In Wardogs, most players chase the Hot Zone wherever it is. Winning teams make it come to them. That’s the whole point of Drill Towers and their code. Here’s how it works, step by step.
Recap: Control Zone and Hot Zone
Each match pits three factions against each other around a 2 × 2 km Control Zone picked at random on a 256 km² map. The team with the most players in the zone scores points, and the first to 100 points wins. Inside it, the Hot Zone is a moving sub-zone: your players count double for the score there, and all cash earned there is doubled. Controlling where it is means controlling the match.
Taking a tower
Drill towers are capturable structures spread across the map. According to specialist guides, the method is as follows:
- Clear the tower. Capturing under fire is handing out a free kill. Come in twos or threes: one player captures while the others hold the approaches.
- Climb to the control room, halfway up the tower.
- Interact with the computer next to the keypad to hack the tower.
- Once the capture is complete, the tower belongs to your faction and reveals a fragment of the code.
Towers have a cooldown at the start of the match and after each change of owner: no point insisting if capture isn’t available. In Season 2, capturing an enemy tower earns $1,500 and 300 XP (versus $750 and 250 XP before).
The tower code and the Hot Zone Magnet
Each captured tower gives a fragment of a longer numeric code. Once your team has gathered the full code, it has to be typed on the keypad of a tower your faction controls. That activates the Hot Zone Magnet: the Hot Zone starts moving towards that tower. This is what many players call the “Tower Code”.
- Share the digits. Call out your code fragment on voice or in team chat as soon as you have it, so three players don’t go back to the same tower.
- Don’t mistype on the keypad. Players report that a wrong entry can lock the keypad for a while.
- Pick your anchor tower. Type the code on the tower where you really want to fight: good cover, clear sightlines, safe access for reinforcements.
The Hot Zone Magnet also exists as a buildable, and a well-supplied FOB can deploy a Drill Rig to pull the objective. In Season 2, a drill’s maximum active time was cut to 300 seconds, in line with capturable towers.
Holding the tower
Pulling the Hot Zone doesn’t hide it: the other two factions see it move and will rush your position. Prepare the ground before it arrives.
A FOB nearby
A nearby FOB brings supplies, vehicles and defences. But don’t build one around every tower: you’d spread your logistics too thin. Pick one tower, build around it, and resupply it before the Hot Zone moves. Careful: a hacked enemy FOB pays the attacker well, so protect yours.
The machine gun nest
New in Season 2, the MG Nest is an M2 Browning emplacement crewed by a player. It’s built with the large hammer and costs 650 building resources. Ideal for locking down an approach to the tower.
The mortar
The L81 mortar remains an excellent tool for breaking an assault before it reaches the foot of the tower, but it now costs 600 resources to build (versus 150) and needs more ammo to reload. It’s an investment to make where the Hot Zone will settle, not everywhere.
Mistakes to avoid
- Sending one player alone to capture a tower in the middle of a fight.
- Sending the whole squad to the same tower instead of splitting up to collect code fragments.
- Typing the code on a poorly placed or indefensible tower.
- Building a FOB around every captured tower.
- Forgetting to bring people back when the Hot Zone starts moving.
Wardogs towers FAQ
Where is the computer to hack?
In the control room, halfway up the tower, next to the keypad where you type the code.
What does capturing a tower earn?
In Season 2, capturing an enemy tower earns $1,500 and 300 XP, plus a fragment of the code that lets you pull the Hot Zone.
Why can’t I capture the tower?
Towers have a cooldown at the start of the match and after each change of owner. Wait for the timer or go to another tower.
Do enemies see the Hot Zone moving?
Yes. The other factions see it move, so expect heavy pressure on your tower.
Tower captures are a team game: read our guide to playing as a squad, and come and practise on the G4melab FR server.