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How to become good at shooters

To-do list

- check if dying refills your ammo after being (manually) revived by another player
- check if red/purple Cleaner snipers have an RC car and if it can jump (https://www.reddit.com/r/thedivision/comments/oxw1ha/do_rc_cars_normally_do_this)
- check if rushers from all factions have less HP than snipers
- check if the Demolisher Firefly trick works on mini-tanks (https://www.reddit.com/r/thedivision/comments/n9l7xs/how_to_destroy_warhounds_in_a_easy_way_a_hidden)
- enhance all faction sections with weak point information (https://www.reddit.com/r/thedivision/comments/fjmpxv/now_that_firefly_pathing_is_mostly_fixed_the, https://www.reddit.com/r/thedivision/wiki/thedivision2/guides/basics/factions and https://www.reddit.com/r/thedivision/wiki/thedivision2/guides/endgame/wony_factions)
- test if dodge rolling right before being hit by an explosion skips the staggering animation
- test if Ravenous explosions are affected by OOCD
- test if shooting Warhounds weak points with the TAC-50 can instakill them (from u/XPS1647)
- test if the Stinger Hive actually scales with explosive damage and DTA
- test the Cluster Seeker Mine rigger bag exploit (https://www.reddit.com/r/thedivision/comments/onaytg/trying_to_increase_skill_haste_as_much_as_i_can/h5s5r9v and "Cluster seeker goes to cooldown on FIRST cluster's explosion")
- test if when a target tagged with the Burster Firefly dies, it makes the ones on the other targets blow up too
- test the System Corruption medkit against Fragile Armor stacks

1.0 Introduction
2.0 PVE concepts
3.0 PVP concepts
4.0 The Division 2
5.0 Links
6.0 Credits
7.0 Contact information

Introduction

I'm going to make a video series about how to become good at shooters because I've noticed a vast number of players could use some help to improve the way they play games. I will lay things down in a way that everyone can understand to facilitate assimilating new concepts.

I'll use this document to mention what I'm gonna talk about. I'll edit it when I think of new concepts or when I find new tricks. If you think of something that is not listed, feel free to message me (contact information at the bottom). Once this document is complete, I'll start making one video per section. Don't expect any good intro/outro and transitions, I don't know anything about video editing so I'll have to learn that on-the-fly and I don't deem it important for now.

While it's divided into 3 sections, the one about The Division 2 will be the first I will focus on.

PVE concepts

Aggro

definition: when mobs target you
how to use it to your advantage (bait for another player)
how to get it off you (use utility/players, break line of sight, run away)
do not direct it at other players
only aggro one mob (RPGs only)

AI animations

predictable
different in every game
can be used for crosshair placement

AI behavior

predictable
different in every game
can be used for funnelling mobs and setting up traps

Angle isolation

definition: using the environment/utility to isolate enemies
creates a series of 1v1s
makes it easier to win engagements
reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-LyLG5YieY

Clearing angles

be methodical, clear progressively and check every corner
use jiggle peeking to quickly get information without allowing the AI to react
reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivh8r0LxgLQ

Counter-strafing

definition: shooting while strafing in opposite directions
strafe in a direction, press the opposite directional key and shoot at the same time
doesn't work in all games as they have different inaccuracy mechanics
allows you to keep your first shot relatively accurate
very effective around corners as sometimes the AI takes time to react every time you peek

Cover

prefer vertical cover to low cover
vertical cover maximizes how long you can peek before being shot at
peeking from vertical cover exposes you to less angles at the same time
some covers can be shot through or destroyed based on its material and the weapon used

Crosshair placement

aim at head level
snap to the wall as you're clearing an angle
reduces how much you have to move your mouse before being on your target
you should always try having your crosshair where enemies could potentially peek from
reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9mvXfnY8wU

Damage indicator

definition: UI elements indicating when the player is taking damage
gives you a general direction of where your attacker is
if the game has no health bar, the screen usually turns red/gray when you're low HP
allows you to decide whether to engage or take cover based on your HP
reference: https://medium.com/@jasper.stephenson/a-ux-analysis-of-first-person-shooter-damage-indicators-59ac9d41caf8

Difficulty

always play on hardest
forces you to be smart
you learn more and faster about the game than on easier difficulties
easier difficulties don't challenge you, we often learn by overcoming challenges
more rewarding

Elevation

vantage points allow you to have a good view of your surroundings and devise tactics
in third person shooters, you can see enemies before they can see you
usually offers more cover versus low ground being a no man's land
can see enemies hiding behind low covers

Environmental damage

definition: using the environment to your advantage
can kill/CC/bait enemies (explosive barrels, gas tanks, etc)
can flush enemies out of cover

Falling back

always have a backup location before an engagement, if things were to go south
prevents the AI from cornering you, thus putting more pressure on you
when there are too many enemies around you and you know you're not gonna be able to stand your ground, immediately fall back

Keeping your distance

you usually take less damage the further away you are from an enemy
the AI is often inaccurate at longer distancss
it's easier to relocate if you're far away from threats

Minimap/radar

allows you to see incoming threats
can reveal the location of various useful items (like ammo crates)
prevents you from getting flanked

Movement

always move from cover to cover to minimize exposure and incoming damage
always reload behind cover (unless the area is clear)
breaking line of sight with the AI gives you time to recover or devise another strategy

Peeking

definition: show yourself to start an engagement or get information
try to peek as far away from a corner (body less exposed)
don't expose yourself for too long: peek, get the kill (or take the shot for sniper rifles) and hide
can peek for longer or even switch targets if AI animations allow it (ex: AI stumbling when shot) and you know they're unlikely to hit you

Perspective

definition: how characters are perceived in the game world
the less of your body is exposed the further away you are from a wall
when you're further away from a corner than your enemy, you'll see them before they see you
in some games, the AI can't see you until you see their head (ex: Half-Life)
reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e8HZqF3cyk

Playing your build/class

every build has a purpose and should be played a certain way
not playing your build for what it's supposed to do or not playing it correctly is inefficient

Relocation

definition: moving elsewhere unnoticed after being spotted
when the AI pinpoints your location, it may put more pressure on that location
relocating makes the AI lose track of you and allows you to take shots from another location
reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1WF22xSEgU

Sounding

definition: listening to sound cues to get information about enemy location
requires a decent headset
allows you to make callouts in co-op or PVP (location, enemy count, weapons used, etc)
helps you decide where to go next, which area to pay attention to or where to place your crosshair

Starting engagements

scout the area (enemy types, environmental damage, fallback location)
prioritize your targets
set up traps if the game allows it
study AI routes if applicable (ex: Hitman)

State of mind

you have to be open-minded and receptive to learning if you want to improve
you have to be observant to learn how game mechanics and the AI work
you have to be perseverant in trying other strategies when something doesn't work

Sweeping

definition: clearing an area from one side to the other, one enemy at a time
allows you to keep track of which side enemies are at any given time
when a new wave of enemies spawns or you spot a new enemy in a previously cleared area, restart the sweep
if your current enemy isn't peeking or goes out of your line of sight, skip to the next one

Target prioritization

closest first: preferred strategy if no dangerous enemies are around
dangerous first: allows you to have more freedom of movement
weakest first: allows you to get rid of multiple enemies quickly, thus facing less enemies at the same time
group first: same as weakest, except you'll take out multiple enemies without switching targets
alone first: allows you to thin out enemies without raising the alarm

Weak points

different in every game
allows you to kill/disrupt several enemies at once
may prevent enemies from using their abilities

Weapon recoil

different in every game
every weapon has a different recoil pattern that may be mastered
shooting in bursts or tapping will help maintaining accuracy
crouching or going prone usually reduces it
moving usually decreases your accuracy while staying still makes sure your first shot is fully accurate

Weapon selection

use the right weapon based on distance (short range: SMG, long range: sniper rifle)
use specific weapons/ammunition if the AI is vulnerable to it

PVP concepts

Baiting

using a teammate to force your opponent to peek, thus revealing his location and allowing you to get the kill without getting shot (baiting a teammate)
forcing your opponents to use their utility by putting pressure or using utility against them (baiting utility)
jiggle peek (see this section) to have an opponent reveal his location (baiting a shot)
reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43J9nUmrbo4

Callouts

definition: feeding your teammates with information about enemy position or your next move
learn the map-specific callouts
when making callouts, you must include location, count, health remaining, direction, weapon used and any essential information (ex: bomb holder in CS:GO)
when requesting utility or revealing your intentions, make the callout beforehand to give your teammates time to adjust
callouts must be fast to allow your teammates to react quickly
they must also be concise to avoid covering game sound from your teammates
no callouts from dead people

