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Death Fist Operating Manual
Author: Sazal Version 1.0 Date 10/13/04 22:45
Author: Sazal First Release Version 1.1 Date 11/06/04 16:30
(Merged with BickDouglas’s document, added minor revisions, updated to reflect current Planetside mod state.)
Contents:
Forward
Introduction
1. Teamspeak
1.1 Channel Protocol
1.2 Identification
1.3 Whisper to Gunner
2. Tank Squad Leader
2.1 Squad Composition
2.2 Waypoints
2.3 Respawn Procedures
2.4 Repair and Regroup
2.4.1 Waiting for your vehicle
2.5 Operations
2.5.1 Column Formation
2.5.1.1 Column Gunners
2.5.2 Fire Teams
2.5.2.1 Simple Fire Team deployment
2.5.2.2 Flanking the enemy
2.5.3 Platoon leader's checklist
3. Tank Commander
3.1 Responsibilities
3.2 Do’s and Don’ts
3.3 Required Certifications
3.4 Recommended Loadout
3.5 Suggested Implants
3.6 Recommended Vehicle “Favorites”
3.7 Driving Tactics
4. Gunner
4.1 Responsibilities
4.2 Gunning
4.3 Required Certifications
4.4 Recommended Loadout
4.5 Suggested Implants
5. Skyguard
5.1 Driver
5.1.1 Skyguard Favorite
5.1.2 Driver Favorite
5.2 Driving
5.3 Gunning in the Skyguard
6. Moving With Infantry
6.1 Ground Transport
6.2 Passenger/Gunner Responsibilities
7. Tactical Issues
7.1 Clearing CE
7.2 Assaulting a base
7.2.1 Clearing the SOI of enemy vehicals and infantry.
7.2.2 Clearing the Walls
7.2.3 Entering the Court Yard
7.2.4 Securing the courtyard and patrolling the SOI
7.3 Problems with shields
7.4 Assaulting Towers
7.5 Enemy Tanks
7.6 Infantry
7.7 The AMS as a target
7.8 Bridges and movement
8. Definitions:
9. Acknowledgements
10. Document Update Procedures
Forward
by Lt. Bickdouglas & Lt. Wingbob
Welcome and congratulations on being accepted to be a part of Death Fist. This will be a guide line as to the operation of how things will be run, driving tips and tactics, and chain of command, etc…
Mission Statement:
We the proud men and women of Death Fist are here to provide the muscle as well as support for D2A. With the weight of the troops on our shoulders we vow to also give our best to clear the road for the main patrol to come thru with as much ease as possible. Provide heavy fire power when needed, transport for the people on foot, escorts for the vulnerable, and support for the bases we take. But our utmost goal is to support the main platoon, outfit leader(s), and the high command.
Secondary Missions:
-Patrols around a hacked base to keep enemies from taking a facility back.
-Bringing AMS’s so any troops that die have a respawn point right near the battle.
-Ant runs to fill a base that has been depleted.
-Support of hack by main gunner or chain gunner going into the base, while driver moves
to that position to cover the area.
-Transport troops with no ride to the designated target.
-If no ride is available, transport of LLU to its destination.
-Destroy LLU’s or Mods in the field that would cause us to loose a base we own.
Current Commanding Officers:
DF CO: Lt. Bickdouglas
DF XO: Lt. Wingbob
DF TrgO1: Lt Sazal
DF TrgO2: Sazal3
Starting up Death Fist and the Chain of Command:
The current Outfit Leader will decide whether they need Death Fists services. If so the OL will identify the mission and invite one of the authorized DF leaders to start up DF. Once the mission is completed the OL may identify further tasks for DF. However, if subsequently the OL sees no further immediate requirement for DFs services then he will order it disbanded. Its members will rejoin the main platoon until such time as time DF is reformed.
Death Fist is a specialty squad and as such relies heavily for its success on the conduct of its members. For DF to succeed its members must be familiar with the manual, be well trained and be disciplined. Self discipline is required if you want to remain a member of DF. If you can not maintain discipline on Teamspeak then you will be ejected from the group. If you cannot follow the DF SL’s orders or do not remain aware of your surroundings then you put the mission and your whole team at risk.
All DF members are expected to be professional at all times. The Chain of Command is in place for a reason, all DF members are expected to do as they are told. There are times when our duties are boring, like holding the gates during a base hack but even so if your told to watch that gate, do it. This is a specialty squad and we have really had to work hard to get them back, being a specialty squad it is essential to follow orders to a T for the success of the squad as well as the outfit. We are a team and as a team we all need to work together to get the goal accomplished. When asked to do something by the OL do it promptly and as thoroughly as possible.
If you think you see a better target or opportunity for the outfit as a whole suggest it through /Tells to the DF SL and he/she will pass it on to the OL. If you feel there is a task nearby that you could carry out while waiting ask the SL in the for of a /Tell, if he/she says no, the answer is NO. Out of courtesy they will give a brief reason, but detailed reasons take too long and distract the SL from their other duties.
The DF SL needs to ensure that the operations you are conducting and the training in tactics follow this document. If revisions, additions or deletions are required please talk to the current Death Fist Commanding Officer and send them your ideas.
Hierarchy Out of Play:
1st in Command: Death Fist Commanding Officer
2nd in Command: Death Fist Executive Officer
3rd in Command: Death Fist Training Officers
Hierarchy While in Play:
1st in Command: Outfit Leader
2nd in Command: Death Fist Squad Leader
3rd in Command: Death Fist Members
Training Nights
Definition: To provide training to our team so we work together as a well trained team.
Description: With permission of the OL we will go to a controlled continent and conduct drills on taking bases, towers and bridges to perfect the way we travel to and setup at these locations. Training attendance will be mandatory. Times and dates will be posted on the D2A Markov calendar. We will meet in the NW Sanctuary Observation Deck and then leave from there together.
Introduction
A dedicated armored force is good at some things and bad at others. It is excellent at destroying in the open field most infantry forces, lighter vehicles, support vehicles, equal or smaller concentrations of Air Cav that attack it, and heavy armor met in smaller numbers sequentially. It can beat, while taking losses, bodies of enemy armor equal or slightly superior in strength, and superior Air Cav forces as long as they are not too big and our tanks start reasonably intact. Against superior armor we follow Parthian skirmish tactics, the feigned retreat: promptly disengage, keep concentrated, and get them to either string out and come at us in parts that we can defeat individually, or if they hold together we break off entirely until we can get an advantage as they engage other friends. Against superior air, we fend them off as best we can, and evade to rally near a manned friendly base or other source of air cover.
