Tactial/Strategic Guide

[YouGo]

Post all you tactical of strategic tips here for all game modes!

I'll try to start with the basics, that I'm sure most people know, but maybe some new comers have yet to learn, and to save them from a nasty experience I'll write down what I know, please add if I missed something.

SCOUTING

In dark games it's quite important to know where your opponent units are, to be able to adjust your plans and movements according to your opponent.
I nearly never use it tbh, but if you want to be a good player you should.
The following factors can help you scout effectively:

* opponents starting position and units (obviously, where they possibly can be, i.e. the movement rate of the different units and what he might plan to do with them)

* knowing your opponents "personality" (i.e. the way he tends to play, aggressively, defensively, crazy, straight up camper... ), this helps you estimate his most likely plans and where he'll move his units too. Take also the map lay-out in consideration when thinking about this.

* last seen spots, from the gray ghosts you distract some info in similar fashion as mentioned above, with the added help of a narrower time frame (i.e. how much seconds did that turn go on after you spot him), the direction of the unit and seeing an unit in a specific spot can help you refine your estimates about his plans and personality.

Apart from the obvious (i.e. it's handy to know what your opponent is going to do), the things mentioned above help with scouting because scouting is on one hand a trade-off between lose of time and opportunity and helpful information and on the other hand, you want your information to be as actual as possible, for this reason scouting on target is important to minimize the one and maximize the other.

Then to the practical basis for scouting, I usually scout in the following ways;

* To look around a corner: Cancel aim on your unit (this makes him run faster), do CoS (i.e. continue on sight) on your unit (this makes sure your unit won't stop to engage in a fire fight, where he'll very likely be in a disadvantage), order your unit to run just a little further then the end of a wall and apply a quick-look on the way point or line in the desired direction (quick-look: hold Ctrl > click on empty space), then run back to to safety behind the wall you were standing behind.
This instruction is specifically aimed to look around a corner, but you can use mentioned ingredients in all kind of situations of course, for example stand/duck behind a window.

* Another way to scout is to stay on certain "overview spots" for a while. You can make a unit wait at a spot by dragging the white dot next to the way-point to the right, you'll see a time balk appear, this indicates how long that unit will stay there.
If you do this, make sure you do not engage in disadvantageous firefights, for example machine gunner against sniper over a long range, or machine gunner against another machine gunner behind cover.
The way to do this is by ignoring mentioned units or zones and not stay too long on that spot for your opponent to be able to kill you.

* Run around, surveillance, using quick-looks to check multiple spots, multiple times.

DISTRACTION

To win time, and gain the upper hand in an engagement players sometimes use a form of distraction. It's a bit cheesy imo, although I always use it when I can, but when everyone knows about it, I think it can be an integral part of the game.
Basically you let your opponent's unit focus and aim on a "dummy" running across his "Field of Sight" (FoV), while at the same time bringing your other unit in position to engage the opponent's unit currently aiming at your dummy, this will make sure you have the advantage of "first sight" and all other things being equal will win you the firefight.

How to use a dummy: Cancel aim on a unit, do CoS and make him run into the FoV of the opponents unit. Usually you want to use your fastest unit as to direct the aim of the enemy unit as far away from the spot your second unit will appear on the stage. Make sure to run back to safety in time, you don't have to sacrifice this unit, usually the "bought" time is enough for your second unit to win.

How to exploit the gained time advantage: Order a second unit to target the distracted opponent's unit, he'll gain first sight when applied correctly, make sure he is not in a disadvantage in other ways (i.e. cover or long- short-range against sniper/shotgunner)

* use distraction when you want to take out an enemy unit which is otherwise harder or impossible to take out.

* when you want to get a slower unit across a certain space.

* to delay the movement of your opponents forces (i.e. to a critical point you want to cover first), by letting the enemy aim he loses time while standing still and aiming, thus not moving to the desired directed spot.

CONTROLLING THE GAME

When I start a Dark Extermination match I always look first for spaces I can control and deny to my opponent, and how much I can contain an opponent by guarding the exit routes of his units.
If you can completely contain your opponent, this is good, because you can decide whether to attack or not, how and when.
Sometimes containing just 1 unit can also be helpful, but ofcourse you'll have to be careful for his other units to come to the rescue.
If a contain is not possible, denying your opponent space is the second best thing, this way you can force your opponent in certain positions or to move in a certain way, or to stay still, this will help you predict his movements and adapt yourself to them.
In general I would say, try to expand your advantageously covered space, and only abandon this goal for a near certain kill.