Clearing angles

same points as in PVE
you must know the map and where people are usually standing (gets you information and map control)
reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivh8r0LxgLQ

Counter-strafing

definition: shooting after briefly stopping between strafes
strafe in a direction, let go of the directional key, tap the opposite directional key, shoot then move in any direction
tapping the opposite directional key allows your character to stop faster than just letting go of the directional key
allows you to keep your first shot fully accurate while "moving"
you can alternate directions to make it harder for your opponents to hit you

Crossfire

definition: having multiple people at crossed angles so that their arcs of fire overlap
allows you to focus your opponent from multiple angles
makes it harder for your opponents to win the engagement as they'll be hit from multiple angles

Double peeking

definition: having 2 people peek an opponent at the same time
creates a 2v1
can be from the same angle (short + wide swing) or different angles
relies on voice communication

Flanking

definition: attacking the enemy from a side while they're focused on another side
make sure your teammates are focused by the enemy
call out you're flanking so that your teammates keep fighting your opponents from the same location

Focus management

definition: splitting your attention between several locations
prevents you from getting flanked
allows you to maintain map control

Getting information

definition: knowing the enemy's location, count and destination
always make callouts to let your teammates know about new information
allows you to take rational decisions to give you the upper hand

Holding angles

active angle: randomly jiggle peek
passive angle: be at an off-angle
reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1ux6y4esvw

Jiggle peeking

definition: strafing left and right around a corner
used to bait shots
gets you information without taking (a lot of) damage
reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ1rCx8AEBc

Lurking

definition: playing sneaky, far away from your team
aggressive lurker: puts pressure in an area to prevent enemy rotation
passive lurker: doesn't show his presence, flanks rotators to maintain map control
plays an important role in the end of rounds
reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxGv0EJG4-Q

Map control

definition: taking control of contestable areas
allows you to dictate the pace of the game
helps you guess where are your opponents
restrains the enemy team options
facilitated through the use of utility (ex: flashbangs, smokes)
reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3K2V3RMpFU and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Tc_STmhZVc

Map knowledge

you have to learn the common angles to check
you have to learn the common angles people can peek from
you have to know the choke points (where both teams meet at the beginning of rounds) so you can use your utility accordingly
you have to find/know where to aim to use your utility successfully

Off angle

definition: an uncommon angle, usually exposed, where the enemy is not expecting you
used to surprise your opponent, usually only works on a single opponent
buys you some time to get the kill while your opponent adjusts his aim
must be used sparingly otherwise your opponent will catch up
reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm5o26Cqi6U

Perspective

same points as in PVE
you have to be mindful of the direction you're looking at, your gun may stick out and reveal your location
you have to be mindful of your shadow, it may also reveal your location
reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e8HZqF3cyk

Playing off first contact

definition: setting up a crossfire where a player hides and another exposes themselves while holding an angle
the hider only peeks when the peeker starts shooting
the enemy must be visible from both players at the same time
makes it harder for your opponents to win the engagement as they'll be hit from 2 angles
reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiliidExmgM

Rotating

definition: moving from a part of the map to another, usually to play an objective
on the attacking side, can be used to catch the enemy team off-guard (must sell a fake push beforehand)
on the defending side, helps you slow down an enemy push

Strength in numbers

a 2v1 is better than a 1v1
move like a pack or in pairs in order to trade kills

Trading

definition: killing someone who just killed a teammate
only doable if moving in pairs, obviously
allows you to maintain map control if you get the trade
reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YfVRuKk8_Y

The Division 2

AI animations

dodge roll: done to avoid explosions (grenades, Artillery Turret, Seeker Mines) or after getting shot
knockback: after inflicting a certain amount of damage, gives you time to line up your next shot or get the kill
quick peek: done from cover on Heroic difficulty or lower by tank operators and medics, wait for it to get headshots with a (sniper) rifle
strafe: used after spotting a player, take your time to adjust your crosshair when sniping/rifling
status effects: see this section

AI behavior

dictated by positioning and playstyle
being aggressive from afar makes mobs stay back or in cover
being passive makes them go in the open and push
they always try to flank
they become aggressive when you're low HP
they try to melee you when you're in close range
they will leave cover as you get close
walking doesn't trigger them as much as running

Black Tusk

- reference: https://thedivision.fandom.com/wiki/Black_Tusk#Archetype

Assault

fights from cover and moves cover to cover to avoid enemy fire
equipped with EMP grenades
no weak point

Controller

controls a mini tank while staying in cover
distracting him will cause the mini tank to stop functioning
killing him will stop the mini tank from moving
if the mini tank is damaged, he will attempt to repair it, making him vulnerable
no weak point

Drone Operator

deploys suicide drones above her that target players and skills
destroying their backpack causes an explosion that hurts her and prevents her from deploying drones
destroying the drones (preferably with an AR) causes an explosion that can kill her if she's too close
staying close to her after she's deployed her drones will make them blow up in her face, potentially killing her
unable to deploy drones when disrupted
players needs to be in her line of sight in order to be able to target them with her drones, that's why she usually peeks a few seconds after deploying drones (great for riflers/snipers)
walking backwards is enough to dodge her drones

Medic

throws EMP jammers and attempts to revive downed allies via a medical drone
destroying the drone forces him to run to downed allies to revive them
elites throw jammers that strip away armor and health
destroying the EMP jammer pouch sets off an EMP that disrupts him
hitting the weak spot on the back of the drone will destroy it and shock everyone nearby
vulnerable when manually reviving downed allies (animation can be interrupted by dealing enough damage)

Mini Tank

equipped with a machine gun and a grenade launcher
rolls around slowly while the controller operates it from cover at medium range
occasionally holds still and begins spinning a laser dazzler around in a circle, blinding any enemies caught by it
both treads can be destroyed, making it stop moving and causing its controller to come repair it
dealing enough damage to it will cause it to go back to its controller for repairs
killing the controller will cause it to go haywire while looking for a target
doesn't despawn until all other Black Tusk units in the fight are dead
elites roll faster, have more health and fire incendiary grenades
vulnerable to explosive damage
the Firestarter shotgun (from the Firewall specialization) allows you to put it on fire by lowering its fire resistance

Rusher

tries to get close to use his deadly shotgun
ignores grenades and Stinger Hives
elites will throw a flashbang grenade when getting close, which can potentially blind them and other nearby enemies
has the lowest amount of HP of all archetypes

Sniper

takes cover at long range while attempting to eliminate targets and sets up decoy lenses that can be confused for her real position
retreats if a player gets too close to her
deploys a taser drone that seeks out hostiles and stuns them, granting her a clear shot
destroying her lens pouch prevents her from deploying the countermeasures
destroying the drone on her back prevents it from being deployed
needs to acquire a target for a few seconds before shooting
doesn't have as much HP as the other archetypes

Support

places a support station down healing nearby allies and attempts to repair it when damaged (TODO: verify the repair bit)
destroying the station on his back prevents him from deploying it
elite support stations grant overheal to nearby allies
support stations can be disrupted, temporarily stopping their healing ability
if undestroyed at the end of combat, support stations grant an armor kit

Tank

attempts to stay at range, using his minigun to suppress enemy targets
has a support station mounted on his back which feeds a constant supply of health recovery
his minigun ammo belt never requires a reload
has no armor bar, but you have to destroy his armor plates before damaging his health
resistant to explosives
breaking his ammo belt forces him to reload
destroying the support station stops his health regeneration
destroying any weak point or hittimg him with any explosion (including with a Stinger Hive) will cause the ammo belt to reappear
foaming him during the reload animation (up until he stands up after reloading) forces him to redo the entire reload animation
using the Demolisher Firefly will break the ammo belt, then the support station, then armor plates, depending on which one was previously broken (TODO: verify the bit about armor plates)
the Survivalist crossbow completely breaks his armor plate
has no armor behind his support station
in the Dark Hours raid, his butt is unarmored

Thrower

uses an airburst grenade launcher to hit targets behind cover
shoots his grenades based on the last visible location of a player
destroying the grenade pouch on his back causes an explosion that hurts him
knocking him back while he's about to throw a grenade will cause it to blow up in his face
grenades can be destroyed when shot mid-air, causing an explosion
elites fire their airburst launcher in volleys of 3 to make dodging harder
unable to shoot grenades when disrupted

