Enlisted's core hook is what sets it apart from most WWII shooters: you don't control a single soldier, you command a squad of AI-assisted troops you can switch between mid-fight, alongside tanks, planes, and artillery. That squad-based structure changes how you should approach almost everything, from your first campaign pick to how you spend research points.
Pick a Campaign Based on Playstyle, Not Just Setting
Enlisted splits its content into multiple historical campaigns (including Moscow, Normandy, and Battle of the Bulge among others), and each has a slightly different pace and vehicle mix.
- Start with a campaign that has an active, populated queue — matchmaking speed and match quality matter more for learning the game than which historical setting appeals to you.
- Infantry-heavy campaigns are more forgiving for learning squad management, since you're not immediately competing with heavy armor and air support you don't understand yet.
- You can unlock and switch between campaigns later, so don't treat your first pick as permanent — it's just where you'll spend your first several hours learning the fundamentals.
Squad Composition Is Your Real Skill Ceiling
New players often play Enlisted like a traditional shooter, focusing entirely on their currently-controlled soldier and ignoring the rest of their squad. That leaves most of the game's depth untouched.
- Assign roles deliberately within your squad: a rifleman-heavy core for general engagements, at least one dedicated anti-tank soldier once armor shows up in your matches, and a machine gunner for holding chokepoints.
- Switch between squad members actively during a match rather than sticking with one soldier the whole round — a squad member positioned well but unused is a wasted resource.
- Don't neglect squad soldier upgrades in favor of only unlocking new weapons. A well-equipped, properly leveled squad with basic weapons often outperforms an undertrained squad with premium gear.
Research Priorities: Don't Spread Too Thin
Enlisted's progression ties research points to specific squads and equipment lines, and spreading research broadly across every available branch slows meaningful progress on all of them.
- Focus research on one or two squad types first (for example, an assault infantry squad and an anti-tank squad) rather than dabbling in armor, air, and infantry simultaneously.
- Prioritize unlocks that fill a gap in your current loadout — if you have no reliable anti-tank option, that's a higher priority than a third variant rifle for your infantry squad.
What To Do First
- Join whichever campaign has the healthiest matchmaking queue for your region rather than picking purely by historical theme.
- Build one balanced core squad and actively switch between its members mid-match instead of fixating on a single soldier.
- Focus research on one or two squad types until they're functional, rather than spreading across every branch.
- Add a dedicated anti-tank soldier to your squad as soon as armor starts appearing in your matches.
Enlisted rewards players who think in terms of squad management rather than individual gunplay. Get comfortable switching between soldiers and building focused squads early, and the game's tactical depth opens up fast.
