Countermeasures or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Technology
Countermeasures is the least flashy of all the roles, however for your typical line-of-batttle infantry soldier, arguably the most useful. Frontlines is a game in which neither killing nor being killed is difficult, and countermeasures is primarily a
defensive role. This makes it a grunt's best friend, and consequently, this should be the baseline role by which to judge the others in any situation.
Overview
Unlike the other roles, countermeasures is exactly the same for both Western Coalition and Red Star. However, you should read the other role guides first because this role's utility derives largely from interfering with other role abilities.
Rank 1: Drone Cloak
The drone cloak (my term) is a passive ability. It doesn't need to be equipped or activated, and it's always on whenever you are using the countermeasure role. The drone cloak prevents enemy recon drones from detecting you. Under normal circumstances whenever you are within range of an active enemy recon drone, you will appear both on enemy players' mini-maps as well as on their HUDs. You won't live long if your position is exposed since combat in this game relies on a certain level of stealth, so this is an exceptionally useful ability for an infantry soldier. Note this doesn't make you invisible, however, so if a drone hasn't been left unattended the pilot can still see you.
Dealing with it:
From the other side, you have to remember that an overhead drone isn't going to be picking up people with countermeasures. A drone in the sky will certainly be helpful, however relying on it too much will get you shot in the back from time to time. A squad working together is unlikely to be all countermeasures so an unattended drone can still provide some useful early warning... for combat intel however you're going to need someone actively searching for hostiles.
Rank 2: EMP Rocket
The EMP rockets looks identical to the anti-vehicle missile launcher, however funtionally it has two differences. First, when it hits a vehicle, drone or sentry gun it does no damage, instead it disables the target for about five seconds (and you can hit a target over and over to keep it continuously disabled). Note that it does not completely disable vehicles; a vehicle that has been EMPed cannot move, and any turret mounted weapons will traverse very slowly. Weapons, however, will fire normally, so an EMPed vehicle can still be a threat if its gun is pointing at you. The other way this differs from a normal rocket launcher is that it is unguided; the upside of which is that a vehicle driver gets no advanced warning of an incoming EMP rocket.
The great thing about this weapon is that it gives an ordinary infantry soldier back some control over his life, especially on large, combined arms maps. You have some anti-vehicle/equipment capability without having to sacrifice your primary weapon (since the anti-vehicle kit comes with only the rocket launcher and a sidearm). You might not be able to kill a tank that comes along, but you can keep yourself alive, or harass it and keep it frozen in place until reinforcements arrive. Working in a team, EMP rockets can make your squad's anti-vehicle guy absolutely deadly to vehicles... a disabled vehicle is effectively defenseless and can easily be destroyed by either missiles or demo-charges. Drones are also trivially easy to kill once they have been disabled.
Dealing with it:
As a driver these are very annoying. Normally you can protect yourself against rockets with flares, and by retreating to cover, however with EMP rockets you can do neither. There is no lock-on tone to alert you of an incoming rocket, they can't be thrown off by flares (since they are completely unguided) and once struck you can't retreat. Your best defensive approach is to maintain a standoff distance from any cover where you suspect there to be infantry. If you are disabled you can rotate turrets, albeit slowly, which can be a lifesaver.
Rank 3: EMP Stick
This is a stationary device that, once deployed, sends out EMP pulses which will disable enemy vehicles and devices in range. Furthermore, if you're within range of an EMP stick, you are
protected from airstrikes. These have about a 25 yard range, which isn't far but sufficient if you place it well, generally near a chokepoint to prevent the passage of vehicles and drones. You'll want to put it behind cover, however, since they can be destroyed fairly quickly. On offense an EMP stick can protect a flag rush from armor reinforcements, and prevent your assault from being wiped out by a last minute air-strike. An exposed EMP stick on an enemy flag might not last long, but it doesn't take long to capture a point.
Dealing with it:
If the other team traps your vehicle or drones with an EMP stick, it sucks. The sticks will send out EMP pulses until they are destroyed, and your vehicles and devices will be kept constantly disabled as long as the EMP stick survives. However if you're careful you can avoid being caught... first the EMP pulses are visible as a wave of energy (blue for WC and red for RS) emanating outwards from the device. It doesn't stand out, but it is visible if you are observant. Also, a machine that has been disabled by EMP (either rockets or sticks) tends to crackle with electricity, so this is another warning sign. The best approach is again to maintain standoff distances, and destroy these from a distance whenever you see them. Failing that you can always get someone on foot to find the device and destroy it.
Tactics
As a general rule, players with assault, special forces and CQB kits should be equipped with countermeasures, and should be the point-men in the squad. Special forces is especially effective when enemy armor is a threat since the SF demo charges can be used to destroy a disabled tank. Generally anti-vehicle and sniper kits are the worst to combine with countermeasures.
On offense point-men should be equipped with countermeasures for a couple of reasons:
- Allows your squad to advance further before being detected by unattended recon drones.
- Gives your point-men the ability to immediately disable any non-infantry threats, without sacrificing infantry killing ability. Once disabled threats can be destroyed immediately (drones, sentries) or left for the rear of the squad to destroy with more suitable weapons.
Role Guide : Countermeasures
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