This article contains General Tips and Tricks for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG). It includes basic loadouts, Weapons strategies, Solo and Duo gameplay strategies, confronting enemies, and Map strategies.
General Tips and Tricks
Loadouts
For ease of reference, the following recommended Loadouts are arranged in terms of Weapon type:
Assault
| Assault | ||
|---|---|---|
| Main | Sidearm | Important Attachments |
| AKM | Tommy Gun | 8X CQBSS |
| Characteristics | ||
| Use this build when you prefer battling your foes in the open in mid to long-range combat. The AKM is one of the best weapons in-game, and should be paired up with a good sidearm like the tommy gun for better rate of fire when your foes get too close. With an 8x CQBSS, you can take out your opponents more efficiently, especially in the late-game, when teams or players compete to survive in a very, very small circle. 8x CQBSS will allow you to score efficient headshots, provided you know how to use it well. | ||
Close Quarters
| Close Quarters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Main | Sidearm | Attachments |
| S12K | R1895/ Crowbar | Extended QuickDraw Mag (Automatic Rifle/S12) |
| Characteristics | ||
| The S12K is the best shotgun in terms of firing rate and reloading time, due to its magazine. Whilst storming a house, or hiding inside a house, this weapon will be your best bet to eliminate your opponents due to its rate of fire. If that doesn’t stop them, perhaps the 7.62 mm bullet from the R1895 revolver will, because it has the best stopping power of any pistol in-game. | ||
Defense
| Defense | ||
|---|---|---|
| Main | Sidearm | Attachments |
| M249 | Crossbow | Red Dot Sight |
| Characteristics | ||
| If you manage to bag an M249, you can hole up in a house and put the fear of God into your enemies by raining down fire upon them. If you’d rather choose a quieter, stealthier approach, a crossbow will make sure that enemies around you won’t hear much noise. My advice is to use the crossbow first to take out your enemies and then switch to M249 once the firing begins. | ||
Ranged
| Ranged | ||
|---|---|---|
| Main | Sidearm | Attachments |
| AWM | P92 | Compensator (Sniper Rifle) |
| Characteristics | ||
| Whether camping outside or inside a house, you ought to use a good weapon like the AWM, which has arguably the best stats of a sniper rifle. For a side arm, make sure you have at the very least, a P92 so that you can defend yourself in close encounters. However, it’s best if you found an assault rifle to ensure you have the stopping power. | ||
General Strategies
It’s a dog-eat-dog world in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds as you strive to survive. At face value, it might seem compelling to be in the driver’s seat and play aggressively, however the best way to come out on top is to adjust as you go along.
As such, it is not rewarding to familiarize with only one playstyle. In this way, it is better to learn how the enemy behaves as being too reckless can get you killed, while employing a restrained style of play can easily fall victim as well.
To get a better grip of the game, be sure to adjust the sound to tune enemy’s line of fire. This helps to alert you of any impending danger lurking behind the fields if you’re out in the open, or of any hideouts currently occupied. Other environmental cues such as approaching vehicles can easily be heard with just the right amount of in-game volume adjustment.
Although at times, even with the two general playstyles, it cannot be helped to find yourself falling in one. In this case, the knowledge you gain from adjusting to a specific playstyle, will require some adaptation. Assess the pros and cons for each and adjust accordingly.
Occasionally you might be backed down in a corner by another player. The best way to handle any situation is to be vigilant of your surroundings. Instead of mindlessly tossing grenades each time as a defense mechanism, there are other ways to escape. Options range from red zones, blue circles, luring them into another line of fire from either teammates or another threat. If you can master this art, you can break yourself free from harm’s way.
Solo Play
By traversing the map alone, you are likely to be vulnerable to back stabs. By being out in the open, you have to locate the coordinates of your enemies to devise a tactic. Always keep track of the location of the blue circle, the white circle (play area), and any incoming threats along the way.
Even if you get the opportunity to back stab someone from behind, do not attempt unless you are willing to blow your cover or are absolutely certain that your coordinates will not be exposed. Best way to go around this is to line your shot with a silencer attached to land a stealth kill.
