Disclaimer: this guide was originally made in a Google Docs file by Normal1237.
Why hello there, and welcome to the ultimate Deadswitch 3 guide! Showcasing movement tips, map info, how-tos, and other cool tricks to improve your game sense.
It should be noted that this guide isn't only intended for new players, but returning ones as well.

* This is the first part of the guide itself, focusing on movement, gameplay, and grinding. Part two is now out.

Here are the controls featured in the “How to Play” section.
In Deadswitch 3, you can move left/right by pressing A and D, jump with the Spacebar, sprint with Shift, climb ladders with W, and Ctrl to crouch. It’s easy to pick up, but hard to truly master.
Let’s start off with the basics. Sprinting left or right will boost your movement speed, but you’re unable to use your weapon, until you stop pressing the Shift key. Crouching will decrease weapon recoil, but you’ll move noticeably slower.
You can jump with the use of the Spacebar. Jumping is useful to reach ladders at high spots; to quickly grab onto ladders, press W. Additionally, you can press Spacebar while on a ladder, that way you’d jump and stop climbing it.

For more advanced movement, check out the Advanced Techniques section.
Now, let's get you familiar with your surroundings!

All of the maps have sandbags which block bullets from players, but not explosives or bullets shot by turrets. As you can see in the screenshot to the left, you’re able to be fully covered from enemy gunfire.






Hostages are NPCs which stand in a static position. Players can lead them to safety by moving up to them, triggering the A.I. to follow accordingly..
Don't be too far from them, though, as they'll stop following you - you'll have to move up to them again to re-do the entire process.




When playing Hostage Rescue, you’ll spawn near the Rescue Zone. Lead the hostages to safety there in order to escort them.




As mentioned previously, you can climb ladders up and down by pressing the W and S keys. To grab onto a ladder, Jump, move towards the ladder, and finally press W (this is due to hitboxes).







Explosive Barrels have a fixed location on each map.
Shooting one will cause it to explode; you’ll take damage depending how far you are from the barrel itself.
Fun fact: stun grenades/flashbangs inflict small damage which can cause barrels to explode.








You can plant/defuse bombs by pressing E.
It takes ~6 seconds to detonate and has a large explosion radius upon detonation, so take some distance!

The closer you are to the bomb, the more damage you take & higher chance of potentially killing yourself.





You can open/close them by pressing E, same as with Bomb Crates. There’s a gimmick with doors; if your weapon has 3+ penetration, your bullets will pierce through them. However, if your weapon has 5+ penetration, bullets will breach doors wide open. This can work to your favor in terms of ambushing an unaware enemy, or can be used against you as well.

Note that the doors within the airplane on the Airport map won’t breach unless you're using a grenade launcher.




When you call in a package of any kind, it’ll be green-colored, indicating it has been called by you specifically. For allies, it’ll be blue colored.










This is what your crate looks like on your screen.











This is what an enemy crate looks like. Beware! Certain enemy crates are decoys, meaning they’ll explode upon being opened. The only way to distinguish a regular crate and a decoy would be by using the Sitrep perk!

This screenshot is with Sitrep equipped. Notice the Skull Icon? That indicates to us this crate shouldn’t be opened!

Side-note: ammo crates are never decoy crates.




Some maps offer distinct areas which essentially allow you to control the map itself; primarily spawn-trapping.
As seen here, I use the height of the building to get a high ground advantage + better view of enemies who might be behind cover!

Disclaimer: This section will be further elaborated on the 2nd part of the guide.

The HUD (Heads up Display) shows critical information about your current gear, killstreaks, how much time is left until the match ends, and more. This HUD is as shown when playing Ranked.

Each component of the HUD is displayed by a different color.

Yellow - summary of weapons, their assigned attachments, and your equipment. The bold white weapon seen here highlights the current gun you’re using (in this case, the AUG A3).
Green - shows your available killstreaks and the amount of kills left to get a specific one.
Pink - shows your health, rank, and player name.
Teal - a timer which indicates the remaining time until the game ends.
Red - the radar/minimap. This is a smaller scale version of the map. If an enemy fires an unsuppressed weapon and/or you have a UAV activated, enemies will appear as "red triangles" on radar for a limited period (UAV lasts for 30 seconds).
Alternatively, you can press M to get a full image of the map. Note that your character is vulnerable while doing this.

