Overview
This is a guide for how to play Insurgency. Duh.
Introduction to Insurgency Sandstorm
Insurgency is a first-person pseudo-realistic military shooter. I say pseudo-realistic because this game is a lot more realistic than most games on the market, but still incorporates many arcade-like aspects to it. This game is not an accurate representation of war HOWEVER using real military tactics will definitely help you win, just like in real life. This guide will teach you the basics of how to use each class effectively in versus and co-op.
WARNING: This guide is long and contains a lot of detail. If you don’t want to read the whole thing use the table of contents to skip to the specific part that you want to learn.
The basics you need to know
-As a general rule, whoever sees the other guy and shoots first, wins.
-Almost every gun can kill you in 2-4 shots. Every gun instakills on a headshot, even pistols. Your character dies easily so you need to stay behind cover to stay alive. I cannot emphasize this enough because your player character is a lot weaker in Insurgency than in games like Call of Duty or Halo.
-Body armor is not that great. It is useful, but body armor only protects the part of the body the armor is worn on the character. Body armor does not protect the head, legs, arms, or shoulders. Body armor does offer good protection against explosives, meaning that light armor will allow you to survive a grenade explosion if it does not go off right next to your face.
-All guns have a projectile Penetration value. Penetration literally means how much material the bullet from that gun will penetrate being being stopped. Penetration also affects how the gun performs against body armor; higher penetration weapons can completely ignore armor. If an enemy is standing behind cover, you may be able to shoot through the cover and kill the enemy on the other side depending on the penetration value of your gun versus the thickness of the cover. This can be a great way to kill an enemy who does not know you are there if you see the barrel of his gun sticking around a corner.
-Most guns in this game are accurate at 200+ meters, so if the enemy can see you, they can shoot you. Move from cover to cover and don’t run across open areas unless you have smoke cover.
-Recoil is realistic in this game. Firing your entire mag on full auto is not accurate unless you have a bipod deployed. The best way to fire accurately in Insurgency is short controlled bursts at close range and semi-auto (single shot) at long range. It is possible to mitigate recoil for short bursts by pulling your point of aim “downwards” as your gun kicks “upwards” due to recoil. Do this by slowly pulling “down” on the mouse while firing on full auto. Once you get the hang of this you can fire 5-round bursts of automatic fire accurately at closer ranges. This will save your life in close quarters combat, which happens frequently in this game.
-You must protect yourself with cover and concealment because even heavy armor is weak under sustained fire. If you stand out in the open, you will die before you can get even one kill. The most effective way to stay alive is to stay hidden. Move alongside walls, peek around corners before you walk around them, stay in the darkness, flank the enemy while remaining hidden. Running straight at the enemy is the worst thing you can do.
-There is a Weight mechanic in Insurgency that the game does not explain very well. TL;DR is this: the more Stuff your character is carrying, the slower they move and do everything. When you are in the Loadout screen selecting your character’s equipment there is a bar in the top left that give you a percentage of Weight. If your character’s weight load is above 100%, your character will move very slowly, aim down sights slowly, and switch equipped weapons slowly. In a game where fast reaction is essential this is a major disadvantage. Always try to keep your weight below 100% and preferably below 80% since there are penalties for carrying a weight load above 75%.
-PLAY THE ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ OBJECTIVE.
The Rifleman class
-The primary weapons of the Rifleman are Assault Rifles, Battle Rifles, and grenades.
-Assault Rifles are good at everything honestly in the right hands. At close range an assault rifle is effective fired in short bursts of automatic fire. At long range it is effective in single shots. I strongly recommend you always put a red dot sight or a 4x scope on an assault rifle because they aid in the speed of target acquisition. If you can shoot the enemy, they can shoot you, so being able to get a bead on a target and shoot him several times quickly is a central skill for a Rifleman. You have to shoot fast AND accurately to win.
