Chapter 1: Introduction to CQB -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The most feared situation for any military or Special Forces unit is a Close Quarters Battle(CQB). The reason is because there are campers, snipers, and many other hazards that await them in an enclosed facility. It takes a well trained and practiced team to execute a successful Counter Terrorist(CT) Operation. Some of the most well known military units known for CT Ops are Delta, SEAL Team Six(now DevGroup), Special Air Service, and lately Marine Force Recon. All of these units train harder than any other unit in existence. The reason is obvious, the engage in CT Ops, they need to know how to operate and be successful. No CQB Op is the same, they do however have common characteristics. Usually there are campers, or a person who chooses a place to hide out and wait for you to engage them. Early Warning Systems(EWS) are also common. The major threats are always the same however. If you are approaching a building or facility which has hostile enemy personnel(Tangos) inside, unless you are very stealthy, you almost have to expect to take fire. Snipers are also a common threat in a CQB situation. All of these threats can be remedied however, with the correct tactics.
The hardest obstacle to overcome is stealth. Most of the time, the tangos will know your entry point and will base their defensive formation to defend against that entry point. Which brings up the next formidable obstacle. They have some idea where you are or will be, you only know their general vicinity. That gives the tangos a great advantage over you. You must consider this before formulating a plan of action.
The mentality you want to have when facing a CQB is to operate swift, silent, and "deadly." Swift and efficient movement, combined with a level head and stealth is the best offense against a hazardous situation. If you are a commander of a team, you must remember that. Make sure that your team operates under those conditions.
Chapter 2: Basic Reconnaissance -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The first thing that a CT unit needs to do before they jump into the shooting and looting is to even the odds. The tangos know that you're out there but you don't know much about them. For those of you aren't familiar with Reconnaissance, it is going "behind enemy lines" to gain information about your enemy. Reconnaissance is a non-violent operation where a shot is fired only if necessary. This proves very useful in a CT situation because if you know where your enemy is, you can exterminate them with much greater ease. The SEALs were the very first to preach and publicize this attitude, but 2 is always better than one. From the first phase of BUD/s(Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training), SEALs are assigned a swim buddy. From that point on anything you do is accompanied by your swim buddy. Reconnaissance should be done in the same manner. So to make a long story short, the first thing you should do when Reconnoitering an area of Operations(AOP) is to divide the team up into smaller teams of two. This is smart because if all goes to hell and a fire fight breaks out two people stand a better chance than one.
The next thing to do is to set up a rally point. The rally point is a point in the AOP where the entire team will regroup after reconnaissance. This point needs to be a strategic position in a number of ways. The Rally Point needs to be concealed from enemy view, it's not a huddle in football, they will shoot you. The Rally Point also has to be a defensive stronghold. If, unfortunately, all goes to hell, the team needs to be together. The team returns to the rally point at that time and defends itself.
Reconnaissance is the most stealthy part of an entire CT Op. You cannot be detected! The idea is to gain intelligence on the enemy without them detecting you. Movement should be concealed and slow. I'm sure you've seen it mimicked in the movies. Try not to run unless necessary because a fast moving object attracts the eye before a slow moving object does. Running also makes a lot more noise than walking. The enemy will most likely hear you before they see you. This is where Reconnaissance communication is important. A chapter is devoted later on to communication during assault because recon communication is different. You must have a set of hand signals. Don't get nervous, you only need a few. The important ones are enemy sighted, sniper, danger zone, and a good sniper position. The hand signals should be simple, not elaborate, and very easy to remember. I'm sure you can come up with some logical hand signals. There are a number of things you are looking for when reconnoitering an AOP. These things include but are not limited to good sniper position for your team, enemy personnel, tango snipers, danger areas(Open areas that attract gunfire), good cover and concealment, possible entry points, and enemy escape routes. Once you have found these things, you must record them. The second member of the Recon Team needs to carry a approximately 3 by 5" spiral notebook and a pencil(mechanical). Map the area that you have reconnoitered and either write down what you found and where or mark the map with symbols. This is up to the team, there is no real rule for reconnaissance unless you are in the military.
Movement is probably the most difficult part of reconnaissance. You must move undetected and still get good intelligence. The two man teams need to move as one. This is accomplished by appointing a point man early on. The point man is the front man in the formation who basically decides where and when to go. The point man needs to be competent and stealthy. Basically, the way movement works is that the point man decides a path to take and leads his team member along that path. Just remember, that you never split up. Move as a team always.
