Trench Decay: Enemies and Campaign Threats
Recognize enemy groups, understand New Order alert states and gas hazards, and account for tougher targets in later chapters.
Trench Decay threats include The Mindless, The New Order, and bosses such as The Jaeger. Recognize the encounter type before committing your squad: a patrol that becomes alerted, a damaging gas cloud, and a boss fight need different responses.
This related gameplay video provides context for the campaign and equipment decisions below.
Recognize the group behind the encounter
Selected enemy names include Pursuer, Crawler, Bomber, New Order Rifleman, New Order Heavy, and The Jaeger. Use those names to understand which encounter a guide is discussing, rather than assuming every enemy follows one movement or attack pattern.
I would prioritize recognizing the immediate threat over memorizing a complete roster before playing. Knowing that the squad has entered a patrol fight or a boss encounter is more useful than applying the same rush to every target.
| Threat | Useful response |
|---|---|
| New Order patrol | Coordinate before escalating the encounter. |
| Gas cloud | Move out before prolonged exposure breaks the filter. |
| Later chapter | Reconsider equipment against higher enemy health. |
| Boss | Use the named boss guide rather than a generic rush. |
Avoid starting an alerted patrol accidentally
New Order patrols move through Relaxed, Investigating, and Alerted states. A disturbance can draw investigation, while spotting you or being shot can turn it into a wider fight. Alerted soldiers can bring other New Order troops into the encounter.
Keep the squad's plan together before firing. Starting a patrol fight while teammates are preparing creates a different problem from calmly engaging a target the group is ready to handle. Do not assume a quiet approach remains quiet once the patrol is alerted.
Leave gas before the filter fails
Green-smog Mindless and New Order gas shells can create gas hazards. Remaining in gas damages the mask filter; once it breaks, the cloud damages the player and builds Decay. Leave the cloud rather than treating it as a harmless visual effect around the target.
Campaign chapters also raise enemy health. If a familiar target feels tougher later, reconsider the equipment and chapter context instead of assuming every enemy has changed into a different type.
Enemy questions
Does every enemy use the same behavior?
No. Patrols, mutant hazards, and bosses have different concerns.
Is gas only a visibility problem?
No. It damages the filter and eventually the player.
Where is a boss-specific guide?
The Jaeger guide covers its Ossuary fight.