Small Arms Tactics

It's not often that an Xbox Live® Arcade game merits a full tips and tricks feature of its own, but Small Arms™ is not your typical Xbox Live Arcade game. This action title might seem a little frenzied at first, but beyond the frantic pace is another layer of gameplay depth and strategy. These basic tips will help you start off on the right foot with this great new game.

The jack-knifed semi is the least of your worries.

Always be Moving
Fire and move, move and fire should be the most important thing you take from this article. Never stop moving. It's natural to want to slow down and aim carefully as you fire, but Small Arms is about constant movement, so resist the temptation. Don't just move laterally either, remember to move vertically as well. The ability to aim well as you double jump across the screen should be the first skill you master.

Drop Down
It's a simple mechanic, but it's amazing how many people are unaware of the ability, or forget it in the heat of battle. You can drop to a platform beneath you by pressing down on the left stick and hitting A. This is particularly helpful if you've run out of ammo and your opponent is sprinting for you, shotgun at the ready.

Always be moving means away from the fire!

Pickups
Whether it's extra ammo or a new weapon, always make picking up new items a top priority. This is especially important for ammo drops. Your enemy might be getting off plenty of shots, but if you beat him to that vital ammo crate, you will gain the offensive upper hand in no time at all. Always keep one eye on the enemy, but keep the other open for the powerups that will pop up.

Conserve Ammo
Speaking of ammo, Small Arms doesn’t offer it in large quantities. Your clips are relatively small, and, with bad habits they picked up playing Halo®, most players tend to rattle away with fully-automatic streams of fire. Resist the temptation and instead only shoot when you know you're going to hit your target. When your opponent leaps out of your line of fire, lay off the trigger, adjust your aim, and fire again. Make every bullet count.

Hover and Shoot
While constant movement is always advisable, you can throw your opponents for a loop by coming to a stand-still. When in the air, press and hold Y to briefly hover, while still firing. Your enemy's fire will miss you as they lead their target, and you will earn a few choice seconds to lay down some quality fire.

Get up close for that melee kill.

Character Choice
Each character not only has a unique design, but a unique starting weapon as well. Choose your character based on your favorite weapon for a tactical advantage. If you find a particular gun that better suits your style as you play through the game, double check the character options. Odds are you can find a character who sports your new fave.

Conserve with Melee
Because ammo can be in short supply, get up close to your enemies to give your gun a rest. Use X or B to swipe at your enemy with a melee attack to deal out some damage while conserving ammo.

Article by Ryan Treit