-Battle Rifles are different from Assault Rifles because of the bullet and barrel size. Battle rifles have more powerful/penetrative bullets and are more accurate than assault rifles, especially at longer ranges. However Battle rifles have much heavier recoil and smaller magazine capacity. This means that Assault rifles are better at close range and Battle rifles are better at long range. Most enemies will die in one hit to the chest from a battle rifle. They are most effective with a 2x or a 4x magnification optical sight.
-Grenades are just as important to the rifleman as the rifle. In fact in some ways the grenades are more important when it comes to objective-based gameplay. Frag grenades have high damage and are most effective for clearing a room before you run into it. Smoke grenades deal no damage but are essential for attacking objectives. When you throw a smoke grenade, there is a delay of a few seconds between when the grenade “explodes” and when the full smokescreen is deployed. Wait a few seconds after throwing a smoke grenade, so that the enemy’s vision will be obscured more by it. Incendiary grenades/Molotovs are a niche weapon that it more effective for playing the objective than actually getting kills. Incendiary grenades are great for stopping the enemy from going through a doorway. If you throw an incendiary grenade into a doorway, the enemy will be unable to go through that door without getting killed by the fire. They can also destroy weapon caches (which is required to win certain game modes).
-You can take a secondary handgun if you want to, but it honestly won’t be very useful except as a backup weapon. It might be better to not take a handgun and spend the points on better attachments for your primary weapon.
HOW TO PLAY RIFLEMAN IN VERSUS (Push)
Push is a multiplayer game mode where one team attacks a series of capture points which the other team has to defend. Attackers capture points by standing on the point while there are no defenders on the point.
WHEN ATTACKING:
Use smoke grenades to create a large smokescreen both on the objective and on the route you plan to take to the objective. There WILL be snipers and machine gunners watching the approach areas so if you don’t do this you will die before getting close the capture point. I recommend putting an underbarrel smoke launcher on your rifle and taking one smoke grenade in your backpack. Shoot smoke grenades onto the objective area so the enemies inside cannot see you approach. Then throw smoke onto the area which you plan to cross to get to the objective. Put on your gas mask and walk through the smoke with your rifle set to Full Auto firemode. It is possible you will unexpectedly run into an enemy inside the smoke, so if that happens just fire a burst of rounds into them at point blank range on reflex. When you get to the capture point there will certainly be people inside the capture zone hiding and watching the entrances. If you run in they will shoot you before you even see them. When you get the capture point, throw a grenade into the room and wait for it to explode. When the grenade explodes rush in and try to kill the enemies while they are disoriented by the blast. They will probably be hiding in corners or behind objects like cabinets. If this is successful and the point is cleared of defenders, go into a corner of the capture zone and go prone while watching the nearest entrance. The defenders will probably rush the point to kill you and stop you from capturing. This is the most effective way to attack as rifleman. If it does not work, just do it again and do it better. If this does not work then switch class and try a different tactic.
WHEN DEFENDING:
Get onto the point and close all of the doors. This is because the opening and closing of doors makes a distinct sound so if the enemy tries to enter the capture zone you will hear them before you see them (remember, the guys who sees the other guy first usually wins). Take cover and watch the areas around the objective while remaining hidden. Attempt to shoot the enemy from a concealed position before the get to the objective. If the enemy creates a smokescreen and you cannot see, then go inside the capture area and hide in a corner or behind cover watching the entrances. If you have incendiary grenades throw them into the doors. If you hear/see an enemy outside of the capture area, DO NOT run outside to kill them. Throw a grenade out the window or door in their general direction.
HOW TO PLAY RIFLEMAN IN CO-OP
In Co-op mode you play against enemies controlled by a computer Artificial Intelligence. These enemies are actually pretty smart and will use tricky tactics against you like ambushes and flanking maneuvers. As rifleman I recommend taking whatever gun you best with and moving slowly and surely, listening for the enemy’s footsteps and voices. Always watch your flanks when you are playing against the AI because they outnumber you and will attack you from multiple directions. When attacking use explosives liberally and when defending make sure your flanks are secure and seal entrances with incendiary grenades.