It is really bad at taking either bases or towers that have more than a pittance of defense. This requires dismounting and assaulting as infantry, at which point it dissolves as an armored formation.
The key things to effective tank operations are keep moving, stay supplied, stay repaired, and hit anything we can handle hard and quick, while disengaging quickly from anything likely to destroy many of our tanks, so that the formation goes on. KEEP YOUR TANKS ALIVE IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. This is the equivalent to keeping our squad going in an infantry attack by having a lot of advanced medics. If the formation is respawning a lot and fetching new tanks, it dissolves into ineffectiveness.
1. Teamspeak
Teamspeak, whilst greatly enhancing the Planetside experience, is an essential component of the special operations squads. It is simply impractical to keep watching the chat box, gun or drive and type out warnings and targets simultaneously. TS allows real time communications between gunner and driver, passenger / observer and SL without wasting valuable fingers. TS and a mic. are Required for all vehicle drivers. TS with or without a mic. is required for Death Fist gunners. If you do not have a mic. then you will follow the Vehicle commanders orders regarding target selection.
To be a squad leader for DF you will have to be able to both listen and talk on Teamspeak and have Channel Commander enabled to allow you to talk with the OL, this is non-negotiable.
1.1 Channel Protocol
Whilst a mission is in progress the channel must be kept free for tactical information. To this end three colour codes have been defined. These will be called by the SL:
- CODE GREEN: Talking is allowed, it may involve personal conversation or tactical idea's and suggestions.
- CODE YELLOW: Situation related talking is allowed. Generalized tactical updates such as "skeeter overhead" are allowed.
- CODE RED: There will be NO TALKING unless calling out immediate contacts.
1.2 Identification
When speaking on TS it is important that everyone can identify you and your position rapidly. When you need to communicate with the squad you will NOT call out your name, instead you will call out your squad color and number. For example, if you are in Gold squad and you are number 2 in the squad listing at the top of your screen then you are “Gold 2”. Typical calls will be, “Purple 7 low on ammunition” and “Orange 0 contact at 9 o’clock”.
1.3 Whisper to Gunner
In order to reduce confusion within the DF channel, as the tanks are marshalling and gunners being assigned, everyone should set up a Teamspeak “Whisper” to their gunner or driver if they don't already have one. The platoon leader should remind people to do this. Eventually you should have several of these whisper keys rebound to people that gun or drive for DF frequently. You can use the keys on the number pad for whisper binds, which means unbinding them from being the secondary speed setting keys within the game. Perhaps keeping a note by the computer where you write down which key binds to which player.
To speed up the process of switching between TS and Planetside, you should set up PS, in the video options menu, to run in a window. This will allow you to “alt-Tab” out to TS from Planetside. (Once you do this the image brightness control in PS is greyed out and you might have to turn up the brightness on your monitor slightly.)
2. Tank Squad Leader
You will need to select your vehicles depending on your current mission, if the basic mission parameters require that you get the infantry to their target, whilst protecting them and suppressing the opposition, the size and composition of the Armoured squad will depend upon what resources you have available. In the absence of a troop movement requirement you can have more Prowlers and less support vehicles in the squad. You need to balance the desire to have Prowlers with the requirement of completing the current mission.
2.1 Squad composition
I include below some suggestions for the composition of an Armoured squad given various, (low), levels of manpower.
1) With 10 people and no troops to transport or support,
4 Prowlers and 1 Skyguard. This is more efficient in terms of firepower than manning the chain guns.
2) With 19 people and troops to transport and support, 3 Prowlers, 1 Skyguard, 2 Deliverers and 1 AMS.
3) With 17 people and troops to transport and support, 2 Prowlers, 1 Skyguard, 2 Deliverers and 1 AMS.
4) With 15 people and troops to transport and support, 2 Prowlers, 2 Deliverers and 1 AMS. The Skyguard is replaced by the Deliverers 20mm for anti-air support.
5) With 13 people and troops to transport and support, 1 Prowler, 2 Deliverers and 1 AMS.
You will have noted that this is no longer a tank squad it is an Armoured squad. If you have enough Prowler drivers that you can put all the passengers in open gunner slots, great, just don’t forget the Skyguard and AMS.
2.2 Waypoints
The Squad leader will set waypoints to indicate the current primary and secondary targets along with Repair and Rally points. These waypoint numbers will always be the same so you know if you see Wp3 that it is the current Repair point.
- Wp1: Is the Primary DF Target, (which may or may not also be the outfit target). This is your main objective.
- Wp2: Is the Secondary DF Target that you will hit on your way to Waypoint One (see above). Nearly always waypoint 2 will be a tower that we will be taking on the way to the main assault point waypoint one. The reason it is secondary is that it may be no longer relevant by the time you reach it (i.e. taken). Wp2 may also be used to identify targets of opportunity, eg. An enemy AMS.
- Wp3: Is the Repair and Regroup point for the Prowlers, Skyguards etc. This is where we set up the CE and have an AMS, Loadstar or local Tower for resupply.
- Wp4: Is the Rally and Respawn point. Meet at this point when the squad is forming, (or reforming). This is also your respawn point if you need to pick up another vehicle.
In unusual situations the waypoints can mean whatever the SL wants them to mean at that moment. If this happens you will be informed of the temporary changes. Such changes will be rare.
2.3 Respawn Procedures, Wp4
The outfit target having been defined, the SL will determine the respawn point for the driver and crew of all vehicles destroyed in action. This will be Wp4. Given that Planetside’s default respawn point is the closest friendly base at the moment you die, your squad may be scattered all over the map within a few minutes. To allow you to quickly reform your squad you will need to define, and waypoint, the current respawn base. The squad should bind to this base prior to beginning the mission.
If we have a forward tech plant that will be garrisoned well enough to not be too vulnerable to generator blowing and ghost hacking, it is an ideal place. Being bound there gives protected access to the vehicle spawn and respawning there is a quick way to reinforce its defense. If our only tech plant is in a rear area, where it is unlikely to have much of a garrison, it is better to bind at the nearest base adjacent to it, since first warning of attack is likely to be its generator going down.
If you are assaulting a new continent through a warp gate you should bind to a base adjacent to the warpgate on the continent from which you are attacking, so that you can quickly bring in reinforcements. Just watch out for your target continent becoming pop-locked.
If an AMS is available and you are on a continent containing multiple friendly bases, you can avoid having the whole squad go to the chosen base and bind. Have the squad bind to an AMS and send the AMS to the chosen base to deploy. Now the crew can respawn at the AMS and then bind at the base, prior to forming up with a new vehicle.
