Dynamic CQC & You: A Training Manual

CQC has long been a part of MGS, with every main game of the series having it in some form.
However it has often been a more overlooked part of the game, having no explicit tutorial at any point and often only leaving the most basic of instructions in the game manual in the box.
This is the modern era however, so we have no game manual for the more dedicated players to read through for these secret teachings of The Boss: but we can make one.

This guide is to teach all the basics of the new and improved Dynamic CQC that has been made for the up and coming MGSV, and can be practiced in Ground Zeroes.
It will cover:

• Throws
  
• Grabs
  
• Strikes, Kicks and Combos
  
• Disarms and Hold-Ups

Along with other moves that can be done that fall outside those catagories.

Becoming well versed in these can not only improve your chances are remaining hidden to the enemy but can also allow you to pull off some impressive feats in combat when things get loud.

Note: This guide assumes that you are using a keyboard and mouse to play and that you have left the bindings as the default option.

Throws are the most basic of moves, allow you to quickly knock out an enemy for a short amount of time so that you may sneak past.
To perform a throw on an opponent, face them and while moving towards them simply tap the CQC button.

Throws are a quick option to knock out an enemy, and can be done consecutively on multiple opponents who are within range, however they will only be knocked out for a short while compared to a tranq dart or a full three-hit combo.
Although sounding like they wouldn't be, throws can actually be done fairly close to other enemies without them noticing, and a throw from cover will only make a watching enemy act as if they had seen you at a distance.
Throws can also be done towards a wall, knocking out an enemy for longer than if you had done a normal throw and also being quicker.

Throws can be done from a standing, crouching and also from positions in cover and from corners, with cover and corner throws pulling them to your side of the cover to hide the body and knock them out in one fluid motion.

Grabs are likely one of the first CQC moves that you do, the other being a throw, mainly becuase they are both the most simple and fairly similar. It will allow you to take a hold of an opponent and from there you have various options.

To perform a grab hold down the CQC button (LMB), you don't need to be moving towards them, however if you are it will still perform a grab. You can also let go of the grab button once you have them in a grab and they will remain in your hold.
From here you can move around with the enemy and drag them to somewhere out of sight, and then you can do the following: Interrogating an enemy will allow you to either gain information from them, have them call other enemies to you or in the case of a hold up you can have them lay on the floor.
To interrogate hold down the interrogation key (Q), and then select the option you want using the number keys. Knocking out an enemy in this fashoin will have them knocked out for quite a long time compared to a throw, and if you dragged them to somewhere quiet in the first place then you have already hidden the body.
To knock out an opponent tap the CQC button (LMB) repeatedly until they are unconscious. Taking a human shield is a good option when other cover isn't available, and oponents will often not fire on you if they aren't already, however they will run up to you and try to free their teammate.
On top of that you will only have your side arm to use, and once the human shield has taken enough damage they will die, leaving you without cover.
It is however a good way to make use of the interrogation option to call another enemy, so that you can wait as a trap for them.
To take a human shield from a grab simply hold the aim button (RMB). You can throw an enemy from a grab, knocking them out just as if you had thrown them normally.
To throw from a grab move in the direction you want to throw, and tap the CQC button (LMB). Although killing enemies in Ground Zeroes deducts points from your end score, if you enjoy the killing then you will want to do this.
To kill while in a grab press the action key (E)

Grabs can be done close to other opponents without them noticing, allowing you to grab an enemy at the back of a line and pull him away without the others becoming alerted.
It should be noted that while in a grab you can transition between standing and crouched and can grab from either. You can also perform a grab from low cover and corners just like you can throw from them; doing this will pull the enemy to your side of the cover or corner just like a throw.

Strikes and Kicks are a powerful technique to use, knocking out opponents for much longer than if they were thrown.
You can perform individual strikes on an opponent or do a three-hit combo that will knock them out.
Kicks can be done on opponents who are on the ground such as after a throw or being told to lay down when in a hold-up, this will also knock them out.

To perform a strike or a kick stand still next to the enemy and tap the CQC button (LMB).

