Building is the mechanic that propelled Fortnite to new heights when the Battle Royale mode came out in 2017. Now you’ll discover how to learn the fundamentals and achieve Victory Royales quickly.
Players load into a game, excited to finally get the Victory Royale and boast about it to their friends, but get absolutely demolished by a higher-skilled player. That feeling of watching someone throw up a full structure while you're still fumbling your keybinds is exactly what this guide is designed to fix.
Below are the tips and tricks you can use to become the player you’re meant to be. Stop avoiding building and learn the tips to master it and rank up to Unreal with ease.
In the standard Battle Royale mode, building isn’t an additional skill; it’s the skill. Building is the base aspect of Fortnite. Yes, the Zero Build mode pleases a majority of the player base. But building is the mechanic that helped catapult Fortnite into mainstream gaming.
Even if you want to keep playing Zero Build, knowing how to build and its fundamentals helps you in positioning, finding cover, and moving around the map.
Consistency is key. You don’t need to build fast; you need to build correctly. Once you fall into a perpetual rhythm of practice, speed automatically shows itself.
Before focusing on how to build, you need to fix the settings that suppress your ability to improve.
One key aspect of a good Fortnite player is that they are fully comfortable with their keybinds. A new player will struggle to become proficient if they don’t practice on binds that they are comfortable with. Copying a professional player's binds won’t magically make you better. When choosing your build and edit keybinds, ensure they are easily accessible from the WASD area. Additionally, make sure these binds do not disrupt or hinder your movement.
Perfecting your sensitivity is a trial-and-error process. Aiming, building, and editing improve exponentially when your sens complements your style of play. Selecting a sens you feel comfortable with and playing games on that, and adjusting it, helps make you better.
Fortnite's entire building system runs on four structure types.
Before you start combining them or worrying about speed, understand what each one does and why.
Walls are your primary defense tool. Whenever someone shoots at you, your first instinct should be to build walls around you, so you have time to focus, heal, reposition, or fire back.
Ramps are tools that help you gain height. Creating elevated angles with ramps gives you the advantage of being on higher ground and shooting down. Players contest the high ground position in nearly every game, as it remains the most reliable winning condition during a build fight.
Floors are underutilized by beginners because they seem to offer no value. However, floors help strengthen structures. Floors reinforce ramps, so structures don't break easily; they block fire from above and below you and help you move horizontally across terrain without taking damage.
Cones are the piece almost every new player ignores, and that's a mistake. A cone placed inside your box stops enemies from controlling the fight. A cone can be placed when fighting, forcing enemies to adjust their fighting style, giving you a slight advantage in the moment.
Fortnite has three types of building materials. They each have different strengths and weaknesses. They are wood, brick, and metal.
After looting, the first step you need to take is to start farming materials. Consistently, farming is a reliable strategy to ensure you have ample resources for the endgame.
Wood is the weakest material, alongside being the most readily available throughout any POI. It’s extremely easy to farm and is your savior in a sudden fight. Wood being weak rarely matters when all you need is something to come between you and the bullets. However. In the endgame, wood builds are a sign that a player is low on materials.
Brick is slightly stronger and more durable than wood. Taking more time to completely solidify, under fire, it is better than wood and can be used transitionally in the mid and endgame.
Metal is the strongest material and the toughest to come by. When freshly placed, a metal wall is weaker than a wood wall, as it takes longer to completely solidify and reach its maximum health. You should save your metal for the endgame. Metal builds help tremendously when you're surrounded, and you need protection around you.
We’ve discussed the fundamental concepts to help you improve your building skills.
The next tips will focus on learning and implementing difficult techniques that experienced players regularly use.
1v1 Box: The foremost building technique that others build on is the 1v1 box. You place walls all around you with a floor on the top and the bottom, with either a ramp or a cone inside the box. This helps you stay safe and heal up, while also allowing you to deal damage to your opponent safely.
The Ramp Rush: One of the first things you learn to build for your fights is the ramp rush. This building technique allows you to quickly gain height over your opponent, giving you an advantage in the fight. All you need to do is start by placing a ramp, enclosing it with walls on the sides and a floor underneath, and repeat the process.
This technique will take time to perfect, but with intention and practice, every player can perform it correctly.
Sidejumps: Sidejumps help you surprise your enemy by suddenly gaining height. All you have to do is place a cone or a floor on top of a ramp and jump from the edge of the ramp while simultaneously placing a new floor or ramp to continue that momentum and build ahead.
This is the most basic version of a sidejump. Save the advanced versions of this technique for when your fundamentals are solid.
90s: They are the fastest way to gain vertical height in the game. The sequence to perform a perfect 90 goes like this: place a ramp, turn 90 degrees, place walls, jump, place a floor, place a new ramp, and repeat the cycle.
It's the most recognizable skill in high-level play and the clearest visual indicator of someone who's put serious hours into building. Attempting a 90 should only be done once you have mastered the beginner and intermediate building skills.
Learning how to build is a strenuous process, but if you cannot take advantage of your builds, then they pose no threats to your enemies.
For beginners, focus on two edits on a wall. The first one is the window edit. When done correctly, the window edit helps you deal damage without receiving it.
The second edit is slightly advanced but is frequently used by skilled players. The peanut butter edit is both advantageous and disadvantageous for many players. To perform it, enter edit mode on a wall and select the top-left, top-middle, and middle-left tiles, creating an L-shape across the upper and left side of the wall. That uneven shape is what makes this edit effective.
Done correctly, this edit gives you a clear angle on your opponent, but experienced players can also punish you for it.
The best place to practice your builds is in a creative lobby, as you’re not afraid to fail and there are no consequences if you do. Practicing in a real game is detrimental to your growth, as the pressure is detrimental to your growth.
Zone wars and box fights in creative help cultivate your skills in a safe environment, allowing you to practice and fail without fearing.
Building has a steeper learning curve than almost any other game. The gap between an experienced and an inexperienced player is plain and humbling.
Getting better takes time and intention. Drilling the basics until they become automatic is the only way to improve over time.