2.4 Repair and Regroup, Wp3
Having determined the target the SL will set up Wp3 for the Repair and Regroup point. The Regroup point will be set at a safe distance from and out of direct view of the target. Behind a rise, behind rocks or in the trees somewhere that provides cover for the repair operations. Normally it will be outside the target bases SOI, the exception to this is if we have the tower.
- The area will be protected by Spitfire Turrets and Mines.
- An AMS or tower are required to allow the vehicles to be rearmed if this is to be an extended operation. Be careful not to cluster too close to towers as they are likely places for an OS.
- A loadstar, if available, will both speed up Air and Ground Vehicle repair and reloading and may also be used to bring in replacement vehicles from the respawn point. You can park the Loadstar in the AMS bubble.
If the SL calls for the squad to “retire”, “retreat” or “regroup” this is where you go. This will happen on a regular basis as the squad’s vehicles take damage.
- Once a vehicle has taken 50% damage its TC / Driver will alert the SL who will order the vehicle back to the Regroup point for repair. Generally once a vehicle returns for repair the others in it’s fire team will be ordered to join it. Whilst two Prowlers are an effective team, one will fall rapidly. Better to pull both out to repair and rearm rather than risk loosing one and having to wait until another can be brought up from the respawn point.
- If the vehicle is in need of repair the driver will get out and repair it. The gunner will cover the driver and protect him and the tank. The additional threats are that a cloaker will kill the driver and / or hack the vehicle whilst he is repairing it. The gunner will use Darklight, the driver should use Personal Shield if he has it.
- Normally driver pull their tanks noses together, gunners facing outward, to protect the drivers during tank repair. This also allows multiple drivers to repair a single tank, saving valuable time when all must move out together. It also provides the drivers with cover from sniper fire. There are disadvantages to this however, a single shell from an enemy tank could kill all of the drivers at once or an orbital strike would take out the tanks as well. Dependent upon the perceived threat the SL may decide to separate the vehicles whilst they are being repaired.
- If your vehicle is destroyed you will inform the SL who will tell you where to respawn. Normally this will be at Wp4 to pull a replacement vehicle, after which you will return to the Regroup point and inform the SL as to your arrival. However, the SL may request that you pick up a different vehicle or spawn at a local AMS.
2.4.1 Waiting for your vehicle
Take the best cover available while waiting in the vehicle queue so that a strike at the vehicle pad by a Reaver, Liberator, OS, or Flail is just an opportunity to move up in the queue. Have your gun out and flick darklight on or run audio amp or personal shield to protect against cloakers and hot droppers. In all cases move AWAY from the terminal once you have selected your vehicle to allow other players to select theirs.
- The Biolab has a covered stairway adjacent to the terminal. You can go into the stairs and still be close enough to the pad to stay in the queue. (NB. This may not work anymore). At tech plants stand away from the terminal and take your defensive measures against infantry and cloakers.
- Dropship Centers are more of a problem. There is really no good cover. Either crouch on the far corners of the vehicle pad or go around behind the terminal platform.
- Interlink Facilities and Amp Stations have a covered corner at the far end of the vehicle bay on the right hand side where the wall meets the stairs. Back into the corner and set up to defend.
- If there is a long vehicle queue make sure your gunner and your squad know what position you are in the queue, so they know how long a wait they have.
- As your tank auto drives off the vehicle pad use Shift-V and set your tank to group access to save time and avoid confusion.
- When you get to the vehicle repair terminal rearm with the appropriate favorite.
- Your gunner should be waiting for you at the vehicle repair terminal or running up from cover to join you.
2.5 Operations
The squad leader will allocate each tank a number that will determine its position whilst driving in formation. The number of valid formations is dependant upon the number of tanks available, for the purposes of this document only formations relevant to small numbers of tanks will be addressed. This section will be expanded later as required. When a platoon leader calls a formation he will first say its name then speed for example Column formation 80%
2.5.1 Column Formation
This formation will be used when traveling to the target or when traveling over broken or difficult terrain either with or without auxiliary vehicles. The column has a tank as the first and last vehicle with a Skyguard and any other vehicles forming up between them. The formation provides reasonable cover against roving enemy tanks whilst protecting the weaker vehicles from stray mines. If you have 2 tanks, tank #1 will lead the formation and tank #2 will bring up the rear. If you have 4 tanks, tank #1 will lead the formation followed immediately by tank #2. Tanks #3 and #4 will bring up the rear. If the lead tank is destroyed then tank #2 becomes the lead tank and the column will follow it. If the lead tank takes significant damage and there are only 2 tanks, then the column should stop for repairs. If there are 3 or more tanks then tank #2 should take over the lead position. A weakened tank is more likely to be destroyed by any CE or threat that the column meets and to provide effective support to the column you need at least 2 tanks. This ensures that you can destroy an enemy tank and continue to protect the convoy.
2.5.1.1 Column Gunners.
The gunners need to provide maximum coverage whilst in the column to allow them to engage a target as soon as possible. The lead tanks gunner is forward facing, covering 180 degrees whilst the last tanks gunner is rear facing, again covering 180 degrees. If you have 4 tanks in the column, the second tank will cover the Right side of the column and the third tank the Left side of the column. This provides good all round coverage with quick response times, you don’t have to wait for the turret to turn through 180 degrees before the column can engage a target.
2.5.2 Fire Teams
If you have 4 or more tanks in the squad then you should break them down into 2 or more Fire Teams. Tanks #1 and #2 are alpha fire team and tank 1 is the commander of alpha. Tanks #3 and #4 are bravo fire team and tank #3 is the commander of bravo. These fire teams are used in order to increase the tank squads flexibility on the battlefield by allowing fire teams to engage different targets. If you have only 3 tanks then you should stick together.
2.5.2.1 Simple Fire Team deployment
If you are in column formation and are attacked, the SL can command bravo fire team to engage the enemy, he will also command tank #2 to drop back to cover the rear of the column. Once the threat is eliminated bravo will rejoin the column and tank #2 will return to its former position. This allows the SL to respond to the threat without slowing or leaving the convoy unprotected.
2.5.2.2 Flanking the enemy
If the 4 tanks and their air cover are traveling without any troop transports and encounter a single enemy the SL may decide to attack it en masse or he has the option to “outflank” the enemy. Assuming that the SL decides to outflank the enemy he would then give the command “Alpha team break left Bravo team break right”. Alpha team would then form their own column, (tank #2 behind tank #1), and turn to the left either stopping or circling, trying to get in front of the enemy to prevent him from running past. Bravo team will break hard right and circle far on the enemy’s left flank and either stop or continue circling and give chase. The objective is to split the enemy’s fire and give at least one of the fire teams clear shots at the target regardless of its efforts to use the terrain to its advantage. Altogether much more effective than just giving chase.
