Skills
Fortnite building for beginners: the moves that matter
Building is what makes Fortnite Fortnite. You don't need to be a pro to use it well: four pieces, two moves and some practice will win you fights you'd otherwise lose.
The four pieces
| Piece | Use it to |
|---|---|
| Wall | Block a shot right now. Your first reaction under fire |
| Ramp | Climb and take high ground |
| Floor | Stand on, or cover your head |
| Cone | Close the top of a box or block a ramp |
Materials
You build with wood, stone and metal, which you gather with your pickaxe. Wood builds fastest but is weakest. Metal is slow to build but strongest. Keep a few hundred wood for fast walls and use stone or metal when you're dug in.
The two moves to learn first
Get these two moves so smooth you do them without thinking. When you're shot at, your hands should already be placing a wall before your brain has worked out where the shot came from. That reflex alone wins more fights than any fancy edit.
- Wall and ramp: when shot at, place a wall in front of you, then a ramp behind it. You're covered and higher.
- Box up: four walls around you, a floor and a cone. It gives you time to heal or reload.
Editing
You can edit your own builds to open a window, a door or a half wall. Edit a window in your box, take a shot and close it again. Editing fast takes practice, and it's what separates good players from great ones.
Practice, the right way
- Turn on Builder Pro if you play on a controller. It puts each piece on its own button.
- Spend ten minutes before your matches on a practice island. Our island codes list has 1v1 build fight and piece control maps.
- Practise one move at a time until it's automatic, then add the next.
- Play 1v1 box fights with a friend. It's the quickest way to improve.
When not to build
Building is loud and uses materials. If nobody's shooting at you, don't build: move between natural cover instead. And if you'd rather skip it altogether, Zero Build is a full mode of its own. Our Zero Build tips cover it.