Menace Survival Guide: Essential Combat Tactics & Tips

Welcome to the ultimate Menace Survival Guide. When I first booted up Overhype Studios‘ spiritual successor to Battle Brothers, I expected a challenge. I didn’t expect to lose my entire squad in the second sector because I ignored a single suppression marker. Trust me, I learned the hard way that this game punishes arrogance with swift, permanent death. This guide compiles the lessons from my failed runs so you don’t have to repeat my mistakes.

Essential Menace Combat Tactics

Combat in Menace is unforgiving, punishing even minor positioning errors with squad wipes. Unlike traditional RPGs where health points are the primary resource, this Tactical RPG demands that you master the psychological and positional aspects of warfare. Surviving your first few sectors requires a fundamental shift in mindset: survival is not about soaking damage, but avoiding it entirely through superior tactics.

How Does Suppression Work in Menace?

Suppression is arguably the most critical mechanic to understand in Menace. When bullets fly past your units—even if they miss—your soldiers accumulate suppression. High suppression levels drastically reduce a unit’s Action Points (AP) and accuracy, effectively neutralizing them for a turn. According to community testing, a fully suppressed unit suffers a massive penalty to initiative and aim, making them sitting ducks for enemy flankers. You should use suppressive fire proactively: use your heavy machine gunners to pin down dangerous enemy elites, preventing them from moving, while your assault troops close the distance.

Mastering Cover and Flanking Maneuvers

The cover system in Menace is binary: you are either safe or you are dead. Full cover provides significant damage reduction and suppression resistance, while half cover is a gamble that often leads to tragedy in the late game. However, cover is directional. A flanking maneuver—moving a unit to attack an enemy from the side or rear—completely negates their cover bonuses. Always check your lines of fire before committing to a move; a blue shield icon indicates the enemy is flanked. Conversely, never leave your units exposed on the flank, as the AI is programmed to ruthlessly exploit these openings.

Utilizing Overwatch Effectively

Overwatch allows you to reserve Action Points to attack enemies during their turn. While tempting to use constantly, Overwatch suffers from an accuracy penalty. It is best used to set up “kill zones” where enemies are forced to move through open ground. Instead of putting your sniper on Overwatch every turn, consider positioning them to take a guaranteed shot on their next turn. Use Overwatch primarily with high-volume fire weapons like SMGs or LMGs to trigger suppression on moving targets, halting their advance before they can reach your lines.

What Are the Best Starting Classes in Menace?

Choosing the right squad composition is the first step toward victory. While you can recruit various classes later, your starting lineup dictates your early-game strategy. Below is a comparison of the core classes available in the early game and their optimal roles.

Building a Balanced Menace Squad

A common mistake is stacking too many of one class. A balanced squad for the early game consists of at least one Vanguard to draw fire, two Heavies to lay down suppression, and a Marksman to pick off suppressed targets. The Vanguard’s job isn’t to kill; it’s to force enemies out of cover so your damage dealers can work. Without a frontline unit to absorb hit points damage or draw aggro, your fragile snipers will quickly be overrun by melee rushers.

Best Perks for Early Game Survival

When your soldiers level up, prioritize defensive perks over offensive ones initially. “Hard Target” is essential for your Vanguards, increasing their evasion against ranged attacks. For your Heavies, look for perks that increase magazine size or reduce reload costs, allowing them to maintain suppression for longer. Mobility perks like “Sprinter” are universally useful, as being able to move an extra tile can often be the difference between reaching full cover or being left exposed in the open.

Transitioning from Melee to Ranged Focus

In the early game, melee units are powerful because enemies lack high accuracy. However, as you progress, enemies gain better weapons and aim. By the mid-game, charging into melee range becomes suicide. You must gradually transition your squad to a ranged focus. Retrain your veterans or hire new recruits who specialize in long-range engagements. Your melee units should evolve into “counter-charge” specialists who protect your gunline rather than initiating combat themselves.

Menace Resource Management Strategies

The strategic layer of Menace is just as deadly as the tactical combat. Managing your convoy’s resources determines how many missions you can attempt before needing to retreat to a safe haven. Poor management leads to a death spiral where you lack the fuel to escape danger or the ammo to fight back.