If you come across a pair of enemy tanks then the SL can command one fire team to go after each and then each fire team may decide to outflank its own target.
2.5.3 Platoon leader's checklist
This list may help the PL / SL when setting up the squad.
- Get your squads organized, with gunners and drivers matched in same squad as much as possible.
- Set WP4 for forming up, within SOI if the base has an Amp Station link and can raise shields on tanks.
- Give reminders for:
- which set of favorites to use,
- set up whispers,
- enable enhanced targeting,
- and forming up at WP4.
- Set target waypoints, (Wp1 / Wp2), and the repair waypoint, (Wp3), and announce them.
- Roll ASAP. Shields are nice but not worth having everyone wait around for beyond the time necessary to get organized.
3. Tank Commander
The Tank Commander is responsible for the tank and its crew, you choose when to retire to repair and rearm and it is your responsibility to coordinate with the other tanks in your squad.
3.1 Responsibilities
- To protect your team mates.
- Preserve your tank, you are the only one who can ACT if your tank is taking damage.
- To WORK WITH the other tanks in your squad to destroy the enemy.
- To inform the SL if you fall out of formation for any reason.
3.2 Do’s and Don’ts
- Do not go off on your own !
- Do GO DOWN with your vehicle ! This last may require some explanation….
If you bail from your tank in the middle of a battle, the vehicle will die and a few seconds later, so will you, (if you are not taken out by the blast from the vehicle). Whilst you are driving your vehicle you may still be able to escape or your attacker may be killed by your gunners or squad mates. While there is Life there is Hope. If you bail the vehicle becomes a sitting target and WILL BE DESTROYED, most likely before you can get away from it. If, by some miracle you DO survive, you are supposed to be in a vehicle, you are therefore DISOBEYING ORDERS and will have to kill yourself so that you can respawn and get another one. (Quite how you achieve that with only a pistol is up to you).
3.3 Required Certifications
- Engineering, and one, (or more), of the following,
- Armoured Assault 2, (Prowler),
- Assault Buggy, (Maurader / Skyguard / Harasser)
- Ground Transport, (Deliverer / Raider / Sunderer)
- Ground Support, (AMS / Router)
3.4 Recommended Loadout
- Agile Armour
- Pistol with one clip, (this is to protect you against cloakers,
you will NOT have time to pull a Cycler out of your pack if you are attacked)
- Glue Gun with 2 refills
- Armour repair tool
- REK
- 2 ACE’s if you have the CE cert.
3.5 Suggested Implants
- Dark Light, now that Cloakers have Sensor Shield this is the only way of spotting them. You don’t want them to hack the tank out from underneath you whilst you are guarding the courtyard.
- Advanced Targeting, you will be manning the Guns whilst the base is being assaulted.
- Personal Shield, this will keep you alive long enough to re-mount the vehicle if you are attacked whilst repairing it. Note that Remounting the vehicle is a MUCH better strategy than trying to kill your assailant since you are IMMUNE from damage whilst the mount animation is running.
3.6 Recommended Vehicle “Favorites”
Now that the base repair facilities “Rearm” function is permanently available drivers should setup a “Favorite” for each of their vehicles and load it as soon as the vehicle spawns. On some bases this means leaving the base via the exit farthest from the vehicle pad in order to drive past the repair facility. A suggested load for the Prowlers trunk is given below to illustrate the principal.
- Default ammunition load. (If you have a chain gunner you might want to swap out one box of main gun ammunition for an extra box of chain gun ammo.)
- Glue Gun, allows those with the cert. to repair the Armour.
- 2 x Glue Refills, it takes 100 glue to fully repair one Tank from zero armour.
- 2 x ACE, for those with CE to deploy at the repair WP. If you do not have the CE cert. ask a friendly engineer to put the ACEs in the trunk for you and then save the loadout as a favorite.
- Armour repair tool to repair any MAX’s that we are supporting.
- This is the place to store your weapon for the times that we have to abandon the tank and assault a base or tower.
3.7 Driving Tactics
Most of these tips are applicable to all vehicles within Planetside.
- Your number one priority as a driver is to keep your tank alive, so that it can keep on killing. Part of this involves managing the pace of combat. The driver of each tank, and the squad leader of the whole group should try to arrange that targets are presenting themselves fast enough for a rapid succession of kills, but not so fast as to get overwhelmed quickly when it is time to break off and repair. When in a fight, you want to be checking your damage gauge at the kind of frequency you would check your rearview mirrors in a car, and be thinking ahead about which way you will break off for safety. Terrain that is an annoyance to you on approach is an advantage when retreating. You want to get hills or trees between you and the main threat as soon as possible if that will make you safe faster than running out of range. Zigzagging through woods is a good thing only when breaking off.
- Stay OFF the road whenever possible. Roads and especially intersections are often mined and are the first place that enemy Revers go to look for vehicles. If you must use a road stay to one side, most mines are placed in the middle of the road.
- Stay in formation, Armour squads normally travel in “Column”, (in a line) behind a lead Prowler. Along with providing cover fire to the front of the convoy, it also efficiently clears any mines and protects the less armoured vehicles behind it. Follow the path of the lead tank.
- Choose the route to the target that takes the least time to traverse whilst maximizing the element of surprise.
- Avoid steep slopes. Sometimes a steep slope may appear to be a short cut to the objective but you should avoid them for a variety of reasons:
- Not all vehicles have the same hill climbing power and some may get stuck.
- All vehicles will be moving slowly and be easy targets.
- If you are attacked you will not be able to maneuver to bring your combined
firepower to bear.
- Your tank guns, having limited elevation, might not be able to target the threat at all.
- Having spent time trying to get up the slope you may find that you need to go around after all thus wasting time, or worst that some of your vehicles have gone over the hill and now your convoy is split up and vulnerable.
- To be a good driver try to imagine that you are in the gunner's seat as well as driving and give him lots of good shots. If possible the driver needs to try to stay on relatively flat ground when the gunner is firing on the move. Driving slowly and stopping often to let the gunner set up the shot will make him much more lethal. Halting to fire is especially important on rough ground where every bump across a fold in the ground will throw off the gunner's aim. Of course you have to balance this with the need to use speed and maneuverability to make enemies miss you.
- Make use of the available cover, travel alongside stands of trees or between thinly spaced trees, avoid closely spaced trees and rocks. Tanks are best suited to open spaces and generally require room to maneuver if they are to be effective. If you are stuck in the trees you will die rapidly. You need to maintain the maximum speed possible, which is difficult either in rough terrain or whilst amongst trees and rocks.
