Overview
Quick read for players looking for ways to survive longer as a marine.
Stealth
Flashlight: try to run around with your flashlight off in well lit areas. While a lack of light gives aliens and pred cloak an advantage, having preds and aliens not see you from across the map is crucial. If the enemy is targeting you, turn the flashlight on for better vision and either run or take extreme caution.
Distance: try to keep as far away as where you think the enemy is. while the marine’s weapon is not too accurate, it is easier to kill an enemy that is preoccupied or looking for something other than you.
Call it Even: though it isn’t my favorite thing to do as a marine, sometime the best thing to do is to escape and fight another day. More often than not when the opponent gives chase it is easier to put a few bullets across the corner you just turned.
Capitalize: with such small maps there is a high chance that other opponents or allies are nearby. If you just killed an enemy, backtracking may be your best bet on survival because enemies and allies are attracted to death. Backtracking has a good chance of closing gaps with marines trying come to your position. Furthermore backtracking away from the kill can give the stealth (because the backtrack is usually void of new enemies) to run or kite & spray bullets into the impending swarm of enemies.
Forced Encounter
Charging Opponents: Sometimes aliens and preds like to charge in when you’re clearly shooting at them or are in the open. A melee attack can catch them off guard if they heavy attack first or try to jump on you.
Head: aim for the head and not the chest. While aiming for the chest gives the higher chance of dealing damage, one or two bullets to the head are all you really need.
Survival Through Evasion
Jump/Drop of Faith: don’t be afraid to jump/drop (don’t jump though, you’ll be in the air longer thus higher chance of being hit). Be wary of drops that are too far but dropping off platforms such as the buildings in Gateway is the easiest way to dodge death from melee combat. Also aliens like to focus leap off buildings, keep a block up until you are absolutely positive they are going to run at you or leave. Keeping the block up forces the opponent to use an attack other than focused leap.
Stim: I don’t know how many people die from not using stims…use them. Pop a stim immediately after combat if any permanent damage was taken. Don’t be too afraid of taking a stim in the middle of combat; if you can drop off a ledge there is a good chance you can pop a stim before the enemy can target you again. Running around corners can also give the distance and cover needed to take a stim.
Tread Wisely
Walls: Stay against the wall, that way it is easier to shoot aliens running on walls perpendicular to the floor. Sticking to the wall will also drop the chance of being attacked from that 1 side.
Avoid Walls: Aliens that love to use their tail are going to use the wall to their advantage. The tail attack is also the safest way to kill marines. Try to stay far enough away from a wall to avoid the tail’s reach. Aliens that can’t reach with the tail like to lunge attack so put up a block if they hesitate. If they then climb down to heavy attack, melee charge asap. (Aliens and Preds can cancel out of a heavy attack with block so learn your opponents tendancies).
Turn Corners: hug corners of buildings and walls. Being able to get behind a wall when enemies initiate melee combat is the best way to avoid guaranteed death by heavy attacks. Also corners provide immediate cover from ranged predator attacks such as the plasma cannon.
Look Up: keep your eyes on the ceiling for aliens…don’t know how many ‘squads’ of marines just walk right under me when I’m an alien.