Seeing how on the last HvH half of the participants ran out in the open with no support or cover and got mowed down I think this is a good addition to the guide archive. This guide will cover all roles from rifleman to SL along with equipment, tips that will keep you and your squad alive as well as what to do to ensure the enemy hits the dirt with a loud thud (shooting alone is useless if you have 3 enemy rifles and a machinegun aiming at your skull).
First of all, the absolute basics. These tips apply on any role and are meant for starters to keep you as an individual alive, especially when your role is important to the squad/marine force.
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COVER COVER COVER:
Keep in cover, ALWAYS in cover. Unless you are sure that the enemy is dead stay in some form of cover, be it a cade, a wall, a street lamb whatever. It will prevent you getting your ass full of holes, should an enemy you have not seen decides to banzai charge your ass with an indominable spirit and a rifle loaded with armor piercing munitions. It also prevents you catching strays when in a firefight. Although the bullet fall-off makes em basically nerf darts at long ranges you are better off not getting hit.
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Do NOT run in the open if you can help it:
Wake up marine! This isn’t distress signal! The enemy now has guns! The fact that you can see well doesn’t mean you are any safer. ALWAYS use the most closed up route you can. And if you absolutely have to cross a could-be-for-all-you-know killzone make sure to scout it first. Chances are there’s a guy somewhere across one of those buildings that has seen you and will unload as soon as you are in his sights, even before. Binos will save you and your comrades A LOT. It’s all fun and games when you say yolo but it isn’t so fun with you lying dead in a ditch somewhere where no man will ever set foot for an hour or more at least.
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Search for and callout contacts non-stop:
It is IMPERATIVE that you know where the enemy is and where he is attacking from and it is IMPERATIVE that you let your squad know. 3 men flanking a spread out squad can lead to a wipe if not addressed quickly enough (see alpha wipe from HvH round ID 24604). You need to use your binos constantly to spot any flankers or enemy soldiers, especially if you are an FTL/SL or you risk getting engaged on the enemy’s terms, which can easily lead to your death and possibly that of your squad’s.
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Shoot first, ask questions later:
In a shootout the one who usually wins is the one who shoots first. If you ever get caught in a direct engagement, meaning that you can see the enemy and the enemy can see you, your first thought must always be to shoot him. This may sound like it doesn’t need to be said but in the field it matter a hell of a lot to stay alive. Not just for you and your round, but for your squad. Every rifle counts in a firefight and every shot on target is a win for you and your squad. Say you are building a cade or dragging a wounded marine to safety. These tasks are good and important but your life ALWAYS comes first. Your reaction to receiving enemy fire is to stop whatever you are doing, return fire and take cover. YOU ARE your perimeter and the perimeter falls with you.
I can’t think of much else in terms of basics so let’s get into the next section, equipment. Most of us know what our equipment does but it is really important that it is used properly in the context of HvH. If you think about it what our equipment is, it is a solution to a problem that occurred at some point in the history of war caused by advancement in technology. I will go through what each of our equipment is supposed to be used for and in what scenarios so that it is used to its outmost effectiveness.
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Small arms:
Well, that’s an easy one. Weapons with a good ammo capacity used as the primary tool of a soldier to kill the enemy from range. The absolute basis of ranged combat in any scenario. Limited in range but powerful in direct engagements. Face towards the enemy and pull the trigger.
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LMGs, HMGs:
Introduced in WW1, they changed warfare forever. Each MG creates a kill zone in front of it that will at least scare the enemy back by its sheer ammo capacity. Be warned however, you need to be able to see the enemy to achieve actual impact. Using binos and then shooting at the general direction of the enemy tends to work best in all scenarios. It can be used in defensive scenarios, to prevent enemies from advancing from a good range through constant suppressive fire. HPRs are really good at this because they are light and can be moved around fast to new positions and keep the enemy at bay. The M56D is also a great choice in such scenario since it has a great ammo capacity of 700 rounds and can keep an area supressed for a long time. MGs can also be used in offensives and advances by providing suppressive fire from a distance to discourage the enemy from leaving cover as you advance. The M2C tends to shine in aggressive pushes as it is easy and quick to deploy and has very good damage, although it can be a double edged knife due to its horrific FF and exposed gunner if unsupported. The M56D also does great in advances as it secures a foothold on the ground earned in the attack through its high ammo count. Similarly the HPR is probably the best of the 3 mostly due to its fire rate and versatility.
