Ground Support is your all around base defense role. It is also a vehicle support role.
Western Coalition:
Tier 1 – MIL-12 Repair Torch
When you start off your Ground Support life, you get a handheld Repair Torch. This thing repairs vehicles, drones, and can be used to complete certain objectives (although not required to be used). You have to get right up next to the vehicle you want to repair and click and hold the fire button to repair. When you’re repairing, you’ll see a progress bar under your crosshairs. This indicates the vehicle’s health (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Repairing a tank. The red box is highlighting the health progress bar of the tank. As you repair the bar, and health of the tank, increase
When in a vehicle with the Ground Support kit you will automatically repair the vehicle you are in after 15 seconds of not taking any damage (see Figure 2). You repair slower than you would if you got out and used the repair torch manually, but this insures that you can move your vehicle to a safe location and also so it doesn’t get stolen (assuming other teammates aren’t in the vehicle). If you plan on driving armour a lot, it is highly beneficial to be Ground Support.
Figure 2: A tank being repaired automatically. The red box highlights the icon that indicates automatic repair
The Grenade Launcher shoots grenades in an arc to kill infantry. The turret has seven clips with six grenades per clip. The splash damage on the grenades is fairly low, so you have to be very accurate with this turret. It is better used as a support tool then a direct killing machine (although can be both). You can fire your grenades in quick succession to create sort of a smoke screen (when the grenades explode they kick up a lot of dust).
The grenades can also be set to air burst by using the alternate fire button (default is Right Click). The longer the button is held down, the greater the distance the grenade will travel before exploding. Since the grenades are set to air burst, they can be bounced off walls and around corners.
The Grenade Launcher is very weak against vehicles. Taking down a jeep at full health requires 10-12 grenades. This turret should be used only against infantry unless you are attacking a vehicle that is very weak (on fire) or you want to distract an enemy vehicle.
Tier 3 – EMA11 (Rail) Gun
Welcome to the future. This monster is the Western Coalitions answer to vehicles. With seven five round clips, this turret can rip through armour formations. Here’s a damage breakdown on vehicles*:
- Red Star Jeep = 1 shot
- Red Star APC = 3 shots
- Red Star Tank = 3 shots
- Red Star Helicopter = 3 shots
- Western Coalition Jeep = 1 shot
- Western Coalition APC = 2 shots
- Western Coalition Tank = 3 shots
- Western Coalition Helicopter = 2 shots
*Note: These tests were done against undamaged vehicles at close to medium range. Shots may do less damage at very long ranges (untested).
The Rail Gun can also kill infantry in a single shot, but due to its low rate of fire it is not ideal.
Red Star Alliance
Tier 1 – Shezhou R66 Repair Torch
Exact same as the Western Coalition’s MIL-12 Repair Torch.
Tier 2 – GSH663 Minigun
You’ve seen The Terminator, you know what a Minigun can do, the GSH663 doesn’t disappoint. This turret packs six clips of one hundred bullets, it is ready to shred through the Western Coalition. This gun is mainly for anti-infantry but it has decent damage against vehicles. Here’s a damage breakdown on vehicles*:
- Western Coalition Jeep = 25 bullets
- Western Coalition APC = 100 bullets
- Western Coalition Tank = 150 bullets
- Western Coalition Helicopter = 75 bullets
- Red Star Jeep = 25 bullets
- Red Star APC = 150 bullets
- Red Star Tank = 150 bullets
- Red Star Helicopter = 125 bullets
*Note: These tests were done against undamaged vehicles at close to medium range. Shots may do less damage at very long ranges (untested).
When using this against vehicles realise that you have to reload every 100 bullets. Therefore it is only really good against jeeps and the Western Coalition’s Helicopter. Tanks and APCs will likely hone in on your position before you fire enough bullets. If the vehicle is damaged then you stand a good chance of destroying it.
Tier 3 – RK1 Portable Sentry Gun
The Sentry Gun is an automated turret that will shot any enemy that comes with its range. The RK1 is equipped with both an anti-infantry minigun and anti-vehicle rockets. It is best used to cover your flank and for addition point defence. The Sentry does very good damage (2-3 direct hits at close-medium range can destroy almost all vehicles) but it is not perfect. The Sentry doesn’t have that much armour and its tracking/turning speeds are a bit slow. Due to these downfalls the Sentry Gun cannot be left alone and expected to stop the enemy for that long. The Sentry also seems to have only a 45 degree firing angle while looking up.
Gun Turret Mechanic
When placing a turret, you need level ground with some open area. Figure 3 and Figure 4 show the icons indicating good and bad placement.
Figure 3: A good turret placement. The red box highlights the "can be deployed" icon
Figure 4: A bad turret placement. The red box highlights the "cannot be deployed" icon
Turrets can only turn 180 degrees so your sides and back will always be exposed. Also from the front, both your legs and head are exposed (see Figure 5). To minimize the amount of exposure, it is best to set up turrets in corners or behind low cover.
Figure 5: The front view of the Red Star Alliance Turret (left) and the Western Coalition Turret (right). The Red Star Turret has some more leg protection and slightly less head protection compared to the Western Coalition
Turrets will also kick you off if you run out of ammo or they take enough damage. Once you are off they will disappear. Also both factions can use any Turret that is unmanned.
Ground Support and Squad Leading
A Squad Leader should rarely take Ground Support unless they plan on being in a vehicle the majority of the time. Turrets have high exposure which is what a Squad Leader wants to avoid. Squad Members cannot spawn on a Squad Leader who is on a turret, which also limits this role.
If a Squad Leader takes Ground Support then I would suggest that he/she set up turrets in spots and make Squad Members man them. This will give the Squad Leader control over the areas of coverage of the squad. The Sentry Drone would also be good to help a Squad Leader trying to hide out of action.
Countering The Ground Support
Turrets are very vulnerable to a lot of different weapons. Recon Drones can easily fly around gun placements and kill the operator. Air Strikes counter turrets do to their immobility. The most troubling danger for turret operators is Snipers and Anti-Vehicle kits. Snipers have a great shot at your head since it is not covered and doesn’t move that often. Anti-Vehicle rockets can lock on to Turrets and one-shot-kill the operator.
Role Guide : Ground Support
Linear Mode
