How to 1v1 in Apex Legends

The all time question that plagues the fresh freckled Pubs newbie to a hard core ALGS tested veteran.  “How to win a 1v1?”… in Apex Legends. In this short series we will highlight the tools of the trade to get on top, every time.

This would’ve been very short and simple if the game was a 1 on 1 free for all. However, as a Battle Royale of minimum 2v2’s and 3v3’s, you can expect to fight 1v1 then another 1v1 and yet another 1v1 in an ideal scenario. Most of the time however, you are faced with 1v2 or 1v3 situations so your approach, tactics, weapons and positioning (did we mention aim) have to be balanced and tuned to your legend.

initiating a 1v1

Let’s talk basics first – winning a 1v1 is (well, l it should be) an exercise in preparation, observation and training. Most pro players take their time in the firing range, fighting 1v1 duels with other pros in order to hone their skills.

This way you will get comfortable with your main, using a wide array of weapons and arguably, the most important part – the rush of either initiating or responding to an attack from another player and the reaction time to counter or execute a kill.

Here are the 3 most important factors that you need to keep in mind in order to improve your chances in a 1v1:

• Be the one to initiate the fight: this means you will open with more damage and can put the enemy player on the defensive, which usually results in a mistake (either prematurely using their ultimate or trying to run away, giving you a clear chance to down them);
• Use the Obi-Wan approach – use the HIGH GROUND. This means that you will see more than your enemy, which leads to several opening options like throwing a nade, using your tactical / ultimate or just unloading a full magazine and improving your chances of a headshot;
• Use your Legend’s offensive/defensive abilities to get yourself the edge – even if you play a Lifeline, you can get a boost of confidence with your drone if the player you engage is very good at aiming. Ratting is always an option if the other player is unaware – yeah it’s cheap but we’re here to win… dammit.

HOW TO COUNTER

This is a common situation if you hot drop and there is another team there already – you are left without a weapon against another player. What do you do? Firstly, let’s just say you should never contest an area that is crawling with enemy teams. In 9 out of 10 drops you will get killed in the first minute by players with weapons while you are still figuring out who’s shooting you.

All is not lost however – in order to win that first 1v1 make sure to be close to your team so you can get a back up if there’s a need to brawl (2 sets of fists are better than 1). Second, since you will be the ones who will get the jump on, try to avoid the initial fight as much as possible, that is until you either A) get a gun, B) get to high ground, C) both. 🙂

In any other situation you will be hard pressed to counter, especially if the player is good and knows what to do to press the initiative (see the first paragraph) but that doesn’t mean that you should just let them win. A good tactic is to find cover – you should always, ALWAYS try to find cover, regardless of how insignificant or small it may be.

ADAPT FIRST, SHOOT SECOND

Denying LoS (or line of sight) is essential if you don’t want to get farmed for damage – if in the initial burst the enemy got through your shields, find cover quickly and heal up! If they’re pushing you, use a set of defensive options such as:

• Your tactical (regardless of the legend – we will cover these in greater detail in our “How to play” series) to throw them off,
• NADES! (arcs are best though you can pretty much use any to deter a push)
• Wall-jumps to get quickly to a higher ground or out of the way (an advanced movement technique which requires a perfect coordination of sliding to a wall (looking directly at it), canceling the climbing animation after a split second and jumping to the side using space)

This can still go on, so you should try to at least do a decent amount of damage in the hopes that the enemy will get down. In a close quarters situation, having an off hand shotgun (or a very fast weapon like the R99 or Devotion) is sure to give you an advantage.

Where should you always initiate a 1v1?

There is a difference between “when” and “where” to a successful completion of a 1v1 in Apex. We already covered when so now let’s focus on where.

Since it is a location based query, it goes without saying that you should know your maps. Broken Moon is fairly new so you will have to take your time in Pubs, learning the layout, choke points and those pesky rails which can rain enemies on you in a heartbeat.

Still, if you are decent at positioning you will know how to initiate your duels. Again, engaging from a high ground is always preferable – opening with either a coordinated (3,2,1) coms on one enemy legend, or throwing nades with a tactical combo is sure to grant you at least 3-4 seconds of uninterrupted shooting spree at the enemy.

Enemies caught off guard (in the open, with no cover) are easiest to take down, as well as stragglers who just want to run away (and usually run in a straight line). Mow Em down like it’s no one’s business.

So, how do you improve your chances of winning?

1 on 1 duels in Apex are a matter of many factors – who shot first, who has better weapons, who can “dance” (i.e. move up, down, left, right, crouch, side step, etc.) but let’s not forget the one crucial aspect – aim.

Sadly, this does require training. No way around it. We are not saying this to put you down but, if your aim is crap, no amount of good cover or advanced tactics is going to save you.

So, hit the Firing Range! S15 has introduced some new tweaks to this mode – now you can have moving targets which act as a superior form of aim trainer. Be sure to spend at least 10-20 minutes as a warm up in order to get good at tracking and shooting your targets.

Why does “win your 1v1″ matter so much?

We just spent the better part of 1000 words to describe one tiny cog in the war machine that is Apex Legends. But why does one tiny 1v1 win matter so much? Well, it all starts from there. If you are confident enough to initiate fights, if you know how to repel and respond to attacks, then you are more than capable to go beyond that.

Great players train for every situation and being confident that your 1v1 is always going to be on your terms, means that you can go for 1v2 and even 1v3.

For now though, make sure to read up and start practicing. If you think some quality play with Pros can help you figure out your rhythm, why don’t you try scheduling a relaxed session with some of the best in the biz at BlazingBoost: https://blazingboost.com/apex-legends/play-with-a-pro-hourly If you want to truly excel and go beyond the 1v1, we suggest checking out the Hard Core Coaching where you can get a direct insight into your main and the best practices to up your game. Check them out on this link: https://blazingboost.com/apex-legends/buy-coaching-with-gameplay/battle-royale

Thanks for reading and we will be back with another guide, on the topic of 1v2.

Oscar Mike ladies!