Broken Arrow Beginners Guide

In this guide, you will find my Broken Arrow early access and beta strategies and decks (setups/installations). Check out the guide to use the most powerful and durable units.

Broken Arrow Strategy and Unit Decks

Broken Arrow is a game of awareness, unit knowledge and smart positioning. With these two decks you will get a solid start and have the chance to learn how to use the most durable and powerful units. Protect your forces, learn to read the map and enemy behavior – and you will win more often than those who just “charge forward”.

Positioning and unit preservation are more important than stats.

Main objectives:

Establish a strong frontline
Break through the enemy’s line
Push your frontline further after a breakthrough
Repeat until victory → profit

Key Rule:

All actions should focus on saving tickets (points), meaning ensuring unit survival on the battlefield. Even if eliminating an enemy seems important, survival always takes priority.

What You Need to Remember:

Don’t seek fair fights — aim for easy local wins.
When in danger — use smoke and retreat.
Learn to recognize and remember enemy unit markers — this is key to winning.
Always face your units toward the enemy.
After a battle, always change positions — avoid predictability. Everyone loves spamming artillery and strike aircraft.
Keep ~400 points in reserve for air superiority fighters or attack helicopters with ATGMs.
Fewer units on the field = faster ticket income for future frontline development.

General Tactics

Early Game

Buy a minimal starting composition: recon + AA.
Set your first frontline using recon units.
Observe enemy movements with recon vehicles and helicopters.

Breakthrough and Advancement

Gather breakthrough forces (armor + support vehicles).
Attack until you sense danger of losing any unit — even a disabled tank losing mobility is risky.
Use smoke and retreat (preferably in reverse — front armor > side/rear).
After regrouping, repeat the cycle: recover → advance.

Development

Gradually increase the number of assault groups (2–3 units per group).
Attack from different flanks, preferably from the edge of the map (more control, less micro).
Maintain constant pressure and movement — never stay where the enemy may remember you. Also, avoid clustering support vehicles. Always consider the risk of ammo depot explosions.

Air Support and Anti-Air (AA)

When to Use Aircraft:

Rapid reaction to air threats
Precision strikes on groups (e.g., KAB-1500 on enemy clusters)

How to Use Strike Aircraft (Su-30, F-35, etc.):

Call in the aircraft
On unit appearance, press afterburner
Select bombing target in the menu or press “P”
As soon as the bomb is dropped (shows 0/1), immediately press:
- V for low flight / descent
- B to return to base

Anti-Air (AA):

Place behind main units.
Turn radars on to detect enemy aircraft, but remember to turn them off in time to avoid SEAD missiles.
Alternatively, activate radars on cheaper units closer to the enemy instead of expensive long-range systems.
(Example: Cheap Derivatsiya can protect your expensive S-350 Vityaz)

Unit Setups

Russia / RU

Starter Set:

Derivatsiya – support
BRM-3K – recon
Mi-28N – recon helicopter
Much cheaper than the Mi-28NM; the enemy may mistake it and waste AA. Great as bait and recon.

Tactics:

2x BRM + 1x Derivatsiya
Don’t buy anything else until you get the Mi-28N

At 800 Points:

T-14 Armata – your main tank
T-15 Barbaris – assault IFV
Good vs infantry at range, better in close combat vs all ground targets.
Add AA based on the situation.

Advancement Strategy:

1x T-14 + 2x T-15 in front
AA behind them
Mi-28N further back — for recon
If needed, call in Su-30 with KABs to strike enemy groups

Tips:

Don’t lose units — not worth even a trade-off.
Always regroup after battles.
Use smoke and retreat wisely.
Monitor your vehicles’ ammo and armor. Return for resupply if needed.

USA / United States