Since the monumental launch of Wardogs, which saw almost 350,000 people logging in to play when it released into early access, there’s been some confusion around certain items and processes despite the in-game tutorial. While the tutorial explains how to get a FOB–or Forward Operating Base–it’s easy to forget that when you’re feeling the pressure of combat.
FOBs are also far more useful than the tutorial explains, and they’re vital to ensuring your team maintains control of the zone, increasing your points. We’ve got all you need to know about FOBs, how to get them, what they are, and how you can use them to your team’s advantage.
First of all, a FOB is a Forward Operating Base, and can be placed anywhere in the playable map apart from in your spawn base. You also won’t be able to place a FOB if an opposition team’s FOB is in the nearby area. Within the FOB’s area of effect, your team can build structures but enemy teams cannot.
To build one, you’ll have to buy one from an equipment vendor. It takes up a 2×3 slot in your backpack, and won’t fit in the free backpack, so you’ll have to buy the upgraded version.
To place the FOB after you’ve bought it and moved it to wherever you want to build it, press the hotkey you assigned it to, and then hold left click to place it. Each new FOB includes a free small and medium hammer and some healing bandages and other supplies.
The reason building a FOB is so vital is it creates a small zone where your team can build walls, defenses, weapons, structures, and other buildings. Usually, these are placed at the towers, although they can be placed anywhere within the zone of control. The FOB allows your team to build a fortified area that can be used offensively or defensively. For example, if you’ve got four mortars within a base, and that base is heavily fortified, it’ll be difficult for the enemy team to infiltrate the base and prevent your mortar operators from damaging them, their vehicles, buildings, and equipment.
On the other hand, if an enemy team decides to swarm that base with heavy artillery, having strong defenses will be the difference between surviving and crumbling to their assault. If you’ve got a strong base there’s a good chance you can maintain an advantage in the control zone. Parking an APC inside the FOB’s zone of influence can also allow your team to safely spawn directly inside the control zone without needing to make the long and often dangerous trek by road or air.
The best place to build a FOB in Wardogs
The most common place to build a FOB is at a tower. This allows your team to fortify the surrounding area and easily keep control of it. Towers are one of the only indestructible structures in Wardogs, so having a solid perimeter wall makes them more robust.
There’s no limit to the number of FOBs that can be placed, so adding some tactically around the outside of the control zone so that you can stealthily launch a ton of mortars at your opponents with a smaller risk of being taken down isn’t a terrible idea.
You might also choose to place your FOB at a church. These landmarks are also indestructible, and are often positioned at high ground, or with limited roads that serve them, meaning they’re tactically advantageous locations. Fortifying a church is a great way of getting another strong location to spawn into that isn’t directly at your tower.
Wardogs FOB tips
The best thing you can do to support your team near a FOB is fighting to defend it. FOBs also need constant supplies including building supplies, ammo, and fuel. This is especially important if your team is building advanced support structures such as the anti-armor drone launcher or the drill. The drill pulls the hot zone to your FOB when activated, meaning anyone in the vicinity immediately earns more XP and cash.
You can help out by driving logistics trucks with pallets of supplies, or flying aircraft with supplies back and forth from your spawn base to the FOBs that need them. Each pallet of supplies costs $400 but you’ll get $2500 for dropping each pallet off to a FOB. When you bring the supplies, you’ll need to press F to interact with it extract the supplies to the FOB–but often, your teammates will be doing this actively. To move small crate supplies into the FOB you’ll need to manually carry them, so make sure you’ve got a large backpack on.
If you’re wondering what the FOB specifically needs, keep an eye on the text chat, or use voice chat to ask your teammates directly what they’re in need of if you’re within range of them.
A FOB can build anything from perimeter defenses and support structures to offensive equipment and weapons. You should prioritize efficiently, starting with the perimeter defense, making high walls with barbed wire on top, minimal doors, and only one main entrance gate for the supply trucks to enter via. After this, think about your offensive capabilities. SAMs, mortars, and sniper towers all allow your team to defend the walls while hurting your opposition. The drill should be next, since it’ll constantly allow your team to rack up points in the hot zone. Finally, focus on refueling stations as a last resort.
Make sure your FOB is well-defended. Once you have built it, build a green single door and double high HESCO wall around it. This prevents the console from being hacked while you get the proper walls and defenses up. Do not place it on the roof – that only takes one well-placed mortar to destroy it and leave you vulnerable. That’s alongside the fact that it’ll take a very well-skilled pilot to land the supplies on the roof.
Remember that only the team who controls the FOB can open the doors near it, so make sure you close them.
With the strongest FOB strategy and our tips, games will easily become winnable–now you just need to communicate that to the tens of other people on your team, and hope they play ball. For other Wardogs tips, check out what to do if your parachute isn’t working, and how to fly a helicopter without killing half of your team.