Troop Movement Guide

This post explains how troops move and what conditions cause them to stop and resume walking.

### SUMMARY

Troops will continue moving forward provided there are no obstacles or enemies to engage unless time has run out or stop/evacuate has been called. Troop weapon RANGE affects when troops stop in different and unexpected ways. To avoid delays, gunship weapons must clear zombies and obstacles in the troop path. Demolition weapons with sufficient damage help keep gunship attention on zombies only. Higher RANGE weapons cause troops to engage obstacles and towers from greater distances than shorter RANGEs. However RANGE does NOT affect zombie engagement.

### Troop Engagement

Troops normally stop when zombies such as Hellhounds overtake them at 0 grids. If troops come under fire from Impalers, troops will stop to engage if any trailing zombies are within 2 grids. Zombies in the forward direction of movement will cause troops to stop when they are within 2.5 grids. Once stopped, Troops will not move again until all targets within 2 grids are eliminated.

1. The Normal Engagement Zone (NEZ) is to the right of the GREEN lines and extends 2.5 grids out to the YELLOW circle forming an cone shape. The angle is approximated at 45 degrees to either side of the the forward troop direction. This angle is only an estimate and may not be the same for all weapons.
2. The Additional Engagement Zone (AEZ) is in effect when troops just come within range of Impaler damage. The AEZ is to the left of the GREEN lines and wraps around from forward lateral area to the rear. The AEZ extends ~2 grids out to the RED circle.
3. Weapon RANGE has not proven to be the factor in measuring NEZ or AEZ. Further tests have proven that weapons with longer ranges do not consistently engage at distances any greater than low range weapons. However, Veterans of past tournaments attest to better odds for scouts to avoiding zombie engagement over assault troops. This factor has not been identified.

### Troop Separation

The MAXIMUM SEPARATION is **3.5 grids when using** **less than 4 troops** (see image) but only **2.5 grids with 4 troops**.

If troops become separated,

* A stopped troop will resume moving to keep up with the group.
* looting does not begin until the last troop enters the building.
* If the trailing troop is bogged down, the leading troops will stop at the maximum separation limit.

### Mission Application

Time critical missions in Deadeye Descent require laser focus and situational awareness. Each DD mission requires preflight preparation. Your gunship and troop selections need to be suited for the mission profile. Place GS weapons in slots that are most optimal for your hand. Troop slot position is just as important. Will you engage HTs or use spawn control? Will you need extra loot bonus from high level WLSNs? Will troops need to absorb Impaler damage between stops? How will you handle mob control to keep both oncoming and pursuing zombies at bay? Should you destroy a building early or risk stoppage because zombies spawned too close to the troops from the ruins?

A mob of different zombie types is especially difficult. Impalers expand the engagement zone while fast Hellhounds outpace walking troops. Shamblers and durable Titans add to the dog pile and compound delays. Preventing Impalers from increasing the rear engagement zone in the first place is critical when Hellhounds are chasing after the troops. For better or worse, Heavy Titans follow the same engagement rules as other zombies.

Knowing what causes troops to stop and how to prevent it is half the battle, Armed with this knowledge, practice on easier DD missions such as Copycat, New Beginnings and Lottery Winner. Build up your arsenal, obtain better weapons and run missions on harder difficulties until you hit the wall. If your weapons are insufficient, back off on earning missing battle stars until they get better. Rinse And Repeat. Good luck airman!

Thanks go to Bra1nz and Loner1 for the research.