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Combat Roles: The Art of the Flanker

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Rogatien Merc Red Star. EoN. 749	Posted - 2013.08.19 19:23:00 - [1] - Quote Combat Roles: The Art of the Flanker So you're tired of running headlong into a wall of bullets and getting mowed down as much as you ... mow? Tired of running shotgun or nova knife fits because Close Quarters suicide missions are getting expensive even if it's the only thing that make you feel alive? Well have I got the role for you! You my friend, want to be a Flanker. First Things First... In this discussion, I will use terms like "formation" and "flank" that are not always directly applicable to Dust due to the fast-paced nature of combat in this game. However, thinking about the battlefield in terms of terrain, height advantage, consolidation and distribution of forces, forward lines of friendly and enemy troops, flow of battle, and flanking is helpful in guiding your actions on the battlefield, whether as an individual playing solo with blueberries or in support of a cohesive squad. This guide is specifically about the Flanker Combat Role, and other details of battlefield tactics will be addressed minimally if at all. What Is A Flanker? A Flanker is one who guards the flank (i.e. the direction your Main Force is NOT facing) and/or attacks the flank of an enemy. In Dust, this is generally a faster suit that has a med-long engagement range... we'll get to "why" later. Why Flank? Attacking the sides of an enemy formation can significantly disrupt that formation's operations and momentum. It is disorienting to be attacked by an enemy you have not seen from a direction you are not looking. When attacked in the flank, one must either ignore the attack - which results in easy pickings for the enemy flanker - or respond to the attack. If ignored, a single flanker can take out large numbers of enemies... the proverbial "ducks in a barrel" analogy, which immediately reduces the enemy's combat power and allows your Main Force to advance and overwhelm the enemy formation. If the enemy chooses to respond, their attention in whole or in part will be TURNED to focus on the flanker, thus allowing the friendly Main Force to engage the new, turned formation's flank. If only part of the force turns, then the Main Force will have a numerical advantage as the enemy formation has effectively been partially encircled (surrounded). "All of that theorycrafting is well and good, but what does it mean? How do I ACTually become A Flanker?" The short answer to that is, well, figure out where the main engagement is, start from behind your main force and circle around the enemy so that you can attack them at an angle greater than or equal to 90 degrees from the direction they are firing. Any light or assault suit can do this in general regardless of how it is set up, but that is too easy, and this is a guide dammit! Must have details! If you want to specialize your combat role and distinguish yourself as a Flanker as opposed to a Frontline Assault, you want to keep several things in mind: Speed, Survivability, and Independence. Your speed is going to allow you to maneuver around the battlefield quickly to place yourself on the enemy's flanks, as well as chase enemy flankers that are attempting to do the same to your formation. Survivability entails ensuring you have enough tank to outlast enemies that begin to chase you, range so that you can engage multiple enemies beyond their optimals, and 'bounce back' which allows you to quickly regenerate hitpoints. Independence is a key factor in that you will operate alone so must ensure you have enough ammunition, armor repair, and a means to return to combat in a timely manner upon Clone Death. With those considerations in mind, we will begin looking at dropsuit choice. The Meaty Bits: Your Dropsuit Considering the above factors, there are two dropsuits that will perform well in the Flanker role: The Minmatar Assault - primary flanker - and the Caldari Assault - secondary flanker. They are both inherently fast and can use low slots for speed modules (SPEED), can utilize low slots for speed while be shield tanked for quick bounce back (SURVIVABILITY) and have sidearms which allows for both med-long and short-med range options meaning they do not require others to protect them at close range (INDEPENDENCE). The racial basic medium frame dropsuits are suitable if no assault options are available, but the assault bonuses for each race are of significant benefit in the flanker role. Of these two dropsuits, the Minmatar Assault is preferred due to the significant bonus to sidearm, the higher base speed, and built-in armor repair making the Caldari Assault the second choice in this role despite its higher base hitpoints. Weaponry In the role of Flanker (as opposed to Infiltrator... for another guide), it is desirable to have a med-long range light weapon and a sidearm effective at close quarters combat. The options are generally Tactical Assault Rifle, Scrambler Rifle, or in certain circumstances, the Mass Driver. Every sidearm can fulfill the role of close quarters firearm which leaves the sidearm choice up to the user, but the Assault Sub-Machine Gun provides additional support at medium range to continue harassment at range when the light weapon's clip is spent. Excels in disruption of compact enemy formations and can be deadly in the right hands, but requires fixed nanohive/supply depot support; generally more suited for a Fire Support role from within or behind the friendly Main Force.