Prioritizing Fuel Over Ammunition

It might seem counterintuitive, but fuel is often more valuable than ammunition. Running out of ammo forces you to rely on melee or retreat from a battle. Running out of fuel on the world map leaves you stranded, often forcing a “Desperate Defense” mission with tired troops and no bonuses. Always keep a reserve of fuel sufficient to travel to the nearest friendly outpost. When scavenging, if you have to choose between a fuel canister and an ammo crate, take the fuel unless you are literally empty on bullets.

Managing Squad Fatigue and Injuries

Fatigue accumulates after every mission. Exhausted soldiers suffer penalties to AP and morale, making them liabilities. You must rotate your squad. Do not rely on an “A-Team” for every mission. Train a “B-Team” of rookies on easier missions so they can step in when your veterans need rest. Ignoring fatigue is the fastest way to lose a high-level soldier to permadeath due to a silly mistake caused by reduced stats.

Scavenging Priorities in Early Sectors

In the first three sectors, prioritize scavenging for raw materials and weapon parts. You need to upgrade your starting gear as soon as possible. Basic assault rifles will not penetrate the armor of mid-game enemies. Look for “Military Cache” points of interest on the map, as they have the highest chance of dropping rare weapon components. Food and medical supplies are important, but they can usually be bought cheaply at settlements; weapon parts must be found.

Common Menace Mistakes That End Runs

Even veteran strategy players struggle with Menace because it subverts common genre tropes. Recognizing these pitfalls early can save you hours of frustration and lost progress.

Ignoring Suppression Mechanics

Many players treat suppression as a minor debuff and try to push through it. This is fatal. A suppressed unit has almost zero chance of hitting a target in cover. If your unit is suppressed, do not waste AP trying to shoot. Instead, use the “Rally” command if available, or simply Hunker Down to increase defense until the suppression wears off. Trying to “hero” your way out of a suppression lock usually results in a wasted turn and a dead soldier.

Overextending into High-Threat Sectors

The map in Menace is divided into threat levels. Just because you *can* travel to a high-threat sector doesn’t mean you *should*. The rewards are higher, but the enemy density and equipment quality jump significantly. Ensure your squad has at least Tier 2 armor and weapons before venturing into red zones. Overconfidence is the number one killer of successful runs.

Neglecting Equipment Durability

Weapons and armor degrade with use. A jammed gun in the middle of a firefight can lose you the mission. Armor that breaks mid-battle leaves your soldier with zero protection. Check your equipment durability after every deployment. It is cheaper to repair an item at 80% durability than to replace it when it breaks completely. Make equipment maintenance a ritual part of your post-mission checklist.

Customize Your Challenge with Menace Cheats

Sometimes you want to test a specific build without risking a 20-hour save file, or you just want to skip the resource grind to enjoy the combat. XMODhub’s Menace Trainer provides a safe, malware-free way to customize your single-player experience. It works seamlessly with the Steam and Epic versions of the game.

These featured mods are just the beginning. Whether you’re looking to skip tedious grinding, experiment with different playstyles, or speed up your progression, XMODhub’s comprehensive toolkit offers dozens more options tailored to your playstyle.

Using a Menace Trainer for Testing

The best way to use the XMODhub trainer is as a learning tool. Enable “Infinite Health” and “Infinite AP” to simulate combat scenarios. Test how effective a flanking maneuver is against different enemy types without the fear of losing your best soldier. Once you understand the mechanics, you can disable the cheats and play the game as intended, armed with the knowledge you’ve gained.

How to Install the Trainer Safely

Installing the XMODhub trainer is straightforward. First, download the official installer from the XMODHUB website. Run the installer and select “Menace” from the game list. The tool will automatically detect your game version (Steam or Epic). Once installed, launch the trainer before you start the game. You can then toggle cheats on and off in real-time using customizable hotkeys.

Frequently Asked Questions

Mastering these tactics is the core of this Menace Survival Guide. Whether you play strictly vanilla or use the trainer to practice, remember that patience and positioning are your greatest weapons.