There are two ways to learning the game's mechanics:

Operations are a collection of single-player missions with specific objectives; they're divided into multiple categories, such as Standard, Advanced, and the Campaign.
You can play each mission on any difficulty you'd be more comfortable with, being Novice, Moderate, and Veteran.

It’s heavily suggested you’ll familiarize yourself with the gunplay, maps, and mechanics in Operations mode before you try out multiplayer. Head to Operations, choose “Standard” type, set the difficulty to Novice, and you’re good to go! This way you’ll gain new knowledge about the game.


Here's a list of operations to play through in particular order: Riverside Assault, Infestation, Urban Sabotage, Outpost Assault, Estate Takedown, and French Saboteur.

If you're having troubles with completing these, check out this Walkthrough:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HymqOz6dvJg

Tip: you can play Operations with another person on Multiplayer.


This playlist can only be accessed by players who are between Level 1 and Level 25. It is good option for acquiring more knowledge about Ranked and game modes, not having to worry about other high ranked players.

Deadswitch 3 features a large arsenal of weapons, ranging from shotguns, pistols, to anti-materiel rifles. Not all guns are equal, though, as their stats (such as damage, range, accuracy, etc.) are varied and different from one another.

Recoil, according to Wikipedia: “...is the rearward thrust generated when a gun is being discharged (fired).”

Meaning, when you fire your gun, your reticle will increase in size; indicating that recoil is heavier and accuracy is lower.

In this screenshot I'm firing a Desert Eagle which will probably break your wrist whilst firing and as you can see, without crouching it has noticeable kick.

As seen here, I utilize the Crouching mechanic. Notice the smaller reticle, leading to significantly reduced weapon recoil.


Aiming Down Sights can be enabled with the use of Left-Mouse Click, increasing your vision range.
Notice the black bars? That indicates when you're aiming down sights.

Whilst aiming down sights, depending on which weapon you're using, your field of view will be different.

Shotguns, majority of Pistols, and Machine Pistols have the same Field of View:

...while Submachine Guns have slightly higher vision:

and finally, Light Machine Guns, Assault Rifles and Sniper Rifles boast the highest vision range:


Tip for controlling recoil at first is to fire rounds at consecutive bursts, to maintain your accuracy.
Once you’re experienced enough with a weapon, it’ll be more comfortable to keep recoil at check - the only way to improve your aim is by practicing.


Sniper Rifles have long effective ranges, and with the use of the Recon perk, you'll be able to snipe enemies at further distances.

Image of said example:

Sniping requires a bit more skill from the end user as missing a single shot from a bolt-action mostly results in your death (some perks such as Juggernaut, Specialist and Quickdraw can help with that), so I would strongly suggest not picking a sniper rifle as your first weapon of choice.

If you do want to snipe from the start I suggest investing your shards in a Laser for your preferred sniper rifle as it helps quite a bit with connecting your shots both by boosting your accuracy (mostly affects semi-auto rifles as bolt-actions have pinpoint accuracy already) and by making it easier to track your cursor.
Do not over-rely on it too much though as it can be sometimes off a bit, and it always happens at the worst possible time.
Note that with Performance Mode enabled your laser will not be stopped by obstacles, so if you do have it enabled you need to keep that in mind.

How do you grind efficiently? Here are several methods to do so.

Playing operations on Veteran difficulty rewards you with 25,000 XP and 1 Shard. If you’ve already beaten an operation on Veteran, you won’t get another Shard for that one.
One of the best operations for grinding XP is Infestation on Veteran difficulty.








There’s a total of 50 levels, and you gain 1 Shard every 5 level ups. Meaning, you’ll get 10 shards when the max level is reached. Save your shards for a later point, such as prestige, getting a new gun, etc.

Additionally, every two weapon level ups, you’ll gain 1 shard.

Certain Multiplayer challenges reward you with shards, XP, or even both (both rewards are for Clan Challenges). Some challenges are repeatable, so you can complete them more than once.
For example: as of writing this guide, there’s a challenge for getting 50 kills with LMGs, with a reward of 25,000 XP.


It’s not just about getting kills for the majority of game modes.
Headquarters, for example, requires all players to capture and defend the flag on the map, thus you’ve got to play the objective as well (+ you get additional XP while having the point captured specifically on this mode).





Alongside that, there’s Battlezone (I’ll refer to it as BZ). You can loot Shards and XP here, but beware as it's much more difficult than regular Ranked or even Survival in some cases. To play BZ you’ll have to pay 1 shard for an access pass, which grants you a full hour of being able to play the game mode. The risk is high, but if you play wisely, you can make it.

