Insurgents: Strategies

[Hunter]

Part 1: shooting people on foot

 

The single biggest mistake I see nearly every Insurgent driver make is that they get way too close to the person they're attacking. When you're close, the player on foot can auto aim - it doesn't matter how powerful your gun is; if you have to aim manually and he/she can just auto aim, you'll hardly ever kill the enemy before they kill you.

 

It doesn't matter if the gunner has to be a good shot - just stay far back from your enemies. Don't get close just to (supposedly) make it easier for them - all this will do is get you both killed. Stay far back, and you can't be locked onto/auto aimed. Things are more than evened up all of a sudden - now both sides have to aim manually, only your enemy has to kill two people, who are partially hidden by the Insurgent, and have a giant powerful machine gun with infinite ammo. Think of it as being similar to when you use a sniper on foot - you don't use one of them when you know the enemy's close enough to just lock on to you. Instead, you get some distance.

 

Staying far back also makes you a smaller target in general, and you should have an easier time dodging both RPGs and homing missiles (see here http://gtaforums.com/topic/838673-insurgents-dodging-homing-missiles/).

 

If an enemy on foot gets themselves in a position where you'll have to come close to kill them, don't. They can't hurt you from there either if you're careful, so you can just out - camp them instead. If they manage to lure you in you'll just get auto aimed.

 

Don't forget that you can also do long distance drive bys. I'd recommend either the AP Pistol or Heavy Revolver for this. Obviously, shooting is mainly the job of the gunner, but you can help out a little.

 

For the gunner:

 

There's not much to say here other than just practice a lot. You need to be able to free aim well, and you need to have good enough vision that you can pick off players who are far away (without using a scope). You might find it easier to switch to first person (the view should be a little closer in).

 

Try not to get yourself/the driver a wanted level. Only shoot cops if you absolutely have to. Cops are a pain for Insurgents and interfere when you're trying to fight people who are on foot.

 

Try to work with the driver as much as you can. Figure out who he/she wants you to shoot, so you're able to get the people your driver is putting you in a position to get. Otherwise, the driver may end up leaving you vulnerable (because he/she assumes you'll get a certain player, and you shoot a different person).

 

Don't forget that both players can call Lester to remove cops and go off radar - this helps cut down on the cool down timers you have to wait for each time. Take it in turns calling the cops off each other.

 

Keep a keen eye on the map - it can help you work out where people are, plus you can spot potential threats (helicopters, jets, tanks, etc.) and warn the driver.

 

Part 2: dodging homing missiles

 

The Insurgent is much smaller and faster than the tank, meaning it has a much easier time dodging missiles. Having said that, if you simply try to drive off as fast as you can, you'll almost definitely get hit. See the picture below:

 

 

The missile (represented by the red arrow) doesn't have to make any turns to hit the Insurgent, since they're both going in the same direction. because of this, it's simply a competition of speed - one the Insurgent will lose.

 

Try to do it more like this instead:

 

 

By driving sideways to where the missile has come from, the missile (represented by a red arrow again), has to make a turn to hit the Insurgent. More often than not, it can't make this turn sharply enough, and will be avoided by the Insurgent.

 

Similar techniques can be used against homing launcher missiles, though those turn much more sharply, so there's less room for error when homing launchers are involved. It also generally helps to be quite far from whoever's shooting the homing launcher.

 

This is part of why it's good to shoot people from a distance with the Insurgent, rather than close up - not only can you not be auto aimed, but it's easier to avoid homing missiles and RPGs.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Icantthinkofonew

[Hunter]

Part 3: transport

 

The Insurgent can hold 9 people. 9 People! That's huge; that's almost as much as some buses. Similar to what you can do with helicopters (see here http://gtaforums.com/topic/837987-helicopters-transport/),you can use the transport element of the Insurgent to help beat enemies.

