Hood: Outlaws & Legends is out this month as an online multiplayer heist-off. Who’s going to be able to steal from the rich and give to the poor? Well, let’s hope it’s you. Two teams of four will be battling it out to score the perfect heist. Not only do you have to utilise all of your team’s unique skills and abilities but you have to move in stealth to get that chest out and avoid getting caught.
In this unique PvPvE game two teams will try and break into a military stronghold. Not only are your rivals deadly but the guard around the place will not hesitate to axe you. If you just started playing here’s a few tips and tricks to get you, your team and the treasure out of there.
The Right Team Combination
Everyone wants to be the hero, Robin Hood or John. But without some backup from Tooke to heal or Marianne to spot the enemies things can do downhill pretty quick. Hood: Outlaws & Legends has four playable characters, and your team is not limited to a single one. That means you can run around with four Mariannes, although that is not advised. Check each player’s class so that you know their strengths and weaknesses before a heist begins. There is no “I” in team folks.
Robin – The Archer
An expert marksman who can easily snipe enemies from afar. His ability lets him fire an explosive arrow. Equipped with a longbow that excels at long-range attacks. Robin’s Gear is the Flash, effectively a medieval flashbang that allows you to make a quick escape. His passive allows him to tag enemies for longer, making him an excellent scout. Finally, his “Farsight” ability lets you fire off a devastating arrow that does a lot of damage shortly after it lands.
Marianne – The Assassin
A rogue-type character who shoots a crossbow, though she’s better off assassinating foes with stealth. She does much better in melee combat than Robin, though she can still fire 1–3 arrows out of her crossbow. Marianne’s ability “Shroud” makes her partially invisible and her “Smoke” Gear is great for obscuring yourself or your team, making her the perfect assassin. She’s great at taking out guards, too — her “Shadow” Trait allows her to assassinate Guards from any direction when in Shroud, in smoke, or in the bushes.
John – The Brawler
John is less about stealth and more about being a force of nature on the battlefield. His Hammer can do a ton of damage if you can actually land the hit, and his “Wrath” Ability greatly increases his offence and defence if you need to have a stand-up fight. John’s “Resolute” Trait allows him to lift up portcullises (gates), providing passage for himself or his team during a Lockdown. Finally, his “Bomb” Gear can insta-kill any players (and most guards) caught within the radius.
Tooke – The Sentinel
Friar Tuck is probably is one of the most challenging characters to play — he uses a massive flair to hit enemies in all directions or deliver a straightforward, devastating hit on a single enemy. His “Respite” trait allows him to regenerate Stamina faster. Tooke also serves as a healer of sorts; his “Instinct” ability highlights all nearby enemies, and — more importantly — can heal him and any nearby allies back to full health. Finally, his “Gas” Gear can drain Stamina and impair the vision of anyone caught inside.
Dodge and Parry
Combat can be tough in Hood: Outlaws & Legends, so a few missteps can spell defeat. When you are fighting, don’t forget to dodge and parry enemy attacks. Robin and Marianne can dodge enemy attacks, whilst John and Tooke are able to parry, knocking the enemy to the ground and leaving them open to a counter-attack.
John and Tooke’s parries work against both melee and ranged attacks, so use it frequently to avoid incoming damage. Robin and Marianne can’t parry, but their dodge is useful for quickly entering and exiting combat. Use these skills to your advantage to stay agile in every fight.
Use The Map
Hood: Outlaws & Legends plays its heist on a fairly large map. There are several key points from the barracks to the keep. There are multiple routes in and out for you to make a quick escape or jump and ambush that rival team. Keeping an eye on your surroundings is key, so remember to pull up that map from time to time.
Throughout the heist as well the map will constantly be updated with important locations, such as places where the enemy team has been spotted, where you could find the key, or where the vault is found. Use this information to your advantage by looking at the map often. Find the marked locations that have been mentioned during a match to easily find your next objective.