- It is important that we try to avoid traffic accidents that wear down our tanks. With this in mind, maintain a decent spacing when traveling, and don't pass unless it is necessary.
- If you need to break off, use gullies or hills to break the enemy’s line of sight in a combat zone. Try to stay away from the water's edge as you a will be easy to spot and dead meat if a Magrider comes along. Woods are good for cover from aircraft but dangerous if they contain enemy infantry.
- The lead tank will run at 80% of its maximum speed but accelerate to 100% whilst going up slopes. This will allow others to catch up and regain their place in the convoy if they become stuck on a rock or other obstruction. If you need repairs or encounter any other extended delay you must inform the SL.
- If you are attacked by a Rever turn to avoid the rockets. If the Rever is in front of you and close by you can also drive towards the Rever getting under the rockets and attack it from below.
- High altitude Liberators are a problem. Move across their paths to spoil their bomb drops, and watch the radar for bombs and get out from under them.
4. Gunner
The gunner requires two sets of skills:
He must be an effective gunner that understands the firing arc of the weapon that he is using and by how much to lead the target. He must also understand how to assess the various threats and know which to attack first. For the base attack portion of the mission he should also be trained in base assault.
4.1 Responsibilities
- To WORK WITH the other tanks in your squad to destroy the enemy. Concentrate Your Fire!
- To keep your weapon reloaded and an eye on your ammunition supply. Warn your TC if you are running low on ammunition.
4.2 Gunning
- Use 3rd person view to spot targets. This not only provides you with a view over obstacles and a wider viewing angle, it also helps you to spot cloakers, (with or without darklight).
- You always have the best accuracy when firing whilst the tank is stationary or moving slowly on flat ground. Remind your driver of that if he is moving too fast for you to shoot well, (assuming that he is not performing an escape run because the tank is badly damaged).
- Remember to reload whenever there is a pause so that your ammunition clip doesn't run out on you at the wrong moment.
- Do not use the chain gun to shoot at turrets and mines, these are best taken out with the main gun. The chain gun is for infantry, aircraft and soft vehicles like lightenings and buggies.
- Do not shoot at air targets if you are in the main gun and you have a chain gunner.
- Do not shoot at air targets if you are in the main gun and there is a valid ground target in the vicinity. If you are manning the main gun during a battle, ignore aircraft, trying to hit them will put your turret out of position and you will be killed by a vehicle.
- Blip Darklight On on a regular basis to check for cloakers trying to jam your guns. This is especially important for the chain gunner.
- GO DOWN with your vehicle ! This last may require some explanation….
If you bail from your tank in the middle of a battle, the vehicle will die and a few seconds later, so will you, (if you are not taken out by the blast from the vehicle). Whilst firing at the enemy your attacker may be destroyed by yourself or by your squad mates. While there is Life there is Hope. If you Alt-G to bail the driver looses control of the vehicle and can no longer take evasive action the vehicle then becomes a sitting target and WILL BE DESTROYED, most likely before you can get away from it. If, by some miracle you DO survive, you are supposed to be in a vehicle, you are therefore DISOBEYING ORDERS and will have to kill yourself so that you can respawn and get another one.
4.3 Required Certifications
- No certs are critical for being a tank gunner. If you have Armored Assault it can be handy even if you won't be driving so you can spawn a tank after one dies before the five minute timer and then swap out to the gunner seat. If you aren't helping repair the tank, its great to be an advanced medic so that if the driver gets killed whilst repairing, you can raise him.
4.4 Recommended Loadout
This loadout was originally used by the Death Hand Special Ops. Squads but is a good example of a versatile assault load. The DH squads required Adv. Med. But if you don’t have it the loadout still works:-
If you only have Agile Armour:
- MCG, Cycler or Sweeper Shotgun
- 3 boxes of ammunition
- 3 Med. Packs
- REK
- 1 box of Plasma Grenades
- 1 box of Jammer Grenades
- Armour repair tool, if you have the cert.
- A repeater pistol and one box of ammo if you chose the Sweeper.
(If you haven’t tried the sweeper as an in base assault weapon you should, but you need to aim and fire, you can’t just spray the target area).
If you have Rexo armour:
- MCG, Cycler or Sweeper Shotgun
- 3 boxes of ammunition
- 3 Med. Packs
- REK
- 1 box of Plasma Grenades
- 1 box of Jammer Grenades
- Armour repair tool.
- A/V weapon,
- Decimator or
- Striker with 2 boxes of ammunition.
4.5 Suggested Implants
- Advanced Targeting, to be effective you NEED to know the state of your prospective targets. Obviously, you will focus on killing the target which has taken the most damage first.
- Dark Light, now that Cloakers have Sensor Shield this is the only way of spotting them. This is most important whilst the driver is repairing the vehicle. If you let your driver get killed then you will be walking !
- Audio Amp. or Personal Shield will help in the base assault phase of the mission.
5. Skyguard
5.1 Driver
Please read the tanks driver section above and the driving tactics section below. In addition this section covers skyguard specific issues. The Skyguard provides some of the best anti-aircraft defense in the game and is a vital addition to any armoured column. Unfortunately it is also lightly armoured and falls rapidly to mines, boomers and Revers if they catch it unawares.
The skyguard driver should set up a vehicle favorite along the same lines as the example given below. The skyguard will hold 800 rounds of flak cannon ammunition with 40 in the clip. Each time the gunner engages an aircraft he will use the whole clip. I recommend that your character load out is as follows so that you can repair the vehicle without having to make repeated runs to a tower or AMS:
5.1.1 Skyguard Favorite
- 4 boxes of flak cannon ammunition
- 2 box of 12mm
- 2 x Glue Refills
- 1 x ACE, for those with CE to deploy at the repair WP. If you do not have the CE cert. ask a friendly engineer to put the ACE in the trunk for you.
Driver Favorite:
- A weapon of your choice, Sweeper / Cycler / Surpressor
- 2 boxs of ammunition for your weapon
- Glue Gun
- 3 Med packs
- Armour repair tool
- 1 Plasma grenade
- 1 Jammer grenade
- REK
- Your choice of med tool, command uplink device, etc.
5.2 Driving
- Drive in the 3rd person view.
- The skyguard is a prime target for cloakers when stopped, so don’t stop. Even if the column that you are protecting has stopped for repair keep moving and circle their position. Set your speed to 10% and cruise around them.
- When the convoy is moving follow one of the tanks, this will protect you to a major extent from mines. Remember, it only takes 2 mines to kill you and your vehicle. You should not follow the last tank in a column it makes you easy pickings for a roving enemy tank.
