A Hound Eat Hound World

So you want to be a big shot Hound pilot on Xbox Live®, do you? Well, nothing's ever easy, so you better settle in for the long haul. When you play any game on Xbox Live, you can bet that you'll be going up against some of the best players out there. Don't let that intimidate you, though. With a little careful planning and some attention to detail, you can run with the big dogs, too.

Chromehounds™ is a squad-based game, and that means you can't be going rogue and wandering off on your own. Every man has a team working with him, so how your team is set up will make all the difference in the upcoming fights. Each squad can have up to 20 members, although only six at a time can enter a mission together. This can make for complex team dynamics, so the first thing you have to do is decide who's going to be giving orders when the time comes.

Which Hound will be top dog?

Pecking Order
You can always determine pecking order according to players' gamer scores or Chromehounds leaderboard scores, but you can always use a more interesting method. A method like qualifying players according to skill.

Chromehounds includes a Survival Match game in Free Battle mode where up to 12 players can fight it out in an elimination tournament. Set a Match up and the last Hound standing wins. You can even track the outcome of this battle to determine rank. First one eliminated is a green private. That person doesn't get to tell anyone what to do. Last one out gets to be Top Dog and all the associated responsibilities.

If you have more than 12 players vying for slots in your squad, you can assign point values to rankings and set up a tournament where everyone plays three times. Tally up the scores at the end of the tournament and determine the ranks that way. You can certainly make up your own tournament rules if you'd rather, just remember to establish a pecking order before you hit the Battlefield, or you'll be trapped in chaos.

When there's no time for democracy,
a strong leader has to step up and take charge.

Leadership
Once your ranks have been assigned, you should establish three core teams of six, each with its own leader. The two remaining players can fill in as alternates. Don't feel like these teams have to be written in stone, however. Some players are bound to work better with others, and you'll also want to drop players in and out of teams based on who's available online at any given time. Make sure the squad is aware of their rankings so the second in command can step in if the leader is taken down.

Your team leader has to be ready and willing to issue orders to his squad. Teamwork is certainly essential to successfully completing missions, but when there's no time for democracy a strong leader has to step up and take charge. Team members then have to obey their commanding officer without question. There will plenty of time for mutiny when you're not under fire.

How you establish your team composition can depend on a number of factors. You might decide to determine team composition based simply on Hound types. If you establish a policy that there should always be a Scout on each team, then you might just take on whichever team member happens to have a Scout in his Garage. Making sure to have a Scout on your team, by the way, is generally a good idea.

Who's going to be king of the kennel?

Teamwork
There are obviously clear benefits to being part of a team. For one thing, you have someone to watch your back. Of course, that also means you have a responsibility to watch everyone else's as well. This isn't a game for prima donnas who want to go off and do their own thing. In Chromehounds, you either play well with others or get your tail whipped.

That means you need to always keep an eye on your stated goal or target. Do your job as it was assigned to you. Your teammates are relying on you to hold up your part of the bargain. Don't stray too far from your team unless your team leader has given you a specific mission to accomplish. Remember that these Hounds don't all move like well, grey-Hounds. If it takes you longer than you think to get back to your squad, then you've dropped the ball.

If each member of the team has a particular duty, then things go much more smoothly. The team leader, for example, has the job of keeping an eye on the map and determining where to go next. He maintains a big picture view of the battle and doesn't get too deeply caught up in heavy fighting. He has to keep his mind sharp and his vision clear. If he does his job well, then none of the other players should have to open their maps at all.

Night falls, but will you?

Duty Roster
Hound abilities impact what each player's job will be. Scouts, for example, make quick runs into enemy territory for recon. During an assault, they're great for watching the squad's back, reporting enemy flanking maneuvers, etc., because they suck in head-to-head combat. Soldiers, on the other hand, have an important place leading charges or other attacks. Send them straight to the front of the pack.

With such a wide variety of Hounds available, it's impossible to lay down a blanket strategy for all situations. Your strategy is your baby. However, you should always remember that this is a war. Soldiers have discipline and respect for their officers for a reason. This system works in the real world, and it will work on your squad. Those squads with the cleanest lines of communication and the clearest command hierarchy will win the most battles. You can bet your stripes on it.

Article by Angel Leigh McCoy