 

Look at the picture below:

 

 

An enemy (represented by a red circle) is tucked away behind cover. He wants to lure the Insurgent closer, so he can auto aim the driver/gunner. However, we can get around this, as you can see in the picture below. We can put down friends (represented by green circles):

 

 

 

Another friend (see below) can be put down by the other side of the building:

 

 

Now the enemy (red circle) is surrounded. The friends (green circles) will probably either kill him, or flush him out of hiding, where he can be gunned down by the Insurgent:

 

 

The ability to hold so many people, and to be able to quickly place them where you want them, is very useful for the Insurgent. If you have a good amount of friends with you, try not to underestimate this as a tactic. It's particularly useful for when an enemy gets somewhere you can't reach without being auto aimed.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Icantthinkofonew

[Hunter]

Part 4: fighting tanks

 

In my opinion, the tank has the advantage here, by a fairly long way. Sure, the Insurgent is strong, but one shot from the tank will usually throw an Insurgent to the ground, where it's stuck and will just be shot again. In effect, if a tank gets you once, chances are it'll get you again. You're probably going to need to go off radar if you want to beat a tank while in an Insurgent.

 

The first method is to cover your Insurgent with sticky bombs, ram it into the tank and detonate. Usually, the tank is supposed to get destroyed, while the Insurgent survives. This can work, but I avoid this tactic for two reasons:

 

The Insurgent has to be in good condition - if it has had previous damage, you'll probably die.

 

These bombs are attached to you, and if a tank spots you and shoots you, every one of them will go off. Basically, you're dead if the tank spots you.

 

I prefer to simply ram into the back of the tank, and smudge right into it so he/she finds it difficult to get the tank's cannon to aim at you. Simultaneously, you plaster the tank with sticky bombs. Once enough are attached, back off and detonate.

 

Both are very valid tactics though. I would recommend that, whichever one you do, the gunner should come off the gun and into the Insurgent. This is because the Insurgent's gun isn't going to do a lot to the tank - the gunner is more useful inside the Insurgent, where he/she can help throw more sticky bombs. Once the tank's dealt with, the gunner can get back on the gun.

 

Other vehicles:

 

Another option is to simply drive to a vehicle your gunner has called up, and let them use that to destroy the tank. Then they can either stay in the other vehicle, or get back in the Insurgent. You might use a helicopter (see here http://gtaforums.com/topic/838334-helicopters-taking-out-tanks-and-insurgents/),or even a jet if you don't mind overkill (see here http://gtaforums.com/topic/838823-jets-taking-out-tanks/).

 

If your gunner doesn't own any of these vehicles, there is a simple way to make a normal helicopter deadly against tanks. Just strap as many sticky bombs as you can onto it, get in and fly high, then come down directly on top of the tank (where the tank is unable to aim). Detonate on impact. See here for more information on that http://gtaforums.com/topic/838817-the-explosive-helicopter-an-unarmed-helicopter-tactic/.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Icantthinkofonew

[Hunter]

Part 5: taking out jets with an Insurgent

This is, in essence, the same as when you try to snipe a jet down. Well it's not the same, but it follows a similar kind of method.

 

The best thing you can do is find somewhere you're able to hide, but also pop out quickly. It could be a bridge, overpass, parking garage, some other structure, etc. Stay still just outside your hiding place, and wait for the jet to attack. Just before the jet comes close enough to attack, get in the hiding place. Pop out once the jet has passed, and if your gunner is quick enough he/she might be able to get a few shots at the jet before it pulls up/gets away.

 

It helps if you have a good idea of how far the jets cannons will reach - then you have a better idea of when to hide/pop out. Also, it shouldn't take a lot of bullets to down the jet (or at least make it smoke) - you might only be able to get a few shots, but that's all it will take.

 

Unfortunately, you don't always have a perfect hiding place available. If you don't buildings can be used (though they should be your second choice, since their lack of a roof means jets can dive bomb you).

 

If you're going to use a building, just sit near the corner of it, wait for the jet to come near, and drive off to the other side of the building. The gunner has a very short window to get some sots in here. As mentioned before though, a jet can strike from directly above, so it's preferable to just get somewhere with a roof where you can hide properly.