Warhounds

heavily armored quadrupeds that attempt to position themselves with clear line of sight to enemies and use a powerful sniper type armament, a grenade launcher or a minigun to dispatch their foes
have no armor bar, but you usually have to destroy their armor plating before damaging their health
elites have the added bonus of firing on the move
they always move from a point to another and stop for a few seconds, use that time to damage them with a skill, shoot their weak points or EMP them
although warhounds don't have a head, shooting their red eye counts as a headshot, proccing headshot-related talents like Perpetuation (TODO: verify this information)
shooting their legs depletes their health, however they have a 90% damage reduction
the Survivalist crossbow completely breaks their armor plate (unless you aim for the legs)
explosive damage bypasses their armor plating and does damage directly to their health, therefore Ravenous can be effective against them (and Merciless, to a lesser extent)
disruptive skills (Jammer Pulse, EMP Sticky Bomb and EMP grenade) also bypass their armor plating
CHD and Headhunter stacks on their legs isn't affected by the damage reduction and therefore bypasses their armor plating
Hostile Negotiations from the Negotiator's Dilemma gear set bypasses their armor plating
Pestilence ticks bypass their armor plating
using a Demolisher Firefly while they're disrupted bypasses their armor plating and can one shot them on offensive skill builds
the flamethrower's stream bypasses their health, it's not efficient on higher difficulties though as it requires burning a lot of fuel to kill a single one
the Firestarter shotgun (from the Firewall specialization) allows you to put them on fire by lowering their fire resistance
3 variants with different weak points, causing them to stop working for a few seconds when destroyed:

Grenadier

has weak points behind its cannon and at the top of its back (TODO: check for other weak points)
elites fire 3 shock grenades in a salvo and try harder to flank (TODO: verify if purples shoot shock grenades too)
when destroyed, explodes with an electrical charge, causing everything nearby to be shocked
shooting the hinge next to its cannon bypasses its armor plating

Minigun

has weak points located at the top of its legs
elites can stop and after a short charge up time, fire their minigun in a devastating 360° spin
when destroyed, explodes with fragmentation inflicting damage and causing everything nearby to bleed
you can rotate around it while aggro'ed to make it stop moving/shooting

Sniper

has its weak point exposed in the form of a red cartridge next to the cannon when it fires (TODO: verify if still bugged for elites)
elites fire in 3-round bursts with the sniper turret when stationary
dealing enough damage to its legs staggers it and prevents it from firing (or at least delays its next shot)
shooting its butt bypasses its armor plating
when destroyed, creates an EMP explosion, disrupting agents in close range for 9s and everything else in medium range for at least 12s (TODO: check if the EMP range is bigger on elites and enemy disrupt duration)
you can rotate around it while aggro'ed to make it stop moving/shooting

Builds

definition: a set of items supporting a specific playstyle or solving a problem
you have to define what you're trying to go for (DPS, tank, crowd control, healing, etc), for which group scaling and for which difficulty
from there, you have to look at the weapons, brands, talents and attributes that could synergize with what you're going for (ex: AR/Ceska/Obliterate/CHC/CHD for DPS, Alps/Safeguard/repair skills for healer, etc)
look in your stash, craft, buy or farm the necessary pieces to make a first version of the build (ideally with the right talents and attributes), recalibrate if necessary
test it in the desired situation and see if it works
if it doesn't, make some adjustments and try it again
once it works, start farming for pieces with better rolls and/or optimize them (if you have the resources)

Cleaners

- reference: https://thedivision.fandom.com/wiki/Cleaners#Tom_Clancy.27s_The_Division_2

Assault

equipped with a flamethrower
shooting the fuel tank on his back will make him panic until it explodes (the explosion will stagger him)
if his fuel tank is shot, it disables his ability to use his flamethrower

Controller

deploys drones dropping vapor bombs over the target, causing it to burn
has a weak point on his left thigh, where his cluster bombs are stored
shooting the drone on his back will prevent him from deploying it
shooting the bomb pouch of the drone will cause it to drop its load, setting fire to anyone caught in the blast
after dropping its load, the drone goes back to the controller, making him stand up a bit to load it with bombs again

Engineer

armed with an incendiary artillery turret
his turret can ensnare and burn its targets
if its target is hit, he will shoot at the ensnared target
shooting the red spot on the turret will cause it to burn and ensnare everyone around it (TODO: verify if the turret is still operational afterwards)

Rusher

armed with a fire axe and a riot shield
you can use dancing to force him to melee you, thus exposing his body at the end of his swing animation
you can also deal enough damage to his body or his shield (for instance with a shotgun) to trigger the knockback animation, thus exposing his body
their shield can withstand an entire AR magazine before breaking
has the lowest amount of HP of all archetypes
no weak point

Sniper

can deploy an incendiary RC car at long range to knock targets out of cover
shooting the RC car on his back will prevent him from deploying it
doesn't have as much HP as the other archetypes

Tank

armed with a flamethrower and molotov cocktails
resistant to explosives
shooting the fuel tank on his back will temporarily cripple him and make him remove his helmet, thus making him vulnerable to headshots
shooting the gas tank on his left leg will disable his flamethrower and force him to use a fire axe
shooting the bag on his right leg will disable his ability to throw molotov cocktails
bounty tanks are armed with DC-62 grenades and do not have a fuel tank (TODO: verify this information)

Thrower

throws vapor grenades from cover then shoots the gas that emerges
shooting the firestarter grenade satchel on the back of his waist will set him and his surroundings on fire
shooting him while he's throwing a grenade will cause him to drop it at his feet
elites have a grenade launcher that fires napalm projectiles similar to the engineer's turret

Cover

same points as in PVE
avoid using low covers unless you're sniping or don't have aggro
vertical cover minimizes incoming explosions
shooting from vertical cover at a 30-75° angle allows you to shoot mobs without them shooting back
aiming 180° backwards from a low cover doesn't make your char stand up and you can't be hit from mobs in PVE (in PVP your head sticks out)
covers cannot be shared between teammates so you should let DPS players have them whenever possible
you can dodge roll to cover to get behind or around a piece of cover faster

Cover to cover

reduces the enemy's accuracy on you, thus drastically reducing incoming damage
faster than running
allows you to look around without changing the direction of your movement
allows you to reload without reducing speed
try to end up with a dodge roll to cover if the destination will leave you exposed as the enemy's accuracy will be instantly back to normal as soon as the cover to cover stops
when running past an enemy, acts as a soft form of CC (they'll often try to melee you)
doesn't prevent explosions from staggering and hurting you
explosions and some status effects (ensnare, shock) will cancel the cover to cover, sometimes leaving you extremely vulnerable (especially when there's no cover nearby) (TODO: test when being caught on fire)
you can't use skills while performing a cover to cover, but you can target with already deployed skills, keep charging the Jammer/Banshee Pulse and change the direction of the Banshee Pulse
when getting shot from an unknown direction, it may be beneficial to perform a cover to cover in a random direction instead of trying to locate the enemy, that will give you time to locate that enemy and may break line of sight with them

Dancing

definition: moving across/around an NPC to force them to melee/chase you
baits for your teammates to get the kill (however, weak point explosions can kill you)
buys you time to relocate or get the kill before the NPC recovers from his animation
best used when it's the last mob of a wave or an isolated mob
acts as a soft form of CC (the NPC will try to melee you)

Difficulty

affects how many enemies you face (except in legendary strongholds)
affects how much damage enemies deal
affects how much HP enemies have
affects how much XP you get by killing enemies and completing activities
affects the average veterancy of enemies
the number of players also affects all of the above (except XP)
hybrid builds become less effective at higher difficulties and player scaling

Group composition (basics)

definition: the different builds the group is made of
you want the right balance of offense, defense and utility
you should focus on offense first, then defense/utility
you want to create synergy between builds, some builds/skills don't work well together (ex: fire/blind with snipers)
some examples of good synergy are 3 DPS + 1 healer/CC, 3 AFK skill builds and 1 skill support build

Group composition (advanced)

kill-dependency levels
- 4: your life depends on it (ex: Bloodsucker/Hunter's Fury frontliner)
- 3: your effectiveness depends on it (ex: Headhunter sniper)
- 2: it helps but is not essential (ex: Tech Support skill user)
- 1: it doesn't matter (ex: medic)
your team should have an average kill dependency <= 2.5

Group play

avoid standing in front of a teammate who uses the Demolitionist grenade launcher or Firestarter Chem Launcher, you'll make them kill themselves
shooting environmental hazards (such as gas tanks) won't hurt your teammates and should be done before they or the AI does it so that they don't get interrupted in the middle of an engagement
there's no friendly fire, however shooting weak points from any mob (dead or alive) will hurt your teammates
when a teammate is getting flanked and focused by a mob, you should help them by prioritizing that mob if you can
when you see a teammate is too busy holding a lane, you should hold his other lane if your build allows it
you can enable "Show groupmate skills" in gameplay settings, that will allow you to see when they use their skills and when they are on cooldown

