What this is about
A coordinated assault is an advance by several teams on the same objective. The gain is that the opponent has to split. The danger is getting in each other’s way – up to and including friendly fire.
Preparation
- Assign entrances. Every team has its route. Two teams at the same door are one team.
- Agree a start signal. One person gives it, everyone waits for it.
- Clarify the meeting point and the boundary. How far does which team go? That is the rule against friendly fire.
- Agree an abort signal. One that everyone knows.
- Clarify comms channels. One shared channel for calls so both teams have the same picture.
Tasks and roles
On top of the fireteam roles comes one more: the overall lead. He does not fight, he has the picture. He gives the start signal, tracks the boundary and calls the abort. In small groups one of the team leads takes this on – but it has to be someone.
Equipment
Both teams should be able to tell each other apart – if in doubt by calls, not by looks. Throwables have to be agreed: a grenade the other team does not know about hits the other team. What exists is in understanding weapons.
Hand signals, light and throwables are the signals that work beyond comms – especially when two teams cannot see each other.
| Game action | Default keyboard/mouse | Default joystick | Trigger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | np_5 | not bound by default | single press |
| Stop | np_2 | not bound by default | single press |
| Left | np_1 | not bound by default | single press |
| Right | np_3 | not bound by default | single press |
| Yes | np_4 | not bound by default | single press |
| No | np_6 | not bound by default | single press |
| Weapon Select Radial Menu | 1 | not bound by default | hold |
| Throwable Select Radial Menu | G | not bound by default | hold |
| Throw - Overarm & Two-Handed | Mouse left | not bound by default | hold |
| Throw - Underarm | Mouse right | not bound by default | hold |
| Flashlight (Toggle) | T | not bound by default | toggle |
| Helmet (Equip) | Left Alt + H | not bound by default | toggle |
| Move Forward | W | not bound by default | hold |
| Move Backwards | S | not bound by default | hold |
| Move Left | A | not bound by default | hold |
| Move Right | D | not bound by default | hold |
| Sprint | Left Shift | not bound by default | toggle |
Game default binding, game version 4.10.0-hotfix (55227). If you rebound it yourself, your binding applies.
HOTAS/HOSAS: the joystick column is the default binding of ONE stick. On two sticks you assign pitch, yaw, roll and lateral strafe yourself – which axis a manoeuvre needs is listed in the HOTAS / HOSAS section.
Sequence
- Approach separately. Each team to its entrance.
- Report “ready”. Both teams, before anyone advances.
- Wait for the start signal. Even if it takes a while.
- Advance at the same time. Each team in its area.
- Call the boundary. “We are at the middle” – before you cross it.
- Meet and report. The building is only taken once both teams have reported.
- Break off together. On one signal, not team by team.
- Goal
- Lead two teams to the same objective by separate routes, with a shared start signal.
- Preparation
- Six to eight players, a building with two entrances, an organiser with overview. Start without opponents.
- Task
- Both teams move separately to their entrances, report “ready” and wait. The organiser gives the start signal. Both advance at the same time and meet in the middle. Then debrief: who arrived first, where would friendly fire have happened?
- Success criterion
- Both teams meet in the middle without the organiser being able to name a spot where they would have shot each other.
- Partner
- required
- Functions needed
- Forward
- Stop
- Left
- Right
- Yes
- No
Risk and reward
The biggest risk of a coordinated assault is not the opponent but your own second team. Friendly fire almost always happens in the same place: at the boundary nobody defined beforehand.
The return: an opponent who has to react in two places at once makes mistakes he would not make otherwise. That is what the effort is for.
Typical mistakes
- Attacking without a boundary. Reliably leads to friendly fire.
- Moving without a start signal. Then one team attacks alone.
- Two teams at one entrance. The advantage is gone, the risk remains.
- Overloading comms. Twice as dangerous with two teams.
- Aborting team by team. The remaining team is then on its own.
Next step
What each team must bring is in mission loadouts. The complete preparation of a ground operation is a template in Mission Control: FPS ground operation.