Here’s a guide regarding how to play Battlezone, made by the developer Justin Wilkin:
https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2480535724

Prestige is a feature unlocked when you’ve reached the max rank, being Level 50. You’ll have to spend 5 Shards in order to do so.

There’s 10 levels of Prestige. You unlock new gear such as new weapons and equipment, but your rank will be reset to 0; meaning you’ll have to grind all the way back to max level again. Additionally, the weapons, their respective attachments and killstreaks you’ve bought will still be available for use. Note that, if you prestige and use a gun you’ve already bought, if you’re not on the same rank unlock requirement as the gun, you won’t be able to level it up.
For example: if one player is level 46 Prestige 1, and bought the HAMR machine gun, they won’t be able to level it up until they reach level 50, the level at which the HAMR is unlocked.

Joining a clan will grant you access to clan challenges, offering more XP and Shards via grinding.
To join a clan you will need to have a single shard.

Besides regular movement, there are also some movement tricks. You can freely control your character while performing these.

When on a ladder press Ctrl or Space to stop climbing the ladder.






















Falling down a ladder is faster than climbing down, and as fall damage is only present on Hardcore the only result is that you are now down the ladder in less time.

Perform a regular jump by pressing W, then fire your weapon.




















This gives the opponent less time to react to your shot, allowing you to land hits with less consequences.

Crouch by pressing Ctrl, then press the Spacebar to jump, and finally fire your weapon.





























When executed correctly, this trick is perfect for keeping your profile smaller, avoiding possible headshots.

"...or just team with another player by crouching multiple times :) - Player851"

Perks are special abilities that help you on the battlefield. There are two types of perks: Player perks and Weapon perks, Blue and Orange respectively. You can pick one from each category, unless you have Perks killstreak chosen, which grants you perks for kills. Let’s go over each one in order of unlocking.

Lightweight
LVL 1




Lightweight gives you a flat running speed increase. If you want to flank someone, be the first person on the objective, be able to run to cover faster and be a somewhat harder to hit target - then this perk is for you.

Sitrep
LVL 1




Sitrep grants you immunity to flashbangs, stun grenades, and Tazers, reducing the duration of the effect drastically, keep in mind though this is not complete immunity, and you will still be stunned/flashed for ~0.5 seconds. Grenades and other equipment are highlighted with this perk equipped, so you won’t be caught off guard by a mine or a Martyrdom grenade. A less known, but a very useful feature of this perk is that you see enemy lasers with it - and Laser is one of the most used attachments in DS3, especially on sniper rifles, so if you are sick of getting killed from off the screen this might help you know when you are getting sighted in on. Finally, Sitrep reveals enemy decoy crates and delays enemy claymore detonations.


Juggernaut
LVL 10




Juggernaut is a perk that grants you 100 bonus health, which brings you to 300. This perk is great for almost every situation, unless you run into a person who uses a gun that still one-shots you, those are not very plentiful though. Also pairs up with Stim Shot very well, giving you more time to use it.

Martyrdom
LVL 15




Martyrdom drops a pinless grenade at the place of your untimely demise, providing an unpleasant surprise to the person who killed you. Sadly it’s a standard frag with a very long fuse that gives your opponent enough time to retreat before the explosion, and even if you do get someone with the grenade they will be extra cautious next time. Only recommended to mess with people and maybe against CQB fighters.

Anti-Sniper
LVL 19




Anti-Sniper reduces incoming damage from sniper rifles and weapons which are modded with the High Caliber attachment. Best used at longer ranges with a semi-automatic assault rifle to counter enemy snipers.

Ghost
LVL 25




Ghost hides your player name and health bar. Additionally, you'll be invisible when an enemy UAV is activated. A good perk for ambushing enemies unaware of your presence. Despite your name being hidden with the use of this perk, if you fire an unsuppressed weapon you will show up on the enemy radar.

Hard-Headed
LVL 30




Hard-Headed reduces damage received by headshots, including weapons which have Hollow Point as their ammo attachment. Useful for dealing against 1-shot headshot weapons, however you’ll still be vulnerable to shots to the torso/legs.

