The purpose of this guide is to provide concise explanations of the six current Instant Action game modes found in Ravenfield to the best of my knowledge. Below are sections dedicated to the following modes: Battle, Spec Ops, Domination, Skirmish, Point Match, and Haunted.

Overview:
In Battle, it's a race to eliminate the opposing team's forces by depleting pools of troops known as battalions, which can be seen on the bar on the top of the screen.


In this example, the battle's just begun. Both teams are on their first battalion and no infantry has been eliminated.

The teams both start with three battalions, each with a certain number of units, which can be reduced by eliminating enemies and controlling flags.


The battle rages on. Team Raven has lost one of three of their battalions, and Eagle only has five remaining for their first one.

While eliminations will subtract a unit from a battalion's numbers, teams can also suffer from a "bleed" if the opposing team controls at least 66% more flag points than their own. The bleeding team will constantly drain units, thereby depleting their battalions at a faster rate.


Eagle has managed to take a sufficient number of flags over Raven. Raven begins bleeding units as a result, indicated by the "greater-than" sign favoring the Eagles and the blinking battalion icon.

Win Condition:
• Deplete all of the enemy's battalions

Other Notes:
• A team will also rapidly drain battalions if they have zero flags captured
• Game Length determines the amount of units in a battalion:

Overview:
In Spec Ops, you are tasked with leading a small squad to complete various objectives on a map.

TALON squad beginning their operation.

A typical mission will spawn you with three other squadmates under your command at the start of the game and you and your team are assigned with completing various objectives around the map. The objectives given are random: one may have you destroying ammo crates, while another requires clearing a location of hostile forces.

Spawn location can also be randomized on a map each time you play:


The opposing team outnumber you, so stealth is recommended to survive. Enemies will open fire and alert other patrolling squads once they become aware of your presence.

No respawns; dying results in a mission failure.

Win Conditions:
• Complete required objective(s)

Other Notes:
• The TAB key by default will bring up a list of your objective(s); they can be completed in any order
• Using the Balance slider on the game settings menu will affect the number of squadmates on your team, allowing you to expand or reduce the size of your squad; lone wolf your mission by sliding it to one end, or command a small army (by comparison) by sliding it to the other end.
• The Game Length option determines how many objectives need to be completed to win:

Overview:
In Domination, the objective is to deplete all of the enemy's battalions (represented by large silhouettes of soldiers on the top of the screen) by controlling flags and filling the "Domination Bar."

Each team starts with three battalions, and there are three "key" flags at different locations that each team is expected to capture to the fill the Domination Bar.

The mode essentially plays in a loop of two uninterrupted phases: the bar is locked in the first phase, and it will not fill regardless of the conditions of the battefield. This phase lasts for 90 seconds.

After time expires, the bar unlocks, and the second phase, domination, begins. The team that controls the majority of the three flags will slowly fill the bar with its color. Once filled, the opposing team will lose a battalion. Once this occurs, the three key flags change and the first phase begins again.

The team that loses all their battalions is defeated.

Win Condition:
• Deplete all of the enemy's battalions

Other Notes:
• As of the time of this writing, Game Length seems to have no affect on this game mode; the amount of battalions remain the same regardless of the chosen length

Overview:
In Skirmish, the main objective is to dominate the opposing team by capturing flags on the map, or eliminating enemy combatants until none remain.

The team that controls more flags on the map will slowly fill the bar at the top of the screen with their team's color. If both teams control the same amount of flags, the bar ceases to move until one team gains more control. Victory is awarded to the team that completely fills the bar.

The first 120 seconds of the game is a "grace period", where the bar is locked and does not move regardless of who controls more flags during this time. The bar is unlocked after this period is over.

Additionally, at the beginning of the game, you are able to customize your own loadout; however, if you are killed, you do not respawn. Instead, you'll take over a random friendly bot on the battlefield, inheriting their loadout.

The exception to this is respawning via airdrop. When a team's reinforcements get too low, an airdrop is summoned, which allows you to redeploy with your chosen loadout and replenishes the team's numbers. This costs an "airdrop token", and these tokens are limited. Once all are used up, there is no coming back.

Win Conditions:
• Capture flags and and max out the gauge with your team's color
• Or deplete enemy reinforcements and reduce enemy count to zero

Other Notes:
• The number of airdrops available is determined by the Game Length option:

Overview:
In Point Match, the goal is overwhelm the opposing team through capturing flags and eliminations to score more points than the enemy.

A kill is worth a point, but captured flags add multipliers to kills. The more flags in your team's control, the more kills are worth, e.g. 3 captured flags equals a 3x multiplier, which means a single kill adds 3 points for your team.

Win Conditions:
• Earn a set amount of more points than the enemy
• Or capture enough flags, leaving no enemy flags left on the map

Other Notes:
• Capturing flags is faster with more teammates present at that point
• Watch your fire: killing your own teammates give points to the enemy equal to their multiplier
• Game Length determines the amount of more points your team needs over the enemy to win:

Overview:
In Haunted, you and three other teammates must investigate anomalies and fend off against waves of haunted skeletons.

You start off with some basic equipment, but can pick up additional weapons and supplies at the site of an anomaly following the first wave. A wave begins once you enter the field of the anomaly, and ends once a certain number of skeletons are slain. A new anomaly appears after a waves end; travel to it to begin a new wave.

Respawns are not available; you only have one life.

Win Condition:
• Survive all 7 waves

Other Notes:
• At the end of a wave, a shockwave from the anomaly is triggered, which will kill any remaining skeletons
• Stay within the anomaly field during waves; going outside of it causes damage
• The amount of kills needed to complete a wave increase in increments of 12
• All maps played in this mode will be at night, regardless if the option is checked or not
• Night vision goggles are available from the start
• Entities known as Skeleton Altars can sometimes be found on a map; they may provide ammo or health, but could also be ambush traps

Most of this guide was made based off testing and playing all the game modes and interpreting them the way I understand them, as well as looking around on the Internet for more information.

I hope this guide was helpful. Let me know if there are any errors (grammatical or informational) or clarifications needed so I can address them if possible.

The image is temporary, I was just lazy. Image updated, though it may altered in the future.

I'll try to keep this guide as up to date as possible.
5/7/2020: Added overview for Domination game mode.
7/29/2020: Updated Spec Ops section.
7/24/2021: Updated Battle (formerly Battalions) section.
7/25/2021: Updated Spec Ops section.

thanks and have fun