Rogatien Merc Red Star. EoN. 749	Posted - 2013.08.19 19:24:00 - [2] - Quote Example Loadout: - 1x Adv Min Assault - 3x Complex Shield Extenders; these provide the buffer you need to survive an engagement. - 1x Basic Reactive Plates; combined with the 1hp/s inherent armor repair, this provides additional buffer and bounce back - 1x Enhanced Cardiac Regulator; you often will traverse the entire map, and the stamina boost will help you do this. It also allows you to outrun enemies that might chase you. - 1x Glu-5 Tactical Assault Rifle; this precision weapon is ideally suited for the Flanker role - 1x M209 Assault Submachine Gun; longer-range combined with high rate of fire allows this weapon to fulfill the role of main weapon at close range where the Tactical Assault Rifle becomes unwieldy. - 1x Stable Drop Uplink General Tactics and Tips: - Utilize Terrain. Your strength is your speed, and if you can put a small hill or ridge between you and an overwhelming force that is chasing you, you will survive longer. Use terrain to cover your approach to a flanking position, and be aware of terrain around your main force in order to intelligenctly guard against enemy flankers. Use height to your advantage when possible. An understanding of the map, key map features, initial spawn points, and later spawn points is key. - Know your goals. Depending on the situation, your goal may NOT be to kill a large number of enemies. Your may be better off putting one or two rounds into several different enemies in order to maximize your DISRUPT effect. You will disrupt their shield recharge rates, get them to run away and take cover, and stop firing on your own forces which will relieve pressure on the friendly Main Force. - Understand Numerical Advantage. You will always be alone. Therefore, the rest of your team numbers fifteen. If you can get three or four enemies to chase you, hopefully without killing you due to your evasive maneuvers and speed, then that means there are fewer enemies facing your main force. If you can pick them off one at a time from range, even better. - When Pinned Down Alone. Remember the line from "We Were Soldiers" that "there is always one more thing that you can do". Throw grenades, ensure you have a drop uplink deployed nearby to enable you to return and immediately continue the engagement. Be overly aggressive in short bursts to force enemies into cover one at a time and allow you to single them out. Run far away from the front lines of battle and make the enemy chase you to maximize the amount of time these enemies are absent from their front line. You must always have cover nearby. Always. - When Pinned Down with the Main Force. Sometimes you find yourself with the main force due to movement in the battle or your orbit to the other side of the battlefield. If it happens that the main force is becoming overwhelmed, your job is to be the last man standing... far away from the battle. At this point your job is to slow the Main Force's demise in hopes reinforcements can come; a Flank in this situation will not do enough in time to save the Main Force. Utilize your drop uplink to bring reinforcements in behind the lines. Utilize your range to avoid death yourself, and fire at many targets at once to slow the enemy advance. Assist your front line soldiers by 'finishing off' enemies that are engaging your front line in close quarters. You may be the difference between a collapse and a setback. Adaptation: The Hunter As opposed to the Flanker who engages the enemy's sides, the Hunter is a much faster, much lighter variation that utilizes a similar setup to hunt out snipers in the hills and pick off stragglers around the extreme edges of the battlefield. This can eliminate the enemy's force multipliers (kill a sniper reporting on friendly movements and harassing friendly formations) and with luck score major successes (kill vehicle