[Lyx]

You can get some free scout-info if a unit is moving on CoS anyways: While the unit is moving on CoS, just make a bunch of check-here orders to look around. The unit will neither attack ('cause its on CoS) nor slow down - there is no disadvantage to doing this.

[Schmekarn]

When using rocket launchers and grenadiers, make sure you fire in the beginning of the 5 sec. to increase the level of surprise.

Duck is very stronK. Use it for surprise as well as being able to get across the entire map with that shotty.

The best way to start out a game of extermination is by looking where rocket launchers land their 1st shot. After that, it's easer to plan and see what's going to be free space.

[wonderhero]

1. Two stacked (blend) MGs moving with aim can win against a stillness enemy SG. No covering for any unit, no matter what distance is. Of course one MG will be immolated.

2. Two/three stacked (blend) stillness (but uncovered) MGs can win against two/three enemy MGs if the opponent can't find an cover object to use it for attack. To prevent the opponent distraction use this:
MG #1 set focus on enemy MG #1
MG #2 set focus on enemy MG #2
MG #3 set focus on enemy MG #3

If a player has two stacked units, one of this (let's say #1) can't be selected by the opponent (BUG) if he is spotted. The opponent still can use set/ignore focus on that #1 enemy unit if he ignore/set focus on the others enemy units.
So this problem is solved.

The rel problem of this BUG is when you have 3 stacked and stillness units. Will be impossible for the opponent to use set/ignore focus on them.
More than 2 stacked units should not be allowed. Will be a cheat until the BUG will be fixed.

[jawdirk]

Using Grenadiers:

• Fire as early in the turn as possible. If you can't hit anything useful at the beginning of the turn, don't fire and move to a place where you could hit something useful.
• Grenades take the same amount of time to land no matter how far they are thrown.
• Usually, the best places to aim a grenade are near the outside corner of a building, or in a doorway. The former will kill opponents along either wall, and the latter will kill opponents in or outside of the building.
• It can be very effective to fire a grenade very close to where your grenadier starts the turn if there are enemies near by.
• Try to think of several things that op's men could do. If several of them use a particular area on the map, fire a grenade there.
• If you place a grenade too close to a window, it will not kill enemies standing on the other side.
• Grenadiers don't have to stand to fire.
• In dark, it is good to move as far away as possible from where you fire a grenade.
• Grenadier's work best in tandem with SGs.
• Try to end your turn as close to a good firing position as possible.

Against Grenadiers:

• If op's grenadier fires late in the turn, next turn you can safely ignore him.
• Take a little time to see where an op's grenade can hit if he fires from where he is currently standing, or very close to where he is currently standing. It isn't always visually obvious.
• Favor locations where the op's grenadier would have to move far to hit. Next, favor locations far away from where you are known to be.
• Avoid moving someone close to where someone else started.
• Grenades are likely to land where 2 or more of your soldiers started.
• Don't chase a grenadier unless you are close enough to kill him and move to safety before the grenade lands. Instead, try to corner him so he is useless, and kill the others first.

[jawdirk]

Using Rocket Launchers (RL):

• Fire as early in the turn as possible. If you can't hit anything useful at the beginning of the turn, don't fire and move to a place where you could hit something useful.
• That said, RLs are still useful even if they must fire late in the turn, provided that you are firing at close targets. If your RL can't fire until late in the turn, remember that you can move freely, and then fire at the right time, instead of standing doing nothing and then firing.
• Rockets fired while crouching can hit cover. Rockets fired while standing cannot. Your can set three commands, e.g. crouch/fire/stand to do this quickly. Pay attention to the ordering of the commands and drag them up or down if they are out of order.
• It can be useful to blow up walls near your own soldiers to defend against enemy RLs or to give them (faster) access to strategic areas of the map.
• Try to identify places where enemy MGs might go to aim behind cover. If your MGs have cover, and opposing MGs don't, you win. If possible, blow up the cover at a time when the enemy might also move there, but it is also advantageous to blow up enemy cover when you can't hit anything else useful.
• Walls near your enemy are a resource. Don't blow them up for no reason.
• Blowing up a wall to give an MG a greater field of view is a strong tactic. For this reason RLs work best in tandem with an MG.
• RLs also work well in tandem with another RL. Destroying a wall to allow another rocket to penetrate deeper is a strong tactic.
• RLs are surprisingly effective against close enemies when your RL is in a doorway and there are lots of close walls. They can fire and duck behind either side of the doorway to escape the blast.
• Try to identify areas that more than one op might be moving through, and shoot a rocket there.
• Try to end your turn as close to a good firing position as possible.