- If the column is engaged by aircraft then you may pull out of the column so that you can best engage the enemy. Once the threat has been driven off return to your place in the convoy as quickly as possible.
- The greatest danger is being attacked by more than one aircraft simultaneously from different directions. Whilst the gunner is engaging a target, if you are on open ground, try to position the vehicle so that you are facing the opposite way to allow you to spot other threats. If you are on broken ground near the trees or amongst rocks pull close to one to give you some cover against Rever rockets.
- When you have to stop to repair park in cover under a tree or behind a rock.
5.3 Gunning in the Skyguard
Please read the tank gunner section above, this section covers additional skyguard specific issues.
It takes about 20 rounds from the flak cannon to take out a Mosquito and almost a full clip to kill a Reaver. The rounds explode based on proximity to the target so you do not have to hit it, only be close. Also, if you fire at a friendly, the rounds will fly straight past it and do it no damage, (unless you score a direct hit).
- Your best chance of destroying the aircraft is to begin firing as it is flying towards you. Fortunately many pilots are not very knowledgeable and believe that they can kill you with rockets before you kill them with flak, they are wrong, but you will require repairs. If a Mosquito tries this then they are new to the game.
- Don’t bother to fire at a receding aircraft unless it is close to you. The flak travels so slowly that it can’t catch the aircraft.
- If the aircraft is moving across your field of fire then don’t bother firing at it unless it is close to you.
- Once you have picked your target and started firing don’t stop, fire until the enemy is destroyed. If it is not destroyed then perhaps you shouldn’t have been firing at it.
- Don’t blip the fire button and loose off a few rounds at a target, you won’t kill anything and you will reveal your existence and position thus making you a target. The aircraft will come back in 30 seconds to kill you. He might bring his friends… ( However, if you are driving around on your own Looking for trouble this is a good way to find it).
- Keep the Flak cannon fully loaded. You need practically a full clip to kill anything and will be embarrassed if you run out.
- It is often better to engage the aircraft later in its attack than on its first run. Usually a Rever will perform a strafing run to dump its rockets and then hover near the target to attack it. If it had been in a difficult position to fire at before then this is the time to kill it.
- Do not use the flak cannon against infantry. The flak cannon will do little splash damage to infantry and it is a waste of ammunition. The 12mm is a much more efficient and faster way to kill troops.
- MAX units. Best to leave these to the tanks but, if you have to attack one, use the flak cannon. You will probably have to reload or use the 12mm to finish it off.
- Whilst the driver is repairing and rearming the vehicle, switch to the 12mm and use Darklight to protect him, and yourself, against cloakers.
6. Moving With Infantry
Planetside is a game that is heavily orientated towards vehicles; as a result infantry are at a disadvantage until they are inside a base. The reason for having an armour group is to get the infantry into the position so that they can perform a base assault. Infantry require protection from ground and air vehicles, transport and AMS support if they are to perform a successful assault. It follows that a stealthy approach to the target is preferred and you should warn your gunners NOT TO FIRE unless fired upon. At best the noise will attract unwelcome attention, at worst the convoy will chase after the target and be in disarray, no longer headed for the objective. If the convoy is attacked the SL must make the determination whether to pursue the attacker or continue towards the objective. The attacker should only be pursued if it presents an imminent danger to the convoy, otherwise let it go. You may have lost the element of surprise as to the target, but there is no need to allow the enemy to build up his forces there before you arrive.
It is expected that any armoured convoy including transports will be afforded air cover.
6.1 Ground Transport
Those driving ground transport, Deliverers, Raiders etc. are not merely Taxi drivers. They are driving armored vehicles with direct fire weapons mounts that have a significant amount of firepower in their own right, especially against aircraft, light vehicles and infantry.
Although Deliverers are preferred, since their dual 20mm guns are very effective against aircraft and vehicles alike, the Raider is useful against infantry and vehicles at close quarters. (Also passengers prefer to have a weapon.) Deliverers and Raiders also have the capability to cross water and as such will be used to flank the enemy at bridge crossings and other strategic points. Sunderers may be used as transports if the column has sufficient air cover, either a skyguard or aircraft. Since they have no effective anti-aircraft capability they do not add much firepower to the convoy. Any Burster MAX’s running with the convoy can deploy to provide anti-aircraft cover as required. (They are also a more efficient use of manpower than an additional skyguard).
6.2 Passenger/Gunner Responsibilities
- If you are manning a gun, see the “Gunner” section above. You may not know which threat is being attacked by the Gunners but please read the section on “Target Selection” to allow you to be as effective as possible. The MOST IMPORTANT thing about gunning in a vehicle is to ALL FIRE AT THE SAME TARGET. This is especially important in a Raider, since the cone of fire is large.
- If you are a passenger in transport then you have two things to think about. The first, if you have a repair cert. and a glue gun, be prepared to repair the vehicle if required. The second, if the driver of the vehicle calls for you to bail, then be aware of the current threat so that you can select the correct weapon on exiting the vehicle.
- DO NOTBAIL from the vehicle unless the driver does!
If you bail from your vehicle in the middle of a battle, the vehicle will die and a few seconds later, so will you, (if you are not taken out by the blast from the vehicle). Whilst your vehicle is firing at the enemy the attacker may be taken out by you or your squad mates. While there is Life there is Hope. If you Alt-G to bail the driver will loose control of the vehicle and can no longer take evasive action. The vehicle then becomes a sitting target and WILL BE DESTROYED, most likely before you can get away from it. If, by some miracle you DO survive, you are standing on a battlefield being confronted by something that took your vehicle out, how long do you think that you will survive? (It’s a safe bet that if your fellow team mates in the vehicle were killed as a result of your actions they will not be too pleased either.)
7. Tactical Issues
7.1 Clearing CE
The tank slows and the driver switches to First person view and switches on darklight if he has it. This allows him to see any mines before he detonates them, he then calls them to the main gunners attention. The main gunner fires on the CE, the chain gunner stays in third person and watches for threats, especially aircraft.
7.2 Assaulting a base
A base assault has four main phases:
- Clearing the SOI of enemy vehicles and infantry.
- Clearing the Walls
- Clearing the courtyard
- Securing the courtyard and patrolling the SOI
7.2.1 Clearing the SOI of enemy vehicles and infantry.
If traveling in a convoy with troops, now is the time to leave the auxiliary vehicles to take the tower and perform a wide sweep of the SOI. If you have air support they should scout the area for likely targets. If you have a scout vehicle or deliverer send it out to scout the area. If all you have are two fire teams, leave one to support the infantry at the tower. If the scout force is engaged by a superior force, run back to the tower for support. If you find an enemy AMS or vehicle that you can handle, destroy it. Once the SOI is clear and you have identified the route that the enemy will use to bring in reinforcements it’s time to move on to phase two.
