America's Army: Special Forces/FARP Raid Tactics

So you like to play the farm, and you want to play it well. You want to be one of the best on the map; but some things elude you? Well sit back relax and you will learn some of the best kept simple secrets about playing and winning on the Farm.

The FARM is broken down into THREE SECTIONS.
1) The CABBAGE (East and WEST), The CORN (CENTER.
2) The HAY FIELDS (EAST, CENTER, WEST).
3) The COMPOUND.

Of those THREE basic sections the strategic operations develop, flourish or die. We take one section at a time:

THE CABBAGE AND THE CORN: These areas are the SPAWN (Landing Zone) for the ASSAULTING FORCE. This is their HOME BASE if you will. The objective for the Assaulting force on the FARM is to get from their Spawn point into the compound to:
a) Kill all the defending personnel.
b)blow up the HIND in the center of the compound.

To do this they must leave their HOME BASE and ADVANCE on the enemy.

THE HAY FIELDS: This is NO MANS LAND a neutral area between the Assaulting forces HOME BASE and the enemy compound. The hay fields are considered a NEUTRAL area for one reason. Who ever is forced to remain in them is forced to be in the open and more likely to be seen and make a mistake that will cost them dearly.

THE COMPOUND: This is the area that begins at the tree line and is flanked on the EAST side by a farm house, centered with a large barn, and a tree line on the WEST. This is the DEFENDING FORCES HOME BASE. Their objective DEFEND the HIND.

Now that you know the general areas of the map, and the objectives. You need to know how to accomplish those objectives. We will begin with the assaulting force.

ASSAULT: To complete your objective you must determine ONE of TWO things:
1) Your opponent’s strength.
2) The security of their defenses.

You may think those are the same thing but they are not:

OPPONENTS STRENGTH: An opponents strength is not in his ability to keep a secure area. It is his command structure. Do they work as a team? Do they follow orders? Do they know what the objective is? Those are the areas of your opponent’s strength.

SECURITY OF DEFENCES: An opponents Security of their defenses is based on their ability to cover fixed positions. Maintain a vigilant presence and repel invaders. Knowing when a position is fortified and allowing remaining forces to cover it. Knowing when to move to a new position to provide reinforced cover. Knowing when to retreat to a secondary location for a more strategic defense.

So how do you as an assaulting force TEST these theories? Well in actual combat you would draw up many different plans of attack and submit them for approval. Once done you would suck it up and go for it , when it is all said and done that is truly all you can do.

In a game like this however where you have unlimited attempts to try your theories in action you have to still suck it up and go for it , but at least here.........you get to do it again if it fails.

ASSAULT ONE: THE RUSH Rushing the defense is simple you bulldoze your way through the enemy defenses or die trying. First you should always remember on a "dead rush" smoke is your friend. Always smoke your advance. Two or three people should smoke the affronting positions and then the next two or three behind them should grenade through the cover of the smoke provided. As soon as they have advanced their grenades they should throw a second line of smoke deeper into the defensive positions. The first line who initially smoked the defensive line should now advance their grenades through the second line of smoke. If you do this as a unit all in one area then you will advance with an uncovered flank. So you should always have one person to the rear covering you flank from the rest of the map. This person is almost always in all branches of the military called "mother" i.e. "The one who watches over you"

ASSAULT TWO: THE CREEP Creeping is the tactic devised from the idea of "escape and evade" but using it as a tactical weapon. Many times a false rush will allow one or two, sometimes three men to slowly advance in open ground without fear of detection, because they do it well away from the actual are of engaged combat. Fence lines, ditches, covering from lines of sight, camouflage are all very good uses for advancement.

ASSAULT THREE: CAMPING Now this is where REALITY ends and the game begins. No assaulting force is EVER going to not advance on their objective. You see if they did not advance they would leave. They can not just wait forever.....

But in the world of video games "camping" is a tactical maneuver for an assaulting force. Why?.......because in video games RAMBO IS ALIVE AND WELL! You see the Defense know you are coming, and you know the defense knows you are coming. So you have an opportunity to make the defense come to you. If the defense breaks their lines and becomes the assaulting force themselves, then all you have to do is use reverse tactical advantage on them.....you are now the hunter, and they are the ones in the open.

In this game the BEST ASSAULTING FORCE is an assaulting force that hopes the defense will come looking for them. Because every defender who breaks the line and comes after you leaves a gap in their defenses for another member of your squad to advance through.

So there you have it.......those are the THREE sure fire forms of winning from Assault on the FARM in America's Army.

Now for the other side of the coin.

DEFENSE: The sole objective of the defense is to PROTECT THE HIND. Period nothing else. No matter what anyone would have you believe. THAT is your sole mission. Everything is in your favor to do so:
1) Time limit is in your favor.
2) Defense from cover is in your favor.
3) Defense from a structured perimeter is in your favor.

All you must do is wait for the assaulting force to come for you. If they don't you win by default If they do you have a structured perimeter to repel them from.

The tactics of defense are a bit different than those of the assault. One thing you should NEVER DO (but many ignore and do anyway) is to venture into NO MANS LAND aka the "HAY FIELDS". There is no reason for you to go out there other than selfish reasons:
1) If you abandon your post and go into the hay fields you open a hole in the line of your defense.
2) If the assault breaks the lines and gains control of the compound you have to regain ground you already had to begin with.
3) If you ignore the wishes and orders of your other squad members and play. Assault from the defense you are ignoring teamwork and the objective of the map.
4) You can not defend the HIND by assaulting from the defense.

Defense has several layers to fall back on:
1) The tree line, barn, house, these are all the PERIMETER of your compound your line of defense should always start there.
2) The secondary line should always begin at the stables, humvee building, rear of house, and rear of barn.
3) You should NEVER fall back to the silos, boondocks, or the south fence unless you have considered there to be no hope of holding the objective. You can not defend from the rear.
4) You must NEVER begin your defense of an objective from the rear. Defending from the rear is like playing football and giving the opposing team 99 yards of playing field and you try to hold 1st and goal from the 1 yard line.

Now with all of that being said, and about 90% of that being based on solid tactical training........lets go over what is almost always going to happen at one time or another.

Someone on the defense is always going to rush.......sometimes entire squads will rush. It is the nature of the "we do not want to wait" mentality. And you have to determine whether you do the right thing and follow the TOS of the GAME and the ROE of the map....or if you follow them. Just remember every time you leave that compound you are leaving the objective behind. You also have to determine if YOU are the RAMBO player of the game. When you rush out alone and leave your squad behind, you forget about teamwork, you forget about the objective. All you are concerned with is being the "winner"..........not with YOUR TEAM WINNING...do you understand the difference?

Well there you have it the definitive tactical guide to winning and surviving on the FARM....(written 2/10/03 originally for the -={CIB}=- Squad Forums)

-={CIB}=-LstBoyScout

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