Welcome to the resistance! This guide will help you take your first steps from a simple civilian to a revolutionary leader.
You begin your revolution with modest resources:
- $100 (on normal difficulty)
- A house (your safehouse and respawn point)
- A car (parked at your house, or at the kerb nearby)
- A map (essential for navigation, and required for map info and fast travel)
- A flashlight (for night operations)
- A pistol, a magazine and a radio (on normal difficulty - the starting item list is a difficulty setting, so other difficulties give different items)
Your mission: grow this small foundation into a full-scale resistance movement capable of liberating the island.
Overthrow Main Menu: Press U (PC) or hold D-Pad down (controller) to access most Overthrow features including jobs, map info, and building options.
Overthrow Tips: Short pop-up notes appear in the corner of the screen the first time you do something new, such as opening the map or buying at a shop. Each one shows once and never again, and they can be switched off entirely from the Tips screen. To read more about what a tip mentions, press the "Overthrow Menu" prompt on the tip itself, then choose Tips in the menu and Learn More in the tip that opens; that leads to the matching Field Manual page.
The undercover system changes how you interact with enemy forces. A clothing indicator appears next to the "eye" icon:
- ⚪ White (Civilian): You appear as a civilian - OF won't make you wanted unless you enter restricted areas
- 🔴 Red (Hostile): You appear hostile due to faction gear or weapons - instant wanted if spotted
- 🔵 Blue (Occupying Faction): You appear as OF - they won't make you wanted unless you get too close (~15m)
As a new player, you'll typically appear as a civilian (white) since you start with civilian clothes and no weapons drawn. This means:
- Enemy soldiers ignore you unless you break laws
- Perfect for reconnaissance and learning the map
- Safe for initial money-making activities
- Carrying visible weapons → Makes you appear hostile (red)
- Wearing military gear → Can make you appear as different factions
- Faction-specific clothing → Changes your apparent allegiance
Tip: Keep weapons holstered and wear civilian clothes during your first operations to stay safe while learning!
Learn More: See the complete Wanted System guide for detailed stealth mechanics and detection ranges.
¶ Getting Around the Island
Fast Travel for a small fee to locations the resistance holds:
- Your house (and any other house you own or rent) - see Real Estate
- Your camp (portable respawn point you can place)
- Any camp placed by other players, as long as its owner has not set it to private
- Any Mobile FOB deployed by resistance members
- Captured enemy bases
To fast travel: Open the Overthrow menu, select your destination, then click anywhere near it on the map.
Fast travel has conditions attached:
- The destination must be a minimum distance from where you are standing, so it will not shuttle you across a single town
- It is refused while you have a wanted level
- An active QRF can block it, depending on the difficulty settings
- The fee is a difficulty setting rather than a fixed price, and each recruit standing near you adds the same fee again and travels with you when you are on foot
- Fast travelling from inside a vehicle only works if you are the driver
Hint: You will fast travel to exactly where you click on the map, so don't click inside a building!
Your Car: Always visible on the map so you won't lose it. Perfect for early missions and supply runs.
Public Bus System: Most towns have bus stops (red "P" icons). Use the "Catch Bus" action on the pole to travel between stops. The fare is charged per kilometre travelled at a rate the difficulty settings decide, each nearby recruit adds their own fare, and you need to be out of a vehicle to board.
Vehicle Dealerships: Car icons on the map mark dealerships where you can buy civilian vehicles (no weapons included).
How it works: Open Overthrow menu → "Jobs" to see available contracts.
Pros:
- Immediate cash payment
- Teaches core game mechanics
- Guided objectives
Cons:
- Limited number available
- Some are challenging for beginners
How it works: Buy drugs from gun dealers (gun icons on map), then sell to civilians walking around towns.
Pro tip: Buy near ports (cheaper prices) and sell inland (higher profits).
Pros:
- Quick 25% profit margin
- Teaches market economics
Cons:
- Each civilian only buys once
- Requires chasing down customers
How it works: Buy goods from shops near ports, transport them to inland towns, and sell for profit.
Pros:
- Guaranteed profit with proper route planning
- Scales with your vehicle capacity
Cons:
- Requires time investment for travel
How it works: Infiltrate enemy bases or ambush patrols to steal valuable items, then sell them at shops.
Use the undercover system to appear as a civilian or enemy soldier for easier infiltration!
Pros:
- 100% profit (it's free!)
- Weakens enemy forces
Cons:
- High risk - requires stealth or combat skills
- Wanted level consequences if caught
How to place: Overthrow menu → "Place" → select posters, then put them on walls around towns.
Effectiveness:
- Maximum 5 posters per town (no benefit beyond that)
- Each poster provides +5% support (25% total maximum)
- Posters expire over time - replace them regularly
Strategy: Use the bus system to quickly visit multiple towns and place posters efficiently, even with your starting $100.
How it works: Buy medical supplies (gauze, bandages) from shops, load them in your vehicle, then use "Deliver Medical Supplies" action at town centers.
Benefits:
- Raises town support
- Generates passive income through donations
- No formal job required - do it anytime
Strategy: Neutralize defenses at radio towers near towns you want to influence.
Impact: Significantly boosts support growth in nearby settlements.
Learn More: Read about Town Support mechanics and Stability systems for advanced influence strategies.
Requirement: Achieve 75% resistance support in the village.
Strategy:
- Place 5 posters around the village
- Deliver medical supplies to the town center
- Capture any nearby radio towers
- Wait for support to grow gradually
Tip: Villages without nearby radio towers can be captured without any combat, but expect slower progress.
Reward: Captured villages provide regular income (~$2,500 every 6 hours on normal difficulty) through Resistance Funds.
