The Ultimate FPS Strategy Guide Book: Pro Edition

Table of Contents

Introduction
Gearing Up
Setting Goals and Tracking Progress
Player Skill
Sight
Reaction
Accuracy
Awareness
Teamwork
Strategies
General Strategies, Tips & Tricks
Memorizing Maps (Why it’s Essential)
Maneuvering
Checking Your Corners
Close-Quarter-Combat (CQC)
[Quick Tip] The Drop Shot
Using Flash/Stun Grenades to Check Corners/Rooms Before Entering
Using Bullet Tracers and Frag Trajectory to Predict Where Enemies Are
Using the HUD
Improvised Teamwork
Effective Use of Mini-Map
Recognizing Safe Zones or Where the Action is Via Friendly Markers on Mini-Map
[Quick Tip] Using the Mini-Map to Identify and Kill Enemies Through Penetrable Walls
Spawns
Spawn Locations (Why You Must Learn Them)
Predicting Where Your Enemies Will Spawn
[Quick Tip] Spawn Trapping Tips
Recognizing When Spawn Locations Change
Cover
The Importance of Using Cover
Utilizing Cover While Moving Around Maps
Routes
Efficient Routes Through Maps
Remember Key Routes from Spawn Locations
Flanking
[Tip] Stick to the Edges, Backs to the Wall
Exploiting Choke Points and High Traffic Areas
What are/Identifying Choke Points
Taking Advantage of High Traffic Routes and Areas
Grenades and Explosives
Grenades and Explosives: Effective Usages
[Quick Tip] Grenade Bouncing/Banking
Grenade Launchers: Using Launchers Effectively
Playstyles
Aggressive
Playing Aggressively
The Art of Rushing
Defensive
Playing Defensively
The Art of Defence
Objective
Playing Objective-Based Games
Sniping
Setting up Sniping Classes
Vantage Points
Top 10 ‘Pro Tips’
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Introduction

Welcome to the definitive first-person shooter strategy guide book - The Ultimate FPS Strategy
Guidebook: Pro Edition! This guidebook is designed to help anyone that plays first-person
shooter (FPS) video games and is looking to top the score boards consistently. Everything you
learn in this book can be applied to any FPS game on the market, on any platform.

This guide is set up so that you can jump to each chapter easily, but it is suggested to read
every section as we are going to try and take you to the top! So, read carefully, absorb what you
learn, and you’ll be kicking butt in no time.

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Gearing Up

Hey there killer! It's easy to assume that you enjoy playing FPS video games, or else you
wouldn't be here. Depending how you were exposed to the FPS scene, you may have come to
this guide immediately, or have been playing for some time and just can't seem to bust out of
a rut. In this chapter we are going to review how to best get prepared for a weekend slaughter
session.
The first things come largely down to preference, but pick your game and console. As far as
games are concerned, we will be dealing with general FPS game play tactics, and are going to
try and give you tips to make you successful whether or not you are a heavily armored Spartan
crushing aliens in a foreign universe, or simply a soldier on the front lines with only his reflexes
and rifle to rely on. Your game station is something that is very much a key factor. We are not
going to try and convince you as to use one platform over another, but there are some things to
consider if you don't already have a gaming set up.

The primary difference between PC and console gaming is of course the ability to use a mouse
and keyboard, and also you can often measure and improve game performance on a PC where-
as on your console, unless you do some modifications, you aren't likely going to be able to
measure your frames per second, or network usage. Some would argue that consoles provide
a more even playing field in that everyone’s console (in theory) is on the same page, giving the
same display and game performance, barring console damage, or the modifications that some
make to cheat the system.

That being said, you make the ultimate choice, be it Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, or PC,
ensure that it is set up to best suite you. You will need to be able to see the screen clearly and
comfortably; you are never going to get the upper-hand if you deal with glare on the screen,
improper system settings, or just sitting in an uncomfortable position. So once your screen and
seating are placed, you will need to set your game up.

Most games these days include screen settings that can, and should be modified, such as
screen margins, brightness settings, or even subtitles. If you are not playing on a HD screen,
you are already putting yourself behind the competition. I'm not saying to go spend $2000 on
a large flat screen TV, but it would be a wise investment to possibly do some shopping for
a quality HD TV or Monitor. Believe it or not, there is a drastic difference from playing on a
tube screen TV rather than HD. Often times you will not only be able to see more of the level
more crisply in HD, you will likely be able to see enemies much clearer against a well defined
background. I understand not everyone can enjoy an HD TV, but if you are looking to be on the
top of the score board, you need to have the right tools.

Speaking of tool sets, it is important to have a good controller, or mouse/keyboard set up.
Lots of money and time has been invested by game companies to come up with controllers
that provide easy to access buttons, functionality, and comfort; despite all that research, every
person is an individual, and what may be a comfortable controller for one person, may seem
tiny and cramped to another. Make sure that your controller fits comfortably in your hands. A
large part of doing well in first-person shooter games is keeping your cool, and in some intense
battles, whether you are aware or not, you are likely gripping the piss out of your controller,
straining muscles in your hands and shoulders. While these games are designed to hook you
into the action, don't let it be something that hurts you in the long run. Make sure your controller
is comfortable in your hands. If it is not, there are many 3rd party controllers of different shapes
and sizes, and an aftermarket controller may better suite your needs. With a mouse and
keyboard, it is best to ensure that you have proper wrist support, as keeping your hand poised
ready to dodge a bullet at a moment’s notice can be a source of discomfort and a distraction to
your gaming.

So proper wrist, arm, and eye care aside...now we will discuss how crucial sound is to success.
It is often recommended to play with a good quality gaming headset as it cuts distractions,
allowing you to better hear distant fire fights, or not-so-sneaky enemies trying to catch you
unawares. Alternately, and almost the preferred set up if you can opt for it is glorious surround
sound! Many modern consoles and even PC sounds cards allow for fully digital surround sound,
and while it is one thing to hear an enemy coming from around the corner, it is infinitely better
to hear the enemy coming from somewhere to your front left while hearing a claymore trip
somewhere behind and to your right.

At this point, we've got you sitting comfortably in front of your screen; you will want to look
closely at the game controls. Play a few matches or some campaign on an easy setting to
get familiar with standard controls, such as moving around, looking around, shooting, melee,
using objects, crouching, jumping, and whatever else the game designers gave you to play
with. While familiarizing yourself with your controller, practice aiming at and shooting items at
multiple ranges. Imagine you are picking off enemies sniping at you from behind boxes across
the map, after a few rounds, fire at something at about 1/2 that range. Alternate between the
two and adjust your controller sensitivity until you can consistently switch crosshairs between
the two. Once things seem like they are working smoothly, move to another map location, or
even to the point you are practicing at, and take some shots at the position you were shooting
from, and then pick another vantage point to swap between. You want your sensitivity to feel
comfortable to you, not set to a "pro" level, because not every pro uses the highest sensitivity
available. Just ensure that you aren't vastly overshooting a target by spinning a 180 when you
meant to just change targets, but you also don't want to take a year and a day to simply move
your crosshairs from one opponent to the next, or even to quickly check behind you when you
hear some footsteps.

Also note that many games have multiple button layouts, which can often give you an edge
over others using the default button layout, for instance in Halo: Reach, you can change your
bumpers to become your jump and melee buttons, freeing you to more easily perform other
actions while doing these, something that has risen from this is a term called "jump strafing"
where while strafing in an assault rifle battle, you can hop up and literally get the jump on your
opponent as hopefully while you had hang time, they were getting your feet, and you were
getting their face.

In Call of Duty, for example, you have the default layout and the Tactical layout. Primary
difference being your crouch/prone button and melee button have switched places, granting you
more freedom to be moving and changing positions at the same time with the tactical layout.
Later, we will go more into movement and combat, but as for now, just be aware that most often
times alternate button layouts are created with alternate play-styles involved.

Last but not least, the ever important Internet connection. Let’s face it…you are most likely
reading this because you already play your game of choice online, have discovered that even
though you can show the A.I. who is boss, your fellow online gamers are handing you your ass
on the proverbial platter. While there are often times there's little you can do for your Internet
connection speed, you want to avoid some pretty obvious issues. If you are in a controlled
network, such as at a school dorm, and behind a firewall, you will likely have issues not only
with the firewall, but heavy network use. If you have a wireless router, you will want to ensure
that it is a secured wireless network so none of your neighbors are using your bandwidth, and
finally if it is possible, try and disable any other devices you have on the network. If you find you
frequently experience dropped games due to poor connection, or just general characteristics of
lag, contact your Internet service provider, and (hopefully patiently) follow any trouble shooting
steps they have. The problem with slow Internet speeds is there are just too many factors to
recommend for a simple fix, but if you feel your connection is possibly a factor, you could be
right.

And now, we have gotten you set up to righteously dominate your opposition. In our next
chapter we are going to go over setting personal goals, and monitoring your own progress.

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Setting Goals and Tracking Progress

So you are set up and ready to game, and I strongly suggest that you do! On that note, it’s time
to consider having multiple accounts. While you have probably put a good amount of time into
your primary account, it can be very difficult to increase an already well established Kill-Death-
Ratio (KDR). Additionally, when attempting to do your best in a FPS game, it can take a lot of
your concentration, and be very stressful. If you are trying too hard, and getting upset, you will
likely make silly mistakes that will hurt your score.

We suggest having an account reserved for just plain old fun. When your cousin wants to play,
and he only likes playing Capture the Flag, you won’t have to worry about hurting your KDR by
going for objectives. If you’re having a bad night and no matter what you try, everyone is coming
out of cover just when you look away, or you accidentally blow yourself up losing a match, hop
on your fun account and play a few rounds ‘just for fun’ to get your mind off of a previous rough
match. If you can’t afford a second account, keep your primary account as your fun account,
and use a trial period account to see if you can max your performance on it. If you absolutely
cannot get a trial period to reset your statistics, no problem, perhaps the KDR on your general
record is of no concern to you, and you just want to do well on a game-to-game basis.

Alright, so now, we have an account that we are going to try to get improvements on. If we are
just going to be working with an existing account, make a note as to what your current KDR is.
We don’t recommend trying to update this on a per game basis, but perhaps note your KDR at
the beginning of your gaming session, and note it when you are done gaming. We’ll shoot for a
modest KDR as our first goal, of simply running consistent 2.0 KDR.

We mentioned a little bit back that playing objective based game modes can hurt your ratio. In
games like Halo for instance, it may affect it, but it is not the main focus. You can murder their
team all day long, but you are going to get 0 points in the match unless you can cap or return
flags. In Call of Duty, you can potentially play a Capture-The-Flag match and focus only on kills
and kill streaks. Call of Duty will record your kills regardless. This is fine if you don’t care about
hurting your team (some would argue that killing the opponents over and over is only helping).
But if you are camping in a portion of the map simply to get kills and are not at all focused on
objectives, you are probably hurting things if everyone else on your team is going to take the
same role of “killing everyone”.

You may be able to “boost” your KDR by playing objective based matches and ignoring the
objectives, but in the long run, you are going to be hurting yourself. As you move up the ranks
of gamers, you will potentially be getting into more serious matches. If you are ever gaming on
a competitive level, your team is not going to care about your KDR if you lose them the match
because you didn’t want to die, so you didn’t go near the bomb. It is more important to aim for
consistently getting a decent KDR rather than trying to obtain an obscene kill to death ratio.

We’ll get off our soap box on that issue though, as this guide is here to help you, rather than
tell you how to enjoy your game. If your primary focus is to obtain an obscene KDR without
manipulating the system, then by all means, you are entitled to use any game-type needed to
get that score. Bear in mind, you may be able to go 50 kills and 0 deaths in a Capture the Flag
game, but it could be because you are shooting flag runners in the back every time (the odds of
doing so 50 times and not dying is pretty slim, but regardless) and if you hop into a Team Death
Match game, you may be completely obliterated by people that are actually trying to kill you as
well.

Determine a goal for yourself, come up with a plan to obtain that goal, and begin keeping track
of your progress towards the goal.

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Player Skill

There are many aspects of a first person shooter that factor into the equation leading to the
outcome of who killed who. These aspects include everything from the map played to the
gun used. By far the most important factor of all of these is player skill. Skill is defined by the
Merriam-Webster dictionary as the, “dexterity or coordination especially in the execution of
learned physical tasks.” The key word is execution. Take for instance the following scenario:

Player 1 rushes into a room with Gun A, methodically checking every corner.
Within seconds, Player 1 notices Player 2 behind a box with Gun B.
Player 1 fires bullets at Player 2, but is quickly killed by Player 2’s Gun B.