The Breacher Class
-SMGs are a niche weapon and frankly some of the weakest weapons in the game. The only SMG I use is the MP5. SMGs are not “bad” exactly. SMGs are viable when used correctly. The problem is that they have low damage, virtually zero penetration, and low accuracy at longer ranges compared to rifles. SMGs are most effective between 0-40 meters distance. Don’t even bother trying to hit a target at 100 meters with an SMG because it is a waste of ammo. The best way to use SMGs is to flank the enemy, attack them from the sides or back, and stay mobile to avoid being surrounded. An essential technique with SMGs is “peeking,” when you pop your head around a corner without exposing your body and quickly gun down any targets before going back behind cover. I strongly recommend you put a suppressor on your SMG in Versus mode because it will make it easier to catch the enemy by surprise. SMGs have awful penetration so you will usually not be able to shoot through cover with them. They are also very weak against armored targets. A unique advantage of SMGs is that they are small and lightweight, making them easier to use in alleyways and inside of houses than a rifle. They also have quite controllable recoil on full-auto, useful if you are new to the game and still learning recoil control.
-Shotguns are also a niche weapon. You use them in exactly the same way you use an SMG. If you have good reflexes shotguns are a good choice, but if you don’t then shotguns aren’t for you because you need to hit the first shot to win a firefight. I recommend using slugs or flechette ammo with shotguns because the buckshot they use by default is awful against armor.
-SBRs like the Honey Badger and AS VAL are all around great weapons. They have all of the advantages of an SMG while having better armor penetration and damage. However they are also expensive point-wise. At close range they are the best of all weapons in the game IMO. The maximum range you can use these effectively at is around 200 meters if you have good aim, more like 100 meters if you’re have decent aim. If you spot enemies at long range it’s better to try to sneak up closer to them than try to snipe them with single shots. That is a job for Marksmen and Rifleman.
-Flashbangs are underused and overpowered. The way to use flashbangs is simple: you throw one into a room with enemies, it bangs, then you run in and gun them down while they are blinded.
-It is a good idea to take a handgun when you are playing Breacher because you will need it if you are fighting many enemies at close quarters and have no time to reload. Even a Makarov or Tariq is a lifesaver when your magazine is empty and there’s an enemy within 5 meters.
HOW TO PLAY BREACHER WHEN ATTACKING (Push)
Take whatever gun you are best with and either two flashbangs or a smoke and a flashbang. Attempt to flank the enemy by taking the long way around the map, and then approach the objective from the side or back rather than the front. Do not get caught up in firefights and try to get to the objective undetected. When you get to the capture area, throw in a flashbang then move in killing all enemies in sight. If there is smoke put on your gas mask because with a mask smoke makes you cough giving away your position. You are more mobile and stronger at close range than Riflemen so attack the defenders boldly at close range to clear the point. Once point is clear, go prone in a corner watching the entrances and wait for backup. Rinse and repeat this strategy until you win. If it doesn’t work switch classes and try something else.
HOW TO PLAY BREACHER WHEN DEFENDING (Push)
Breacher is a class better suited to attacking than defending. I recommend you just don’t use Breacher on defense unless you are playing a very close quarters map like Tell. In that case, camp the hallways and alleyways leading to the objective and gun down enemies as they try to push the point. Try to keep them from throwing grenades into the capture zone to clear it. Use incendiary grenades to seal doorways denying the enemy entry. Use hit-and run and camping tactics to bleed the attackers of their reinforcement waves.
HOW TO PLAY BREACHER IN CO-OP
Use an SBR with a suppressor and incendiary grenades. Use peeking tactics to kill off the bots one by one while staying safely behind cover. When defending an objective against the AI, use incediary grenades to seal off one entrance while watching another with your gun. This way you can cover two entrances at once, important when you are severely outnumbered.
The Advisor
There isn’t much to say about this class honestly. Advisor plays basically the same way as Breacher. You have similar equipment as Rifleman and Breacher. Use the same tactics I recommended with Breacher when playing Advisor. The classes are so similar that this class does not really need its own in-depth guide.