After you have completed the recon of the AOP, return to the rally point. The Officer in Charge(OIC) collects the information and sets up a plan. This should be the only time that talking is permitted on a Recon Op. They conveying of accurate information and intelligence is crucial, don't screw it up!
The most important things to remember about reconnaissance is you don't fire a shot. It needs to be practiced and the art needs to be perfected. Only the most skilled military units participate in reconnaissance operations in the real world, so you can imagine the difficulty. Follow the above and you should be fine. So far it's worked for my team.
Chapter 3: Communication -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Communication is vital for a team's success. There are a number of forms of communication used by today's special Forces units. The very first and still favorite in some cases are hand signals. Hand signals are completely quiet and they are effective. The other common method of communication is through tactical radios(TacRadio). Even though a good radio is expensive, if you're a serious team, you will want to shell out the money. NOTE: Some tournaments do not allow radio communication. Refer to the rules in your area before purchasing!! TacRadios offer more flexibility than hand signals and can be more effective. If you do purchase radios, spend the money to get a decent one because if your team relies on TacRadio comm. Units and they go down, you're screwed. Depending on if you have military experience or how serious your team is, you may have pre-Assigned positions in the team. Common military positions include the Point Man, OIC, Corpsman(medical Officer), Assaulters, Grenadiers, and Rear security. These positions will be referred to for the rest of this document. The acting position of a team member is a good reference for radio communication. While some teams choose to use names, our team quickly chose the position naming reference over names. WE found names to be cumbersome while positions worked out quite nicely.
Whether you use TacRadios or hand signals, communication should be short and to the point. You don't want to get caught waiting around in an open area because your comm. Isn't effective enough. That's begging for an ambush to happen. Simple code words are an asset to radio communication. Hand signals are for more developed and serious team and need to be developed by the team itself. Teams are most familiar with signals that they come up with on their own. The same goes with code words.
Communication Standard Operating Procedures(SOPs) are best developed by the teams themselves. The information above is only there to help you formulate your own ideas. No matter what form of communication you choose, the same principles apply. Restrict communication to only necessary comments that directly affect the mission. For TacRadios, make sure that the ones you choose have a hands-option. Holding your weapon and concentrating on the task at hand can be complicated enough.
Chapter 4: Shooting -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shooting is a fundamental skill that won't be covered in detail in this manual. Shooting is a vital part of any Op. After all, you have to shoot the tangos to take them down don't you? Shooting in a CQB situation is actually quite different from that of any other Op. The reason is because in CQB the action is fast. Shooting in CQB is based upon initial volume of fire and instinct. Reaction time is very important in CQB. There are a number of fundamentals that help and apply to CQB though. The first is that you never look away from your gun. Keep your weapon in front of you at all times. The only exception belongs to the Point Man who may need to use his sidearm(if available). Don't look anywhere that your weapon is not pointed. Believe it or not, it's much easier to depress the trigger than to look, have to swing your weapon to your target, and then depress the trigger. If you head moves, your weapon goes with it. This is even more true with a sidearm.
The next fundamental skill is a readiness stance. Keep your weapon in front of you a slightly on a low angle when moving in a "clear" area. The reason is because if you're not in a clear area, you actually present less of a target. Movement like that is also important because you are more relaxed. When in CQB, tenseness is a bad thing. Tenseness causes premature firing of the weapon and a lot of missed targets because of poor aiming. You do not however want to move in this manner when you know that you're near tangos. If you're moving through a danger area, keep the weapon in a firing position with a relaxed grip. If you're too tense, you may have a tendency to jerk the weapon when firing which could throw your aim off. By the way, missing is a bad thing!
The third and equally important aspect to combat shooting in CQB is reloading. Yes, there is a SOP for reloading. The most efficient reloading technique is used by the U.S. Airborne Rangers. The first thing to do if you need to reload is to check for cover. If there is cover move to it. Once behind cover, drop to a knee and if necessary, draw your sidearm to within easy reach in case of an emergency. Replace magazines quickly and engage in the firefight again.
The last and most important aspect of CQB shooting is fields of fire. Each team member needs to have a pre-assigned field of fire. A team member's field of fire is the area that the team member is going to concentrate on when moving unless moving through an open area at which you engage targets of opportunity. The point man has the front of the team covered with the help of the OIC. The OIC covers the near flanks of the point man. The next man in the line which is usually a corpsman covers the left and right of the team. The Assaulters cover targets of opportunity. The rear security team member(last man in formation), covers the rear of the team. This is an important position because the most common guerilla tactic is to engage a larger force from behind. Another important thing to remember is if you fire in your field of fire, let your team know who is firing by calling out "contact!" If you "drop" the tango, let the team know by saying, not yelling, "tango Down."