Against RLs:

• If an op RL fires late in the turn, it effectively gives them a shorter range. You can move freely far away, but you still have to be careful if you are close to the RL.
• Remember that a RL cannot fire across cover to hit cover.
• You can sometimes avoid a RL explosion by ducking behind cover.
• You can defend against a RL by using your own RL to blow up walls near your soldiers.
• Keep your soldiers away from walls! Don't use the default paths because they hug corners.
• Against RLs, play conservatively early in the game. RLs get weaker and weaker as the walls get destroyed. But if RLs are destroying walls, MGs and Snipers get stronger. SGs get weaker because they have fewer places to hide. Therefore, try to evade RLs, and kill MGs and Snipers.
• See Against Grenadiers above

[jawdirk]

Using Shotgunners (SG):

• SGs like places that are full of walls. There is a particular distance where an aiming, moving SG can kill an aiming, still MG. The SG rules all spaces that are smaller than that distance.
• SGs should only crouch to stay out of sight. Crouching does not give any offensive advantage or defensive advantage if the SG is in site of an enemy.
• An SG can safely move around a corner or doorway, kill any MGs on the other side in range, and then move back to where it started. To execute this maneuver, move close to the corner but out of sight, begin aiming, move just barely around the corner (one waypoint only), cancel aim at the waypoint, and then move back to where the SG started. An SG behind cover can perform a similar maneuver by aiming, standing, then crouching. You can spam these maneuvers. Any MGs in the SG's effective range will be killed, and any outside the SGs range will not have time to kill the SG before it moves back to safety. Obviously this doesn't work against Op SGs.
• If an SG is moving room-to-room without any support, it is generally safest to aim as the SG moves around a corner (or doorway), and cancel aiming as soon as it is barely around the corner. The SG should move in such a way as to be out of sight of MGs while it is running from doorway to doorway.
• If you have an SG and an MG, distraction can be used to give your SG a longer run against Op MGs. Your MG should move into view of the Op MG first. Just after your MG is in view of the Op's MG, the SG should move out without aiming, and move directly towards the Op MG. You should simulate this because the outcome depends on the circumstances. If you want to assure that your MG doesn't die, he should move out using Continue on Sight, and then move back to safety before he would be killed. If you want to assure that the Op MG dies, your MG should be aiming and focusing on the Op MG. Distraction is considerably more risky against 2 or 3 OP MGs.
• In dark, SGs are more effective if Op doesn't know where the SG is. Op will have to consider whether every corner has an SG on the other side, which will have a pacifying influence.
• In dark with large open spaces, SGs are not effective offensively, but they make excellent scouting units because they are fast. Try to move your SG far away from your other soldiers to give yourself another scouting angle.
• Against Op SGs, an SG should gain as much ground as it can safely, and then stay still and aim, preferably behind cover.
• Against Op MGs, RLs, and GLs, the SG's best defense is to keep moving (preferably hidden in dark).
• Against Op RLs, move in the later part of the turn after the rocket probably already exploded.
• Against Op GLs, move in the beginning of the turn before the grenade can explode.

Against SGs:

• The easiest way to kill an SG is to flank with an MG to give it a surprising field of fire that leaves a stationary Op SG exposed. The earlier in the turn you do this, the better. If your MG focuses on the exposed SG, it is possible to do this inside kill zones of Op's MGs and then move to safety.
• Rockets are good against SGs because SGs need walls and cover, and are usually close to them.
• GLs near an Op SG should fire a grenade near where the GL started the turn, and then flee away from the SG. The SG shouldn't be able to catch up unless your GL is trapped.

[DoritoMan]