The Demolitions class
-The Rocket Launchers are the best weapons to take with this class. The grenade launchers and hand-thrown explosives can be useful, but altogether the rocket launchers are more cost-effective. The RPG-7 and M3 MAAWS are in my opinion the best weapons to use with this class. They are accurate, absurdly powerful, have a large explosion radius, easy to use, and have long range. Rocket launchers are so easy to get kills with that you could argue they are overpowered. Their main limitation is not the launcher itself but the lack of ammo and high weight. Rocket launchers are really heavy and you only get two shots with the RPG/M3 and one shot with the Panzerfaust. Once you fire both shots the launcher is useless and your character casually throws it onto the floor like they don’t care.
-The primary purpose of Rocket Launchers is destroying vehicles and killing enemies in cover. There are armored cars in this game called “Technicals” which are essentially an armored pickup with a machine gun welded to it. Technicals are powerful but can be instakilled by one direct hit from a rocket. If you are playing Demolisher and you see an enemy Technical, try to kill it ASAP because their machine guns can do a lot of damage in a short time.
-Rockets are the easiest way to kill enemies behind cover. Aim your rocket at a point just behind the enemy in cover and kill them with the explosive blast Area of Effect damage. This is the easiest way to kill campers.
-When you run out of explosives the Demolisher is just a regular Rifleman.
HOW TO PLAY DEMOLITIONS WHEN ATTACKING:
Take a rocket launcher and attempt to find an elevated position with long lines of sight, like the top floor of a building. Fire your rockets into buildings, at enemies behind cover, and into the capture point. Attempt to clear out all enemies behind cover by just blowing up the whole damn room they are standing in. Prioritize killing enemy snipers and machine gunners. This will make it much easier for the Riflemen and Breachers on your team to get close and capture. Feel free to spam rockets on offense because you are already at a disadvantage to the fortified enemy. When you run out of rockets, either continue fighting using Rifleman tactics or run back to spawn to grab more rockets from the resupply cache.
HOW TO PLAY DEMOLITIONS WHEN DEFENDING:
Play exactly the same way you play this class on Offense, except try to defend the point instead. That’s it. It’s a simple class to play. Just blow up everything. Allahu Akbar!
The Marksman
-Bolt-action sniper rifles are very powerful but only if you have good aim. They use armor-piercing ammunition that goes through walls and steel like paper. They always kill in one shot, even on a bodyshot. You actually don’t need to get headshots to get a one-shot kill in this game because the bullets used by bolt action rifles are so powerful they instakill on a bodyshot. You might think this is overpowered, but it’s not because hitting that one shot is more difficult than in arcade shooters like Battlefield or COD. They way to use these is to take cover in an area with very long lines of sight, pick off one or two people, and then move to another hiding place. If you stay in one play too long the enemy will figure out where you are and shoot rockets at you. You must be very patient and accurate to use these correctly.
-DMRs are kind of like a hybrid between an assault rifle and a sniper rifle. They shoot faster than sniper rifles and are more accurate/powerful at range than assault rifles. Best for a highly mobile scout-sniper playstyle that moves around the map getting a lot of kills shooting from unexpected angles. They are surprisingly good at close range with a 2x magnification optic. DMRs are probably the easiest to use of all weapons available to the Marksman.
-Anti-material rifles are large rifles which use .50 caliber armor-piercing bullets that will always instakill anybody they hit. They are kind of a meme weapon honestly because they don’t do anything a bolt action rifle can’t do and are in the game for cool factor alone. The Bolt actions and the AMRs have the same niche of long-range sniping. The only major difference is that the AMRs are hilariously powerful and literally explode their targets in a shower of blood and gore. The only reason to use them is because it’s fun. From a practical standpoint it is better to use a bolt action because they are lighter and cheaper and do the same job just as well. Supposedly AMRs can destroy Technicals, however I have never done this myself so I cannot confirm if it is true. AMRs are great if you want to pretend you are an action hero. However they are nowhere near as effective as they are cool, unfortunately. The recoil on these beasts is so hard you will be only able to fire one accurate shot per second.
