No Plan Bis a challenging and unforgiving puzzler where you need to plan tactical assaults with pinpoint precision. Every second is critical, and your team has to work as a cohesive unit at all times, or you’ll fail to secure your objectives… or worse, see your operatives gunned down.

This is the kind of game that takes a lot of practice and repetition to get right, but if you stick to some basic tenets you’ll find yourself finishing more missions with higher rankings, even as you progress through grueling, all-or-nothing campaigns.

a team of three breaches a room from multiple angles in no plan b

Always Pair Up Operatives

This can be tricky when you have an odd number on your team, but you shouldalways use the buddy system, even if it means an operative has to wait for backup. When operatives travel together, they cancover all possible attack anglesand are less likely to be ambushed. Two guns are also better than one when taking down enemies before they can get a shot off.

Pairing up operatives also allows you tocoordinate room breaches; for example, one operative can toss a Stun Grenade while their partner follows up with a quick burst of fire.

an operative fires a shotgun through a window in no plan b

Operatives with thePaparazzi Skillare great for this, since they are resistant to flashbang effects.

Use Windows To Eliminate Hostiles

If you have an odd number of operatives, or if anyone is too injured to justify sending them into the combat area,have them move around the outside of the building firing through windows.This is a great way to efficiently thin out the enemy numbers,especially if the operative has a silenced weapon.

You should use this tacticin coordination with the main assault team. Try timing a shot through the window to get the hostiles' attention just before the rest of the team bursts through the door. Alternately, your outside unit cantoss grenades through the window, causing havoc and letting the main team clean up the mess.

a mission with three intel objectives in no plan b

Make Sure Every Operative Ends On An Objective

Objectives aregreen areas on the mapthat must be secured to complete your mission. An objective is considered secured ifone or more operatives are standing on themwhen time runs out.

Some objectives require NPCs like Bomb Defusers, whom you’ll need to safely escort.

the SWAT team in the armory for No Plan B

If you’re extracting intel or HVTs, it’s important tobe sure every operative is securing an objectiveat the end of their planned path. When you have a full-sized squad,have multiple operatives on each objective.That way you won’t lose an objective if an operative falls during the mission; as long as somebody else makes it, you’ll be credited with a win.

When In Doubt, Use SMGs and Shotguns

There are a lot of different guns available for your squad, and all have their own uses. Not every firearm is useful in every situation, butSMGs and Shotgunsare particularly versatile. If you’re not sure how to equip your team, they’re always a good choice.

SMGs havelow damage but a high rate of fire, so they can usually neutralize targets in a single burst. Their real advantage is theirfast aiming and turn speed, which allow the wielder toquickly react to an unexpected hostile.

a test run of the mission plan for operation brown fall in no plan b

Shotguns have a short effective range, but in the close quarters of the game’s indoor combat areas, this isn’t often a problem. Most enemies can beeliminated with a single shotgun blast, and kicking down a door into a hallway or small room allows a shotgun wielder to take out anyone behind it without any trouble.

Double-Check Your Plan Before Executing

Once you have your plan set up to the point where you’re satisfied,don’t click Execute right away.Instead, set the timeline back to the beginning and use thePlay buttonto watch your squad perform a simulated assault.

While this won’t show you how the presence of enemies can change the situation, this is still a vital step. It allows you tosee if there are any places where a squad member is staying still that shouldn’t be, or if there are any other mistakes in the plan.

No Plan B’s soldiers execute their orders exactly as they’re given, but that means a misclick or an unintentional move can unravel the whole thing. If you don’t watch the simulation of your plan at least once, you’re asking for trouble.