 

Going out into the open/anywhere without buildings to use as cover is a big no for Insurgent vs jet combat. You need to have stuff to hide behind/under/around.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Icantthinkofonew

[Hunter]

Part 6: fighting helicopters

 

The biggest strength helicopters have over Insurgents is that they can aim straight down, like this:

 

 

While Insurgents can't aim straight up. See the picture below (the green line represents where the Insurgent can aim):

 

 

So what a helicopter will do is simple: it will try to get directly above you, and shoot you from an angle you can't aim at. Your job (if you're the driver) is to make sure this doesn't happen, by driving erratically and shaking the helicopter off.

 

It helps to have experience flying helicopters yourself - then you know what tends to throw them off your track, and how to drive in positions that are awkward for them to "aim" at.

 

If a helicopter is using missiles, try not to drive away from the helicopter in a straight line - this will make the missiles have a much better chance of hitting you (see here for more information http://gtaforums.com/topic/838673-insurgents-dodging-homing-missiles/). Instead, drive sideways to where the helicopter's pointing if you can, and as said before, try not to drive in a predictable manner.

 

Remember that every time you crash, this presents an opportunity for helicopters like the Savage to cannon you while you've slowed down. Be careful.

 

For the gunner:

 

The gun on the Insurgent has a longer range than you might think. Try to spot enemy helicopters early, and you can fill them full of bullets before they're even close. If you're feeling confident, you can try to aim for a helicopter's tail rotor or pilot (both weak areas).

 

Other tips and tricks:

 

The Valkyrie is especially deadly against Insurgents, as it can have a co pilot shoot straight down, without the main pilot having to slow down to dip the helicopter towards you. If a Valkyrie's after you, it's best to abandon the Insurgent for a little while, take on the enemy on foot, and then get back in (assuming you beat the helicopter).

 

One tactic people use to do this is to have the gunner jump out while the Insurgent's going at a high speed. The driver gets out separately. The point of this is to make sure there's distance between the two players - this makes it harder for the enemy/helicopter to simply shoot you from an angle you can't aim at.

 

If you have to use it, then remember that off the radar can be your friend.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Icantthinkofonew

[Hunter]

Part 7: anti - Insurgent techniques

 

Insurgents (in auto aim sessions at least) are usually not very hard to counter. As long as you have some kind of cover, or a rooftop, you can wait and lure most into coming close - then auto aim them.

 

This will work against nearly all Insurgents you come across, since - to be frank - very few people use the Insurgent properly. Most just charge in, where they can be auto aimed. If they stay far back though, where you can't lock onto them, they can be a little more troublesome.

 

If you're stuck hiding away somewhere, it's best to just stay there and try to out - camp the Insurgent. Of course, you don't always have lots of buildings or cover around though. In these situations you can:

 

Try to snipe them from very long distances. This only really has a chance of being effective if you do it from a range where they can't see you. Otherwise you'll almost definitely get gunned down. You're really just hoping for a lucky shot by doing this anyway, but it can happen. Try to lead your shot - aim ahead of where you think the driver/gunner will be, so they move into your target. Then shoot.

 

Usually things don't work out so simply though. If they get closer (and you have nowhere to hide), you can try minigun'ing them. It's not great, and they still have the advantage, but really you should be aiming to be somewhere with cover anyway - if you're not, things are already not going great.

 

Don't forget you can use off the radar. Some people don't like it, and you'll often get hate mail for using it, but at the end of the day you're on foot and a vehicle is after you - you've got to do what you've got to do. You can use it to escape somewhere you can hide (and use auto aim, the Insurgent's biggest threat), or get hold of a vehicle yourself.

 

Other vehicles:

 

There are a few vehicles that are effective against Insurgents. You might choose a Savage/Valkyrie (see here

 

Taking out tanks/Insurgents in a helicopter

There are two main methods for taking out a tank; both are actually very simple.

 

This first one is very easy once you've got the hang of it. The Buzzard and Savage have missiles that can lock on. If you get to the very end of their lock on range, you'll be at a distance where the tank's cannon can't reach you. Your missiles, however, can. So go at the very end of your missiles lock on range, don't come any closer, and just spam the missiles. Job done.