The above needs rehearsal and should be trained again and again. My team focuses on target shooting under controlled circumstances working on a "reflex or Instinct shot." Basically, we set up a target, mimic clearing an area, and engage the target of reflexes. That involves bringing the weapon up for the ready position and firing until the target is hit.
Chapter 5: Cover and Concealment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Most of this chapter involves being in a heavy firefight. In a CQB situation you mostly only use cover temporarily when entering a room that has not been cleared yet. In a firefight however, good cover could mean the difference between your team losing or winning. Concealment applies to every aspect of CQB. You want to take down the tangos swiftly and stealthy. At least that's what our team attempts to do. Good cover is usually very hard to find in CQB. The most common and effective is a door/window opening. They provide full cover of the body and allow for quick movement. When using a door or window opening for cover, keep your weapon ready to fire at all times. Stand close to the opening but not to the point where you are exposed to fire. To fire from that position, lean at the hips to expose the smallest target to the enemy and engage either targets of opportunity or in your field of fire depending on the situation.
Concealing yourself is very important in CQB. The most important time for concealment is during the entry of the building or facility. Make your approach silent and not obvious. Good concealment is usually found with corners and foliage. Depending on the design of the target building, these options may not be present. If that situation comes up, stealthy movement is really the only solution.
The best way to conceal yourself is with good clothing and camouflage selection. Don't choose to wear black "ninja suits" for a day time Op. Face paint camouflage is also a good addition. Make sure that every part of your body is covered in some manner including your hands and face. If you've chosen good camouflage, you should be able to use most objects as concealment. One important thing to add is if you really don't want to be noticed, don't stare at your enemy. If you're in your car sometime and you're at a red light, stare at the person next to you and they will most likely look back. That's the human man's sixth sense. Focus on your target for short periods of time and then return to watching your target. Five seconds usually works good for us.
Chapter 6: Movement and Room Clearing -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Smart Movement is a vital part of success for a CQB Op. Movement in CQB is swift and silent. There should always be a purpose for movement. Never move unnecessarily because it just puts your team in danger. When moving be sure to stay low and present as little of target as possible to the enemy. Running is usually a last resort. Quick and silent movements are preferred to running which is more noticeable and makes more noise. Of course if your team is compromised(discovered), running is required because you need to get some cover to engage and neutralize the tangos. Covering areas is a crucial aspect of movement. If you approach an open hallway, staircase, intersection or some form of open area, your team's movement needs to be covered. Hall Ways and intersections are the most commonly encountered obstacles. When moving across a "T shaped" hallway, the point man approaches the area and peeks around the corner. If a tango is there, the scout should neutralize the threat. If not, the scout should drop to a knee and cover the corner he just cleared. The next man in line should cross the open hallway and leave enough room for the rest of the team on the other side. Once across the other side, the OIC(second man in formation) is responsible for covering directly ahead of the way he just came. Once the point man gives the word, the next man crosses. He then aids the point man in covering the open area. The team crosses the open area one by one until the point man comes across and assumes the position of point and the "patrol" continues.
Clearing and covering corners is another important aspect of movement. If you approach a corner, the point man should tell the rest of the team they've reached a corner. The point man then "slices the Pie" on the corner. Slicing the pie involves maximizing the team members view while limiting the reaction time of the tango. Slicing the pie involves making a 90 degree movement around the corner. In other words, the point man takes a step back from the corner turns his body so his point of view is looking directly past the edge of the corner. He then side steps turning his body slightly as he moves to maximize his field of vision.
When encountering opposite corners as in the "T Shaped" hallway, you need to separate the team. The OIC and one other team member goes to the opposite corner as the point man. On a three count, the Point man and the OIC slice the pie at the same time which prevents the chance of a rear ambush. The man coupled with the OIC covers the OIC's movements remaining approximately three steps behind the OIC incase the OIC goes down. After both corners are clear, the OIC or point man decides which way to proceed and the team regroups and begins the "patrol" again.
