The Best Places to Drop for Ranked Storm Point in Apex Legends

What you should know about the second ranked split of Apex Legends Season 14

The second split of Apex Legends Season 14 started on Tuesday, September 27, 2022. In the first half of the season, players got to experience the recent ranked changes on King’s Canyon. In this new map, there are several factors to consider when choosing a landing spot:

  • Storm Point is currently the largest map in Apex, with plenty of hills, valleys and open areas
  • IMC armories grant access to high-tier loot
  • Gravity cannons are loud but can be an effective way to quickly reposition

As always, your choice of landing spot in Apex Legends can be the difference between dying early or gaining a ton of RP. Get comfortable landing on a handful of spots so you have flexibility based on the drop ship path. Here are some of the best places to land in the second ranked split of Apex Legends Season 1!

Lightning Rod

This POI is located in the far northeast corner of the map. This high-tier looting spot has enough buildings for each teammate to get quickly geared up. 

Aside from having great gear, Lightning Rod also has incredible rotations from this POI. To the south, you can head to Mountain Top and hit up the Armory. Thunder Watch is to the southwest, and also features high-tier loot.

Within the first couple of minutes of a game, your entire team can have a strong loadout and upgrade shields. This makes Lightning Rod one of my go-to landing spots in this split of ranked mode.

The one thing to look out for is proximity to the circle. If the zone is far, especially circles on the southwest of the map, you’ll likely only have the chance to loot one area before making your way to safety. Alternatively, you can try to craft a ton of med kits and then make your way through the storm.

North Pad

Even though North Pad is mid tier loot, it still has plenty of advantages. There are plenty of bins here, which provide access to useful crafting materials. Additionally, this location features a wide selection of available gear. Notably, there is a sniper perch with guaranteed long-range weapons waiting for you. 

North Pad is often uncontested, meaning your squad can collect all the goodies peacefully. Additionally, there is an Armory close by in the Trenches which provides another way to upgrade your gear. Depending on the circle, you can even rotate to the high tier area of Downed Beast for more looting.

In most games, you’ll have a fight occurring at the high tier POI of Checkpoint. Depending on your gear and appetite for fighting, you should swing over to third party this fight as soon as possible.

Regardless of whether you fight or just loot, you’ll go into the mid-game with a strong kit after landing at North Pad.

Apex Legends Season 14 Storm Point

Cenote Cave

This may be the most slept-on POI on Storm Point. Cenote Cave is a high tier loot area with plenty of buildings, a swarm of spiders for weapon upgrades, and a nearby Armory on the way to Sirens Isle.

I think this area gets a bad rep because it’s directly adjacent to basic tier loot areas. Additionally, it’s not too far from the wildly popular Barometer POI, even though this infamous location is mid tier.

When landing at Cenote Cave, you need to be clear with your squad about where you will rotate next. Given the numerous options, including a north rotation to the high tier area of The Mill, you’re almost spoiled for choice here.

It’s definitely a good problem to have and Cenote Cave could quickly see an increase in visits in Season 14.

Places to avoid in this ranked split of Apex Legends

I’ve said it a thousand times – avoid the center of the map if you want to gain RP in ranked. On Storm Point, the death zone includes places like Forbidden Zones, Rivers Centre, and Cascade Falls.

These POIs attract a ton of attention and it’s rare that you make it out of there alive, even if you are the team to third-party a fight. Instead, try to play around the edges of these areas in the early game. This allows your team to pick off opponents charging in to join ongoing fights.

I’d also add Storm Catcher on this list since it seems like the RNG gods like to mess with people who land here. Even if you are lucky enough to find a weapon upon landing, it’s unlikely that your entire team will have a reasonable weapon for the first fight. It gets busy here quickly and there’s too much left to chance at Storm Catcher.

Winning Strategies in Season 14 Ranked Apex Legends

Many times, it just comes down to having a plan. Make sure to break off from your jumpmaster, loot quickly, and call out where the team should move next. Indecisiveness and playing as a lone wolf will almost always get you killed, so it’s better to move as a group with some urgency.

On Storm Point, there are also great opportunities for kills and RP if you are a decent sniper. This is a great ranked split to practice with the Charge Rifle, Longbow, or Marksman Rifles.

Lastly, try to stay calm once you get into fights. If you sense yourself getting overwhelmed, take a deep breath and just focus on landing your shots. Things can get chaotic quickly, and cooler heads often prevail!

If you want even more tips, check out our guide with 10 tips for climbing the ranks to Masters!

What are some of your favorite places to drop in this split of Apex Legends Season 14? Are there any other ranked tips you’d like to share? Join the conversation in the comments section!

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