How to do well in Spies Like Us

[Santa]

Spies Like Us is very different from any other map. Cover is used differently, guns are used differently, squads have to work together differently, squad leaders have to work differently, etc etc. So heres some tips for how i individually do well, and how to succeed as a squad.

Individual Tactics

Cover: There are three kinds of cover in Spies. Fallen trees, upright trees, and hill crests. If you are ever not behind one of these, you will die very quickly. Learn to expose just the very tip of your head if you are firing, and dont expose anything by scooting backwards if you are reloading or are too hurt. Also, just slightly moving side to side can make you that much more difficult a target since your head may be just the size of a pixel on your opponents screen. I see way too many people plop down in the middle of a snow patch, take some pot shots, and die. Do you wonder why you die, or are you just too lazy to use cover? The main difference between the good players and the not so good players isn't twitch or accuracy, but use of cover.

Shooting: Single shot, single shot, single shot. In most maps i hardly ever use it, but in Spies its really a necessity to have it. Id say about 95% of engagements are at range (as in > 25 meters) so full auto is not too useful. Although you should try to be accurate, learning to compensate for recoil quickly so that you can fire off quick 1 shots is best. If your opponent is showing just his head, slower shots are needed. The only time you should switch to full auto is if you are very close to a flag and expect some CQC.

Movement: Its important to always be thinking ahead about how to safely get to the next piece of cover. If an area is pretty hot, use cover to kill enemies in front. Once all or most of them are down, sprint toward the next cover. Rinse and repeat. Make sure to always have sprint available when going between cover, and if you expect to receive fire when running make sure to zigzag, or if possible, run perpendicular to where the fire is coming from.

Squad Tactics
Although using the above tactics is helpful, having a solid squad in support is doubly so. All the crazy K/Ds you've seen people boast in Spies is due more to their squad than their actual ability.

Squad Setup:
SL: Assault w/ nades

• Medic
• Medic
• Support
• Assault w/ nades
• Assault w/ nades

Medics: Some squad leaders make their entire squad go medic because its just such a "frag fest" of a map (this is totally false btw). Not only will you probably not get more revives anyway, but the gun is not really built for the long distance shooting. Because of this, medics should try to be less aggressive. Always stay behind teammates, tossing medpacks out constantly and keeping out of fire as much as possible. The medics are the most important part of a Spies squad because they keep your men alive, and therefore give you more opportunities to outnumber your opponent.

Positioning: As a SL, determine where you are most likely to be attacked from. If you are most likely to be attacked from one direction, put all 6 guys facing that way and setup firing lanes. Firing lanes is where you have 5-10 meters between each shooter, all in cover, with medics in between. It is ridiculously difficult to assault a position like this head on. Keep everyone spotting so that you can adjust to flankers.

If you are likely to be attacked from 2 directions, use fireteams (Santa? Fireteams? WTH?). Have a medic and 2 assaults defend one side, and the other 3 defend the other side. Each team has a medic, and each team is capable of fending off, or at least delaying entire squads if they use cover and their medic correctly. If you are attacked on one side, the idle team can shift. I usually find people are more responsive to fireteams if you don't call them that, and instead just say "Johnny the medic and Bob the assault follow me over to defend here".

Finally, if you are completely surrounded and could be attacked form any direction, its generally best to keep everyone together and pray for the best. Sticking together and trying to keep 6 guns firing constantly is your only hope against superior numbers.

Both the medics and the positioning serve one purpose. To keep all 6 of your guys alive at all times so that once the squad gets a few kills, you have a numbers advantage. 6 guns firing in unison in one direction will always beat fewer weapons firing.

Assaulting a Flag: Time for the glory! Once you are close to a flag, have decent cover, and have a numbers advantage (all of these you should have accomplished so far with this tutorial), assault the flag. Everyone in the squad has smokes, so everyone should throw them. Throw them on your approach, and throw them on the flag. This is where tactics and staying alive generally fall through because CQC combat in smoke is very hectic. But, it captures flags

Positioning vs Other Friendly Squads: This is something Bane and I have talked about in AAR threads. In this map, it is best to have zero to no defenses on flags. Instead, move out to cover approaches to flags. If a team has all smart SLs (or one smart CO), they can all fill in gaps to create a "connect the dots" of sorts along the entire width of the map. From here you can close in on flags and take them while still "defending" the flags you left behind. Teams that try to defend right on flags usually lose because they get surrounded by teams using this aggressive strategy.

[WhiskeySix]

Nice job... great thread santa.


Think these points are important

Originally Posted by Santa

Positioning: As a SL, determine where you are most likely to be attacked from. If you are most likely to be attacked from one direction, put all 6 guys facing that way and setup firing lanes. Firing lanes is where you have 5-10 meters between each shooter, all in cover, with medics in between. It is ridiculously difficult to assault a position like this head on. Keep everyone spotting so that you can adjust to flankers.

...

