If you tried the demo and had a bad time, I feel you.

TBH I think the Tutorial is terrible and teaches you the wrong lessons. The map for the demo, Ashen Mesa, isn't the best entry point to the game. It's huge and has low visibility, making new players even more lost. I'd choose different characters than the ones available.

I could go on, but this is just in case the demo discouraged you and in desperation you came to the Steam guides to see if you were doing something wrong.

You probably were, but so were the devs when they made that demo.

Despite that bad experience, I figured the full game would be a more reliable test and boy was I right.

I won't explain the menus and systems in detail, because honestly I don't have the patience and they aren't the focus of this guide. I'll talk more about specific things in other sections, but if you want an initial overview of the game. here's a video:


Killpo1 has great videos on the game, I highly recommend you check their channel!

Ok, the Prestige system is something I need to talk about. It's basically the level of your character, but it has some quirks.

First, YOU DON'T AUTOMATICALLY LEVEL UP. You need to go the Character screen and press the button.

This is important because YOU DON'T KEEP EXTRA XP. Only needed 8,000 XP to level up and got 1,000,000 XP? Well, those 999,992 XP went down the drain.

WHY SHOULD YOU LEVEL UP?
#1: it increases your health by 40 points per level. It might not look like much, but that's 1960 HP at max level. I believe some other stats increase as well, but health is the most noticeable.

#2: it allows you to allocate more skills. In FW you don't have skill points, instead you allocate XP to unlock each skill. The amount of XP you can invest in those skills is capped by your level, so higher levels allow you to 'equip' more skills. Those skills are reset when you level up and you need to buy them again, so it's not worth picking any skill until levelling starts taking some time, which will be subjective to each player.

JUST TO BE CLEAR: You don't LOSE the XP you invest in a certain skill. It's still there, counting until you can prestige again. So don't worry about wasting XP on skills that will reset, it doesn't work that way.

They're backpacks.

There are different models and each character can use some, but not all of them. Some skills allow characters to use bigger rigs.

There are 3 types of slots in a rig:
- Containers (filled slot with S, M or L): for general loot, ammo and consumables, they come in small (S), medium (M) and large (L) sizes
- Open Storage (empty slot): these are for the big loot (water, locked boxes, gacha boxes, explosives) and for large items (like the Tactical Cam or Jump Pack, they give you some 'power')
- Gun Baskets (empty slot with gun icon): allow you to loot broken weapons while in the field, to restore or sell

Rigs are upgradable by purchasing from Bundleton. It increases carry weight and space for Container slots and adds armor to Open Storage slots. Both can block incoming damage. You want to upgrade all your rigs asap.

WHAT SHOULD I PRIORITIZE WHEN CHOOSING RIGS?
Personally, I don't think picking guns from the ground is that valuable, so I don't really care about Gun Baskets (the Gunrunner rigs).

Having 2 or ideally 3 Open Storage allows you to use Tactical Cams + Jump Packs with space for something else, like a gacha box or the pilot for the mission. Above that, like the Rack rig with 8 Open Storage is good to raise your water quick, but it's very expensive. It'll pay itself easily enough.

I personally prefer Rigs with more Containers. This allows you to bring more ammo/healing items and if you loot wisely they can bring more money than Open Storage slots.

The Forever Winter (FW) isn't your typical shooter. You don't play a soldier: you're a cilivian, a scavenger scurrying in active battlefields for loot. You won't last more than a few seconds if you go attacking everything you cross paths with. You need to be smart, opportunistic and a coward in order to survive.

Here are some basic things that will keep you alive:

FW has a threat system where each NPC looks around and classifies other enemies on a threat scale. They will always focus on the highest threat unless you get too close or attack them.

Foot soldiers will see you as more or less equal to human-sized threats.

EXOs, mechas and tanks will mostly ignore you even if there are no other enemies around.

Flying drones will attack each other and bigger enemies than you, but they will easily target you if there are no other threats close-by.

What this means is that it's always more advantageous to let enemies kill each other or shoot them while they're distracted by other threats.

