PUBG Mobile: Tips and hints to master combat

There’s no way around it: If you want to get the “winner, winner, chicken dinner” message for winning matches in PUBG Mobile, it means outlasting 99 other players. And inevitably, that means getting a handle on combat, since unless the …

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There’s no way around it: If you want to get the “winner, winner, chicken dinner” message for winning matches in PUBG Mobile, it means outlasting 99 other players. And inevitably, that means getting a handle on combat, since unless the other player dies from being in the wrong place when the playing field shrinks, you’re going to have to take out at least one other competitor.

(Trust us, we’ve done the math.)

The game doesn’t do much but drop you (quite literally) into the fray and make you figure things out for yourself. Still, if you read on and take in our PUBG Mobile tips and hints, it just may help you outlast more players than you thought possible. Maybe even all 99 of them.

First things first: PUBG Mobile combat controls

If you’ve played any third-person shooter on mobile, you’ll probably feel right at home with the PUBG Mobile basic controls. The left side of the screen features a virtual thumbstick that moves your character, who will run if you hold in one direction long enough. You can drag in the center or right side of the screen to look around, whether standing still or moving. Handy targeting crosshairs appear in the center of the screen and will change depending on which weapon you have equipped.

PUBG Mobile

The largest of the virtual buttons on the right side of the screen will fire your equipped weapon, and there’s also one on the left-hand side to do the same thing. Other buttons on the right will allow your character to crouch, lay prone or jump, and they should be pretty self-explanatory when you see them.

PUBG Mobile

The button with the crosshairs icon will let you enter aiming mode, which is more effective with some weapons than others. Last but certainly not least, you can swap between two different weapons in your possession simply by tapping on them in the bar at the bottom of the screen.

Oh the weapons you’ll find: All the stuff you can use on other players

Though you start each match in PUBG Mobile armed with nothing but your fists, you’ll find all kinds of good stuff in buildings and by looting other defeated players. Specifically, guns fall into the following categories:

  • Assault rifles, which can fire single shots or bursts.
  • Submachine guns (SMG), which offer high ammo capacity like assault rifles but are more accurate at the expense of less damage.
  • Light machine guns (LMG), which fire even faster and go through ammo faster than assault rifles but are less accurate.
  • Shotguns, which do heavy damage at close range.
  • Pistols, which are pretty accurate and do decent damage at closer ranges, but also fire just one shot at a time except for one particular type (the P18C).
  • Sniper rifles, which trump all other guns in terms of damage and accuracy but also fire slowly and have small magazines.

Each gun uses a particular type of bullet or shell, and they aren’t organized by type, which can get a little confusing. Helpfully, ammo that you find for weapons you have on your person are highlighted in yellow.

For guns that can switch between modes, you’ll see a small panel above them in your hotbar that can swap to the next mode with a tap. Burst fires several bullets, while full-auto will fire until you empty the magazine. Single … well, we hope you know what that one means!

PUBG Mobile

Melee weapons, including a crowbar, a machete and a pan (yep, a frying pan) can be acquired but generally are of little use except when there are no other options. There’s also a crossbow for those aspiring Clint Bartons and Oliver Queens out there, as well as throwables: three different kinds of grenades and molotov cocktails.

Helmets, vests and backpacks: Other gear you should seek out

You’ve got to have good weapons to succeed in PUBG Mobile, but a really great combat loadout includes other gear if you can find or loot it.

PUBG Mobile

Helmets, vests and backpacks all have their own roles to play in combat.

  • Helmets offer additional protection from headshots, and should always be equipped when you can find them.
  • Vests do the same for body shots. There are three different levels of vests, with higher ones giving you more damage reduction.
  • Backpacks allow you to carry more items and ammo.

Other shirts, pants and shoes you find are strictly for cosmetic purposes. Feel free to loot and equip them, but they won’t help you when bullets start flying.

How to heal: All about consumables

PUBG Mobile

You’re going to take damage at some point, but the good news is that you can heal some it too. Here’s what to look for when you’re low on health:

  • Bandages heal 10 health but can’t return you to more than 75 health.
  • First Aid Kits instantly return you to 75 health.
  • Medkits restore you to 100 health but take 8 seconds to fully activate, meaning you need to be in relative safety to use one.

There are three other kinds of consumables that help heal you but also grant you faster movement. Think of them as PEDs for PUBG Mobile. Adrenaline Syringes, Energy Drinks (which only help you heal if you stack 2 or more of them) and Painkillers regenerate your health slowly over time as they also give you boost.

Consumables can be found in your inventory by tapping on the backpack icon in the lower-left corner of the screen, but they also will appear just to the left of your weapon hotbar and can be activated from there with just a tap.

More PUBG Mobile combat tips and hints

  • Cover is your friend. There are times when you’ll have to run around in the open, but you should minimize them when possible and stay in cover whenever you can.
  • When you have to be out in the open, it’s not a bad idea to jump as often as possible to make yourself a tricky target. Alternatively, get a vehicle and travel that way.
  • Don’t forget that your enemies will gear up as well, and the longer you survive, the better equipped you can expect other players to be. Go for headshots on targets wearing vests or go for the body if they have a helmet.
  • Before throwing a grenade or molotov, you can hold down the button and see where it will land. There’s also a button that can change the trajectory and another on the left to cancel your throw altogether if so desired.
  • Remember that you can go all the way prone in PUBG Mobile, which isn’t the case in every battle royale game. If your strategy involves sniping, it’s not a bad idea, particularly if you are up on a roof or on other high ground.
Nick Tylwalk enjoys writing about video games, comic books, pro wrestling and other things where people are often punching each other, regaardless of what that says about him. He prefers MMOs, RPGs, strategy and sports games but can be talked into playing just about anything.