¶ Understanding Support Growth
- Support grows quickly until reaching the current modifier amount
- For example: If there is a population of 100 and support modifier is at 25% then getting over 25 supporters will be very slow
- Additional activities (medical supplies, radio towers, nearby base captures) are essential for reaching 75%
The FOB system is built around Mobile FOB trucks:
How to get Mobile FOBs:
- Purchase from civilian vehicle stores (~$5,000 on normal difficulty)
- Buy from Garages at captured bases
- Prices scale with difficulty setting
How to deploy:
- Drive the Mobile FOB truck to your desired location
- Use "Deploy FOB" action at the rear of the truck
- Truck locks in place and erects camo net + resistance flag
- FOB becomes active for building and fast travel
Mobile FOB capabilities:
- Deploy almost anywhere except near enemy bases
- Fast travel destination for all resistance members
- Respawn point option (set as "home")
- Build advanced structures (recruitment tents, equipment boxes)
- Undeploy and relocate when tactical situations change
Strategic advantages:
- Multiple FOBs can be deployed simultaneously
- Flexible positioning including in towns and near buildings
- Team coordination through Priority FOB system (officers only)
Strategic value: Mobile FOBs provide considerable tactical flexibility compared to the old static flag system.
Learn More: See the complete Mobile FOB guide for detailed deployment strategies and advanced features.
You can also place a personal camp for $250 (the base price, scaled by the difficulty's placeable cost setting):
- Fast travel point accessible to other players unless you make it private
- Basic building capabilities for personal use
- Privacy option: Use "Manage Camp" to make it private and restrict fast travel access
- Respawn point: Can be set as your home base
- One per player: Placing a new camp destroys your old one and any built items
Learn More: Read the Camp guide for detailed camp management and building options.
Build your own squad of AI-controlled resistance fighters:
Street Recruitment:
- Approach any civilian on the street
- Use "Recruit Civilian" action
- Cost: $250 (default, varies by difficulty)
- Recruit joins your group immediately
Recruitment Tent (Advanced):
- Build at Mobile FOBs or captured bases
- Recruit from nearby town supporters
- Cost: $125 per recruit (50% discount!)
- Requires: Available supporters in nearest town
Recruit Management:
- Open Overthrow menu → "Manage Recruits"
- Rename recruits for easier identification
- Dismiss unwanted recruits
- Status tracking: See alive/dead/distance in real-time
AI Commanding:
- Use ~ key (tilde) to open command menu
- Issue standard Arma commands (move, follow, engage, etc.)
- Remote inventory access through command menu
Equipment Management:
- Recruits start with civilian clothes and no weapons
- Equip manually or use the Loadout Manager system
- Permanent death - recruits don't respawn if killed
Save and apply equipment configurations:
At Equipment Boxes:
- Save Loadout: Saves your current equipment setup
- Load Loadout: Apply saved loadouts to yourself or nearby recruits
- Officer Templates: Officers can create faction-wide loadout templates
Benefits:
- Standardized equipment for your squad
- Quick re-equipping after deaths or resupply
- Team coordination through shared officer templates
Tip: Start with 2-3 recruits to learn the system, then expand your squad as you gain experience and resources.
Learn More: See the complete Recruits and Loadout Manager guides for advanced squad management strategies.
How it works: Locate the flag at the center of enemy bases and use the action to trigger a battle to capture the base
Rewards:
- Access to advanced construction options
- Helipads for helicopter purchases
- Garages for military vehicle acquisition
- Strategic control of the region
Preparation: Ensure you have adequate weapons, equipment, and possibly recruited allies before attempting base assaults.
Inventory transfers use progress dialogs:
- Loading/unloading vehicles shows progress
- Smart filtering excludes clothing items during mass looting
- "Loot" action on the rear of a truck for better accessibility
¶ Economy and Resources
Understanding the economic systems will help you plan your progression:
- Resistance Funds - Learn how captured territory generates faction-wide income
- Resources - Understand how the enemy faction operates and uses resources
- Importing - Advanced supply acquisition for established operations
- Start Small: Focus on one village at a time rather than spreading efforts thin
- Use the Bus: Quick travel between towns makes poster campaigns efficient
- Monitor Support: Use "Map Info" in the Overthrow menu to track town support levels
- Stay Hidden: Use the undercover system to operate safely in enemy territory
- Build Your Squad: Recruit AI fighters as you gain resources and experience
- Mobile Operations: Use Mobile FOBs to establish forward positions for expanded operations
- Reinvest Profits: Use early earnings to buy better equipment and vehicles
- Learn the Map: Identify key locations like gun dealers, vehicle dealerships, and strategic targets
Once you've established basic income and captured your first village:
- Deploy your first Mobile FOB for expanded tactical options
- Recruit AI fighters to help with missions and base assaults
- Build recruitment tents at FOBs for cheaper recruitment
- Set up loadout systems at Equipment Boxes for efficient squad management
- Plan assaults on enemy bases for advanced capabilities
- Understand officer privileges and faction leadership
- Expand influence to larger towns and cities
The systems that most affect a new player:
- Undercover System: Clothing-based stealth mechanics change how you interact with enemies
- Mobile FOBs: Truck-based deployable bases rather than static flag FOBs
- AI Recruitment: Build squads of AI fighters with street recruitment and recruitment tents
- Camps: Fast travel for other players, privacy settings, and building capabilities
- Economy: Difficulty-scaled pricing and progress-tracked inventory operations
For comprehensive information on specific topics:
- Factions - Understanding all faction roles and relationships
- FAQ - Frequently asked questions and common issues
- v1.3 Update - Details on the v1.3 release
Remember: Overthrow is about gradual progression from a lone rebel to the leader of a liberation movement. Take your time to learn each system and build your resistance carefully.
Good luck, revolutionary!