Basic Squad Formation

[Ambumann]

Organization of the squad.
To make a squad effective their need a good Squad leader. SL need to organize the Squad accordingly to the mission, enemy resistance and the terrain the squad are facing.
To ensure 360° security and avoid friendly fire, a squad should move in an organized way. Each squad member is assigned to cover a different direction, depending on his position in the formation.
One should always have an appropriate amount of space between the squad members, striking the balance between mutual support and not presenting a grouped target.
The only exceptions here are when in confined areas (Close Quarter Battle), or when stacking up for room entry

In Real life, we normally separate the fire team and Squad formation. But in BF2 it will be easiest to handle a single squad and divide the squad into a red and blue element if we need to break up the Squad.

The goal is to get the squad to mission objective in one piece. The squad needs to cover a 360 degree cover at all times to minimize losses due to enemy attack.

There are three basic formations we can use when moving from A to B.
a. Squad Wedge. The squad Wedge is the squad's most common formation. This formation is good in wider / open terrain. It secures good cover and firepower to the front and the flanks. It is easy for SL to control his team, but can be difficult for the individual soldier to maintain without training.
b. Squad Line. The squad line provides maximum firepower to the front. This formation is best suited when meeting an enemy in front is almost certain. It secures maximum firepower to the front, and therefore not good security to the flanks and rear
c. Squad File. This is the easiest formation to handle, and the easiest formation for the soldier to understand. This formation is best suited when traveling in closed terrain vegetation with limited visibility. It?s easy for the SL to control the team, and can easily and rapidly change the formation to a line formation if enemy contact is met. It secures good firepower and security to the flanks.

As SL you need to designate every Squad member with a spot in the formation. Every man must know his place and his Area of responsibility.
The last man in the formation has the responsibility to secure the rear at all times.
The SL positions will depend on the SL and his style of leading, my personal favorite is to be in the middle of the squad.

The use of red and blue elements is god if the SL need to move manpower to a specific strategic point, or if we make enemy contact and needs to engage the enemy. Red are the manpower in front of SL, and blue are manpower behind SL.

Fire and movement.
When a unit makes contact with the enemy, it normally starts firing at and moving toward the enemy. Sometimes the unit may move away from the enemy. That technique is called fire and movement. It is conducted either to close with or destroy the enemy, or to move away from the enemy so as to break contact with him.
The firing and moving take place at the same time. There is a fire element and a movement element. These elements may be single soldiers, buddy teams, fire teams, or squads. Regardless of the size of the elements, the action is still fire and movement.
The fire element covers the move of the movement element by firing at the enemy. This helps keep the enemy from firing back at the movement element.
The movement element moves either to close with the enemy or to reach a better position from which to fire at him. The movement element should not move until the fire element is firing.
Depending on the distance to the enemy position and on the available cover, the fire element and the movement element switch roles as needed to keep moving.
Before the movement element moves beyond the supporting range of the fire element (the distance within which the weapons of the fire element can fire and support the movement element), it should take a position from which it can fire at the enemy. The movement element then becomes the next fire element and the fire element becomes the next movement element.

If your team makes contact, your Squad leader should tell you to fire or to move.
For instance: ?Red team fire, Blue team prepares to move?. He should also tell you where to fire from, what to fire at, or where to move to.

Some basic principles:
Before moving to another position, the soldier makes a visual reconnaissance, selects the position offering the best cover and concealment, and determines the route he takes to get to that position.
The soldier develops a plan for his own movement. He runs the shortest distance between covered positions.
Remember that moving from solid cover to solid cover is always preferable, but not always possible.

An example: Contact drill
1. Pointman will call out ?CONTACT FRONT!?
2. SL call out ?LINE FORMATION, LEFT OF POINTMAN? (left/right depends on vegetation, geography etc).
3. The element forms a line towards the enemy contact
4. Last man deploys smoke on the fly if the tactical situation calls for it. (I know PR and smoke is bad, but it looks cool though)
5. All members will engage on full auto, until threats have been eliminated.
6. SL will call ?CLEAR!?

If threat is not possible to defeat, SL need to consider a fallback command for regrouping at nearest rally point.
Retreating must be done in an organized manner.
Last man entered the line is the first man out. He will move behind second last man calling ?Last man John?. This will tell John he is the last man, and that he should prepare to move.
The team will in this manner retreat to a safer point one by one until the whole team is fallen back, and have taken line formation again. Continuing Retreating in this manner until it?s safe to fall back to nearest Rally Point for regrouping and setting up a tactical perimeter and calling for air or ground support.


Wedge formation




Line formation




File Formation

[=VG= BLuDKLoT]

Hey man are those Norske formations?

The USMC Wedge is different..Cool post.

[Ambumann]

yes and no, I modified them into BF2 / PR for simple use.
Just a suggestion or a tip though... if enyone wanna try doing som interesting Squad leading.

[Joe_A]

I feel that all VG members that are BF/PR gamers should become familiar with this. !

[PITN]

CPL Joey USMC LAN_WROTE ...

I feel that all VG members that are BF/PR gamers should become familiar with this. !

You can do it everytime you play. It just calls for patience and practice. Repetition is the key.

[Joe_A]

I agree 120% But getting everyone on the same page is the key

[PITN]

CPL Joey USMC LAN_WROTE ...

I agree 120% But getting everyone on the same page is the key

And that is a true test of Leadership. :D
I'm game anytime someone wants to do some infantry squad training.

[dman248]

I'm there.

[Ambumann]

I will try get a spot in your Squad, coop gaming is so much more fun. Praticing tachtics brings the game to another level.

[Ambumann]

Since soldiers work in small teams, it is important that each member know and understand the order in its entirety so as to be aware of which parts of the order apply directly to them and the subordinate unit to which they belong without being exceedingly aware of minute details provided for general situational awareness.

