The necessity of FOB squads: discussion

[Solarmare]

One of my least favorite things is to be in an FOB squad, either you wait until command tell you to go or when the Marines have already lost and aliens are knocking on the barricades. You could say it's necessary but that doesn't save it from being a bore.

[edda]

I mean, it's telling to me (at least) that in well coordinated marine victories, the FOB never came into play at all. FOBs win games when the xenos have the advantage but whittle it away on bad pushes.

Necessary? I think it's a great way to hedge risk. A necessary way to hedge risk, even. But it's certainly conceivable to me that a very confident and aggressive CO can get away with no FOB.

[Kesserline]

I mean, it's telling to me (at least) that in well coordinated marine victories, the FOB never came into play at all. FOBs win games when the xenos have the advantage but whittle it away on bad pushes.

Necessary? I think it's a great way to hedge risk. A necessary way to hedge risk, even. But it's certainly conceivable to me that a very confident and aggressive CO can get away with no FOB.

That's mah boy !

[Surrealistik]

I mean, it's telling to me (at least) that in well coordinated marine victories, the FOB never came into play at all. FOBs win games when the xenos have the advantage but whittle it away on bad pushes.

Necessary? I think it's a great way to hedge risk. A necessary way to hedge risk, even. But it's certainly conceivable to me that a very confident and aggressive CO can get away with no FOB.

This only works if you have A: unusually coordinated Marines, and B: really bad Beanos that don't know how to fight defensively (or don't have the castes for it) which is what they're best at, especially since the nerf to bullets vs resin structures.

[Dragoon47]

There's something to be said about the ease of mind that comes with not having to worry about a Xeno flank ending with all the LZ patients being dragged off, or not having to combat-orient your way all the way from the LZ to the front when speed is of the essence, or, worse still, having to roller a wounded marine back over terrain you know isn't secure whatsoever.

Knowing that even three guys are ready to shoot at things interrupting your utility near a FOB is also a fine thing. There's a little less 'end is nigh' about certain things that would otherwise not be done for safety's sake.

[AverageSpitter]

>Be me
>My squad gets assigned FOB duty
>Instantly yell ''FUCK!'' everytime the squad im in gets FOB duty

[SolarMacharius]

In my experience you can get away with half a squad holding the FOB while the other half fights. You should always have someone guarding it, as wandering aliens like to slash or acid barricades if no one is there. having people station at the FOB also means wounded get loaded on the dropship easier and supplies sent down can be offloaded to troops. In addition, its a good place to keep a healthy reserve force that can take the place of a badly mauled squad. The reserves move up to take the place of the other squad while the damaged squad regroups and rearms.

[Nickvr628]

Rotating squads through FOB and the Front Lines is the best option. It lets the battered squads lick their wounds and be resupplied, and allows a fresh squad to continue to push. It takes some coordination to get right, but it is a very good tactic.

Also, too many people get stuck on the idea of having a single FOB. Everywhere that a squad stays for more than a few minutes should be fortified to an extend. It is much better to have several small fortified locations throughout the map, than a single "Super FOB" in the nexus. Even if the fortifications are just a few barricades facing the enemy and a mounted smartgun, that is still a major advantage to have.

[Lyiat]

Without an FoB force, you get a hunter sneaking on the dropship, sniping the PO and any injured on board, and then wreking havoc on the Almayer. I've seen it happen. The marines recovered but it wasn't pretty.

[HKO20006]

Barricades are like towers in RTS games, they are built to free up your unit to actually attack and win. While the only tower in CM is sentry, barricades work the same way: secured choke ponit/FOB require only few marines to guard, freeing the rest to help the front.

[BillyBoBBizWorth]

Most rounds, the first FOB/LZ protection is a must! The only thing that gets me, is that even with squad selection on random, i seem to be FOB so often, that when assigned to a assault/scout squad, its feel so unfamiliar.

[kooarbiter]

>Be me
>My squad gets assigned FOB duty
>Instantly yell ''FUCK!'' everytime the squad im in gets FOB duty

bananas for life

[xXen0zS1ay3rXx]

'You are assigned to the FOB' usually means leaving with another squad. I only got stuck with FOB twice, and both times I sat there digging dirt as the other squads easily mopped up the benos and I missed all the fun.

I don't do FOB duty anymore. Many more frags that way.

[kooarbiter]

'You are assigned to the FOB' usually means leaving with another squad. I only got stuck with FOB twice, and both times I sat there digging dirt as the other squads easily mopped up the benos and I missed all the fun.

I don't do FOB duty anymore. Many more frags that way.

It's not so bad as engi and SL, everything else is mind numbing and mostly involves praying that the front line troops lose so you can see some action

[Aestel]

I tend to underestimate the power and the value of a FOB and its marines.

But, when an offensive has deeply failed, and the FOB is the only rempart before losing, and the FOB holds good and break the aliens comeback. Then, you see the true value of a good FOB and a good garrison.

Yet, that doesn't strip any value from small fortifications made directly on the frontline.

But good FOB with good marines in there can prevent a Xeno major from happening, yet, delaying automatically the round because both sides (USCM lost their offensive and Xenos too) are basically broken.

Personally, I dislike being on FOB duty, but having a good FOB is always a good thing.

Most FOBs are pretty bad though. They are also a massive waste of resources in the majority of circumstances and by the time you have to use it you've already lost. I dunno what the solution to this is though, I've been thinking of making 2x2 isolated boxes to the front within sight-line of eachother with one or two marines in each from the FOB squad to hold routes better to the front, and just a token wall outside the dropship.

[xXen0zS1ay3rXx]

It's not so bad as engi and SL, everything else is mind numbing and mostly involves praying that the front line troops lose so you can see some action

Except I've never seen them lose.

[Casany]

Best FOBs are FOBs built against a wall with only 5-10 men assigned.

One entrance, one exit, only from one direction. If you lose you die.

A man who’s cornered and is afraid he’ll die fights with the strength of 8 marines