Cold-Blooded
LVL 32




Cold-Blooded prevents you from being targeted by enemy helicopters and sentry guns. Beneficial for pushing through tight corridors in which sentry guns are used to defend a point, or countering heavy air support such as Pave Lows or Escort Airdrops. Best used in conjunction with Shrapnel.

Scavenger
LVL 34




Scavenger allows you to restock ammo and equipment from fallen enemies, including M203/Masterkey ammo. When you have Bandolier equipped, Scavenger won’t refill above the specified limit of equipment you can carry.

Specialist
LVL 40




The Specialist perk improves resistance against explosives, fire, and tasers. Alongside that, your health regenerates at a much faster rate than normal. Specialist is a necessity when you face a person who spams explosives and airstrikes. Doesn’t help against crossbow bolts, use Ninja for that.

Ninja
LVL 42




The Ninja perk grants faster crouching, climbing and melee attack speed. You also gain resistance against throwing knives & crossbow bolts; these two generally 1 hit kill an enemy, but with Ninja, you’ll just barely survive with little health remaining.

Bandolier
LVL 1




Bandolier grants you twice the amount of the reserve ammo your weapon provides and twice the equipment. Really useful for when you can’t fit Scavenger into your build but you really want ammo. Two pieces of equipment are also quite a boon, granting you more ways to smoke people out of cover, and as Bandolier is considered (undeservedly) a newbie perk you can catch someone experienced off-guard with a second grenade or a throwing knife.

Focus
LVL 1




Focus grants you more accuracy and allegedly makes you flinch less from hits. I played with Focus for the reduced flinch for some time and I can confidently say it’s a scam and it doesn’t actually reduce damage flinch. More accuracy is sometimes pretty useful though when your weapon just can’t be accurate while still keeping good stats. *cough cough* Bren *cough cough*

Shrapnel
LVL 6




Shrapnel grants you more damage against Killstreaks. If you want to build an AA class this perk is crucial for quick dispatch of helicopters (helis) and other emplacements. Best used in conjunction with Cold-Blooded.

Quickdraw
LVL 10




Quickdraw grants you more weapon swap speed. This perk is really good for anyone who relies on their backup for CQB, it is also good for people who want to use the shield unironically.

Aggression
LVL 14




Aggression grants you more melee damage. Used best with a fast-swinging melee weapon and Ninja or Lightweight.


Recon
LVL 20




Grants you an ability to see enemies you damaged on the radar. Increased vision when aiming down sights. This perk is pretty situational and works best against annoying Ghost users or people who kill you from off the screen.

Bling
LVL 22




Bling grants access for a third barrel attachment for both your primary and secondary weapons. A solid option if you want to add more versatility to your guns, but you will have to rely on your player perk for most situations. Silvia’s Small Arms Guide has a section going more in-depth.

Underkill
LVL 24




The complete opposite of Overkill, this perk grants you the ability to carry two secondary weapons. An example would be that you can use the RPG-7 and M32 MGL launchers, for direct fire and mortaring at range.

Overkill
LVL 32




Grants you an ability to carry two primary weapons. There are two ways to use this perk: either to give you more CQB abilities via a CQB-effective secondary, such as a shotgun or an SMG, or to have a second primary at ready without needing to reload. This perk is best used in conjunction with Perk killstreaks to make a super-soldier resistant to all forms of damage and capable of combat at all ranges.

Sleight of Hand
LVL 38




Sleight of Hand allows you to reload weapons 180% faster than normal. Good for light machine guns or any other weapon with a slow reload process.

Vampire
LVL 40




Vampire replenishes your health upon getting a kill. Most useful when used with a high penetration weapon, such examples include the: M60E4, SCAR-H, HAMR, and SKS.


Stopping Power
LVL 44




Stopping Power grants you an ability to slow players down with your shots. It works incredibly well against people who try to run for cover as soon as they see you, and especially well against people with Speed melee weapons who you just can’t catch without it. It’s also overall a really good perk, especially with a fast-firing low-TTK weapon.

Killstreaks are powerful items which are available to use once you get a certain amount of kills without dying. There are 3 types of killstreaks:

• Assault, where your streak will reset upon dying.
  This killstreak package is more useful for offense type modes, such as Team Deathmatch or Team Defender; Assault consists of powerful streaks, from Helicopters, to Airborne Repears, and Juggernaut suits for maximizing damage to the enemy.
  
  
• Support, where your streak doesn't reset upon death.
  Beneficial for objective focused modes, including Domination and Headquarters. Ensures your team some back up to the fight, such as Airdrops, Turrets, and Heavy Air Support.
  