Clearing rooms can be very difficult. If you approach a room with an open door the team needs to set up on both sides of the opening. When moving across the opening, do not be detected. If you are, you're screwed. The point man should give warning to the team when he first sees the doorway and the team should act appropriately. When the team splits up, an assaulter should accompany the OIC to the opposite side of the door opening as the point man. On the OIC's order, the Point man swings in through the doorway making a 90 degree turn to his nearest side. For example, if the point man is on the left side of the doorway, he'll enter and turn left. Right after the point man enters, the OIC follows and turns to the opposite side of the point man. Be sure to make those turns 90 degrees because room corners are a favorite for tango campers. After the OIC, the next man on the point man's side enters and follows the same path as the point man but makes approximately a 60 degree turn focusing more on the center of the room. The next man on the OIC's side enters in the same fashion but follows the OIC's path instead of the point man. This continues until the entire team is in the room and the room is deemed clear by the OIC. Example of entry: Point man goes left, OIC goes right, Corpsman left, 1st Assaulter right, 2nd Assaulter left, Rear Security, right.
A closed door is handled differently however. If a closed door is encountered, the point man and OIC line up on the opposite sides as before. The OIC moves first and positions himself on about a 45 degree angle opposite the door swing. In other words, if the door opens and swings left, the OIC will be on the right side of the doorway. The OIC then kneels and has his weapon trained(aimed) directly ahead into the open space laying beyond the door. The OIC must leave enough room for the door to open! The point man opens the door on the OIC's order. At about .5 seconds after the door is opened, the point man makes his normal entry procedure as above and the operation continues as normal with exceptions to the OIC and the 2nd Assaulter. Instead of the OIC clearing the room, the next man in the line, in the case above, the 1st Assaulter clears in the OIC's place. Everything goes accordingly except for the 2nd Assaulter who positions himself next to the OIC and covers the team's rear. Once the room is clear, the OIC and 2nd Assaulter move in with the rest of the team and the "patrol" continues.
An important point to remember is when clearing a room, do not engage targets of opportunity. Engage targets that lie in your path only. If you turn to shoot the tango, you'll hit your own man before you hit the enemy. Strict fields of fire are required in order for this method of room clearing to be efficient.
Chapter 7: Using Snipers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using snipers is fairly complicated in CQB. Snipers need to have a position that provides both cover and concealment. A sniper must be very stealthy. I'm not going to cover sniper tactics in this manual, if you need some good sniper tactics, go to this site: www.snipercountry.com This manual will cover this use of snipers in a close quarters Battle. A sniper's purpose in CQB is to cover the movement of the assault and recon teams and take out difficult targets that the OIC deems puts the Assault team in danger. TacRadios are required if you're going to snipe. A sniper must have excellent determination and concentration. The Sniper may be the most experienced and trained member of the team. Be prepared, being a sniper is hard.
A sniper in CQB is responsible for locating targets on the exterior of the building and for taking out threats to the assault team. The sniper needs to have a radio with direct contact to the OIC. He also must have a scope and in some cases Night Vision Goggles(NGVs) or an NVG scope on his rifle depending on if the Op takes place during day light or night.
If a sniper makes contact with a tango, he needs to report this to the OIC before he acts unless the Tango poses direct threat to the Sniper. When reporting the Tango to the OIC, the Sniper must have a location, approximate range, and difficulty rating of the shot. The OIC then decides whether the Sniper takes a shot or if the assault team deals with the threat. The only other time the Sniper has the option to shoot without OIC authorization is if the Assault team is in direct danger and there is no other option. A sniper is a last resort and serves for intelligence purposes more than anything else.
If you're going to use a sniper, he must be a crack shot. A sniper must practice shooting and become very accustomed to his weapon. I would recommend practicing firing from a number of positions because no one sniper position is the same as the next. You never know when you'll need to be prone or be in the sitting position. Once again, I would recommend the site www.snipercountry.com
Chapter 8: Conclusion -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hopefully this manual has expanded your knowledge on CQB and will help your team to succeed. A lot of the information in this manual comes from real military tactics from units such as the Airborne Rangers, Navy SEALs, Marine Force Reconnaissance Companies, Army Delta, and the British Special Air Service (SAS). My team practices these tactics and so far we've had some great successes. Out of all the combat situations out there, CQB seems to be the most difficult. Hopefully this manual will make it less difficult and reduce the time it takes for you to develop your own SOPs and tactics. Good luck and Happy hunting.
Sadly due to the evil fun-spoiling spectre of health and safety many of the options that are open to armed forces today are not open to the average air soft player. These include but are not limited to: lock-busting shotgun shells, using a tank round to force a breach, using artillery to force a breach, using explosives to blow a hole in a wall, tear gas, flames throwers and other incendiary devices, air-mobile assaults, robots, dogs (a favourite of homeland security) and even monkeys. Even things like using ladders (think about it, it’s all fun and games until the fat guy in your team lands on you), buddy lifts and upper level entry may not be possible depending on the site.
