Tactics and Leadership

Leadership 101

 * Survival. Whenever possible, the leading players should make an effort to preserve themselves.
 * Know the job of the leader above and below you and be prepared to assume the role of your immediate superior if he becomes a casualty.
 * Be clear and concise when giving orders.
 * Decide quickly and act.
 * Task by name, especially when bullets are flying.
 * Avoid micromanagement. Leaders need to let leaders lead - it sounds blindingly obvious, but it has to be said.
 * Exercise tactical patience. Tactical patience is defined as "giving a situation enough time to develop and unfold before trying to determine its meaning, significance and how to react to it".
 * Exercise disciplined initiative. Remember the earlier section talking about the importance of individual initiative at all levels? Leaders are no exception.

Equipment and Tools
Pen & Paper - One helpful aid for all players, and particularly leaders, is the usage of a pen and paper for note taking. It is highly recommended that all players have note taking gear available while playing in a session. Reading the Map - Reading a map is easy once you know the basics of it. The main thing to remember is that the grids must be read right, and then up. See the following screen for an illustration of how it works. Due to the fact that the map grid is composed entirely of numbers, it's important that you do not transpose them, else you're likely to send someone far, far away from where you needed them to go.

Note that depending on the map zoom, you may see two, three, or even four numbers per horizontal or vertical grid. This reflects the precision of the coordinate. For example, a six-digit grid (3+3) defines a square that is 100 meters on a side. A four-digit grid (2+2) defines a square that is one kilometer on a side. An eight-digit grid is 10 meters on a side, while a ten digit grid is 1 meter on a side. Marking the Map - The map is extremely useful for planning and coordination purposes.


 * To place a mark on the map, double-click. You can enter text by typing, and then Enter will finalize the mark.
 * To change the icon of a map marker, press up/down arrow until you get to the marker you want to use. This (and coloring the marker) only works until you place it with Enter.
 * To change the color of a map marker, hold Left Shift and press up/down arrow to cycle through the colors.
 * To delete a mark, hover over it with the cursor and press Delete.

Combat Decision-Making
The job of a leader becomes one of execution, supervision, adaptation, and flexibility once the mission begins. Whether a fireteam leader, squad leader, platoon commander, or company commander, every leader shares a set of common responsibilities that scale with their level of leadership.

General & Pre-combat
In the pre-combat phases of a mission, leadership is concerned with a variety of things that are intended to maximize the chance for friendly success while at the same time minimizing the possible influence or impact of the enemy.


 * Where is the enemy?
 * Are teams/squads/members moving according to orders?
 * Are the formation and spacing being employed appropriate to the terrain and enemy threat?
 * Are the teams/squads/members within supporting distance of each other?
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Are there any gaps or weaknesses that the enemy could exploit?
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Are key elements (ie: anti-tank) moving in a position from which they can do their job with short notice?
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Is a point element being used? If not, should one be designated? Is recon being properly utilized?
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Does everyone know what to do when contact is made?
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Are the rules of engagement clear?

Combat
Once combat has begun, leaders work to get an understanding of the tactical situation so that they can employ their troops most effectively.


 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Where is the enemy? How many of them are there? What weapons and special assets do they have?
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Have your troops deployed properly? Are they taking up good positions?
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Has fire superiority been achieved? Is the enemy being suppressed?
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Are special assets, such as attached teams or vehicles, "in the fight"?
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Can any supporting assets be brought to bear?
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Considering the initial enemy and friendly situation, can you win the fight from where you are, with the tactics you're currently employing or plan to employ?
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Are friendly flanks protected and has 360° security been established?
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Are there any vulnerabilities with how the enemy has positioned himself?
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">What friendly elements can be maneuvered? What elements can support?
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">What is the enemy currently doing, and can you prevent him from being effective?
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">What is the enemy likely to do? How can you best prevent the enemy from being effective if he does what you think he will do?
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">How is the fight progressing? Are casualties being dealt with appropriately? Can you still win the fight?

Post-Combat
After the fight has been won, leaders work towards consolidating, establishing security, finding out the status of all units, and then getting their troops into shape to fight again if need be. They ask themselves the following questions as soon as the post-combat phase begins, and take whatever action is necessary to correct any issues that may exist.


 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Has security been established?
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">What is the status of friendly forces? Get situation reports (SITREPs) as well as more detailed ACE reports from all elements as time and the situation allows.


 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Ammunition
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Casualties
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Equipment
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Is medical aid needed? Are medics tending to casualties already, and are they able to tend to the wounded effectively with the gear they have?
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Does the friendly force need any reorganization?
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Do key weapons and ammo need to be redistributed? This will be based largely on the ACE reports received.
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">What is the next step in the mission, and what needs to be done to prepare for it?

Tactics
What A Firefight Is - A firefight is simply a combat engagement between two opposing forces where fire is exchanged - often between infantry, though vehicles can become involved. Firefights are the building blocks that make up large-scale battles. Goals in a Firefight - The US Army used a mnemonic called "The Four F's" - Find, Fix, Flank, Finish. Simple to remember, easy to understand, succinct, and right to the point. These "Four F's" are the foundation of a successful firefight in ArmA 3. Let's discuss what each of them means so that we can establish the basic principles that will guide a team towards success in combat. Find - The most sure-fire way to increase your chances of victory in a firefight is to ensure that your forces locate the enemy before they locate you. Finding the enemy without them knowing about you gives you initiative, and initiative will allow you to fight the enemy on the most favorable of terms, maximizing the shock of your attack, maximizing their casualties and confusion, and minimizing their ability to retaliate effectively. Fix - After the enemy has been found, and leaders have maneuvered friendly forces to the most advantageous positions possible in the time available, the act of fixing the enemy begins.
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Fire superiority. If the enemy cannot effectively shoot back or maneuver due to the amount of fire your forces are putting on them, they become fixed.
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Dominating positions. Finding positions which give your forces good views of the enemy allows them to engage the enemy, inflict casualties and confusion, and prevent the enemy from relocating while at the same time lessening their ability to return fire.
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Pressure. Fire superiority and a dominating position, applied effectively and sustained over time, establish pressure on the enemy's leaders.
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Inflicting casualties. As enemy casualties mount, their ability to coherently fight and be effective diminishes accordingly.