HOW TO PLAY MARKSMAN WHEN ATTACKING
Go to an elevated position with good concealment (shadows are preferable) and go prone/deploy bipod. Using your scope examine the battlefield, locate the enemy positions and search for enemy snipers. When sniping you need to prioritize some targets which you kill first, then move on to other targets in descending order of importance. First you want to snipe the enemy snipers. Then snipe their machine gunners providing overwatch. This is because enemy snipers and gunners will attempt to shoot your allies while the move towards the point. Sniping these targets protects you and helps your allies get onto the capture point. Once the capture point is being cleared by riflemen, take out your pistol and get onto the point to help them cap.
An alternative strategy is to be an aggressive DMR scout-sniper. Equip a DMR, preferably with a suppressor, and go around the enemy’s flank. While staying hidden snipe the enemy defenders while they cannot see you. Try to get a position to the flank of the point that allows you to snipe the defenders while they are traveling from their spawn zone to the objective. This is weaken their defense of the point, helping your team to get inside and capture it.
HOW TO PLAY MARKSMAN WHEN DEFENDING
You play marksman on defense the same way you play on offense. Sniping while defending is so easy it’s kind of boring, honestly. On larger maps like Summit you will sometimes be able to snipe the attackers to death before they can even capture the first point. Remember, the longer the range, the more advantage you have as Marksman. However keep in mind that if the enemy calls for fire support you need to get inside ASAP because helicopters will find you and kill you if you are hiding outdoors.
The Gunner
-Gunners only have two primary weapon “types” available to them: Automatic Rifles and Light Machine Guns. The definition of these is kind of informal.
-The Galil is the automatic rifle available to the Gunner. When deployed with a bipod and used on full auto it has great damage output and penetration. It weighs about as much as an AK-74 assault rifle so it can be used either as a stationary machine gun or a mobile assault rifle. It thus confers a lot of flexibility to the gunner. You can stand still and fire streams of bullets to suppress whole squads, or move around like a Rifleman. It is also good in close quarters, but not as good as an SBR. The main drawback to the Galil is that its magazine runs out of ammo really fast so you will has to reload often.
-Light machine guns like the M249 are a niche defensive weapon that can dominate so effectively it is frankly kind of unfair. Light machine guns are slow, heavy, and cumbersome, but when deployed on bipod have amazing firepower. The upside is when you are deployed in cover watching a area it is impossible for the enemy to get through that area no matter how many men they sent. The downside is, you basically cannot take the initiative with an LMG because they are slow and cumbersome. Even the ADS time is slow. The trick is to set up in a good spot and wait for the enemy to come to you. There are a lot of idiots who play this game who will just run into your line of fire again and again and get mowed down by the dozen. Playing gunner on defense with an M249 or PKM will have you racking up kills like you’re John Rambo.
HOW TO PLAY GUNNER WHEN DEFENDING
Find a hiding spot in a dark place and deploy your bipod while watching the routes leading to the capture point. When the enemy runs into your line of fire, gun them all down. If you see enemies poking their heads or guns around corners, shoot a burst of fire into the wall and shoot them through the wall. LMGs have great penetration so if you don’t have direct line of sight just shoot through obstacles and hit the enemies on the other side. You can afford to waste ammo due to your large magazine, so if you think there MIGHT be enemies hiding behind a wall or a car, shoot a burst of fire through the wall just to be safe. Remember earlier when I said to fire in “short controlled bursts?” Not anymore. With your bipod you can shoot a 100-round burst with no loss of accuracy. Just freaking unload on the enemy and understand that even if you don’t hit anything you are scaring them into not capturing the objective. Which is just as good, considered this game is objective based.
HOW TO PLAY GUNNER WHEN ATTACKING
When attacking, play gunner the same way that I told you to play Marksman. The offensive strategy for sniping and machinegunning is almost exactly the same.
The Observer
The Observer is a unique class whose purpose is to help the Commander call in fire support. They have exactly the same equipment as a RIfleman, except they have a unique Radio item which cannot be unequipped. The Radio allows Commanders to call in fire support when standing within 10 meters of the Observer.