Some More Important Tips:
• When ducking behind cover, DO NOT STAND UP, unless you are briefly peeking, and will duck back down after less than a second. Many newer players do this because they think that they can surprise attack an enemy who might be on the other side. This does not work because there is a slight firing delay after alternating stances, which will result in the death of your soldier. The only time this tactic would work is if the enemy is distracted or aiming in a completely different direction. If you are to employ this tactic, also do some scouting of any possible cover locations where an enemy soldier may be supporting the target.
•Peek often, and peek well. Peeking around a corner, over cover, or through a doorway can provide a great advantage. Peeking is the act of having a soldier take a quick look at a specified area, and then getting back to safety, without engaging enemies. This will allow you to have knowledge of whether or not an enemy is in an important position, and if they are, know exactly where they are. If no one is in the area, you may proceed to advance, but still be cautious and take the safest route possible, as there an enemy may arrive as you are. If there is an enemy, either sweep the area with a rocket or grenade. If none is immediately available, find another way to flank him or use a distraction method. If the enemy is smart, they will either attempt to flee from the position or find a way to counter your coming attack after seeing you peek. If they don't move, easy kill. If they do, make sure to incorporate in your plan as many possible contingencies, even one where he might try to escape, as you may be able to kill him as he flees. If there is no option at your disposal that will eliminate the threat, retreat to tactical position that will minimize the enemy's threat. Do not simply rush your soldiers in there and hope for the best. There is no luck in this game. If it does not work on the tests, it will not work in the outcome.
•Do not fire rockets or grenades without a legitimate purpose. Do not simply fire because you might get lucky and hit someone. Only fire when you there is a clear advantage or purpose, and the odds of killing an enemy is reasonable. This is because a rocket or grenade launch is visible to the enemy and they can pinpoint its origin. This will force you to constantly move your grenadiers and rocketeers until you run out of places to escape to, or else they will be flanked and killed. Also, try to fire at the beginning of the turn, and make sure that, in the tests, the rocket or grenade exploded before the turn ends. This is because if a rocket or grenade is mid-flight before the turn ends, it allows the enemy to react before the explosion lands, and save the enemy you were attempting to kill.
•Keep in mind the positioning of your different classes of soldiers, to take advantage of their abilities. Machine gunners should be in the back, in a location that provides good visibility, as they have a surprisingly long-range. Shotgunners should remain in close-quarters, mostly buildings, as much as possible, and making their way towards the enemy, unless there is a clear advantage to doing otherwise. Snipers should be as far back as they can while still being in cover due to their massive range, and have a large field of vision to allow coverage of a large portion of the battlefield. Grenadiers should be relatively close to the battlefield, due to the small range of their grenades, but in locations that are discreet and are hard to assault. Grenadiers can also shoot over cover while ducking, so take advantage of this to shoot at enemies while safely protected by the cover. Rocketeers should be closer than the machine gunners, but not as close as the grenadiers, and should, most of the time, be behind cover. This way, they can stand up, fire a rocket, and duck back down with less risk of being killed. They can also move out of their cover briefly, while ducking, fire, and move back in, so the rockets can explode on cover, too. Remember to never keep your rocketeers or grenadiers in one spot too long after firing, unless they are supported by another "Engage on Sight" soldier.
•One last thing: REMEMBER THE OBJECTIVE! I can not stress this enough because I have personally saved myself a game because I remembered the objective. I was playing against a quite skilled player, and he utterly destroyed all my men expect my shotgunner, without him losing any. However, when I lost my first two, I remembered that I could still win by getting my shotgunner to the enemy starting zone that was marked. So I sacrificed my last machine gunner, since the enemy was out of range for my shotgunner, to distract the enemy machine gunner, allowing my shotgunner to pass the most dangerous area of the map without getting killed. After that, I managed to have my shotgunner sneak around to the enemy starting zone, by sprinting between covers, ducking behind those covers, and ducking under windows, which won me the game, while he still had all four of his men. This applies to any game mode, including Extermination, as, in Extrrmination, whoever has the most soldiers remaining after 8 turns wins. If an enemy is elusive and you believe that attempting to engage them or trying to employ tactics to kill your men are too risky, BUT you have more remaining soldiers than the enemy, many times, it is just better to hide and avoid engagement until the 8 turns are over, and win the game that way. Remember this and any objectives your match may have, and you may find that they can save your game, too. Happy hunting!

[wonderhero]

Wow I thought this topic is dead. I have some tips against pro player:

A pro player is a master of distraction. This kind of players are always looking for distract your units. Set your unseen units to engage not spotted ones.
Don't focus on RL, GL and far away SG. The best way to counter distraction is to draw zones (sketch).

Don't use a runner decoy vs a "sketcher" player. Use a stillness one

MGs fight rule: a room with 3-4 windows is a grave not a bunker

Pop up and fire in the last moment of the turn is priceless

Test his patience. Once he lose it the "pro" is gone

[jpflex]

Heres some of my theories so far.

Using grenaders I would have to disagree with jawdirk, sometimes lobbing granades at unknown areas without knowing if it will be within proximity to an opponent can serve a purpose.

The purpose may not be necessarily to kill the opponent but to force the opponent back from advancement while your other forces attempt to flank in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to squeeze and confine your enemy - trap setup.

With this game you can almost never say a particular move should always be avoided. For example by lobbing a grenade at the start an experienced player with an adjacent shotgunner may place his shot gunner to ignore move to the distance he believes the granader will move to safety and then swith to aim while out of the blast zone and near helpless grenader.

Also using granaders at a space comprising openings to several rooms increases your oods of an enemy entering that spot.