Saints Row: The Third Explosive Combat & Destruction Guide

To deal maximum damage and clear heavy enemy resistance in Saints Row: The Third, combine elevated rocket launcher fire with environmental hazard triggers and offensive vehicle maneuvers while taking cover to maintain health.

Primary Combat Strategies in Steelport

Deploying Rocket Launchers from Elevated Positions

Rocket launchers provide heavy area-of-effect damage, making them the most direct option for taking down armored targets, enemy vehicle reinforcements, and gang clusters in intersections or alleyways.

To maximize the impact of rocket fire:

1. Gain High Ground: Climb to building rooftops before attacking. High ground expands your view of incoming vehicles and gives you time to align shots.
2. Target Enemy Clusters: Aim at the center of grouped targets or bottlenecked intersections.
3. Switch to a Secondary Weapon: Swap to a fast-firing secondary weapon, such as an SMG, to finish off surviving enemies during the launcher's slow reload cycle.

Using Vehicles for Offensive Combat

Vehicles in Steelport serve as offensive weapons to disrupt enemy formations and disable pursuers.

• Break Enemy Barricades: Drive heavy trucks or sports cars directly into barricades to break up defensive lines and distract AI forces.
• Disable Pursuers: Aim for the tires or engine blocks of pursuing cars to render them immovable.
• Execute Drift and Boost Maneuvers: When pursued, use drift and boost mechanics to swing behind enemy vehicles, ramming them into walls, light poles, or oncoming obstacles to reduce the number of shooters on foot.

Triggering Environmental Hazards and Explosive Chains

Steelport contains numerous environmental hazards that act as free explosives, preserving your primary firearm ammunition.

• Locate Hazards Early: Upon entering an engagement area, immediately scan for red barrels, fuel pumps, gas stations, and parked vehicles.
• Lure Enemy Reinforcements: Position yourself so arriving enemy squads walk or drive near volatile structures.
• Chain Explosions: Fire a single rocket or grenade into fuel pumps or gas stations to trigger chain reactions that wipe out entire waves in defense or holdout activities.

Balancing Aggressive Fire with Health Management

Unchecked aggression in open areas leads to rapid death. Maintaining momentum requires balancing high-output explosive attacks with defensive positioning.

• Monitor Your Health Bar: Watch your health level during heavy firefights and fall back behind hard cover, such as concrete pillars or heavy vehicles, to break enemy line-of-sight and regenerate health.
• Prioritize High-Threat Targets: Focus fire on enemies wielding high-rate-of-fire weapons, like assault rifles, before turning heavy explosives on secondary targets or structures.
• Maintain Combat Rhythm: Cycle between aggressive explosive strikes and brief periods behind cover to sustain long engagements across Steelport.