NATO and most of its allied are using the 5 order paragraph. Adapting the 5 order paragraph into gaming can be useful, and will help the leader to lead the team because every member of the team knows his own and the entire teams job.

I. Situation
A. Enemy Forces
What kind of enemy are we facing? How well equipped are they? Enemy armor, and or Air assets?
What kind of terrain are we facing?
B. Friendly Forces
How many friendly forces? Where are they? Do we have Armor and Air assets? Coordinated attack needed? Supporting elements?

II. Mission
What are we doing and where? Support, recon, build, destroy, capture, defend? (Who, What, Where, When, and most importantly Why?)

III. Execution
Witch route to take, and formation on route. How do we get there? On land, by air or by sea transportation. What do we do when we arrive? Possible danger zones on route and at mission objective.
If separated, location of rally points?
If need for withdrawal, where to?

IV. Administration/Logistics
Who is medic, how does he operate, where is his place?
Who is carrying ammo? Who is demolitions man? Special equipment needed? Who brings it, when do we use it?
Supplies? Where are nearest or how do we get it?

V. Command/Signal
Communication needed (TS? Ingame chat?)
Communication in general, use of comms, codes etc.
Where are Squad leaders place?
Ask/any questions and confirm understanding.

[Wargasm6976]

The biggest causes of death in bf2, pr, and irl combat is the lack of cover, lack of communication and poor judgment and assessment of the situation.

Be aware of your surroundings, and not just the immediate threat. Bear in mind good places to run for cover, avoid areas that put you and your squad at immediate risk. Cover your squad! don't just look at the feet of the guy ahead of you, look around every now and then. Report anything that looks out of place.

When your squad is out in the open or in urban combat, don't just run aimlessly from building to building. You'll all lose perspective and lose the ability to aim should you come under fire.

"Leapfrogging" either single or in pairs is by far the best way to maintain cover and keep up the pace. (One man runs across to cover while the squad covers, he stops and gives cover while the next man runs across, then the 2nd man covers the 3rd, and so on).

"Slice the Pie". Never just throw yourself around a corner or into a doorway, it takes you time to scan the new area and makes you a easy target in the process. Quick, jumpy movements get noticed easily. Instead, back up from the corner/door a bit, strafe your way around it. You can maintain a good sight picture without exposing your entire body at once.

Communicate! You may see an enemy, but your squad may not. If you open fire, they have no idea where to return fire or the safest place to take cover when they come under fire. After all, the enemy may not be trying to hit you, instead try to scare your team into the open where they become easy targets. He turns 1 target into 6.

Judgment and Assessment. Don't just run around firing at random or at everything that moves; you may get the attention of a stronger enemy that was previously unaware of your presence, and you'll be giving your position away to everyone within earshot.
Be stealthy, get to your objective unnoticed. Then you can catch the enemy off guard and fight on your terms. If you just fire at random (whether you kill your enemies or not), his buddies will know it and you'll be walking straight into an ambush.

Above all else, use reason and common sense. Remember that your actions don't just affect you, but everyone around you as well.

[Wargasm6976]

As for Formations and the 5 order paragraph, etc.

Sure, they both look good on paper at OCS or West Point, but they're pretty meaningless in the field. In combat, the idea is not to appear uniform in a neat little formation (The Brits tried that here during the Revolution.... it didn't work out so well for the Brits...).

Your movement and formation shouldn't suit you, it should suit the environment. Use your surroundings, blend with the environment.

Prudence and common sense keeps you alive in combat, not command structure and some inch thick field manual.

"If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking." -George Patton

[=VG= Eclipse002]

Amen to that !

Wanna try that in game Wargasm with ya.

[PITN]

Play some Ramiel Infantry Only. Or the new one Gaza Beach Infantry Only!

[Wargasm6976]

Standard pvp Ramiel isn't so bad (people always take the straightest and most obvious path). It's the bots in coop that are a pain in the ass. They use better tactics than people in most cases; hiding in the nook and cranny that you overlooked, and popping out of nowhere when you least expect it.

[Mikede]

that was a good read for me a lot of good tips

[G.Kirkland]

Agreed Mikeda, discipline is alot better then any formation( i believe anyways) Discipline and Experience is unparalleled.

[WCCBadploy]

Very well researched advice for all.

Situational awareness is the main skill set that all good team players must master. less running around, more calm observation of the environment using the best weapon to hand. The mark one, (eyeball).

[G.Kirkland]

Indeed badploy, know your environment, know your weapon is crucial in war. Know the advantages, and disadvantages of the terrain .

[suomikeizari]

first of all nice advices!!! all of them are very useful on deployment, BUT beware of the new guys...they might suprise you utterly

[TEDF]

always the new guys......

[suomikeizari]

yeap yeap but thats the challenge on COOP isnt it? without the newbies it would be a too easy

[=VG= SemlerPDX]

When BLuDKLoT suggested soldiers would travel in a "column" if on a trek like we were in ArmA: Insurgency at the time, everyone was down for it. With his instruction, we had it going in just a few minutes.

What was most notable, was the willingness of all the players to stop and do this for sake of doing it and learning, even though it meant further postponing shooting at the enemy. That was more fun than when we finally got to the AO.

Some just wanna shoot - usually the rambo types.
Most the others want to play "army" as closely as the given game will allow.

[IHarryXx]

I knew most of the formations already, due to being a Army Cadet, but putting it into games is always fun

[suomikeizari]

Semler true true, sometimes you get the guys who are willing to do teamwork and Real tactics actually most people do that. BUT there is always those who want to Solo or they are having a hard time listening to orders, and even one man not doing your orders to the letter can get your SQ killed