Liberty Bull 23 Posted November 18, 2019 Forgive my poor collage making skills. As title, I wanted to look at the differences between commanding a squad with fireteams using either the "Odds & Evens" style where 2, 4, 6, 8 and 3, 5, 7, 9 are the two fireteams vs having 2 - 5 being one fireteam and 6 - 9 being the other. As you see in the photo, the two organization styles result in the formations being structured differently, especially when giving one (or both) fireteams a move order. Odds & Evens on left, Left & Right on the right. On the interface, Left & Right looks "better" with the colors being together so you can more easily see the status of the fireteams. Starting with the wedge, Odds & Evens results in the fireteams being evenly on the left and right of the squad leader, with the FTL closest, AR next, etc. Left & Right instead has the fireteams both in the same order, but when together as an entire squad one fireteam surrounds the SL, and the second fireteam surrounds the first fireateam. Odds & Eves in this case looks better when using well balanced fireteams like shown here, however if you instead like having seperate fire and manuever teams, "Left & Right" may be better because your "fire" team with the MGs stay close to the SL and your meanuever team is on the fringes ready to move out. When giving a fireteam a move order away from the squad, however, you will notice that the wedge then gets cut in half in Odds & Evens, with each fireteam having a diagonal echelon formation, effectively ruining your wedge when not operating as a single unit. This is "fixed" in the Left & Right structure, as you see when you send out a fireteam, both fireteams adopt a smaller wedge. Next is the line. Just like the wedge, in O&E the fireteams are on either side of the squad leader, and in L&R the one fireteam surrounds the SL, the other fireteam surrounds the first fireteam. Giving a move order functions similarly in both styles, however here is where you can really start to notice that in the odds & evens style, the fireteam with a move order lines up with the fireteam leader standing on the "Move" waypoint with his team to his side. On the Left & Right style, however, the fireteam as a whole stands in the waypoint with the formation center on the waypoint. Staggered column is where we notice big differences again. In Odds & Evens, the two fireteams form two straight columns with the fireteams on either side. When you give one a move order, you essentially are now in two regular column formations. In the Left & Right style, the fireteams line up one in front of the other and keep their relative formations when being ordered to move about. Lastly we have the diamond. In Odds & Evens the fireteams kind of jumble together when in formation. In the Left & Right style, the fireteams again line up one in front of the other. Interestingly, unlike the other formations, when giving a move order the fireteams manage to adopt a sort of mini wedge in both styles. All in all, it appears that "Left & Right" style works out better if you plan on having multiple fireteams because when being ordered to move about the fireteams each keep the formation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
