Now that you have a proper setup, here is the whole game broken into the twelve things you are actually being tested on. Every chapter after this one is an expansion of something in this list.
Callouts Learn the common callouts for every map.
Site Setup Know the best places to reinforce, rotate, and open holes.
Vertical Play Understand which floors and ceilings break, and what that opens up.
Flanking Routes Learn when, where, and how to flank.
Gadgets Understand how every operator’s gadget works and how to counter it.
Role Specialisation Know the difference between attacker roles (hard breachers, entry, support) and defender roles (anchors, roamers, denial).
Operator Synergy Learn which operators work together — Thermite and Thatcher being the classic example.
Recoil Control Practise with different weapons and learn each pattern.
Crosshair Placement Keep your crosshair at head level and pre-aim common positions.
Peek Mechanics Master leaning and quick-peeking.
Prefiring Understand when and where to prefire common angles.
Effective Callouts Clear, concise, accurate information — nothing else.
Strategic Planning Coordinate executes, retakes, and site setups with your team.
Team Synergy Know when to push and when to hold based on what your team is doing.
Sound Cues Recognise footsteps, reloads, vaults and gadget deployments.
Drone Usage Use and position drones for intel rather than sightseeing.
Timing Know when to push or rotate based on enemy movement.
Intel Processing Turn gathered information into decisions in real time.
Soft Breaching Know when and where to open walls with explosives or shotguns.
Hard Breaching Use Thermite, Hibana or Ace to open reinforced walls and hatches.
Gadget Denial Counter attacker utility — Jäger’s ADS for projectiles, Mute’s jammers for drones and breaches.
Timing of Utility Use gadgets at the moment they do the most damage, not the moment you remember you have them.
Holding Angles Learn the common choke points and how to hold them.
Roaming vs. Anchoring Know when to leave site and when to stay on it.
Rotations Know when and how to move between objectives or flank.
Swinging off Information Take fights off audio, callouts and cameras — not hope.
Attack Phases Understand the phases of an attack: droning, roam clearing, breaching, executing.
Defender Timing Learn to burn clock as a defender and force attackers into a rush.
Clutch Moments Stay calm in 1vX situations and make decisions rather than reactions.
On-the-Fly Adjustments Change your playstyle in response to what the enemy is doing.
Counter-Play Recognise enemy patterns and answer them with different setups or picks.
Flexibility Be competent on multiple operators and roles so you can fill what the team needs.
Meta Knowledge Stay current on operator picks and strategies.
Team Compositions Build balanced teams — hard breach, intel, roam, anchor.
High-Level Study Watch pro matches and serious content creators for advanced tactics and setups.
Drone Economy Keeping drones alive so you have intel in the middle and end of the round, when a teammate is pushing site or clutching.
Utility Economy Use flashes, smokes and explosives with intent instead of dumping them at the first opportunity.
Baiting Feed false information to pull enemies into bad positions.
Mind Games Use droning, sound and positioning to confuse or mislead.
This chapter is from The Principles of Competitive Siege, a free guide by Szhutsen K. Liang. SiegeIQ puts the same thinking on your own clips: upload a round and get a breakdown of what actually went wrong. Try it free.