Hell Let Loose guide: Go from recruit to veteran with these tips and tricks

Military simulation (also known as milsim) games generally have a ton of moving parts and can be quite overwhelming for beginners, which is why we've put together this Hell Let Loose guide to help get you started. Hell Let Loose is set during the second World War and so far has American and German factions. The game is still in Steam's Early Access program and is bound to change; nevertheless, these tips and tricks will help fresh recruits overcome the steep learning curve and get them well on their way to taking command of the battlefield.

Hell Let Loose first launch

Upon launching the game, you'll see the main menu with important tabs including Enlist, Barracks, and Settings. You'll no doubt want to tweak the graphics settings and controls to your own (and your PC's) liking in the Settings menu. A requisite for most people is also to turn up friendly unit markers to their max (500 meters). This will keep you from team-killing, as uniforms look similar at long distances. From there you can go ahead and enlist. This brings up a server browser with official and hosted servers. No need to worry about the Barracks yet, as you won't have any cosmetics unlocked if you're just starting out.

There are currently two game modes to enjoy: Warfare and Offensive. Warfare has the two factions begin a match fighting over a central neutral zone with two other zones already captured on both sides. It's up to each team to push the other back behind their lines and capture all zones. If the time limit is reached without a team capturing all zones, the team with the most zones at the end of the game wins. There are five zones on all maps to ensure no draws.

The Offensive game mode has one team attacking while the other defends. The defending team controls all zones at the start of the game, and the offensive team can only win by capturing all strong points. Strong points can be captured as long as your team has more units nearby. Each map has something like 90 different possible areas for strong points. This variety, combined with the enormity of the maps, helps keep matches feeling fresh.

Once you've selected a server and run through any queue that might be waiting, you'll be asked to pick either the Allied or Axis team. From there, you'll want to choose a squad to join. Don't bother making your own squad right at the start; let an experienced player take the Squad Leader role. Squads include Infantry (six people), Armor (three people), and Recon (two people).

If you're just starting out, join an Infantry squad and choose the Rifleman class. This is the standard grunt class that has rifle, grenades, bandages, and ammunition for distribution to other teammates. Learn first how to shoot, how the compass at the bottom of the screen works, and how to communicate. A full rundown of the other classes follows.

Hell Let Loose classes

As you earn XP playing as each class, you will level up. This will unlock new loadouts and cosmetics for each class. Here are the classes you can play as in Hell Let Loose.

Commander

Oversees the entire game and gives orders to Squad Leaders, Armor, and Recon. Can call in various supporting items, like supply drops and bombing runs. Can also reinforce points, spawn tanks and supply trucks, and place Garrisons.

Squad Leader (Officer)

Oversees an Infantry squad. Can place Garrisons and Outposts with a watch. Has a direct voice channel to other Infantry, Recon, and Armor squads, as well as the Commander.

Rifleman

Standard grunt with rifle, grenades, bandages, and ammo box. Can place ammunition on the ground for other teammates to pick up.

Assault

Includes automatic rifle or SMG, grenades, bandages, and smoke grenades. Use smoke to cover an approach.

Automatic Rifleman

Includes an automatic rifle or SMG, grenades, and bandages. Great for attacking and defending.

Medic

Includes a rifle or pistol, morphine syrettes, smoke grenades, and bandages. Best played defensively, waiting for teammates to go down and reviving them under cover of smoke. Limited ammo and firepower are not ideal for attacking.

Support

Includes a rifle or SMG, supplies, grenades, and bandages. Can also carry ammunition and ordnance for teammates. Supplies are used to build Garrisons and defensive structures.

Engineer

Includes a rifle or SMG, wrench, hammer, blowtorch, anti-personnel mines, and anti-tank mines. Can also carry a high-explosive satchel charge. A wrench is used to place defensive structure "greenprints" or resource nodes. A hammer is used to build structures with nearby supplies. A blowtorch is used to repair tanks.

Machine Gunner

The suppression master includes a machine gun, pistol, and bandages. Lay prone and spray bullets to suppress an attacking enemy, or stand up to spray and pray. Also great for suppressing defending units while your team approaches.

Anti-Tank

Includes a rifle, bazooka or panzerschreck, grenades, wrench, and bandages. Can place anti-tank cannons with the wrench. Aim for the back of tanks with projectile for maximum damage.

Spotter

Includes an SMG, grenades, bandages, AP mines, and a watch for placing Garrisons and Outposts. Binoculars are used to spot enemies for the accompanying sniper. Has a direct voice line to Commander, Squad Leaders, and Armor.

Sniper

Includes a sniper rifle, pistol, grenades, and bandages. Best played behind enemy lines, causing havoc near Garrisons and Outposts.

Tank Commander

One-third of a tank crew who calls the shots. Has a direct chat line to Commander, Squad Leaders, and Spotters. Includes a rifle, pistol, bandages, and binoculars.