7.2.2 Clearing the Walls
The objective here is to make the outside of the base safe enough for our infantry to be able to approach the walls and get in through the back door. To do this we need to destroy the base turrets and any CE and discourage the enemy from using the walls as a firing platform.
There will most likely be spitfire turrets and mines laid around the walls. The back door is a favorite place, but you will also find pads of 6 to 8 mines laid at one or two places along the wall. These are designed to discourage vehicles from running around the base close to the walls where they are shielded from most of the AV. You will be running close to the walls, often because the terrain allows no other route but also because you want to avoid the enemy AV weapons.
(As a practical issue clearing base walls of A/V weapons is difficult for a tank. In order to be able to hit anything on the walls the tank needs to be some distance away. This means a long shell transit time during which the A/V wielder can dodge behind the parapet. If the chain gun is manned then you might be able to discourage them. MAX units tend to move more slowly and are thus legitimate targets, however Phoenix and Lancer users will probably get you before you get them and are best removed by Air strikes.)
If you have 2 fire teams available then one should be set to shelling the walls and upper doors of the base to suppress the enemy infantry. If the base you are assaulting has raised ground adjacent to it use this to your advantage. The other team will clear around the walls. (It takes 8 shots from the main gun to destroy a base wall turret. If a single Prowler kills all 6 turrets then it will have taken over 60% damage by the time it kills the last one).
The preferred method is to follow the lead tank in column formation. Do not follow too closely, leave a couple of tank lengths between your tank and the one in front otherwise your gunner will not be able to fire onto the wall. The lead tank will clear the CE, as described in 7.1 above. All tanks in the column will fire at the wall turrets. The following tank(s) will also fire at any infantry on the walls and engage any vehicles that attack the column. Their intent is to cover the lead tank. Watch out for enemy vehicles coming out of the gates as you pass them. Do not be tempted to rush into the courtyard after a target of opportunity, perform a complete circuit of the base. Pull back to Wp3 and repair if you need to before the next phase.
If the intent is to assault the base through the back door then stay in the zone between the tower and the door to support the infantry. You can also use the tanks as portable shields escorting the infantry directly to the entrance from the tower.
7.2.3 Entering the Court Yard
Once the turrets are down and any threats external to the base have been removed its time to enter the CY. If possible get a CR3 to use his EMP tool to clear the CE around the gate of choice, this will greatly reduce damage to the lead tanks and speed up the assault. If available use a two Prowler Fire Team, preferably with a chain gunners. If only one chain gunner is available then he should be in the lead tank.
At a Tech. Plant enter through the gate facing the vehicle bay, at other bases enter at the gate facing the vehicle pads exit ramp. This enables the tanks to destroy any vehicles coming off the pad before their crew can board. Both tanks approach the selected gate, firing into the CY to clear any opposition and clear any visible CE. The second tank will stop short of the walls in a position such that it can shell the walls and the arch around the gate to prevent jammers being dropped onto the lead tank. The lead tank slows and begins to clear the CE, (see 7.1 above). Once the lead tank is partially into the gate, the gunner should kill any spitfire turrets, (especially those on each side of the gate), clearing a path for the infantry. Try not to shell the vehicle terminal too much as we should like to capture the base with it intact. (Air cover, specifically to keep A/V users and Jammer throwers off the walls, is a great help during this procedure). Once the lead tank has it’s nose through the gate and has cleared the local CE, the second tank will move up to continue clearing the CY.
By this time the lead tank will have taken considerable mine, A/V and small arms damage, it should hold its position covering the vehicle bay, gate area and the second tank. (It is dangerous for the driver, but a good idea, to take advantage of the confusion, rotate the lead tank and repair it). If you have a second fire team, bring it in behind the second tank to aid in clearing the CY and suppressing the doors. Remember NOT to drive straight through the base until you have cleared the CE at the other gate !
If you have 2 fire teams do not be tempted to attack both gates simultaneously. You should concentrate your fire on the gate of interest. This gives you control of the vehicle bay and your infantry protection from any enemy armor that might arrive whilst you are assaulting the base.
Once the second tank has entered the CY one will be tempted to drive the troop transports in and start shooting. The problems with this approach are stray mines inside the CY, (you run the risk of loosing half of your assault force in one go), and that the guns on the transports do not depress far enough to be able to hit targets close to them such as mines and infantry. ( The closest target a Deliver can hit at ground level is 36m away, for a Sunderer that number is 62m). Infantry should disembark at the gate and provide cover for the tanks.
Now is a good time to deploy an AMS just inside the CY and covered by the lead tank to support this initial push to the front door.
Destroy the BFR terminal ! The BFRs are of no use to us trying to get into the base, but are of use to the enemy to clear the CY.
7.2.4 Securing the courtyard and patrolling the SOI
Once your tanks have cleared the CE from the courtyard and both gates and the infantry are assaulting the base your priorities change from “attack” to “security”. There are a number of threats to consider:
a) - If the base’s generator is still up, then you need to cover the vehicle and BFR pads to protect against cloakers and hot droppers pulling vehicles, (generally BFRs, AMS’s and Lightenings but also Magriders if we do not yet have the hack).
b) - If we have an AMS deployed in the CY then it needs support. If not then protect the current respawn point.
c) - Protect against enemy vehicles driving through the CY and making a nuisance of themselves. The tank covering a) and b) above can do this, especially if you lay a pad of mines in the CY to weaken the incoming vehicle(s).
d) - Provide some cover against Galaxy drops on the base roof.
e) - Cover the Back Door. Once we are in the CY or have the hack this is the MOST LIKLEY route for an enemy counter attack. Parking a squadron of tanks in the CY does nothing to deter it.
f) - Discourage any enemy AMS from deploying in the area.
g) - Cover main door/ upper doors. This is the least important function and may safely be left to the zerg. You are more likely to kill our fellow TR anyway.
Given the existing base layouts it is not possible to cover both vehicle pads with a single tank, specifically the Dropship and Interlink facilities require two. For the sake of this discussion we shall assume that you require two Prowlers to provide good coverage, this also allows you some flexibility in placing the AMS and provides better roof coverage. If the tanks are parked in the CY fully manned then you have some flexibility in their placement, since they can move in response to a threat. If the gunners have left to join the base assault and the drivers are manning the main guns then they will need to take advantage of what cover the base can afford. This placement will take advantage of the fact that they are securing the CY and NOT the surrounding countryside.