The different characters have varying sizes and this influences how much threat you generate.

Scav Girl, being the smallest, has the best chance of staying unnoticed as she moves around. Bagman, being the largest, will draw more fire.

The weapons you're carrying also influence how much threat you generate.

Pistols and SMGs generate the least threat. Heavy Machinguns and Grenade Launchers generate the most. Rifles stand in-between.

Your rig, your backpack, also influences how much threat you generate.

Scav Girl has access to an exlusive rig, the Mini Rig, which has the least carry capacity of all rigs, but also draws the least attention. You can upgrade Scav Girl to use bigger rigs, generating more threat. This however is mostly attenuated by her size.

As another example, if you as Bagman use the biggest rigs around, like the Rack of the Pack Mule, you'll generate even more threat.

Firing guns with no silencers just lets everyone in a big radius know you're a threat to be dealt with.

If there are cyborgs, the zombies, nearby, is just ringing the dinner bell. This is basically suicide in the Night Shift variants of the map. You enter those variants at random and you'll know you're in one if it's night and it's snowing/there's ash falling from the sky. Enemy spawns are different, but there are usually A LOT of cyborgs. Shoot your unsilenced gun and watch the whole screen fills with searching icons.

BUY A SILENCER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND TRY TO USE SILENCED WEAPONS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!

If you kill an enemy quickly enough (like with a headshot), they won't have time to alert their buddies. This doesn't always work! If you kill an enemy who's in plain view, even if you yourself are hidden, this will alert nearby units.

Enemies have 3 alert states:

- SEARCHING: they have a question mark above them. They heard or saw something and are investigating. Keep low and stealthly move away.

- ALERT: they have an exclamation mark above them. They've noticed you, but there are other threats occupying them for the moment. Be aware that after that threat has been dealt with, it'll be your turn.

- ENGAGED: they have a red double arrow (one pointing up, the other down) above their head. They're actively fighting you. If they don't have a fire line they'll move and come after you. If you break line of sight for a time they'll go back to SEARCHING mode, but it's best to put as much distance as possible, because if you remain close there's a high chance they'll engage again.

You don't need to crouch everywhere. You can mostly run around.

You only need to crouch, hide or at least stay immobile in a corner if there are lots of enemies around who are not distracted by someone else.

Attacking enemies and then quickly retreating is usually advantageous, especially if you aggro too many of them or draw the attention of a big one. You can always come back to loot or attack them again when they're unaware once more.

NOTE: Drones and turrets despawn fairly quickly, so if you want to loot them don't take too long. Everyone one else though, you can take your time.

DRAW ENEMIES TO EACH OTHER
There are 3 factions, but in practice they're only 2:

EUROPA vs EURASKA + EURASIA

EUROPA: they have the most conventional look, including the Exo Mech and the flying bucket drone
EURASKA: they are Russian-coded, wear big masks/armor
EURASIA: mostly cyborgs and the insect-like drone

When in doubt, you can click Z when looking at an enemy to see its name.

Why is this important? Say you draw the attention of an Eurasian Cyborg horde. You can run towards an Europan Exo and let it deal with them for you.

Loot is important, but so is XP to level up your character. While loot will naturally appear as the NPCs fight it out, when should you take advantage of their fight to steal some kills?

Basically, which units are fighting?

Exos can be hard to kill unless you have grenade launchers or automatic shotguns with very big magazines. Tanks and big mechs, as well as helicopters, are even more difficult, but will mostly ignore you. You could kill infantry engaged against those enemies without fear (for the most part) that they'll turn on you afterwards. DRONES WILL MOST LIKELY ATTACK YOU AFTER YOU CLEAR THE OTHER ENEMIES.

If there's infantry fighting each other, the size with less numbers can usually be killed impunitively. Or you can attack the bigger squad while they're distracted. You'll learn how to evaluate those types of situations.

So, after the demo I was deathly scared of combat in this game. I didn't even fight to defend myself, instead I desperately tried to run away. Since I didn't know how stealth worked I was often discovered and died in a panic.

