When at war, it is usually
wiser to travel with a teammate rather than alone (unless one is a sniper,
scout or lure). However, when travelling unknown terrain with two or more
people, one must arrange the group to best handle possible encounters
with hostiles. The following is a short overview of some suggested formations
depending on the number of people and their usage. For most formations
to work, the individuals should be no more than 2-3 metres (5'-10') 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 allows 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 group's 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
group's 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.