WarFriends Beginner's Guide: How to guide your tiny soldiers to victory

Chillingo's new game, WarFriends, is finally available world wide, and so far it's a refreshing change from common mobile game trends. The game's a mix of tower defense, third person shooter, and collectible card game. There's a lot to unpack here, but overall it's a fun experience that allows for a lot of player creativity and experimentation. Because WarFriends is such a hybrid, there are quite a few unique strategies that will help you get the most out of the game.

Don't let your units do all of the work
While the game works like a tactical tower defense, you also get to control your own soldier and do some direct damage. It's easy to forget when you're used to placing units on a map, but make sure you fire off some shots and vulnerable enemies where you can.

Take care of runners right away
Runners like to get up close and personal to cause major damage. The best strategy? Don't even give them the chance. Get rid of them as quickly as possible to ensure they don't bring any harm to you or your units. Send out some of your own shotgunners to take care of them, or make use of the gas cannisters littering the battle field.

Upgrade your weapons and units
Pay close attention to the briefing before every match. It will tell you how you stack up against your opponent. Make sure that your units and weapons are at least even with other players of your rank. Upgrade at least one of your weapons a few times to boost the magazine size and reload time. This can make a huge difference in your survivability. Training up your Grenadier early on isn't a bad idea either.

When it comes down to it, WarFriends is quite approachable, and you'll be evenly matched with your opponents. If you seek an extra edge, though, be sure to keep these tips in mind.

Are you already a WarFriends general? Share your own expertise in the comments.