Your job as Observer is to stay close to the Commander and act as his bodyguard and assistant. You help them call in fire support and protect them from enemies. Otherwise, you play the same way as a Rifleman. It is pretty straightforward. You don’t even have to do anything other than stand near the Commander when he calls fire support and you get points for it. I will not go into this class in depth because it is so similar to the Rifleman I don’t think it’s necessary.
The Commander
You must have an observer to call fire support. Without an Observer, you cannot call it in. It is worth knowing that you have a limited amount of fire support you can call per mission.
Commander is most useful for supporting team actions by dealing a lot of damage in a specific area to thin the ranks of the enemy. But be warned, fire support will damage your allies as well as enemies, so try to avoid calling in artillery too close to your allies.
Other than the fire support ability available through the binoculars, the Commander has the same equipment as a standard rifleman.
HOW TO PLAY COMMANDER (IN GENERAL)
You play Commander in a similar way in every game. Do not rush to the frontline like the rifleman. Hang just behind the front line with an Observer nearby and support your team by calling in fire support on areas with many enemies taking cover there. A reliable tactic is to call in an explosive artillery strike or attack helicopter, then immediately follow up with an assault where you rush the point with the entire team to force the defenders off the point. A sneaky tactic I like to use is to call in explosive artillery on the enemy’s spawn area to kill them before they can even get close to me. It’s a rude thing to do but it wins games. When attacking, call smoke artillery directly onto the capture point so that enemies inside will not be able to shoot your allies before they get inside. This greatly assists with pushes.
Also, as Commander you can’t actually command your team to do anything. You can try telling the people on your team what to do in multiplayer, but considering they have no incentive to listen to you it won’t go well. If you try ordering people around in online matches they will probably just make fun of you and ignore your orders.
Weapons and how to use them.
This is going to be a pretty detailed section so if you are not interested just skip it.
1. Handguns
Handguns are secondary weapons in Insurgency. They are weak, light, small, and only really viable at very close ranges. Handguns are most effective when you are within 10 meters of the target and unload your magazine into their face. Think of them as a last resort you go to when your primary weapon runs dry and there is no time to reload. Use them the same way you use SMGs. They are weak and have awful penetration, but will instakill on a headshot.
2. Assault Rifles
These weapons are synonymous with modern war. They are a jack of all trades and a master of none. Definitely the most versatile weapons in the game. To reach their full potential you must learn how to mitigate recoil by downdrifting the mouse while firing in full auto. If you do it just right you can completely cancel out recoil to achieve accurate full-auto fire. Whether you can perform this under stress while getting shot at is pretty hard though so stick to short controlled bursts. Many players do not appreciate the importance of firing on semi-auto at long range. You can snipe an enemy from 300 meters away with an assault rifle if you crouch and patiently place semiauto shots from behind cover.
Here are examples of assault rifles: M16A4, AKM, AK-74, G36K, FAMAS
3. Battle Rifles
Battle rifles are long-barreled rifles using large caliber 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition. They function like heavier, more powerful, more accurate assault rifles with smaller magazine capacity. You can use them at close range but they are not as good at close range as SMGs or assault rifles. The best way to use them is as a DMR. Put a 2x or a 4x magnification optic on it and set it to semiauto, using it as a long-range weapon. This is the most effective way to use Battle Rifles.
Examples: G3A3, FN FAL, Mk. 18, ACE 52
4. Sub machine guns
SMGs are a niche weapon and frankly some of the weakest weapons in the game. The only SMG I use is the MP5. SMGs are not “bad” exactly. SMGs are viable when used correctly. The problem is that they have low damage, virtually zero penetration, and low accuracy at longer ranges compared to rifles. SMGs are most effective between 0-40 meters distance. Don’t even bother trying to hit a target at 100 meters with an SMG because it is a waste of ammo. The best way to use SMGs is to flank the enemy, attack them from the sides or back, and stay mobile to avoid being surrounded. An essential technique with SMGs is “peeking,” when you pop your head around a corner without exposing your body and quickly gun down any targets before going back behind cover. I strongly recommend you put a suppressor on your SMG in Versus mode because it will make it easier to catch the enemy by surprise.