In this scenario, why did Player 1 lose the confrontation? Was it because he was rushing around
corners? Or is Player 1’s Gun A inferior to Gun B? Maybe it was because Player 2 was hiding
behind a box waiting? The answer is yes, to all of these questions. Each and every one of these
factors play a very small role in the equation, but by far the most important factor was the two
players’ skill. Sure, Player 1 could have used a different gun, checked a different corner, or
gone a different route. Player 1 lost the confrontation because his dexterity and coordination
were poorly executed in comparison to Player 2.

This section is not about the blame game on what each player should have done, but more
importantly what comprises the term “Player Skill”. There are five key aspects of skill that
determine the outcome of every confrontation in every first-person shooter. They can be broken
down into Sight, Reaction, Accuracy, Awareness, and Teamwork. The following sections will go
into detail about these key aspects and teach you how to improve upon them.

Sight

Sight is the first aspect because it obviously comes first when detecting another player. This
aspect can easily be defined as distinguishing the enemy from the environment. Depending on
the game played, sight may play a much more difficult role than others. The Call of Duty and
Battlefield series’ are very dependent on this aspect, since camouflage plays such a major role.
Games such as the Halo series are not developed around the environment as much, leading
to sight playing a much smaller factor in the grand equation. Either way, it is highly beneficial to
your success to spot the opposing players as fast as possible.

The first thing to look for is movement. Whether you are rushing a corner or sniping from afar,
movement is the easiest thing to distinguish a tango from a rock, a tree or a shadow. Aside
from a player running towards you, keep an eye out for an arm or weapon poking out around a
corner or the top of a player’s head trying to crouch-walk behind sandbags. Many first person
shooters do not have an interactive environment of moving objects, but it is getting more and
more popular. This is making it more difficult to distinguish a player from a rolling tire or ashes in
the wind. Take note of what moves in a game and what doesn’t; this will help you in your sight
of the enemy.

Bullet tracers are another thing to pay attention to. Pay attention to bullets that are both coming
towards your position or fired off in the distance at other players. Obviously it is difficult to
assess an exact angle, but a stream of bullets will help to locate the shooter’s general location,
whether above or behind. Also be sure to check your mini-map to better determine if the shooter
is friendly or hostile. If that angle doesn’t line up with a friendly target on the map, there is a
good chance it is an enemy player.

Lastly, keep an eye out for just anything out of the ordinary. This obviously takes considerable
practice to remember what should be where at all times. You can practice this by touring any
map by yourself and noting to yourself what everything should look like or could be mistaken for
another player. This way you can know by process of elimination what is and isn’t a bad guy.
Before you know it, you’ll run into a room and subconsciously know something is out of place.

Reaction
After you see the opposing player, regardless of who saw who first, reaction time plays the
next role in the Player Skill equation. Reaction is defined as the player’s ability to respond to
some situation or stimulus. Reaction time is very difficult to teach as it has a lot to with your
own brain’s processing speed, which comes through experience. Instead you can work on your
actual response to the stimulus. As stated earlier with “sight,” reaction’s importance is weighted
differently depending on the game played. But regardless of the game, the correct response and
the speed at which you do so is the basis of a good reaction.

The first thing to know is that you may only have a split second to decide what to do, but do
not panic. Panic makes for hasty, subconscious decisions. Before you know it, you realize that
jumping off that three story building wasn’t the best idea. Sometimes you have all the time in the
world to decide what to do, but you led the sniper bullet in the wrong direction the player was
running, thus giving away your position to him.

So how do you know when not to jump off a building and how to predict which way the target
is going to go? Simple, you pay attention to your surroundings better. You might have known
there was a box you could have hid behind instead of fumbling to your death or realized that the
enemy couldn’t have ran the direction you shot, because that way led to a dead end.

The situation becomes far more difficult if the enemy sees you before you see them. This is the
real the core of the reaction variable. So what do you do when the enemy spots you first, when
the enemy has the advantage? Remove his advantage. Of course you could turn around and
shoot blindly at him, hoping for a kill. Why would you fight him when he has the advantage when
you could try to even the playing field? A better reaction is to seek cover immediately and then
make the opposing player react to your stimulus. This goes back to paying attention to your
surroundings on what to do. A general rule of thumb: If you see them first, take the shot. If they
see you first, take cover.

Accuracy

The next major factor in determining the outcome of a confrontation is accuracy. It makes no
difference who has the advantage in the fight if that person cannot successfully hit their target.
Accuracy can be defined in the context of first person shooters as “the degree of closeness
to the actual value.” Mind you, precision should be considered just as highly as accuracy.
Precision is defined as “the degree to which the results can be replicated.” This basically
translates to successfully hitting your target and doing so in a consistent manner. Accuracy
is another concept easy to teach, but difficult to master depending on the player. On top of
that, certain weapons in certain games may have an innate accuracy deficiency that makes it
even more difficult to fire. The scope of this section is without regard to gun specifics, but more
importantly we will focus on comfort and controlling recoil.

Making your shots land is highly dependent on feeling comfortable with the way you play.
Regardless of the console on which you play, sensitivity can be adjusted to offer either faster
or slower turn speed, on either the horizontal or vertical axes. Most players start on a lower
sensitivity to get used to the mechanics of the game. A higher sensitivity allows for a quicker
reaction speed, particularly in close quarters combat. Faster turning allows for complicated
movements to out play your opponent. Start on a low sensitivity to get used to the game, but
as soon as you feel comfortable move up the sensitivity a notch. Comfort should come in no
more than two weeks of play time. With all other variable held constant, the player who is most
comfortable with the highest sensitivity should win the confrontation.

Sensitivity helps primarily with close quarters accuracy. For longer range accuracy, the player
should master their gun’s recoil, or the backward movement of a gun upon firing. Recoil, on an
automatic weapon, is what makes your second and following bullets deviate from the target
you wish to hit. The best approach to countering this mechanic is burst firing. In this context,
burst fire is the user controlled ability to fire a few rounds and let the gun quickly reset to center
position before firing another few rounds. To maintain precision with your shots, you should fire
a few shots then stop briefly before firing a few more shots. Precision means enemies are killed
faster while wasting less ammunition.

Map Awareness

The previous three factors of Player Skill explain what is involved in a confrontation between
you and your opponent(s). This section is more so directed at what you should be doing and
how you should be playing. For the scope of the guide, we will define map awareness as, “a
complete understanding of the map, and what all is going on throughout it.” The details of the
map are very important, but that is only the chessboard. Unless you also understand what each
and every piece does, you cannot hope to be successful.

The first factor in map awareness is obviously a thorough understanding of the map. Being an
advanced guide, this should go without saying. You must know, at the very least, the complete
layout of the map. Know which paths lead where. Also you should know every single corner,
camp spot, window, or any other potentially deadly spot that you could use or could be used
against you. When you clear a room or come around a corner, you must check the common
spots where someone might be hiding. These spots include dark corners, behind cover,
underneath tables. An understanding of where each of these locations is on the map will help
you not only to use as cover, but also anticipate the enemy’s location - which is vital to your
success.

Map awareness is not only knowing the map, but also understanding what is going on and
anticipating your opponents’ moves. This plays a much more vital role, since it is what
determines how you should be playing.

The first and easiest variable to take note of is your own team’s locations. Most games have a
map or HUD designations showing the location of where your teammates are. Pay attention to
where they are at and who is shooting. This helps you determine where the front-lines are in
the map. Depending on your play style (detailed later), you might want to run to the front lines,
stand back and snipe, or flank from behind and catch them off guard. You should also take note
of what your teammates are doing. If they happen to have a choke point locked down, you could
assist them by flanking the enemy and pushing them into the choke point. Lastly, you should
also take note of where your teammates are dying and how. If your team is consistently dying
in one location, there is a good chance that the enemy has a strong choke point and you should
go in there blazing guns. A more subtle approach is probably best. If someone in the back lines
is killed, it is very likely the enemy is either spawning behind you or a flanker is picking your
team off from the back. Your teammates are your eyes and ears, even if they never say a word.
Pay attention to them as it will save you many deaths.

Understanding what your enemy is doing is just as important, if not more so, than knowing what
your team is doing. It is also far more difficult to anticipate what your opponents will do. That
doesn’t mean you can’t use all the information you are given to your advantage. You should
first pick up on key enemy roles. Make a note of where their snipers like to hide and where they
have choke points or camp spots set up. Depending on what role you are playing, you can steer
clear of that position or attempt to remove them. It is also extremely important to pay attention
to who is flanking on the opposing team. If you see them kill one of your teammates, that may
mean he is closing in from behind your team. This is a good time to cover your back.

Lastly you should try your best to anticipate spawn points. Depending on the game, spawn
locations can be easily predictable or seemingly have no order whatsoever. Most games try
to make team members spawn together and safely out of reach of the opposing team. You
can think of the two opposing teams’ spawns as oil and water. Sure oil will mix with water, but
their own properties make them eventually separate and settle in opposite locations. Use this
general rule of thumb to your advantage. If you rush into their spawn killing them, sure you may
get a lot of kills, but you risk not know where they will spawn to next. A much better idea is to
attempt to “Spawn Trap”. Spawn trapping is defined as, “preventing the enemy from moving
outside of their current spawn to another spawn location.” This strategy is usually followed by
repeated killing of the other team since your team has all the advantage spots preventing them
from moving too far. To perform this strategy, pay attention to where your team is posted up
and where you think the enemy is spawning. It is your goal to cut them off at all their alternative
routes outside of their spawn, without getting too close to have the game spawn them behind
you. If the enemy stops spawning in the corner of the map your team has trapped them to, there
is a good chance they will start spawning behind you. It is often difficult to prevent them from
moving spawn locations, but you can try to anticipate when and where they might move. You do
this also by paying attention to where your team is and referring to the oil and water strategy. If
you see your team pushes and occupies the right side of the map into the other team’s spawn,
there is a high probability that the opposing team will start to spawn on the left side of the map,
often behind you. Remember, the game tries its hardest to separate the oil and water. It is your
job to anticipate where the enemy is going to be and confine them to the smallest area allowed.

Teamwork

The last contributing factor that makes up player skill is teamwork. Obviously this applies very
little to free-for-all game types or other types where no teams exist. For the extent of the guide,
we will define teamwork as, “assessing what your team needs from you and where they need
you.” The goal of this guide isn’t to make sure your team wins though. The guide aims for you
to be main contributing factor of why your team won. Play aggressively and take what they are
unable to because of their limitations.

We understand that the majority of the games a player participates in will be without the
assistance of friends or any sort of pre-made group. Due to this, communication will be limited.
A thorough understanding of what your team needs without them ever having to say a word is
what we are trying to accomplish.

Before we can answer what your team needs, we must assess what they currently have. Use
the same concepts and skills we’ve mentioned in the map awareness section of the guide. If
you start the match with four of your teammates using sniper rifles, it’s probably a safe bet that
they’ll be vastly unprotected. This allows you to exploit the asset of excelling at close quarters
combat or defending a choke point for them. Obviously the opposite is true. If they lack a sniper,
you can claim many of the long range positions that they would generally not path. Remember,
your goal is to make up for what they may lack and that makes for a balanced team.

After you assess the deficiencies in your team, you then must address where your abilities will
be most effective. You’ll accomplish this by using the techniques and concepts discussed in the
map awareness section of the guide. In many matches, you’ll soon discover that certain parts of
the map are highly trafficked by both teams. These areas are great to rack up on kills. Smaller
areas are best for close quarters combat, effective for flanking classes. Medium sized areas
with few pathways make for great choke points, best suited for assault rifle and machine gun
specializations. Obviously extremely open areas are best exploited by snipers, but be sure to
consider long hallways, as they are particularly effective for kills as well. Also you should pay
attention to where your team is headed on the map. Too many players fighting for the same
kills results in you getting fewer kills. Take the long way around if need be and flank the enemy.
Lastly, be aware of the way the enemy is playing. Often times, teams get wrecked by an enemy
flanker all too easily. This could be prevented by defending from the opposite side to which your
team is pushing.

