H1Z1 Tips and Tricks Guide (2018)

This H1Z1 tips and tricks guide will teach you how to spawn safely, collect loot, craft items, drive vehicles, and earn rewards in the game's updated 2018 release.
This H1Z1 tips and tricks guide will teach you how to spawn safely, collect loot, craft items, drive vehicles, and earn rewards in the game's updated 2018 release.

Battle Royale games are now everywhere. But one of the earliest contenders for the best BR game was H1Z1: King of the Kill. Recently, the game left Early Access and was released on Steam for free. With that release, we wanted to drop our own updated tips and tricks guide for 2018. 

Recommended Videos

Why? Because the full release has brought some changes to H1Z1‘s core gameplay in 2018, many changes you may not be aware of — especially if you haven’t played in a while. If you do decide to give this great game a try and want to know how to play it well, then follow our extensive guide with tips and tricks below.

Tip #1: Choose a Safe Spawn Location

a landing zone encircled in green in H1Z1

In terms of choosing your drop location, H1Z1 is not too different from every other Battle Royale game. You need to jump off the airplane with a parachute and choose the location where you want to land.

If you look on the game’s map, it shows several zones with different colors. The zone encircled by green is a safe zone. It doesn’t mean that it is absolutely safe, but you will encounter far fewer players there.

The yellow and red zones are the most dangerous. If you’ve just started playing the game, then it’s better to avoid these zones, as there are a lot of experienced H1Z1 players there and you will get yourself killed rather quickly.

Tip #2: Find a Backpack and Gather Some Loot

H1Z1 player with a very colorful backpack

One of the distinct features that separates H1Z1 from other Battle Royale games is the importance of a backpack. You really need to find one as soon as possible. In other games, you most likely want to find a weapon and some protective gear first, but that’s only because there isn’t much time to begin with.

However, in H1Z1, you’ll be finding a lot of loot, and you will have a relatively long time to do that in the safe area, so you need something to be able to store it all up. The best backpack is a military backpack, which is the most spacious. There are also smaller backpacks like satchels and waist packs, but finding the military backpack early is really a must.

Once you find a backpack, you can search for weapons, ammo, and clothes. If you decide to drive vehicles, you will need fuel, which can only be found at gas stations. The fuel becomes increasingly more important with the introduction of the Auto Royale mode.

The last (but not least) item you need to look out for is the shoes. The better shoes you find, the faster you will move and the less damage you will take from falling. The best shoes in the game are Conveys, but Boots are also very good.

Sighting a falling airdrop through binoculars

Also, be sure to look out for airdrops in H1Z1. Be careful when approaching an airdrop, as there is a plane also flying over and dropping bombs. Just wait it out, and then you can approach the airdrop safely.

H1Z1 Airdrops usually contain very good loot, such as:

  • Sniper Rifle
  • Fuel
  • Ghillie Suit
  • 20x Explosive Arrows
  • AR-15
  • AK-47

Tip #3: Look Out for Crafting Items

H1Z1 inventory and crafting screen

Crafting is also a very important aspect of H1Z1. It allows you to make explosive arrows, better armor, and necessary healing items right in your game menu. Below you will find the recipes for all craftable materials in H1Z1:

Explosive Arrow

An arrow that explodes on contact.

  • 1x Frag Grenade
  • 5x Gauge Shells
  • 5x Wooden Arrow
  • 1x Duct Tape
Flaming Arrow

An arrow that sets the target on fire.

  • 1x Molotov Cocktail
  • 5x Gauge Shells
  • 5x Wooden Arrow
  • 1x Duct Tape
Makeshift Armor

An armor with a bulletproof vest effect.

  • 4x Composite Fabric
  • 2x Armor Scrap
  • 1x Duct Tape
Bandage

A healing item, which heals 12 HP over time.

  • 10x Cloth Scrap
Procoagulant

A healing item, which heals 6 HP instantly and stops bleeding.

  • 10x Bandage
  • 1x First Aid Kit

Tip #4: Vehicles and Auto Royale Mode

Post-match results screen for someone scoring first place

If you want to cover long distances relatively quickly and safely in H1Z1, then you simply ought to get a hold of a car. Of course, you need to refuel it from time to time, meaning that you will have to stop by a gas station. Just be careful, as those are usually hot spots where other players congregate.

You can also hide behind the car during a shootout, and if you find a really good vehicle, then you can take a short route over the hills, creating your own shortcut. Here is the short list of cars you can get in H1Z1:

  • Police Car: the fastest and most reliable vehicle on the flat road
  • ATV: also pretty fast, and mostly designed for off-road driving
  • Jeep: not the fastest car in the game, but it’s quite big, and you will feel protected inside of it
  • Truck: the least realiable and the slowest vehicle in the game
H1Z1 Auto Royale Mode

Auto Royale Mode was implemented right after H1Z1 left Early Access, and it is very much similar to your typical Battle Royale experience. However, here you start immediately inside a car with three other players. One is driving, and the others are shooting.

The point of H1Z1‘s Auto Royale mode is to pick up as many power-ups and to shoot as many crates as possible, as well as prevent other cars from doing the same by blowing them up with the help of grenades.

Tip #5: How to Get Season Rewards

H1Z1 post-match screen showing rewards earned for first place

At the end of each H1Z1 season, you will get certain rewards depending on your resulting rank. The ranking system is divided into seven tiers, with the following rewards:

  • Bronze: 100 skulls
  • Silver: 300 skulls
  • Gold: 500 skulls + 1 emote
  • Platinum: 1000 skulls + 1 emote
  • Diamond: 2000 skulls + 1 emote
  • Master: 3000 skulls + 1 emote
  • Royalty: 5000 skulls + 2 emotes

With the tips and tricks in this guide, you can safely play H1Z1 in 2018 — and stay competitive while doing it. Whether you’re playing the game’s traditional Battle Royale mode or the new Auto Royale Mode, H1Z1 still has a lot to love in the current Royale-crazed climate.

Be sure to come back soon for more H1Z1 guides here at GameSkinny!

related content
Read Article Best Ark Survival Ascended Servers for PvE and PvP
Orange Gigantoraptor in the forest.
Read Article All Suits and Helmets in Helldivers 2 (Full List With Stats)
Armored characters run through desolate landscape in Helldivers 2
Read Article Best Player Ratings for Every Team in MLB The Show 24
MLB The Show 24 cards showing best players
Read Article Yggdra Chronicle: Best Characters Tier List
Yggdra Chronicle characters throw snowballs at each other
Read Article Palia Proof of Magic Guide: All Evidence Locations
Elouisa in the Temple of Gales on the main island.
Related Content
Read Article Best Ark Survival Ascended Servers for PvE and PvP
Orange Gigantoraptor in the forest.
Read Article All Suits and Helmets in Helldivers 2 (Full List With Stats)
Armored characters run through desolate landscape in Helldivers 2
Read Article Best Player Ratings for Every Team in MLB The Show 24
MLB The Show 24 cards showing best players
Read Article Yggdra Chronicle: Best Characters Tier List
Yggdra Chronicle characters throw snowballs at each other
Read Article Palia Proof of Magic Guide: All Evidence Locations
Elouisa in the Temple of Gales on the main island.
Author
Serhii Patskan
Sergey has been a freelancer in the video games industry for more than five years, writing for various publications around the world. His favorite games are MtG, Dark Souls, Diablo, and Divinity: Original Sin.