You Winch Faster Together
Heists start off with lots of sneaking, but they usually end in a hectic fight to secure the Chest. Once it is on the Winch, try to always have two players winching whilst the others defend. Winching is quicker with two players, especially if they are both John or Tooke. These characters can naturally winch faster, helping you secure a quick win.
Stay Clear Of The Sheriff
The Sheriff is the first objective of every heist in Hood: Outlaws & Legends. He has the key, which you will need to access the Vault and steal the Chest. At the start of the match, he moves continuously on a fixed route marked on the map. Players who approach the Sheriff undetected can steal the vault key from him. This will notify the enemy team that the key has been taken, but it won’t automatically reveal the player who took it.
The guards are a cakewalk compared to the Sheriff. He’s mostly immune to damage and will execute you in one hit. Small blessings though he doesn’t have a long-range attack. When stealing the key, make sure that you are moving slowly and quietly to avoid being spotted. Otherwise, it’s best to stay as far away from the Sheriff as possible.
Note: Only John and Tooke can do damage to enemies with purple health bars. This includes the Sheriff as well as the Knight. If you need to take down one of these enemies as Robin or Marianne, you’ll have to Assassinate them (or use Robin’s special ability).
Drop The Gate
John’s “Resolute” Trait allows him to lift up a closed Portcullis and let anyone through. When he drops it, however, the falling gate will do lethal damage to anyone caught underneath it. This includes enemy NPCs, enemy players, allied players, and even himself. Make sure not to get caught underneath the gate — and if you time things right, you can even drop it right on top of a bad guy for an instant kill.
Bring Your Guards To The Enemy
Usually, alerting the guards is a bad thing. They’ll call for reinforcements, chase you about, and potentially kill you. The worst thing they can do, though, is to lock down a given area. Lowering the gate prevents the person carrying the treasure from leaving a stronghold.
But instead of always, tiptoeing around them why not alert them when the opposing team is trying to escape? Better yet, why not lead the Sheriff straight to the opposing team? This walking behemoth can’t be killed; he can only be stunned for a short duration. That said, he can kill anyone in arm’s reach.
While your rivals are busy dealing with these additional threats, you can sneak up on them and take them out — or steal the treasure when they aren’t looking.
Teamwork Makes The Dreamwork
Co-operating with your fellow thieves is how matches in Hood: Outlaws & Legends are won. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean moving together is the key. In fact, in almost all situations, it’s best to split into two or three separate units to cover more ground quickly.
This is where the game’s tagging system comes into play. Whenever any player tags a map object – like a supply box or a closed gate – their teammates see it too. This includes tagging enemy players and the Sheriff. When Robin tags anyone, their team keeps a vision of the target for longer, which offers a great way to keep track of enemy players without alerting them.
If you decide to play as one of Hood: Outlaws & Legends’ tank-slash-support characters, understand that this pick comes with some responsibilities. Tooke and John are the literal carries of their team: they can carry the chest faster than other characters, so the dubious honour of extracting the win condition falls on them. John is also the only character who can open closed portcullis gates.
The Final Chest Is What Counts
Every successful action in Hood: Outlaws & Legends awards XP and gold toward your final score, and sometimes the most effective strategy isn’t to rush to steal the chest. Often it can pay off to let the other team do all the work. For instance, it might be better to capture the spawn points on the map. Although there are default spawn points for both teams, the other locations can be used to quickly get back to the action after respawning.
You can spend that time scouting the map, securing favourable spawn points, and picking off guards while the other team scrambles for the main objectives. Once they’ve started winching the chest, you can watch as their progress is about to be completed. Then, strikeout and ambush them when they least expect it. A reactive strategy like that loses out on the bonus points for finding the key and picking up the chest first, but it positions you better to win the end game.
Hood: Outlaws & Legends
Hood: Outlaws & Legends by Sumo Digital and published by Focus Home Interactive is out now on the PlayStation 4 | 5, Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One and PC – Steam | Epic Games.