Far Cry 6 Tips and Tricks: 12 Beginner Tips for Surviving Yara

Yara is huge, and once Far Cry 6 opens up properly, it doesn’t take long for the map to fill with checkpoints, military bases, treasure hunts, vehicles, caches, anti-aircraft sites, and plenty of other distractions. It can be tempting to focus entirely on the story, but taking a little time to understand some of the game’s systems can make liberating Yara much easier.

Far Cry 6 also changes several familiar mechanics from previous games in the series, particularly when it comes to companions, ammo, gear, vehicles, and traveling around the map. If you’re returning to the series after Far Cry 5 or New Dawn, some of these changes aren’t immediately obvious. Our Far Cry 5 vs Far Cry New Dawn comparison is worth checking out if you want to see how the series evolved before heading into Yara.

These Far Cry 6 tips and tricks cover some of the most useful things I learned while playing, including a few that can save you a surprising amount of time later in the game.

1. Choose the Right Amigo for the Job

Far Cry games have always given you allies, but Far Cry 6 pushes the idea further with Amigos, animal companions that can help in very different ways depending on how you want to approach a mission. Guapo, Juan Cortez’s pet crocodile, is one of the first you’ll encounter and is a solid choice when things have already gone loud. He can get stuck into enemies while you focus on the rest of the fight, which makes him useful when stealth is no longer an option.

Chorizo, on the other hand, is much better suited to players who prefer to stay quiet. The little sausage dog can distract guards and create openings for you to sneak past, reposition, or take enemies down without immediately alerting the entire base. As you unlock more Amigos, it’s worth switching between them rather than sticking with a favorite out of habit because some are far better suited to stealth, while others are much more useful during open combat.

2. Scout Bases Before You Rush In

Before running into an FND base or checkpoint, take a moment to scout the area with Dani’s phone. Tagging enemies before you start fighting makes it much easier to keep track of patrols, snipers, cameras, and other threats that could catch you off guard once the shooting starts.

This is especially useful if you’re trying to clear a base without raising the alarm. Spend a little time looking for alarm boxes and cameras before moving in, then work out which enemies are likely to cause the most trouble. Even if you eventually decide to go loud, knowing where everyone is before the fight begins gives you a huge advantage and can stop reinforcements from turning a simple attack into a much bigger problem.

3. Use the Right Ammo for the Right Enemy

Far Cry 6 puts much more emphasis on ammunition types than previous games. Soft-target rounds work well against lightly armored enemies, while armor-piercing rounds are much more effective once soldiers start wearing helmets and heavier protection. Blast rounds are useful when you’re dealing with vehicles and other harder targets.

The game originally made ammo management more awkward than it is now, but later updates added the ability to switch unlocked ammunition types from the weapon wheel. That means you don’t need to carry several versions of the same gun purely to deal with different enemies. Armor-piercing rounds are still one of the most useful options to have available, especially as you move into areas with stronger soldiers who can soak up standard rounds.

4. Build the Hideout Network Early

One of the best Guerrilla Camp upgrades you can build early is the Hideout Network. Yara is massive, and the sooner you start unlocking extra fast-travel locations, the less time you’ll spend driving from one side of the map to the other.

The Hideout Network also gives you access to the Wingsuit, which makes getting around Yara much faster once you’ve unlocked enough locations to air drop from. Combining fast travel, air drops, and the Wingsuit can turn what would have been a long drive into a much shorter trip. Just remember that you still need to pay attention to where you’re landing, because hitting the side of a mountain at full speed is not the kind of shortcut Dani needs.

5. Capture Checkpoints and FND Bases as You Find Them

It’s easy to ignore checkpoints when you’re focused on the story, but clearing them as you move around Yara can save a lot of time later. Once captured, checkpoints become friendly locations and fast-travel points, which makes getting around the island much easier and removes hostile roadblocks from routes you’re likely to use repeatedly.

FND bases take more effort, but the rewards are generally better. They can contain weapons, useful resources, vehicles, and other equipment, while also becoming friendly locations once they’re under Libertad’s control. If you’re traveling through an area and a checkpoint or base is directly on your route, it’s usually worth dealing with it rather than driving around it every time you come back.

6. Scan Civilian Vehicles Instead of Driving Them Back

One of the handiest features in Far Cry 6 is the ability to scan many civilian vehicles with Dani’s phone. If you find a car, truck, or bike you like, you don’t always need to physically drive it back to a pickup point. Scan it and, if the vehicle is eligible, it’ll be added to your collection.

