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If you have experience in both, you're already ahead of the game, but if you've never played an FPS with dedicated driver and logistic roles, then let me ease you into it. These are my best beginner tips for understanding Wardogs, including its unique economy systems and transportation.
When you're done reading them, it's also worth checking out my guide to making money fast in Wardogs.
Never leave spawn without these
If you're about to jump on a heli without any of these, turn around:
- Two extra magazines
- 3-5 bandages
- A dot sight (unless you really like iron sights)
- A class gadget, like binoculars, a hammer, or RPG
Yea, it all costs a few extra hundred bucks, but you'll make that back by simply standing in the zone for a few minutes. Better to be prepared.
Don't buy 5 magazines, buy loose ammo
Wardogs' streamlined vendor makes it easy to buy extra magazines, but it doesn't explain the value of loose ammo. Loose ammo can be purchased in stacks of 100 that only take up two inventory slots. When your magazines run empty, you can press C from the inventory screen to automatically replenish magazines from your stack of loose ammo. Filling magazines takes time, but the inventory and wallet savings are worth it.
Never drive to the zone if you don't have to
There are very few scenarios where it makes sense to drive from spawn to the zone. It's a 3km journey that can take 4-5 minutes depending on the car, so you're almost always better off waiting for a transport chopper. Typically, every team has volunteer helicopter pilots eager to ferry people back and forth to the action (the job pays pretty well). Even if you have to stand around in spawn for 30 seconds to a minute waiting for the next chopper, it's way faster than buying a set of wheels.
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Hold Shift to steady aim
You can momentarily reduce aim sway with any gun by holding Shift while aiming. This will also slightly zoom in your view—great for firing in controlled bursts from dozens of meters away.
Use the rebuy button
If you want to buy the same loadout you had last time, press the "Re-buy Loadout" button in the bottom left of the vendor. You'll be shown a list of the gear and its total cost, and you can make last minute subtractions if desired. The button will go away if you purchase something before pressing it.
Don't just sit at your FOB (unless)
Helicopter pilots will often drop you off at the nearest friendly FOB (forward operating base) by default, but you shouldn't stick around there unless you have something to do, like build, snipe, or use artillery. Leave the FOB and go do something productive, like capture the Hot Zone (yellow circle), disrupt enemy FOBs, capture towers, blow up enemy vehicles, whatever really. The FOB is a safe place to get your bearings, but you don't need to stand around and defend it constantly (unless there's an active siege, of course).
Loot bodies
You can loot any dead body and pilfer all of its gear. You should do this constantly to replenish ammo, bandages, and swap out your banged-up armor for a fresher set. Bodies themselves will disappear once the player "gives up," but a lootable backpack will remain for several minutes.
Don't snitch on your medic
If you go down around enemies, read the room before calling for help. Enemies can hear every word you're saying over mic. If you can see a teammate is nearby, assume they're coming for you but don't want to reveal their position by running straight toward you. Calling out their name or even saying "thanks" as they're reviving you could tip off nearby enemies. Play it cool and make sure the coast is clear. If you want to tell nearby friendlies where enemies are, use the team text channel.
Target the enemy APC
Each team gets one boxy, rectangular APC painted the color of their team (red, blue, or green). This is a mobile spawn point for that entire team, and blowing it up is both strategically helpful and very profitable. If you see one, pelt it with RPGs, IEDs, or C4.
When in doubt, bring binoculars
If you don't have any other class gadgets unlocked and don't want to build FOBs, just buy binoculars. They're cheap and incredibly powerful: Looking through them makes it easy to spot enemy players, and holding LMB over them will reveal their position to the whole team. This earns you a bunch of XP, money, and extra assist cash when spotted targets are killed. This is one of the easiest ways to help the team by far.
Morgan has been writing for PC Gamer since 2018, first as a freelancer and currently as a staff writer. He has also appeared on Polygon, Kotaku, Fanbyte, and PCGamesN. Before freelancing, he spent most of high school and all of college writing at small gaming sites that didn't pay him. He's very happy to have a real job now. Morgan is a beat writer following the latest and greatest shooters and the communities that play them. He also writes general news, reviews, features, the occasional guide, and bad jokes in Slack. Twist his arm, and he'll even write about a boring strategy game. Please don't, though. %!s(