WARDOGS can feel like a lot in the first ten minutes. There are three teams, one moving objective, a vendor full of kit and a wallet that matters. Most of us were a bit lost at the start, so here is the plan we would give a friend joining their first match. The aim is to learn the game without going broke.
Before your first live match
Try the firing range
The firing range gives free access to every weapon, attachment and vehicle, with no risk to your starting cash. Ten minutes learning how a rifle feels is much cheaper than learning it on a live server.
Pick a server that suits you
Update 0.1.2 added a new DEPLOY flow. Hit deploy and choose Official, Community, Infantry Mode or Low-Level servers. We would start on Low-Level. Infantry Mode is also a good choice, because it keeps you out of the vehicle side of the game while you learn to shoot and read the map.
Understand the objective first
WARDOGS is a king-of-the-hill style shooter. Three teams fight over one Control Zone, and the first to 100 points wins. Each time the score bar fills, one point goes to the team with the most players inside the zone.
That is why kills alone do not win games. A squad that stays alive inside the zone beats a squad with a better kill count outside it.
There is also a smaller Hot Zone. One player inside it counts as two for control, and it pays double cash.
Your first loadout
You start with $10,000, and cash carries over from match to match. Most sources describe this as a one-off starting balance, not a fresh $10,000 each life. You buy your loadout again for every life, and if you die and nobody revives you, you lose it. Your first kit should be cheap enough that losing it twice does not hurt.
Here are two sensible starting points, using current vendor prices. Ammunition is extra, so check the total in the vendor before you confirm.
| Slot | Free-rifle kit | T-21 kit |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Bushmaster M17S ($0) | T-21 ($600) |
| Sidearm | GGX 17 ($200) | GGX 17 ($200) |
| Helmet | Level 1 Helmet ($200) | Level 1 Helmet ($200) |
| Armour | Level 1 Armor ($400) | Level 1 Armor ($400) |
| Vest | Small Tac Vest ($100) | Small Tac Vest ($100) |
| Backpack | Pouch ($0) | Pouch ($0) |
| Healing | Bandage ($200) | Bandage ($200) |
| Utility | Binoculars ($75) | Binoculars ($75) |
| Optic | None (see below) | Four Reticle Reflex ($580) |
| Total before ammo | $1,175 | $2,355 |
A few notes on these choices:
- The Bushmaster M17S is free and cannot take attachments. It is semi-auto and burst only. It is a good rifle for learning, but you cannot fit a sight to it. Each faction has its own free starter rifle: Valkyra the A-91, Lonestar the Bushmaster M17S, and Manticore the KH-2002. Our reference only covers the Bushmaster, so check your own vendor if you are on another team.
- The T-21 is the cheap upgrade. It costs $600, needs no unlock and fires full auto. It also takes optics.
- Choose a sight with no unlock. The Four Reticle Reflex ($580) and Holographic Sight ($620) are both available from level 1. The Compact T-2 Red Dot is cheaper, but needs a role level and an unlock payment first.
- The Pouch is free but small. It holds six slots, so you cannot carry much. Upgrade to the Scout Backpack ($350) or Field Backpack ($650) when you find yourself short of space.
- Skip the Scout Rifle TD for now. It costs $1,100, is a break-action rifle and takes one shot at a time. Our snipers vs marksman rifles guide explains what to buy once you are ready for long range.
You can plan a kit and see the total cost in our loadout builder.
Buy loose ammunition, not lots of magazines
This is one of the easiest ways to stop running dry. Magazines and ammunition are separate items. A backpack stuffed with pre-loaded magazines carries far fewer rounds than the same space filled with loose ammo. Stacks of loose rounds take up much less room than the same rounds in loaded mags.
Stack sizes are not the same for every calibre. One guide reports up to 80 rounds in a stack of 5.45x39mm, and notes that stack sizes vary by calibre. Another reports up to 60 rounds for 5.56x45mm. We have not confirmed exact numbers for every calibre, so check the stack count on your own ammo in the inventory.
How we suggest using it:
- Carry a magazine in the weapon and one or two spares.
