Post by Sevyrs on Feb 27, 2018 20:23:12 GMT
MilSim Tactics - Infantry
Hey guys! In this section we'll be discussing some basic tactics, strategies, and general tips when in a MilSim and on foot. While the information offered here may not be comprehensive, it will at least get you started on making both yourself and your team a more effective force. The most important thing that none of the info below can trump is this: Practice! Practice! Practice! Hold regular training sessions even among your own members. This will allow you to not only practice the things listed here but to expand upon your own strengths, get a feel for other players and become better at coordination.
To start things off, let's first look at something that should be at everyone's attention:
DPOI's. This lovely acronym stands for "Distant Points of Interest". Why is this important? Simple! When moving from one point to another there will invariably be times where your position will be visible to a distant hill, a building that is far off, a rock grouping, etc. In the event that an enemy has posted up there then it will not only make it difficult to spot them but also limit your ability to attack them. Even if the enemy doesn't directly engage you, they are still in a position to relay your exact location to their forces who otherwise may not be aware of your presence.
Next up we have CRCP's. This means "Close Range Cover Points". These are important because identifying and securing them can mean the difference between engaging an enemy or being ambushed instead. These can be pretty much anything within about 100m that can offer both you or your enemies cover when engaging. Examples of CRCP's include, buildings, vehicles, large rocks, various structures or even trees. It's important to remember that most MilSims are played in such a setting that the player has very little health with which to survive. This means that if you are in the open and they have even a tree for cover then they already have a considerable advantage over you. It is also important to note that even simply being on the other side of a hill will suffice as adequate cover if it offers you a blind spot from them.
The next tip is something that almost everyone has heard before but many don't seem to pay attention to: Check your corners, watch the windows and roofs. Why this seems to be such an issue for most people is actually very simple. Most humans, on a subconscious level, don't actually like looking at windows from outside of a building and we have a tendency to ignore corners unless we develop a habit of looking at them. This applies to both real life and ironically to the game as well. This is most evident in a person's gameplay. If you ever record yourself playing, watch how you handle corners while running around and then watch a professional player. I'll bet that you most likely ignore most corners if you didn't actually see someone go there or have a suspicion based on some visual or audio cue. Professional gamers on the other hand, well they check virtually every corner they encounter just because of the sheer likelihood of someone being there and not wanting to get shot in the ass. It's important to bring this up because when clearing out buildings in a MilSim, for example, you have very low health so you cannot afford to try and hope they loose direct sight of you while shooting and you try to heal up. Chances are that after 2 or 3 rounds in the back you are out for the count. This can possibly mean the difference between securing an objective or getting wiped out.
Group Formation. If you don't know what this means then get out! Just kidding lol... Seriously though, ideally, players in a MilSim should move as a squad in a well practiced group formation. There are several formations that are available and the best one to use will depend on your location, the available cover, your destination, your group numbers and equipment, and the nature of the MilSim.
Some GF's that players should practice can be found below and will be followed by a brief description of its purpose, how to use it, and when it is most appropriate to use it.
* Leap Frog Formation - Some people also refer to this as "hopping". This formation is performed exactly as its namesake and is intended to be used so that no single member of a given group gets isolated from the rest with an unnecessary amount of distance between them. In doing so, it is easier to cover each other and stay relatively close. In this formation as the group moves forward, the rear member literally moves past the second most rear member that is closest to them without crossing roads, hallways, doors, or other vulnerable places and exposing themselves. This is repeated in a fashion that is similar a slinky going down a set of stairs. As the group moves forward, they are able to cover each other, stay close, and at no times should there be more than 2 or 3 moving at once. This is to avoid drawing attention to the group. The most appropriate times to use this is when advancing on a point designated by the squad leader and there is cover between the group and this position. It should be noted that this can sometimes cause confusion for those unfamiliar with how to use this formation. I can say with confidence, however, that if properly used then even if there is an engagement in the middle of your trek to the position designated by the squad leader, then the team should be able to handle it effectively. After that, it depends on the general skill of the players involved. I should also mention that this tactic can apply to not only individual soldiers within a squad but can also be implemented with multiple squads when advancing on a position. In this case, the squads assume the role of a soldier and they shift positions while covering each other. Again, this take practice.
* Buddy System - let's talk about the Buddy System (BS). (BS) is the simplest formation you can have. Everyone on the squad will have a designated "Battle Buddy" with whom they will make their damnedest efforts to stay close to throughout the op. By doing this, they are able to cover their "Battle Buddy" and vise versa. This ensures that even if you get flanked, you will at least stand a chance at survival. In a MilSim it is NOT recommended that any player be left alone if it can be helped. This is especially true in ops where everyone only has one life.
* Sweeping - Sweeping is simply clearing out a building. The difference between Sweeping and (B&C) is that Sweeping can be done solo in the event that you are alone. To Effectively clear or "Sweep" a building, It is important to remember that there will often be numerous blind spots, furniture, detroyable walls, etc. When going in, make sure to watch not only the front but the sides, corners, and even the windows. It is possible to shoot through them so keep the outside in mind just as much as the inside. When going upstairs, try to avoid allowing your back to be exposed if possible. This can be accomplished if you crouch when Sweeping and if pivoting your angle of ADS to include a quick glance towards the overhang of a stair well to ensure no one is above you and watching you only to shoot you in the ass. If possible , try to check the roof as well but don't get on top of it since that makes you and easy target.
