General Tips

As you play Battleborn consider some various **General Tips** to help you progress depending on the Game Modes.

## The Basics

When you jump into the Battleborn Open Beta, you’ll have seven Characters immediately ready to fight: Marquis, Orendi, Oscar Mike, Rath, Thorn as Attackers, Miko as a Support, and Montana as a Defender. As you level up your  Command Rank, you’ll unlock more playable Heroes. Each character can be unlocked either by reaching the required Command Rank or completing  Objectives, such as win 5 matches as an Eldrid character. Check out the Command screen to scroll through each character and view their requirements.

## The Battleborn Open Beta

1. Research the Characters you want to play. Browse through all of the characters, their Helix Tree, Abilities, various  Gear and more through the in-game Command screen or on the Battleborn website. A basic understanding of a character’s helix choices and abilities will let you know what to expect in-game and help you make faster decisions during a match or mission.
2. Work towards the  Objectives, reach  Checkpoints and find  Credits. Every Story Mode episode and Competitive Multiplayer Mode has a distinct objective to meet and not doing so may cause you to fail the episode or match. In Story Mode, be sure to follow the  yellow diamond which points towards the next objective. In Competitive Multiplayer, the loading screens and animated tutorial at the beginning of a match display the objectives. Getting kills is great, but it’s working towards the objective that turns the tide of a match.
3. Build Buildables. All over both Story Mode and Competitive Multiplayer Mode Maps are objects you can build. Don’t hoard  Shards - use them to your advantage! Collect Shards around each map and spend wisely to build and upgrade buildables (which also grants you  Experience)! There are several types of buildables, including Turrets, Healing Stations, Accelerators, Drones, and Super Minions. In particular, offensive buildables can help you control an area or stop the enemy’s advancement.
4. Communication is key. Nobody likes getting the silent treatment – and communication is vital during a firefight. Fortunately, Battleborn connects you with teammates in several ways: microphone, text chat, and in-game commands. Ping your fellow teammates when you’re in trouble or to alert them to incoming hostiles!
→ Configure your settings by going to **OPTIONS**  → **Keyboard & Mouse** or **Controller** to view and customize the controls for push-to-talk, text chat, ping to alert players, and so on.
5. Keep an eye on the minimap. The minimap is incredibly helpful when trying to maintain situational awareness. In Story Mode, the minimap identifies  Objective locations, giant  Shard clusters, and lets you see swarms of enemies moving in before it’s too late. In Competitive Multiplayer Modes, it not only identifies nearby enemies, it also highlights key features, such as sentries, minion chompers, Thrall camps, and super minions.

→ Note: You can expand the minimap by holding `3` on PC or pressing `↓` on the directional pad for PS4 and Xbox One controllers.
## Incursion Tips And Tricks

* Remember that the goal here is to punch through the enemy line and destroy their Sentry Drones – as tempting as it might be, don’t make the enemy Battleborn Heroes your priority.
* Time your team pushes to the waves of Minions and let your minions take the brunt of the attack. Ranged heroes can hang back and help the minions chip away at the Sentry’s shields. As soon as the Sentry Drone’s shield is down, be ready to go all-in to damage it.
* Use map elevation to your advantage. Ranged heroes can snipe enemies from afar while teammates flank enemies for easy kills and quick finishes.
* Team composition matters – Offensive attackers are important, but a good Support or healer can be vital to keeping teammates in the fight. Heroes like Miko, Ambra, or Kleese can leave healing and shielding abilities at safe fallback locations.
* Consider your teammates choices when choosing your hero. Pair Defensive Heroes, such as Montana, Attikus, or Boldur, with Support Heroes to help them hold the front line longer.
* Be ready for the attack. Abilities like Oscar Mike’s Ultimate attack – Airstrike – are great for a bringing down big damage over large areas. Combine that with his Stealth ability, and you can sneak in and order the game-winning Airstrike on top of the last Sentry Drone. Other good distanced damage-dealers to consider: Ambra for her Extinction Event, and Benedict’s guided missile, Boomsday.
* Be sure to push and push hard when enough of the enemy team is down and waiting to respawn.
* Build, build, build! Buildable tactical structures are highly contested and provide strategic advantages or challenges and can turn the tide of a battle. Either team can purchase a structure with  Shards or destroy an enemy’s structure.
* Designate a player to be the primary  Shard collector and purchaser of tactical structures. Communicate with your team to plan when and where to purchase structures in order to maximize your offensive and defensive strategies and optimize your Shard-spending.
* Hire those Thralls! Lurking on the sides of the map are capturable points that will allow you to hire hulking Thrall Mercenaries who will join your team and fight alongside you.
* Don't forget to Teleport! Teleport allows you to quickly return to base and heal up after an intense battle. Late in the game when respawn timers get high, you're much better off taking the short amount of time needed to return to base than being knocked out of the game.

## References

1. ↑ https://battleborn.com/en/news/view/en-top-tips-for-the-battleborn-open-beta/
2. ↑ https://battleborn.com/en/news/view/en-learn-all-about-battleborns-incursion-mode/