PREMISE: When at war, it is usually wiser to travel with a teammate rather than alone (unless one is a sniper or lure). However, when travelling unknown terrain with two or more people, one must arrange the group to best handle possible encounters with the enemy. The following is a short overview of possible formations depending on the number of people and their usage. For most formations to work, the individuals should be no more than 5-10 feet from their nearest teammate.

Two person formations are the simplest and quietest. Stealth and speed can be easily achieved, but having only two makes guarding one's blindspots harder.

• Side-by-side travelling allows both to fire on oncoming targets, but leaves the back open to surprise attacks.
• Staggered lines allow the one following to better guard the rear, but also reduces forward fire power.
• One facing forward & one facing back covers both sides, but movement pace is reduced since it is more difficult for the one in rear to walk backwards.

Three person formations allow for a little more coverage and flexibility, but reduce the groups ability to travel unnoticed.

• Standard vanguard formation when doing a frontal assault allows all members for fire forward while the two flanking members can also easily cover the sides.
• In unknown regions or tighter passageways, a staggered line formation may be used. Sides are covered and the person in the rear is also responsible for suppressing any rear attacks.
• Spread out formation to cover all-sides is sometimes recommended when an attack from the enemy is imminent, but the direction from which they are approaching is unknown. This covers all angles, but also spreads out the fire power the most.

Four person formations offer even more flexibility than the three person ones, but further reduce the groups ability to perform any sort of covert operation.

• Vanguard attack pattern good choice for frontal assaults, but leaves the back open to surprises.
• Two by two formation still gives good firing power forward while allowing the two in back to guard the rear. Good for travelling in unknown territory.
• The staggered line formation works best for traversing tight areas or when the direction of attack by the enemy is in question.

Five or more person formations begin getting more complicated simply due to the number of members in the group. Large groups are usually better divided into smaller ones. The more people in a given area, the easier it is for the enemy to hit any one. The figures above suggest possible group formations which can be extended for greater numbers of people.