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Strategies

Easy mistakes are always made, whether it’s taking a wrong turn down a dead end hallway
while being chased by a mad man with a gravity hammer, ducking when you probably should
have went prone, or maybe just trying to throw that grenade only to find out you never even
had one to begin with. In this chapter we will be taking you through the importance of map
memorization and identifying key points, how to maneuver through maps and in certain
situations, and correct weapon/equipment choices and usage, plus all the strategies and guides
you’re going to need to win. Read through and follow these steps, and we will have you playing
like a pro in no time.
General Strategies, Tips & Tricks

Memorizing Maps

Committing things to memory such as map layout, spawn points, choke points, high ground
advantage areas, even knowing the locations of certain weapons on a map, are great tools
that will drastically improve your gaming skills and can also be used against your opposition
when playing a FPS. Take Halo: Reach for instance. No matter what game type you're playing
the advantage lies with whom ever posses the “Power Weapons” on the map (Sniper, Plasma
Launcher, Shotgun and Sword). At the games start everyone has one of the standard weapons
(depending on which class is chosen), but as every good gamer knows, it’s your job to rush and
take control of those power weapons before the other team does, and knowing exactly where
those items are on each map make that job a lot easier.

Granted, on other games such as Call of Duty or Battlefield, they go with a custom class set
up system that allows you to create and start off with or switch to whatever guns, perks, and
equipment you choose making it a more even playing field throughout the whole game. With
that being said, we’re going to focus on the other key points of map memorization for now.

Picture this situation; you’re playing Team Deathmatch and the game is all tied up. Both teams
need 1 more kill for the win, as you sneak into enemy territory scared and alone. You slowly
head down a back ally focused on that far right corner at the end of the street when out of
nowhere, BOOM HEADSHOT! There was a sniper nested up in a second story window at 3
o’clock. He was watching you the whole time and you never even thought to look up, because
you didn’t even know that window existed. Pretty horrible way to end the game huh? Situations
like this happen everyday in games all around the world because of simple mistakes like not
watching your surroundings and checking every window and corner when moving through the
map, because you are not familiar with them. We can’t begin to tell you how extremely important
it is, and how much of a difference it makes in your game play knowing every square inch of
every map you’re on. No one likes getting shot in the back by that camper hidden in a blind spot
you are unaware of, Its can be very frustrating, and let’s face it guys dying a lot is not very fun at
all.

You can eliminate these types of situations by playing the game every day for months and
months until you have every single map drawn out in your head, But not everyone has that
kind of time. Our fast and simple suggestion is, start up a private match with some friends or by
yourself. Explore and learn your surroundings, get familiar with each map so next time you’re
traveling down that lonely road, ‘noobmaster3000’ up in the window there doesn’t catch you
off guard. A lot of FPS games have spectator modes in private matches with free roam cams,
giving someone the ability to move off the ground and take flight as just a camera rather than
navigating through on foot as a person. This is a great way to become familiar with every area
of a map, and who knows you might even discover some new ones that no one has even seen
before.
To put it simply, learning your way around maps gives a player the knowledge on how to get
from point A to point B the fastest way possible. Whether your team is taking fire and you need
to hustle you way over and help out, or your just trying to stay under the radar by hitting those
back roads and staying off the beaten path, knowing where you’re going is essential. Another
helpful tip once you learn the maps layouts, is to come up with names or “Call Outs” for certain
parts of the maps. This helps by shortening names of areas; buildings, streets, etc. It’s much
easier to say “RED 2” (second floor, red building) rather than, “Hey he’s up there in that building
on that corner by that thing. By the time you get all of that out, he’s either gone, or your friend
has already been shot in the face.

Map memorization and simply knowing what’s going to be around the next corner before you
even get there gives a player the ability to plan ahead, and be ready for any situation that
unfolds. Plus, if you’re off trying to find your way through some abandoned house in the back
corner of a map only to find out that you have been walking in circles for five minutes, your
probably missing all of the action and not doing your team, or yourself any good.

Another important factor of map memorization as we touched on before is learning height

advantage points. You’ve heard the old saying “he who holds the high ground has the
advantage”, right? This is a very true statement, the advantage of having the high ground
gives a player the ability to see literally above and beyond what a player at ground level could.
This tactic is mostly utilized by snipers, but it can be effective with almost any weapon if used
correctly. Second story windows, roof tops, ledges, towers, even natural elevation such as hills
or even a tree are all elements of a map that can be used to gain the height advantage. Not only
will this make for an easier shot on your enemies, but it also hold another advantage. Having
the high ground makes you harder to spot from the enemies point of view, therefore making you
a smaller target when they actually do. But none the less even a gun-less soldier can use this
tactic to his advantage.

Let’s say your rifle runs out of ammo and all you have is four rounds left in your secondary, you
have a pretty nice kill streak going and you don’t want to die. Instead of just hiding in a corner
hoping someone doesn’t come along, try taking the high ground in a situation like this. Why?
Gaining the high ground will put more room between you and the battlefield making for a safer
environment but still giving you the ability to oversee the action. This is where some good team
communication skills and call outs are in order. This way you are still making yourself useful to
your team. Always remember, just because you’re out of bullets doesn’t mean you are out of the
game.

As you can tell, the effectiveness of learning your surroundings, layout of maps and how to
identify all the key points certain maps have to offer is certainly substantial. So before you go
jumping into public games running around like a headless chicken, remember what we talked
about; play some private games with friends, put together some set ups and call outs, learn the
key points and layout of each map like the back of your hand and you will be tearing through the
competition in no time.
Maneuvering

Whether sprinting, walking, stealthily crouching or crawling around in the undergrowth, how you
move around or ‘traverse’ a map is a very important factor for any soldier. The hard and fast
rule, though, is to always try to keep your back against a wall, hill or object - it's one less place
the bullets can come from!

Maps are purposely designed to allow the gamer multiple ways of getting from a to b, knowing
these routes off by heart is essential. If you have played on a map before you should have a fair
idea of the maps popular ‘rat runs’ which the majority of soldiers use to get around. It could be
the short cut to the edge of the map, or maybe it’s straight down the middle, either way knowing
these popular routes is essential to choosing your route. Why? Because depending on whether
you want confrontation or not it may be safer and/or quicker to take a different route where you
know the enemy won’t be.

How should you go about traversing the route? Is the route open with lots of lines of sight,
perfect for an opposing sniper to pick you off, or is it a dark and cramped alleyway where a
shotgun-wielding maniac could run round the corner and take you out? As you should know the
maps, you should also know the cover that is available to you.

Anything can be used as cover; a box, barrel or wall. Using the cover given to you is vital when
maneuvering through a map. If you’re moving across open ground it is often best if you sprint
from cover to cover after you have checked the coast is clear. You should always be trying to
keep the available cover between you and where you’re heading as this way it is easier for you
to reach it when an enemy spots you. This ensures you are never out in the open for too long,
which makes it difficult for your enemy to get an effective shot on you - you won’t die as much!

As we covered earlier, if you get spotted then you should primarily be looking for the cover
nearest to you. This could save your life and give you time to heal up and return fire yourself.
Moving through an enclosed alleyway is different however. Sprinting through an alleyway isn’t
always the best way. Most of the time crouch walking is the safest and most assured way of
checking corners and what is directly in front of you. Of course, if you know the route is clear
feel free to sprint.

Another part of effectively traversing maps is knowing the little hiding spots often exploited by
players. When storming a room, building or even just attacking an open space there are always
certain spots which players tend to be. As such, you must learn all of these spots, which we will
cover in ‘Checking Your Corners’.

Moving around the map in groups of 2 or 3 can also be highly effective. With 2 members leading
the way and the final team member covering the rear moving around the map can be made
easy and gain kills for you and your team score.

Always try and take the least obvious route to an enemy, as this is often the direction that they
least expect you to come from (unpredictability is key). Flanking the enemy is one sure fire way
of catching your opponent off guard (as described in a later section). The use of flash or stun
grenades (also covered in later sections) can disorientate the enemy while you run in and take
them out. The element of surprise is key when manoeuvring towards an enemy so make sure
you are the one surprising not being surprised!

So, choose the route of least resistance, keep cover between yourself and where you’re
heading, try to stick to familiar routes but mix it up. Stay out of open areas where possible, and
keep your back to the wall.

Checking Your Corners

The most common way to be killed when entering a room, building or just making your way
around a map is to be shot having not spotted the enemy hidden behind/under/on top of
something or in a corner. Checking your corners is a must, and the best way to storm an enemy
position when you don’t quite know where the bad guy is.

Checking corners is pretty self explanatory in that all you have to do as soon as you enter a
room, building, a new area or even when you turn a corner is to check each and every corner or
hiding spot one after the other in quick succession. This may sound like a time consuming task
but as you will have the element of surprise it is easier than you think.

By being observant and knowing the layout of the area (know your maps!) you can easily pick
up the enemy before he notices, and kills you. Remember good communication between you
and your team could lead to your team taking a position or trapping your opponents. If someone
in a building has already killed one of your team, they should tell the rest of the team where
in the room the enemy was hiding, that way you will not have to look in every corner and go
directly to the hiding spot in question.

A good trick to find out which ‘corner’ a bad guy may be hiding behind or where the enemy is if
you suspect he is in a room, or behind a wall, is to fire a couple of shots at where you suspect
they are. If your gun is powerful enough the bullets will - if the wall/surface is penetrable - hit
your enemy and indicate exactly where they are.

This doesn’t just go for entering rooms and buildings. It is also a must when you are moving
around the map. As we have said, there is always cover for you, and hence your enemies to
use as hiding places. The best way to combat the use of cover is to methodically check behind
every corner as you go past to make sure that there is nobody there. By doing this you could
save yourself an embarrassing number of deaths through being shot in the back. It will come as
second nature after a while.

Close-Quarter-Combat (CQC)

Almost every map in FPS games requires some degree of Close Quarters Combat (CQC)
knowledge.This could take the form of an alleyway, dark passage or any general building.
Wherever it is, effective CQC tactics will play a key role in staying alive and getting as many kills
as possible along the way. CQC brings together the skills of sight and reaction, as discussed in
previous chapters, you need to be able to spot your enemies first and then have the reactions to
pull the trigger first and draw first blood.

The aim of CQC is to be fast and accurate at the same time. You have to enter a room or
building, quickly find targets, take them out and leave before anybody else has the time to get to
the action and help your enemy out. The quicker you can do this the better. So knowing the lay
of the land is vital. When entering into a CQC situation you should first prepare yourself for the
room you are about to enter. Where are the hiding places? Where would I be placed if I were
in there? Then using flash or stun grenades to disorientate your enemies enter quickly and let
loose. Get as close to the enemy as possible as quickly as possible kill them with your shotgun
or SMG and run out while all the time checking those corners!

Importantly, do not reload in a close quarters fight. Seriously. The tutorial you are given at the
beginning of the game didn’t lie to you. It is much faster to switch to your secondary weapon
than to reload. This is especially true if you don’t have a faster reload perk/ability and a SMG
equipped. With that said, there are some weapons that you can switch to faster than others.

Also don’t be afraid to use your melee if you are in a situation where the enemy is too close for
comfort or you have run out of ammo. It is often a one shot kill with the melee and a stealthy
and effective way of clearing multiple targets quickly. You are going to run face-first into an
opponent more times than you can count. It will happen so you should be prepared for it.

CQC can be executed very easily with the use of effective teamwork. Let’s say, for example,
there are two entrances to a building. By splitting a group of people up you can attack the
position from two angles. The enemy is unlikely to have enough people in the building to defend
both entrances so you can storm the building and take out multiple enemies at the same time
using your flash, stun and regular grenades.

So now you know how to attack a close quarters situation, well what about defence in a CQC
situation? Let’s say there is a bomb position in a building or a flag position which you and your
team want to defend. Well again splitting up your team into smaller groups is the place to start,
each team taking an entrance to the position and creating a choke point. (Choke points are
covered later on but essentially it is a bottleneck). Your team should pace any explosive devices
that they have; C4 or Claymores are an example in Call Of Duty. You should then equip your
shotgun or SMG and prepare for a firefight. Unless your opposition are as coordinated and
organised as you are then they should be attacking in dribs-and-drabs as opposed to one big
offensive movement. This should make it easier for your team to kill each enemy as they try to
rush through the door. One or two of you may get killed in the process; either by grenade or by
bullet but the majority of the team should survive to protect the objective.