Duo/Squad Play
The battle plan will differ in duo/squad as it requires coordination. Best way to coordinate your strategy is to avail of a headset and have a voice chat open to easily determine the coordinates of your enemies and allies.
Do not get discouraged if you or an ally dies during a round as you will be able to pick up some knowledge through spectating. Avoid pointing fingers as this will not only fail to resolve the issue, but is also unsportsmanlike.
To browse guides focusing on Duo Play click here, for Squad Play click here.
Weapon Strategy
Essential tools of war, weapons are your best asset in getting yourself on top. There are three weapon categories namely Ranged, Assault, and Support.
Ranged
Ranged weapons come with scopes and attachments which assist aiming from afar. They shine best outside of urban locations to capitalize on their line of sight. A number of mods such as the Suppressor helps to take out distant enemies without blowing your cover. Some examples of Ranged Weapons are the Kar-98k and AWM.
Assault
These weapons have high mobility, moderate ammunition at the expense of accuracy. Assault Weapons excel in ambush encounters. To assist in stability, one of the recommended mods to fasten include the Vertical grip. Notable examples include the M16 and AKM.
Support
Known for their high ammunition, and high damage. Selections include pump-action shotguns to heavy machine guns. They work effectively in dealing burst shots on a wide area. Certain mod attachments such as the Shotgun choke help to extend their range. Examples of Support Weapons are the S686, and the S1897.
How to Survive
As a game of survival, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds forces you to kill or be killed. For self-preservation, there are several ways to go around it.
Snipe from afar
Weapons with scope attachment can take out enemies lined in sight. To do this, activate the scope using right click (you can bring up another view by holding down the right mouse button).
In order to have a better view of other players, the best way is to look for platforms preferably two-storey buildings with second floors, mountains, and groves. Having a bird’s eye view of things helps you to score kills.
Close Quarters
Felling enemies through Close Quarters employs using flash bangs and gas grenades to blind them, then finishing them off with an open fire. Be sure to have your gun loaded to the brim to secure a kill, as an empty barrel can spell doom on your end.
Other than your main weapon, remember to keep your sidearm loaded. This will function as a contingency for cases when you fail to put down your captive enemy using your main weapon.
Camping
As you start the game, the clock will start to tick with players roaming about killing anyone they encounter to decrease the population. You have the option to wait it out in hiding, picking off any unfortunate passers-by in the process. Although this style of play has its merits, the battle area will eventually shrink making it more difficult to employ the tactics mentioned above.
Click here to view the recommended Camping Locations
Map Strategy
Knowing the terrain is essential in a game of survival. These are some general guidelines that can be applied regardless of which map you run yourself into.
Employing Stealth
To get yourself around in one piece requires moving carefully from one location to another.
Avoid opening fire at a disadvantageous location whenever you can. Unless you secure a foolproof spot, chances are you will die if you fire at an enemy without paying attention to your position. If you can pursue an enemy without being caught, proceed until they arrive in a prone area. For instance, it is better to throw a grenade at an enemy who is isolated in a building than revealing your location in an open area with a loud burst using heavy artillery.
Be sure to employ camouflage whenever you can. The battle area is flocked with a myriad of options to cover yourself with. By constantly blending with the terrain such as trees, rocks, and even in the urban sites, you can conceal your position from prying eyes. Do note that this is a double-edged sword as enemies will tend to employ the same technique. Nevertheless, familiarizing with the terrain gives you an edge.
Passing through Congested areas
Some areas of the map tend to be populated more than others because of the stack of supplies. Consider whether it is worth investing time to scout for kills when passing by these areas namely the towns, buildings, and military bases. Since players are likely to visit these places, it spikes the danger gauge to a drastically high amount.
Although it might seem like an uphill climb to visit them, it creates venues for chugging bullets if you can set up in narrow locations where others are forced to pass through. If you can squeeze yourself in the bottleneck before anyone else does, you can easily decrease the population count using explosives or ranged weapons.
Good tips which are still relevant today.