Operation Leader Strategy Guide


Operation Leader The Operation Leader Role is probably one of the most important and difficult roles to play. The success of the operation is highly dependent on your actions, as you are the only one capable of anonimously broadcasting message to all other players – everyone is counting on you in coordinating the hack. It is your duty to choose the topology strategy as well as calling out people for their logs and claims.


Topology Strategy


Different players choose to approach the progression in the network topology differently: regardless of your preferred strategy, always remember that laptop computers are easier to hack than servers.

Rushing to the target is a common strategy, which bets on getting as fast as possible to the target node. Make sure to tell everyone via an anonymous broadcast which node you want to hack so that all hacking classes can focus on the same node.

Pros: the less the controlled nodes, the easier it easier to protect them with Denial of Service from rollback – make sure to ask your blackhat to protect a node when you suspect Agents are going to rollback. Getting fast to visibility of the target allows you more chances to use Exploit Vulnerability or on the target node.

Cons: If you only have one path to the target node, it’s easier for AGENT to block you for a turn by using rollback. Moreover, your risk not knowing which is the target node if there are no Inside Men still in play – either ask your analysts to Download Intel or be prepared in not knowing what the target node IP address is.

Fanning out is another common tactic which tries to conquer as many nodes as possible so as to have more chance to Download Intel and not risking taking a path that does not connect you to the target node. Make sure to tell to certain classes to hack a node and other classes other nodes (e.g. “Analysts, please attack 203.0.113.213, everyone else get 203.0.113.214”).

Pros: you make life harder to AGENTs if you have multiple paths to the target node and it’s a safer bet against rollback – keep in mind AGENTs know if there are any chockepoints.

Cons: hacking is hard and it’s not guaranteed your crew will be able to get in quickly into all nodes, and you risk not getting far enough in time. Moreover, depending on your callouts, you risk exposing your most precious classes (such as the blackhat).

Lyncher is tactic that disregards almost completely the idea of getting to the target node – players who choose this approach, are very good at cross-referencing claims, player logs and node logs in order to smoke out agents and have them killed.

Pros: you are less impacted by AGENTs skill against nodes, such as rollback or ISP isolation.

Cons: you risk losing majority or important classes very soon, and when that happens winning becomes much, much harder.


Granting Root Access


Granting Root is a great way to keep the operation going in case you die or are arrested – keep in mind that you will instantly lose if you give root to an agent, including moles. Make sure you grant it only when you are in danger and only to someone who has been confirmed – it’s better to not grant it at all if you are unsure.


General Tips


  • Remember to periodically ask claims and player logs – your crew is looking up to you as you are the only one with authority: not everyone will openly admit their role in chat unless the operation leader specifically asks to do so.
  • Consider to announce anonymously if you are using your Emergency Extraction, in order to avoid wasting other players protection skills (such as the Enforcer) – sometimes bluffing works too.
  • Remember that sociopaths are out to get you. If you suspect there is a sociopath around, don’t claim openly.

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