Assaulting buildings is one of the most difficult and complex thing today’s armed forces have to deal with. They do not know exactly what situation they are going into and short of levelling it with air strikes, artillery or support weapons which is not always feasible depending on the ROE the defender pretty much always have the upper hand, though they lack the mobility of the attacking force. With speed being the key in assaults of this nature this will often mean multiple breaches, which exponentially increases the possibility of a Blue-on-Blue incident (friendly fire or fratricide). Now obviously things are not nearly as serious in a game but more than anything you will need team play and to know what the rest of your team is doing, trust them to do their job and ensure that you do yours.
Below are some dos and don’ts for assaulting buildings, many of them are common sense but bear repeating and perhaps the ones that are second nature to you may help someone else and vice versa. As ever this is not meant to be a comprehensive field manual style guide to urban combat just a few suggestions that will hopefully help your game:
Dos • Speed is the key, not just in terms of movement but in terms of observation. Defenders need to be located and dealt with rapidly using discriminating fire. Speed also limits your opponents chance to mount a significant counter attack. • Both the assault and the support elements need to be aware that they are threatened from all 360 degrees in three dimensions and often from concealed and reinforced positions. More than on open ground or in wooded areas, urban combat allows your opponents to conceal and dig in. • Choice of weapons is important. Shotguns are good (but check your field of fire for friendlies) as are pistols. Often in a house you will be fighting in close quarters and large weapons may prove unwieldy. There is a place for the SAW and that place is outside (see below). • Rate of Fire is important. Yes spraying on full auto can be a good, though far from full-proof, way of clearing a room but be very, very aware of were the rest of your assault force is. It is better to use semi-automatic or short burst on targets you have identified. (I know there’s little chance of anyone listening to that peace of advice. In the real world however 5.56mm and 7.62mm will cut through most internal wars killing friendly forces as well as opposing forces in nearby rooms.) • Always, always check your targets; make sure you know what your team and any allies look like and where they are likely to be during the assault. • If however the first team is taken out then feel free to respond with overwhelming firepower, again checking your field of fire. If you have the opportunity then do not lose the momentum of the assault and breach again or, if not possible, then withdraw under fire. • Attacking with multiple teams through multiple entrances is a good idea but you had better know what you and the other teams are doing because it increases the chances of a blue-on-blue incident exponentially. That means the plan has to be solid and each element of the assault has to stick to it as much as possible. Also you need to be familiar with how each member of your, and allied teams look to cut down on cases of violent mistaken identity. • If possible recce the target and the surrounding area as thoroughly as possible. • If you have the chance then make sure you know the layout of the room and the building you are a assaulting, discuss this with your team. Actually think about the layout and how it is going to affect your plans. • During planning/briefing make sure that you know what you are doing and what the rest of your team is doing as well as any supporting allies or friendlies. • If possible to do safely and within the rules of the game then assaulting from the top downwards is always preferable (though remember to adjust your supporting fire accordingly). Should you for some bizarre reason find yourself assaulting from the middle floors of a multi floor building then clear the top floors first and then work your way back down. In a situation like this always make sure you have people watching your back. • If there is a fire escape then remember it will be heavily defended and probably booby-trapped (I would, wouldn’t you?). If you choose to use it you had better have very good coordination with your support team and (multiple) sniper cover would be useful. • When approaching the target make sure you have support from sustained fire and if possible area effects weapons. The support team should engage with the defenders, keep their heads down enough for the assault team/s to close with the target. Obviously the support team should be very careful with its field of fire and this should have been planned before the assault. • Support fire can also be used to isolate the target building from other nearby opposing forces. • Just before the attack suppressing fire should be increased to mask the assault team/s approach. • When they are close the fire should be concentrated on upper levels of the target building. • When the assault team breaches supporting fire should switch to adjacent buildings with enemy forces in them to help isolate the target building. • Smoke can also be useful in closing with the target building. • If the game/site allows for vehicles then they can be used both as cover and to close with the target building. • Tracers can be useful in highlighting any especially truculent defenders positions. • Sniper/counter sniper cover is also very useful for more precision application of fire. • Wherever possible use cover approaching a target building and if possible stealth. Other buildings may also provide cover when approaching the target; they can also