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Grenades and explosives:
Explosives that can be used by hand such as grenades and C4s/breachers are meant to destroy enemy fortifications and the enemies that use them as cover. If you can’t get close enough to the enemy defences they are more or less useless. C4s and breachers are self explanatory in their use for demolitions however grenades are a bit more specialized. Use nades with a GL to avoid friendly fire incidents and fire over obstacles. Each nade has its own advantages and scenarios it is best used for so I’ll go through the types here. HEDP grenades are you standard HE nade that has a good explosive power in a generally small range. As such it can be used best if you can land it near the enemy or onto their fortifications like cades, doors and walls. It does a bit of everything but it excels at demolition. HEFA is your best choice of explosive as an anti-infantry grenade. Its main advantage is the rain of shrapnel it sends in all directions, dealing decent damage to enemies as well as slowing them down with embedded objects. Very effective against large groups of enemies. The M15 frag nade is the in-between of the HEDP and the HEFA, being a grenade with better explosive power and a fair bit of shrapnel. Doesn’t really excel at anything and does the work of both nades to a satisfactory degree. CCDP grenades are my personal favourite in close quarters combat. It can kill most infantry that is caught in it with fire, has a great range of a 5x5 star and can get enemies behind cover or other objects. Good ol’ reliable willie pit is your best friend when clearing buildings. The electroshock grenade is a nade that will hurt your enemies a lot and their electronics double as much. A good nade that can be used both against enemy turrets and infantry. The rest of the nades are okay however I can’t really say I like them much because they are either not that good like the airburst or they mostly work well at HvX like the HIDP nade.
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Mortars:
Mortar is a great friend of yours when dealing with enemy barricades and dug in emplacements. Due to the fact that we only have frag shells it’s use isn’t as good in demolitions however it will still make your life a hell of a lot more easier when fighting stationary targets. It can help you anywhere that isn’t caves and can strip the enemy from his cover allowing you to advance in choke points and enemy defences. Use it if you have it and defeat the enemy with superior firepower. Of course you’ll need to get spotters for it so if you are an FTL or SL use it as much as you can.
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Defensive engineering and construction:
Using the usual line in the open to defend a road is not really gonna cut it like in HvX. The point is not to prevent an enemy from entering the line as they can simply open the cades. It’s the job of your rifles and MGs to keep the enemy away. To do that however they need enough cover to live through it. Placing turrets and MGs in key positions will make it really hard and costly for the enemy to advance and destroy them. Using walls is highly advised as they block everything and provide cover for the defenders. Ensuring the flanks are also covered only adds to the toll the enemy will have to pay to take your position. Leaving no blind spots to your machineguns and rifles will prevent the enemy from getting close enough to use their explosives. With these considerations in mind one can create positions impenetrable to attack from land that will crush the enemy waves of infantry and crippling their strength.
With that out of the way lets get to the roles in a squad and what you should do as each squad role in order to live, keep your squad mates alive and win. Be certain, there’s no unimportant role in a squad. Every role contributes in their own way.
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Rifleman:
The bulk of a squad’s composition and the most generalized vessel of squad firepower. They carry the rifles that will kill the enemy and each of them can cause decisive damage to the enemy alone. However most of the time they will need to count in their numbers to be effective or they will be picked off. That is why as a rifleman YOU NEED to stay together with your squad. You sure can go running alone trying to be the call of duty MC but 9/10 you will get gunned down by another rifleman with enough braincells to have a squad mate with them. Your death will only lead to the death of your fellow marine next to you and before long the whole squad will crumble. The more specialized marines need you to draw attention from them so that they can be effective in their own ways. And that is why YOU NEED to stay together with your squad.
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Combat Technician:
Not that much to be said that hasn’t already been said about what your job is. I would however urge you to look into tip 4 from the very basics as I myself have been used to just tank damage from xenos as I secure the breach in HvX. That won’t work here. You will die trying to build the cade and you will take the time from the medic that needs to heal the actually important marine that will save the squad from a wipe. That doesn’t mean you are not important as a role. It is just that you need to consider when you are important and whether it is worth dying doing something that will have little impact in the outcome of an engament. Unless your squad needs demolitions or fortification and maintenance you are essentially nothing more than a rifleman. And riflemen matter.
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Hospital Corpsman:
THE SINGLE MOST FUCKING IMPORTANT MARINE IN THE ENTIRE PLATOON! IN A BATTLE THE REST OF THE MARINES SHOULD BE ON THEIR KNEES HONORING THE VERY FACT THAT YOU EXIST! Our navy boys ang girls are the small string that keeps the squad from crumbling to dust and be blown away by the wind. If the Corpsman dies so do everyone else. That is why tip 1 and 4 from the very basics. YOUR LIFE MATTERS MORE THAN ANYONE ELSES! Don’t go dragging downed marines while under enemy fire. A rifleman do that and deliver them to you. COVER COVER COVER! You want to stay in the back of every engagement. At least 2 screens away and behind nothing less than a solid wall. If you sit in the open reviving people you are nothing less than a corpse-man if an unseen enemy catches you with your pants down. And soon the rest of the squad gets to join you. I cannot stress this enough. STAY BACK AND IN COVER!