At the very start you should avoid combat, but not at all costs.

I'll link a video that convinced me to buy the game and try it instead of the demo. It also flipped a switch in my head with the idea of 'budget runs' with surplus gear and ammo. The idea if that even if I die I don't lose much, just free stuff anyway. You can focus on learning where the loots is, where the enemy spawns are, where to exit from the map - all that without the stress of losing your main gear.


It's a long video, so in case you just want the short version.

I'd go with either Scav Girl or Shaman. Scav Girl is stealthier and faster, but is very fragile at the start. Shaman is more balanced, but a little harder to sneak with.

See what works best for you, but keep in mind that as you level them up, they'll have more health, so Scav Girl can eventually have more survivability and carry a decent load with the a couple upgrades and a bigger rig.

With the starting money you should be able to buy an AK rifle. Also buy and install:
- Suppressed Muzzle Device B is the cheapest, D is the best.
- ET EFX Optic is a nice, cheap scope with a red dot
- grab the 500 rounds of free 5.45mm Ammo Surplus from Aramaki (once you unlock Bunco, he has 100 more)

Scorched Enclave, Cemetery entry

Most that are placed on Scorched Enclave, but avoid the ones with bosses (like Pyro Revealed) in the first runs. Missions that require you to loot parts or kill a certain faction are good.

The main thing is to loot and gain XP through killing targets of opportunity though, so don't worry too much about missions.

Here are the priorities for the first few runs:
#1: build a decent AK with custom parts so you can start fighting effectively
#2: loot as much as possible from the containers and enemies killed by NPCs to start making money
#3: loot water until you have at least 16 in order to unlock Bundleton, the rig vendor, for better backpacks
#4: kill targets of opportunity (see STAYING ALIVE IN THE BATTLEFIELD section) for XP and more loot

Check the WHAT TO LOOT, SELL & KEEP section for details.

But for now, focus on Weapon Mods and Medical containers. Get any mod that starts with 'Kala' (those are for your AK) and all scopes so you can start trying what works best for you. Healing items will keep you stocked and alive.

As you keep extracting, you'll start making money and levelling your character, increasing their health and thus their survivability.

You'll level your AK, unlocking better parts for it.

You'll be able to buy better rigs and carry more stuff, both ammo/heals and loot.

You'll learn how to stealth and how to engage enemies in an increasingly familiar environment.

You'll learn spawn points, loot points.

There's lot of stuff to scavenge in FW, but not all loot is created equal or worth carrying back to base.

This is by no means a complete list, but can help you prioritize while on field.

ALWAYS LOOT CIGARETTES. You'll need a lot for the Lordoss quest-chain, plus they literally damage your health when you use them.

SMALL FIRST AID KIT, STANDARD FIRST AID KIT are almost always worth picking, to heal during the mission or to stockpile

ADVANCED FIRST AID KIT is always worth picking, best healing item in the game and the only thing you should bring when in higher levels

Food can be useful to top your health, but don't clutter your rig with them.

Alcohol makes you dizzy, use only as last resort. EXCEPTION: ALWAYS LOOT WHISKY! You can use it to craft 5.45MM CRYO, best ammo in the game. (requires the Ammo crafting station)

Pick for the weapons you use.

Sometimes they're in a category (like 'Kala' for both AK and RPK) or are specific to a weapon.

As a rule of thumb, the further the mod is in the alphabet, the better it is. For example, Kala Magazine I is better than Kala Magazine A (A is usually the default).

It's good to have a few spares, especially for mods you can only loot, like the Kala Magazine I, but most mods will be purchaseable after you pick them, even if the weapon's level isn't high enough. A simple way to do this is to load the preset and hit the replace button.