supply firing position for the support team. Basically use covered approaches where you have the chance. • Use a surprise attack were possible, remember largely all the advantages are with the defender, this is one of the few you can hope for. Bear in mind that any surprise achieved only lasts until the initial breach. (Of course grenades, lots of them, help with surprise.) • Minimise the equipment you carry, only take the bear necessities (yes I know it all looks lovely and you look very commando with everything on but…). This is for two reasons. The first is stealth and the second you are going to need to move quickly, often in cramped quarters with other people, the less encumbered you are the better. • Cross open areas as rapidly as possible. • Ideally you should only attack when covering fire has suppressed defensive fire. • Depending on numbers the support team should be assigned a specific areas to cover. • Wherever you have the chance use grenades before entering a room. Ball Pea Grenades if there is little chance of hitting friendlies/hostages etc. Thermobarics or Flash Bangs (depending on site rules) if friendlies or hostages are an issue. Yes we do sell these, yes we would like you to buy them however remember most of the time defenders will be ready for an assault, using grenades and similar distraction devices is one of the few ways of buying yourself enough time to get in the room and take out the defenders. Always ensure there are no friendlies in the room before using grenades. It is also military doctrine of both British and American forces. Also it’s fun. • Ahem…accepted military doctrine is to throw grenades vigorously into rooms to make it more difficult to grab and get rid of; also increasing it’s chances of defeating internal anti-grenade defences (sandbags, piles of debris etc.). I’m not saying you should do this just making you aware of military doctrine, I’ll leave the decision down to individual site rules, safety and your sense of fair play. • Use the least likely/suspected (safe and within the rules of the game and site) mode of entry. • The ideal squad size for clearing a room, dependent on the size of the room is four. I can be done with teams of 2-3 but shouldn’t really be tried on your own. More than that and you’ll just start to get in each other’s way and increase the chance of a Blue-on-Blue incident. • If the room is too small for a four-man team then send less in with the remaining member of the team acting as support for them. • Before entering the room each member of the team should have an area of responsibility (Americans call them PODs or Point of Domination but then they would). A tactic tried and tested in Mogadishu is to have the first man in move to the farthest corner from the door, the second and third move to the two near side corners and the fourth man just inside the doorway. (Remember this is a way of doing it, not the definitive way.) • Wherever possible vary your assault plan so the opposition don’t become used to it or become able to counter a set pattern. • Whilst in place before the breach it is best to communicate where possible via sign or touch to minimise the chance of giving away your position. • Always, where possible, move along the walls; if you move through the centre of the room you obscure your teammates’ field of fire. • Make sure your areas of responsibility cover the entire room and overlap. You all should be able to cover the majority of the room what you can’t cover one of you teammates should be able to. • However you choose to enter the room the key is to quickly observe the enemy and bring accurate fire to bear on them. Also if you are moving quickly you present a more difficult target and won’t get in the way of the guy or girl behind you. • If there is a door there ride it all the way to the wall or else it will just provide cover and concealment for your opponents. • Be aware of booby-traps. Look for them in doors, windows, halls, stairs (which are evil) and furniture. Where possible use previously cleared routes. • As soon as is practical (and adhering as much as possible the plan) have someone cover the stairs. They are choke points for attackers, excellent positions for defenders to fire down on the attackers and a good way for them to funnel the attackers. Also if the defenders know what they are doing there is a good chance they will be booby-trapped. Other than covering them they should be avoided whenever possible. • Make sure as much as possible you stick to the plan. Yes things will go wrong, yes you will have to improvise but remember everyone else in the team is acting on the assumption that you will be doing what was decided on. • Stagger teams when the first room is clear the next team is in with the first team providing security for them. When the second room is cleared then either the first team can move onto the third room with the second team providing security or, depending on the size of the force the third team can enter. Speed is the key but do not get in each other ways. • Where possible and enthusiasm and time commitments allow train and drill with your team so this sort of thing becomes second nature and you know what your team-mates are going to do in any given situation. • Once the building is taken don’t hang around congratulating yourself (you can do that in the pub later or during down time) immediately prepare to defend it against a counter attack. If need be and it’s that kind of game then now is the time to deal with wounded and/or prisoners (by shooting them, sorry too much caffeine). • Your support team should either join you in defence of the recently taken building or switch to support another assault. • Advise other allied or friendly forces of your situation.
