Tips for FOB placement?

[thekk]

Im always struggling where and how many to place on the map, especially when we´re a bit behind. What are you guys thinking when placing one?

[Colonel Ragman]

The way I see it, there is like mainly 3 useful types of FOB. Sometimes a mixture of more than one.

1. a barebones FOB way back from the frontline to setup mortars, preferably with a short and safe route for resupplying ammo.
2. a "secret" spawn to uphold stability and strength on frontlines. You want those to be out of sight, not too close, barebones ( lesser objects to spot for the enemy ), preferably giving your forces a new angle of attack than just from the front. Also important to not put in a way that it becomes a meatgrinder, if enemies discover it.
3. a stronghold to consolidate power in the region and make it easier for soldiers to survive and defend. You want the radio and HAB of this one to be in cover, while still being in a good staging ground for attacks and defenses(higher ground, good overlook of important stretches of land). There should be quite some fortifications for those, multiple layers of sandbacks, covering different areas and angles. Building a lot and layering is especially important to obscure the actual position of the radio/ HAB and makes your team able to move around, switch positions and fall back in heavy fights. Nothing worse than having just one small wall of sandbacks around the HAB and everyone cowering behind it. Just ends in a stalemate and usually a very high body count for the defender.

Type 2 and especially Type 3 is seldomly built in Squad and it makes all the difference. You can really destroy the other team, when they don't do the same or counteract it with good teamwork and tactics. For difficult objectives held by the enemy, it's a good thing to combine 2 FOBS, like having a Stronghold keep the enemy at bay and his attention there, while setting up a hideout somewhere in there flank (preferably where you can take more than one route to the enemy, so he doesn't immediately see where you are coming from, if they spot you.

Most people will just place a FOB somewhere close to an objective, not fortifying, not truly hiding it and mostly on the general line of expected movement of your forces. This way the enemy WILL find it and it doesn't give that much of a benefit and cost more tickets than they actually save.

[thekk]

Awesome now i have a idea of placing some good ones! Thank you very much for this answer

[Colonel Ragman]

Glad to be of help :)

[Dangfoe]

It is an art how to place good FOB's.

As a rule of thumb, never place a FOB you don't intend to guard. You lose 20 tickets if the enemy destroy it.

Also make sure it is easy to leave the HAB from all 4 exits and build some cover so at least two of the exits are not exposed to long range attacks. If the HAB is busy and you make a bottleneck with only 1 exit it becomes a nightmare to spawn there.

Before attacking a well defended objective with an enemy HAB you can place the FOB radio somewhere relatively safe, and then move closer on a flank that the enemy is not covering and build the HAB.
Don't place the FOB near this offensive HAB because the chances that you will quickly get overrun is high.
If successful have your squad spawn on the new HAB but if overrun then spawn on the rally near the FOB and dismantle the FOB before it is too late.

The key to making this work is stealth and speed.

[Sea Base]

If you are going to build a defensive FOB, make sure its built on a active (or likely to become active) objective.

The longer and harder it is for the enemy to get from just outside your objective to your defensive FOB the better.

Offensive FOBs idealy want to be hidden, far away enough to remain undetected by enemies pushing out and in a position to allow you to flank the enemy.

Sandbags are cheap but hesco walls are your best friend (sandbags are easily destroyed and take time to set up in any meaninful way, hesco walls are explosive resistant single big pieces that can also be used as vantage point cover, that can also be used to deny enemy vehicle access).

After off loading suplies, and you are in a pinch for natural cover or in a rush, use the logi truck as a fortification (destroyed vehicles cannot be moved so good for blocking roads and you can use it to form raised cover out of walls if you park next to them and climb on top of the truck).

[Gopblin]

I'll try to make a guide/post on the subject at some point.
First, let's briefly talk about the proper way to build a FOB on pub servers:

A) If possible, hide the radio. The build radius is 150m. Use it. Drop the radio 150m closer to your Main inside some container/garage/bush/gully.
This will make it much easier to supply, will make sure it's not taken out when HAB goes down, and makes sure enemies around the HAB don't increase spawn timer on radio.
Also, with proper radio placement, you can make it easier to place other radios (i.e. you can hide 2 radios on either side of a large key objective, then place HABs in capzone).
Of course, this is not always possible.