This is also where map knowledge comes in very handy. Knowing which entrances are the key
ones and which are the most popular routes to the objective will help in your defence. If you
know that one particular route to the objective is very popular and you know that the enemy is
spawning in that direction, then you will be able to stack up more of your team at the relevant
entrance. Easy!

Remember, CQC requires fast paced and accurate assaults using powerful and/or fast firing
weapons (shotguns or SMG’s). Use your flash, stun and regular grenades to clear enemies
before entering a CQC situation (covered later). Split your team up to attack a position
effectively and to defend a position effectively! You’ll be storming into buildings and killing all in
sight before you know it!

[Quick Tip] The Drop Shot

The “drop shot” is a technique that people use to dodge bullets whilst killing the target in
question. It works as follows: let’s say you run around a corner and... surprise, there’s an enemy
right in your face. Start firing and as you do start to crouch and then go prone all in one smooth
action. If your aim is right you should pepper the enemies body from head to toe with bullets
whilst they are left firing bullets where your body used to be, in mid-air. You are literally dodging
bullets!

Using Flash/Stun Grenades to Check Corners/Rooms Before Entering

The use of special grenades (flash and stun) is a great way to check buildings, or around
corners for enemies and also disabling them before entering. They can be used for two
purposes as is suggested in the sub-title.

Firstly they can be used to check for enemies in a room or building. How? Well by the use of
the hit markers that are built in to many if not all FPS games. If you throw a special grenade into
a room that you suspect has enemies hiding inside and get a hit marker, then you know that
there are enemies somewhere inside that room. This is an easy way to detect the presence of
enemies in a room before you go charging in to your certain death.

Incidentally the lack of a hit marker may be deceiving. This does not mean that there are no
enemies in that room, it may just mean that your grenade has not affected the enemy in the
room. This means you should still be careful. Generally you receive more than one special
grenade per life, so it may be wise to use the second one if there is no evidence of life gained
from the first one!

It’s not just rooms where this technique can be used to check for enemies. You can throw
grenades around corners, over cover or around walls for example. Once you have seen hit
markers and you know that there is somebody in the room or around the cover, you can then
organize either yourself or your team to take the enemy or enemies down. This should be done
whenever you have a special left grenade in your inventory.

So, remember to use those special grenades to detect hidden enemies. If you don’t then you
will almost certainly be taken off-guard and killed when turning corners or entering a room which
is packed full of enemies that you didn’t know where there! This will save your life, and the lives
of your team mates and is a very effective tactic

Using Bullet Tracers and Grenade Trajectory to Predict Where Enemies Are

A very effective way of predicting where an enemy is is to look which direction grenades and
bullet tracers are coming from. Let’s say you are sat behind cover and an enemy is pinning you
down, but you do not know exactly where the enemy is shooting at you from.

Your enemy is likely to use his grenades against you, special and regular frag grenades. This
is the first big tell that can be used against them, assuming that you survive the explosion of
the grenade, the direction that the grenade was thrown from is obviously the place where the
enemy is. This means that when you decide to return fire, you aren’t going to be frantically
looking around, probably in the wrong direction, for a hidden enemy. You can pop up and look in
the exact direction that the grenade was thrown from.

The same can also be said for bullet tracers, which is the biggest give-away for a soldier firing
a weapon. The direction that bullets are traveling from as they zoom past your body or head
is a dead give-away to your attackers position. This information should be used accordingly.

Real life Special Forces all around the world use this technique to spot where the enemy is
firing from. The muzzle flash and bullet tracers are distinct against the dull backgrounds of a
landscape so they are easy to spot, but this not an excuse to start returning fire straight away.
You should still find cover as soon as possible because if they are firing in your direction then it
is safe to assume that they know your position and you’re vulnerable!

Use an enemies attack against them by determining from exactly where you are being attacked.
It’s their mistake if they don’t kill you while they have the chance, right?

Effective Use of the HUD

Your HUD is one of the most important things on the screen in any FPS. The HUD is everything
extra that you see on your screen from the score to the time left in the round, but a lot of the
time it is ignored and undervalued by players. Learning to take advantage of your HUD and
what it tells you can greatly improve your chances of both surviving and killing the enemy.
Unless you play a hardcore game mode you will always have the HUD available giving you vital
information.

So, your ammo meter. It seems a very simple piece of information to have but keeping an eye
on this data is advisable. For example, you’ve been in a fight with an enemy and came out on
top but you didn’t use all of the ammo in your magazine. Now, on the screen there should be a
prompt telling you that you have low ammo and to reload. It seems simple but a lot of players
ignore this prompt and carry on into the next fight with only 5 bullets in their gun. The next thing
that happens is they run out of bullets mid-fight and get made to look silly! What you should do
is reload after every fight and whenever you have a break and are on the move get in the habit
of making sure you have a full mag! This way you always have enough bullets in your gun for
your next confrontation. You should be moving towards the nearest cover so that just as you
get there you run out. This way when you do run out and have to reload you are already behind
cover, keeping your ass safe!

Obviously your health indicator is something that you need to monitor. In Halo your shield
appears as a bar at the top of the screen and in Call of Duty or Battlefield, the screen turns
bloody when you have taken damage. Be aware of this because when things start flashing, or
generally going red, one or two more bullets will definitely kill you. Once you see you are injured
get yourself to some sort of cover asap. Again, a lot of players ignore this and carry on firing at
the enemy, but sometimes you just have to know when to back out of a fight, heal up and live to
fight another day.

Game time and score should also be on your HUD. This is helpful because if you know there
are only 30 seconds left in the match you know you have to hurry things up if you are to capture
that last flag, destroy that objective or get those last kills! On the flip side if you are behind in the
score it should be telling you to be more cautious as a few more team deaths could mean defeat
or go all guns blazing if you have a chance of catching up and winning! Again more players than
you think ignore the time and running score count only to be surprised when they have run out
of time and the objective has not been met!

The killfeed, or the “who shot who display”, is a great indicator to tell you where a enemy player
is. When one of your team is killed, the killfeed shows who killed them, and by looking at your
team player's location when he was killed, you can start to pinpoint where the opponent is.
When he shoots the next player, his location gets narrowed down more.

If you take more notice of HUD you will succeed in becoming a better individual player and more
of a help to your team in the process. Remember the HUD is vital to your success and with
constant practice, just like constantly reloading, it will eventually become second nature and you
will find yourself using it without noticing!

Improvised Teamwork

Improvised teamwork is using the people around you, sometimes without their knowledge, to
form an ad hoc team. Letting a “noob” take point and run around the corner first, then waiting for
a firefight to break out so you can outflank the opponents is a good example of this.

You can use experienced players, or new, inexperienced players to set up improvised teams.
If you and an experienced player start to run the same routes, and then start to shadow each
other, the team is far more effective than the individuals. If you let the “noobs” go first, and
then, as they come under fire pop out and take on the opponent, the new guy will get to see an
intense firefight, and the opponent will hopefully be neutralized before he scores on the new
guy. If the new guy realizes what you are doing, then he will become a skilled player soon, and
will draw fire for you.

Moving on routes where you are always in a friendly sniper’s scope helps you both out. The
sniper can wait for someone to engage with you, and you can hopefully get into a 2-1 battle,
where you or the sniper get the kill. Moving with a sniper as he goes out to his spot will let you
see what paths a sniper takes, and along the way you have the superior firepower to take out
counter snipers.

Effective Use of Mini-Map

You’ve started your game and your head is packed full of tips, tricks and general strategies. But
you’re still wandering into groups of enemies just lurking ready to ambush you, and furthermore,
you had no idea they were even going to be there! Sound familiar? Well it may be because you
aren’t using your HUD properly and more specifically your Mini-Map!

Recognizing Safe Zones or Where the Action is Via Friendly Markers on Mini-Map

The mini-map is one of the most important tools that you have at your disposal and in some
cases is more important than the weapon that you’re holding. The mini-map shows the lay of the
land in your immediate vicinity and follows you as you move around the map. So if you’re in a
building it will show the layout of that building and your position within it.

Why is it so important? Well not only does it show where you are at any given point, it also
shows you where your team mates are. This is vital for a number of reasons.

Reason 1. You can always know which buildings and positions your team occupies even if you
aren’t in visual contact with them.
Reason 2. Hence from reason 1 you can also know where the ‘safe zones’ are.
Reason 3. Because of reason 1 and 2 you can reliably predict where the enemy is.

By constantly glancing at your mini-map you can quickly understand the position your team is in
and so the position your team is not in, which ultimately, is more important. This is how you can
gauge ‘safe zones’ on the map. If there is a building where one or two of your team is held up
then you can be fairly sure that there is no enemy in that building. This is a perfect place for you
to do things such as reload, heal up, call in some air support or take a quick breather and plan
your next move. Recognizing quickly where the safe zones are on a map at any given time is
vital to your survival. Without some form of respite you are going to be constantly in the heat of
the battle and without an impossible amount of luck, dead.

So, from the mini-map you are now able to recognize safe zones. But, you also need to
recognize where the action is! As we have mentioned, you don’t want to always be in the heat of
battle, but there are occasions where you feel that confronting the enemy is the right thing to do.
But where are they? By using the mini-map you can also very reliably predict this.

Firstly, where are the majority of your team? The mini-map may only gives you a zoomed in
view so it may not be obvious at first glance. Usually on FPS games you can view the entire
map from the pause menu or another form of it. By viewing the entire map you can see which
side or corner of the map your team is on. By knowing this you can therefore say that there is
a good chance the enemy will be on the exact opposite side of the map as that is where they
will be spawning. (This is why good knowledge of maps and their spawn points is essential.)

Which way is your team facing? If they are mostly facing into one corner of the map or towards
one building or area of a map then we can safely assume that the majority of the opposing team
will be where your team are facing/shooting.

Knowing where your enemy is, and is not, is absolutely essential to your success. If you
have no idea where your teammates are then you will not have any support with you when
you encounter an enemy. By sticking to where your team is and being able to quickly see
where your team is you will survive longer and kill a lot more enemies as a team and as an
individual also. Remember, it’s strength in numbers for the vast majority of the time on FPS
games, the more people assaulting a position the more likely that you will take that position.

To recap: use your HUD to identify where your team is and so where safety is on the map. The
quicker you can identify safe zones the more chance you will have of stringing together kills. By
identifying where your team is positioned you can also identify where the enemy is and get the
jump on them by ambushing them or taking them by surprise. The more knowledge you posses
when it comes to where the enemy is, the easier it will be to not only get into position to take
kills, but also to take them quickly and efficiently! Ultimately the thing to take from this chapter
would be that using this technique should eventually become second nature to you. You will not
even think, “Where are my team? Oh there they are….so the enemy are over…ermmmm…over
there!”, it will be second nature to know where your team and enemies are. This instinct will
come with game time but it must be used to be successful.

[Quick Tip] Using the Mini-Map to Identify and Kill Enemies Through
Penetrable Surfaces

You should now be using your mini-map naturally, without thinking about it. So let’s take it
a step further. You can use your mini-map to identify where the enemy is, and you can also
use your mini-map to pinpoint enemies who are shooting their gun; when they shoot without a
silencer they will show up as a red dot on your mini-map. By this logic, if you are sure there are
enemies hiding in a room, but you aren’t sure which corner they are hiding in, you can use the
mini-map to pinpoint their precise location.

Your enemy is showing as a red dot on your mini map behind cover or in one corner of a room
that you are outside. You can, with a powerful enough weapon, shoot through a lot of surfaces
such as thin metal, wooden walls or in some cases thinner concrete walls to kill the enemy
lurking behind them. The FPS community has dubbed this trick ‘Wall Banging.’ This is a sure
fire way to combat those pesky campers who always seem to take you by surprise when they
hide behind a box or in a dark corner of a room and pop up when you least expect it.

When using this technique, the best way to pull off the kill is to use your common sense and
game knowledge to your advantage. You will know if you play a game and a map enough times
where the bad guys like to hide, shoot from, or take cover. Use this to your advantage. If you
know that an enemy tends to always be in one corner of a room, or a popular sniping spot for
example, before you enter you could fire a couple of shots through the walls to make sure there
is nobody there before entering.

