How to Become a Better Space Marine
Although Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II’s multiplayer has only got 3 maps and 3 modes, there is a surprising depth to the gameplay I’ve not seen in any other recent multiplayer game. Also, I don’t profess to be anywhere of an eSports standard player; in fact, I’m just an aging but experienced 53-year-old one. However, as you will see from some of the scorecards and videos below, I’m not too shabby either! So, here are my tips and tricks to become a better badass on the multiplayer battlefield of Space Marine II.
1 – Know Your Chosen Class’s Strengths and Weaknesses
It seems pretty obvious, this one, but with Space Marine II, the gulf in playstyle differences per class is wide! Unlike other multiplayer games where it doesn’t matter too much, leading the charge as a Sniper class (for example) here in this game is almost cause for a heretic dressing down. There are six classes per match, but there is a maximum of just 2 from the same class in that match. This means it’s best to be comfortable with at least two classes to fit the kind of gamer you are. Most importantly though, don’t try and play as you would with another class with one that is not suited to it.
Play each class as you think they should be played, not how you would, and you might find you become effective in a new playstyle you didn’t realize you would be. For example, I thought I’d be best suited to the Tactical class, but after being forced to use something else (the Heavy), I found I was far more effective for the team in this class.
2 – Strength in Numbers
What is more deadly than one Space Marine? Two Space Marines! It sounds pretty obvious, but it’s amazing how often I see players just wander off on their own, only to get picked off by an unseen foe and grant them the satisfaction of a kill. I find any Bulwarks or Vanguards and follow them. These guys are built for the front lines and will generally find the enemy bullets first. You can then, as a Heavy, Tactical, or Assault, start to pick off and chip down the enemy’s health from behind the lead class’s wall.
The other thing I see players do is, if they have survived the initial skirmish, they may find themselves on their own but still push forward. What I try to do in that situation is look around and find my nearest teammate and number up as quickly as possible. This may even mean a tactical retreat! In Annihilation Mode (team deathmatch), this is an especially prudent tactic to employ!
3 – Use Your Damn Special Abilities!
In Space Marine II‘s co-op mode, there are trials that each character can have a go at for in-game credits that highlight how each character can/should use their special abilities. These trials also showcase what kind of playstyles each class has.
It’s a shame the multiplayer side of things doesn’t also have the trials for each character as the number of times I’ve seen players not use their abilities from the get-go or straight after a respawn when I know they have them, staggers me. These abilities are very effective and extremely useful for the team, and it’s always the team that spams their abilities the most that generally comes out on top.
4 – Details the Game Doesn’t Tell You
One of the best tools each class has is the spotting ability. Press up on the D-pad when you see an enemy, and suddenly the entire team becomes spotters. Each spotted enemy is highlighted in red for a brief period, but the whole team can see them. This is an incredibly useful tool that is hardly used.
An obvious hint is to know the map and its drop points. There are ammo caches stored around each map, but there are also rarer equipment drops that will restock your grenades. Learn where they are, as if the enemy runs around as a group, knowing where to get a grenade to separate them from their armor is very satisfying.
Flank the enemy. If there is a battle in a corridor that is proving to be a bit of a stalemate, support your teammates by flanking the enemy from the side. Again, obvious one this, and be careful not to stray too far (see point 2), but the game and maps have many chokepoints where a lot of players tend to congregate, leaving them wide open from the sides.
5 – Fire Your Weapon!!
There is a scene in the excellent Band of Brothers tv series where Major Winters screams at one of his soldiers to just “Fire your weapon, Blyth!”. If I see an enemy, and I know that I won’t get the time to kill him before he escapes, I’ll still let loose a few rounds just to chip away at their health and armour. No, I won’t get the kill, but I’ll certainly be helping my teammate somewhere else on the map who now only has a little of the enemy’s health to chew through. The added reason for doing this is that, unlike other multiplayer games, there is no red dot on a mini-map to highlight the enemy you were shooting. So, shoot! The point is here, don’t wait for enough time for the kill, be the team player you are and chip away at the health/armour of any enemy you see.
Summary
In short, group up as often as possible and know what your class is specifically meant to be used for. To find this out, go to the trials of the co-op segment of the game to get an idea of how each class and their special abilities play and how each class should be used.
Once you’ve done that, use those abilities and spot the enemy every chance you get. Fire your weapon at anything that moves or that you suspect is coming around the corner. Do not be afraid to use up your ammo if you know where the ammo and supply drops are on each map.
If you do all of that, then maybe, just maybe, you can start to rack up some of the kills and scores like I have been doing even at my age!