2 replies to this topic

[Artgathan]

One often-overlooked tactic in MW:O is the use of a Firebase to establish position and control ground. A Firebase is essentially any military group that fires from a relatively fixed position in order to suppress or destroy the enemy. Typically a Firebase is used in support of flanking maneuvers - the Firebase distracts the enemy and reduces their mobility, allowing other units to move into advantageous positions.

In MW:O the units forming a Firebase should have the following qualities:

• Powerful Long-Range Weaponry
  
• Good Heat Efficiency (allowing for continued suppressive fire)
  
• Equipment to Aid Targeting (Including BAP and TAG)

The combination of the three aforementioned qualities allows a Firebase to provide devastating long range weapons fire, effectively allowing them to dominate the ground they can see. This, in turn, deters the enemy from moving into this area, allowing the Firebase to pin the enemy behind cover (such as ridge-lines).

While the enemy is pinned by the Firebase, available remaining units should move to perform a Flanking maneuver. These units should have the following qualities:

• Powerful Short and Medium Range Weaponry
  
• High Speed
  
• Stealth Equipment (such as ECM)

While the Firebase has the enemy pinned and distracted, the units in the Flanking group have free reign of the battlefield. Thus, these units can easily move (without being seen by the enemy) into a position where they can inflict serious damage to the enemy quickly (such as by firing on their rear armour).

Once the units in the Flanking have engaged the enemy, the Firebase may want to consider closing distance (to bring more firepower to the battle) or adjust their positions for better arcs of fire (in the case that the enemy decides to engage the Flanking behind cover the Firebase will not be able to continue providing direct fire support for the Flanking).

These maneuvers have three distinct disadvantages:

• The units in the Firebase are essentially locked in position, as they must suppress the enemy and keep their attention. This can leave them vulnerable to suprise counter-flanking maneuvers.
  
• The units in the Flanking, if spotted before they can reach their optimal engagement range, can be very vulnerable to enemy long-range fire while they attempt to close the distance to their engagement range.
  
• The division of units between two different groups means that while the flanking is in progress (but has not yet reached engagement range), either group is vulnerable to being swarmed by the enemy. This can be mitigated by choosing flanking routes that will not take an excessive amount of time to execute.

It has been my experience that a properly executed Firebase, combined with a Flanking maneuver, is devastating to the enemy. The units involved in the Flanking typically get an easy two to three kills before the enemy can respond. This also tends to result in the enemy formation breaking apart as they return fire to the units in the Flanking. Occasionally the units in the Flanking flush the enemy out into the open area in front of their cover (exposing themselves to the Firebase), causing them to step into a devastating kill-zone.

If you can wrangle your team-mates into following your orders, I strongly recommend a Firebase and Flanking maneuver.

[Tex1013]

I've watched this tactic in MWO used numerous times, even been a part of it on several occasions (sadly, a mostly coincidental plan - No one actually mentioned doing it, but the team sorta ended up performing it anyway), and you missed several key vulnerabilities

#1 - A well executed firebase plan against a decently coordinated enemy tends to force the entire enemy group to cluster behind one section of cover - This means that the Flanking group often piles into the enemy force, frequently at 2:1 against or similar odds - if the Firebase team is too slow to close engagement during the brief period the flanking team has to survive, or are incapable of it by being locked down by long range weapons, the flanking team can often find itself getting savaged in very short order, leaving the firebase team now facing close to 2:1 odds against

#2 - Most of the MWO maps are reasonably well designed with sufficient cover, that most Firebase teams will find numerous blocks to their LOS, allowing the approaching team to slowly but steadily close distance - this limits the amount of utility you'll get out of a Firebase team, unless your opposition is dumb enough to poke out one at a time (which DOES, in fact, happen )

#3 - Firebase teams really need to choose their location carefully - spots that are too narrow and won't allow more than one or two mechs to draw LOS and/or prevent retreat against superior enemy fire means that an insufficient amount of long range fire is coming from the Firebase, or overexposes members of your Firebase team to focused return fire

Honestly, in my experience, the so-called Firebase tactic is a bargain-basement tactic; it's relatively easy for newish players to contribute to, and is reasonably good at countering equally newish players, but suffers greatly the moment any one key person makes a dumb mistake on either side, which happens a LOT with newish-type players. Similar to the Firing-Line, which is another common tactic that almost always inevitably breaks down when one smart guy breaches the line, or one dumb guy leaves the line

still, I appreciate you putting it up - It's a reasonably good review of one of the early, intuitive tactics you can find in MWO - still, I'd really like to see a community that is capable of embracing more complicated tactics, including pre-game mech-build tactics to go along with on-the-field tactics...but I guess that's for another post.

[NRP]

Good stuff, both of you. I hope we get more topics like this. Such a refreshing change from the typical QQing.