41 Wardogs Tips for Better FPS Matches

Wardogs is a flexible FPS in Steam Early Access, and success is not limited to shooting. Players can support a team, build bases, fly transport, spot enemies, revive allies and earn money without firing a shot.

This beginner-friendly guide collects 41 useful mechanics covering ammunition, vehicles, construction, combat, logistics and teamwork.

Loadouts, ammunition and healing

Buy loose ammunition. Purchase a couple of magazines from the spawn vendor, then choose loose rounds. They are cheaper, stack more efficiently and can refill empty magazines.
Press C in your inventory. With loose ammunition available, C reloads every partially filled magazine at once.
Hold R for an emergency reload. This throws away the current magazine, including its remaining rounds, but gets a fresh magazine into your weapon faster.
Take the free emergency resuscitator. You can buy one every life at no cost. It works like a field resuscitator, although you can carry only one emergency version.
Check fallen teammates before reviving them. If your own revival equipment is gone, loot a resuscitator from the downed player and use it on them.
Use “rebuy last loadout”. The button is in the bottom-left corner of the vendor screen and quickly restores your previous setup.
Steady every weapon. Hold Shift while aiming down sights. The steady-aim function is not restricted to sniper rifles.
Use proximity chat carefully. Nearby enemies can hear local voice chat, so use squad or text chat for frontline call-outs.
Carry smoke grenades. They cost $100 each, create a large cloud and last for a long time, making them particularly helpful for medics and frontline pushes.
Do not rely on the first sniper rifle. Most players wear armour, and this rifle cannot kill an armoured target with one shot, even at level one. Earn recon XP by spotting enemies, use the SKS marksman rifle and work towards weapons such as the Mosin-Nagant.

Vehicles and battlefield movement

Buy the spawn APC at 20 team points. Once stationary inside the control zone, allies can teleport from spawn to it. The driver earns money whenever teammates use it, so hide or defend the vehicle.
Teleport through the deployment board. If your team has a spawn vehicle, check its location at the board and wait through the 10-second timer instead of travelling across the map.
Disable enemy APCs by shooting the radar dish. Destroying the roof-mounted radar prevents spawning there until an enemy repairs it. Regular ammunition is sufficient; explosives are not required.
Put parachutes in a helicopter. Pilots carrying passengers should keep several parachutes in the helicopter inventory because players may forget to buy their own.
Do not wait for a full helicopter. Delivering two or three passengers and returning is more useful than delaying for a completely full aircraft.
Adjust helicopter controls. Enable rotary vehicle mouse control, also called rifle aim, so the aircraft faces your mouse direction. A controller is another beginner-friendly option.
Open your parachute late. After jumping from a helicopter, wait until just before the white section of the altitude meter reaches the red area. This limits exposure without risking a hard landing.
Lock ground vehicles after departure. Otherwise nearby enemies can enter as passengers and potentially kill everyone inside.

A screenshot from hardcore Steam shooter, Wardogs. The protagonist is holding a rifle while patrolling an area at dusk.

Bases, money and equipment

Close base doors. An open door gives enemies an easy route into a FOB or fortified base.
Use a vehicle to cross a Hesco wall. Park beside an enemy base, climb onto the bonnet and use the extra height to get over a two-high Hesco barrier.
Choose a dependable money-making role. Almost every activity pays, so safe options such as spotting or base construction can provide steady profits.
Spot enemies for passive income. Binoculars cost $75 and a monocular costs $150. Equip one in the utility slot, identify enemies before they see you and your whole team receives the tag. You earn money when tagged enemies are killed.
Build from the correct distance. Stand as far away as possible while still reaching the structure with the X prompt. The marker stays in one place, making construction faster than standing close.
Check FOB supply needs on the map. Hover over a friendly FOB icon to see which materials it requires.
Unpack delivered supplies. Materials left on the ground cannot be used by the FOB until a player interacts with them.
Prioritise drills. A drill pulls the hot zone towards its location. A FOB with a drill will often also have nearby teammates ready to benefit from the shifted objective.

Three soldiers in Wardogs aiming across the map next to a creek.

A squad of soldiers on a helicopter in Wardogs.

Combat, towers and artillery

Loot tower tops. Towers in the control zone often contain strong weapons, defibrillators, batteries and other equipment, but you need to reach the top before other players.
Use the artillery calculator. The WardogsHub artillery calculator accepts your mortar and target coordinates, then provides the required distance and firing angle.
Fire mortars in a burst. Press C after the first shot to skip the flight view and launch the next shell more quickly. A mortar can fire three times in rapid succession this way.
Remember the C4 charge. Buying a remote detonator includes one C4 charge, enough to destroy a single gate.
Do not use surrender casually. The surrender emote drops your weapon, which is especially costly when you are a helicopter passenger.
Hold 4 for the item wheel. The radial menu is quicker than cycling through items when you cannot remember an individual hotkey.
Stop while being healed. Even slight movement interrupts treatment and wastes the medic’s effort.
Climb ladders quietly. Hold Alt, the quiet-walking key, while climbing to avoid making noise.
Aim mounted weapons with WASD. Use the keys for fast movement on weapons such as a Humvee gun, then use the mouse for precise adjustments.
Use cover intelligently. Bullets can penetrate thin materials such as wood and sheet metal, so continue firing when an enemy hides behind them.

A soldier in Wardogs shooting at an enemy from behind a rusty train.

A 4x4 humvbee jumping over a pile of rubble with three soldiers beneath it in Wardogs.

Revives, bodies and teamwork

Treat a body as an active threat. A fallen player may still be waiting for revival. Take cover and watch for a teammate attempting to bring them back.
Consider waiting for the revive. Allowing an opponent to revive their ally can create another opportunity to eliminate both players and earn more money. Poor enemy communication may even allow repeated takedowns.
Ping before reviving. Mark a downed ally’s HUD icon to show that help is coming. They are less likely to return to spawn, you receive revival income and they retain their loadout.
Drag any body. Friendly bodies can be moved behind cover for safer revives. Enemy bodies can also be dragged into the open as bait or hidden for easier looting.
Tip helpful teammates. Drivers and pilots can be tipped for transport, while medics can be tipped for healing and reviving. Tips are given in $5 increments.

Two soldiers in ghillie suits in a field while a helicopter flies above them in Wardogs.

Small details that win matches

These mechanics reward patience and coordination more than reflexes. A locked vehicle, unpacked supply crate, well-timed smoke grenade or correctly placed drill can matter as much as a successful firefight. For more gaming and arcade coverage, browse the RETROCADE Arcade Blog, or explore arcade videos for more gameplay-focused content.

Players building a dedicated gaming setup can also compare options in the Arcade Machine Buying Guide.