Spawns

Spawn Locations (Why You Must Learn Them)

Spawning (or respawning) is the term given to starting a new life after you have died. Where
you spawn can greatly affect how you go about a game. In the first instance when a game starts
you may have been placed next to a good vantage point or an important location on a map,
if you do not know the maps, and the spawn location, you may not be able to take advantage
straight away. For example, in Halo at the start of every game the aim for most players is to get
to key strategic positions on the map i.e. the power guns and vantage points. If you know where
you have spawned and know the maps well enough, you will be able to quickly plot a route to
get to that point first. This could swing the momentum towards your team early in the game if
you control a powerful position from the beginning.

However, it’s not only about learning the spawns so that you know where you are in relation to
the key positions on the map, it’s also about learning the spawns so that you can predict where
the enemy will be spawning if you are on one side of the map. There are generally more than
just 2 spawn points per map, there are multiple, but you shouldn’t worry about learning each
individual spawn point. What you should do instead is split up the maps into smaller areas,
which encompass a few spawn points. So you know if your team is in one area, the enemy team
will be in one of the opposite areas.

By knowing the spawn locations/areas you can try and predict where the enemy is,
which way they are most likely heading, and gain a good vantage point to pick them off.

Predicting Where Your Enemies Will Spawn

One handy use of knowing the spawn points is being able to predict where your enemies will be
at any given time. This is a very useful technique to assure that you are the one surprising and
killing as opposed to being surprised and killed! So why is the ability to be your own Psychic a
good one? Well for a few reasons.
Firstly, if you can accurately predict where your enemies are going to spawn you can get a good
vantage point on that position or the routes coming from that position before the enemy has a
chance to regroup and form an organised assault. This breaks up their flow and assures that
you are always on the front foot. Remember, it’s always a lot easier on the team that is on the
offense rather than the team that is pinned down into one corner of the map and is having to
defend from all angles!

Secondly, it allows you to move from spawn trap to spawn trap (a technique that is discussed
next!) As you will see, spawn trapping is a perfect way of killing a match off and guaranteeing
the win if executed properly. By predicting where the enemy will be spawning you can either be
setting up spawn trapping positions early or rushing their spawn before they have even had a
chance to determine where they are on the map!

[Quick Tip] Spawn Trapping Tips

The easiest way to spawn trap your opponents is to work as a team and force them back
into the area that they are spawning at. Why? Because this way you can trap the enemy
into spawning in one part of the map and providing your team is disciplined and holds its
ground the enemy will keep spawning in that part. This is deadly if done correctly. But if your
team is not disciplined and rush too far into their spawn area the game will switch spawns.

It is essential to back the enemy into the area where they are spawning and whilst doing this
maintaining a solid distance away from their actual spawn point. Think of it as an imaginary
circle around the spawn point and if too many of your team cross that line then the game will
say “that’s too far guys, we’re gonna give the other team a break by spawning them on the
other side of the map, behind you”. So, stick to that imaginary boundary and set up a perimeter
around their spawn which will be hard for them to break out of. It’s not impossible for a well-
organized team to break out of a spawn trap, but there are rarely very organized teams out
there.

Be sure to keep a look out for flankers. When you are holding a team in a spawn trap you are
vulnerable from behind because you assume your rear is safe.

Recognising When Spawn Locations Change

In non-objective based games like team deathmatch it is tricky, but still possible to spawn
trap a team in a certain section of the map with limited room for escape. As we have touched
on it is important for your team to stay far enough away for them to carry on spawning in a
confined area, but let’s say some of your team members stray too close to their spawn. The
game will detect that there are enemy within a spawn area and will proceed to switch the spawn
site of the enemy team so that they do not get shot as soon as they respawn (spawn killed).

When the spawns switch it is vital to be able to quickly recognize that they have changed
because at this point the enemy will have spawned behind you and will be making their way
across the map to your last known position. If you do not realise that the spawns have changed
then they will take you off guard and kill your entire team very quickly. The way to recognize this
is fairly obvious for the vigilant gamer.

Firstly, you should be able to tell from either your comms or more likely your mini-map, that
some of your team have strayed into the middle of their spawn and have proceeded to kill
everything in sight. This should tell you that the game knows you have passed that invisible line
and has switched the spawn. This is the first big indicator.

Second, you should see that the steady flow of headless chickens trying to aimlessly run and
barge their way past your perimeter has quickly come to a halt. This means that either they
have decided to camp out within their spawn area, or more likely that they are not spawning
there anymore. This should tell you to turn around and prepare for some angry enemy hell bent
on revenge kills. Move into a different vantage point and it shouldn’t be too long before some
revenge seekers come to your last known point of contact. Easy kills!

Spawn points are important for many reasons and knowing them is clinical to your success,
not only as an individual but also as part of a team. Learning the art of spawning isn’t easy.
You cannot hope to effectively spawn trap a team without knowing all of the aspects mentioned
above, for example if you do not know the spawn points on a map well enough, you will never
be able to push a team back into one to initiate a spawn trap. So learn and master all the key
points mentioned to be successful; learn the spawn points, learn to predict where the enemy
will spawn in relation to your team, learn how to effectively spawn trap and most importantly
learn how to quickly recognize when spawns have changed so you can act efficiently to defend
yourself!

Cover

Cover is one of the most important aspects of being successful at any first-person shooter on
the market. Without utilizing cover you will be open to the elements all of the time and you will
constantly be under threat, from every angle. Cover is valuable on both offense and defence
and its use is vital for you to become a better player!

The Importance of Using Cover

We have briefly touched on the use of cover in previous chapters but we have not really
established why cover is so important to a good score, and a big part of you being a better
gamer. So why is cover important? Cover is vital for four reasons.

1. It makes you a smaller target.

2. It gives you a place to heal up when being attacked. This is important for very obvious
reasons. If your being attacked by an enemy and you get injured and close to death you
 need a place to sit and heal up before launching your counter attack or to call support
from your team.
3. It gives you a place to reload in relative safety. When you run out of bullets in your
magazine the most likely reason is that you are in some sort of a firefight, which means
that you are under threat from an enemy. You can’t be spending two of three seconds
out in the open reloading whilst you are being shot at right? So what do you do? Hide,
run and hide to be exact. The safest place to reload is definitely a place where the
enemy cannot shoot you easily.
4. It keeps you hidden from the enemy as you move around the map. This is very important
because if the enemy can’t see you, they can’t shoot you, which also means that you
won’t die as much. This allows you to move around the map silently and unnoticed which
helps you to flank and attack the enemy from behind.

This way you can be a real thorn in the enemies side, and don’t think that it’s just the
stealthier, ‘campier’ players who are constantly using this tactic. Even the players who seem to
run around aimlessly, or ‘rush’ use cover to their advantage.

If you have ever watched any gameplay videos where the host of the video just seems to be
running around the maps whilst seemingly avoiding every bullet that is fired in their direction you
will have probably wondered how they are doing it? Well although at first glance it seems as
if they don’t really have any method to their madness, in actual fact they mostly all stick to the
same sort of tactics. More on this in the next section!

Utilizing Cover While Moving Around Maps

These seemingly invincible players, are they really using cover? Absolutely. There isn’t some
supernatural force of nature behind it, or some ultra genetic ability to dodge bullets. No, it’s just
that they use the cover that is available so seamlessly well and naturally that it seems as if they
haven’t really used it!

So let’s look at a few these techniques! Keeping objects between you and your enemy is crucial.
As you now know, anything reasonably thick and solid can be used as cover, though you
should also now know to be wary of what you are using as cover as sometimes the enemy can
still shoot you through them! Let’s say you’re the type of player who likes to run and gun. It’s
not really advisable to just run directly towards the enemy in a straight line. It seems obvious,
but lots of gamers seem to think that the most efficient way to kill somebody is to run straight
towards them all guns blazing. Not so. The enemy is most likely hiding behind some degree of
cover, (making them a smaller target), and to them you are an easy target to aim at. So what
is the best way to run and gun you ask? Yes run fast, but vary your pace and run from cover to
cover (keep something between you and your target) whilst keeping your aim locked onto your
target at all possible times. This way you become a harder target to lock on to and so a harder
target to kill!

Try not to get pinned down in one spot for too long. Let’s use the same situation again. The
enemy you are targeting is behind cover; a low wall for the purposes of visualisation. You are
on the other side of a courtyard, for example, and you want to get a bit closer to them so as
to make it easier to get the kill. Don’t run straight towards him, maybe run behind a statue that
is in the centre and hide for a split second. Then you can pop out and run over to a stack of
barrels or crates that are on the side of the courtyard. This way you have moved closer towards
your target and in such a way that if your target spots you, you will be a much smaller target for
him to aim at! This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the kill as soon as you have a clear shot,
though.

Now let’s deal with making you a smaller target whilst moving around the map. If you are
running around a map you are the biggest target that you can possibly be. Why? Because the
enemy can see all of your body and so it’s much easier for them to aim, lock onto, and kill you.
Imagine a game where the only places where bullets kill are from the chest up. It would be a
much harder to get kills because you would only have around a third of the players’ body to
aim for. You can not aim your shots at the legs or lower torso because they would not do any
damage, right? By using cover this is what you are effectively doing, making yourself a smaller
target because the only place that the enemy has to aim at is whatever you have shown above
a wall or crate for example. The smaller you appear to the enemy the less shots they will get
into you and the less you will die!

Another tactic that seasoned gamers use is called ‘faking’ or ‘jinking’. This may seem slightly
off topic but imagine a game in the NFL or a game of Rugby. In this players seek to take a ball
and run to an “in zone” where they can score points. However, between them and the in zone
are opposition players or ‘the enemy’! One technique used by players is sidestepping or ‘faking’
their way through a defence. What this entails is pretending to go one way and then quickly
changing direction before the enemy has a chance to react and tackle them.

How is this related to FPS gaming? Cover can be used to do the exact same thing. You’re trying
to get that enemy behind the wall as in our past example. What you could do is run towards
a piece of cover and just pop out the other side just to show your face to the enemy for a split
second. As soon as they have seen you pop back into the cover and run out of the other side.
This way the enemy’s aim will still be placed on the side of the cover where you just showed
your face for a split second, giving you a split second advantage to get those vital first shots
away as you appear from the side where the enemy is not aiming! This could be the difference
between getting the kill and getting killed!

By using these techniques you will be able to move around the map without constantly being
killed by annoying enemy that are hiding behind walls or in overlooking windows. Remember
that sticking to cover allows you the time to heal up, reload and regroup. It can also be used
quickly or quietly to move closer to the enemy or to shield yourself from the enemy. Don’t just
ignore the cover that has been put there for you, and use all of it to your advantage, because if
you don’t, the enemy will.

Don’t forget, though, that in some games some objects are destructible and can lead you to a
situation worse than before.
Routes

The routes that you choose to take through a map are vital to your success.

Efficient Routes Through Maps

A lot of the time you really want to be getting to an objective or a point of interest on a map as
quickly as possible so that you can help your team or to get to a flag, for example. However,
the quickest route to the objective is not always the most efficient or safe route! What’s the
difference between the two? Well, the quickest route is sometimes the more dangerous route
where you are most likely to encounter enemy, hence you will have to spend time fighting to
your objective. Whereas the most efficient route may be the longer way around in terms of
distance travelled, but it may have much less resistance along the way so there is more chance
of you living to get to your objective!

The best way to tell which is the most efficient route through is not obvious. Deciding which
way to go comes down to one of two factors. The first being map knowledge. What this means
is that if you know the maps well enough you will know all of the high traffic areas and hence
you will know the most travelled routes. The second factor is being able to read the situation.

There isn’t going to be a game which is exactly the same as the last. This is mainly because
you will be playing against different opposition with different brains, and so they will all be
making different decisions. What do these both mean in terms of choosing efficient routes
through a map? Well, if the situation calls for you to take the long way around then you should
be recognizing that and taking that route.However, if you know there is a big fight going on
around that route - over a vantage point, a power point or objective - then maybe the most
efficient way to an objective will actually be the most direct and fastest. What you should learn
from this section is that there is no one route in a map, which is efficient 100% of the time.

The situation and/or game type may dictate to you which route to take, be fluid to the game and
adapt constantly to survive!

Remember Key Routes From Spawn Locations

You should no longer be randomly wandering the map. By now you should be able to develop
routes in your mind which you know will be efficient. However, you should be remembering a
few key routes on a map for a few reasons.

You should be identifying the key routes and ‘rat runs’ used by other gamers so that if you want
to be stealthy you can avoid them or if you want some action you can run on in there and let
loose! These routes should also be the routes that you take to get to an objective or even the
most effective routes to flank the enemy and shooting them from behind. Remembering these
efficient routes can mean that you are traversing the map quickly and effectively.