The best locations are adjacent to the base wall just inside each of the gates. If you place your tanks correctly then one will be able to cover the gate and the exit from the vehical bay with a 90 degree turret rotation, (ie. within a 90 degree arc). The other can cover it’s gate the AMS and the front door. In each case in third person view the gunner can see all of the area that they are covering at once. You can also fire onto the roof to suppress hot droppers.
You should lay some mines either outside each gate or in a pad in the CY. Those outside the gates force an approaching vehicle to drive over them before being able to fire into the CY at the AMS. Those inside the CY destroy any vehicles racing through the CY.
Once the CY has been secured at least one fire team should patrol around the base. They do not need to be in formation but they do need to remain in visual range of each other at all times. They should pay special attention to routes for enemy reinforcements from towers and nearby bases. The circuit should include the local tower and the area around the back door, keeping watch for enemy AMS deployments. Fire into any trees, rocks etc. to detect a deployed AMS. Watch out for HART droppers running into the SOI, (again, usually headed for the back door). If you meet overwhelming opposition, retreat to the CY where you can gain support from your mines and the “pillbox” tanks.
Note: If you are leaving the tank to capture a base, it is a good idea to deconstruct the tank using the button on the vehicle control window (shift V). "Decon your vehicle" is the typical order to do this. This prevents your vehicle from being hacked and used by the enemy and frees up the driver to participate in the assault. Specifically it ensures that a hacker will not use your vehicle to kill the AMS!
If we have any aircraft available then they can scout for incoming vehicles.
7.3 Problems with shields
If the base has a shield then the tanks role is relegated to patrols and general bombardment. There will be more vehicle to vehicle fighting, since enemy vehicles will leave the base fully manned. It is important that the tanks stay in their fire teams to ensure that they can bring enough firepower to bear to dispatch the opposition. Potential solutions to this problem include the use of air power to clear the CY, (in which case it is a good idea to destroy the vehicle and BFR terminals and keep them down), and dropping the appropriate generator or generators to drop the shield.
7.4 Assaulting Towers
Before discussing tower assault it is necessary to define which door is which, so for the purposes of this discussion:
- at ground level the “Good door” is adjacent to the stairs leading Up to the CC.
- and the “Bad door” is adjacent to the stairs leading Down to the Spawn tubes.
The intent when moving a tank to cover the “Bad door” is to prevent the enemy from getting from the spawn tubes up to the CC. You achieve this by positioning the tank so that the main gunner can fire through the door and down the stairs. The Gunner does not want his fire to effect the “Good door” area since friendly infantry will be using that door to enter the tower and assault the CC. Whilst the assault is in progress the enemy will throw, drop and fire jammer and plasma grenades at the tank and attack it with decimators. Generally the tank will sustain little damage since most attacks will be short lived. They will however cause problems for whomever is entrusted with the job of hacking and subsequently keeping the door open. Air or ground fire into the upper level doors will help to reduce tank and door opener damage. The gunner should keep firing, pausing only to reload, and the splash on the stairwell wall will keep the enemy down the stairs, but will not damage them. The infantry assaulting the Good Door should do so when they hear the Prowler begin to fire. During this period the CC cannot be reinforced. If the infantry has grenades then these can be bounced down the stairs through either door to weaken those who will run up during the tanks reload cycle.
There is little point in positioning a tank to fire through the “Good door”, it only impedes the assault and risks killing our own troops. It is worthwhile positioning a vehicle on the Good Door side to cut down any enemy that leave the tower on that side. In an extended battle the tank should be rotated out if it’s damage goes above 50%. Repair in place is possible provided that you have either an AMS or Advanced Medic nearby. Remember that the vehicle is subject to being hacked once the driver has got out.
7.5 Enemy Tanks
Magriders are challenging opponents. Their direct fire weapon leads them to want to stay away from you and snipe. At long range they have the advantage, since it is more difficult for you to gauge the required elevation. Also, the long shot travel time allows them to strafe to avoid it. Your tactic should be to close the range to improve your chances of getting a hit and zigzag towards them taking advantage of any available cover. The Rail gun is direct fire, so it will just as happily hit a rock as you. Your main gun can fire over obstacles, the gunner can even fire whilst in third person mode and still score hits at medium to long range. Try not to get in the way of the other tanks in your squad whilst doing this. Water has the disadvantage of reducing the splash damage from the main gun, which is why Magriders prefer to fight from the water. Don’t play their game, move away from the water and force them to come to you.
Vanguards have a bigger gun and are faster than the Prowler, but also have a lower rate of fire. You can take advantage of this by maneuvering such that the gunner is constantly having to change his elevation. In this case your superior rate of fire gives your gunner the advantage. If at all possible don’t go one-on-one with a Vanguard, two-on-one gives you a better chance of survival.
If you are caught by superior numbers of enemy tanks do your best to break off quickly, ideally in a direction that makes the closer ones block the line of fire of the farther ones. Grouped Prowlers should use concentrated fire to take them out quickly one at a time. This may mean a feigned retreat if facing equal numbers of enemy tanks or a long range drive by pass, moving perpendicular to the line of fire.
7.6 Infantry
Infantry individually are not a problem. Even AV guys can usually be killed before they do much damage. The more there are though, the more dangerous they become. If you see decis, move fast and across their line of fire to make it as hard as possible for them to lead you. If there are multiple phoenixes or lancers volleying at your tank, you want to break off fast, head for cover, and kill what you can with parting shots by the gunner. Three or four AV guys firing together can make short work of any vehicle. The more tanks in our group, the higher the infantry density we can fight successfully. MAXs die pretty quickly to the main gun, taking only a couple of hits to drop one.
7.7 The AMS as a target
If your tank runs into a deployed AMS you want to do a couple things. Back off a bit so that when it blows it doesn't take you with it and move around to the AMS's front or rear so that you can fire on anybody who tries to rearm at the weapons terminals. The main gunner should concentrate on killing the AMS. The chain gunner should first try to kill any AV infantry and then provide cover whilst the main gunner kills the AMS. The driver should be ready to retreat if the infantry numbers are enough to kill your tank before the AMS blows.
7.8 Bridges and movement
Bridges form natural defiles for Prowlers and if heavily defended require other tactics. However, if the bridge is lightly defended, or seems to be undefended, then it is prudent to perform the following procedure before crossing, especially if you are escorting lighter vehicles.
The lead tank pulls up just before the bridge at the left side of the road. Tank #2 pulls up on the right side. These two tanks give cover fire across the bridge for the rest of the Prowlers that will be crossing. If there are no obvious targets, fire at the bridge to detonate any mines. The remaining Prowlers move across the bridge. The first tank on the bridge, (tank #3), will slow and
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