, yet very useful in certain situations.
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