Don’ts • Don’t use smoke inside the building. By all means use it to advance to the building but even with NVGs it is dangerous and will hinder you as much as the defenders. • If using smoke to approach the target building try not to obscure your support element’s field of fire. • If using grenades don’t go into the room until the grenade has detonated. Sound stupid? Watch Band of Brothers again. It’s easy to forget especially in the excitement of a breach. That said you want to be in immediately after the grenade has gone off. • Before entry or whilst waiting for the squad before you to clear a room do not bunch up, try not to make yourselves targets, wait in as secure an area as possible, provide suppressing fire or security where appropriate as long as it does not interfere with your job or the support units. Basically make yourself part of the solution not the problem. • When approaching the target building do not obscure your covering fields of fire. • Avoid as much as possible throwing grenades upwards, either up stairs or through upper windows. If they bounce back on you and your team you tend to become unpopular quite quickly. • Avoid standing by doors or windows and standing in halls and other open areas. • Ideally booby-traps should just be avoided, warn everyone of their presence but few assault plans have leeway for the amount of time it takes to disable a booby-trap.
There is a lot to take in but if a few of these tips stick they will hopefully make your life a bit easier and you’re a game a bit more successful.
Arguably not as much fun as assaulting buildings it’s important to know how to defend them against the inevitable assault, especially with the ever-increasing population of urban style airsoft sites.
The good thing about defending buildings is that other than loss of mobility things are heavily weighted in your favour. You have the strong defensive position, the command of your surrounding area and you don’t have to run into a hail of enemy fire.
Buildings provide cover, concealment for troops, equipment and other positions of strategic importance; they limit fields of fire and observation and block the movement of troops and vehicles. In short they are a pain in the arse for attackers, the idea behind this article is to try and make them even more of a pain in the arse. Defenders who know what they are doing should be able to seriously hinder, block and inflict heavy losses on a much larger force. As ever this article is not a definitive guide on how to defend a building just some, hopefully, useful hints to help improve your game and make the other team’s lives that little bit more difficult.
DO’s
• This is something I see done so rarely but it can be very effective. Surprise can be just as much an element of defence as attack. In real terms this means the once you’ve established your defensive positions, fortified as much as time, resources, safety and site/game rules allow, be quiet. Try to limit movement, try not to give away your position or silhouette yourself in a window etc. Even if the other team knows you’re there you can still gain an element of surprise and unnerve them by making the building seem still and/or deserted rather than a bustling hive of activity. It also means your team will present less of a target to their snipers, enemy team members on overwatch and other observant types. • Try to choose a defensive position that is going to be as difficult as possible to assault and time consuming or somehow difficult to avoid. If the enemy can easily avoid it then it will make for a bit of a quiet game for you. • The most obvious defensive position may not be the best one. Think laterally especially if the enemy does not know where you are, don’t make it easy for them by doing what they expect. • As much as possible the defending force should familiarise themselves with the territory so they can see if anything is amiss or has changed. Make sure you know where all the approaches are, the positions of cover and obstacles etc. • Defenders should take advantage of the abundant cover whilst trying to deny as much cover as possible to the opposing team. • The terrain should also be used to restrict as much as possible the attacking forces, whilst denying them anymore cover. This can often be a balancing act and there will often be site and safety restrictions as to how much the terrain can be mucked around with. Ideally what you want is a way to funnel the opposing force into your fields of fire. • Defensive positions should cover all approaches and potential areas of cover to the building. This should include overlapping fields of fire and whilst it is good for the team to have areas of responsibility they should be in a position to support each other. • If you’re going to be fighting from a static position then have your munitions close and convenient to hand, time and lots of ammunition tend to play a key part in defending a building, having everything squared away on your rigging is less important. • Grenades are your friends. Grenades can be thrown into recently taken rooms, sent to meet people coming up stairs, thrown out windows. Also breach teams tend bunch up together to the point where you’ve got to throw a grenade at them. Yes I know we sell grenades but this is also military doctrine and common sense. Pea ball grenades are the best but Thermobaric and Flash Bangs are also good but only if you follow them up with fire. If the grenades break them up and force them to scatter then make sure you have someone on hand to fire at them as they scramble for cover. • Grenades are also the attackers friends, where possible try and take advantage of grenade barriers and also force them to throw upwards to increase the chance of catching them with a bounce-back. • When initially occupying a building your primary aim should be to establish defensive positions that provide all round security using the available cover. If the time and site rules permit then you can think about improving that cover. However if you do choose to improve the cover make sure that at least some of your force (enough to do the job properly) is defending the building. You may want to rotate the personnel doing the reinforcing and those doing the defending depending on your