Greetings loyal Brothers and Heretics alike.

This guide is designed to prevent the hell-hole often seen with individual lemmings running to their death in a meat-grinder one by one, especially as in the Annihilation game mode, feeding the grinder is literally the way to lose.

These ideals and strategies come from literally combined hundreds if not over a thousand hours of experience in Space Marine 1, the long dead Eternal Crusade, and now over 200 hours of PVP in this game.

To be honest, the first thing to learn about PVP in this game is that generally, your place on the leaderboard means nothing compared to your team actually winning the match.

I'd rather play the objective heroically, die, be bottom of the board but we win and I unlock more stuff than the alternative of chasing K/D ratio and losing the match. If that's not your mindset, this might not be the PVP game for you.

With all that said, the Annihilation game mode is very different to the other two...

If you are looking for help with the other PVP modes, try here:

• Guide to Capture and Control
  
  
• Guide to Seize Ground

This mode is essentially team deathmatch, with a cap of 50, so kills are good, dying is bad. Very simple.

I wont go into any detail about what classes excel at what here, these are all purely things that any player can do, on any class, in any setup, whether in a group and using voice-comms or just solo / using in-game directions via pinging.

If EVERYONE who reads this can take into account these following factors and behaviours and carry them forward without the need to type instructions at the start of each match, things will be a lot smoother for everyone.

• BIND AND USE YOUR PING BUTTON! It's less about holding it down for specific lines in PVP, but pinging an enemy, capture point or just general location really helps, especially if you're not on voice-comms with any of your team!
  
  
• Work WITH your team and learn to FLANK! Flanking is a vital core strategy in this game. The team flanking the other in any given encounter will most likely be the one which comes out on top. Likewise, try to remember to check your own flanks as well.
  
  
• Learn your currently active class, its special ability, and how best to compliment other class specials with your own if you can
  
  
• Learn the maps so you know your way around, and where to find ammo or grenades in a pinch.
  
  
• Kills are good, obviously, but foolishly running off by yourself is probably the worst thing you can do, as the mode encourages teams blobbing together for strength.
  
  
• A well organised team will push as a group, covering and buffing each other as much as possible.
  
  
• Most, if not all weapon / armour unlocks are based on victories in your chosen game-mode, not kills achieved, so you're better off getting less kills and a lower score on the board if your team actually wins. (Plus, the weapon XP you earn is based on victories with it equipped and not kills you get, and class achievement completion is based on the class you have active at the end of the current match, not what you mained the match with)
  
  
• Whether your team wins or not can depend entirely on whether you play as a team or try and lone-wolf it

All classes should be keeping an eye on their Bulwark and Heavy brethren and offering them covering fire support whenever needed. With that said, let's talk classes (I'll eventually try and add some gameplay examples highlighting flanking and use of special abilities for each class / map as I go along, bear with me!)


As the tactical, your main role is to keep your Auspex scanning up as much as possible. Remember, your Auspex lets you and your team see enemies through walls if they are near the scan, plus it gives you all bonus damage to the ones affected by it as well. In this mode, the more you kill and the less you die the better, so having the damage and visibility advantage really helps. The tactical also has the largest selection of available primary weapons so can be very versatile, although most of them are various flavours of bolter rifle. Pick whichever works best for you. Dont forget you can carry a second item of equipment as this class too, so remember to always grab supplies as you pass if your count is 1 or less.


The jump-pack gives you incredible manoeuvrability, as well as the added bonus of a short stun on whoever you land on. Your role is playing guardian angel to your brothers, swooping in and mopping up unsuspecting foes already engaged in combat. You excel at taking down an enemy Bulwark or Heavy who is trying to entrench themselves or protect their allies. Remember to try and land your air attacks so you dont end up facing down the barrel of a gun, so aim for their rear if possible. Maybe open with a grenade from the air too to soften them up before landing. You can also use your elevation to your advantage to ping enemies and act as a recon drone.


The Vanguard is the second most manoeuvrable class in the game, as their Grapnel gun allows them to zip across rooms, or up to ledges reserved otherwise only for those with jump-packs. It is also great for closing the gap on an enemy and dealing the killing blow, or alternatively, for zipping out of combat to safety. Use this to your advantage to try and pick off enemy stragglers, or to keep yourself alive. Dont forget it will break a Heavy Iron Halo shield!