Some weapons can only be looted, like the Vector 45 and VEPR-12. (They'll also require the Weapon Repair crafting staton)

Apart from those 2, most others are not worth repairing IMO and should be sold. Here's an incomplete list of their respective worth:

~20,000 => Grenade Launcher
~12,500 => USAS-12 (shotgun)
~4,000 => Vector 45 (smg)
~2,700 to 3,200 => RPD (lmg), S12 (shotgun), RPK (rifle), MG34 (lmg)
~1,700 to 2,000 => P90 (smg), AK (rifle), SVD (sniper), G36 (rifle), M4 (rifle)
~1,500 => PP-19 Vityaz (smg), M16 (rifle)
>1,000 => Scar (rifle), NTW-20 (sniper), Vykhlop (rifle), Glock 19 (pistol)

You should keep TACTICAL CAMERA, PNEUMATIC JUMP, 20MM TURRET and IEDs. RIG LIGHTS are situational, but also very cheap.

ALWAYS LOOT GACHA BOXES! You can find them randomly lying on the ground and they are literal loot boxes. Some weapons can only appear in them.

LARGE LOCKBOXES are worth 11,000, a little more than EXPLOSIVES at 9,000 (but these can be used for some missions/map optional objectives)

WATER is an important resource until you have more than enough. After you max your water capacity, each extra Water you loot will be worth 25,000 credits or 1,250 XP, so they're still worth looting.

For the guns you use, obviously.

Some of rarer ammo types are .308, 40mm HE and .45 ACP, because vendors usually sell a lot less of them.

IT'S ALWAYS WORTH PICKING IFFs, regardless of faction. They're valuable, weight almost nothing and occupy almost no space.

ANY ITEM THAT ENDS IN 'COMPONENT' IS WORTH KEEPING! They're used to craft the Railgun, a multiplayer weapon that can 'kill' 'unkillable' enemies that drop super rare loot (obviously, Cyborg Compenents are not part of this list)

Euruskan Plans and Weapon Tech are worth ~7,000 (there's a mission that requires Weapon Tech, but it's somewhat rare)

PDAs are worth ~3,250, I always pick them

EURASIAN / EUROPAN DRONE DEBRIS are worth ~2,500, but it might be worth keeping a stockpile to chain complete their respective missions. Same is true for the turret parts.

CYBORG COMPONENTS and CYBERNETIC LUNGS drop from Eurasian cyborgs and are worth ~2,500 (there's a mission for 5 Cyborg Components, but it's pretty easy to source them, just sell)

Scematics [sic], Dossier, Recorded Audio are all worth ~1,500 and are both light and compact

COMPRESSION CANISTER, FUSE, METAL FRAGMENTS AND MULTIFREQUENCY BROADCASTER (from most plentiful to most rare) are all used to craft DECOY GRENADES, which are useful to distract cyborg hordes and bigger enemies, especially in NIght Shift maps

Combat in FW can be swift and deadly. You either kill close enemies fast or they kill you - unless you can escape with your life. I've covered the more general approach to combat in the STAYING ALIVE IN THE FIELD section. Here I'll just give a few more specific pointers.

Scopes allow you to be more precise, while silencers will allow you to fight without drawing too much attention. There are however a few scenarios where you can go loud without greater repercutions:

• The enemies are fighting each other (even better if there's a big unit involved as it will draw most of the aggro)
  
• You can quickly dispatch the whole squad (for example, in the interiors of Mech Trenchs by using an automatic shotgun)
  
• The idea is to draw more enemies and get the hell out and let God sort them out as both sides crash
  
• You have a defensible position and are farming (the corridor leading to the exit in Mech Trenchs is a good place to farm Hunter Killers)

There are 3 firing modes:

• SEMI - 1 press of the fire button shoots 1 bullet, it's the most precise, but also slowest fire mode
  
• BURST - 1 press of the fire button shoots 2-3 bullets, offering a balance between rate of fire and precision (IMO this feels weird in this game and I almost never use this mode)
  
• AUTO - holding the fire button will keep shooting until the magazine is empty, highest rate of fire, but also lowest precision

Regarding AUTO, it's possible to tap the fire button or do short bursts. This increases precision and reduces recoil, with the option to instantly go full auto if there's need.

