Rogue Company is a free-to-play tactical shooter with cross-play and cross-progression. That alone makes the title interesting. It’s also developed by Hi-Rez Studios, who’ve kept Paladins and Smite active for a long time – so the plot thickens even more. Since the game is tactical, though, there are things you need to get used to. That’s where we come in with our Rogue Company beginner’s guide.
Rogue Company recently received a free-to-play update. Now the game has a healthy and steady player base. Particularly for console players, it is essentially the only active tactical shooter next to Rainbow Six Siege and Insurgency: Sandstorm. Thus, if you’re interested to jump into the game for free, you’ll need some help to catch up to those who have been playing since the beta. Our Rogue Company beginner’s guide will help you to learn some things the easy way.
1. Sloooow it down. Seriously.
Most people jumping into Rogue are used to the twitchy shooters that dominate the scene. Rogue is a different type of shooter… it’s a tactical shooter. It takes cues from CS:GO. Thus, the lone wolf approach is not a good move here. Even though it's in the third person, this is not Uncharted. You can’t solo-rambo-flank all the time and run & gun.
Work with your team and don't push the enemy too fast. If you do push/flank, then don't do it by yourself. Seriously. Rogue Company is a game that, at high levels, is played at a slow pace. Adjust your pace and you’ll die less.
2. Stick with the team, bro...
This ties right with #1. Again: Rogue is a tactical shooter. A tactical shooter with a high TTK on top of that. Thus, it is very hard for anyone to win a 1v2. Being outnumbered is deadly in this game.
Try to never give enemies 1v1 situations. Particularly in 1v2 or 1v3 endgame scenarios, you should not let the enemy pick you off one by one. In Rogue Company, health regenerates. Thus, allowing 1v1s means they can take you down, hide, heal up and repeat. You don’t want that, right? So stick with the team!
3. Use and abuse the third-person camera
A third-person camera brings significant changes in comparison to FPS shooters. When you're behind a wall, you can move the camera to see what’s on the other side.
Very helpful.
This also ties with tip #1: Rushing blindly around corners means death. Depending on the wall, one can see down a whole corridor or even see the opposite side of the wall by using and moving the camera. This means that people can be deep in cover but still have eyes on you.
4. Don’t peek the same angle twice
Don’t pop your head out in the same spot twice like a bot in easy single-player shooters. The enemy will just have the shot lined up nice and easy. Try to vary the angles/heights at which you peek out of cover.
5. Crouch, crouch, crouch
Crouching gives you a smaller hitbox, tightens your spread, makes you less visible and allows you to move silently. So, yeah… ‘nuff said.
6. Put some thought into buying
Rogue Company’s in-game economy is similar to the one of CS:GO and Valorant: You earn cash that you then spend on weapons, perks and upgrades. It is very tempting to immediately max out both primary weapons, but it’s not recommended.
Perks might not seem as exciting, but they will give you more of an advantage. Generally speaking – very generally speaking – you should max out one primary and then invest in the perks you want.
7. Don’t get tunnel vision
You’re not Justin Timberlake and this is not a love song. Tunnel vision is a typical newb problem – focusing on one kill or objective and blocking out everything else: Footsteps, abilities, character quotes...
In Rogue Company, it is easy for that to happen since gunfights can be quite lengthy. You should always be aware that there is a lot going on outside of that particular gunfight you’re focused on. Keep your ears open and eyes peeled for all that’s happening around you.
8. Don’t instantly eliminate downed enemies
If you manage to deal enough damage to an enemy, they get downed. Of course, your instinct is to finish the job against the now helpless victim in front of you, but: Don’t.
Use downed enemies as bait. Wait for another enemy player to revive their fallen trooper and then spray on them. Simple, right?
9. Communicate with your team
Duhhhh….
This is true for most team-based games, but particularly for tactical shooters: If you wanna be successful, you have to use team communication. Pinging is not enough to really get good. A simple shoutout or giving your teammates enemy intel is huge. The difference between dominant teams and teams that are fodder often simply comes down to communication. So... Talk it out.
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