Becoming the Ideal Teammate (Draft)

Preface

The information here is to be used as a foundation, especially for those who haven’t truly grasped the objective of firefights and combat within Apex Legends. Change and alter this foundation to suit your needs after you’ve understood the concept is my advice. This is simply to give hope to those who haven’t mastered their mechanical skill or cannot find that desirable pre-made. There is still hope… But it is far from easy.

Introduction

Whether you’re lacking in fundamentals or mechanical skill. If performed correctly, using this philosophy within your games, will allow you to know you’re consistently working with your team and not against it. This does not mean you’ll always be making the best choices available, however it will mean you’re 100% operating as a team player throughout the match. You’ll come to notice that the strongest tool you have are your teammates, regardless of their skill.

For this information to be clear, we’ll have to change and manipulate some already well known concepts for it all to be digested comfortably. Brace yourselves as the competitive die hard fans of apex players scream “That’s not how that word is supposed to be used!”.

Rule 01: Surrender

No independent plays, no looting out of position even slightly. Everything without immediate return fire by your team, should be considered dangerous and avoided. This will be the hardest rule to obey as you’ll need to suppress some serious urges to capitalise on huge damage that your team is unaware of, other opportunities will constantly slip away as you choose consistency over opportunity.

In-position : This means “Return-Fire” is immediately available by either “yourself for a team member” or “your team member for you”.

Out of Position : “Return-Fire” is unavailable due to obstacles such as distance & environmental structures.

How to Practice
As soon as possible, from beginning to the end of the match, your aim is to stay within range and positions with at least one team member to return fire with. To train this habit, see each fire shot by your team member or at your team member as “windows of opportunity”. If you happen to miss this chance to Return-Fire upon the attacker or their team members. Consider this a missed-opportunity due to being “Out-of-Position”.

Rule 02: Read your team (Team Behaviour Awareness)

Keep an eye on your team members body language and movements, these are tell signs about what they are doing and wish to do. You’ll learn to do this even during intense firefights. The moment you are unaware of their actions, consider this “Tunnel Visioning”.

Tunnel visioning : When one is unaware of their team members location and action.

You’ll have to think of creative ways to keep tabs on your team regardless of the situation. Communication will cure this if you’re able to speak truthfully and accurately between each other, whilst moving in accordance with each other.

How to practice
There are many viable and reasonable ways to keep track of your team members in SoloQ. If you can find them all I would encourage one to use them all. However the best tip I can give is to use your “Downtime”.

Downtime : Simply anytime you’re unable to return fire due to some circumstance. Such as the enemy taking cover or even you having to reload your own gun. Downtime is another thing killing us indiscriminately, use it wisely and as often as you can. Use this time to refresh your awareness on your team member's behaviour.

Phase 1 : Before Battle

• Stay within attack range for instant return fire, even from a surprise attack.

This one will take constant evaluation of the forever changing terrain and position of your team members. Let’s call this “Pre-Positioning”

Pre-Position : To preemptively position once self to be protected from unexpected attacks, whilst being in position to return fire immediately for one’s own team members. (This one will often only be applicable to the team member of your choice. I advise you to choose the teammate closest to foreseeable danger.)

Phase 2 : During Battle

• Be Pre-position ready at all times.
• Read both team members behaviour during moments of rest!
• Return fire upon those who target your team members immediately.

One of the main reasons for this philosophy is to eliminate the constant “desyncs” created through two opposing wills and motives between team members.

Desync : When two members have the same goal, but their actions work against one another in subtle manners.

“Tunnel Visioning” will be something you’re unable to eliminate when it comes to your own team members. Better to work with theirs than against it. This is what Coordinated Premade teams do not have to deal with, making them much stronger than your average matchmade group. However it’s still easier said than done, as most Premade groups will still have conflicting desires during combat.

Health Exchange Evaluation (Disregard own health)

Identifying the end of one exchange to the next is a great feat in itself, this alone will take some practice.

• Read Team member’s behaviour immediately.
• Immediately Preposition for defence if they’re retreating : Attack or preposition aggressively if they’re.
• What is your team doing? Is the most important question.

As long as you have one alive, this question is always valid at any moment during your engagements.

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Downtime is the true enemy and weakness of any fight. Use this time wisely.

Your senses seem to work against you here, knowing more than you need to know seems to be a problem... ( Leave for video )

Conclusion

With my current skill this seems to be a viable method for climbing in higher tier lobbies. Simply because the main thing killing teams there is disorganisation. The desyncs such as one or two members having different approaches to the same situation, are what the better and more experienced players are using against us to win.

Repositioning after you’ve taken damage to throw aggro and still fight is a skill that should be considered mandatory.

Holding aggro to allow weaker members to fight while you’re low on health, is a skill you’ll end up developing along the way.

The hardest concept to grasp may be the fact that you don’t get to decide who wins or loses. However you get to decide whether you operate with your team or against them throughout your match.