 

Helicopters like the Valkyrie don't have missiles, however, so here's the second option (one players have been using for a very long time).

 

Tanks can't aim straight up. As you can see in the picture below, their line of sight (represented by a red line) is actually very limited:

 

 

Helicopters, on the other hand, can be made to aim straight down:

 

 

So you can just get above the tank, where it can't aim at you, then blast it. It's easy once you've done it a few times.

 

Insurgents are similar, but a much larger threat.

 

Their weapons seem to have a longer range than the cannon on the tank, so the missile tank - destroying technique is far more risky if you're up against an Insurgent.

 

Like the tank, the Insurgent does have a limited angle that it can aim up at though, so the second tank - destroying tactic is viable. However, you have to be a lot more careful when applying it to an Insurgent.

 

They are a much small target, for one thing. Secondly, they are a lot faster than tanks - it is actually quite easy for them to move to a position where they can shoot at you. For most helicopters, I'd would recommend flying above them, but waiting for them to crash/slow down before dipping up and down to shoot them - otherwise, there's a good chance you'll be seen and shot at.

 

I would also recommend not using a Buzzard against Insurgents. It can destroy them, but it is easily the least effective of the helicopters at doing it, in my opinion. What I would recommend using against Insurgents, is the Valkyrie. A Valkyrie co pilot can aim straight down without the main pilot having to dip and dive the helicopter about, meaning it's not hard to stay in the safe area above the Insurgent, while still having your co pilot able to shoot.

 

Here's a video (not my own) that you might find helpful:

 

 

 

 

 

A jet (see here

 

Taking out Insurgents with a jet

 

This is very similar to taking out tanks, and uses the same tactic (see here (http://gtaforums.com/topic/838823-jets-taking-out-tanks/). Just like tanks, Insurgents can't aim straight up (see the picture below, where the red line represents the Insurgent's line of sight):

 

 

Jets, on the other hand, can go straight down, and then blast with their cannons.

 

In other words, if you stay high up, and then dive bomb them, you'll be able to shoot them while they're unable to shoot you.

 

As long as you do it right, jets have a considerable advantage over Insurgents. Insurgents are definitely a bigger threat than tanks are though - they are smaller/harder to hit, as well as much faster. Generally, they'll take more than one attack, so you need to be ready to pull up once you've dive bombed (to avoid getting shot).

 

Also be wary that the Insurgent's gun can reach further than the tank's cannon - it has a fairly decent range, so you'll need to approach while flying high up. Otherwise, you'll get hit by the gun from far off, and the gun does a lot of damage to jets if it gets some good hits.

 

 

 

Or even a tank (see here

 

Taking out Insurgents with a tank

 

In my opinion, the tank has a fairly large advantage over the Insurgent. That said, Insurgents can go off radar and use their speed to their advantage.

 

They will usually try to either charge at you and throw sticky bombs all over you, or they'll attach sticky bombs to themselves, and try to suicide bomb you.

 

Both can be countered in the same way - just watch your back, and be ready for anything. Try to get somewhere you can put the back of your tank to a wall (i.e. a dead end) - this should stop any Insurgent from sneaking up behind you.

 

Don't forget that you can go off radar as well - if you time it right (just after they've done theirs), your off radar will last just a little longer than theirs. This means once they reappear on the radar, you'll have a few seconds where you can see where they are, but they don't know where you are. Sometimes you get lucky and they're nearby - then you can just take them out easily.

 

As for the shooting side of things, there's not much to this other than just practicing. Although, it is a good idea to shoot just a little ahead of where the Insurgent's going - this is because the tank's cannon takes a little while to reach wherever you shoot. So if you shot directly at the Insurgent, by the time the shell hit, the Insurgent would have moved. By aiming just a little ahead of where you predict they'll go, they'll essentially drive into the tank's cannon/shell.

