Saints Row: The Third Firefight Guide: Priority Targets and Cover

To survive large gang skirmishes and mission firefights in Saints Row: The Third, focus on removing high-damage enemies first, moving constantly between solid cover, and using melee takedowns to regenerate health. Standing in open ground against aggressive enemy waves quickly depletes your health bar, so target selection and spatial positioning take priority over blind firing.

Firefight Execution Order

Follow this sequence whenever engaging enemy squads or mission waves:

Identify high-threat units: Scan the combat field for enemy silhouettes wielding heavy machine guns or rocket launchers.
Secure solid cover: Immediately position behind concrete barriers, walls, or stationary vehicles to cut off enemy lines of sight.
Eliminate top threats first: Neutralize heavy gunners and rocket troops before targeting standard foot soldiers.
Reposition to prevent flanks: Use your sprint and roll abilities to move between cover points whenever enemy units attempt to flank your position.
Execute melee takedowns: Perform a melee finisher on weakened or stunned enemies to gain temporary invulnerability and restore health.

Loadout Selection by Engagement Range

Keep a versatile weapon loadout to swap weapons based on enemy distance and threat level:

Distance / Threat	Recommended Weapon Type	Primary Enemy Target
Close quarters / Swarmed	Shotgun or automatic pistol	Melee combatants and close runners
Mid to long range	Rifle or scoped weapon	Snipers and stationary gunners
Heavy firepower threat	Rapid-fire suppression or explosives	Heavy machine gunners and rocket units

Managing Enemy Reinforcements and Cover

Enemy AI in Steelport actively pushes open positions and calls in additional waves. Stay in control of the encounter by monitoring battlefield cues:

Watch map indicators: Track red icons on the minimap to spot incoming reinforcement vehicles and fresh enemy spawns early.
Fall back during surges: If enemy density becomes overwhelming, retreat to a defensive bottleneck rather than pushing forward into open fire.
Conserve ammunition with finishers: Melee takedowns clear elite or high-health targets without expending primary weapon ammo.