Military vehicles are different. Tanks and other heavy military vehicles generally need to be taken to the appropriate Vehicle Pickup Point before they’ll be permanently added. It’s worth doing this whenever you find something particularly useful because having a tank or helicopter already registered is much easier than trying to find another one when you actually need it.

7. Talk to Guerrillas and FND Double Agents

Whenever you see someone with an exclamation mark above their head, don’t just walk past them. Friendly guerrillas can give you useful intel that reveals nearby locations, caches, and military targets that you might otherwise miss while exploring.

You’ll also come across FND double agents who can be bribed for information. Make sure your weapon is holstered before approaching them because walking toward a supposedly friendly contact while aiming a rifle at their face tends to make the conversation less productive. Paying for intel is often worthwhile, especially early in the game when you’re still building up your map and looking for better equipment.

8. Learn the Difference Between FND Caches and Libertad Crates

There are crates all over Yara, but they’re not all giving you the same type of rewards. FND Caches are usually associated with military locations and are a good source of weapons and important crafting materials such as Gunpowder. Libertad Crates are more likely to contain gear and resources used to improve your Supremo equipment.

Both are worth collecting whenever you’re nearby, but FND Caches are particularly useful early on because Gunpowder quickly becomes important once you start upgrading weapons. If you’ve just cleared a base or checkpoint, search the area before leaving because there’s often a crate tucked away somewhere nearby that can give you a useful upgrade.

9. Don’t Waste Gunpowder on Every Weapon You Find

Far Cry 6 throws a lot of weapons at you, and it can be tempting to start modifying everything as soon as you unlock the Workbench. That’s an easy way to burn through Gunpowder on guns you’ll probably stop using a few hours later.

It’s much better to work out which weapons fit your playstyle and focus your early upgrades on those. A reliable rifle with armor-piercing ammunition, a decent optic, and a suppressor can stay useful for a long time, especially if you prefer stealth. Saving your resources for weapons you actually use will make it much easier to improve your loadout without constantly hunting for more materials.

10. Use EMPs Against Tanks and Other Vehicles

Tanks can be a nightmare when you first encounter them, especially if you’re trying to destroy one with basic weapons. EMP equipment makes dealing with them much easier because temporarily disabling the tank gives you a chance to move in without being shredded by its cannon.

Once disabled, you can either take advantage of the opening to deal damage or climb onto the tank and deal with the driver. EMPs are also useful against other vehicles, cameras, and electronics, so it’s worth keeping at least one EMP option available in a loadout if you’re heading into a heavily defended area.

11. Destroy Anti-Aircraft Sites Whenever You Find Them

If you plan on using helicopters, planes, or Wingsuit air drops regularly, anti-aircraft sites should be high on your list of targets. Flying through restricted airspace while one of these sites is still active usually ends with your aircraft being blown out of the sky very quickly.

Destroying the anti-aircraft cannon makes traveling through that area much easier and also gives you access to Depleted Uranium, which is used to unlock additional Resolver weapons and Supremos. Since these sites improve both your mobility and your arsenal, they’re worth dealing with whenever you’re already nearby rather than leaving them until much later.

12. Slide Down Hills When You Need to Escape

Sliding can be surprisingly useful when things go wrong. On flat ground you’ll only travel a short distance, but start sliding on a decent hill, and Dani can build up enough speed to leave pursuing enemies well behind.

I’ve used this more than once when low on health and unable to heal safely. Sprint toward a slope, start sliding, and you can sometimes put enough distance between yourself and the fight to recover or reposition. Just make sure it’s actually a hill rather than a cliff. Technically, jumping off a cliff is also a very quick way to escape the enemy, but being splattered at the bottom does somewhat defeat the point.

Far Cry 6 Beginner Tips: Final Advice

Far Cry 6 gives you a lot of freedom in how you approach Yara, and there isn’t one perfect way to play. Some players will spend most of their time sneaking through bases with suppressed weapons, while others will arrive with a crocodile, a rocket launcher, and absolutely no intention of being subtle.

The most useful thing you can do early is make the map work for you. Capture checkpoints, build the Hideout Network, destroy anti-aircraft sites, collect FND Caches, and register useful vehicles whenever you find them. Once those systems are in place, moving around Yara becomes much easier, and you’ll have far more options when deciding how to approach each mission.

If you’re interested in going back to the previous game after spending time in Yara, our Far Cry 5 review takes a look at Ubisoft’s earlier open-world entry and how its version of the Far Cry formula compares.