SMGs have awful penetration so you will usually not be able to shoot through cover with them. They are also very weak against armored targets, except for the MP7 which has armor-piercing bullets. A unique advantage of SMGs is that they are small and lightweight, making them easier to use in alleyways and inside of houses than a rifle. They also have quite controllable recoil on full-auto, useful if you are new to the game and still learning recoil control.
Examples: MP5, Uzi, MP7, Sterling
5. Shotguns
Shotguns are also a niche weapon. You use them in exactly the same way you use an SMG. If you have good reflexes shotguns are a good choice, but if you don’t then shotguns aren’t for you because you need to hit the first shot to win a firefight. I recommend using slugs or flechette ammo with shotguns because the buckshot they use by default is awful against armor.
6. Short Barreled Rifles.
SBRs like the Honey Badger and AS VAL are all around great weapons. They have all of the advantages of an SMG while having better armor penetration and damage. However they are also expensive point-wise. At close range they are the best of all weapons in the game IMO. The maximum range you can use these effectively at is around 200 meters if you have good aim, more like 100 meters if you’re have decent aim. If you spot enemies at long range it’s better to try to sneak up closer to them than try to snipe them with single shots. That is a job for Marksmen and Rifleman.
Examples: MK18 CQBR, AS VAL, Honey Badger
7. Sniper Rifles
Bolt-action sniper rifles are very powerful but only if you have good aim. They use armor-piercing ammunition that goes through walls and steel like paper. They always kill in one shot, even on a bodyshot. You actually don’t need to get headshots to get a one-shot kill in this game because the bullets used by bolt action rifles are so powerful they instakill on a bodyshot. You might think this is overpowered, but it’s not because hitting that one shot is more difficult than in arcade shooters like Battlefield or COD. They way to use these is to take cover in an area with very long lines of sight, pick off one or two people, and then move to another hiding place. If you stay in one play too long the enemy will figure out where you are and shoot rockets at you. You must be very patient and accurate to use these correctly.
Examples: M24, MOSIN-NAGANT
8. Designated Marksman Rifles
DMRs are kind of like a hybrid between an assault rifle and a sniper rifle. They shoot faster than sniper rifles and are more accurate/powerful at range than assault rifles. Best for a highly mobile scout-sniper playstyle that moves around the map getting a lot of kills shooting from unexpected angles. They are surprisingly good at close range with a 2x magnification optic. DMRs are probably the easiest to use of all weapons available to the Marksman.
Examples: SVD Dragunov, M14 EBR, FN FAL with a scope
9. Anti-Materiel Rifles
Anti-material rifles are large rifles which use .50 caliber armor-piercing bullets that will always instakill anybody they hit. They are kind of a meme weapon honestly because they don’t do anything a bolt action rifle can’t do and are in the game for cool factor alone. The Bolt actions and the AMRs have the same niche of long-range sniping. The only major difference is that the AMRs are hilariously powerful and literally explode their targets in a shower of blood and gore. The only reason to use them is because it’s fun. From a practical standpoint it is better to use a bolt action because they are lighter and cheaper and do the same job just as well. Supposedly AMRs can destroy Technicals, however I have never done this myself so I cannot confirm if it is true. AMRs are great if you want to pretend you are an action hero. However they are nowhere near as effective as they are cool, unfortunately. The recoil on these beasts is so hard you will be only able to fire about one accurate shot per second. Aiming them takes patience and precision. If you have bad aim or a short attention span just use an assault rifle instead.
Weapons and how to use them, part 2
10. Automatic Rifles
The Galil is the automatic rifle available to the Gunner. When deployed with a bipod and used on full auto it has great damage output and penetration. It weighs about as much as an AK-74 assault rifle so it can be used either as a stationary machine gun or a mobile assault rifle. It thus confers a lot of flexibility to the gunner. You can stand still and fire streams of bullets to suppress whole squads, or move around like a Rifleman. It is also good in close quarters, but not as good as an SBR. The main drawback to the Galil is that its magazine runs out of ammo really fast so you will has to reload often.
