10. Controlled Chaos. At first glance, it may seem that enemy Operators are pouring in from every direction due to the map’s winding layout. With each subsequent match, however, the map’s intricate design will become more clear — until it’s you the enemy fears coming around that next corner. Keep at it and your map knowledge will pay off in spades.
9. Down the Sides. When you need to traverse the map fast but want to avoid the map’s inner maze, take the side lanes where there’s more predictability in the layout. The western path is particularly clear, so long as you’re prepared to encounter long-range resistance. When you do, move out of sight and force them to come to you or give up the kill.
8. The Ground Is Lava. Except for the southern tip of the map, it’s possible to stay aboveground throughout most of the environment via jumps and mantling across the stonework, walkways, and shanty rooftops. Not only is it fun traversing in this way, but it’s also a great means of avoiding the cramped alleyways and paths below.
7. Now You See Me, Now You Don’t. Desolation’s labyrinthine layout creates massive opportunities to relocate and confuse the enemy, making it difficult for them to track you down. Don’t hesitate to disengage from an encounter and either melt away when you’re outnumbered or move to new ground for a refocused effort.
6. Alleyway Ambush. If you’re willing to brave the lower levels, try taking up residence in the southern Shanty Alley or northern Temple Alley. These confined spaces offer the perfect ambush points to eliminate Operators moving away from the Central Ruins. Be on guard when approaching these paths to avoid falling prey to a similar fate.
5. Jammer in the Ruins. The Jammer Field Upgrade can be devastating here, especially around the Central Ruins where intel is so valuable in determining how to engage the enemy. Lay down a Jammer to scramble their minimap, keeping them in the dark until it’s too late to respond to your attack.
4. Bull’s-eye. Who needs a grenade when you can efficiently dispatch enemies with a Throwing Knife? It’s quick, it’s quiet, and it’s much easier to home in on your target in Desolation’s confined pathways rather than in the map’s wide-open spaces.
3. Shhhhh. Dead Silence can do wonders here, especially if you’d like to open up your Perk 1 and 3 slots to something other than Ghost and Ninja. The engagements here are fierce and frequent, so there’s a good chance you’ll be able to refresh its duration through gun, melee, and Throwing Knife eliminations.
2. Flamenaut in the Trenches. Why not aspire to greatness? Though it requires a hefty nine eliminations to acquire, the Flamenaut can be absolutely devastating on the ground level. Shoot flames into the Central Ruins and down the alleyways to scorch enemies and stop them in their tracks.
1. Area Denial. You can really mess up an enemy’s plans by denying them passage through key pathways. Consider equipping lingering Equipment like the Incendiary Grenade, Molotov Cocktail, and the MK V Gas. Use them to interrupt the enemy’s progress, allowing you to control the flow of the fight. When they attempt the same tactic, throw on the Dauntless and Survival Training Perks to counter their tricks.
Mercenaries of Fortune Reloaded Launches July 27
Deploy to Desolation when Mercenaries of Fortune Reloaded launches on July 27. In addition to this new free map, the midseason update also features the limited-time Model T-800 and Model T-1000 Ultra Operator Bundles, the new Ikenna Olowe Operator, new features, events, and game modes in Warzone, and more.
Rise on every front.