Flank - Flanking is a means by which friendly forces maneuver to a known or suspected point of weakness in the enemy position and exploits it via an assault. It is done when the tactical situation - terrain, enemy disposition, friendly manpower, et cetera - favor it. Flanking typically is less costly than outright frontally assaulting the enemy, and forces the enemy to split their fires between a maneuver element and a base-of-fire element, diluting their effectiveness.
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Combat effective teams. Flanking cannot be achieved if heavy casualties have been taken.
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Cannot be fixed or suppressed. If the enemy has fixed or suppressed your elements, flanking will only get your people killed.
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Suitable terrain or adequate cover & concealment. If the terrain does not facilitate a flanking maneuver in some capacity, it makes no sense to conduct one.
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Have determined the enemy's position with enough certainty to reasonably judge where their flanks are located. You can't move onto a flank that you don't know the limits/position of..

Finish - Finishing the enemy is the responsibility of the flank team primarily. Once they have closed on the enemy flank and have begun to assault enemy positions, the base-of-fire element is forced to shift fires away from the main objective to prevent hitting their own people. Note that with good coordination, a base-of-fire team can shift fires along an objective to coincide with the advances of the assault team, putting fire onto each position before the assault team gets to it, and then shifting deeper into the enemy positions as the assault teams continue to advance. This is best done when the flanking team is coming in perpendicular to the enemy position, as seen from the base-of-fire position, and when good comms are maintained between both elements.

Types of Attacks
Frontal Attack - Frontal attacks are the most basic of attacks. A frontal attack is done against the weakest position that can be located on an enemy's front, taking advantage of all of the terrain, cover, and concealment that can be found, and creating artificial concealment via artillery fires, smoke, etc when possible. Single Envelopment - The single envelopment is where the base-of-fire element suppresses the enemy while the assault element moves around to a vulnerable flank and attacks. Double Envelopment - A double envelopment (also known as a 'pincer') attacks both flanks of the enemy at once while hammering the enemy with the support element's fires. This can be a very effective form of attack, as long as the assault elements are aware of the risk of friendly fire and refrain from using indiscriminate ordnance on the objective (for instance, throwing frags in the direction of the opposite assault element is a bad idea). Deep Envelopment - A deep envelopment is done when the situation and enemy disposition makes it possible for an element to pass by the enemy's flank security and strike them from behind. This sort of attack effectively splits the enemy's attention between two completely opposite directions.

Types of Defenses
Linear Defense - Linear defenses are exactly what they sound like - friendly forces are arrayed in a line, perpendicular to the expected route the enemy will attack via. Linear defenses are used when the terrain favors such a defense - for instance, if terrain or obstacles such as minefields make it impossible for the enemy to bypass a given piece of terrain. Perimeter Defense - A perimeter defense can be established in any terrain. It is utilized when the enemy can be expected to attack from a number of directions at once, or when the enemy's attack direction is not known with reasonable certainty in advance.

Reverse Slope Defense - A reverse slope defense can be a very effective form of defense if done properly. The basic principle of a reverse slope defense is that terrain is used to isolate the friendly forces from enemy fires and observation, forcing them to close with friendly forces and commit to a close-range fight where they lose many of the advantages they may have otherwise had in normal terrain. Defense of a Strongpoint (Urban Environment, Village, etc) - The defense of a strongpoint can carry aspects of the perimeter or linear defense, depending on what the tactical situation is at the point being defended. Considerations for both of those defense types apply, as well as the following points.
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Dominate the streets. Streets are prime killing zones, and emplacing machine-guns or other heavy weapons to fire down streets can do a great deal to prevent the enemy from establishing a foothold in the engagement area.
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Dominate all prominent choke points and integrate them into the defensive plan. For instance, a bridge is an excellent choke point that can be defended in strength to prevent the enemy from successfully crossing it.
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Establish fall-back positions. The situation in an urban fight can change rapidly, and it is beneficial that some sort of cohesive plan be in place to allow for friendly units to fall back, establish new positions, and fight from them.
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Use snipers, machine-guns, and any kind of vehicle-mounted weapon systems to cover the most vulnerable defensive areas.
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">All armor should be supported by at least a fireteam of infantry. Armor is a massive force-multiplier in the urban defense and needs to be protected at all times.
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Do not pile too many people into any one building. Buildings can be demolished, and the Arma damage model for buildings and explosives can cause more casualties to occur in such situations than you would expect.
 * <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Establish observer positions on tall buildings when possible. If artillery support is available, they can help to call it in. If not, they can scan for the approach of enemy units. Try not to pick the most obvious buildings for this task.

The Spoiling Attack - The intent of a spoiling attack is to disrupt or "spoil" the plans of the enemy attacking force. This is typically done by the defending force by shifting from their defensive posture into an unexpected attack. If done properly the tactic can achieve an element of surprise which can contribute to the successful disruption or destruction of the enemy attacking force. Spoiling attacks are best done with armor - they can spring from their defensive positions, flank the enemy, strike hard and fast, and then withdraw back into their defensive posture.