  
• Perks, where your streak will reset upon dying.
  Being the oddball of the ones available, this package grants more perks the more kills you gain (and with every perk streak you acquire, you’ll heal a small amount of health).
  Acquiring a perk which you already had before the specified streak won't stack. Preferable for going solo.

Here's a list of viable streaks for almost any situation you encounter:

Care Package
Available at 4 Consecutive Kills
You'll have to mark a location onto where the care package will be deployed. Contains a random killstreak from any category.
A very useful streak for when in a tight gunfight/pinch.




Airstrike
Available at 5 Consecutive Kills
The Airstrike deploys several high damage bombs with a large explosion radius upon the area you called it on.
Solid killstreak worthy of getting 5 kills, can be used against enemy helicopters.




Napalm Airstrike
Available at 6 Consecutive Kills
A variant of the standard airstrike, but bombs now contain lethal napalm (essentially fire) which add extra, spicy damage to the enemy. Denies the area called upon compared to an Airstrike. Less effective when dealing against a Specialist user.




MH-6
Available at 7 Consecutive Kills
A light attack helicopter which flies above you when you are alive and switches to search-and-destroy mode when you are dead. Fires at nearby ground enemies, not other helicopters.





Pave Low
Available at 12 Consecutive Kills
A bigger and heavier upgrade to the MH-6. Is always in search-and-destroy mode, fires rockets in addition to a high damage machine gun. Moves much slower than an MH-6.





Reaper
Available at 15 Consecutive Kills
"Enemy AC-130 above!"
The Reaper is a mobile airborne drone which fires rockets. Limited ammunition, with some idle sway, but incredibly powerful in the right hands.




Deadswitch
Available at 25 Consecutive Kills
Call in a nuclear warhead which destroys everything on the map, winning the game in your team's favor. Quite hard to get, especially when dealing with skilled players. Don't be too greedy for kills or you might get killed in the middle of your streak!




Ammo Airdrop
Available at 4 Kills
Deploy an ammo crate to your current location. Cheap to get, requiring only 3 kills, and is indeed useful to resupply just in case you need it.





SAM Turret
Available at 6 Kills
Deploy a turret that targets air targets only, shooting them down in at most 3 missiles. Essentially a poor man's EMP, it is very useful when you just can't get down an aircraft that bugs you and the enemy team doesn't allow you to get many kills.




Stealth Airstrike
Available at 10 Kills
Another counterpart to the Airstrike, this one is carried by a stealth bomber, so it arrives without an announcement to the enemy team. The only way to predict it is by a distinct sound that precedes it, but in the heat of a fight even a veteran may not notice it arriving. It also has a wider area of effect than the Airstrike. 10 kills is a bit steep but it's the cheapest offensive option on the Support streak list, B-2's aren't cheap these days.

Minigun Airdrop
Available at 15 Kills
Summons a crate with a Minigun, the most powerful weapon you can legally get in a game of Ranked. You do only have 250 rounds in the drum and only a single spare, you move real slow and the ranged capabilities of a Minigun are not stellar so anything specced for range will outclass you from a distance, but you literally have the biggest toy in the playground so it shouldn't bother you too much, just press LMB and have fun.

EMP
Available at 18 Kills
Clears the map of any enemy killstreaks, and for a period of time kills their radar and stops them from summoning any more streaks. It is a godsend against people who spam Care Package, or against Escort as it can either kill it before it drops the crates wthout any hassle or it can clear all the streaks that it summoned plus the V-22 that drops the crates off. Yes, it's 18 kills, but it is still far less than what it cost your enemy to summon in all the stuff you will be clearing.

Juggernaut Recon
Available at 20 Kills
Drops a crate that gives you an ability to become a lighter, less durable version of the Juggernaut. It comes with a Riot Shield and a Magnum .44, and it only allows you to regen to 25% of the max health, but it can still be a powerful asset in clearing an objective, even the ones inaccessible by air support. Can also be dropped off near a bot to make them die less and become somewhat useful.

Escort Airdrop
Available at 20 Kills
Summons a V-22 Osprey that hovers over the marked spot shooting at anything that comes in the vicinity and drops off 5 random killstreak crates. They can be anything ranging from a Decoy to a Juggernaut, except for the Deadswitch, so it is pretty much a win-a-game killstreak with enough luck. The chance that a crate will be a Decoy is pretty high so keep that in mind when seeing that there are leftover killstreaks from an enemy Escort.

