Taking a Stance

“Hey, wait for me, guys!” Stragglers die, so stay with your team, and watch each other’s backs, sides, and fronts.

Now that you know how to move, you also need to make sure the rest of your team are working well in unison with you.

When playing with human teammates, it is imperative that you back each other up and, most importantly of all, stay together and do not stray apart, or you’ll be picked off and incapacitated in seconds!

Once you realize the importance of staying close, try the following stances to help you in different situations:

Spread Pattern: No matter whether you’re in narrow or wide areas, moving directly behind a friend in front of you prevents you from backing them up.

Stagger yourselves not only so that you can all fire on the same enemy (as your teammates are to your sides and not blocking your view), but also so that you can move out into a line or crescent shape to surround a larger enemy. Watch that you’re not struck during the cross fire!

Two Up, Two Down: This is handy if you decide to move into cover (when a Horde is attacking, for example), or you’re in tight spaces and moving slowly.

Have two teammates at the front, armed with close-combat or Melee Weapons, but crouching so the two rear teammates can fire over their heads with Assault Rifles or Sniper Rifles.

Diamond Pattern: Move into a rough diamond or square shape (with each teammate becoming a “corner”) so you can prevent attacks from all directions.

The “tip” of the diamond should be moving forward, training their site on foes ahead of you. The two teammates in the middle should be also checking forward and also to the left (or right) sides of the group, preventing foes from outflanking the team.

The rear “tip” of the diamond should concern themselves with side ambushes and attacks from behind. All teammates should also be looking up.

Relay: A variation on a “relay race” is good when clearing out interior buildings, or when one of your team needs supplies.

Basically this involves swapping the lead teammate. Move to a doorway, have the lead step inside. The leader soaks up any damage while two friends look left and right for ambushes.

While this door and the next entrance are guarded, the guy at the back (or whoever is healthiest) moves to replace the lead teammate (who now moves to the back), and the process begins again.

Back-to-Back: When swarmed by foes, you may not be able to get to a wall to prevent attacks from behind.

But if you each have a partner teammate you can rely on and you’re close enough to that player, stand back-to-back. You’ll stop anything attempting to outflank you. This works very well when you’re armed with Melee Weapons and against the Horde.

In Pairs: Some areas require you to split up (such as navigating through a Spitter’s vomit or along narrow walkways or platforms).

For these scenarios, split into two close pairs so you can rescue one another, or shoot across to help the other pair if they are out of their depth.

Covering Fire: Movement should just be about scanning the environment and taking down foes. Check your targets and take care of those that are most threatening to your team.

There’s no point sniping foes on the horizon if your teammate is being savaged. Choose sharpshooters responsible for covering those teammates venturing forward with close-combat or Melee Weapons, and offer constant cover and supporting fire.

Run Away! Know when to run and when to stay and fight, and make sure all of your team is in agreement.

Surviving requires quick thinking and tactical decision-making. Appoint a veteran “leader” to make these decisions, and follow the leader instead of arguing.

And if you see a rescue helicopter or a Safe Room, bring out a Melee Weapon and hack your way to freedom!