I usually decide between SEMI or AUTO depending on:

• how far the enemy is (the farther, the more I need precision)
  
• how fast the enemy is approaching, if at all (a cyborg closing in needs to die quicker than a soldier using shotguns 2 miles away)
  
• how many enemies there are (the more enemies, the faster I need to kill them, especially if they're all aggroed)

VIEW MODE can also affect the behavior of a weapon, with some being very precise and controllable in aiming down sights (ADS) and going wild and wide in over the shoulder (OTS) mode. My suggestion is to try each weapon in a variety of fire modes + view modes and see what works best for you. Tap firing can be very valuable in OTS mode.

FW has surprisingly good hip firing when in OTS mode. Note that the camera will get closer to your character when in that mode, restricting your peripheral view, something that can be very dangerous. Use your discretion when choosing which mode to explore in.

Since reloads can be a bit slow and your movement speed slows to a crawl when reloading, having bigger magazines is very important. Small magazines usually make some weapons virtually useless or a pain to use.

Also, having 32 shots in your automatic shotgun's magazine instead of 12 is often the difference between 'I killed a whole squad in 3 seconds' to 'I took a lot of damage' or 'I had to get to cover to reload safely'. Every second an alerted enemy stays alive is one more chance for them to call more of their buddies.

Just melee to cancel the animation!

The damage multiplier of headshots varies, but it can make a lowly pistol be more effective with headshots than an automatic shotgun with body shots. ALWAYS GO FOR THE HEAD! (against humanoid enemies, of course)

SIDE NOTE: If you're trying to destroy an Exo without killing the pilot for the mission, shoot at its legs.

The faster you move the faster you can get to cover, retreat or manoeuver for a better firing position.

The slower the character you're playing is, the more careful you'll need to be regarding cover and when to engage, since you won't be able hit & run effectively.

Given how slow reloads are, sometimes it's best to switch to your other weapon or even melee the enemy to finish them. This is especially true against cyborgs.

Yep! Sneak up behind an enemy (you can even walk upright!) and when the special prompt appears press the melee button. Each character has a different animation too!

There are a few weapon categories, with some being usable by all characters (rifles and shotguns) and some unusable or locked behind a skill. Here's a table to help:



I'll list weapons by category, sometimes with a little commentary. This list is based on watching a few tier lists, Reddit discussions and trying the weapons myself.

Usually the best weapons have good accuracy/recoil, decent fire rate, big magazines and can accept both scopes and silencers, though there are exceptions.

If you prefer video, here's the one I find the most complete and the best to check for specific weapons:

GLOCK 19 (919)
Can be silenced, accepts scopes (requires upgrade, unlocked at level 3 & 7)
Source: Grillo
*NOTE: the scope is actually integrated with the Upper Receiver, which you can buy from Grillo as well the Magazine B (50 round)

9x19 (9mm) is a common ammunition that is very light and occupies very little space, allowing even Scav Girl to carry insane amounts. Which you'll need, because this has low damage, but hitting headshots coupled with the huge 50-round magazine (unlocked at level 5), full auto and scope, make this a viable option. It shines with Scav Girl when focusing on stealth, since pistols generate less threat than any other weapon type.

M79 (40MM HE)
Cannot be silenced, accepts scopes
Source: Aerial Scavenge mission

This is a literal hand cannon, shooting grenades from its single round magazine. This weapon can 1-shot drones and most heavily armored humanoid enemies. It can kill EXOs. And probably mechs and tanks with enough ammo. All this and it still counts as a pistol, drawing less threat than the AK rifle. One of the best weapons in the game.

SPECTER M4 (45 ACP)
Can be silenced, doesn't accept scopes
Source: Grillo, Enclave Strike mission

.45 is a decent ammunition, but a little rare, capable of 1-shot most humans with a headshot. It doesn't accept scopes and its iron sights are terrible, but once you get used to it, this can be a very effective weapon. Burst fire makes this weapon much more accurate, both in ADS and OTS. It's main advantage against its main competitor is that it can be silenced, making it better for stealth. It also has a huge magazine.