Hunters

can hack any deployed skill (except traps) based on line of sight
can heal up to 3 times
can melee you when performing cover to cover or running past them because they seem to have a 2m melee range (you have to dodge roll to avoid being hit)
can still use their abilities while disrupted
not considered as named enemies, therefore signature weapons aren't affected by damage reduction
stand up when deploying most of their skills, giving you time to land a few shots
their damage output and melee damage are way beyond any other mob in the game
when they're about to hack your skills, a lightning icon will be shown above them so you have about 2-3s to destroy or pick up your skill
when they're about to disrupt your skills, an EMP icon will be shown above them so you have about 2-3s to deploy a skill if you're on Technician to benefit from disrupt protection

Hyenas

- reference: https://thedivision.fandom.com/wiki/Hyenas#Archetypes

Assault

fights from cover and moves cover to cover to avoid enemy fire
no weak point

Controller

deploys remote-controlled explosive cars from behind cover
elite RC cars set the area around the car's explosion on fire and confuse anyone within the blast radius (TODO: verify the confuse bit)
destroying her backpack is an effective way to get rid of her (TODO: verify the confuse bit, if shooting the bag kills purples, how much HP left for elites and if she can deploy cars afterwards)
shooting the RC car will cause it to burn and confuse everyone around it

Engineer

sets up sniper turrets and attempts to repair them when they're damaged (TODO: check if he can deploy more than one turret)
destroying his backpack will prevent him from deploying his turret
damage a deployed turret to expose the engineer
elite turrets shock their targets

Medic

sprints to dead allies in an attempt to revive them with adrenaline and supports living allies with combat stims, granting them overheal
destroying the red stripe on his bag will prevent him from assisting allies and confuse everyone nearby
elites can toss vapor grenades containing spice to revive their allies faster (TODO: verify that it's not a myth)
mobs revived are granted overheal and their weak points are repaired (TODO: verify this information)

Rusher

sprints towards targets and attempts to melee them with a baton
has a destructible riot helmet that prevents headshots
her spice bag is on her left hip and grants extra speed and damage to melee attacks only once (TODO: check if it grants overheal too)
destroying her spice supply confuses her and everyone nearby, preventing her from using the drug
elites are equipped with shock batons
has the lowest amount of HP of all archetypes, so body shots usually take them down fast

Shield

takes cover behind a massive riot shield while facing down his enemies with a sidearm
his shield is difficult to break
aiming for the feet can cause the shield to stagger (TODO: needs to be verified or if it's caused by dealing too much damage to the shield)
a small window in the shield can be shot through (great for riflers/snipers)
doesn't have as much HP as the other archetypes

Sniper

stays in cover at long range
looking at her while she uses her laser dazzler results in being blinded
elites have the ability to deploy shock mines, immobilizing anyone making contact with them

Tank

relentlessly moves towards enemies, fearless behind a bulwark of heavy armor
resistant to explosives
destroying his ammo belt forces him to manually reload his machinegun
deploying a turret or a hive will make him immediately go to it and kick it to destroy it
foaming him during the reload animation (up until he stands up after reloading) forces him to redo the entire reload animation

Thrower

fires a grenade launcher equipped with tear gas grenades from range
destroying his ammo pouch on the back waist will cause an explosion, killing or damaging him
elites fire multiple concussion grenades in succession

Inventory management

gear pieces with good rolls aren't necessarily good, look at the talent and brand bonus and see if they synergize with it. if they don't, trash them (unless you want to make a hybrid build)
you can leave rewarded caches and DZ extracted items in your mailbox, they won't use stash space
you should favorite loadout items and those that don't need further changes, mark for recalibration those that need to be changed and mark for donation those used for projects or that you want to keep for resources or other characters (ex: exotics)
it's a good idea to make new characters and level them up to 30 (or boost them) to use them as mules with 150 inventory slots per character
you can put gear mods in gear slots to save on stash/inventory space since it only counts as a single item
once you're comfortable recognizing good loot, you should sort gear while picking it up, this way you won't have to pause for a few minutes between activities

Looting

deconstructing gear set pieces gives blue materials
looting is proximity based, so wait for others to be close (when you can see their icon) before opening crates
you can share any loot or the content of rewarded/claimed caches with whoever was in your group when you obtained (not opened) said cache/loot, however you can't share loot/caches that have been crafted/purchased
you can get DZ exclusive items from DZ caches, Conflict caches and Named Item caches
avoid sharing items near loot piles as it's common for someone to deconstruct an entire pile
try to loot from cover whenever possible to minimize exposure

Optimization

optimization resources can be obtained through completing activities/projects, killing faction bosses, deconstructing items, crafting or spending SHD points
the amount of optimization resources necessary to optimize an attribute is based on the distance between its current value and the value from its next threshold
as a rule of thumb, try to recalibrate the attribute with the longest distance to its max value as it may save you some optimization resources in the end
once you're past SHD 1000, it's a good idea to make new characters and level them up to 40 to have extra SHD points you can spend on optimization
avoid optimizing an item that doesn't have the right attributes (ex: AR without OOCD)
avoid optimizing an item that doesn't have at least 80% rolls overall after recalibration, otherwise you're going to burn too many resources (unless it's a hard to find item like raid/DZ exclusives)
you can't recalibrate an attribute that has been optimized

Outcasts

- reference: https://thedivision.fandom.com/wiki/Outcasts#Archetypes

Assault

more aggressive than True Sons Assaults, who are more cautious
smarter than Hyena Assaults and use cover more often
elites are equipped with concussion grenades
no weak point

Controller

controls an RC car that will rush towards their target and attempt to cut them apart with its spinning saws
when hit, its target will suffer constant heavy damage and bleed
the RC car is heavily armored on the front and sides but has a weak spot on the rear
destroying the RC car causes him to revert to conventional weapons
it can be avoided with a dodge roll (which exposes its weak backside) and the saws can be destroyed, rendering the RC useless
dodging also can make the car get stuck on a wall for a few seconds, making it immobile

Heavy Weapons

provides suppressive fire with his LMG
similar to True Sons' Heavy Weapons but they lack the armored helmet and ability to go prone
destroying his ammo pack will make him flail as it goes off, but if he survives, he will switch to a pistol

Rusher

runs at his target with the intent to blow himself up, taking out the enemy in the process
his vest can be shot, causing him to explode prematurely, damaging friend and foe alike
elites will leave a fire effect similar to a Molotov after exploding

Scorcher

utilizes homemade flamethrowers
destroying the fuel tank she carries on her waist will make it explode after a few seconds, causing her to panic, sometimes rushing at her target, then causing heavy damage to her, sometimes even killing her
after her fuel tank is destroyed, she will switch to a pistol

Sniper

a long-range bowman unit that wields a bow with explosive arrows
these arrows have travel time and the "sniper glare" is attached to them, making them easy to dodge
when hitting a target, they cause heavy damage and staggers the target out of cover before exploding, causing even more damage and stagger
when a bowman is drawing his bow, he can be interrupted, which will cause him to blow himself up with his own arrow
his quiver can be blown up with a few well-placed shots, causing it to explode
elites fire incendiary arrows that after exploding, cover the ground in fire for a short time

Support

places down ammo boxes for his allies containing incendiary ammo that can be picked up by other Outcasts
shooting a deployed ammo box will damage anything in a small area (TODO: verify if they can place multiple ammo boxes)
shooting the ammo box on his back will make it explode and disable his ability to place down ammo boxes
elites deploy shock ammo boxes, they usually drop special ammo upon death

Tank

heavily-armored melee unit armed with a sledgehammer that walks towards his target, but will switch to sprinting if he gets close enough
deals very high damage with each swing, but his attacks are slow and leave him vulnerable to counterattacks
resistant to explosives
named Outcast Tanks are faster and do more damage per hit
some named Tanks in Kenly College are armed with flamethrowers

Thrower

throws Molotov cocktails at enemies
shooting him while he's about to throw a Molotov cocktail will cause him to drop it at his feet and put himself on fire
shooting the red pouch on his right thigh will set him and his surroundings on fire
Molotovs can be destroyed mid-air, causing the fire to spread to the ground below regardless of altitude
elites will throw incendiary grenades that detonate after a short fuse and have a wider radius

Playing ARs

main attributes: weapon damage and CHC/CHD
effective against anything that doesn't have an armor bar: red mobs, robotics, tanks and summit objectives
pairs well with the Crusader/Striker Shield
should focus on weak points and burst enemies down to knock them back
Negotiator's Dilemma is the best gear set for it