sense of fair play. • If mounting a hasty defence then getting your sustained fire and heavy or crew served weapons in place is also a priority. • Ideally sustained fire weapons and the heavier weapons should be in the upper floors of a building where they have a better command of the terrain and more of a chance to fire into cover. They are among your strongest assets so make sure they well defended and supported. • The upper floors of a building are the best for observation and tend to be the most difficult for the attackers to fight up to. However they also draw the most fire. • Listen to your briefing. A particular building may be the attacking team’s objective but unless you have specifically been told otherwise that doesn’t mean you can’t use other buildings either to support the objective building, or even to act as a decoy and draw the enemy teams attention. Two buildings that have mutually supporting fields of fire are better than one and so on but make sure you have the personnel to do this. If using more than one building then it may be a good idea to make one of the buildings look as deserted as possible and wait until the attack is full flow before surprising the attackers through the medium of supporting fire. Again this is another benefit of using surprise whilst defending. • If you have a bit more time then see about camouflaging your fighting positions. Of course this is especially useful for any snipers on your team. • Make sure your fighting positions are away from the windows. Ideally they should be set back in the shadows of the room. • Again site and safety permitting use any available furniture as cover and make use of the available incidental cover of windows, doors, behind walls etc. Also many sites also have built in loopholes between rooms. The military also use the peaks of roofs but this is rarely safe for game purposes. If in doubt check with the site. • If time allows prepare your own fighting positions as best you can, make sure you have an alternate position and a supplementary one. Know where you are going if you have to fall back and make sure you have an escape route and a place to regroup. All team members should know where everyone else is and what their job is so they do not get in each other’s way. • Even if the building you are defending is the game’s objective have an escape route and regroup area planned. You can always counter attack and few attackers will expect this if they think they have taken the objective. • If the game allows vehicles then make sure you have a way to deal with them and any weapons capable of dealing with them are heavily supported. Vehicles are one of the best ways for attackers to close with your building. Also if you are able to then use obstacles to block vehicle approaches. • Again time and site rules permitting if there is terrain that provides an attacking force with cover booby trap it. There are few things more satisfying than watching someone getting blown up for trying to take cover in what they thought was a safe(ish) place. • Booby traps are also useful for warning of an enemies approach. • Booby traps can be useful in the building itself but your team needs to keep their wits around them to avoid setting them off themselves. • If you have pickets out to warn of an enemies approach make sure you’ve discussed their fall back and alternative fall back routes and make sure the other defenders know who they are and know to expect them. Radio contact is useful if the team can afford it, if not then passwords are good, especially at night. • Where possible and again depending on site rules you should deny the enemy the use of unused doors. Halls, passages and stairways, where practical, should be blocked, though this should not compromise safety and remember the defenders will still need to move around the building. • Stairs are your friend. They’re excellent choke points, you can throw grenades down them and you have an elevated firing position. If they trying throwing grenades at you then they have the added danger of bounce-back. • Securing sheets or ponchos to upper floor windows provides an excellent ad-hoc anti grenade defence. However this will also stop pellets so it may not really be in the spirit of the game, however netting may work better for the airsoft environment allowing the pellets in but keeping grenades out. • In the unlikely event that the enemy has access to the roof then make sure it is well covered. It is a lot easier to breach a building from the top down than it is to breach it from the bottom up. However be very heedful of safety if you are engaging in roof fighting. • Where possible utilise snipers. If they have reasonable camouflage and observation skills (which they should have) they can be useful as pickets. • Depending on how much time you want to spend on this it can be useful to have and rehearse a general plan for building defence for when your team has to mount a hasty defence. At the very least it’s useful to have responsibilities assigned.
Don’ts • Don’t be afraid to use the least popular member of the team as a decoy. • Despite the superiority of the upper floors as fighting positions do not neglect the defence of the lower floors. • Don’t shoot as soon as you see the opposing force. Ideally you should wait until as much of their force is vulnerable as possible whilst closing with your building and then fire. This is why surprise is still useful as a defensive tactic to lull the attacking forces into a false sense of security. • Don’t lean out the window. You’ll get shot and you’ll look stupid doing it. If you can’t see them then wait or throw a grenade at them. Remember when you’re defending a building sooner or later they will come to you. • Smoke Grenades are not your friends (see it’s not just about advertising). They are useful for the attackers to close on your building but just tend to cause confusion for defenders. If you see smoke and think that attackers may be using it to close with the building then if you can afford the ammunition use a reconnaissance by fire to dissuade them. • If the game involves hostage rescue then don’t be afraid to booby trap them, use them as cover/human shields or cap them to deny the other team victory. (What?! I’m kidding!)