B) The #1 thing you need is the HAB of course. Everything else is secondary. It is entirely possible to build 4 HABs with one small insurgent logi, if loading nothing but build points (i.e. it's possible to have a HAB on every point in Basrah PAAS during one logi run, with some creative FOB placement).

On pub servers, the HAB absolutely has to go inside the capture zone. Otherwise, the pubbies will just hang out next to HAB as the flag is being lost. A classic mistake on aforementioned Basrah, for example, is building a HAB inside a tall building next to Outskirts, rather than inside the Outskirts zone itself. This leads to the entire team plinking out the windows and fearing to leave the building because of one M249 overlooking the street between the flag and HAB building, while a couple Americans take the flag.

Try to hide the HAB inside something, to make sure the enemy can't farm it. Remember it's mostly about sightlines, i.e. a deep gully will work almost as well as a building (yeah you can get mortared, but that's still not common in pubs).
Make sure the HAB has 2+ good exits, i.e. if placing in a building, make sure the building has more than one exit on different sides. Sandbags MAY be appropriate in this instance to cover egress from the HAB.

C) The other things you build depend on your faction and position. Regular factions depend less on LATs and scouts, so ammo box spam isn't as necessary, and their emplacements are few and only directional. On the other hand, vehicle repair stations may be more important. Keep in mind that emplacements will also give away the rough location of your FOB.

Basically, as insurgents/militia, when fortifying an area:
- Spam ammo boxes and DShK guns in places with good lanes of fire (this doesn't mean setting it up in the middle of a street, but rather a shielded DShK behind a window looking down said street). Don't concentrate everything in one place - your goal is to have multiple firing positions in/around the flag, i.e. an ammo box in every good building and an emplacement looking down every street.

As regular factions:
- Drop a repair station next to HAB (so vehicles can guard your spawn point), a couple ammo boxes so people can resupply, and MG nests where appropriate.

Sandbags are occasionally handy but keep in mind 2 sandbags cost the same as ammo box and 3 sandbags cost the same as an HMG, while being a LOT less useful. Use sparingly and only in key areas. Also keep in mind that a sandbag-with-firing-ports is better dropped on ground, to fire prone - much harder to spot the shooter, and a more stable firing position (Squad doesn't have weapon resting).

D) While losing 20 tickets for a radio is noticeable, it's not the end of the world. It's absolutely worth deploying a throwaway FOB to take a flag or even kill a couple vehicles (a Stryker is worth more than a FOB). Especially for irregular factions, it's generally better to lose a few tickets than to lose map presence.

============

There are a other few types of FOBs (we're talking pub servers here, obviously clan/organized play is completely different), most of which you should never build:

1. Mortar FOBs near Main.
They serve to make a lot of noise, keep a squad and a couple vehicles away from the fight, spam Command chat with target requests, and sometimes, by some freak accident, they kill 1-2 enemies.

You should never build them and feel bad for those who do. If an enemy is stupid and built a HAB in the open, quickly build a mortar at your current FOB and shell it. In all other cases, using mortars isn't worth the return.

2. "Backup FOBs", "sneaky FOBs", etc. with HAB a couple hundred meters from objective - close enough to prevent building a proper FOB near objective, yet far enough to where pub players won't actually go for capzone and will instead wander aimlessly around the HAB.
They serve to lull the enemy into a sense of false security by showing that your team is dumb and likes to spawn very far from relevant flags.

If you are extremely lucky, the enemy are also mentally challenged and will come off the flag to attack your FOB, enabling a few scouts to back-cap them. Otherwise, this FOB will cost you the game.

3. "Strongholds", "MINECRAFT Fobs", "Pillow forts", etc. Basically picking a compound or a piece of ground near objective, dropping a radio inside, then building a HAB and an immense amount of sandbags in roughly circular pattern. I honestly can't understand the fascination with these, I guess people still don't know that for about half a year now, sandbags have been destructible, with V10 they can be vaulted over, and Squad doesn't have weapon resting.