Playing crowd control

main attributes: status effects and skill haste
prevents the AI from shooting back or using their abilities
Creeping Death is good for short radius skills (like Chem Launcher and Sticky Bomb) as it spreads status effects on hit
Scorpio is a good choice as it's another form of CC, which helps mitigating skill cooldowns because it allows you to still CC while waiting for your skills to come back
any weapon with Future Perfect and Perpetuation are also good choices
Survivalist is a good choice for the additional damage to status affected targets and the fire grenade as another form of CC, prefer Firewall if you're going to use fire skills
CC'ed enemies must be within line of sight of your teammates to be efficient
status selection is going to vary based on content and group composition
try to get as close as possible to spawn closets to maximize effectiveness because the more the AI spreads out, the less effective a CC becomes as you'll be putting less mobs under status effects at the same time
there's often no need to expose yourself to enemies to apply statuses
2 types of CC builds:

Eclipse

good for Heroic content and CP4s, only efficient in legendaries if your group focuses status affected targets and has enough damage to kill them quickly
can be used as an offensive skill build on Challenging or lower difficulty content, in that case prefer the Eclipse backpack and Capacitor
spreads status effects on kill, therefore, the Eclipse chest is a must
also spreads status effects from Scorpio (TODO: test if TP debuffs are also spread)
preferred skills are Riot Foam/Firestarter Chem Launcher, Airburst Seeker Mine and Burn/EMP Sticky Bomb
longer cooldowns

High-end

great for legendaries, as long as you can manage your cooldowns
Tag Team is recommended as it lowers skill cooldowns
preferred skills are Blinder Firefly and Jammer Pulse
shorter cooldowns

Playing LMGs

main attributes: weapon damage and CHC/CHD
effective against out of cover targets (robotics and tanks are always out of cover)
can easily suppress enemies in cover

Playing medic

main attributes: repair skills and skill haste
allows your teammates to sustain incoming damage
BTSU gloves and Sweet Dreams/Scorpio are usually good choices
Survivalist is recommended for the multiplicative outgoing healing, the crossbow and the fire grenade as a form of CC
use the crossbow on tanks/warhounds and fire grenades on spawn closets
preferred skills are Reinforcer Chem Launcher and Restorer Hive
stick with your group, monitor their health, avoid dying and manage your cooldowns by picking up your hive when not in use
if a red/purple mob gets close or you see an opportunity to kill one, melee with Sweet Dreams or use Scorpio to make it easier for your teammates to focus them
refresh skill cooldowns between engagements (or after one or more teammates used a Reviver Hive)
the Restorer Hive will heal deployed skills after they take damage, you may not want this to happen to prevent your charges from draining too fast, therefore, its placement is important
useful to do preemptive heals with the Reinforcer Chem Launcher, especially for Crusader/Striker Shield users (their shield is their main source of survivability)
there's often no need to expose yourself to enemies to deploy your hive or heal your teammates
900k Reinforcer Chem Launcher heals are often overkill as most of the playerbase is sitting around 700k armor
reference: https://www.reddit.com/r/thedivision/comments/ko4ds5/please_try_a_healing_build/ghqvfx1

Playing rifler

main attributes: weapon damage and CHC/CHD
effective against all types of mobs thanks to critical hits
pairs well with the Crusader/Firewall Shield, especially when using a scope
should go for weak points and headshots to maximize damage and/or knock enemies back

Playing offensive skill builds

main attributes: skill damage and skill haste
skill placement is important, see this section
Harmony/Test Subject and Capacitor are usually best in slot
there's often no need to expose yourself to enemies to deploy your skills
there's no need to be constantly peeking to maintain your buffs
not as mobile as other builds
2 types of offensive skill builds:

AFK

typical combo is Striker Drone and Assault Turret
try to focus both of your skills on the same target to maximize single target DPS
not meant to deal lots of damage on its own (except when running several with an Artificer Hive)
good for taking aggro off you, your teammates and for tracking moving targets
bad for quickly bursting down mobs and against groups

Explosive

typical combo is Artillery Turret and Explosive Sticky Bomb/Cluster Seeker Mines
Demolitionist is a must for the multiplicative explosive damage and the Artillery Turret
very good damage output
good for clearing groups of enemies, spawn closets, flushing targets out of cover and against robotics
bad against moving targets and tanks

Playing shotgun

very effective at close range
hard to play and weak at long range
pairs well with the Crusader/Striker Shield
deadly around spawn closets
when fighting a mob, try to isolate yourself from other mobs as much as you can because you'll get flanked a lot
if you combine it with dancing, it'll often force a mob to completely stop moving
Hunter's Fury is the best gear set for it as you'll be taking a lot of damage so you'll need CC and armor on kill to survive
2 types of shotgun builds:

Crit-based

main attributes: weapon damage and CHC/CHD
Tsunami/Enforcer are good choices when solo
Scorpio is best in slot when in groups
Intimidate and Adrenaline Rush/Memento are recommended
the goal is to stay around spawn closets and land as many pellets as you can
try to go for the weakest mob to confuse nearby mobs as soon as possible
if you're using Scorpio, you can shoot between 2 mobs on purpose to apply status effects to both at the same time

Headhunter

main attributes: weapon damage and HSD (to reach 150HSD, all attributes and mods will likely need to be maxed out)
M870 or any other high damage shotgun with Pummel is a good choice
you can use another shotgun, a White Death and/or a Regulus as backup weapons
the goal is to stay around spawn closets and keep Headhunter as long as possible for warhounds, bosses and tanks
you must make smart use of cover or cover to cover to get close to mobs and spawn closets
wait until a mob stops moving or tries to melee you before shooting (deploy your shield to absord the melee)
if you're within 3m, aim for the head, otherwise aim slightly above the head because if you don't, a pellet may hit the body and you're likely to lose Headhunter
if a mob is on the move, place your crosshair on their trajectory, at head level, and shoot when they come across it
if you're near a spawn closet as new mobs spawn, try to time your kills so that the Confuse effect from Hunter's Fury is reapplied (unless the other mobs are still inside the spawn closet)

Playing sniper

main attributes: weapon damage and headshot damage
effective against targets that have a head and no helmet
for stationary targets, put your crosshair on them, at head level, before peeking
for moving targets, put your crosshair on their trajectory and take the shot when they come across it
for targets in cover, put your crosshair about 50cm above the cover (where their head is going to be), before peeking
for Nemesis, don't use the cover system but charge from behind cover, jiggle peek to acquire your target, peek again to release the trigger then hide
you can do a quick peek then hide to bait an enemy in cover into peeking
you can stand in the open to force a target behind cover to peek you (preferably exposing yourself only from that target), just release the trigger at head level when they peek
peek, take the shot and immediately take cover to minimize incoming damage (by strafing or pop shooting)
when a mob is using a minigun, aim at the top of their head or it'll hit the minigun
can one shot dogs with the Headhunter buff by shooting their legs
avoid using a scope, it allows you to see your surroundings when aiming and you often don't need the extra damage or magnification from using one (unless you're fighting targets beyond 50m)
avoid shooting the back of a running mob as its head will be leaning forward so you're likely to miss it or hit the body
Tip of the Spear is the best gear set for it

Playing tank

main attributes: armor cores and repair skills
Bulwark Shield, Artificer Hive and Liberty/TDI Kard Custom are recommended
must be able to self-sustain incoming damage and not depend on anyone
must draw aggro on you by shooting mobs, maintaining proximity and line of sight
must force mobs out of cover
must not block shots from your teammates
must provide more survivability to the group
must stay within range of your teammates
it's best to stay on the edges of a room or have a wall behind you to avoid getting shot from multiple sides
pay close attention to your radar to avoid getting flanked
you should be the one reviving other players as you can withstand a lot of damage
Foundry Bulwark is the best gear set for it
reference: https://www.reddit.com/r/thedivision/comments/hr0gxr/how_to_take_a_beating_a_guide_to_shield_tanks and https://www.reddit.com/r/thedivision/comments/jg4brb/whats_the_point_of_tank_builds/g9op8nb

Reviving

always revive from or behind cover to avoid getting shot
avoid reviving before making sure the nearby area is clear, enemies don't have line of sight on you and you're not gonna get rushed
if your Reviver Hive is at Tier 5 or lower and has full charges, you can switch to the TDI Kard Custom before deploying it to get an additional charge without making it go on cooldown
it's a good idea to throw a flashbang/fire grenade before reviving if there are enemies nearby to prevent them from pushing, especially near choke points
it's sometimes better to go through the rest of the engagement without reviving someone if it would make you at risk
reviving someone behind a low cover while not taking cover still covers you (not in PVP)
support builds should be the ones reviving other players (they're still able to support the team in the meantime), a DPS can't shoot while reviving
when reviving a downed teammate, you can use them as bullet shield (since they become immune to damage)
you can revive teammates without being next to them by moving over their body while pressing the revive key when close to it (TODO: test if it's affected by downed/dead state and walking/running)
you should always provide cover to the one reviving by either killing, CC'ing, aggro'ing or suppressing mobs
downed players should strive to get near cover without blocking it for alive players and avoid crawling in the open otherwise they'll be harder to revive
after self-reviving, you're immune to damage for a few seconds as long as you don't perform any action other than walking