Perks
You can choose any combination of perk streaks to your heart's content; notable perks are Scavenger (referred to as "Scav"), Specialist, Hard-Headed, SOH and Vampire. Here are some example builds:

"Utility"




Strategy: This build has two nice utility perks with an addition of Scav, a must in almost every Perk killstreak, that helps your sustainability.

"Sustainability"




Strategy: This build focuses on staying alive for as long as possible with both Scav and Specialist to help that, and Lightweight as a small bonus to help you get 6 kills for Specialist.

"Flanking"




Strategy: With this build you'll move faster and outmaneuver your enemy, re-stock ammo and be undetectable by enemies. Perfect for taking a different route towards the objective/surprise attacking your enemy.

Equipment is your get-out-of-jail card for when the situation you are in is most unpleasant. An enemy is in cover and is just non-stop spamming an LMG down the main corridor? Throw a grenade. Your health is low and you are being approached to be finished off? Pop a stim shot and you are ready to fight again. Here I will list some useful equipment that will help you in some of the bad situations that you might find yourself in.

Grenades
There are a bunch of grenades in this game, all with different purposes.
The Frag Grenade, your starter, might not seem very useful since it has a long fuse, but it's just what you need for long throws against snipers. It's also the type of nade you forget about up until it explodes beneath your feet, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Also a nice tool to get someone out of cover if you land the throw.

The Semtex is an impact grenade, meaning it explodes upon impact. Its main use is to be thrown to hopefully win a firefight you are losing by instantly killing a person you're fighting or to kill someone who is in a better position than you.

The Molotov is very similar to Semtex mainly because it's also impact, but it is a bit less useful as a press-G-to-win-a-firefight nade since your opponent will not die to fire instantly, so you can still die before they die, and that kinda defeats the point. Can be used to deny an area, making enemies choose other routes momentarily or lighting the objective on fire, making it impossible to plant or take the flag while you get into a better position.
The Napalm Grenade is a non-contact variant of the Molotov, making it more useful in denying an area as you now can throw it further, expanding your choices a bit. Can also be used better offensively, again because of range and its not-so-long fuse. Basically if you don't need the momentary help in firefights that the Molotov provides pick this.

The Stun and Flash Grenades both serve pretty much the same purpose: disabling the enemy before you finish them off. The fuse is just right for both helping in firefights that have already started and also in assaulting yet unengaged enemies, and if they don't see you or can't aim at you they are pretty much free for the taking. Note that the Stun grenade just makes the enemy unable to move the cursor or their character, so if they're already zeroed in on your head it ain't gonna help.

The ET-MP is a variant of the frag grenade, having a shorter fuse duration and a smaller explosion radius. Can be used to trap enemies within a tight corridor, and catch enemies by surprise.

Others
Everything else besides grenades, such as explosives and tactical equipment.

The Tactical Insertion allows you to place your next spawn point. Good for spawning next to the objective, behind enemies, etc.

The Claymore explodes when an enemy is facing towards its direction. Can be placed in hidden areas, unless its red-tip lasers are exposed. Powerful enough to kill a non-Specialist user.

The Stim Shot replenishes your health upon usage. Can be a life saver when heavily wounded and about to be ambushed, stim shots can get you back into the fight.

The Throwing Knife flies in a certain trajectory upon usage, and 1 hit kills anyone unless they're using Ninja. Can be picked up after being used.

The Bouncing Betty flies up in the air and detonates once someone comes in close proximity. Similar to claymores, with a larger explosion radius.

Situational
Some equipment is only useful in some specific situations, here we'll list them with examples.

The Smoke Grenade creates a cloud of smoke upon detonation. It hides yourself on the enemy radar, while also making you undetectable by helicopters.

The Deployable Cover provides cover from gunfire. Viable for when you're out exposed and need cover from that one pesky LMG user who rains down lead. Note that the deployable cover has durability, meaning it'll be destroyed after consuming large amounts of bullets.

The Trophy System destroys incoming projectiles, regular/M203 grenades, and rockets within its range. It has a durability of two uses. Best used against a person who spams explosives.

The Kevlar reduces damage at close range. An incredibly helpful equipment for when the enemy has a shotgun or an SMG and you are sick of being flanked and killed. Won't replace good positioning but really useful nontheless.

