What 5 tips would you give new players to the game?

[Graphic]

1) Use recon.
2) Don't think infantry is bad jsut because it dies in the open.
3) If you have the opportunity, kill the command vehicles.
4) Sides, hit the sides!
5) Don't forget the move fast command.

Simple and to the point.

[AtticusFinch]

All of the tips people have given are great, here are some out of the box tips:

1. The game is constantly being developed and updated: Eugen, the game developers, actively fix bugs and tweak unit balancing on a regular basis. This is a blessing and curse as units you play with may have an obvious role today and a completely different role after the next patch (Artillery, Tanks, and ATGM's have seen some serious changes over the game's evolution for both the better and the worse depending on who you talk to).

2. Eugen reads the forums and listens to the community: I'm not joking. One of the best/worse things I have seen about this company is their willingness to please their players. I can't say enough how nice it is to feel like a contributor to the development of a game. However, I fear that on occasions Eugen has appeased unwarranted desires by players to change things that need not be meddled with.

3. The players care: Most big games like Call of Duty or Diablo 3 have tons of irritating children (both young and old) playing, but this isn't one of those triple A titles which drags in every Joe, Tom, and Dick. While the later may present itself from time to time, most players will be more than glad to offer you advice on how to play if you only ask and this forum post is proof of that. Make sure to heed their advice even if it is bad (even the worst advice can be good advice on what not to do later).

4. Play nice and educate: If someone whines in your game about how overpowered something is or why their arty spam isn't working, then kindly remind them that the forum/YouTube is a great place to go to get advice. The best way to improve your game and have fun is to get over that learning curve, it might be a little steeper than you are used to but it is rewarding once you do.

5. "Never give up! Never surrender!": Even if you are losing. play your games all the way through, take the time to watch at least one replay, and take note of what you opponent is fielding and how they use/position it. It might not be the best way, but it was good enough to beat you didn't it?

Good luck and have fun!

[Sarvik]

1. Command vehicles
Keep your command vehicles alive at all costs! Buy only armoured variants. Put them in cover. Put some other units nearby. Move them if they are threatened.
Obviously it works both ways: Enemy command vehicles are highest priority target!

2. Recon and cover.
Vision in crucial for effective fighting. Use recon units to see what enemy has and what he is doing. Also put them to flanks where he may do surprise attacks. Put your units into cover to make spotting them harder. Also spread them out as much as terrain allows.

3. Have clear plan/objective(s) at start.
Which zones will you capture immediately, which you will ignore, from where you will get your reinforcements, into which forests/towns you will send infantry etc. Failing to capitalize available options in initial moves will immediately put you into disadvantage. Obviously in larger games you need to communicate with your teammates about initial moves.

4. Know abilities of units that you are fielding.
Are they fast/slow, wheeled/tracked, effective then shooting on a move or not (stabilizers), good against infantry or vehicles or helos, level of armour etc. Also use more or less balanced army. Spamming lots of certain single unit (like helos or arty) may work occasionally, but you won't learn anything from it and will be massacred by more competent people.

5. Learn from you mistakes and opponents
If you don't know why you got your ass kicked, then save replay and watch it again. If many players field certain unit then it often is a good unit, but there can be exceptions (like command jeeps), also point 4 still applies.

[Newtoma]

4. Hit the enter key to send chat messages

Thank God! I have been trying to find that out since I got this game.

[Jasper Elenanova]

Recon is the most important unit in the game,use the wisely and you are always one step ahead of your opponent.

[Leepants]

NEVER use helo command vehicles!

NEVER leave command vehicles undefended form both ground AND air.

[leroy11]

Seriously just won a conquest game in 30 seconds. I took all the points, no one else bother to TAKE points.

KNOW THE GAME CONDITIONS!!!!!

I join a conquest game, I didnt host, I didnt set conditions, YOU set conditions, I just join YOUR 2v2 game,

Game start and only I take points!!!!!

No one else take points and we win in like 30 seconds. My god people understand what your victory conditions are.

This has happened heaps of times, dont pick weird victory conditions if you dont want to play them or dont undertand them.

[DelroyMonjo]

Good point, Leroy, but it's not just n00bs who get caught playing games with victory conditions not suitable to their playstyle or deck composition.

[Leepants]

Seriously just won a conquest game in 30 seconds. I took all the points, no one else bother to TAKE points.

KNOW THE GAME CONDITIONS!!!!!

I join a conquest game, I didnt host, I didnt set conditions, YOU set conditions, I just join YOUR 2v2 game,

Game start and only I take points!!!!!

No one else take points and we win in like 30 seconds. My god people understand what your victory conditions are.

This has happened heaps of times, dont pick weird victory conditions if you dont want to play them or dont undertand them.

Brilliant!!!!

[KOMRADEFRUIT]

In no particular order of significance

1. Learn to use recon adeptly.

2. Play with and against every unit in the game. Stats are one thing, getting a feel or units is another altogether.

3. Pay attention to chat text. When someone gives you advice or gives you a heads up of enemy locations, pay attention.

4. Dont get attatched to land. Just because somewhere is on the enemy's side of the map doesnt mean you cant go there or there are baddies there and you have to stay on your side of the map and fight. Anywhere is fair game, the map is a tool, use it to hit from any direction.

#5 to infinity. Use an armored cv.