Rikers

- reference: https://thedivision.fandom.com/wiki/Rikers#Tom_Clancy.27s_The_Division_2

Assault

takes cover and is not that dangerous, but can be in larger numbers
elites are equipped with Tear Gas Grenades which confuse targets
no weak point

Heavy Weapons

equipped with a SPAS-12 shotgun loaded with slug rounds and a stationary HMG that can be set up and used by other Rikers even if the Heavy Weapons dies
has a riot helmet protecting him from headshots, but it can be destroyed with about half a clip of assault rifle ammo
his HMG can be destroyed on his back, preventing him from deploying it
if the player gets too close, or all Rikers in the area die, the HMG detonates
elites have an HMG that fires explosive rounds at a slower pace but doesn't inflict bleed damage

Leader

gives a buff in health to all Rikers in the area
always equipped with two weapons, one for long-range and another for short-range
killing the Leader will return all Rikers affected by their buff to their health before the buff, minus the damage that was inflicted to them

Rusher

chases the player for a long time while firing their SMGs
elites move faster and do much more damage
has the lowest amount of HP of all archetypes

Sniper

has a circular riot shield that he crouches behind while shooting at long-range
has a taser gun at close range that shocks the target, used if the player gets too close
usually crouches, but the shield can be destroyed with enough concentrated fire
if his shield is destroyed, he will seek cover and fire from that position
doesn't have as much HP as the other archetypes

Tank

heavily armored Riker armed with a Dazzler rigged riot shield and a nail gun that does bleed damage on contact
resistant to explosives
has an air tank weak point that if shot, will make him switch to a pistol
his shield can be destroyed with enough concentrated fire and so can his dazzlers
the dazzlers are arranged in an inverted triangle just beneath the window in the shield
if the shield is destroyed, he will then use his Nail Gun

Thrower

equipped with proximity nail bombs that can cause bleed damage upon detonation
usually stays away in combat and throws nail bombs from a distance
has a weak point on the back of her waist that causes explosive damage to her when destroyed

Skills

- reference: https://thedivision.fandom.com/wiki/Skills/Tom_Clancy%27s_The_Division_2

Chem Launcher

a direct hit from a Reinforcer/Firestarter will cause minimal damage, but will also consume Headhunter stacks (even on a headshot) and benefit from them, thus allowing you to kill a mob with it
penetrates cover (except the Riot Foam variant)

Firestarter

double tapping the button will remotely detonate gas clouds
you can bounce charges off walls
initial damage and ticks affected by DTA

Oxidizer

clouds can stack
flushes mobs out of cover
lethal when used in its overcharged form on a group of ensnared mobs (like in speedruns)
affected by DTA and OOCD

Reinforcer

much more effective at healing allies than yourself because only allies benefit from the initial burst heal

Decoy

used to pull aggro off you and your group
can be meleed, shot or damaged by explosions and fire
should be deployed in locations where the hologram is visible to enemies but not its base, such as elevated positions or behind low covers (better if it's in an unreachable location)
in groups, avoid placing it near doorways or teammates
its duration can be greatly extended with an Artificer Hive
its skill tier can't decrease after deploying it
mobs shooting it will be pulsed (and therefore proc Spotter) for a short time
useful in PVP to catch a player off guard as it hides your nameplate until it's destroyed

Drone

Bombardier

can be auto-deployed in a straight line by the corresponding skill key (it will hurt you if you don't take a step back or aren't behind cover)
affected by DTA

Defender

its damage reduction isn't additive with protection from elites
its duration can be greatly extended with an Artificer Hive

Spotter

you can aim through walls to change its location

Striker

always targets the chest
used to pull aggro off you and your group
flushes mobs out of cover
keeps shooting at enemies while the player is downed

Firefly

double-tapping will throw it in the direction you're aiming and automatically target the nearest mob
its cooldown is based on the number of targets hit
you can proc In Sync by not targeting any mob with it (double-tap it)
it's good after locking targets to throw it sideways to avoid making it collide with obstacles in front of you

Blinder

has an area of effect and will therefore blind multiple mobs if they're close to each other

Burster

affected by DTA

Hive

deploying it is a good way to proc Feedback Loop from the Hardwired gear set
drone speed based on skill tier
must not be obstructed by a wall to interact with skills or players
acts as a sphere so you can revive a player who is on a different floor for instance
its skill tier can't decrease after deploying it

Artificer

doesn't need to be deployed to affect your other skill
heals nearby deployed shields while holstered (TODO: verify this information)

Stinger

efficient against drones due to their low HP (TODO: verify if mostly for explosive drones and/or lower difficulties)
counts as explosive damage
initial damage and ticks affected by DTA

Pulse

Achille's

scales with headshot damage squared if the head is marked and shot
also pulses affected target

Banshee

the longer you hold the corresponding skill key, the further the confuse wave will go
its cooldown is based on the number of targets hit
can affect targets 5m above/below the confusion wave
also pulses affected targets

Jammer

the longer you hold the corresponding skill key, the wider the disrupt radius will be
acts as a sphere so you can disrupt mobs above/below you
effective to proc Toxic Delivery from the Vile mask
its damage on robotics is only increased by skill damage

Scanner

its effect duration is also affected by skill duration

Seeker Mine

tanks will destroy them when targeted if they're not distracted

Airburst

has the longest status effect damage and burn duration in the game

Cluster

it's better to throw them near mobs than to deploy them at your feet otherwise they'll most likely dodge them
can be used to flush enemies out of cover or as a soft form of CC since non-robotic enemies (except tanks) will have to dodge them
more effective when multiple mobs are close to each other as they may get hit by more than one seeker mine
damage affected by DTA

Explosive

explosive damage and bleed ticks affected by DTA

Mender

automatically targets nearby friendlies that require healing

Shield

deploying it is a good way to proc In Sync and Feedback Loop from the Hardwired gear set
protects your armor from explosions if aimed towards the impact
double tapping Escape or the Inventory button allows you to instantly unequip and reequip a shield to proc Vanguard instead of waiting for the 1s cooldown

Bulwark

all enemies will target the shield
while behind vertical cover, peeking from the left allows you to have only your hand sticking out, therefore minimizing exposure

Crusader/Striker

all enemies will target the shield
deploying it will automatically switch to a weapon that can be used with shields (secondary weapon otherwise)
increases your character's hitbox and therefore makes it harder to navigate through doorways and around props
using a weapon with a scope will shift the camera to the right, allowing you to shoot from vertical cover when peeking from the left

Deflector

mobs will target the shield for the most part with the exception of elites, unless they're very close
deflected damage scales with skill damage

Sticky Bomb

applies status effect on impact
double tapping the button will quickly shoot it with perfect accuracy (can be done from cover)
explodes on impact when hitting drones
not detonating a Burn/EMP sticky on a target will automatically reapply the corresponding status effect upon expiration if the status effect expires before the sticky duration (subsequent statuses will be about 33% shorter than the previous status, based on the initial status duration)
when you're standing or on the move, aiming with your weapon prior to double-tapping it will make it easier lining up your shot
you can proc In Sync by shooting it at a distance further than 100m (like the sky)

Burn

targets won't burn immediately on impact so you should wait one second before detonating it when using Eclipse

EMP

its damage on robotics is only increased by skill damage

Explosive

damage affected by DTA

Trap

cooldown starts as soon as deploying them

Shock

deploys in a rough circular area
good to hold choke points
very efficient against drones
you can shock yourself if nearby when an enemy triggers it

Healing

deploys in a rough arc/line shape

Shrapnel

deploys in a rough circular area

Turret

good to draw aggro
try to put it in an elevated location, but not too close to you as it will draw aggro (unless you want to benefit from the Technician's Faraday field)
in groups, avoid placing it near doorways or teammates

Artillery

double tapping will lock/unlock it to a specific location (only works if you're within 10m of the turret)
rounds can bounce off walls and ceilings if there is an accessible area
you can aim through walls to shoot it
can be used to flush enemies out of cover or as a soft form of CC since non-robotic enemies (except tanks) will perform a dodge roll to avoid the explosion
explosive damage and bleed ticks affected by DTA

Assault

always targets the chest
it shows a red line when automatically targeting mobs that you can use as a way to spot them (especially when solo)
will shoot the nearest mob unless you do manual targeting
keeps shooting at enemies while the player is downed

Incinerator

great for spawn closets
its duration is reduced every time you burn fuel
tap the button when you don't need it to save fuel
initial damage and ticks affected by DTA

