Apex Legends Crafting System Guide
Apex Legends Season 6: Boosted introduces the new Crafting system. With all the hype over Rampart and the new Volt SMG, the Crafting system has flown under the radar. We’ve found that most players still don’t really understand how this new system works and how to utilise it to its full potential.
This guide will explain the basics of Crafting, where to craft, and what can and should be crafted depending on the situation. Use this information to get a leg-up on the competition.
Click to enlargeThe Basics of Crafting
Crafting gives players a new way of collecting loot. Crafting Stations, called Replicators, can be found randomly placed around the map. Players can gather Materials during a match and spend them as currency at these Replicators. Materials are found in devices randomly scattered around the map, and each loot bin is also guaranteed to produce a small amount of Material.
Mark Yampolsky, Apex Legends System Designer, explained the decision to introduce Crafting in a blog post:
In any Battle Royale, as players travel around the map and pick up loot, the vast majority of it gets concentrated in player inventories. That means, as an aggressive player, the best way to get the loot you want is to win fights against other squads and loot their deathboxes. For players who may play a bit more defensively, or might have just had bad luck with the loot on the ground - this puts them at a severe disadvantage in any fight they might be forced to go into.
The purpose of the new Crafting system is to create a more even playing field. The developers want to support a multitude of different playstyles. Before crafting, a passive team could end up wholly outmatched in late-game fights. Aggressive teams would be loaded with top-tier gear while the more passive and defensive teams would be stuck with Blue Body Shields and attachment-less weapons. Crafting aims to give those players a fighting chance.
Click to enlargeWhat Items Can Be Crafted?
Replicators will always have eight different pieces of craftable loot inside of them. These are sorted into three categories. Daily, Weekly, and Permanent.
Weekly slots will be reserved for high-tier equipment and consumables. Helmets, backpacks, and Mobile Respawn Beacons are a few of the different items that can show up here.
Daily slots are where players will find weapons and attachments. These weapons and attachments have been methodically selected. All items in the Daily category will be compatible with one another. For example, if a Prowler is craftable, a Selectfire Receiver Hop-Up and a Purple Heavy Mag will likely be included as craftable options. All of the available weapon categories will make their way into the Daily rotation. If a weapon is available in the Replicator, it will not appear as floor loot ANYWHERE else that day.
Permanent slots include ammo and healing items such as med kits. Additionally, Materials can be spent on evolving a players’ Evo Shield. Materials spent on the Evo Shield slot will reduce the amount of damage needed to evolve it, and sometimes even level it up a tier. Now with Season 6, players can acquire better shields through fighting, looting, and crafting.
Where are Crafting Stations and Materials Found?
Replicators and Materials will be spawned in random locations each match. Sometimes they’ll be in a hot-spot, and other times they’ll be in a more remote location. Additionally, Replicators will be dropped in like Care Packages during the mid and late-game.
The goal with all of this is to force players to visit new locations and try out new rotations. Things can get stagnant when your squad lands in the same spot and follows the same path each game. The developers hope to change that with the new Crafting system.
Click to enlargeCrafting Prioritisation
With so many different items available for Crafting, players may wonder what exactly they should be spending their precious Materials on. The answer depends on a few factors.
A big issue players often run into early-game is a lack of ammo. Sometimes it’s up to RNG if you come across the ammo needed for your chosen weapon. This can be especially true for defensive players and players that prefer to land remotely. If this is you, locate a Replicator early and craft some ammo. It’s cheap and can ensure you don’t run out when you need it the most.
If your goal is purely winning, such as in Ranked Mode, consider spending your Materials on Evo Shield upgrades. High-tier shields can be hard to come across while looting, and the only other way to acquire one is through dealing damage and looting deathboxes. Shooting and fighting can be very risky in Ranked Mode, as it gives away your position and encourages third-parties. Instead, lay low and upgrade your shields via Crafting. This method is a much safer alternative and can ensure your squad survives to end-game.
If you find yourself loaded with a bunch of Materials, buy the daily weapon and its paired attachments. Doing this will almost always give you a gun worthy of competing with the ones found in Care Packages. So far, we’ve seen Selectfire Prowlers with Purple Extended Heavy Mags, Turbocharged Devotions with Purple Extended Energy Mags, and Skullpiercer Wingmans with Purple Extended Heavy Mags. These are extremely powerful set-ups that can end a fight in an instant. Typically, it would be rare to come across the full set in a single match. With Crafting, its availability can be guaranteed. If you have the Materials, go this route.
Finally, Crafting should be used when you just can’t seem to come across a missing piece of your kit. Say you have reached the mid-game and still don’t have a helmet or a backpack. Visit a Replicator and make one. If you just barely escaped the Circle and have no heals, make a med kit. Taking care of the basic necessities should be a priority.
Crafting is still a new mechanic, and the playerbase has not fully caught up yet. Use this to your advantage. Gather up those Materials and build yourself some high-tier loot. Meanwhile, everyone else will be stuck in the old-ways scavenging for it on the ground. Those that make the most out of Crafting will find themselves at an advantage when it comes time to battle.
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Images via Respawn Entertainment