Is this Common?

Very common. It’s one of the best ways to get more kills, and is also a great way to win VRs. My estimate is between half and 2/3 of your kills will come from 3rd partying.

How to Find 3rd Party Opportunities

Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. I assume you’ve turned on the visual audio setting (if not, drop everything and do it now!). You can now see indicators telling you the exact direction of gunfire. Go there.

Get there quickly, too. The longer that gunfire goes on, the more people it will attract. It’s awesome to be the 3rd party, but it sucks to get 4th partied. I like using vehicles to move around quickly, but shockwaves or whatever mobility is good, too.

Two-Steps to Third Partying

Here’s what I recommend you do once you get to the fight. This strategy also assumes you’re in early or midgame (more than 10 people left), and that you’re trying to maximize the number of kills you have. If it’s late game and you’re trying to get the VR, keep reading to see how this strategy should be modified.

Step 1: Setup your position

If you can, line up the two victims in a straight line going away from you, so one has his back to you.

It’s also smart to setup so that you can’t get third partied yourself, and so you can quickly evacuate if necessary. Look for cover, or position your vehicle to help. If you’re planning to third party while standing in the middle of an open field, you’re probably going to get 4th partied.

If you get killed when third partying, not doing one of these is often a factor.

Step 2: Kill them, in the right order

First, kill the person that can see you. This is the one that’s further away if you’ve lined them up as I recommended.

I recommend killing this person with a long-range weapon, like an AR. You might be able to snipe them, since they’re probably pre-occupied with the other player.

Second, kill the person near you, while they’re still turning around to find you. I recommend killing this person with a shotgun or medium range weapon.

You have a huge advantage because the second person doesn’t know where you are, and is already stressed about the first battle. He’s weak. You can get the quick kill. Kill them fast!

I also recommend switching weapons between the first and second kill to ensure that you don’t run out of ammo.

How can you screw this up?

There are many ways to royally mess this up. Here are a few, so you can avoid them:

Taking too long and getting 4th Partied

Ironic, isn’t it? This is the mistake you’ll make most often. You need to focus on killing efficiently. Don’t take forever like a Bond villian. Kill them quick, like John Wick. I made that rhyme so you can remember it.

Attacking in the wrong order

If you attack the guy that can’t see you, then the one that can see you might attack you. Now you’re the prey and he’s the hunter. This is why order matters. You need to escape fast when this happens. If not, there’s a good chance you’ll get killed by one of them.

Sometimes, you attack the wrong one, but the other escapes. You got lucky! Whew.

Sticking around too long after you’re done

Your gunfire will attract others looking to 3rd party. So once you get your kills, use your mobility to get out of there. Don’t heal out in the open! Get what you need and get out.

Running out of ammo

This is why I recommend switching to a fresh weapon for the second kill.

3rd Party at Endgame: Getting the VR

If you’ve made it to the top 5, one of the best strategies to winning the VR is to 3rd party correctly. The strategy here can be a little different than what you’d use earlier in the game. It looks like:

1. Stay out of trouble until there are 3 people left.

2. Stay hidden until the other two find each other.

3. Once you hear their gunfire , get into position, BUT do not engage.

4. When one of them has been killed, finish off the other, who is likely injured.

The difference here is that you aren’t trying to kill both. You are just waiting to kill one of them. Letting them fight to the death ensures you only have to deal with one person, and that person will almost certainly be injured.

This is an extremely popular strategy for winning games. It’s so popular that when there are only 3 players left, you’ll see that each player takes great pains to avoid everyone else, hoping that they will be the one to 3rd party the other two.

What Else do I Need to Know?

You’re going to get 3rd partied. Probably often. It’s important to learn how to survive a 3rd party. There will be a separate article about that in the near future.

In the meantime, go out there and get your kills!