CrossFire: Legionadds an RTS twist to theCrossFirefranchise. This time around,CrossFire: Legionallows players to assume control of one of three factions, allowing players access to unique commanders, units, vehicles, and strategies to dominate their matches.

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Set in the far future oftheCrossFiregame, players can either choose to side with advancement-seeking New Horizon, mercenary troupe Global Risk, or the renegades within Black List to eliminate their foes. With the sci-fi RTS blending deck-building with fast-paced skirmishes against foes, just how should players start theirCrossFire: Legionjourney?

8Check Out Their RTS Counterparts

While one of the more popular criticisms towardsCrossFire: Legionis its similarities with otherclassic RTS gamessuch asStarCraft, it may help newcomers get a better grasp ofLegionon the get-go if they try comparing each faction with other notable factions of similar games. That way, players can apply similar approaches when deciding what teams to focus on. Here are some basic similarities:

7Consider Basic Playstyles Of Each Faction

One of the best ways that any RTS player can get intoCrossFire: Legionis to understand the basic playstyles of each available faction.

6Get Global Risk For Unit Flexibility, Balance

Being the default “good” faction inCrossFire: Legion,Global Riskis an ideal choice for both balanced and flexible units. Its units and vehicles come relatively cheap and have versatile components, useful for default incursions in whatever setting players find themselves in. Moreover, the specialization as per their eventual upgrades make Global Risk a great way to slowly understand mechanics such as development speed and adjusting to combat situations, similar to thebeginner-friendly Terrans ofStarCraft.

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However, players do need to understand the risk of upgrade dependency in regard to Global Risk, as the “basic” nature of their units could be disadvantageous when facing more complex approaches from the other factions. Thankfully, Commander Abilities such as Rally’s heals and firing boost as well as Fire At Wil’s artillery barrage provide players with extra flexibility options when in dangerous situations.

5Try Black List For Quick Incursions

Despite being branded as the “bad guys,” theBlack Listis simply a faction currently dissatisfied with the current status quo. Armed with cheap units and mobile fighters, the Black List faction excels in ambushes and surprise attacks, making this an excellent choice for players who love overwhelming foes with numbers. Of course, this does mean mediocre durability is always something newcomers should be wary of.

This reliance on fast-paced attacks also reflect in the faction’s Commander Abilities, with Ghost Core providing passive healing to nearby units, and Ghost Recall being able to teleport units to the Ghost Core and include stealth. Their hit-and-run, speed-based strategy is similar to howZergs function inStarCraft

StarCraft

4Grab New Horizon For Extended Survivability

Athird faction in an RTSis often unique, as a lot of times “speedy aggressive but weak versus slow but durable” prevails when it comes to faction differences. In the case ofCross Fire: Legion, theNew Horizonfaction evidently have slow units but makes up for it with durability, support, and general utility. Players who want to outlast foes despite numbers and firepowers can start grasping the game’s more complex mechanics with this faction.

Not to mention, Commander Abilities available for New Horizon do give extended defenses to units. For instance, Null Field gives damage mitigation to allies, while Radiation Zone actively damages foes inside them.

A well-defended base

3Study Enemy Approaches In Matches

While it’s true that players won’t necessarily win the first few times, this doesn’t mean they can’t take away anything from their experience. When fighting players using any faction, it helps for players to take notes about common strategies that arise in specific situations - especially in regard to map placement in relation to the faction used.

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Doing this allows players to spot common patterns with ideal first units, especially with the current meta. For instance, Vampires from New Horizon are ideal starters primarily for their built-in lifesteal, meaning they’re good as both early-game protectors or rushers. Players need to take note of these patterns to anticipate them in future matches.

2Consider The Rush

Considering howCrossFire: Legionis a real-time strategy title, atraditional strategy such asStarCraftcould become a great basis for basic combat approaches. Part of this is the rush strategy, popularized byStarCraft’s Zerg Rush wherein a player overwhelms another party by attacking headfirst early on with cheap units.

Such a strategy could be done withCrossFire: Legionas well, considering how all factions have base units much cheaper to produce. When combined with the right strategies - say, using Black List Bulldogs with the Ghost Core Commander Ability - players can easily win matches, provided enemies don’t have adequate defenses against them. A good counter here is preparing a few combat units beforehand while gathering resources just to ensure there’s enough time to block a preemptive assault.

The Global Risk Faction

1Develop Combos To Maximize Time

Given enough time, players would likely grasp the basic mechanics of unit management inCrossFire: Legion, similar toother RTS titles, but this is where time becomes the enemy. Against more experienced enemies, players may not have enough time to set up the proper buildings and prepare the right units before tackling in a rush, or enemies may have developed far more than players within the same timeframe.

The key here is for players to see what kind of combos they can do with their building strategies during the beginning parts of a match. Given their map position and their chosen faction, players should develop “default approaches” to avoid losing out when it comes to the time it takes to prepare both a formidable offense and defense. For instance, New Horizon units work well on the defensive, so it makes sense for players to bolster their defensive position while developing their base.

The Black List

The New Horizon

Combat in CrossFire Legion

A clash between two factions

Activating a Commander Ability as part of a combo