users on the edges of battle as they are calling in their vehicles). While he may engage in similar duties as the flanker, the Hunter must maintain awareness of his own frailty and use speed and stealth to avoid close quarters combat. Example Loadout: - 1x Adv Min Light/Scout - 2x Complex Shield Extenders - 1x Basic Reactive Plate - 1x Enhanced Cardiac Regulator - 1x Glu-5 Tactical Assault Rifle - 1x Toxin Submachine Gun A Note on Infiltration An infiltrator is any dropsuit designed for close quarters combat and specializing in attacking enemy formations from WITHIN the enemy formations. This includes shotgun scouts and dual-SMG Minmatar Assaults; this Combat Role is noted here only to remind the user that the Flanker's job is NOT to infiltrate. Closing Remarks Go forth and Flank. Good luck! o7
Rogatien Merc Red Star. EoN. 749	Posted - 2013.08.19 19:37:00 - [3] - Quote Adaptation: The Hunter As opposed to the Flanker who engages the enemy's sides, the Hunter is a much faster, much lighter variation that utilizes a similar setup to hunt out snipers in the hills and pick off stragglers around the extreme edges of the battlefield. This can eliminate the enemy's force multipliers (kill a sniper reporting on friendly movements and harassing friendly formations) and with luck score major successes (kill vehicle users on the edges of battle as they are calling in their vehicles). While he may engage in similar duties as the flanker, the Hunter must maintain awareness of his own frailty and use speed and stealth to avoid close quarters combat. Example Loadout: - 1x Adv Min Light/Scout - 2x Complex Shield Extenders - 1x Basic Reactive Plate - 1x Enhanced Cardiac Regulator - 1x Glu-5 Tactical Assault Rifle - 1x M1 Locus Grenade - 1x Toxin Submachine Gun A Note on Infiltration An infiltrator is any dropsuit designed for close quarters combat and specializing in attacking enemy formations from WITHIN the enemy formations. This includes shotgun scouts and dual-SMG Minmatar Assaults; this Combat Role is noted here only to remind the user that the Flanker's job is NOT to infiltrate. Closing Remarks Go forth and Flank. Good luck! o7
Rogatien Merc Red Star. EoN. 1154	Posted - 2013.09.13 15:13:00 - [4] - Quote Update for 1.4: Given the scanning changes in 1.4, it is recommended any flanker skill into advanced active scanners and make room for an A-45 Quantum Active Scanner. This has a greater benefit for this role than any other piece of equipment. With this in mind, the Minmatar Logi is now an excellent option for a flanker as the active scanner should allow the flanker to minimize CQC engagements. The logi also possesses the multiple equipment slots allow for a plethora of 'behind enemy lines' operations, including usage of Remote Explosives (ambushes and to mitigate CQC threat) and nanohives to replenish said explosives.
Chewie Parker Black Phoenix Mercenaries 18	Posted - 2013.09.13 15:26:00 - [5] - Quote Good posts , i use the min logi and have been set up to do this from day one , i tend to try and lay forwarding positions along with cutting around the side to flank opponents ,,,,, i also play openside flanker (rugby) in real life ,,,,, long live the no. Seven :)
Fox Gaden Immortal Guides 980	Posted - 2013.09.13 17:14:00 - [6] - Quote Very nice guide.
gbghg L.O.T.I.S. 3455	Posted - 2013.09.13 18:47:00 - [7] - Quote I'd just like to say that the HMG heavy makes for a kickass flanker, it takes time for you to get there, but once you get there... Given a few seconds and a bunch of unaware reddots even a basic HMG can wreck serious harm. And if you manage to find cover and stay alive you can force a portion if the enemy force to shift their fire onto you, reducing the pressure on your main force. That said the heavy works best with another bluedot around, the equipment they carry can keep you annoying the enemy for much longer than is otherwise possible.