Sniper

good for burst damage
targets the chest by default
you have to ADS with your gun to switch to manual aim, which allows you to land a headshot, which deals more damage
doesn't scale with headshot damage but headshots will instead deal double the body damage

Spawn camping

definition: attacking mobs while they're still inside or in front of their spawn closet
requires that you already know the AI spawn locations combined with an aggressive playstyle
greatly reduces incoming damage as mobs can't shoot back while they're still inside their spawn closet (and if they do come out, they'll usually walk for a few meters or wait for a few seconds before shooting)
faster to switch between targets as they're all close to each other, leading to faster TTK
only possible with some form of CC (Eclipse, Hunter's Fury, fire grenades)
deadly when combined with the Striker shield, a shotgun with Pummel or Negotiator's Dilemma
try to make your way to spawn closets before the current enemy wave is cleared

Status effects

a player cannot put another player under status effects, therefore, environmental hazards next to a player should be triggered before the AI triggers them
AI status effect resistance is based on difficulty, veterancy and skill used
Bleed: mobs run away from the bleed source, robotics are immune (TODO: test if mobs also get to cover and if they only run away from the Stinger Hive)
Blind: mobs wander around in random directions with an arm covering their eyes (hard to get headshots), robotics are immune
Burn: mobs wander around in random directions, robotics are immune
Confuse: mobs kneel down then wander around in random directions, robotics are immune
Disrupt: red/purple mobs on Heroic difficulty or lower kneel down, effective against electronics, prevents mobs from using their abilities (except hunters), deployed support stations from healing and legendary tanks from using their backpack
Ensnare: mobs can't move, any action they were performing will be interrupted, they will shoot at you if you're facing them (in a 180° forward angle), robotics are immune
hazard protection reduces how long you're affected by status effects, not the initial damage or the status effect damage
Poison: red mobs kneel down, robotics are immune (TODO: test on purples and Heroic-)
Pulse: mobs are highlighted along with their weak points (even through walls) for a short time then stay tagged, it's not considered as a status effect and therefore doesn't proc status effect talents (except Spotter)
raid bosses are immune to some status effects
Shock: mobs kneel down for the duration of the shock, robotics can still move but are unable to use their abilities
status effects cannot be refreshed, you have to wait until one ends before being able to apply the same one again
you're immune for about one second between applications of the same status effect, giving you a short window of time to use your skills

Summit

completing objectives early limits the number of additional enemy waves
Contagion from the Eclipse Protocol gear set can destroy at least 2 waves of drones if one spawns shortly after the previous one
equip the Jammer Pulse for drone rooms
every time an enemy dies, expect a spawn to not be caught off guard
foaming a boss/hunter/rogue stops them from medkitting
going down or dying on an objective keeps capturing it
immune reviver drones and warhounds can be destroyed by Hostile Negotiations from the Negotiator's Dilemma gear set even though no icons will be displayed above them (TODO: verify if warhounds can actually be destroyed)
immune reviver drones, turrets and warhounds can be disrupted
killing marked targets with Negotiator's Dilemma counts as skill kills (useful for the Cool Skills Challenge)
try to complete multiple objectives at the same time
try to complete the hardest objective first (ex: destroying a server in the back of a room)
try to leave 1 or 2 mobs alive so you can complete objectives early (reinforcements don't spawn until clearing most mobs in a wave)
wait for your teammates before entering a room to allow them to get ready and prevent objectives from triggering early
when capturing objectives, don't peek unless you have to, completing objectives is more important than clearing mobs
when no mobs are in a room, don't go too far from the door as it's a drone ambush
when stuck between a door and a wall, fast travel to another player
you can build Scorpio stacks on a rotating jammer before it's
you can open locked doors by shooting the lock with a Chem Launcher or a silenced weapon, it allows you to not alert enemies (providing you're far enough from enemies when using a silencer)
you can see enemies through walls when servers are blinking

Suppressing

definition: laying down suppressive fire towards a cover a mob is using
mobs are unable to move or use their abilities (up to a certain extent) when suppressed (TODO: verify if Black Tusk controllers can still control their mini tank)
should be used sparingly, in the following cases: going for a flank, allowing teammates to push or when reviving someone in the open
suppressed enemies will not peek and may blind fire, preventing most of your group from killing them

Talents

Exotics

Binary Trigger (Merciless): affected by weapon damage, OOCD and DTA but not by explosive damage
Electromagnetic Accelerator (Nemesis): shots are also fired when swapping weapons
In Plain Sight (Mantis): the headshot damage boost is always active in PVP
Incessant Chatter (Chatterbox): doesn't expire after dying (as long as you don't switch weapons)
Pack Instincts (Coyote's Mask): buffs can be individually proc'ed by 3 players using it and can therefore all be active at the same time
Plague of the Outcasts (Pestilence): ticks are affected by weapon damage, OOCD and DTA. in PVP, the player who applied the debuff must die for the ticks to stop
Quick Draw (Dodge City Gunslinger's Holster): while at full Headhunter stacks, killing a target with a headshot from a pistol will cause the Dodge City stacks to temporarily boost Headhunter's cap for the next shot, therefore causing an insane amount of damage
Regicide (Regulus): also affected by explosive damage and how many Dodge City stacks you have
Sandman (Sweet Dreams): doesn't work on robotics. meleeing with a non-deployable skill can still proc Sandman
Septic Shock (Scorpio): venom stacks are added to each other when applied by different players
Tenacity (Eagle Bearer): in PVP, provides an important reload speed bonus
Toxic Delivery (Vile): ticks are also affected by Perpetuation, OOCD, DTA and DTH

Gear sets

Ground Control (Future Initiative): procs when someone is at full armor, not when the FI user is at full armor
Hostile Negotiations (Negotiator's Dilemma): crits caused by a signature weapon aren't affected by damage reduction when shooting a non-named enemy while a named enemy is marked
Makeshift Repairs (Foundry Bulwark): explosive damage doesn't proc it
Striker's Gamble (Striker): each shotgun pellet counts towards building up one stack so using an ACS-12 allows reaching max stacks faster

High-end

Bloodsucker: procs on skill kills. all stacks are refreshed upon killing an enemy
Creeping Death: mobs on which it procs remain affected by their natural status resistance
Empathic Resolve: refreshed every time you heal a player. also procs with True Patriot's white buff and when healing other group members with the Survivalist medkit
Eyeless: affects the damage of non-ballistic skills
Focus: stays proc'ed when reloading or unscoping for less than a second, which allows you to keep moving. doesn't proc with the Big Horn, Capacitor or the TAC-50 as these have variable scopes
Glass Cannon: also affects how much damage your shield is taking (TODO: check with other skills)
Headhunter: damage cap is boosted by anything that provides weapon damage, total weapon damage and DTA. calculated on a per-pellet basis for shotguns, therefore making them reach the damage cap with a single kill of any other weapon. isn't affected by damage drop-off
Ignited: affects the damage of non-ballistic skills
Intimidate: proc'ed by the bonus armor provided by the "My Home Is My Castle" perk from the Sharpshooter specialization
Kinetic Momentum: half of the stacks are lost upon using a Chem Launcher at full charges and it won't start rebuilding these stacks until it's back at full charges
Leadership: procs when interrupting the end of a cover to cover by deploying a shield
Sadist: affects the damage of non-ballistic skills
Tag Team: proc'ed by the Jammer Pulse and the Deflector Shield (the latter can also consume the mark)
Trauma: boosted by status effects. blind and bleed have separate cooldowns
Vanguard: also gives bonus armor to yourself in raids
Vigilance: stays proc'ed when your base armor remains untouched (like when using a shield or having bonus armor)

Weapons

Finisher: procs when destroying enemy skills
Future Perfect: being at skill tier 3 is enough to overcharge
In Sync: procs when deploying a shield
Measured: the second half is total weapon damage unlike the first half
Naked: procs when killing armored targets with a single shot or when a shot chips into both armor and health
Optimist: boosts Headhunter stacks
Preservation: procs on skill kills
Pummel: procs when destroying enemy skills
Ranger: multiplicative damage that doesn't boost Headhunter

Target prioritization

when starting an engagement, annoying archetypes (Grenadier, Drone Operator, Medic) and weak points (Stinger Hive bag, support station) should be dealt with first to make the rest of the engagement easier
you can also start engagements by targeting weak points that will CC nearby mobs (such as spice bags) in a group
rushers are your top priority later on as they'll become deadly at close range
if you're using Headhunter, you can kickstart it on a sniper/rusher if you don't have enough damage for a kill