Basically having a massive sandbag wall around your FOB does several key things:
a) Herds your pubbies in one small area to be farmed by the enemy
b) Clearly indicates said area for every enemy within 1000m by a very visible landmark (this also makes sure the FOB will be found and destroyed if the fighting moves on elsewhere)
c) Prevents effective return fire by making prone shooting much harder (and as mentioned, Squad doesn't have weapon resting) and clearly silhouetting your fighters above the wall
d) Leaves no points for other SLs to build actual useful things such as ammo boxes, emplacements, repair stations etc
e) Makes sure that any enemy that uses the many deadzones around the wall and comes up to it to farm you with grenades, will also increase the spawn timer on radio

===============

Now, let's give an example with Sumari, which is a small map and shows the effects of FOB building most clearly. I'll use INS/MIL side because their side of the map is more cramped and they're more dependent on FOB placement to win.

Cancer mortar FOB: SL5 builds a mortar FOB 200m west of Main and hogs the only logi.
Completely blocks any ability to build radios on the west half of the map, or supply them. Gets 5 kills for his entire squad in a 30 min long game, blames the loss on other SLs not giving him target markers, does the same thing next map.

Regular Pub FOB: SL1 drops a radio and HAB inside Palace/Mosque (whatever the 3rd irregular flag is). Proceeds to build 100500 sandbags around the place, hogs the logi for the purpose of feeding his Minecraft insanity (not that it matters, because central radio blocks every other possible radio placement on map). When asked repeatedly, drops one ammo box next to HAB.
Pretty soon, the Americans push in with superior firepower, despawn the Great Wall of Sandbags in 30 sec with one grenadier, the spawn timer on radio goes through the roof, game gets irrevocably screwed. SL1 lowkey blames other SLs and squaddies for failing to defend his creation.

Decent FOB placement for Sumari: First radio goes up 150m East of relevant flag (Palace/Mosque), i.e. the radio gets hidden somewhere around School area. Radio probably barricaded in a location that is awkward to get too, entrance possibly blocked with an MG techie. This cuts the supply run in half and makes sure Americans don't increase spawn timer when storming central flag.
HAB goes inside the relevant flag (Palace/Mosque), with a few ammo boxes / emplacements sprinkled around as time allows. However, the game is now a race against time as Americans will eventually push into the flag with their superior guns.

Therefore, Insurgent SL and two squad members jump back in a logi (possibly reloading it at Main) and places two more FOBs, hidden far north of Police Station and south-west of Raisin dryers. HABs get placed 150m closer to objectives, ammo boxes get sprinkled around for the Scouts to mine every road between US Main and the rest of the map.

Now, all US objectives are under attack from the back, and while US may find one of the HABs, they probably won't find all of them, and they almost certainly won't find the radios. US forces may still keep their hold on objectives, but they won't be able to attack and defend at the same time, and losing vehicles to mines will probably mean ticket loss in the long run.

... Capisce?
... I'll try to get a few pics sometime. And turn this into a guide.

[thekk]

Thanks for the awesome answers, it gives me a direct picture of a well placed FOB.
@Gopblin you should definitely write a guide, it will help a lot of new players who want to try out SL. I appreciate it guys :)

[Gopblin]

We had some more discussion on reddit, and I added some things to the guide there:
https://www.reddit.com/r/joinsquad/comments/7yymp8/small_guide_of_fob_building/

[Zeno]

Originally posted by thekk:

Awesome now i have a idea of placing some good ones! Thank you very much for this answer

This guy only has 50 hrs in Squad and his advise isn't really that good, as it's only useful for a specific kind of match, but not for all kind of matches.

[Colonel Ragman]

Originally posted by Blackbird:

Originally posted by thekk:

Awesome now i have a idea of placing some good ones! Thank you very much for this answer

This guy only has 50 hrs in Squad and his advise isn't really that good, as it's only useful for a specific kind of match, but not for all kind of matches.

It's funny, I actually wondered when this would come up.

"This guy" is also a Kickstarter Backer of Squad, a 7 year veteran of Project Reality, and was part of several Server Projects and clans there. Not trying to sound special, just wanting to
say, I am not some snowflake talking conjured nonsense. Don't assume you know me or my experience on the basis of some number. I know people wo got like 2k hours and are worth ♥♥♥♥.

Additionally, nowhere did I say my advice is superior or the only one worth having. There are more playstyles out there than you can swing a stick at. But what I said is still a valid and highly succesful playstyle as are others. Don't demean mine because you obviously play different.