Examples: Galil
11. Light machine guns/ Medium Machine Guns
Light machine guns like the M249 are a niche defensive weapon that can dominate so effectively it is frankly kind of unfair. Light machine guns are slow, heavy, and cumbersome, but when deployed on bipod have amazing firepower. The upside is when you are deployed in cover watching a area it is impossible for the enemy to get through that area no matter how many men they sent. The downside is, you basically cannot take the initiative with an LMG because they are slow and cumbersome. Even the ADS time is slow. The trick is to set up in a good spot and wait for the enemy to come to you. There are a lot of idiots who play this game who will just run into your line of fire again and again and get mowed down by the dozen. Playing gunner on defense with an M249 or PKM will have you racking up kills like you’re John Rambo.
Examples: M249 SAW, PKM, M240B, MG3
12. Frag Grenades
These are pretty simple and you already know what they are if you play games like this. You pull the pin and throw it, and after the countdown is over it explodes killing anything standing close to it. The strength of these things is in their ability to attack an enemy who cannot see you. This means you can attack an enemy with a Frag without exposing yourself to his line of fire, potentially saving your life. Take advantage of this to defeat campers.
13. Smoke Grenades
These are so much more important than they look. Smoke is essential for a successful attack. Without smoke your team will get shot out in the open again and again until you run out of reinforcement waves. Use them frequently and liberally. I have a bind for them on my keyboard and I suggest you make one too.
14. Incendiary grenades
A very niche weapon effective at blocking entrances. More useful for defending than attacking IMO. Throw them into doorways to seal them off for about half a minute.
15. Flashbangs
Your best friend for clearing a room. A special quality of flashbangs is that they equip and throw faster than other grenades, so when speed is a priority these are a great option. They do no damage so after you flashbang the enemy you need to follow up with your gun or explosive to finish them off.
16. IED/C4
These things aren’t worth taking compared to the alternatives the Demolisher can take. They are only useful for two things: room clearing at close range and blowing caches, both of which can be done with regular grenades. You can use IEDs effectively if you really want to. But why would you take and IED when you can take a rocket launcher that can detonate a sniper from across the map?
17. Rocket launchers
They are accurate, absurdly powerful, have a large explosion radius, easy to use, and have long range. Rocket launchers are so easy to get kills with that you could argue they are overpowered. Their main limitation is not the launcher itself but the lack of ammo and high weight. Rocket launchers are really heavy and you only get two shots with the RPG/M3 and one shot with the Panzerfaust. Once you fire both shots the launcher is useless and your character casually throws it onto the floor like they don’t care.
The primary purpose of Rocket Launchers is destroying vehicles and killing enemies in cover. There are armored cars in this game called “Technicals” which are essentially an armored pickup with a machine gun welded to it. Technicals are powerful but can be instakilled by one direct hit from a rocket. If you are playing Demolisher and you see an enemy Technical, try to kill it ASAP because their machine guns can do a lot of damage in a short time.
Rockets are the easiest way to kill enemies behind cover. Aim your rocket at a point just behind the enemy in cover and kill them with the explosive blast Area of Effect damage. This is the easiest way to kill campers.
18. Grenade Launchers
They are like rocket launchers, but weaker and less accurate. They are cheaper though.
19. Combat knife/ Kukri / Melee Weapon
The most difficult weapon to use in the game. If you can get behind someone and stab them in the back, it will be an instant kill. This weapon is not very useful, but if you get a kill with it everyone in the server will think you’re awesome. It’s more of a challenge item than a practical weapon. You get an achievement for killing an enemy with a knife, if you’re an achievement hunter that might be fun.
Conclusion.
That concludes this instructional guide for Insurgency Sandstorm. I will be updating this from time to time, adding new information and editing what is already here. The information is mostly relevant to Versus mode and I will add more info about Coop in the future. If you are new to the game or are looking to improve your play I hope this guide may be of use to you.