VECTOR 45 (45 ACP)
Cannot be silenced, accepts scopes
Source: Grillo

Unlike the Specter M4, this accepts all the scopes, making it better for middle range combat. Unfortunately, though the barrel of the weapon appears to be silenced, it currently doesn't work that way, making this not the best option for stealth. This is made worse by a 30-clip magazine, smaller than the Specter's 50-round one.

PP-19 VITYAZ (919)
Can be silenced, accepts scopes
Source: Aramaki, Mech Wreck mission

Like the Glock 19, this uses 9x19 ammo: plentiful, light and compact, if a bit lacking in damage. The main advantage of this weapon is the number of customization it allows. If you want to run SMGs, but can't quite make the .45 ones work for you, this may be your solution.

Shotguns cannot be silenced and they don't accept scopes (with the exception of the VEPR-12). They all use 12-gauge ammo. All shotguns listed here are automatic.

AA12
Source: Grillo, Armor Harvest mission

The main draw of this weapon is its upgraded magazine: it holds 32 rounds, the biggest among shotguns, and is unlocked at level 3.

USAS-12
Source: Gacha boxes (only in Scorched Enclave), AA Tech Extraction mission (currently bugged)

A good alternative to the AA12, this shotgun unlocks bigger magazines at levels 7 (12 rounds) and 9 (20 rounds). It's barrel can be upgraded for a slight damage increase.

VEPR-12
*Accepts scopes
Source: Donation box, Water Thief drop during base invasion

A very rare weapon, it's the only shotgun that accepts scopes and is highly customizable. It can get an upgraded magazine at level 7 which holds 25 rounds.

AK (5.45MM)
Can be silenced, accepts scopes
Source: Aramaki, Poke with a Bigger Stick mission

This is your workhorse. It's higlhly customizable, can boast a 100-round magazine, ammo for it is plentiful and you can even use free ammo with it! It's not a sniper, but can work in long range with a decent scope and careful shooting. It's my favorite gun in the game: reliable, versatile and cheap.

RPK (7.62MM)
Can be silenced, accepts scopes (requires Upper Receiver B)
Source: Aramaki

It shares parts with the AK, including the 100-round magazine, but it uses the more powerful, but still plentiful, 7.62 ammo. This is your premium workhorse, if you'd like, packing more of a punch (or a kick) while still being affordable. It has greater recoil thank the AK, but does more damage.

M4A1 (5.56MM)
Can be silenced, accepts scopes
Source: Grillo

Another highly customizable rifle. Its magazine can only go to 60 against the AK's 100, but it has higher fire rate and so is better at dispatching enemies quickly. I'd rank it a little bellow the AK, because I feel magazine size is still more important and because the AK can use free ammo, but this can be your capitalist workhorse.

SA58 (.308)
Can be silenced, accept scopes
Source: Grillo

This can act as DMR or sniper, being better at medium and long range than at close range. It uses the not-so-common .308 ammo, but TBH this isn't much of a problem. It can rock a 50-round magazine at level 5 and a barrel upgrade that increases damage at level 3. I've been enjoying this as my sniper that can also do the work up close in a pinch.

SVD (54R)
Can be silenced, accepts scopes (requires upgrades)
Source: Aramaki

This is a curious weapon: a sniper that can't natively use scopes. For that you'll need to an upgraded Upper Receiver: at level 9 you get an integrated 3x scope and at level 16 you can mount whatever scope you want (including the 4x one). Unfortunately this weapon only holds 10 rounds, leaving it at a disadvantage against the SA58 for non-heavy snipers. Still, it has significantly higher damage. It uses 54R, an ammo type about as rare as the .308. I was surprised at how much I like this weapon TBH. If you can endure levelling it until you get a scope, it can be a fun weapon to use.


36M (20MM)
Cannot be silenced, integrated scope
Source: Memento Pt. 3 mission

This rifle has the highest base damage in the category, being able to 1 shot any humanoid enemy. It uses the 20mm ammo, which is the heaviest, bulkiest of them all. I can't help but feel there more efficient options, but if you want firepower, this is it.

