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.
As
useful as formations are, the constituents of the group also have
optimal placement in order to maximize each person's strength while
minimizing their weaknesses. The following is an extension of the
formations outlined previously. These formations become irrelevant
if all members of the group use the same weapon, but can provide
valuable insight if working with mixed-weapon members.
Light/Medium:
Refers to Light or Medium Tactical Gear.
Medium/Heavy:
Refers to Medium or Heavy Tactical Gear.
Two-person
mixed levels of armament do have an optimal way of moving together.
Side-by-side
travelling allows both to fire on oncoming targets but leaves
the back open to surprise attacks. In this case, it does not
matter whether the one with heavier weaponry is on the right
or left unless a particular side is suspected of being attacked.
In that case, the one with heavier gear should be away from
the possible side attack.
Staggered
lines
allows the one following to better guard the rear. The heavier
armed person should follow since the larger weapons can usually
fire farther than the smaller ones allowing the lighter-armed
person to engage the enemy first while the heavier-armed person
can give good cover fire.
One
facing forward & one facing back
covers both sides, but movement pace is reduced. Again, the
heavier-armed person should follow such that cover fire can
be given to the lighter-armed person in front.
Three
person formations allow for a little more coverage and flexibility.
Mixed groups again have an optimal way to travel.
Standard
vanguard
formation best for frontal assaults allowing all members for
fire forward while the two flanking members can also easily
cover the sides. During frontal assaults, one usually wants
to hit hard and quickly which is why the heavier-armed person
usually leads with the two lighter-armed members flanking
for support.
In unknown
regions or tighter passageways, a staggered
line
formation may be used. Sides are covered but the one with
heavier gear should be in the middle, able to cover either
front or back or sides in case of enemy attack.
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. The position of the
heavier-armed person is not as important. However, the heavier-armed
member is typically used to lead the group.
Four
person formations offer even more flexibility 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. The heavier-armed members usually
lead this formation. This allows the lighter-armed members
to rush to either side or forward to engage the enemy while
the heavier-armed members can give suppressing cover-fire.
Two
by two
formation still gives good firing power forward while allowing
the two in back to guard the rear. Like in the two-person
formations, the heavier-armed members work better following,
allowing them to fire over the lighter-armed members in front
or giving cover-fire while the lighter-armed members engage
in close proximity with the enemy.
The
staggered
line
formation works best for traversing tight areas or when the
direction of attack by the enemy is in question. The heavier-armed
members should travel between the lighter-armed members both
for cover and so they can provide cover-fire.
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.
The
following section extends the basic formation knowledge:
