Gray Zone Warfare beginners tips: 6 tips and tricks for GZW

Warning: It's brutal.

base camp in gray zone warfare
Screenshot by Dot Esports

We have welcomed Gray Zone Warfare to the extraction shooter party, and as to be expected, it’s no walk in the park, more a sprint through a death-covered gauntlet of traps and trouble.

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Gray Zone Warfare is unlike most first-person shooters. Forget regenerating health, plentiful ammo, and streamlined objectives. GZW is unrelenting and unforgiving but also fun if you persevere.

When you play Gray Zone Warfare for the first time, there’s much to consider, so here are our best tips to better contend with what the FPS throws at you.

Best tips and tricks to survive in Gray Zone Warfare

bleeding in gray zone warfare
Expect to see this screen a lot. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Learn how the helicopter works

Using helicopters is the key to getting around GZW’s Lamang Island map. Whether you’re deploying into hostile territory or need to call a helicopter to extract, the air vehicle is imperative to make travel easier and faster.

But with many users in your server, don’t be surprised if there’s a wait from time to time because all the transport vehicles are in use.

Be sparing with your use of vendors

Gray Zone Warfare has multiple vendors, each specializing in a different area. For instance, Lab Rat is an expert in acquiring and providing quests tied to medical supplies: Meds Wanted, Lost and Found, and Secret Compassion, for instance.

Gunny, meanwhile, can provide a healthy array of weapons and ammunition—for a price, of course.

Always have Bandages and Blood Packs

You need Bandages and Blood Packs in GZW because you’re going to get shot. Even with all the armor and protection in the world, you will suffer a litany of wounds. Bandages are essential for stopping the bleeding—making sure you don’t fall into a coma or die—and Blood Packs can basically give you a big infusion of health.

Also, be wary of other ailments such as coughing, nausea, and dizzy effects and become a mini-doctor by knowing the ins and outs of healing to fix bone fractures and restore hydration, energy, and blood without using items.

Read between the lines with objectives

There are no objective markers in Gray Zone Warfare. You have a few vague paragraphs of instructions from the vendor and maybe a hint of where to go and coordinates from time to time.

Early-game quests are designed to promote a sense of exploration and logic in you. Warfare Cache teaches you the basics of needing and managing additional quest items in conjunction with following instructions to find a mission objective. No Man Left Behind goes one step further with mission items and tracking down a target.

Learn to pick up on the key points of what the vendor is asking you, learn the map, and you should become a navigational wizard with the deductive ability of Sherlock Holmes.

Don’t be afraid to follow other players

You’re not alone in a Gray Zone Warfare server. Other players are also trying to complete many of the same directives as you, which means they are going to the same spots and can help you unleash a cooperative tour-de-force of firepower on foes.

If you’re patient enough, by the time you get to the location you desire, all the enemies could be dead already, and it’s a win-win for you—if you’re struggling with combat.

Treat every encounter like it could be your last

Unless you are versed in other unforgiving first-person shooter contemporaries such as Hell Let Loose or Escape From Tarkov, GZW could be a rude awakening. It’s nowhere near as user-friendly as Call of Duty or Battlefield, and each death sets you back time, money, resources, and enjoyment.

It sounds silly, but approach all combat encounters like they are a final boss. One false move, one little sprint, and one misplaced shot can result in an enemy turning around and nailing your head with two or three placed shots (if that), and your efforts are up in smoke in the blink of an eye.

Author
Image of Andrew Highton
Andrew Highton
Andy is a Game Guides Writer at Dot Esports with a host of experience working at Dexerto, Twinfinite, Keengamer, and more. He's about as passionate a gamer as you're likely to find and spreads that love across a ton of different titles, but will also talk everything football, golf, and wrestling! Be sure to follow his thoughts and ramblings over at @AndyHighton8 on Twitter.