Insurgency: Sandstormis one of those games that tends to have a large number of experienced players. Those that get a feel for the game and enjoy it end up sticking around for a long time. Part of this is that the game isn’t designed to be supplanted by a sequel as quickly as something likeCall of Dutyis, but the other reasons have entirely to do with the quality of the game itself.
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There are quite a few intricate details that help sharpen its tactical edge over the aforementioned annual franchise, and devoted fans can’t get enough of it. For new players, however, it can be daunting to try and get into the game bearing these details in mind. There are things like point systems, attachments, day and night stages, fire control tactics, and much more than that.For the new player, there are quite a few things they ought to learn in order to really succeed at the game.
Updated on Jun 19, 2025, by Gregory Louis Gomez:Insurgency: Sandstorm still has quite the following almost four years since its initial release. Aside from its tactical and strategic edge that has shaped its gameplay into something wholly unique, the game has received numerous updates over the years. This has helped to keep the game relevant and allow new players to discover and become a fan of the franchise. With that in mind, we’ve added a few more entries to this article, detailing some more helpfulInsurgency Sandstormtips on how to become a better player.
13Managing Supply Points
Supply points are essentially the main form of currency in the game. The player uses them tocustomize their loadoutat any given time, however, they’re only given a set number of supply points depending on the game settings. The player can have as little as 10 points at the start of the match, with only a few extra points rewarded later on for good performance.
Points are spent on things like weapons, armor, attachments, and other secondary equipment. This means that the player will need to be smart about how they apply their supply points. It is recommended that the player figure out their playstyle and then shape their loadout to maximize its effectiveness. Some players prefer to forgo armor and use the points on more grenades or ammo, for example.
12Playing With Attachments
Like many modern tactical shooters,Insurgencyallows the player to customize their weapons by adding things like optics, grips, lasers, and so much more. Depending on the weapon,different attachmentswork better than others.
Flash hiders conceal the player’s muzzle flash from the enemy, but compensators reduce vertical recoil. Optics can improve the player’s view of the enemy, but too much magnification can make recoil feel more severe. It may be best for some players to forgo attachments altogether at first in order to maximize their effectiveness once they understand how the weapons work.
11Friendly Fire Isn’t Disabled
Many First-Person shooters will go ahead and disable friendly fire outright to prevent teammates from hurting or killing each either accidentally or on purpose.Insurgency: Sandstorm, however, does not prevent teammates from damaging or even killing each other in certain circumstances. This is important because it means that the player can’t just run around aimlessly or fire their weapon without any regard for their team’s positioning.
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The possibility of running into your own team’s gunfire or firing on your own team while it’s maneuvering is always there, and a good player is acutely aware of this fact at all times, taking the necessary steps to reduce the likelihood of afriendly firerelated accident. This includes nothing short of proper communication, good trigger discipline, and sharp eyes.
10The Quirks of Reloading
WithInsurgency, there’s more to learn when it comes to reloading than in most othertactical games. Like its predecessor, the game will save partially depleted mags if the player chooses to reload early. Unlike its predecessor, however, a staged reloading system has been added for more realism.
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This means that the reloading cycle can be interrupted and restarted from the stage it was first stopped. For partial reloading, this means that there’s still one round in the chamber while reloading; however, it is best not to partial reload too often because after a while, the only mags the player will have will be half or quarter-full magazines.
9Tactical Grenades & Explosives
Grenades can be used in a few different ways. For starters, they can be cooked, thrown over-hand or underhand, or they can be held for an extended period and then armed. Non-lethal grenades like flash grenades or smoke grenades are useful for obstructing the enemy’s vision and allowing the player to move on them; however,even enemy botscan use them on the player.
Certain objectives feature arming explosives as a way of clearing them, in which case, the demolitions class will arm them the fastest, but a simple RPG or C-4 will suffice. All explosions that aren’t smoke or flash can kill the player, so it is best to take extra care around all fragmentation, chemical, remote, and explosive objectives.
8Practice Makes Perfect
The developers ofInsurgency: Sandstormwere nice enough to include a shooting range that newer players can use to familiarize themselves with the fundamentals of the game. This includes every weapon (including some cut ones), explosives, and it even allows players to spawn in enemy squads with which to test themselves at a moment’s notice. Additionally, the player can also review each class and learn how to tailor each of them to their play style in a controlled environment.
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This is a good way for brand-new players to get a feel for the game before they hop online to contend withveteran players. It is recommended that they also try out some local, bot-only matches. These are low stakes and allow the player to learn the maps, objectives, and even enemy spawn areas.
7Trigger Control
Weapons can be difficult to control for newer players, especially fully automatic weapons. With optics that have higher magnification, it can seem even more challenging. Fortunately, there are numerous methods with which to control recoil.Assault Rifleshave selective fire, which allows the player to only fire semi-automatically.
The player can also attach grips and compensators to their weapons which help reduce vertical and horizontal recoil. Some weapons are full auto only and thus require quite a bit of skill to master. It is recommended that the player learn to fire in controlled bursts on their own rather than using selective fire as a crutch.
6Nighttime Maps & Night Vision
Insurgencyfeatures quite a few maps set in the dead of night. Unless the player has night vision, they are unable to see what’s going on. What’s more, the enemies will always have night vision or a flashlight with which they use to spot you. The player does not automatically spawn with night vision goggles, so they will need to use the supply points to equip them.
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There is also more than one kind of night vision goggles available, and they don’t all cost the same amount of supply points. Some night vision devices are cheap but have potentially undesirable downsides, such as a small field of view or an overly blurry image. Better night vision devices are available, but they cost more which may prevent the player from including other things on their loadout. Point shooting is recommended because aiming down sights is very slow with night vision equipped. In combination with an infrared laser (which also costs supply points), the player can be extremely effective at night fighting.
5Resupplying Weapons & Equipment
Insurgency: Sandstormallows the player to resupply at will. This is rather useful if the player needs to change their loadout or class in order to win the match. The player must simply open the loadout menu and hit the “resupply” option.
Alternatively, the player can refill their ammo and equipment by finding a resupply cache somewhere on the map. This is the only way to refill these items, as picking up weapons from the ground only allows you to fire the ammo left in that weapons magazine and no more.
4Classes and roles
Sandstormis known to have a diverse set of roles for the player to choose from over the course of the match. Each of them is designed to fill a specific niche on thebattlefield, and each of them have their strengths and weaknesses. Some classes, such as Gunner or demolitions, have limits on how many players can occupy them per team, while others, like Rifleman, have none.
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Some classes are also designed to work together in a way that others do not, which is the case with Commander and Observer. The Commander is the team leader and can call in fire support, but only while standing next to an Observer. Learning the ins and outs of each class is imperative when it comes to maximizing not only team level but individual level effectiveness.