Tips/tricks

activity completion rewards are proximity based, so wait for others to be close before completing them
any type of armor on kill works with skill kills and the Plague of the Outcasts debuff from Pestilence
CHD isn't affected by damage drop-off
crossbow bolts apply localized damage, for instance headshots remove helmets
deploying a skill while using Technician protects you and nearby allies from disruption/shock (Faraday field) as long as you're both staying within 5m of it
double-clicking on a cache instantly opens it
explosions have damage drop-off from the point of impact
health doesn't regen when disrupted
improvised gear always has a mod slot, opening up possibilities for some builds (ex: PFE, hazard immunity)
incoming repairs and outgoing healing are multiplicative and they are their own multiplier, therefore, they're both multiplicative with repair skills
mobs can block shots and take damage from another mob, turning a mob right in front of you as a bullet shield
opening an ammo box will automatically reload your current weapon
picking up a disrupted skill and redeploying it will cleanse it from disruption
Protection From Elites is capped at 80%
rain reduces ballistic skills targeting abilities and AI sight
shooting the foam on an ensnared teammate or hip-firing at your feet breaks it
signature weapons are automatically reloaded when holstered
skill damage also boosts status damage
swapping any armor piece while out of combat restores all of your armor
swapping to a loadout with a different specialization refills grenades
swapping to another weapon halfway through a reload will still reload your other weapon
swapping to your pistol then to your other primary weapon is faster than swapping between primary weapons
targeting a specific brand (6 items) is much better than targeting a specific armor piece (32 items)
the Cool Skills and Scavenged Skills directives can be bypassed by deconstructing skills while using the Rigger backpack
the Cool Skills directive doesn't affect deployed skills
the crossbow can one shot Razorback's grates in the Dark Hours raid
the EMP grenade has a fixed ~11s duration, regardless of skill tiers or attributes (TODO: check if status effects can increase its duration)
the golden bullet also refreshes all your skill charges
the Survivalist medkit acts as a sphere so you can heal people above/below you
the weak points on dead mobs can be destroyed
when medkitting with the No Regen/Hard To Earn/Fragile Armor directives, use Perfectly Efficient to save medkits
when your health is depleted, you have a 1-2s buffer (not in PVP) to take cover before going down, it's disabled until you're back to full health, which takes around 30s without taking damage
you can donate resources from the Projects tab on your map
you can instantly decon all items marked for junk if you hold TAB while moving the mouse or press SHIFT + TAB
you can kill enemies stuck behind doors with the Oxidizer Chem Launcher
you can let medics revive mobs to farm Headhunter stacks
you can refresh the golden bullet by deconstructing a skill or not targeting any mob with it (ex: Firefly)
you can see additional outlines when using radius-based skills by enabling color blind mode (Settings > Accessibility > Color Blind Mode), making it easier to use such skills
you can skip real-time cutscenes by dodge rolling or aiming
you can use armor plates or enemy skills to "extend" Negotiator's Dilemma copy damage
you can use drones to farm Memento trophies

True Sons

- reference: https://thedivision.fandom.com/wiki/True_Sons#Archetypes

Assault

fights from cover and moves cover to cover to avoid enemy fire
no weak point

Engineer

sets up a turret to lay down supporting fire
damaging the turret can cause him to expose himself to fire while repairing it
can move his turret as needed, preferring to place it on low pieces of cover
destroying the turret on his back or after it's deployed will cause him to fight like the assault archetype

Heavy Weapons

prefers to lay down covering fire from behind cover
his head is frequently exposed, but is also heavily armored
destroying the ammo pack on his back will cause an explosion

Immobilizer

shoots a close range sticky foam that stops his target from moving
once his target has been ensnared, he'll switch to another weapon and shoot them
destroying his backpack causes him and everyone nearby to be ensnared

Medic

prefers to stay behind the front lines and revive downed allies
in close quarters combat, he can use his shock paddles to lethal effect
destroying the medical pack on his back will prevent him from reviving allies and shock everyone nearby
elites will revive fallen enemies faster and provide the revived target with an overheal along with some armor should they revive a Veteran, Elite or Named enemy
mobs revived also have their weak points repaired (TODO: verify this information)

RPG

unleashes rocket propelled grenades at enemies
tends to keep his distance from any agent, so playing aggressively tends to work with RPGs
if forced into CQC, he will resort to using a pistol
destroying his rocket-filled backpack results in an explosion that is always fatal to him

Rusher

prefers to engage opponents at short range, often charging without regard for his own safety if it allows for a good shot
has the lowest amount of HP of all archetypes
no weak point

Sniper

fights from range and deals significant damage with high accuracy
avoids close quarters fighting whenever possible
makes effective use of cover
doesn't have as much HP as the other archetypes

Tank

prefers to launch grenades, periodically stopping to reload
well armored, and can take significant damage before the armor breaks
resistant to explosives
destroying the ammo pack on his back will cause an explosion that will destroy the armor plate on his chest and force him to use a shotgun
bounty tanks will keep using the grenade launcher despite destroying his ammo pack

Thrower

prefers to toss grenades at opponents from a safe distance
avoids direct engagement and fight from range while other allies distract opponents
destroying the grenade pouch on their thigh will cause an explosion

White Tusk

- reference: https://thedivision.fandom.com/wiki/White_Tusk#Archetypes

Drone Operator

same as the Black Tusk variant, except the speed and health of the suicide drones are increased, they're deployed more often and instantly distance themselves away from the operator to prevent collateral damage
drone initial separation speed is based on veterancy
doesn't need to have line of sight to be able to target players with her drones (but will still occasionally peek after deploying them if a player is visible)

Mini Tank

same as the Black Tusk variant, except it can still target you after killing its controller and elites don't fire incendiary grenades

Rusher

same as the Black Tusk variant, except he throws shock grenades, which can potentially shock them and other nearby enemies

Sniper

same as the Black Tusk variant, except she only needs 2s to acquire a target before shooting

Tank

same as the Black Tusk variant, except the support station on his back is replaced with a variant of the Stinger Hive which deals heavy damage to those within 15m and causes them to bleed
tries to get close because of his Stinger Hive
his Stinger Hive stops working while he's disrupted (TODO: check if it's the same when shocked)
his Stinger Hive has a 20m range
tends to retreat after breaking his backpack
his chest/helmet armor plates will turn black once they have less than 50% HP left
his backpack can target up to 2 targets per player at the same time, therefore if both of a player's skills are deployed and in range of the hive, the player won't be targeted by it

Thrower

same as the Black Tusk variant, except he always fires his airburst launcher in volleys of 3
the time between grenade shots is based on veterancy

Credits

adreN, BreezyGamingTV, JoshNissan, luckySkillFaker, Lunar, OfficialA2K, TheWarOwl and voo CSGO for the videos about PVP concepts
D-Y-N-4-M-O#0976 (Discord) for general feedback
Magnum for gifting me the base game
MMR clan (especially swift4010, Ting, PriceOfEscape and ishraque1998) for knowledge sharing and feedback
r/thedivision members (especially u/AA_BRIAN, u/BestNadeThrower, u/Caynug, u/CoolheadedBrit, u/D3LTAFR0ST, u/DrawingWeak4034, u/Glimflicker, u/iKia, u/kestononline, u/Lord--Starscream, u/Masenku, u/matta3310, u/mikkroniks, u/mrcivster, u/mxswat, u/rubenalamina, u/sukaihoku, u/Trzebiat, u/Vikeman45 and u/XPS1647) for knowledge sharing and feedback
The Division wiki contributors for information about archetypes
whatistruth101 for gifting me WONY

Contact information

Discord: Genesis#2418
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/genesis_tv
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/genesis_tv_
Twitter: https://twitter.com/genesis_tv_

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GenesisFR/HowToBecomeGoodAtShooters

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How to become good at shooters

Table of Contents

Introduction

PVE concepts

Aggro

AI animations

AI behavior

Angle isolation

Clearing angles

Counter-strafing

Cover

Crosshair placement

Damage indicator

Difficulty

Elevation

Environmental damage

Falling back

Keeping your distance

Minimap/radar

Movement

Peeking

Perspective

Playing your build/class

Relocation

Sounding

Starting engagements

State of mind

Sweeping

Target prioritization

Weak points

Weapon recoil

Weapon selection

PVP concepts

Baiting

Callouts

Clearing angles

Counter-strafing

Crossfire

Double peeking

Flanking

Focus management

Getting information

Holding angles

Jiggle peeking

Lurking

Map control

Map knowledge

Off angle

Perspective

Playing off first contact

Rotating

Strength in numbers

Trading

The Division 2

AI animations

AI behavior

Black Tusk

Assault

Controller

Drone Operator

Medic

Mini Tank

Rusher

Sniper

Support

Tank

Thrower

Warhounds

Grenadier

Minigun

Sniper

Builds

Cleaners

Assault