ThePenguineer

Howdie! I do realize that there already is a Fallen tactics thread, but since that one discusses a broader strategy for the team, I thought it'd be better to start a new thread for this very squad based tactic that worked wonders for me on PassWord night. Here it goes:

We all know that there's an obscene amount of cover on Fallen due to the plant life. Advancing squads usually use that cover to their advantage, making slow crawls up to the flag while the defending squad is trying to squint and spot them. Last night, however, I decided to use the cover to my advantage as a One-Woman defensive flanking team. I was German and my squad was defending (I think) the SW CP, close to the Ukraine UCB. I usually don't get to play my favorite kit, engineer, 'cause I get stuck with medic, so when someone else in my squad came in medic I decided I'd have some CQC fun for a change, using the cover to allow me to approach the enemy. Now, Ukraine had the CP north of us and their UCB was south of us, so we faced attacks from both ends. We had an additional, small squad helping us defend the perimeter of the flag. My squad remained close to the flag, using longer range weapons to try and hold off attackers. With a shotgun and a pistol, I wasn't exactly fit for that kind of a defense.

SO! What I did do was take a long hike to the edge of the playing field, far west of the flag to watch for defenders trying to flank the flag. I knew the rest of my squad was on the flag, so I was at ease being outside of a 3 second response to enemies on the flag. Visually spotting on my own as well as watching the minimap, I looked for squads of attackers trying to approach the flag. I was able to find sneaking fireteams trying to flank the flag along the border of the map. Using the foliage as cover (and a bit of patience) I would wait for them to approack my position and clear them out very closely with the shotgun. Additionally, Since I was so far out, I would leave my position on the edge of the flag when enemies were spotted near and make a VERY wide sweep of the flag, trying to get behind the attacking squad. Since I started at the edge of the map, I was able to spot and eliminate hiding squad leaders holding back away from their squads to provide spawn points. Moving as a single soldier, it made it much harder for the attacking squad to spot me, especially while their attention was on the flag. Maintaining visual on the attacking squad, I would manuever myself definitavely behind them, taking time to make sure I wasn't leaping into the middle of a formation. When in position, I would wait for the squad to take cover from suppresive fire provided by my squad on the flag. I would then pop smoke (if I had it) into the attacking squad and clear out who I could while the smoke was out, hiding back in the foliage when the smoke cleared (ninja like, eh?) While in cover, I would reload and wait for any medics trying to revive or assault members of the enemy squad trying to route me out. Again, waiting and moving behind them, I would clear them out. When I ran out of smoke, I would take more precaution to wait for the entire squad to look away from me, moving closer to them under cover.

The key was to move, with patience, far wide of the flag and to use lots of visual observation of the enemy. I was actively reminding myself that the goal was to cut the enemy out from behind and do so quickly AFTER I was in position.

I would say the preferred kits for this would be either engineer for their strong, quick CQC abilities and SpecOps for their high powered, accurate, SILENCED weapon and the frag grenades. I've tried this with both kits to great success. The fireteam could be expaned to two people, with the main ninja being shadowed by a medic, since its a long hike out there, especially if you are under attack (Once I was downed, it was much harder to get into a far position undetected). I would like to add that it's important not to get knife happy sneaking up on people after 1.4. It's too easy to miss and end up getting detected right next to an enemy with a gun.

Now, you may start your comments and discussion

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Mateo

Yeah, this was very effective. The rest of your squad got our attention on the forward pass, and you kept coming in behind us and shredding us. Very effective tactic....it might work better in a 2 team tandem, as you suggest...although a medic would be useful, I'd say the long range scope of the sniper might work better.

Iamthefallen

The discussions on this particular map always amuse me more than they probably should.

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Exploding_Silver

successful experiment there and well written up


ps I await the inevitable jokes

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icky

I always watch out for women's flanks.

That was a great little story. I like to hear stories of successful flag defense. That map can be really cool, and tactical keeners can likely come up with some smart defensive formations that will take advantage of maneuvers like this.

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ABRA

Your description is exactly how a lone AT soldier can effectively befuddle a tank formation on other maps as well. Use cover, sneak into position when they face the other way, attack from rear only, often under the cover of (their) smoke. Key ingredients patience, observation, and position.

I think the tactic you describe though underscores the strengths and weaknesses of your opponents. While they sound like they were successfully surviving the suppressive fire from your squad, through good use of slow, carefully covered movement, they weren't observing well from that cover. This is the biggest failure I see with players starting to use cover in PoE. We really need to maximize our ability to see without being seen when in cover and not just picking cover that hides us well. When doing the slow crawl in Fallen the lack of speed in your maneuver makes you especially vulnerable to quick flanking counters and you need to be especially aware of your flanks, moreso than usual.

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