Depending on how comfortable you are in Apex Legends and how comfortable you are leading, being the Jumpmaster can be liberating or terrifying. The responsibility of choosing where to land and start the game is a pivotal moment in any match and is one that can make or break your experience. Today we’re going to talk about jumping, including how to become the Jumpmaster in Apex Legends and how to jump effectively.
When you load into a game you will be placed in random order to choose your character. One of you will have an icon next to your name that signifies that you will be the Jumpmaster. Once character selection is over and you jump, you will see a player name with ‘is Jumpmaster’ at the bottom.
You cannot choose to be Jumpmaster and you cannot elect to be Jumpmaster. You can back out of being Jumpmaster once the game begins though. Just hit Relinquish in the jump window to nominate someone else.
The Jumpmaster in Apex Legends
Some people don’t mind being Jumpmaster while others don’t want the responsibility. I avoided it while I was new to the game as I didn’t really know where to jump. Now I know the map much better, I don’t mind being Jumpmaster at all.
When the match launches, you are in the ship waiting to jump. All three of you can ping places on the map as suggestions of where to land but only the Jumpmaster controls when you jump and where you jump to.
A good Jumpmaster will follow suggestions if there is a consensus or set your path if there isn’t.
Choosing jump spots
There are lots of loot spots in Apex Legends and lots of landing points that offer different challenges. Choose a point close to the ship’s flight path to begin shooting right away or choose something further afield to get your loot and give your team an opportunity to gear up before the shooting starts.
Select a popular loot point and the race is on to land first, get the guns and take out anyone who chose the same spot. Fly further afield and you have more of an opportunity to gear up in quieter locations.
The Jumpmaster controls flight on the way down. A good Jumpmaster will use the wave technique to maintain drop speed and land before the competition. I cover this in more detail in How To Fly Faster in Apex Legends. It offers a serious advantage over less experienced teams as you land faster and can therefore loot faster. If another team drops on your spot, you’re already running and gunning and should come out on top.
A good Jumpmaster will also use free look to see who is jumping to the same spot and either get there first or change course to an empty spot so you can get loot. There is a fine balance to be struck between sticking to your guns and landing where you want and being flexible and adapting to the situation. If you can land fast, you stand a better chance of survival. If you land at normal speed, it’s up in the air who will come out on top.
When you land, split up and go looting. Keep an eye on positioning and where your teammates are but do your own thing. There is nothing worse than competing with teammates over the same loot and getting annoyed when they get to the good stuff before you.
When a jump goes wrong
Even the best Jumpmaster gets it wrong sometimes. A crowded loot spot or choosing a spot miles away from the ring are the two main ways a jump can go wrong. Act quickly and you can survive both.
If you land in a contested area, get away. Don’t bother hitting the buildings and only stop to look if you see containers or loot lying around in open spots. Otherwise get out of Dodge and find somewhere close but away from where the other teams landed.
If you land miles away from the ring, you have some running and sliding to do. Again, don’t waste too much time in buildings and try to loot from open areas and containers while making your way towards the ring. The ring is actually quite forgiving so isn’t instant death as soon as it hits you. You still have time.
Being Jumpmaster in Apex Legends is a responsibility but one you can easily live up to. Listen to the suggestions for places to drop and use one of those if you’re not confident about finding your own. Otherwise, find a decent spot you have been to before, use the wave technique to drop faster and get looting!
