APEX Legends is a Battle Royale that appeared out of the blue and swept everyone off their feet. The game attracted Battle Royale veterans and new players alike with its inclusion of skill-based heroes and three-man squad game mode. However, APEX offers in-game mechanics that reward individual skill and that is what keeps the veterans and pro battle royale streamers coming back for more.

You might have played the game for various hours and have a good understanding of the different legend skills, map areas, and equipment. There are, however, some smaller mechanics that are less obvious and that the game does not highlight which, if not used, leave you at an inherent disadvantage against the players who take advantage off all of the tools at their reach. To try and give you that extra edge, today I'm going to share ten in-game mechanics and details that you guys might not know.

You can look in any direction while sliding down a hill and not lose speed or direction, even behind you!

You all know you can slide while running straight or down a hill. Depending on the incline, you can cover a large amount of ground at max speed using this technique and even attack your enemies while sliding. Something many don't know is that even if you start a slide diagonal to the slope, your body will eventually divert in the angle which gravity is pulling the most. This means that if you are sliding down a hill, you can look and shoot in any direction and you will still keep going down at max speed. This little trick can keep you alive while trying to escape a lost encounter if the enemy decides to give chase.

You can bypass a downed enemy's shield by using a melee

I'm sure that just like me, you get annoyed by a downed enemy who keeps blocking your shots, preventing you from landing the killing blow. Whenever this happens, just remember that melee hits are not blocked by shields! With a max of 4 melees, you'll be knees deep in your victim's death box without giving away your location with shots.

Caustic's poisonous gas slows and disorients his teammates, but it does not damage them

Caustic's gas isn't considered a significant source of damage, but it still ticks at your health little by little. This will make most players find their way around a green cloud whenever possible. If you're teamed up with a Caustic, always remember that his poison will daze you, but it won't cause any damage. With this in mind you can rush enemies or even hide safely in its cover when needed.

You can grab onto ziplines while mid-air

One of Apex's coolest aspects is its mobility. Top tier players will gain the upper hand in many battles by flanking, climbing, and sliding around their enemies to ensure they're hard-to-hit while delivering lethal blows. Ziplines are a quick way of getting from one place to the other, and you can even latch on to one if you jump from above it. Note, you can't grab the line if you’re in free fall but if you jump from a hill or building you just have to make sure to hit its assigned button in time and ride away!

Wraith has the smallest hitbox

If you ever felt frustrated because you couldn't land that last hit on that elusive little Wraith, don't beat yourself up too hard, Wraith has the smallest hitbox in the game, making this legend the hardest to hit! It's also worth pointing out that Lifeline takes second place when it comes to hitbox size.

You can ping items, supply crates, and even death boxes

Apex Legends is a team-based battle royale that heavily relies on communication. Because of that, the robust ping system can help you notify your team of the location of many things, from enemies all the way to death boxes. Using these pings will provide accurate information to your team with the simple click of a button.

You can increase your run speed by holstering your weapon

As you might have noticed, your character will run faster when holding a handgun versus a shotgun. What you might not know or take advantage of is the fact that you can sprint faster if you holster your weapon.

Crouching while running will help maintain max speed

While running, you can give yourself an extra boost crouching. This will make your character slide and based on the incline, you can maintain this slide going at max speed until you reach even ground. You can, however, jump before your slide starts to slow down, and that can increase the distance you travel at max speed.

If you shoot an enemy with armor, the color of the sparks represents the level of their shield

While in a firefight, you will always know when you broke an enemy's shield by a sound similar to glass breaking. Something you might not have paid attention to is that once you land a shot on an enemy you can tell what level armor he has by the color of the sparks it disperses and the damage number. Keep this little detail in mind to know when you are at a defensive advantage or disadvantage in a firefight.

You can ping empty slots in your inventory to notify your team what you need

Another important aspect about pings in APEX is that by long pressing your ping button/key, you can pull up a wheel of ping options that permit you send quick and precise messages to your team about your surroundings. You can also ping an empty slot of your inventory to let your teammates know items you need. That way they can keep an eye open for when one may pop up.

Hopefully these tips help you on the battlefield, good luck!

Like our content? Support us by getting our merchandise in our shop