Positioning vs Other Friendly Squads: This is something Bane and I have talked about in AAR threads. In this map, it is best to have zero to no defenses on flags. Instead, move out to cover approaches to flags. If a team has all smart SLs (or one smart CO), they can all fill in gaps to create a "connect the dots" of sorts along the entire width of the map. From here you can close in on flags and take them while still "defending" the flags you left behind. Teams that try to defend right on flags usually lose because they get surrounded by teams using this aggressive strategy.

very good points ^^^ Why start your defense on the goal-line when you have the option of starting on your 40yd line? Spread your guys out, and have them spot like crazy. When you see a squad coming, the rest of the squad has time to collapse to that position and counter attack.

The shot below shows the scene just after our team recaptured Bunkers. Our squad was defending camp, and was able to hold it for the whole round - mainly because most of the action took place away from the flag. Usually attackers were able to get several respawns in (on the SL) before we were able to completely clean them out. If that action was taking place near the flag, they would have been respawning on/around the flag and surely would have turned it gray if not completely captured it.

[Sawviper]

I think another thing to consider is if you are playing Ukraine do not actively try to take Watermill. If it is a easy capture, fine grab the flag. But with the Germans spawning behind you at their UCB and from almost any direction with cover, you are at a serious disadvantage.

When the Germans used to stick out like a sore thumb they were little threat coming down the hills from Launch site. Now they will pick you off if you are around the flag area. If you are on the hills they will just cruise up in a boat and fast cap the flag behind you.

As Ukraine this is the flag you want to hold the least. If it is not being defended it should be captured. I would not worry about burning tickets trying to defend the position unless it is under only light assault.

What I would recommend is if you are holding say Camp or Cabins and have a guy or two you can spare send then over to Watermill to keep the Germans honest and defending the flag. Sending a full squad to assault Watermill though is a waste of resources.

[Lucky Shot]

I agree with the comments around defending from your 40. Last night (Germans) ran into opposition at roughly our 20 yard line coming out of the watermill towards cabins. After first contact, we backed out, circled and moved to the opposition squads flank. So what do you do, eliminate them or move past them and take the flag? Well, knowing that they would spawn in at cabins and set up defense then at their 40, we just made the touchdown run. Sure enough, the Cabins were undefended and here came the defenders to come take it back.

Long story short is that while the opposition set up in a great spot for a kill zone, they neglected to actually defend the flag. When we flipped it, we already knew where the attackers would come from, so we had a leg up on eliminating them.

For what it's worth, when the vepr was in all it's glory I was one of those guys running around with a necromancy squad (3-4 medics, 1 spec ops and 1-2 support) and generally did well with it on the German side. I am still a believer in having many medics on this map.

In terms of "flags worth holding" the Bunkers and Launch Site have the most worth to me as you can quickly reinforce either one from another. Then pick any 3rd flag for bleed.

Lucky Shot

[MoreGooder]

Interesting read.

One thing folks are forgetting, however. There is seldom a night when everyone in your squad has VOIP or TS running, and so actually trying to enact any sort of strategy is a futile endeavor. I for one do not kick anyone for not having VOIP running, but sometimes I name the squad VOIP ONLY or something similar.

Perhaps my comment above is too obvious, but good communication is absolutely paramount to success and should never be overlooked.

[Santa]

Sure, communication is important, but ive seen many times where squad leaders just fill in the gaps by themselves as if theres a CO. Ya dont need another SL to tell you what to do, ya just have to be smart enough to look at your minimap and place yourself accordingly.

[ProjectNA]

I think Gooder means in-squad comm. It seems essential to enact the good tactics you propose, depending on who is in your squad.

[Axis of Eeevil]

All they need to do is be able to listen, obey and spot--you don't need VOIP for any of that.

[Santa]

Yeah i agree with Axis. The only person that really needs a mic is the SL to be able to do any of the above stuff i outlined. If squad members have mics, it helps to call attention to spots and everyones a little more effecient, but an apt squad leader will be aware of his minimap and call out the red spots himself anyway.

In fact, i wish some people didnt have mics

[DaV]

Originally Posted by Santa

In fact, i wish some people didnt have mics

I KNEW IT! So that's why you kicked me from you squad? I was lonely needed to chat some..................#&$&$*@(($)$*&@+#*.....:-)

[kilevvri1]

Originally Posted by DaV

I KNEW IT! So that's why you kicked me from you squad? I was lonely needed to chat some..................#&$&$*@(($)$*&@+#*.....:-)

I am guilty of talking too much in a squad, and have a bad death announcement reflex.

But all I need to hear is no chatter, and that usually shuts me up.

[FlyingDeLorean]

On another note, don't send your entire team to a single flag. Unless your opponents aren't improvising at all, you *will* be flanked, surrounded, and destroyed. The ideal allocation is 2 squads at each flag (*sometimes*, you may have to adapt.) When assaulting, both squads should attack from different directions to maximize confusion. When defending, each squad should guard a different approach to the flag. If there is a squad to hold the fort in place, enemy squad leaders can be crushed with ease by flanking maneuvers.