Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Xbox Live Tactics 2
With the dawn of each new day, the never-ending battle intensifies between the Axis and the Allies. The challenge builds as new players are drawn to the game. Frontlines teem with strategies, some compatible, some not. Good and bad patterns of play emerge as the online community matures. Gamers are refining their strategies, learning new tricks, and perpetuating bad habits.
As always, we're here to help you wade through the chaos and learn the winning strategies. If you missed part one of theWolfenstein column, check it out. Otherwise, strap on your combat helmet 'cause we're going in!
The Rules of Engagement: Lieutenants (LT)
The best time to exchange goods and devise a plan is at the beginning of the game. But we often see players rushing off to do their own thing, the thought of team tactics never even entering their brain. How many times do you see an LT feed himself pack after pack of ammo, and then sprint off to battle, leaving Medics to nervously count each of their 30 bullets?
Give your Medics a break and toss them a couple of ammo packs. It should be an automatic response. The Medic is there to keep everyone out of the reinforcement-queue limbo, but if he's armed with only a Luger and has to fend off attackers in addition to healing comrades, chances are he won't be much help to anyone. If as an LT you do bite the bullet, do your team a favor: After respawning, drop some ammo packs at the spawn point. That way, teammates won't have to search for you, or vice versa, when ammo reserves get low.
The Rules of Engagement: Medics
Just when we've convinced you that all LTs were jerks and all Medics saints, we expose another disturbing trend: Medics on an ammo-induced power trip. Assuming the role of Medic means you accept a support role reviving and healing teammates. Just because you were graciously given ammo by an LT doesn't give you the green light to go charging into enemy territory guns a blazin'. Your job is to keep your teammates out of the reinforcement queue. That's a difficult mission if you are dead. It's especially important to remember your role when the host has limited redeployments.
If you see a teammate with a great hiding spot, or one manning a stationary machine gun, throw down some health packs on that position, whether they need health or not. This way, if he comes under fire your health packs will absorb some of the damage, giving your teammate a slight edge. Also, remember that every member of a team with a Medic gets a 10-point health bonus. It's amazing that Medics are still underused in matches, despite their abilities.
Be sure an area is clear before trying to revive someone with your potent syringe of resurrection. You can't poke an enemy to death with it, so be careful. To your evil foes, a fallen comrade asking for a medic is the ideal situation to set up a trap. Opponents will expect a medic to come rushing in to save the day, so be alert. Teammates calling for a medic can help by looking around to see if any foes are lying in wait.
Caught in the Act
Obviously, it's a good idea to conduct item exchanges in safe spots, not in open areas. But what happens if you get caught with your pants down—you can't shoot an enemy when you're equipped with a health pack, and it takes precious moments to cycle through your inventory back to your weapon. Press up on the D-pad to switch quickly to your primary weapon.
But I'm not Dead Yet!
Before patting yourself on the back after a spectacular kill, make sure your opponent is dead. If he's still reaching in the air yelling, "Medic!" he can be revived, which negates all your hard work. Either pop some caps in his body until he stops moving, or better still, leave him a nice going away present—a live grenade. Unless of course you'd like to set a trap for a careless medic …
I Did It for the Points
You all like playing games to have a good time, but we know you're concerned about your rankings, too. Kills will only get you so far these days. To be the one with all the points, you have to go out of your way to be special. Every bomb defused, every flag captured, every comrade revived, every enemy plot foiled rewards you with lots of points. The Checkpoint mode is an excellent opportunity to load up on points that count toward your overall ranking. In the course of a match, checkpoints will change hands often, and each change means more points awarded.
If you have a lightning fast Internet connection, consider being a dedicated host for those times when you are away from your Xbox. (And those would be truly awful times, we know!) Dedicated servers get huge point bonuses toward the overall ranking. Plus, gamers can enjoy the match you set up just for them, so everyone wins!
Burn Baby, Burn!
Yes, it does look really cool, but the flamethrower should not be used in open areas. The range is extremely short, and all opponents have to do is keep their distance while they aerate your body with lead. A better use for the flamethrower is in a support role for clearing out rooms full of enemies. For example, in a Beach Invasion Objective map, a flamethrower is great for clearing out the forward bunker, the transmitter room, or even the document room. One thing we've tried with mixed results, is leading a flamethrower attack with a grenade. When an opponent sees a wall of flame, their first impulse will be to run away … hopefully, toward the grenade you just tossed.
Primed for Battle
Grenades are lifesavers in a pinch. After your foes hear that familiar clink-clank of a grenade bouncing their way, you can bet they'll scatter like cockroaches. But you'll have a difficult time scoring a kill in a direct confrontation armed with only a grenade. So the next time you are in a grenade battle, prime your grenade for a few seconds before throwing it. Hold the right trigger down for a couple seconds before tossing it. If you time it correctly, you can get that sucker to explode as soon as it lands. Just to be safe, you have about four seconds of priming time before the grenade explodes. With a little practice, you can even get them to explode in midair—or for those desperate times, charge a bunker and never release the trigger.
