Free Fire’s latest patch, the Kapella, brought tons of new changes to the game. We got a Thompson, a smoke grenade (finally!) and several other neat things. However, we’re most hyped about the Clash Squad ranked mode. We ran a few matches and the competitiveness is through the roof.

Newbies, beware – it definitely won’t be easy to get wins, unless you have a full stack going on. Thankfully, your rank here is not only different from the Battle Royale one, but also calculated in a different way. To give you a head start on the leaderboard, we came up with a short crash course for Clash Squad ranked.

Free Fire Clash Squad Game Mode Basics

If there’s one thing that Clash Squad mode reminds us of, it’s Counter-Strike on hyperdrive or an Unreal Tournament match from back in the day. Before you queue for a match, there are several things you should know. For starters, unlike the classic Battle Royale, the game is incredibly fast paced, so you’d better be warmed up and ready to shoot the minute you get in.

You’ll get matched up with 3 other teammates and play versus another full squad of 4 enemies. Your location will be chosen at random, which is a really awesome touch, but you can rest assured that it will a place on the Bermuda map. Here are the rules:

• The game format is a best of 7, which means that the first team to get 4 rounds wins.
• The rounds are really short. You get 15-20 seconds to buy some gear and then it’s on. For the first 30 seconds, the small circle you’re fighting in does not change size. Then, during the next 2 minutes, it will shrink continuously, albeit at a slow rate.
• In the first round, you have just enough money for a pistol and it’s between the M500 or the G18.
• Since you have to buy equipment with money (much like in CS), the economy game is really important. Kills earn you money, but the best cash reward you get is from winning the round.

Don’t worry if you’re on a loss streak. This will also give you and your team some money. Admittedly, it’s much less, but it’s still something. What you should be worried about, however, is getting back on your feet. Read on to find out how.

Clash Squad Tips and Tricks

Unlike the welcoming expanse of the classic Battle Royale, Free Fire’s Clash Squad is much more restrictive in terms of gameplay. You have limited space and time to defeat your opponents and it might seem that playing aggressively is the only option, but it’s not. You may be pressed by time, but this doesn’t mean you have to take rash decisions.

Here’s what you have to do to maximize your chance of winning a Clash Squad match:

The Buddy System

Always stay close to at least one of your teammates. Going out on your own will increase your odds of dying without getting a kill. If someone has your back, they might get a trade on one or two of the opponents targeting you. Most full stacks stick together entirely.

This is a really smart move if you can pull it off. Imagine turning a corner and coming head to head with 3, maybe 4 enemies. Unless you have a grenade and a good weapon, there’s no way you’re coming out of this alive.

Take strong positions fast

Your second golden rule is to spot out strong hideouts or shooting positions from before the round begins and decide on the fastest route there. For the clock tower map, the roofs are often your best bet.

As soon as the round starts, run like the wind and keep an eye out for your opponents. Given that you’ve got just several minutes to end the combat, this strategy is likely to win you more rounds than anything else.

Manage your economy

Even if you lose, you’re still going to get some money for your next round. If you want to make a comeback as fast as possible, you need to be thrifty with your finances.

Unless you got some kills, I’d refrain from buying any armor. You can go the SMG + vest route, but an affordable rifle would be stronger here. If you lost the first round, pick the most affordable SMG and try to surprise your opponents by running at them. Even we’re surprised at how often this works.

This is more of an overarching mindset than a specific tip. As is the case in CS, Dota, or any other esports battle arena, every decision you make has an impact on the outcome of the match. If you’ve got some money, don’t be afraid to buy a wall, damaging or smoke grenades.

These utility items may be out of the question in your first few rounds, but they’ll definitely make the difference once everyone has weapons. Countless times we got caught in the open, trying to run from one position to another, and the wall saved our game.

One last piece of advice we can give you to improve your Clash Squad rank is to play Free Fire on PC with BlueStacks. The emulator’s features will improve your accuracy, response times, and game sense to a significant extent.

As always, playing with a full stack squad is much better than queuing with random people. Sure, the ranks system more or less guarantees you get matched up with players of similar skill level, but this doesn’t say anything related to their willingness to cooperate.

And this is the last major difference that Clash Squad brings into the Free Fire universe. If you and your team don’t find a fast and straightforward way to cooperate with one another, you’ll lose. Once you get into that loss streak, making a comeback is that much harder.