Squad Rush number gates: how to grow a big squad
In Squad Rush you grow your squad at number gates. Gates stand in pairs across the road. Shoot the gate you want to make its number grow, then run through it: a plus number adds friends, ×2 or ×3 multiplies your squad, and a red minus gate takes friends away. Your squad can grow to 60.
How does a number gate work?
A gate is a tall frame with a number on top. A pair of gates stands on the left and right of the road, so you pick one side.
- Green-blue gates have a plus number, like +5, or a times number, like ×2. They help you.
- Red gates have a minus number, like −3. They take friends away.
- Run through the middle of the frame to cross a gate. If you stay right in the middle of the road, you run between the two gates and get neither.
- Every gate you cross gives you 4 coins, even a red one.
When you cross, a short message shows what happened, like "+12 squad" or "×2 · +10 squad".
Shoot a gate to raise its number
Your squad fires straight ahead all the time. When your shots hit a plus gate or a red gate, its number goes up by one step at a time. A plus gate can grow up to +25.
- Line up early. The longer you shoot a gate, the bigger the number when you cross it.
- More power, faster numbers. The number grows with how hard your shots hit, not how many there are. A big squad, a golden box and Stronger blasters from the Workshop all make numbers climb faster.
- Red gates climb too. A −3 gate goes to −2, −1 and on up if you keep shooting it. If you must cross a red gate, shoot it first.
- ×2 and ×3 gates never change. Shooting them does nothing, so you can save your shots.
What numbers can a gate have?
Every stage uses the same three kinds of gate pair, in this order, over and over. The best gate is not always on the same side, so look before you steer. (There is a trick to it on advanced tips.)
| Pair | One gate | Other gate | Best pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| First kind | +5 | −3 (red) | Shoot and cross the +5 |
| Second kind | +6 | +12 | Shoot and cross the +12 |
| Third kind | ×2 or ×3 | −3 (red) | Cross the ×2 or ×3 |
The third kind gives ×2 and ×3 in turns. These are the numbers each gate starts with; your shots raise them. Stage 1 has 11 gate pairs and stage 12 has 20. The full list is on all 12 stages.
Is a ×2 gate better than a plus gate?
A ×2 gate adds as many friends as you already have. A ×3 gate adds twice as many. So a times gate is great when your squad is already big:
| Squad before | +12 gate | ×2 gate | ×3 gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 17 | 10 | 15 |
| 10 | 22 | 20 | 30 |
| 20 | 32 | 40 | 60 |
| 30 | 42 | 60 | 60 |
In the game, a times gate always stands next to a red gate, so the choice is easy: take the times gate. The best trick is to arrive at a times gate with a big squad. Grab plus gates and free gold cages before it.
How big can your squad get?
Your squad can grow to 60. Friends above 60 don't count, so a ×3 gate with a squad of 25 still gives you 60.
You start each stage with 5 squad members. The Starting squad upgrade in the Workshop adds 2 per level, up to 21 at the start. See the Workshop, coins and stars.
Ways to grow your squad:
| How | Friends |
|---|---|
| Plus gate | +5, +6 or +12 to start, up to +25 if you shoot it |
| ×2 or ×3 gate | Double or triple your squad |
| Gold cage (RESCUE +4), from stage 2 | +4 |
| Gold recruits at a rescue door | Up to +6 |
| Scouts coming back, from stage 4 | Those who come back, plus 4 new friends |
Gold cages, rescues and scouts are explained on doors, rescues, convoys and last stands.
Why a bigger squad is better
Every squad member has a blaster and fires on their own. Twice the squad means twice the shots. A big squad breaks robots faster, raises gate numbers faster and beats the big bot sooner. A big squad also lets you take a hit or two without losing the run.
If your squad goes down to 0, the run is over. That can happen at a red gate when your squad is very small, so steer away from red gates early in a stage.
One star in every stage is for growing your squad to 25 at any moment of the stage. See how stars work.
Wide line or Narrow column?
From stage 3 you can switch how your squad runs. Press F, Y on a controller, or the button on the screen.
| Line | Shape | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Wide line | Five in a row. Six in a row above 25 friends, eight above 40 | The shape you start in. Keeps the whole squad close to the front |
| Narrow column | Two in a row, long and slim | Slipping past crates and robots, and getting out of red lanes |
The Narrow column takes up much less room, so crates and robots you only just touch can miss you, and red lanes need a smaller step to dodge. Gates work the same way in both lines: what counts is where the middle of your squad is.
A big squad in the Narrow column gets very long, so the friends at the back stand far behind the front. With Flame, which only reaches a short way, their shots fall short. Use the Wide line when you fire Flame with a big squad.
A good habit: switch to the Narrow column before a tight spot or a big bot fight, and back to the Wide line for Flame. More on dodging in robots, crates and red lanes.
Common mistakes with gates
| Mistake | Try this |
|---|---|
| Steering to a gate at the last moment | Pick your gate early so your shots can raise it. |
| Running down the middle | You miss both gates. Pick a side. |
| Shooting a ×2 gate to raise it | Times gates never change. Shoot the plus gate on the next pair instead. |
| Taking a red gate with a tiny squad | A red gate can end the run. Go around it. |
| Forgetting the cap | Above 60, extra friends don't count. |
See also
- Beginner tips: easy habits for a bigger squad.
- Advanced tips: plan your gates for the 25-squad star.
- Blasters and golden boxes: more power raises gate numbers faster.
- Back to the Squad Rush guide, or play Squad Rush.