NWT-20 (.50 CAL)
Cannot be silenced, integrated scope
Source: Cull the Herd, Sniper Sweep missions

While having lower damage than the 36M and a smaller magazine, this rifle uses the much more common, lighter and more compact .50 cal ammo, being more efficient without really being less effective.

SAW (5.56MM)
Can be silenced, accepts scopes
Source: Grillo

Whle not the most damaging LMG, it uses a common ammo, can be silenced, accepts scopes and its magazine can be upgraded from 200 rounds to 300 (at level 11).

M60 (.308)
Can be silenced, doesn't accept scopes
Source: Grillo

Having sligthly more damage than the SAW, this LMG uses the much less abundant .308 ammo, which will be a problem if you plan to use it constantly. It also has a much smaller magazine, with only 100 rounds, making it less capable of sustained fire.


PAINLESS
Cannot be silenced, doesn't accept scopes
Source: Hostile Expungement mission

This is a very powerful weapon that can mow down hordes of enemies, but a serious handcap: the 500 rounds it comes with is all you're gonna get. It uses an exclusive type of ammo, which means you can't bring extra. It does refresh when entering a new raid, but there's no way to replenish your reserves during a raid, diminishing the sustainability of the weapon. It's possible to use it as a backup in case you absolutely need to kill a whole reap of enemies quickly.

GRENADE LAUNCHER (40MM HE)
Cannot be silenced, accept scopes
Source: Grillo, Target Locked and Memento Pt. 2 missions

This weapon does damage 2 ways: the direct impact of the grenade and the splash damage from the explosion, which rapidly falls from the epicenter. It has a magazine of 6 and slower rate of fire than the XM25, so it should be fired from cover when fighting EXOs and vehicles.

XM25 (40MM HE)
Cannot be silenced, integrated scope
Source: Hunt the Hunters and In The Crosshairs missions

It has a smaller magazine with 4 shots, but higher rate of fire and already comes with a scope.

If you're like me, the cyborgs were the enemy that gave you the most trouble. I knew not to mess with the big guys, but cyborgs are everywhere and they just don't give up running after you. It's easy to get overwhelmed and panic.

It's best to avoid getting the attention of groups of cyborgs. You can use a Decoy Grenade or even a normal one to redirect the group. Or even shoot an unsilenced weapon and then quickly reposition.

If they're coming after you, there are 2 options: jump to a spot they can't reach or run away.

It's hard to judge where they can't get, at least until you learn what works and what doesn't, but you'll probably die during those lessons.

It's much safer to run away. Jumping/mantling over obstacles, breaking line of sight as often as possible and putting as much distance as possible from them is the way. You can combine this by running into Europan troops/turrets/drones, who'll engage the cyborgs on your behalf. You might take a 'warning' shot ot 2, but it's better than being mauled to death.

Some characters are slower (looking at you Bagman), so it might be worth equipping the Pneumatic Jump to help in those escapes. It won't make you faster, but you can jump over obstacles the cyborgs will need to circle around, giving you some breathing room.

Cluster Grenades can be useful against groups, provided you practice adjusting for the timer and their movement. 2 or 3 grenades should kill most of them and the ones that survive will die quickly even to a pistol.

You can whittle them down with fire as they approach and you retreat backwards. Burst fire or tap firing while on OTS camera is better.

Those are the ones that look like insects. If they're shining their light at you, they'll try to approach and grab you - that's an instant kill, so kill them fast or run away!

All drones die to a single shot from the M79 Cannon Pistol.

Like the Euruskan Officer or Pyro in the Scorched Enclave. Also the EXOs, tanks, helicopter and mechs.

They'll shoot the ground near you, ragdolling you and potentially stunlocking you to death. Best way to avoid this is to kill them when they're unaware or distracted.

In case they're focused on you, trying to get into an angle where they can't easily shoot the ground near you helps even if they're close. This usually requires you to be lower than them and having no walls close behind or to your sides.

