Guides
007 First Light Beginner Tips: Stealth and Combat
Quick Answer
The fastest beginner improvement is to scan before entering, eavesdrop before touching objectives, pickpocket before bluffing, and use gadgets before drawing a weapon.
Fieldcraft Checklist
Save Habits for Scanning, Instinct, Cameras, and Combat
Turn the useful tips into a repeatable pre-room checklist.
Observe Before You Act
30 seconds of watching guard patrols saves 5 minutes of backtracking. Use the Q-Lens to scan the room through walls. Know enemy counts, camera positions, and patrol routes before moving. Re-scan after major events - patrols may change.
- Action
- Use it as a pre-room habit before committing to the objective.
Eavesdrop on Every Conversation
Ambient NPC conversations contain guard schedules, keycard locations, passcodes, and full alternate route information. Grey optional dialogue markers almost always unlock a better path. Every mission has at least one critical eavesdrop clue.
- Action
- Pause at grey dialogue markers before touching the objective.
Use the Q-Watch Laser on Doors First
Before hunting for keycards, try the watch laser. It's silent, permanent, and never registers as suspicious activity. Only search for keycards when the laser can't open something. The laser covers 8 of 12 primary objectives.
- Action
- Try the quiet tool route before hunting for a keycard.
Pickpocket Before You Bluff
Pickpocketing keycards from distracted guards costs 0 Instinct. Bluffing costs 1 Instinct unit. Always pickpocket first. A guard in conversation is a free pickpocket window. Guards who are eating, smoking, or using their phones are also vulnerable.
- Action
- Spend Instinct only after free spycraft fails.
Build Instinct Through Optional Objectives
Instinct refills come from completing optional mission objectives, not just main markers. Go out of your way to complete them - you'll need Instinct for critical bluffs and Focus moments later. Instinct carries over between checkpoints.
- Action
- Spend Instinct only after free spycraft fails.
Shoot Legs, Not Center Mass
Shooting guards in the legs incapacitates them without triggering "License to Kill" (lethal escalation mode). Once License to Kill is active, it persists for the entire mission segment. Leg shots are the safest non-lethal ranged option.
- Action
- Use it as a pre-room habit before committing to the objective.
Break Radio Transmissions
When a guard has a yellow antenna icon above their head, they are calling for backup. Take them down immediately - a full alarm means permanent high alert and heavy reinforcements. This is more important than stealth in most encounters.
- Action
- Use it as a pre-room habit before committing to the objective.
Replay Early Missions With New Gear
Returning to earlier missions with gadgets unlocked later opens new routes and collectibles. Chapter Select preserves your loadout. TackSim rewards also unlock gear that changes how you approach the campaign.
- Action
- Use it as a pre-room habit before committing to the objective.
Parry Timing
Yellow glint = parryable (tap block at full brightness). Red glint = unblockable (dodge only). Mistiming red glints is the #1 cause of combat deaths.
- Action
- Wait for the correct cue instead of mashing attacks.
AI Vision
110 degrees primary cone, 160 degrees peripheral. Stay low and use cover-to-cover movement. Guards can see through glass and open doorways.
- Action
- Use it as a pre-room habit before committing to the objective.
Sound Radius
Sprinting = 15m noise radius. Crouch-walk within 8m of enemies to stay silent. Weapons fire is audible across entire floors.
- Action
- Use it as a pre-room habit before committing to the objective.
Body Hiding
Unconscious bodies must go in lockers, dumpsters, or deep shadows (0% light). Bodies found in the open void Silent Assassin. Stacking bodies in the same container is risky.
- Action
- Use it as a pre-room habit before committing to the objective.
Camera Protocol
Don't shoot cameras. Use EMP Watch to loop feeds for 45 seconds. Shooting triggers instant alerts and sometimes reinforcements.
- Action
- Loop or bypass cameras instead of shooting them.
Wardrobe Matters
Dark turtleneck = 40% less fabric rustling. White tuxedo in shadows = 15% faster detection. Each location has an optimal disguise.
- Action
- Use it as a pre-room habit before committing to the objective.
Drawing the Silenced Pistol Too Early
Any drawn weapon raises nearby NPC awareness to Yellow Alert - even if you don't fire. Use the Q-Watch Sleeping Dart instead. It's quieter and doesn't escalate the area. The penalty for being caught with a drawn weapon is severe.
- Action
- Use it as a pre-room habit before committing to the objective.
Skipping Eavesdrop Conversations
Grey optional markers are not filler. They contain critical path information: alternative routes, guard shift changes, and key locations. Players who skip them often hit dead ends and miss entire alternate paths.
- Action
- Pause at grey dialogue markers before touching the objective.
Wasting Instinct on Bluffs
A guard in conversation is a free pickpocket window. Always exhaust free options (Spycraft) before spending resources (Instinct). Pickpocketing costs zero; bluffing costs one. Instinct is better saved for critical story moments.
- Action
- Spend Instinct only after free spycraft fails.
Triggering License to Kill Unnecessarily
Once active, License to Kill doesn't deactivate mid-mission. It escalates all future encounters to lethal force. Only engage it when the game forces you into combat. Leg shots prevent this escalation.
- Action
- Use it as a pre-room habit before committing to the objective.
Button Mashing in Melee Combat
Enemies can hit you while you're locked in attack animations. Time your strikes. Parry yellow glints, dodge red glints, and strike during enemy recovery windows. Patience beats aggression in hand-to-hand.
- Action
- Wait for the correct cue instead of mashing attacks.
The Situational Decision Tree
No guards aware -> Spycraft first (observe, eavesdrop, find shortcuts) Single guard blocking path -> Q-Watch (laser for doors, sleeping dart for guards) Guard suspicious but not alerted -> Bluff via Instinct Guard alerted, others unaware -> Smoke + melee takedown Multiple guards alerted -> Repositio...
- Action
- Use it as a pre-room habit before committing to the objective.
No matching rows. Clear the search or switch back to all rows.
Use the checklist above as a pre-room habit board. The beginner mistake is moving before the room has been read. Scan first, listen second, pick the quiet option third, and only turn to weapons when the game has already made the encounter loud.
Instinct is not a default opener. Pickpocket distracted guards, eavesdrop for alternate routes, use Q tools on doors and cameras, and spend Instinct when the free spycraft route has run out.
Fieldcraft Decision Table
| Situation | Better habit |
|---|---|
| New room | Scan with Q-Lens and watch patrols before entry |
| Optional dialogue marker | Listen before touching the objective |
| Guard has a keycard | Pickpocket if distracted, bluff only if needed |
| Camera blocks route | Loop, EMP, or bypass it instead of shooting |
| A guard starts calling backup | Stop the call before chasing another target |
| Melee fight starts | Parry yellow cues, dodge red cues, then strike during recovery |
| Full alert begins | Reposition and commit to survival, or reload early for a clean challenge |
Next Pages To Open
FAQ
What is the best beginner habit?
Scan each room with Q-Lens before crossing a sightline, then eavesdrop before touching the objective.
Should I bluff or pickpocket first?
Pickpocket first when a guard is distracted. Save Instinct for the point where free options fail.
How do I avoid loud alerts?
Avoid drawn weapons in public spaces, loop cameras instead of shooting them, and break radio calls quickly.
Do saved tips stay marked?
Yes. Saved tip marks stay in local browser storage until reset.