Intel Card — Ground War and Invasion

Ground War Mode Details

Team Size: 1–32 Players

Mission Parameters: Two teams compete for control of five zones on the map marked by lettered waypoints — A, B, C, D, and E — in boxes as icons on the HUD and minimap.

Teams spawn on opposite sides of the map — usually, they will be near either the A and B flags or the D and E flags. The map is large enough that you may wish to use a vehicle to reach these flags quickly.

A team takes control of the zone by standing near its flag. When that happens, a “Capture Meter” will appear for those on the zone. Those outside the zone will see the lettered waypoint begin to fill with red if an enemy is taking the flag and blue if a teammate is. Once the meter is filled, the zone is captured. The time needed to capture a flag is reduced if multiple Operators on the same team are standing in the same zone.

Flag capture is contested if there are friendly and enemy Operators on the objective at the same time. Every few seconds, each team is awarded a certain amount of points per flag they control.

After a zone is captured by one team, the opposing team can steal it.

Teams that own the flag can step into the capture area to reduce the capture progress if there is any.

Match Win Conditions: In Public Matches, the first team to reach a specific number of points — 1,500 usually — wins the match.

Main XP Gains:

• Capturing the objective.
• Eliminating enemies on or near objectives.

Invasion Mode Details

Team Size: 1–32 Players

Mission Parameters: Two teams compete to eliminate each other as much as possible with the support of vehicles and AI soldiers. Invasion is a large-scale battle where the entire goal is to fight alongside a large force and eliminate as many members of the opposite team as possible.

Teams will spawn just like they do at the start of Ground War, and they will spawn the same way for the rest of the match. Instead of choosing a new spawn point each time you’re eliminated, you will always spawn in your team’s safe territory. Safe zones are where you can retreat if your team is being overwhelmed and you have to push back and choose another approach. The safe zone is wide, so one team being able to hold another team in their safe zone is rather difficult, but it is possible so be ready to coordinate with your squad to punch a hole through their defenses.

Each team has a goal of earning points via eliminations. You will earn a different number of points per elimination, depending on whether it’s an AI Operator or a Player Operator. It’s 1 point per AI Operator and 5 per Player Operator. It’s important to keep this in mind for two reasons: AI Operators count, so racking eliminations up on them can make a difference, and Player Operators are far more dangerous, so eliminating them should be a priority even if just for the sake of your survival.

Use everything at your disposal to win the fight and lead your team to victory.

Match Win Conditions: In Public Matches, the first team to reach a specific number of points — 1,500, usually — wins the match.

Match XP Gains:

• AI eliminations.
• Player eliminations.
• Vehicle destruction.

Key Terms and Definitions

A/B/C/D/E: Each of these letters corresponds to a zone in this mode.

Contested: The state of a zone when players from both teams are in it. When this happens, no progress is made and no points are earned.

Flag/Zone: Used interchangeably to describe the objective scoring zones in Domination. Flag is more common in the community.

Total Domination: The state where one team has control of all five zones.

Topline Tactics: A winning Domination player:

• Eliminates enemies near objectives.
• Helps capture and maintain control of at least two of three zones.
• Communicates with squadmates about zone capture and defense.
• Destroy enemy vehicles and armor to prevent them from controlling the battle.

Recruit Tactics

Stay in your zone: Ground War maps are impressively vast, meaning it’s not uncommon for a new player to feel lost and overwhelmed. This can lead you to reaching positions on the map where your Loadout isn’t effective. If you have trouble taking down enemies, try staying on or near a single point of interest or objective where you know your Loadout can be most effective. For example, use a CQB (close-quarters battle) Loadout in areas of the map with tight spaces or numerous buildings, or a Sniper Rifle to dominate massive open spaces.

Proper reinforcements: After the enemy takes you out, pay attention to where you can respawn. Use the map to see where the action is. If a zone is under attack, try respawning on a squadmate near safety to help recapture it. Or, if all squadmates are heading toward danger that you aren’t ready for, adjust that respawn accordingly and seek a less-volatile vantage point, vehicle, or route into the action.

Hop in!: Ground War and Invasion is a relatively low-stakes way to test-drive vehicles. Try practicing your driving skills with the lighter vehicles, such as ATVs and the RHIB, since most Operators tend to skip over these in favor of demolishing foes with a Heavy Tank. The smaller vehicles are fast enough to quickly move around the map, they include a few respawn slots for drivers to bring a small assault team, and they are easy to handle.

Advanced Tactics

Focus: Ground War can get overwhelming for new and veteran squads alike. Rather than trying to maintain control of multiple objectives at once, it is better to focus yourself and your squad toward capturing one. Have everyone agree on one place to capture and hold; then let the rest of the team worry about the rest of the objective zones.

Killstreak and equipment placement: Ground War mode offers you the chance to quickly rack up Killstreak, Field Upgrade, and Equipment eliminations, as fighting is so focused in and around objectives. Choosing these offensive capabilities before a match is a great example of forward-thinking, while setting up these traps and pointing these armaments directly on contested objectives or at locations where clusters of enemies are located (especially in vehicles) offers the best chance at multikills.

Water works: Most Ground War maps have water to swim through. This can be used as a method for stealth Operations. If an objective is impenetrable from land or the air, try heading offshore with a more silent Loadout, emerging from the water only to periodically breathe, and when the enemy isn’t actively looking for amphibious attacks. 

Be the spawn point: The Cargo Truck, Heavy Chopper, and other large vehicles can hold an impressive number of friendly Operators, and some vehicles can be spawned into during a match. If you’re searching for reinforcements on an objective, try parking the Heavy Chopper or another vehicle, piloting it for a few seconds and allowing friendlies to respawn en masse for a serious wave of firepower.

Resupply often: Successful Operators tend to live long lives in Ground War and Invasion, making ammunition management their most common problem. Try playing Ground War or Invasion with a Munitions Box Field Upgrade or the Scavenger Gloves to resupply as a solo player, or request that squadmates run these for support and drop ammo if you’re running low.

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