Fortnite Storm Surge Survival Guide: Bugha’s Tips on How to Survive to the Endgame
We consulted with the world champion himself to help us create a guide for you to understand and survive the Storm Surge mechanic in competitive Fortnite game modes.
Understanding how to navigate the Storm Surge mechanic is undoubtedly one of the largest skill gaps found in competitive Fortnite. When many of the top players are now of a similar skill level regarding their building and aim mechanics, what separates the good players from the greats is the ability to navigate Storm Surge effectively. If you’re looking to be great, it only makes sense to learn from the greats, so for that reason, we consulted the one and only Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf to help us compile the best tips for mastering this complex game mechanic.
What Exactly is Storm Surge?
For those who are new to competitive Fortnite, understanding exactly what Storm Surge is is the first step to mastering it. Storm Surge is a mechanic put in place to control the number of players alive during the end-game. Players who have dealt the least amount of damage in the game will be hit with a lightning strike that takes off a significant amount of health. To avoid this, players must stay above the Storm Surge threshold by hitting damage tags on their opponents throughout the game. While it may seem strange at first, this mechanic perfectly complements the main objective of Fortnite, to be the last player standing. Fortnite is not all about "shooting" or "surviving" to the endgame. It's about mastering the perfect balance of both.
Positioning is Key
To successfully tackle Storm Surge, the way you position yourself is everything. Avoid low points of the map, such as rivers and gullies, as much as possible. By basing yourself in an elevated position, you’ll have much better lines of sight on the players surrounding you to grab damage tags off of.
Positioning is always super important, and I see a lot of mistakes being made there. If you are not basing in an elevated position, you won’t see other players around you that you can get tags off of.
Know the Strengths of Your Landing Spot
Use your drop spot’s environment to your advantage. When selecting your landing spot, areas with high elevation peaks and buildings are always favorable. Nonetheless, wherever you decide to land, knowing the strengths of your drop spot is essential to getting damage tags early on in the game. Even if you have to land in an area that is wide open, you can still prepare to position yourself so that you can hit tags on players traveling to their landing spots.
You need to play off the strengths of the place you are landing. If you land somewhere with many hills, you need to ensure you are claiming those hills. If you’re landing somewhere in the wide open, you need to look for early tags on the teams landing around you. It depends a lot on where you land and how you play off of the environment.
Going Too Far Into The Center of The Map
While some of the most loot-heavy POIs are found in the center of the map, the locations on the outskirts of the map are always best for landing during competitive game modes. Most players are landing on the outskirts of the map, so when you choose to land in the center of the map, you are less likely to find players to deal damage upon.
A common mistake I see players make is when they go too far into the center of the map because a lot of the player base is on the outskirts of the map. There are fewer places in the middle of the map and more places on the outskirts. So everyone is coming in and funneling into the middle. If you go too far into the center of the map, you’re not going to find anyone. If you go too far on the edge, you’ll get stuck with everyone else. You have to find that balance between the middle and the edge. A position where you can always look back for tags.
Looking for Damage Opportunities While Rotating
The time while players are rotating to the next zone is one of the best opportunities to hit damage tags. By being constantly aware of your surroundings and looking for these opportunities, you’ll set yourself up for success during the end-game and not take unnecessary Storm Surge damage.
If you go to a particular hill until the zone starts coming in, and when the zone closes, you need to get tags on the people behind you, but you don’t want them to get too close to you because that will alter your rotation. So you want to ensure you are pacing ahead and continually looking back simultaneously.
Understanding How Much Damage Needs to Be Dealt
While Epic makes changes to Storm Surge values occasionally, it’s important to understand the current season’s structure before going into games. Following accounts like @FortniteStatus on Twitter will help keep you in the know.
Always look for the Storm Surge threshold below your mini-map during the game. This tells you exactly how far above or below Storm Surge you are, and you can use this to plan your next moves.
Another mistake players make is not understanding how much damage they must deal to avoid Surge. Many of them overcompensate, or they will be so far below. They don’t look for tags in every situation and during every rotation. Literally every damage counts, so you have to be super focused to find those opportunities.
Bugha’s Thoughts on the New Zone Updates
Epic made a controversial change to the Storm zones at the release of Chapter 4: Season 2. Many pro players took to Twitter to speak of their disdain towards the new storm Structure, some stating that this is the worst update in the history of competitive Fortnite. One pro you didn’t see complaining, however, was Bugha. His positive outlook towards changes made in the game that are out of players' control not only breathes effervescent positivity into the competitive community but also speaks to what continues to separate him as one of the greats. Bugha’s ability to conform and adapt to game changes proves that he has what it takes to win under various game metas and circumstances.
I definitely think, for Competitive, the new zones are a little weird, considering how short the end-games actually are and how long the mid-games are now. I know Epic loves their end-games, and they love all of the chaotic things that go on during them. Right now, the end-games might be a little too short for my liking, but it still doesn’t matter. I’m going to just play, figure it out, and try to get the best at navigating the new zones. It’s really all you can do. There’s no point in dwelling on it or trying to get Epic to revert it. Just play what they are putting out there and try your best.
Conclusion
From positioning yourself from the start of the game with the right drop spot to understanding exactly how much damage you need to deal during the mid-game, in this guide, Bugha has given you all the tools to successfully navigate Storm Surge and make it to the end game.
See you all on the battle bus!
Be sure to follow Bugha on Twitter @Bugha and on Twitch! Follow me on Twitter @KaylaSueStreams