Grenade Launchers are good against them, taking about 4-6 shots to die. In case your character can't use those weapons, the M79 Cannon Pistol is a good option. Automatic shotguns with the bigger magazines can kill them in a single clip, but this is dangerous. Watch out for their punch attack.

If you don't want to kill the pilot when doing the Bring Her In mission, shoot at the legs! Using a Tactical Cam can help identifying the pilot among the fiery debris.

Similar to the EXOs, except tanks like to drive erratically and if they run you over it's insta-death. MECHs can stomp you or rip you apart. Shoot from cover and preferably also from elevation. Shotguns also work, but are much more dangerous, especially against tanks.

It'll take a lot of bullets or very carefully calculated shots from a Grenade Launcher or M79. If you can't find decent cover FROM ABOVE, it's probably a bad idea to engage. Wait for them to fight something else.

As you do the initial missions you'll unlock different vendors. It should be fairly obvious what each one does, but here's a few less obvious things:

GRILLO sells Western weapons/ammo and is associated with Europa.

ARAMAKI sells 'Soviet'/Warsaw Pact weapons/ammo and is associated with Euruska.

This is important because if you kill enemies of those factions, your reputation with the associated vendor will decrease, which means he'll charge you more for stuff. It's easy to remedy this: just sell them some stuff and you should be on green III again.

As you level up your weapons, you can check Grillo's and Aramaki's stores for new parts. (It's kinda buggy, so sometimes you need to close the game and launch it again. Also, the wiki might be outdated in some details about when you unlock certain parts.)

BUNCO has all ammo types, but in small quantities. He charges the most and pays the least, so never sell to him!

BUNDLETON is the rig vendor and you need at least 16 water in storage for him to be available.

Aramaki gives you free bullets! Look for 5.45MM Ammo SURPLUS. He'll have 500 rounds available each cycle. Once you unlock Bunco, he'll have another 100 rounds.

There's a donation box where you can get a free weapon daily. This is one of the few ways to obtain the rarest weapons, so check every day!

You can mark/identify enemies by looking at them and pressing Z.

You slow down when reloading. This can be deadly when fighting cyborgs/zombies. It's better to change weapons or melee them (with the V key).

YOU CAN CANCEL THE RELOAD ANIMATION BY DOING A MELEE ATTACK.

YOU CAN STEALTH TAKEDOWN ENEMIES. Sneak behind them (it's possible to just walk upright sometimes) and press the melee button when the special icon appears.

The Pneumatic Jump is a great way to escape packs of cyborgs. Jump to an unreachable spot or over obstacles to lose them.

Save your cigarettes. You can give them to Lordoss at the Innards for his lore and big paychecks. You'll neet A LOT.

If you're at max Water and bring Water containers from a raid, you'll get 1,250 XP for each barrel. If you've reached the XP cap, each barrel grants 25,000 credits. This makes Water the most valuable large item you can loot.

Don't sell railgun parts. You can easily identify them in the JUNK & LARGE ITEMS section in vendor because they all end with the word 'Component'.

You can use consumables (healing and otherwise) while in the looting screen. You can also reload your weapon if the button isn't R, which closes the screen. This can be useful, even more with characters that loot slower, like Bagman.

In case you suffer with the lack of a map or hate that there isn't one, THE WIKI HAS INTERACTABLE MAPS[theforeverwinter.wiki.gg]. It's a great resource if you're having trouble with a particular map, finding the radars or just want to know where the exits are.

The game is still in Early Access. That means bugs, glitches and crashes. Some are worse than others. Here I'll list a few I've encountered.

The mission AA TECH EXTRACTION in Ashen Mesa is currently bugged and cannot be completed as the vehicle that would drop the required items does not spawn.

Sometimes you'll find cyborgs which cannot be hit by bullets. However, they can be melee'd, damage by explosions or by other NPCs. It's advised to just get the hell out.

This apparently happens when you attack or stand too close to those cybords during their 'load phase', just after they're dropped by the bombers. If they're standing immobile after falling, they're 'loading' and shooting them or getting too close may trigger this bug, which will make fighting them very dangerous. Wait and keep your distance until they start to roam.