Other than this list of equipment we've mentioned, it's suggested that you don't buy any other type of equipment, unless you wish to experiment and see which one suits your class best.

Now that we have covered most mechanics there are in the game we are gonna provide you with actionable advices that are far more practical in nature than the (still very important) theory we have just covered. Some of these advice might seem obvious to you, but they are based on pretty long if somewhat unsystematic observations of the playerbase through my playtime, all of them are placed here for a reason.

------------------Advice #1-------------------
Always know where you will get cover
In any gunfight, no exception, it's better to stay in cover than out of it. If you are running somewhere you need to know where you will get cover when you meet someone. The knowledge of where the enemies might come from and where it's best to cover will come with experience but just keeping in mind the fact that you need to have cover when a gunfight occurs significantly increases the chance of you being in said cover in that gunfight and thus your chance of winning the fight.

-----Advice #2-----
Play the objective
As obvious as it sounds i saw my fair share of people who don't play the objective. Sometimes it is important to gain a strategic advantage, by, say, taking back the center of the map in CTF, but most of the gamemodes very specifically ask you to do very specific things and they need to be done to win the game. If you want to win - play the objective.

-------------------Advice #3-------------------
Use your equipment without hesitation
It is very important to use it when you need it. Use the throwing knife or a stim in a pinch, use a nade to get someone out of cover, and don't save it for when it won't help you anymore. You don't need to use it right as you spawn, but when you feel the slightest need - let it go, it's there to be wasted.

-------Advice #4--------
Don't focus too much
This might sound like you are now tuned into a yoga lesson but believe me, it's a thing. Put on some music, take a breath and play without overfocusing on what you are doing, and your results will visibly improve. It's all just a game, isn't it?

-----Advice #5------
Stay on the move
When you are not playing a gamemode that is not "defend the point for x seconds" (such as Team Defender, CTF, Team Deathmatch or FFA) standing in one place brings you doom. Yes, this sandbag might be a very good position that overlooks the main traverse route, but if your enemies know where you are they might throw a nade, or use an RPG, or if they are high-level and angry even a Javelin. They might flank you (especially true for FFA where they can just spawn behind you), get you from range and do other things that are less than desirable.

-----Advice #6------
High ground rules
The main rule of Star Wars Part III also applies here, as your opponents that are behind cover become a far easier target from above. As most maps are symmetric there will always be a position that is as high as yours though, and some high positions such as the tower on Outpost are just bullet magnets. It is still highly highly recommended to take high ground when possible, especially if long range weapons are available.

---------Advice #7------------
There's always a counter
Some weapons are by design better than others: Sniper Rifles and RPGs one-shot you at any range, Shotguns reign in CQC, and the PAR4-C is a crutch that shouldn't exist. You might think that it is unbalanced and bad game design and yet almost every COD game has those same problems. That's why a smart player has classes for every situation, and that's also why I have only seen one person who tried to do an explosives-focused class. For explosives there's Spec, for snipers there's Anti-Sniper, for Shotguns there's Kevlar and for the PAR4-C there's prayers and excessive swearing Hard-Headed.

-----------Advice #8------------
...but sometimes there isn't
Sometimes whatever your opponent is using doesn't have a direct counter, such as an HP SKS or an MG42. For that there's the advanced mechanics that we listed in this guide, grenades, explosives and streaks, flanking and positioning that we will go over in the second guide. This also means that if you find which one of the specialized weapons from the advice above they don't have a counter to you will have a higher chance to win, the most often found vulnerability is shotguns as Kevlar is not very popular.

-----------Advice #9------------
Keep tabs on your enemies
It always happens suddenly - at one moment you appoint too much attention to the ongoing firefight and in the next moment someone already splattered you with a shotgun from behind. Especially with how spawns work you can at any time end up with an enemy behind you if you don't control that. There's a player counter on the GUI for a reason, and if there are four enemies alive and you only see three then your immediate reaction to that should be looking for the missing player, unless you are currently shooting and/or taking fire.

That concludes the first part of the guide. Part II will likely take quite some time to write as it has a greater focus on gameplay, maps, etc. If you need help or have any suggestions, feel free to post them in the comments! Thank you for reading and good luck on the battlefield!

Inspired by Silvia S15 and Wilkin’s guides.
Additional help from Alexsei, Silvia S15, Player851, Dirtbag, and Archi-08.