Editing Top Ten Scouting Tips

==Watch your own back==
AKA: '''CYOA''' (Cover Your Own A**)
Always bring your own backup (a second or third vehicle).  Too many times on group scouts other players focus only upon themselves and the enemies they are fighting and will do nothing to help if you get in trouble.  Scouting alone with only one vehicle is especially stupid, since you have no tactical options – all the enemies drive straight towards you.  If you violate this rule and insist on scouting with only one vehicle, scout '''only''' with players you know will bail you out if you get in trouble.

==Do not stop your vehicle(s) in the open==
Open terrain is lethal. Always make a stand on obstructed ground to break enemy formations or on top of a small hill or cliff.  Anything to avoid having the enemy swarm you.  No matter how good your gang members are or what you are driving, no vehicle can fight when it is being pegged by 
3 or more heavy weapons – the stress is too great for accurate fire AND your vehicle might even flip.  Once you get pinned down by weapons fire you are dead.  In a worst-case scenario where there is little to no cover try to run until some of the enemy auto-escapes at 500m.  Another technique is to run until the enemy becomes spread out, then turn and kill the lead vehicles before the others can join - divide and conquer.

==Always assume there will be a return/second encounter==
Do not loot vehicles that you don't want to fight in.  Looted vehicle add their CR to the number of enemy vehicles encountered on a return. Vehicles with engines less than 75%, that have their main guns destroyed, or have more than one armor facing breached are death traps.  Do not make exceptions for rare vehicles, leave that 8% 3.2Lv8, it's not worth it.  Greed kills.  If you violate this rule (and you will), then you must prepare to ditch your loot vehicle at the start of the return.  Place your loot vehicle TO THE LEFT of the vehicle you want your driver to escape to (because the steering wheel in DW is ON THE RIGHT).  Slow both vehicles down to 0 mph.  Then exit the loot vehicle.  If you do it right you can immediately board your own vehicle without exposing your gang member to weapons fire – this is the 'loot car shuffle'.  Practice this.  Always leave enough room in your regular vehicle for your guy to hop back in (20 bulk).

==Don't forget the 'Surrender All' option==
If solo scouting (not the same as scouting with one vehicle, just scouting by yourself) remember you can always select 'surrender all' if you are about to lose a valuable gang member. Of course this depends on who the gang member is – if it's a new recruit then who cares – but if it's your leader surrender that apache – you can always get another but it takes months and even years to build up a good leader.  This is why solo scouting is safer, because you don't have this option on group scouts unless everyone agrees.  There is no excuse for losing your three best gang members on a bad scout.  DO NOT GET ATTACHED TO VEHICLES, DO NOT CONTINUE A BAD SCOUT TO GET 'REVENGE'.

==Cross-train==
Focus on gaining as many specializations as fast as possible.  Most skills give you a specialization in blocks of 50.  So if your large-gunner is at 67 skill and is only training one point a week during the training hit, then he is probably close to his maximum skill level. Switch his training to gunnery or hand gunner until you hit 50, then switch to something else.  Always try to have a first-aid specialization character in a squad – you can quickly cross-train first aid in EL.  Always have a Motivator in a town with more than three gang members – this improves their training over time.

==Destroy rocket vehicles first==
Destroy vehicles like the Mutant Marauder and Scorpion first - getting hit by twin RLs can kill by making your vehicle unresponsive and preventing you from returning fire.
Be scared of heavy rockets – a heavy rocket can kill you in one shot.  Ignore CGLs till the end – they are no threat to a well-built vehicle.

==Always fire until an enemy vehicle is reduced to 0 CR==
You can read an enemy vehicle's CR by hovering over it with your pointer.  Too many needless deaths occur when a player dismisses a 'killed' enemy vehicle, only to have a heavy-rocket come out of 'nowhere' and kill him.  Rare loot is the exception – save them for last and kill/red as many other enemies as you can – this demoralizes the remaining enemy force.  Being struck by weapons fire is also demoralizing – so if you want to loot that rare chassis pay attention to its remaining armor and be careful not to breach it – pepper it on all sides until it demoralizes.  You may need to hold fire for a turn.

==Always equip hand weapons on all characters==
Also, upgrade to SMGs or Rifles when possible.  Make sure each character has 2 hand weapon reloads.  Do not travel without hand weapons, and remember you cannot reload hand weapons while running.

==Don't forget to attempt to truce an encounter you wish to avoid==
You get a chance to truce after you see the initial enemy placement.  If ambushed by a superior force try to truce.  If you are attacked on a return and your vehicles are too beat up to fight attempt to truce.  A good scout can save your entire squad.

==Always pack reloads==
Try for at least 2 per weapon, 3 to be safe (muscle cars and rocket racks are the exception).  Anything less requires a dedicated ammo carrier.  If you do this don't forget to distribute ammo from your ammo carrier at the end of combat.  Let enemies escape and end combat if you are out of reloads, since this means the next encounter will probably kill you (obviously you don't care about preserving ammo if it's a return or gates encounter).  Get in the habit of always reloading weapons on the loot screen for all vehicles.  If you need ideas for vehicle builds spy on the garage of a vet, and see which vehicles have 'renowned' status and higher.  These are the designs to imitate, because they are battle tested and proven.

[[Category:New Player]]
[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Scouting]]