- Fill some of the remaining space with loose ammo for your weapon's calibre. Each click in the vendor's Loose Ammo tab adds 10 rounds and is charged separately, so you can buy just as much as you need.
- Between fights, open your inventory and press C to refill your magazines from the stack. The magazine and the loose ammo both need to be in your backpack.
Two warnings. Refilling takes time, and while your inventory is open you cannot see the battlefield. Do it behind hard cover, not in the open. Also, Ammo Supplies is not rifle ammunition. It only reloads buildable weapons inside a FOB radius. Do not buy it for your rifle.
Use Re-buy Loadout
After you die, the "Re-buy Loadout" button at the vendor buys the same kit again. You can remove items from the list before you confirm, so it is handy when cash is tight.
How to play your first matches
- Find friendlies and move with them. A lone player crossing open ground is the quickest way to lose a kit.
- Head for the Control Zone. Standing in it is the point of the game. Camping a tower with a sniper rifle or sitting at your own FOB collects no points.
- Use transport. Once your team reaches 20 points, the spawn vehicle unlocks. While it is parked, teammates can spawn onto it from the deployment computer near the vendor. Spawn there when it is up.
- Spot with binoculars. Holding the left mouse button over an enemy reveals them to the whole team, and spotting can earn XP and cash. It also trains you to look before you run in.
- Steady your aim at range. Hold Shift to reduce aim sway for a moment. It also zooms in slightly, which helps with controlled bursts at distance. Rifle sights also have a zeroing range. It shows at the bottom right of the screen, usually defaults to 100m, and you can change it with Page Up and Page Down.
- Do not rush to build a FOB alone. The Forward Operating Base costs $7,500 in the vendor, which is most of a new account's money. Help someone who is already building and you earn from the work without the cost.
Cash and levels
After the starting balance, income comes from helping the team. Kills, revives, healing, spotting, delivering supplies and building all pay. Transport, repairs and objective play also count.
Progression works in roles. There are six tracks: Assault, Medic, Support, Recon, Driver and Pilot. Your overall WARDOG level is the sum of them, and items are tagged to a role, so what you carry decides what you level. Hover over an item in the vendor to see which role it feeds, shown in orange.
You are not locked into a class, so pick the role that looks fun. Assault is the easiest to start with, and Medic suits anyone who likes staying close to their squad. Many unlocks sit behind role levels. The MP5, for example, needs Medic Lvl 15 and the M4 needs Assault Lvl 20.
Common mistakes
- Spending everything on one life. A few deaths in an expensive kit and you are back to the free rifle.
- Heavy armour too early. Level 3 and Level 4 gear needs unlocks and is heavy. Level 4 Armor weighs 18 kg, against 3 kg for Level 1.
- Leaving without healing. Carry at least a Bandage. An Individual First Aid Kit ($800) heals back to full health if you can afford it.
- Shouting about your medic. Local voice chat means nearby enemies can hear players around them. If you are downed, do not call out to a medic who is creeping towards you.
- Chasing exploits. First-offence leniency has ended, and players who repeatedly abuse exploits now risk permanent bans without warning. Earn it the normal way.
A simple plan for the hour
Minutes 0 to 10: Visit the firing range. Try the free rifle and the T-21, and get used to the sights.
Minutes 10 to 30: Join a Low-Level or Infantry Mode server. Buy the cheap kit, go with a group to the Control Zone, and aim to survive and spot rather than top the scoreboard.
Minutes 30 to 50: Add one job to your life. Revive a squadmate, mark targets with binoculars, or help carry supplies for someone else's build.
Minutes 50 to 60: Check your balance. If you are ahead, buy one upgrade, such as a sight or a bigger backpack. If you are behind, stay on the cheap kit and play the objective.
If you can squad up, do it. Squad nights are an easy way to learn the roles, because someone else is usually covering the job you are not.
Season 2 is close
Season 02 is due on 15 October 2026. Reports say Cash and XP progression will reset, with banked Cash converted to Gold Bars. If you are reading this near launch, you will likely be starting again alongside everyone else. Our Season 2 guide covers what changes. Weapon damage, recoil and suppression are also being reworked, so check prices and stats in the vendor once the update is live.