Tips and tricks for The Division 2 The Division 2 guide, tips
Last update: 12 April 2019
The Division 2, same as the first installment, differs from a typical action game, as it is a shooter/MMO hybrid, governed by a different set of rules. For this reason, we've decided to introduce this chapter, which offers some tips that will prove to be useful for the novice, as well as advanced players.
- Always stay in cover
- Pay attention to what is going on around you
- Fire short, accurate bursts
- Use active abilities regularly
- Cooperate with other players
- Revive downed teammates
- Use grenades wisely
- Watch out for grenades
- Every enemy has weak points
- Take care of most dangerous opponents first
- Try all of the specializations
- Select the specialization in accordance to your gameplay style and/or build
- Remember to use the ammo for signature weapons
Always stay in cover
The Division 2 is a cover shooter and using covers is required to win most firefights - running into the open area and firing at the opponents will most likely end with your death. Always stay in cover and remember to switch between them, especially if you're being attacked from a flank.
Pay attention to what is going on around you
You're left with a mini-map at your disposal which marks (using a red field) directions from which the enemy is coming, giving you time to prepare. The mini-map also marks the locations of all nearby pick-ups, both those left by the opponent, as well as all backpacks, bags, or chests found on the map.
Fire short, accurate bursts
Provided you're not using a sniper rifle or a shotgun, firing short, accurate bursts is a standard behavior which should be mastered in The Division 2. On higher difficulty levels, the enemies can soak up a lot of hits, but aiming well can change a dangerous encounter into a simple firefight - all you have to do is aim for the head or a weak spot (ammunition, thrown/stored grenade)
Use active abilities regularly
At the beginning of the game, the cooldown time of the abilities will be long and you won't be able to use them often, but as the time progresses, the cooldown period will become shorter. For that reason, it is recommended to use active abilities to facilitate encounters.
Cooperate with other players
If you are in a team with other players, make sure to cooperate. The right choice of abilities or a slight modification of equipment can increase your effectiveness in combat. Cooperation during combat is also important - don't run out in the open and attack enemies alone, especially on higher difficulty levels, but help your teammates and deal with the danger together.
Revive downed teammates
When the health meter falls down to 0, the character will become injured. You now have sixty seconds to save the ally and revive them. Remember to always check the health levels of your allies and help them if necessary.
Note - after reviving, the revived character will be weakened for a few seconds. Another death during this period will deprive the ally of his health, making you unable to save him.
Use grenades wisely
Grenades are a valuable item, especially during more difficult missions on a higher difficulty level. Aside from dealing high damage, grenades wreak havoc in the enemy ranks, enabling you to change the outcome of a dangerous situation and giving you a few seconds to regroup. Keep the grenades for special occasions - combat with more dangerous opponents, but don't store them indefinitely.
Watch out for grenades
Most opponents like to throw grenades left and right. The standard, frag, grenades are not very dangerous, but those that place various effects can disorient or incapacitate the hero for a few seconds, during which you are completely vulnerable. Watch the battlefield and if a grenade or other projectile is thrown at you, run to a different cover or destroy it while in the air.
Every enemy has weak points
It would seem like opponents on higher difficulty levels are overpowered, but this is not true! Every enemy has his strong and weak sides - snipers can be hurt between their shots, a soldier using an LMG needs a few seconds to reload his weapon, while enemies fighting in close quarters charge at players, making them vulnerable to your fire or abilities, such as turrets.
Take care of most dangerous opponents first
Start by eliminating enemies fighting in close range, as they can eliminate the whole team in a few seconds. Then, focus on snipers - they deal enormous damage and are easy to get rid of. Snipers can be killed or you can lay fire on them to make them unable to attack. Hiding behind covers will help you deal with the rest of the opponents, while heavily armored opponents can be bypassed, by jumping through covers and increasing the distance between you.
Try all of the specializations
Specializations unlock once the character advances to level 30 and finished the main storyline (see "How to unlock the Specializations" chapter of this guide for more information about the topic). Specializations allow the player to personalize the character more, giving access to unique weapons, grenades and abilities. Due to the fact that the first three specializations - Demolitionist, Survivalist and Sharpshooter - are unlocked automatically, it is worth to try them all out.
Select the specialization in accordance to your gameplay style and/or build
Each specialization has its own strong and weak points (each one was described in separate chapters of this guide), however none of them is the "strongest" one. The Survivalist will be effective when used by a tank, Demolitionist is extremely good during solo play and the Sharpshooter will be the most effective when playing in a team.
Remember to use the ammo for signature weapons
Signature weapons are the unique weapons for specializations - the grenade launcher for the Demolitionist, the crossbow for the Survivalist and the sniper rifle for the Sharpshooter. Each one of those requires special ammo that is not replenished automatically - it is sometimes dropped from enemies (this chance can be increased with passive abilities - more on that can be found in the chapters devoted to specific specializations). This makes the ammo extremely valuable and worth to keep against difficult foes (like, for instance, a boss) but you should still use it, as there is a limit on how much of it can be carried at once.