Crewman

The other two-thirds of a tank crew. Includes a pistol and bandages. Will take over the driving, gunning, or spotting positions as requested by the Tank Commander.

Hell Let Loose general tips and tricks

• Talk to your teammates. If you don't have a quality headset and microphone, you're going to have a bad time. This game relies on clear communication, and you won't have time or patience to type. By default, hold C to chat with squad members, including the Squad Leader (SL). Hold V to speak locally, with players who are nearby (proximity volume is in effect). Hold X to speak with other Squad Leaders and the Commander; this is only available if you're a Squad Leader.
• If your squad isn't talking, find a new squad. This game is exponentially more enjoyable when playing with people who communicate and work as a team.
• Follow your Squad Leaders orders. Chances are, they're experienced and know what they're doing. Hell Let Loose isn't a game won by lone-wolf exploits. If you run off on your own, chances are you're going to die.
• Ask questions. The community is generally quite friendly and willing to help out. When I started I had no idea what I was doing, but a couple of matches later I felt far more comfortable. All thanks to teammates willing to teach.
• Munitions, Manpower, and Fuel resources (which can be viewed at the top of your map) are all acquired from resource nodes that engineers can place in friendly territory. These are used to spawn tanks, call in bombing runs, and call in supply drops. Resources are gathered per minute depending on how many resource nodes are placed.
• All units carry bandages. If you're bleeding and there's no medic nearby you can bandage yourself, or you can bandage teammates who have used all their bandages. Some medic kits have bandage restock boxes from which you can pull more bandages.
• Medics can revive you if you are downed, so don't immediately "tap out" and go back to the spawn screen. Call for a medic with the proximity chat and check the screen for any medic icon to show up.

Hell Let Loose maps and HUD tips

• Press T to show and hide the HUD. This includes strong points and Squad Leader marks.
• Press Middle Mouse to ping a spot for your squadmates to see.
• Press M to bring up your map. Green dots denote your squad, blue dots denote teammates. The yellow circle with three stars denotes the team's Commander. Triangles with antennae are Outposts (they have a green filling if they're your squads OP), while circles with flags are Garrisons. Enemies do not appear on your map.
• Outposts (OP) can be placed anywhere on the map, including inside neutral and enemy territory. A Squad Leader can only place one OP at a time per squad. They do not require resources. Only squadmates can spawn on an OP.
• Garrisons can only be placed inside friendly territory and cost supplies (either dropped by Support class, airdropped by Commander, or unloaded from Supply Trucks driven from your team's Headquarters). They must be placed at least 200 meters away from each other. All team members can spawn on Garrisons. Only Squad Leaders, Commanders, and Spotters can place Garrisons.
• You can destroy enemy Outposts by approaching them. Watch out for spawning enemies!
• You can destroy enemy Garrisons by standing next to them and holding F. It takes a few seconds, so watch out for enemies attempting to protect their spawn point.
• You cannot spawn on a Garrison that is being dismantled by the enemy.

Hell Let Loose movement and combat tips

• There's no kill feed so it's sometimes difficult to tell if you've downed an enemy. Aim for the head, especially if you're not using one of the main battle rifles. You'll hear a ping sound like a bullet hitting a helmet if you land a headshot. Otherwise, you'll hear a muffled thump with bullets hitting the body. Headshots send units back to the spawn menu with no chance of a Medic revive.
• Explosives (grenades, artillery, tank shells and bombing runs) will also send soldiers back to the spawn menu without a chance for a Medic revive.
• Do not run into the open without cover. Move from cover to cover while crouched or go prone while doing so. You shouldn't suffer any movement penalty unless you're flat on your belly.
• Bushes and shrubs will not block bullets, and even some wood will not make good cover.
• Hell Let Loose has a much slower pace than other FPS games like Call of Duty and Battlefield, so plan your movement accordingly. If you're unsure where to go, ask your SL to place down a move, attack, or defend mark for you to follow. Or just follow teammates who seem like they know what they're doing.
• If you're flanking and are unspotted, don't take the first possible shot on an enemy. You can likely move into a much more favorable position before giving away your location.
• Use smoke when assaulting fortified positions that have a clear line of sight. If your class doesn't include smoke, ask teammates nearby to toss some smoke grenades.
• You can resupply ammunition and ordnance from boxes dropped by support class or riflemen.
• Bullet-drop and velocity are present here. If an enemy is running at a distance, you will need to lead your shots. For lower-powered weapons, shooting above to account for bullet drop is also necessary.

What are your Hell Let Loose tips?

Have you been enjoying this awesome WWII shooter while it goes through its Early Access development? One day it will hopefully show up on our list of the best multiplayer PC games. We no doubt missed a pointer here and there, so be sure to weigh in with your own tips and tricks in the comments section.