This also ties in with knowing all the spawn locations. You don’t want to be sitting at your spawn
for ten seconds trying to figure out where you are and where you want to go. So knowing where
the spawns are on the map is vital. Once you can know this instantly you should start to develop
routes from each spawn location to each other important area on the map so that as soon as
you spawn you can be on your way, remembering to take advantage of cover along the way!

Flanking

Flanking, as we all know, is one of the most widely used tactics in the real world and one of the
most effective in the online FPS world. It is a great tactic to use because if done effectively you
can both take the enemy completely off guard and gain a ton of kills in the process to contribute
to your teams score or to hold down their spawn whilst you take an objective.

So what is flanking and how is it done properly? Well, flanking is moving around the enemy
into a different firing position so that you can engage the enemy easier and while they are off
guard. For example, if you are engaging in a face to face fight with the enemy you could maybe
get your team to pin them down whilst you and a friend move unseen around the side of their
position and then either come at them from the side or from the rear! All this depends on a lot
of things, not least team co-operation, but it can also be achieved if you’re going lone wolf!

Stay away from the action if you’re flanking on your own. There are going to be times where
the action is concentrated onto one area of the map and this is a perfect opportunity for you to
effectively sneak around the other side of the map, which is much quieter, and approach the
enemy from a different angle.

This tactic, if used effectively, can mean that you squeeze an enemy team into a corner and
initiate a spawn trap. This is because if there is nobody from your team flanking the enemy,
there is always a way out for the enemy if they are being pushed back into a corner. So in
this way flanking can serve many purposes and not just to gain easy kills. It can suppress and
confuse an enemy into backing themselves into a corner.

[Tip] Stick to the Edges, Backs to the Wall

A lot of experienced FPS gamers often advise to stick to the edge of the map if you are
unsure of a route to take. This is because it cuts the angle of vision that you have to survey.

If you are making your way down the left edge of a map the only directions that enemies can be
is either directly in front of you or to the right of you. There shouldn’t be any enemies behind you
because this is where you just came from; assuming that you killed all enemies along the way
and that you checked your corners properly. In any case your ‘six’ should be covered by your
teammates. This means you only have to survey a 90-degree area (as opposed to 360-degrees
if you are out in the open) making spotting enemies a lot easier and safer as there are fewer
directions for them to be coming from, and hence fewer places that they could be shooting you
from. Running down the very centre of the map is therefore the most dangerous route as you
can theoretically be shot from all sides, this means more areas for you to check and more time
to check them, making it impossible for you to cover yourself effectively. When in doubt stick to
the edges!

This is not to say don’t use the centre of the map and to always stick to the edges. What this
means is that often this is the safest route. Despite this, do not ignore what you have learnt in
terms of adapting to the situation. If you are being constantly killed while using one route, adapt
and use a different one to flank the enemy and get revenge.

So, stick to the edge of the map if you are unsure of which route to take, or are being over-
run by your opponents. Remember all the main routes that are popular throughout the map
and game type that you are playing. Use this knowledge to gain an advantage over the enemy
and recognize when a route is being overcrowded and find an easier way around, or, take
advantage of high travelled routes - as explained in the next chapter!

Also, always try to keep yourself close to a wall, hill or object - it's one less place the bullets can
come from.

Exploiting Choke Points and High Traffic Areas

What are/Identifying Choke Points

Choke points are best described as a bottleneck in the map which the enemy has no other
option but to run through. Why is this a good thing? Well, they are good because it is a relatively
safe way of getting many kills and decimating an enemy team. Think of it like ‘herding’ cattle into
a confined area with only one way out. Then picking them off as they all try to squeeze out of
that exit, or “choke point,” where you lay in-wait.

How do you identify an appropriate choke point on a map and exploit it? A choke point by
definition as we have said is effectively a natural bottleneck in a map. For example, it could
be an entrance into a building, an alleyway, a hallway, a bridge, or even the natural terrain. All
these examples force the enemy into a narrow gap, which they cannot easily get out of. So, if
they enter an alleyway there is only two ways out, they can backtrack or they can try and run
through it. If you and a teammate or two sets up at one end of the alleyway then you will have
a straight shot on anybody coming down that alleyway and as they can’t move to the side to
get out of the way of your shots it becomes very easy to kill them. They can either run straight
towards you or straight back! Easy pickings!

Despite this apparent ease, it is not always as easy to exploit a choke point. It does require
some degree of teamwork, as the enemy isn’t just going to keep running into your choke point
if they know you’re at the other end waiting for them! To set up a choke point you first need to
identify a narrow area in the map, like the ones given in the example before. The next thing to
do is to get your team to push the enemy into some degree of corner or to cut off some routes
around the map so that the enemy has almost no other option than to take the route through
your choke point.

The choke point, if taken advantage of, is an easy way of getting multiple kills in relative safety
because if you are well hidden behind cover, it is hard for the enemy to react and you will
probably get the first shots off. Also, they shouldn’t be aware that they are being forced into a
trap and straight into your reticule. Despite this, once you have gained a few kills it is advisable
to alternate between different vantage points overlooking the same choke point as the enemy
will have learned where you are and will be most likely devising a different way to get to you and
take revenge; grenades, RPG’s or flanking you.

Taking Advantage of High Traffic Routes and Areas

By now you should know the layout of the maps, know the places on the maps where the
most action usually takes place, and know the routes that are most popular amongst the
community. You should be bringing all this knowledge together to form a strategy which best
takes advantage of that knowledge.

The best way to take advantage and gain a lot of kills from high traffic routes or areas is to seek
somewhere which offers a good view of said area, preferably up high, and, as always, utilizing
some sort of cover. This enables you to overlook these areas and get shots off without actually
being in the thick of the action (where you are not likely to last long).

An easy way to gain kills from high traffic areas/routes is to toss grenades from afar (over
walls, for example) to routes/areas where you know there is likely to be enemy. This way
you not only have a chance to kill one enemy but multiple, and without putting yourself in
any danger. Launching grenades or RPG’s into these areas can also yield very good results.

These methods are super effective when you couple them with a UAV, showing the enemy on
your mini-map. So choosing the UAV as a killstreak reward is advisable if you plan on taking
advantage of high traffic areas.

Grenades and Explosives

Grenades and Explosives: Effective Usages

We’ve all been killed by grenades. It’s almost impossible to completely avoid and stop yourself
being killed by them, but there are ways to limit the amount of times you are blown up! In this
chapter we will be learning how to effectively use explosives so as to gain the biggest gains
possible from their usage.
When, where and how to use grenades is key. So, in what sorts of situations should you be
using them? Well, let’s say you know for a fact that there is an enemy in a building. You could
charge in, whilst using special grenades as discussed earlier, but this could get you dead, right?
So you throw a grenade in there instead! This has a double or even a triple effect:

Scenario 1: You kill one or more enemies with your grenade.

Scenario 2: You injure your opponent and finish them off when entering the room.
Scenario 3: You don’t injure your enemy much but they are disorientated by the blast
and miss you as you enter the room to finish them off.

In all three scenarios you get the kill. It may not have happened that way but for correct usage
of your grenade. What do we mean by correct usage? Grenades work the best when thrown
into tight areas: rooms, trenches or corridors for example. This is because the blast radius, or
the ‘splash zone’, where the explosive causes maximum damage, is confined to a certain area;
your targets cannot escape. In open areas when a grenade is thrown at you, you can run in
almost any direction and get away from the blast. When in a room the only places you can run
to are corners or out of the room, right into your kill zone as you will be standing right outside,
where you just threw the grenade from. By using rooms and buildings to your advantage you
can kill almost any enemy in any hiding spot, every time.

Another reason that you got the kill was because you threw the grenades at the right angle.
What’s the point in throwing a grenade into a room if it’s just going to land in the doorway? If you
know which corner or side of the room an enemy is then make sure that you put the grenade
right into that side and not just in the doorway. If you don’t know exactly where the enemy is
located then the best way to maximise your chances of success are to place the grenade in the
centre of the room. The blast will then cover more of the room and is more likely to injure the
enemy.

One tip that the pros use is to ‘cook’ grenades. Cooking grenades is when you hold your
grenade for a few seconds after pulling the pin, before actually tossing it. All grenades have a
timer, most games are around five seconds. So, after you pull the pin you should hold it for 1-2
seconds so that when the grenade lands next to your enemy it explodes instantly. This helps for
two reasons. Firstly, some FPS games (Call of Duty) allow you to toss grenades that have been
thrown at you, back at the enemy. If you take some of the time out of the equation before the
grenade explodes then they will not have the time to throw it back. Secondly, mastering this skill
will allow you to take enemies by surprise or even time your throws so the blast occurs as the
grenade gets to head height, maximizing the chances of getting the kill first time. Just be careful
not to hold onto it until it blows in your hand. That is embarrassing.

You now know how to effectively use thrown explosives. So what about the planted type?
Explosives such as C4 and Claymores, which you have to put on the floor or on a wall and wait
until an enemy passes them. Claymores (or any other trip activated explosives) can be very
effective if you place them in the right places. Something such as a claymore should be placed
facing away from a door but right next to it. So for example, you want to back into a corner that
is right next to a door and face 45 degrees away from the door. This way when the enemy trips
the claymore they will be right in it’s blast zone as opposed to running directly towards it where
they can see it easier and just simply back away from it.

However, for something like C4, which has to be triggered by yourself, it is often a good idea to
use natural explosives such as explosive barrels or vehicles to enhance the power of the blast.
For example, placing a C4 pack on a car or explosive barrel means that the blast range widens
dramatically, as the C4 will also blow up the car or barrel. This means that there is less chance
of the enemy getting away and also more chance of more enemies being involved and injured
in the blast. When planting a C4 pack it’s advisable to place it in a discrete place on the map so
as not to attract attention. This is because experienced players will have learnt the map and will
easily spot a C4 pack, which should not be there. If it is on a flat wall for example it will be easy
to spot as it sticks out from the flat features of the wall. It must also be placed in such a way that
you can see it easily from a hiding spot well away from the blast area. From this spot you should
also be able to see the approach to the blast site so you can see the potential victims coming.

So, aim your thrown explosive in tight areas to make full use of them. Use planted explosives in
discrete and hard to spot places so as not to alert the enemy. Use ‘natural’ explosives to amplify
and blast that you gain from planted explosive to kill more enemies in one go. Aim for walls and
groups of enemy when firing launched explosives and be sure to keep your spacing’s and stick
to cover when working as a team to avoid being killed by the enemy using explosives.

[Quick Tip] Grenade Bouncing/Banking

We all know that you can’t curl or curve grenades around corners to kill our enemies... Or can
we!

Banking, or ‘bouncing’ grenades is an essential technique if you want to get better at your FPS
of choice. Grenade bouncing is when you use walls and the natural environment to throw and
bounce your grenades off of and into the direction of your enemy without putting yourself in
their line of fire. This does require a little knowledge of angles but it is relatively easy to pick up.

For example, you know that an enemy is in a room covering the entrance or in an alleyway
covering the whole alleyway from their end. There is no way you can get in there and release a
few shots or a grenade before they kill you, but you can, from where you are standing, throw a
grenade and bounce it off a wall so it comes back to where the enemy is hiding. This means you
can get a grenade (or flash/stun) to that bad guy without exposing yourself.

Getting this right does require practice, or as we have said, a little knowledge of angles, but as
always there are ways that you can practice without being killed hundreds of times. Joining a
private match or an offline match is one way of practicing this technique. The way to do this is
to imagine a situation where an enemy would be behind cover, in a room or around a corner
and then bounce grenades off walls whilst standing out of the line of fire. Aim for a static target
such as a box, chair or, table. By doing this in different situations such as bouncing them around
corners, off of door frames, behind cover, into trenches or through doorways you can get used
to throwing them from all sorts of angles and distances.

After a while you will be landing grenades right where you want them without having to put
yourself in danger.

Grenade Launchers: Using Launchers Effectively

There are other types of explosives that are ‘fired’ at the enemy as opposed to thrown or
planted. Grenade launchers or rocket launchers are these types of explosives. They are
launched from attachments under the barrel of guns or from specifically designed launchers,
which are bulky and hard to manoeuvre. When used appropriately they can be deadly because
of their ability to gain multiple kills with ease because of their splash damage.