The Bulwark is a beast when played properly. This monster is not necessarily likely to get the highest kill count on the scoreboard, but the interference, obstruction and damage absorption you bring to the table is second to none. Your role is to be annoying. To hold up your shield (by holding down your block / parry button) and tank the bullets and grenades flung at you. Your shield will take a lot of punishment, Heavies will likely overheat their weapons, and others will empty their clips and need to reload, giving you and your team the chance to mop up whatever's left. Basically, the enemy either has to focus you to get rid of you, or ignore you while you hack away at them. Remember that your block can easily be broken by a heavy attack however, so dont get too complacent and pay attention to your attacker.


The sniper can be played very differently depending on loadout. If you take a rifle, then your role is to provide support and covering fire, picking off enemies attacking your allies (Bulwarks and Heavies mostly). If you take the SMG, then your role is more sneak and ambush, providing more up close and personal support to your allies from more obscure angles.


With its ridiculous firepower, and Iron Halo shield, the heavy has 2 main functions. Either to help allies act as a big push to take ground, or to dig in where you stand and hold the line. Remember, the shield from your Iron Halo also protects allies as well as you, so position yourself strategically whenever possible. Higher level Heavies have access to both the multi-melta and the plasma launcher, both of which drastically alter the playstyle, with the multi-melta acting more as a close-range shotgun, whilst a charged bolt from the plasma launcher acts as a 1-2 shot cannon that tears armour apart.

• This mode is a lot more simple in the grander scheme of things, so generally the safest thing to do is to stay in a group. This is most likely what the enemy team is doing, and lone wolf players will get chewed up when they inevitably run into the enemy blob.
  
  
• When grouping, dont bunch up too close. A lucky grenade or charged plasma hit will take more than one person down if you're not careful.
  
  
• This mode is the least forgiving with regards to making a comeback when your team is behind. While it is possible to get a great kill streak in and try to catch up, the most likely scenario is the other players on your team will bleed out those last few points to the enemy team before you can get ahead.
  
  
• Be aware of your surroundings and pick your fights. Dont run headfirst into a group of 3, you'll likely die. Likewise, watch for crossfire from the flanks as you approach your target. Getting mowed down from the wings before you even get there is just a free kill to the enemy team.

Here are some general combat tips which apply to pretty much all classes, and all game modes. Food for thought to potentially help step up your gameplay.

• Again, to reiterate, BIND AND USE YOUR PING BUTTON!
  
  
• If you have a headset and mic, dont be shy. Use it. You'd be surprised how many other lurkers suddenly start talking tactics just because you did. Inspire, my Brothers!
  
  
• Not to bang on about it again, but work WITH your team and learn to FLANK!
  
  
• Ideally, try to get used to multiple classes, as your first (or even second!) choice might not always be available.
  
  
• Learn to pick your fights. Running in solo to a group of 2+ enemies who are not already engaged in combat might score you a kill if you're lucky, or they're unaware, but generally you'll end up dying. To be fair, your mileage may vary depending on class and surprise factor, but generally numbers win fights. Either through superior firepower, or by the aforementioned flanking. Exceptions to this rule I guess are when you're trying to keep a capture point contested just by being there and waiting for backup, remain steadfast Brothers!
  
  
• Unless your team is already organised, when respawning, wait a moment (say 5 10 seconds) before running in. If another teammate respawns then, you can immediately go off as a group instead of solo and back into the grinder.
  
  
• Likewise, if your team isn't communicating much / at all, try to head towards your teammates when you respawn. Safety in numbers is generally a good rule. In capture point modes, you can use this to bolster your defences. I strongly recommend the UI setting that shows teammates through walls kept on for this reason alone.
  
  
• If an enemy is almost dead but you run out of ammo in the fight, it's nearly always faster to switch to your sidearm to finish them off instead of trying to reload. If you're close enough, melee may seal the deal, but a few shots from your secondary weapon give you that extra range option.
  
  
• Learn to parry. It does work in PVP, just differently. If you time your press of your parry button correctly, it will deflect any light melee attack, negating the damage entirely. The usefulness of this will vary from encounter to encounter and the skill of the enemy. If they just heavy attack you, it breaks your parry. Or maybe they dodge away and shoot, but most clueless enemies will just keep spamming light attack, giving you the choice to heavy attack, dodge and shoot, or just hold out til the cavalry arrive and shoot them from behind.

Thanks for taking the time to read this guide. If you found it helpful, please give it a thumbs up (this is what earns the guide stars) and a favourite so it gains some traction in the guide section.

You may also find my other PVP mode guides useful too:

• Guide to Capture and Control
  
  
• Guide to Seize Ground

Happy hunting!