How to Effectively Optimize your use of Recon Teams

By GDS_SgtEvans

 

Tips on Recon

I want to start by saying I consider recon to be one of the most important aspects of this game. Without proper recon techniques, you don’t stand much of a chance on the battlefield. There are two things that influence your style of recon. These are; equipment (recon troops, scout cars, AT teams, snipers) and cover. Cover, in this game, is used to describe concealment more than level of protection. You can see each unit’s level of cover by selecting Show Cover on the options screen. I like to use the outline option, especially during deployment.

Before the Battle

Know the battlefield. During the deployment stage, take time to study Lines of Sight (LOS) from different locations. Look for good fields of fire for your heavy weapons as well as covered lines of advance for your attack force. If you are on defense, set up your heavy weapons to cover Victory Locations. If on the attack, or in a meeting engagement, look for sites you might use if you were on the OPFOR side.

Types of Recon

1. Recon by death. This type is the most costly, and not really effective in the long run. It is when a player sends a unit headlong into battle to draw fire to spot hidden units. The problem with this is that once the recon unit is destroyed you can no longer see what killed it. In the case of well concealed AT guns, you may never actually see it. You might follow the tracer back to the gun, but you won’t be able to target it.
   
2. Recon in Force. This is the type of recon you should use along the main avenue of your attack. Lead with a set of units, keeping a second set in a covering position. When an OPFOR unit is spotted you can easily support you lead unit with the covering force, allowing it to return fire or escape if the need arises. Also referred to as Overwatch (bounding or traveling), this is the quickest way to move across the battlefield.
   
3. Intellegence Gathering. This type of recon can be compared to spying. What I mean is, you want to keep your reconnoitoring units hidden. Snipers or AT teams are a good choice. Set them to ambush in a concealed spot with a good field of view, preferably on your flank. They should spot any flanking move on the OPFOR‘s part allowing you to move a defensive unit to stop them. Sneaking units along the flanks of your attack can also be productive. Use scout cars to go deep if time is a factor. Their speed can sometimes get them out of a kill zone if they come under fire.

Below is an example of recon force deployment:

The red dots represent locations of friendly recon, spotting, or heavy weapons.

The red line represents the movement path of a recon team going deep.

The blue dots represent possible heavy weapons

The yellow box represents hiding locations for friendly attack force.

The green box represents the most concealed location for OPFOR reserve force