* Breach and Clear - As the name implies, Breach and Clear is a tactic use to clear buildings once you have advanced on them and are attempting to secure them. Breach and Clear is actually comprised of 2 formations: Buddy System and Sweeping. Now, (B&C) involves a minimum of 2 players clearing out a building with one on point and another following behind and covering the rear but not too close in case the forward soldier has to go back into cover. It may take a little longer because you basically halved the number of buildings that can be checked when split up but if there is an enemy in several buildings and only one ally goes in to sweep then the chances of friendly forces getting shaved off rises drastically. Do yourselves a favor, use the (BS) *pun intended lol*, and keep each other alive. If you are wondering about the 5th person in the squad then don't worry, the squad leader will not have a designated "Battle Buddy". Instead the entire squad is his/her "Battle Buddy". The squad leader is able to attach himself to which ever buddy grouping they choose. They will essentially create a 3 man group when (B&C) or they and/or another player can stay outside and watch for intruders.
* Delta Formation - This formation is based off of the aerial formation often used with jets and helicopters. The purpose for this formation is to have a forward soldier on point and 2 soldiers on each side but each further behind the other to create a V shape. Moving in this formation over open spaces keeps the squad from getting too closely grouped together and allows them to cover each other without shooting friendlies in the back. The soldier on point will be the point in the V where the two lines connect. If seen from above then it would appear as an arrow with no shaft moving in a forward position. It is important to note that this is also a useful tactic when escorting someone or thing over open spaces, however usually there will be a sixth soldier in the rear to create a closed triangle around the payload.
* Fire and Move - This tactic is used primarily with vehicles but can also be applied to infantry as well. The purpose of this tactic is to engage, cover, and retreat to a more defensible position. The key point in this tactic is to engage or counter engage, cover friendlies, and move to another position. This can be seen as being similar to Guerrilla warfare in that your forces do not stay in one spot and ambush the enemy but instead adopts a more fluid response. This was primarily used by missile trucks with surprising effectiveness and was later adopted by numerous military forces including the US. An example of this would be: the squad in on approach to a small compound and there are enemy forces there. Launching an attack and then covering in order to move to another location and resume the conflict. It maybe interesting to note that many people tend to either ignore this possible tactic or implement it intuitively. In a MilSim it is generally recommended to use it since it may help reduce losses. Plus it keeps you from being in one place for too long and risk getting bombarded.
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Next on our list is something that will be more relevant to maps that have lots of buildings, structures, etc.
Urban Operations (UO)
(UO's) are operations that are carried out and charged with tactics appropriate for the 3 dimensional environment that is offered by maps like Flood Zone, Metro, Locker, etc. The significance to these maps and similar ones is that the buildings, alleyways, and general blind spots are literally all over the place. Urban combat is actually more dangerous in some ways in that the potential for being blindsided is much higher and booby traps are easier to hide. Even a heavy armored vehicle unit can easily be wiped out by handheld anti armor weaponry if there is enough cover and passages for enemy troops to move around in. Add in the lack of space for vehicular maneuvering, enemy forces already in place, and unknown combatant numbers and you have a fine cocktail for getting eliminated if you don't say vigilant.
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Let's discuss some tactics that will enable a force of approx 5 -10 to effectively defend or assault a given area. These tactics will assume that a specific line up in the operators has been chosen (details below).
ASSAULT
For Assault units the recommended soldier line up for 5 are as follows:
Assault - Medpack/bag, m320 smoke, grenade
Assault - Medpack/bag, defib(if allowed) or m320, grenade
Assault - Medpack/bag, defib(if allowed) or m320, grenade
Support - Ammopack/bag, claymore or c4, grenade
Recon/Assault - claymore, PLD or MAV, grenade//Medpack/bag, m320 smoke, grenade
This line up is selected for a single squad to engage in maximum efficiency while attacking. The reason the 5th slot is reserved for either recon or assault is because the environment may determine which one is more useful. If you are in an area where a recon is of little use then having another assault member is better. With that said, however, being in an area where having a recon can mean the difference between safely engaging or avoiding the enemy, it would be tactically unwise not to make use of them. The reason there is only one support member is actually very simple. Realistically, if the support player goes down, drawn out engagements become a battle of attrition. Keeping the support player to the rear and ensuring their survival should take priority over other members since they are effectively your lifeline.
In the event that there are more than one friendly squads moving in concert, then unless the numbers exceed 2 squads there is no reason to have more than one recon. Only one squad should have a recon. If there are 3 or more squads then the ratio should be: 1 recon for every 2 squads. Other than the recon issue, in a 10 man group (or 2 squad line up) the member layout should remain the same as the 5 man line up.
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DEFENSE
The line up for defense will be identical to the assault except they can have a recon on each squad and are allowed to have up to 2 supports on each squad. The logic behind this is that if one team has already posted up then they are established and thus have moved supplies to their location so having more leeway with support and recon is a given. Please note that this is not always accepted during MilSim regulations depending on those deciding on the rules. It is also important to remember that neither team is allowed to use vehicles unless they have been designated and permission is granted and agreed upon by both parties.
*continued when author is free*