 

If you do manage to shoot the Insurgent once, they'll generally lose control, and sometimes fall over. This is your opportunity to get them while they're down. So while the Insurgent has a lot of armour, it's still in trouble if it gets hit by a tank, even just the once.

 

It's quite simple, I know, but it's a simple topic. There's not that much to it.

 

 

Edited January 20, 2016 by Icantthinkofonew

[Hunter]

Taking out Insurgents with a jet

 

This is very similar to taking out tanks, and uses the same tactic (see here (http://gtaforums.com/topic/838823-jets-taking-out-tanks/). Just like tanks, Insurgents can't aim straight up (see the picture below, where the red line represents the Insurgent's line of sight):

 

 

Jets, on the other hand, can go straight down, and then blast with their cannons.

 

In other words, if you stay high up, and then dive bomb them, you'll be able to shoot them while they're unable to shoot you.

 

As long as you do it right, jets have a considerable advantage over Insurgents. Insurgents are definitely a bigger threat than tanks are though - they are smaller/harder to hit, as well as much faster. Generally, they'll take more than one attack, so you need to be ready to pull up once you've dive bombed (to avoid getting shot).

 

Also be wary that the Insurgent's gun can reach further than the tank's cannon - it has a fairly decent range, so you'll need to approach while flying high up. Otherwise, you'll get hit by the gun from far off, and the gun does a lot of damage to jets if it gets some good hits.

Edited January 22, 2016 by Icantthinkofonew

[Hunter]

Taking out Insurgents with a tank

 

In my opinion, the tank has a fairly large advantage over the Insurgent. That said, Insurgents can go off radar and use their speed to their advantage.

 

They will usually try to either charge at you and throw sticky bombs all over you, or they'll attach sticky bombs to themselves, and try to suicide bomb you.

 

Both can be countered in the same way - just watch your back, and be ready for anything. Try to get somewhere you can put the back of your tank to a wall (i.e. a dead end) - this should stop any Insurgent from sneaking up behind you.

 

Don't forget that you can go off radar as well - if you time it right (just after they've done theirs), your off radar will last just a little longer than theirs. This means once they reappear on the radar, you'll have a few seconds where you can see where they are, but they don't know where you are. Sometimes you get lucky and they're nearby - then you can just take them out easily.

 

As for the shooting side of things, there's not much to this other than just practicing. Although, it is a good idea to shoot just a little ahead of where the Insurgent's going - this is because the tank's cannon takes a little while to reach wherever you shoot. So if you shot directly at the Insurgent, by the time the shell hit, the Insurgent would have moved. By aiming just a little ahead of where you predict they'll go, they'll essentially drive into the tank's cannon/shell.

 

If you do manage to shoot the Insurgent once, they'll generally lose control, and sometimes fall over. This is your opportunity to get them while they're down. So while the Insurgent has a lot of armour, it's still in trouble if it gets hit by a tank, even just the once.

 

It's quite simple, I know, but it's a simple topic. There's not that much to it.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Icantthinkofonew

[Hunter]

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Edited January 20, 2016 by Icantthinkofonew

[Mattoropael]

Taking the Insurgent pickup out with the regular PV Insurgent is also an option.

 

It's durable enough to withstand a ridiculous amount of MG fire, and the back is mostly-BP (enough to cover your ass while you're on the move). You will have to lure the pickup to chase you, and the crew may not always take the bait. Once they do, however, slow down at appropriate moments to let the pickup get close, but never in position to pass you (should be easy since the PV Insurgent has performance mods). Once they're close enough, simply AP Pistol the hell out of them.

 

You should also be wary of making left turns, since that can compromise your protection.

Edited January 28, 2016 by Mattoropael

[Prodigy_Rocks_]

Tip for the gunner:

 

-Pre-fire while leading the crosshair. Shots are often going to hit your target when the vehicle is in motion.

 

-If you're bad at free aiming in the gunner seat but you want to practice: burst fire or semi auto.

The recoil can be troublesome while in motion depending on your game style. Take it easy by semi autoing or burst firing and eventually transition into the full auto for extended time.