A three-hit combo can be done on an enemy to quickly knock them out, however it is not as fast as a throw and can draw more attention if there are other enemies near to you.
It does however knock out eneimes for far longer than a throw, making the increased cost worth it. To perform a three-hit combo stand still behind the opponent and tap the CQC button (LMB) three times.
To perform a five-hit combo stand still at the front or side of an aware opponent and tap the CQC button (LMB) five times. The difference between the two is the increased length, with the three-hit being more for a stealth take down and the five-hit being for dispatching enemies who have become aware of your presence.
This combo can be done towards a wall, which will then use it in the combo, often in the form of a kick. This can sometimes speed up the combo and will make you a legendary soldier. There is one kick that you can do, and it has the ability to both knock out an enemy in one hit and to wake then back up again with the same attack.
It can only be done on prone enemies, so this will be used on knocked out or thrown enemies, enemies you have told to get on the floor or if you are very lucky enemies that are making a slide to cover.

To perform a kick stand still next to a prone enemy and tap the CQC button (LMB).

You can perform consecutive throws on opponents, allowing you to take down a whole group of them fairly quickly.
To do this just tap the CQC button (LMB) as the prompt comes up after the first throw. You don't need to be moving in their direction for the combo, just the inital throw to set it off, however the other enemies do need to be near to you, but the range for it is fairly forgiving.

Both of these can be initiated from both standing and crouched, however you will always stand up to perform them.

Disarms and hold-ups are more advanced moves that can be used either on their own or as a combined attack on an opponent.
Both of these can be done from a crouched or standing position, however for the initial disarm you will stand up to perform it to then return to a crouched position.

Diarming an opponent can be used to take a weapon when you do not have one yourself, to use an enemies weapon in a firefight, both conserving your own ammo and getting rid of one combatant in the process or to simply hold up an opponent using their own weapon. To disarm an opponent stand still next to them and tap the CQC button (LMB), then immidiatly tap the aim button (RMB). You can actually strike them a second time and then disarm, but it is not required.
If the opponent has a primary weapon you will take that from them, and if they only have a side arm you will take that.
It should be noted that when you let go of the aim buttom (RMB) you will drop the weapon that you have taken from them, unless you do not have a weapon in that slot already.
You should also note that it will only have the magazine that is in the gun, so you will not be able to reload it (Unless you have that gun already in your inventory). Hold-ups let you do almost all the things you can do with a grab and then a bit more, however to do some of the things you can do with a grab without rasing the alarm, like kill the opponent, you will need to have a silenced weapon.To hold up an enemy aim your gun at them when they are unsuspecting of you, or right after a disarm.
The enemy will remain standing, which is a reason to pick a grab over a hold-up in some situations.
From here you can interrogate the enemy like you would with a grab, with the extra option of telling them to get down on the ground.
You should keep in mind that during a hold up you must keep your gun on the enemy at all times if you are within their view, or they will lower their arms and then attack you and sound the alarm. However if you are stood behind them or they are on the floor they will remain that way until an alarm is set off or another enemy comes and interacts with them.

There are three other moves that can be done that don't fall into the other catagories as well as I would like them to, and also there are a few notes that I would like to make on the other moves that can be done.

This throw can be done while carrying another person (With the exceptions of Paz and Chico).
Throwing the person into another will knock them out, and can be used on multiple eneimes at the same time.
To perform it, while carrying an enemy walk in the direction you want to throw them and tap the CQC button (LMB). This can be done on guards who are stood inside the guard towers, and will knock them out for longer than a regular throw, however they are much louder and will attract attention of nearby guards.
To throw a guard from a tower tap the CQC button (LMB) while at the top of the lader for the tower. You can dive in the direction you are walking by pressing the space bar, and doing this into an enemy will knock them down, but not unconscious, however you can follow up with a kick to knock them out for good.
To do this simply dive into the enemy. This is unlikely to happen often, however if there is a guard on the other side of a door to you you can sprint through it and he will be knocked to the floor.
This will not knock him out, however it will cause him to drop his weapon and leave him open for the all powerful low kick to knock him out for good.
Bare in mind that they must be quite close to the door, so make sure not to run through too soon or you will cause an alert. You can throw an enemy off a ledge or height and it will knock them out for longer than a regular throw (or if you do it off the island it will remove them from play, this won't count as a kill however if they land on a rock above the water line it will be classed as a kill).
This is an unlikely thing to happen however you should know that it is doable.

All of these techniques will no doubt be part of Metal Gear Sloid V: The Phantom Pain, so learning them now before the release will mean that you will be ahead of the game come the launch, not only that but you will be able to live up to the reputation of a legendary soldier that Big Boss has come to live by.

Also no one will ever say "You're pretty good" until you learn CQC...