The key to success in Fortnite: Battle Royale lies in building fortifications – that is known. But which fortifications should you build? When is the ideal time to do so? And what does the perfect fortress look like? We answer all the questions and provide tips in our guide to building forts, fortifications, and cover.
Reaching the endgame of a match in Fortnite: Battle Royale is not difficult. In fact, you can hide for most of a game without drawing much attention.
Actually winning a game, that is a whole different challenge.
Enemies who have entrenched themselves in higher builds have the advantage – always! Even though building a fortress means revealing your position – do it anyway. Only in rare cases will opponents aggressively attack you and try to storm your fortress.
We will show you when and where you should erect fortifications, how they should be built, and how you can win games with their help. We will also address how to destroy enemy structures and put opponents in a hopeless position.
Where do I find what resources for building? – Building materials
In Fortnite: Battle Royale, you have access to three different resources, each with its advantages and disadvantages:
- Wood
- Stone
- Metal
Generally, you can find all resources everywhere. However, in some places, they are more concentrated than in others:
- Wood – Trees are the best source of wood. You can find them everywhere, good gathering spots are the Wailing Woods or the area west of Tilted Towers. You can also harvest wood from pallets, which are increasingly found in industrial areas (for example, the unnamed area northwest of Flush Factory).
- Stone – You can obtain stones by destroying corresponding houses or from the stone piles scattered around the map.
- Metal – Metal is the strongest resource for building fortifications and can primarily be harvested from vehicles. The perfect spot is the trailer park east of Retail Row.
How many resources you should gather at the beginning of the game largely depends on your play style. Are you more cautious and take out only a few players during a match? Then you should start with a decent supply.
Aggressive players who rack up many kills need relatively few resources at the beginning since opposing players drop all resources upon their demise.
If you manage to hoard 500 units of each resource during a game, you will be well equipped for the endgame.
When do I use which resource for building?
In every case, the hardest resource, metal, is not necessarily the best choice for building. Specifically under fire, wood is much more suitable as it is built much faster and thus provides initial the best protection.
Stone and metal are preferably used in the endgame since a fully built fortress made from these resources offers optimal protection. For most of a match, you will primarily be dealing with wood.
You should also use wood when you want to reach inaccessible places or mountains – save stone and metal for the endgame!
How do I use resources under fire?
Wood is the best resource for fending off enemy fire during a game. However, the right application must be learned. An opponent who sees you first and opens fire will most likely kill you if you do not build cover.
Once you notice that bullets are flying around you, immediately switch to building mode and construct wooden pieces between you and the opponent. Then build a ramp in the direction from which the shots came. Ideally, you will now have a height advantage and can survey the situation.
It is important that you do not completely box yourself in so you have an escape route available. Also, do not build only one wooden wall between you and the opponent, but multiple (horizontally). This makes it harder for opponents to locate you and gives you more options to shoot from cover.
If you master this principle, you can emerge victorious from a disadvantageous situation more often.
What to do when the opposing player is aggressively attacking and your cover? Make sure you always keep an eye on your enemy and build accordingly wooden pieces to confuse the opponent.
The opponent is building a ramp to gain a height advantage themselves? Cover your position with roofs that make it difficult for the enemy to determine your exact location. The building tool in Fortnite is variable and powerful – the player who knows how to use it better will win.
When should I start building a fortress?
As the game progresses, the likelihood of encountering enemy players increases, as the available map area becomes smaller. As a rule of thumb: Once the safe zone has shrunk two or three times, you should consider building a fortress.
Depending on how the storm progresses, this may not be your last fortress in this round.
In general, you must be flexible and always watch the storm’s progression. From your high position, you should ideally also be able to observe other players and their movement patterns.
Where should I build a fort?
Now it comes down to your tactical skill! Generally, fortifications should be built at the edge of the safe zone. Why? Behind you is the storm, which means one less direction to watch (at least after some time).
You will also not be presented to the remaining players on a silver platter, as you cannot be spotted from every direction.
This principle does not always apply. If there is a mountain nearby, consider building your shelter at the top. You will be very visible there, but you will overlook everything else and have a fantastic view.
Approaching players will be immediately spotted and can be shot at. For better visibility, you should eliminate obstructive trees nearby with gunfire or cut them down beforehand. The better the visibility around your base, the sooner you will spot enemies trying to storm your base.
So always pay attention to the terrain around you. Where do you have a strategic advantage? Where can you easily reach a high position? How good is the visibility of the surroundings? You should always weigh these things when you want to erect a fort.
But beware! – Other players will be considering the same things as you. A strategic point is often hotly contested. Speed pays off, therefore. If you arrive last in the safe area, the best spots on the map will already be occupied. So, be quick to set off as soon as the safe map section shrinks.
In summary, you should consider the following points when choosing the best place for your fortress:
- Make sure you hold the highest point on the map with your fort. Enemies above you will eliminate you if they spot you – guaranteed.
- Build your fortress so that you have a perfect overview – eliminate obstructions like trees and do not build too close to buildings, as these could serve as cover.
- Fortifications placed at the edge of the map have the charm that you have one less direction to keep an eye on and can fully concentrate on what is happening in front of you.
How high should my fortress be?
At a certain height of your fortress, you will take fall damage if you have to retreat. Three stories are safe, but starting from the fourth floor, you will take damage when jumping. Always keep this in mind when planning your shelter.
You can avoid fall damage by installing horizontal plates on your fortress when falling, onto which you can land on your way down.
This obviously does not work if your fortress is completely leveled (e.g., with the minigun). In that case, you must live with fall damage. So make sure not to build your structures too high.
What should my fortress look like?
At the beginning, try simple builds. Using a basic size of 1×1, simply build four walls around you, add a ramp, an intermediate floor, and again four walls around you.
Keep doing this until three stories are built. On the ramp, you can now observe your surroundings. An important criterion is speed. Practice building fortifications in a remote location – north of the Wailing Woods you can stock up on wood in the nearby forest and get started right away.
The risk of being surprised by other players is low. Once you master the basic size of 1×1, build your fortifications in a 1×2 format. The advantage: you can place two ramps in opposite directions and thus have a better overview of your surroundings.
The size of your fortress also depends on the number of players in your team. In squad mode, the basic layout should be 2×2 so that you do not get in each other’s way.
Once you have the basic fortifications down, you can further reinforce your buildings and even create space for a campfire or a launch pad.
In fortifications with a 3×3 layout, you have enough space in the center for a launch pad, which can save you from tricky situations. You can also build ramps outwards to create an extension, making it harder for opposing teams to overwhelm your fortress with a ramp.
Summary / Conclusion
Plan your fortress strategically! Do you always hold the highest point? Can you overview the surrounding area well? Practice building in abandoned places – the coordination of the individual building components needs to be ingrained so that you can build fortifications in your sleep.
If you are shot at or overwhelmed, do not panic. Have a plan B and an escape route ready in case things get tricky.
Further tips and tricks around fortress building can be found in the following video:
What do your fortifications look like? Do you have any further tips? Let us know in the comments!
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