The main point with these weapons is to aim for either the floor next to your enemies, or for a
wall behind them but still close by. This is because these explosives do not just explode in mid-
air as regular grenades do. They are not on a timer, but explode on impact with a surface; a wall
or the floor. Also, these launched grenades need a little time in the air to arm. This means that
firing a grenade launcher at the floor or a wall at close distance will result in the grenade simply
bouncing away without exploding. So this is a long to medium range weapon. This means that
you can shoot people from the other side of the map with relative ease, assuming that you know
the maps well enough to be able to predict where the enemy will be at any given time (which
you should.)

This brings us back to learning the maps so that you can exploit the predictive qualities of other
players. There are always favoured routes that are used by players. You should also know that
players tend to try and get to prominent vantage points on the map as quickly as possible, so
you should be able to predict where players, or hopefully groups of players, will run to. This way
you can pre-aim your grenade launcher towards those areas and take them all out in one fell
swoop.

Despite this, grenade launchers do require a certain amount of skill when it comes to aiming
your shots. All grenades, unlike bullets (in most FPS games,) are subject to gravity. Without
boring you with a Physics lesson, they drop as they move towards a target. So you can fire
them over a building safe in the knowledge that they will drop over the other side and eventually
hit the ground. As with banking grenades it requires practice to be able to accurately predict
where a grenade will land according to what angle you have fired it at. Once again, joining a
private match either on your own or with some friends and trying to hit different targets at long
range from behind cover, from the other side of the map, a building or terrain is the only sure fire
way of getting better without the risk of being killed lots and potentially losing the game for your
team.

So how can you defend against them? Well, you can’t really ever fully defend against them
but there are ways of limiting your exposure to them! Firstly, when out in the open - which you
shouldn't be if you can help it - don’t run around in groups of two or more where you are all
within a few feet distance away from each other. This does not mean don’t work as a team, but
if you are moving around as part of a team, keep your spacing’s so that if one of you is hit by a
grenade launcher then the whole team isn’t killed along with them. Remember the enemy (and
yourself) will naturally fire upon the biggest target available to them. It is easier to aim for two
people standing next to one another than it is to aim for a single person hiding behind cover.

Use cover: avoiding open areas will limit the amount of times you are killed by launchers. This
is because open areas are easily surveyed and guarded by the enemy. By using cover it makes
you a harder target, as it is hard to be precise with grenade launchers. Be aware of splash
damage, though.

Do not stay in one place for too long. This means if you’ve killed a couple of people in one spot
or from one window then move. Firstly because the people you have just killed will more than
likely come looking for revenge kills, and as they know where you are they will simply be able
to use grenades or grenade launchers to easily kill you from a safe distance. If you move to
a different spot, still in view of your previous location, you can kill them as they come for the
revenge kill. Unpredictability is the key. Switch it up.

You might be surprised at how often you can get a kill, or even multi-kills, by throwing a Frag,
Semtex, or firing your Grenade Launcher through a window. The Grenade Launcher is going to
score easy kills for you. You’ll catch a lot of hell from it, but just ignore it.

To recap, aim for walls behind your enemy or for the floor where they are standing to use
grenade launchers most effectively. Practice makes perfect when learning to fire them
accurately at long distances or from behind cover. Learning the maps and popular routes is a
sure fire way to gain multiple kills. Use cover and keep your spacing’s to avoid being killed by
them, and stay on the move so that your enemy cannot pin you down.

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Playstyles

Aggressive

Playing Aggressively

An aggressive class is one where you are equipped with the weapons to basically make a
nuisance of your self and get right up in the enemy’s face! You are going to be right on the front
lines of the action gaining a lot of kills for the team and taking and holding objectives if your
game type requires it. This is mainly a class that is rushing the enemy but if your play style is a
bit more covert you can still be stealthy and be aggressive if you want to. It all depends on what
weapons and equipment you choose to select!

So how should you set up your aggressive class? This depends on whether you want to be a
run and gunner, a stand and deliver player or as stated more of a covert player.

So let’s deal with the classic run and gun type class. This play style means that you are always
on the move, always looking for the action as opposed to letting the action look for you. Perfect
for getting in and amongst the enemy lines and causing havoc! So you will need a gun to match.
The assault rifle is the standard run and gun class as it provides a trade-off between power and
good manoeuvrability. This means that in a one on one battle with an enemy you will have the
power to hold your own but if the situation requires it you will have the ability to get on out of
there if you are being out gunned. Another option for the run and gun type aggressive class may
be a powerful sub machine gun. Not all SMG’s are powerful enough to be able to do justice to a
run and gun type class but most should be suitable. You need a SMG that is powerful enough to
be of use at more than close range and also has the manoeuvrability to get you moving if need
be. The SMG does also have its weaknesses, though. If you get stuck in a long-range fight they
generally don’t have the power over that distance to put up a resistance and the accuracy over
big ranges is also very poor due to their high rate of fire and large recoil rates.

What about the stand and deliver aggressive class? As you would expect it is the type of class
that puts power over agility. It’s a heavyweight boxer compared to the middleweight run and gun
type class. The weapon of choice? Again, there are many choices but two that stick out. One of
the more powerful assault rifles may be chosen but if you really want to pack a punch LMG’s are
the choice for you. These guns have the power to beat any over medium to long range meaning
that taking cover and providing covering fire for your team is the way to play. Despite this you
will still be on the front lines gaining many assists for your team and lots of kills as well. LMG’s
also offer greater magazine size, providing more firing time before reloads (even If the reloads
do take a long time) and also the a higher ability to penetrate through walls to injure or kill any
players that are lurking behind them! Be aware though, as LMG’s are not so effective at close
quarters, it will be impossible to swing your gun around to meet an attack from behind, so make
sure your team are covering you!

Finally, a more covert type of aggression. Being aggressive and being covert do sound like
complete polar opposites and hence unable to work together, but you would be wrong. The
ability to be behind enemy lines, picking up kills and/or holding down a position on the map
can be a lot easier if the enemy don’t know where you are at any given point. To do this you
will need to be both fast and silent. So the guns for you? It depends on exactly what you’re
comfortable with, but either an SMG or Assault class are ideal because they both offer good
power at short to medium range, perfect for the player behind enemy lines. What about a
silencer? Again it depends on what you are willing to give up. Silencers, as you should now
know, offer you the ability to stay hidden on enemy radar when you fire your weapon, but this
does mean you have to trade off some of the range so your gun seems less powerful at medium
distances. Despite this, if you can handle reduced range it shouldn’t be a problem as you are
likely to be right next to the enemy when you kill them anyway. This is aggressive because
you’re gaining lots of kills for your team score as opposed to silently sitting in a corner waiting
patiently for the enemy to come to you.

In terms of perks you will want to be using a stopping power perk or equivalent (unless you are
going stealthy), because you generally won’t care about the enemy knowing your position on
the mini-map and the extra bullet damage may just save your life once or twice in a match.

For equipment the Frag Grenade or Semtex is always suitable for the run and gunner as it
allows a quick distraction or the means to kill a group of enemies quickly and easily.

For a secondary pistols are fine, but you should really be leaning towards auto pistols (if the
game allows) or the fail-safe shotgun; it is high powered and great for getting in and amongst
the enemy, and once again causing chaos. One-shot-kills are ten a penny with shotguns.

You might also consider setting up a class with speed as an option so that you can be in and
out as quick as possible.

The Art of Rushing

Rushing, if done properly, can be the way to get big scores, but remember that rushing means
that you will almost always be in harms way meaning that you will also be killed quite a bit too.
Despite this, rushing isn’t generally a way to improve your K/D Ratio (although it is possible).

So what is rushing? Well as the name suggests it involves rushing right into the enemy’s lines
and doing as much damage as possible, as quickly as possible. Contrary to the belief held by
non-rushers it doesn’t involve running head on into the enemy hoping for the best. No, it’s a bit
more tactical than that. The best way to rush is to rush and flank at the same time. By rushing
down either side of the map firstly you only have to worry about what’s in front and to one side
of you, as you should have learned in previous chapters. Then once you have infiltrated then
enemy spawn, proceed to kill anything in sight.

As such rushing requires a certain mindset and a certain class setup for it to be effective.
You have to commit to rushing in all aspects because, for instance, if you aren’t quick in your
actions, you will be caught up to and killed. So firstly you need to be equipped with a gun that’s
is both powerful to some degree but also allows you to move very, very fast at the same time
because you want to get into the enemy as quickly as possible and not waste any time when
you get there. As such, an LMG is NOT appropriate. SMG’s are, along with some AR’s. As for
your mindset you need to be fully committed to rushing even when you are deep behind enemy
lines and under attack because your gun setup will not be suited to you turning into a covert
camper once you are in their spawn. You will be found out very quickly and most likely grenades
will start flying in your direction.

As described you will be getting killed a fair amount when using rushing tactics so it’s advisable
to be setting your killstreaks (again if your game allows) a little lower than usual. It is unlikely
that you will be getting a killstreak of 7 or more while rushing simply because by definition you
will be in and amongst their spawn, hence it is more likely that you will be killed by an enemy
that has just spawned. It is much more beneficial to your team that you attain lower killstreaks
that benefit the entire team rather than just yourself.
It’s advisable to stay away from your team when rushing because you are trying to be
aggressive and relatively stealthy at the same time, so if you’re using a silencer but the guy
standing next to you isn’t, on the mini-map the enemy will still see a red dot and it will be
an easy double kill for him. Instead, stay away from your team. By doing that you are by
definition flanking and taking the enemy from behind, as they will be concentrating on the front
lines where the majority of your team is fighting. They certainly wont be worrying about the
places on the map where they assume there is nobody. This however is where you will be!

Defensive

Playing Defensively

What tactics should be used in a defensive class and what setup should be used to make full
use of these tactics? Well in terms of weaponry and equipment it is almost anything goes except
for SMG’s - which are mainly best for rushing, as discussed earlier. LMG’s, AR’s or even Sniper
Rifles are preferable as they offer the best power at medium to long range. So why do you
need medium to long range power? The whole point of playing defensive is that you effectively
dominate your position and sit back letting the enemy come towards you and the kill zone that
you are covering.

In this sense it isn’t particularly necessary to use a silencer or any stealthy perks as you aren’t
going to be in the thick of the action and you won’t be worrying too much about whether the
enemy knows where you are. This means you should be using stopping power or equivalent
as it will be quicker to kill the enemy. Also, you should be using a perk or ability which either
allows you to pick up extra ammo or where you can start off with extra ammo because you will
be dying a lot less hence you will have a much less chance of running out of ammo. Scavenger
is a good example of this in Call of Duty.

In terms of equipment claymores or trip activated explosives of some description are always
advisable because they are effectively a free kill and a great form of cover for yourself
(especially your back). You can simply leave them at the access to your flank and they will
sit there until an enemy decides to attack. This way you will always have some degree of
protection and it can also act as a warning signal if it doesn’t kill them at the first try. Another
advantage of trip activated mines or an explosive is that it acts as a good deterrent. This is
because once the enemy know that you have them, they will either become more defensive
when attacking you, making them easier to kill, and maybe putting them off altogether from
trying to flank you, making your job easier.

The Art of Defence

Playing defensively is often portrayed as a negative way of playing FPS games, but in actual
fact it can act as an anchor for your team to push on and dominate the enemy, or more
importantly, protect objectives (should the game type require it).
So why is a defensive player on a team invaluable in most situations? Well, especially if your
playing an objective based game, it’s a great tactic for one or more of your team to hang
back and defend while the remainder of your team attacks the enemy position. This way you
are always covered at the back and the rest of your team can move forward with confidence
knowing that if they all die, it won’t be an open net for the opposition to plant that bomb or
capture that flag. So defensive players do have a key role to play.

The tactics to use are pretty simple. Essentially mark out an area, patrol it and dominate it.
Move from one side of the area to the other in a methodical way, making sure to check all
corners as you go. This way all sides are covered and you are assuring that nobody is going to
slip through your net. This is not camping as you are really just being a guard, and by moving
around an area you are just throwing the enemy off guard as they will never be able to pinpoint
your exact position!

Remember most FPS games are all about teamwork and having one or two defensive players
on your team can be invaluable to winning both Deathmatch type games and objective type
games.

Objective

Playing Objective-Based Games

The aim of objective games is to get to, and destroy/capture an objective(s) in as little
time as possible to get the win. So which setups are the best to achieve your goals?