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FTL:
Just like the CT your are more or less a rifleman BUT! You have Jtac skill and a relevant authority over the marines. That means that you need to be on your toes! Help the SL keep the squad together, be on the lookout for contacts and use that damned mortar! That’s all you are good for. And even that can be the difference between a glorious victory and a wipe.
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SG:
You are a mobile machinegun that ahs 2 legs and can walk while shooting. Do what machineguns do. Lay down suppressive fire. Your IFF makes it a lot easier to do sp. You are not a rifleman so don’t act like one. You are WITH the riflemen and they will be there to help you help them. The enemy might think that because you carry the big gun you are a bigger threat but the 200 damage and a frac on their skull from an MK2 with AP will prove otherwise. You will keep the enemy at bay as long as it takes for the riflemen to kill them. I know you like to act like you are rambo but in HvH you have no plot armor and you will turn into nothing better than a corpse if you are not careful. And that will take its toll on the squad. You are not a necessity to the squad, but a convenience. A great convenience.
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Spec:
As your name implies you are a specialist not only because your are special like your mama told you, but because you have a special kit with special use. There’s really 3-ish kits worth mentioning since there’s no scopes allowed but I will go over every one and how you can make them work. Regardless, you are the bit of extra firepower and utility your squad needs to go through with its mission relatively intact. First of, the GL. As mentioned in the grenades section of equipment you are great at clearing enemy emplacements with grenades, assuming you can get close. In a firefight your utility is really limited unless you get a good nade on an enemy group. It is not necessary that you carry a rifle but it can make your life easier when you are unable to use your GL in a firefight. Grabbing HEFA and CCDPs is most recommended since they are more effective against the infantry you’ll be fighting. Read grenades section for specifics. SADAR is a high risk high reward spec since they can deal serious damage with the risk of their life and possibly that of their fellow marines should they horribly miss. A well placed HE missile can devastate a defensive position for example. If you are feeling extra war crime-ish you can pack willie pits but AP tends to not work much unless you can direct hit something of value like a sentry. Pyro also needs to get close to do anything and the best they can do is area denial in tight spaces. In the open the enemy doesn’t need to enter your screen to do damage and as a result you aren’t of that much use in the open. If you do hit somebody however you can seriously fuck them up and you can also burn bodies making them unrevivable. However that’s it more or less. Scout is a rifleman with a really good gun and ammo but it isn’t much more than that since even when cloaked sentries will shoot at you and MDs will ping. Finally sniper is more or less useless in range since scopes are off, night vision is not needed in the light and is what amounts to a very good low fire rate rifleman. You will never compete with an enemy that has a rifle or SMG since you will get at most 1 or 2 shots before the enemy mows you down. And if you miss of fight more than one enemy you are dead.
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SL:
Your main responsibility is to keep the squad together and on par with their surroundings at any given moment. You can do that through constant radio usage to relay accurate information to all of your marines as well as constantly screaming at them to take cover, fire at will and other tactical directions you may see they need during the engagement. Calling mortar is also another responsibility you have that may arise but keeping the squad together is your top priority.
All of this sounds nice but if you cannot organize it with some very basic and simple tactics you may as well be rolling a dice. Now you hear tactics and might think something all that complex and difficult that needs some spec ops shit to be done=impossible for ungas to comprehend with their single braincell. No, what I mean is essentially use your fucking machineguns and mats. You need a couple of your marines to have some sort of MG on them, at least one being a M56D. If you can coordinate them setting it in a good position along with the SG and whatever HPRs you have you will win most of your engagements. In a world where firepower is barely used right or even used, the one who uses the most wins. Have the CTs build actually defensible positions with MGs, turrets and walls and so long there’s somebody holding the line there not an entire UPP battalion will pass through unscathed.
Of course you’ll never have as much as half of your marines even following a quarter of what I suggest be done in here but if you can do so more than the enemy you will win most of the time. I am speaking to you Xos and COs. While all of this is nice and good you absolutely need to somehow make the marines use machineguns. If you can coordinate and communicate with the SLs you can use them to great effect in any situation. Kinda like that strat with the deployable cades from Crimson that he demonstrated during briefing. Either way firepower used right is what wins you the battle.
I hope the guide helped you adjust your HvX brain into a gamemode where you don’t need to see the enemy to lose and I’ll be sure to put these tips into my own game next HvH. Of course this is not limited to the USCM so I hope we see a decent battle next time. If you read this far thank you for your time and hopefully this will earn us a win next time.
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