Blake Kingston Sinq Laison Gendarmes Gallente Federation 82	Posted - 2013.09.14 14:24:00 - [8] - Quote gbghg wrote: I'd just like to say that the HMG heavy makes for a kickass flanker, it takes time for you to get there, but once you get there... Given a few seconds and a bunch of unaware reddots even a basic HMG can wreck serious harm. And if you manage to find cover and stay alive you can force a portion if the enemy force to shift their fire onto you, reducing the pressure on your main force. That said the heavy works best with another bluedot around, the equipment they carry can keep you annoying the enemy for much longer than is otherwise possible. Geez, you want to be working in some pretty dense terrain and not open plains, to try that on!
gbghg L.O.T.I.S. 3461	Posted - 2013.09.14 16:44:00 - [9] - Quote Blake Kingston wrote: gbghg wrote: I'd just like to say that the HMG heavy makes for a kickass flanker, it takes time for you to get there, but once you get there... Given a few seconds and a bunch of unaware reddots even a basic HMG can wreck serious harm. And if you manage to find cover and stay alive you can force a portion if the enemy force to shift their fire onto you, reducing the pressure on your main force. That said the heavy works best with another bluedot around, the equipment they carry can keep you annoying the enemy for much longer than is otherwise possible. Geez, you want to be working in some pretty dense terrain and not open plains, to try that on! It works best on urban maps were there's plenty of cover, you just get destroyed in Open terrain.
Yan Darn DUST University Ivy League 136	Posted - 2013.09.14 17:47:00 - [10] - Quote Excellent guide. This is pretty much how I play my Gal Scout (if only because head on engagements are suicide anyway). Obviously I don't have the tank to maintain pressure - so if the initial jump doesn't result in all deaths, I let the enemies draw themselves out of position. The scout speed and shield recharge speed means its a little easier to run from cover to cover taking a few bursts with an AR or semi-auto ScR (charged with a few normal shots) - or even plasma cannon shots! Between the active scanner, low profile, and radar (not much, but good when anticipating reds coming around corners/cover) - you can keep the enemy occupied and distracted looking for you, while having a good chance of grinding them down or just flanking them all over again!

ALPHA DECRIPTER M.E.R.C. Conventional Forces 442	Posted - 2013.09.15 08:52:00 - [11] - Quote Thanks for taking the time to help the BBs of DUST. +1 I personally play a light flanker at the start and if all goes well I switch to a Hunter role. As a flanker with enhanced hacking abilities I find it to be outrageously fun to hack instillations, objectives, and vehicles while the enemy is already aware of my presence (they normally aren't though). I once flanked to the enemy's redline and noticed a lone assault standing next to his vehicle and there was a railgun right behind him. I took my time to get in close and hack the instillation. When he noticed It was hacked he went to hack it back, I then started hacking his LAV. When he noticed me he came running but it was too late. I had hacked his ride from under his nose and drove off. Because he never finished hacking the turret I was able to drive off freely lol. This brings me to my point.... System Hacking is crucial for both flankers AND hunters as it makes the decision of "to hack, or not to hack" 25% easier. `Sigh. Just another fun game of DUST.
Reav Hannari Red Rock Outriders 1282	Posted - 2013.09.15 16:38:00 - [12] - Quote I run my Infiltrator fit for flanking. As a lone wolf I'm always looking to hit from behind or the side. The logistics suit is already hard to be passively scanned except by scouts and other logistics. The Minmatar variant is great for guerrilla operations with its speed and hacking bonus. I trained hacking 5 to be even quicker. With uplinks, hives and a good active scanner I can operate independently and provide an insertion point for my team behind enemy lines. The next part of my training plan is to disappear from advanced active scanners when in my logistics suit since I can't carry everything I need on my scout suit.
Operative 1171 Aajli Bragian Order Amarr Empire 320	Posted - 2013.09.15 23:54:00 - [13] - Quote My cheap flank gear (that is good for any med/long range target not paying attention to you) is the Dragonfly scout, Toxin SMG and GLU or Duv Tac rifle. I went to this to be a close range sniper and it is great for flanking. Usually the targets are not paying attention to you so the scout suit is very survivable. You shoot at one flank and then if too hot after that run around to the other side or stop at med/long range in the middle and hit a few. I don't usually get the kills but it helps for team to push in by getting the targets down mostly to dead. The scout suit helps me to move back or around to opposite flank fast. I can still use most "close range" sniper locations I use otherwise too.


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