Let’s focus in on what objective games require of you. Basically they require speed. The most
important thing is to get to the objective either before your enemy does, or to catch your enemy
off guard at the start of a game. So in this sense you should be choosing perks and abilities that
allow you to be speedy! This is beneficial especially in game modes such as capture the flag
where after capturing the enemy’s flag the aim is to haul ass to get it back to your base. You
won’t be able to do this as well if you have to stop and catch your breath every two seconds.

Another perk you could consider using is one that stops you showing up on enemy radar. Why?
Because while you are capturing an objective or planting a bomb, you don’t want the enemy
to know where you are while you’re doing it. Also, if you are flanking the enemy or trying to be
stealthy when attempting to approach an objective, you don’t want to be rumbled by an enemy
that has radar up in the air. It’s a lot easier to capture or complete an objective when the enemy
doesn’t have a clue where you are. Couple this with a silencer for an extra dose of stealth!

You also won’t want to run with any bomb or flag if you have heavy weapons equipped. LMG’s
and Rocket Launchers therefore are almost strictly off limits (unless you are going to be playing
the covering role in your team). The covering role in an objective game requires you to cover
the player on your team that is quick enough to be rushing or carrying the objective. This way
they can run with a flag, for example, safe in the knowledge that they don’t have to concentrate
on shooting, and can concentrate more on which route to take. This means that you should be
favouring an SMG, which gives you the ability to run faster and has fairly respectable power to
boot. You have to compromise your power over range but if you are playing the objective you
are bound to be close to the enemy, so this won’t matter too much.

There is an alternative to these guns and perks though. If you are playing in a team of people
you might want to hybrid a defensive class with an objective class because you might be the
person on your team which wants to hang back and defend your objective from the enemy.
So building from the last section an AR or maybe LMG will serve you well if you are defending
an objective from the enemy. Couple this with higher killstreaks as you will be standing off
the action a bit more, (so dying less), and your air support will definitely benefit the players
attacking. This is just as valuable to your team as the attacking players don’t need to worry
about the enemy capturing your position, as you will be there to put up some sort of resistance.

Sniping

Sniping is both challenging and very rewarding. In the beginning, the only enemies you are
likely to kill by sniping are other snipers and campers. The reason is because moving targets
are much harder to kill. On top of that, your enemies usually don’t die with only one shot unless
it is a head/chest shot or you are playing a Hardcore match.

Setting up Sniping Classes

So how do you set up the perfect sniping class? Well you can be many different types of sniper
but here are two or three of the main types that cover many different types of play styles.

Firstly there is the classic sniper; stealthy, one shot kills and sitting back from the action. As
such the setup should be silent, invisible and as deadly as possible. Any perk or ability that
enables you to stay off enemy radars and stay silent is almost compulsory, you don’t want to
shoot a few people and then be shot in the back because you are appearing on the mini-map
as a red dot. It also allows you to stay hidden from air support which is helpful because what’s
the point in being stealthy and staying hidden from players if the first time some air support gets
called in you are toast?

In terms of weapon choice, the most powerful Sniper Rifle available is a good starting point
because if you are being the classic sniper you will be in one position for a fair amount of time,
so manoeuvrability isn’t necessarily the most important factor. The quicker you can kill an
enemy the less they will get to know where you are hiding.

Secondly there is the run and gun sniper. This type of sniper is on the move pretty much all the
time, using their rifle essentially as an AR. As such, perks that allow you to aim down your sight
faster, speed for a quick getaway if you are outgunned and one that allows quicker reloading as
you are going to be getting through the small magazines on sniper rifles very quickly, should all
be considered.

For a weapon? Something that is both manoeuvrable and powerful is perfect as this way you
can be sprinting to get to places quickly and to get closer to the enemy but also be able to kill in
one shot is vital.

Finally there is the semi-automatic sniper which is always on the move but isn’t quickscoping.
This is a hybrid class as it has the manoeuvrability of a quickscope class but also has the covert
factors of the classic sniper. With this class you must always be on the move, as you most likely
won’t have stealthy perks on because the guns that you will use won’t be the most powerful.
However the advantages of this are that with semi-auto snipers you can really go to town with
the trigger if you encounter an enemy at short range.

One of the most important decisions for any sniper class is the secondary. For some snipers
that implement a stealthy approach, a rocket launcher or some degree of anti-air support
benefits the team a lot. However some snipers don’t go down the stealthy route, so a shotgun or
auto pistols are far more valuable because in a close quarters situation it’s pretty much always
best to switch out to your secondary, and one which has high power to kill quickly is perfect.

All in all you should set up your sniping class to what you feel most comfortable with. If you feel
you can’t kill with one shot then bring more ammo just in case you run out. But if you feel you’d
rather stay hidden and be more covert then use something which blocks you from enemy radar.
Each to their own but set something up which suits your skill level and playing style.

Vantage Points

For a sniper (or any other class to some extent), gaining the high ground and taking the best
vantage points - positions that offer a view of a large portion of the map - is absolutely essential.
Snipers need long lines of sight for them to be effective in the classic sense of the class, so
getting up high to a vantage point to over look a large area of the map is mandatory.

Vantage points are valuable because the high ground in any conflict gives a massive advantage
to the one that holds it. Being able to view a long/large distance means you can spot the enemy
before they see you; if your positioned correctly they shouldn't see you at all before you kill
them! After all, the point of sniping is to not be seen. Couple with that the fact that a sniper by
definition is a long distance from the action and looking down a telescopic sight, the enemy will
have almost no chance when a half decent sniper is well positioned at a good vantage point.

In terms of team play, taking and holding vantage points on a map can effectively shut an
area down or provide valuable covering fire whilst the remainder of the team push the enemy
back. This can end up in your team initiating spawn traps and dominating the opposing team!

If you’re playing in a team which is utilizing communication (which they should be), a vantage
point can also act as a place to direct your team to the enemy as you can see such a large area
of the map. By calling out where the enemy is and where they are going you can help your team
get into position to get the kills. Don’t forget the basics while you are popping heads from afar,
keep behind some sort of cover.

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Top 10 ‘Pro Tips’

Tip 10

Pick Your Killstreak Rewards According to Your Skill Level

Games like Call of Duty and Medal of Honor offer you rewards for stringing a certain amount of
kills together without dying. If you are only managing to rack up 5 or 6 kills in a row it’s a waste
to pick the higher rewards at 9,10 or 11 kills! You will be of much more use to your team and
rack up more kills for yourself if you choose the earlier rewards like UAV or Couter UAV, Care
package or any reward under the average amount of kills you can string together.

Move up to the higher rewards when you begin to string together longer killstreaks, which won’t
be long!

Tip 9

Sharpen Your Reflexes

On any first-person shooter, you need fast reflexes to adapt to a rapid and fast-paced
environment. Reaction time (the interval of time between spotting your enemy and responding)
often decides who wins and who loses. To build your reaction time, practice the more complex
moves with a friend.

Tip 8

Know Your Weapons

Don't face an enemy until you have the right weapons! It is very important that you know what
each weapon can do and what it can not do so you are using the correct weapon in certain
situations. Here is a list of what common weapons do in most FPS games.

● Assault Rifle: good for medium to long range engagements. Not good for extreme long
 range or close range engagements. Used when the enemy is aware of your presence
and is shooting back or for when shooting them will alert them of your presence.
● Sub machine gun (SMG): Good for close range combat when automatic fire is needed.
Not good for medium or long range combat. Used when the enemy is too close for an
assault rifle to be effective but too far for a shotgun. SMG’s share so many traits with
assault rifles that in some games SMG’s act as assault rifles or the two are confused. If
this is the case pick which ever one you prefer.
● Shotgun: Good for extreme close range combat where the enemy is close enough to
be hit with multiple bullets (if you hit). Not good for medium to long range combat and
not very effective unless you can see the whites of your enemies' eyes. Used when you
need to deliver a devastating amount of firepower and the enemy is very close.
● Sniper Rifle: Good for long range to extreme long range combat. Not good when your
enemy is returning fire. Used for stealth missions to take out the enemy from a very long
distance. There are people that can and will use sniper rifles as close range weapons
very effectively. In other words, they can run past you and make a head shot with a
sniper rifle. These people spend a lot of time learning how to do that and are very good
at it. Before you attempt to do this, master the game.
● Pistol: By far the most diverse weapon, so the effectiveness really depends on the
game. Not good for medium or long range combat or dealing large amounts of damage.
Used as a close range defensive weapon only. Pistols are by far the most varied
weapon of all in games with games using anything from .22 pistols all the way up to
the .500 Magnum (the most powerful handgun in the world). Thus, depending on what
game you are playing they can be weak or very powerful weapons.
● Rocket Launcher: Good for attacking vehicles and aircraft, and almost always very
effective against infantry. Not good for close range combat as the explosion will likely kill
you as well.
● Grenades: Good for medium range and indirect combat. Not good for close range
combat as the explosion will likely kill you also. Used for attacking enemies you can't see
and creating a smokescreen when you enter a building.

Tip 7

Know Your Role

Although this is less important when you are a solo player, there are still times that you need
to realize what your team expects of you. This can be assaulting, defending, camping, sniping,
sneaking, whatever. For example, if you’re playing Capture the Flag and your whole team keeps
rushing the other only to die in a blaze of idiocy, sit back and guard your flag. You might not win
the match because you’re playing with the special-ed team, but at least you’ll come away with
some kills to add to your experience bar.

Tip 6
Double Tap

Learn to double tap when firing weapons. There’s a reason that militaries around the world are
taught to double tap their weapons, and it applies to FPS games, too. Accuracy is essential
if you plan to hit where you aim. Most weapons have quite a bit of recoil and if you try to
unload an entire magazine in one burst you will be in deep doo-doo. The importance of this
is demonstrated by the fact that there are assault rifles that will only shoot in a 3 round burst.
That’s because of the accuracy rating.

Once you become more experienced with weapon recoil you can start to use it to your
advantage. Weapons recoil in an upward motion, usually causing you to spray bullets above
your target. If you have the chance to aim at a center-line area, like the crotch, and then shoot
you can often score a headshot by allowing your weapons recoil to direct it upward.

Tip 5

Learn From Your Mistakes

Disregarding "spawn kills" and other random errors, ask yourself what went wrong. Were you
moving too slowly, or possibly not moving at all? Were your movements predictable? Just
because there is a good player out there that might be giving you a difficult time, doesn't mean
that you can't improve your gameplay by learning from his or her style and adapting your play to
certain situations.

Tip 4

Get Your Sensitivity Right

All FPS games allow you to choose a custom sensitivity setting for your controller/mouse. Find a
sensitivity level that is perfect for you and your play style by increasing/decreasing the sensitivity
until you are comfortable with it.

● Higher sensitivity will allow you to turn much faster and react more quickly, but requires
a bit more effort to make precise shots and harder to keep your reticule on moving
targets.

● Lower sensitivity allows you to make precise shots much more easily, but will leave your
reactions vulnerable to players that might attack you from behind as your turning speed
is reduced.

Tip 3
Get a Decent Headset

A player should never disregard sound in a first-person shooter. Being able to hear precisely
which direction and how far away your enemy is approaching from can be invaluable
information that, when used accordingly, will earn you kill after kill. It will also see an end to
people sneaking up on your six. Spending as much as you can afford on a good quality gaming
headset will give you a huge advantage over people without one. If you’ve never played FPS
games with a gaming headset you will be amazed at what you’ve been missing out on.

Tip 2

Learn The Maps

The most essential tool a good FPS gamer needs is a comprehensive knowledge of each and
every map that they play on. Period. We have come back to it time and time again throughout
this book. If you don’t know the maps like the back of your hand you’re at a huge disadvantage.
If you learn only one thing in your quest to become a better FPS gamer, commit the layout of
every map you regularly play to memory.

**Top Tip**
Take in Your Surroundings

When we say “take in your surroundings” we mean be aware of everything that's going on in
your immediate vicinity, and the game as a whole. Where you are, where your team is, where
the other team is, spawn points, where most of the action is and what the other team are playing
like (offensively, defensively or a mixture) are all key factors that you should always be aware
of. You need to be constantly monitoring all of this information and basing how you play, and
what your next move will be, on it. If you can predict what your enemy thinks your next move will
be, and then do the opposite, you’re on to a winner!

Go get ‘em soldier!

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Contact
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