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Difficulty: Easy Supervisors: Squad Leader Rank: Not defined Duties: Follow orders. Don't get yourself killed. Don't shoot your squadmates. Guides: Bullet Paths and Friendly Fire Unlock Requirements: Not available. Detailed Description: Not defined |__________| |
"How do I get out of this chickenshit outfit?"- Hudson, Aliens
You're in the United States Colonial Marine Corps. Follow your sergeant's orders and don't ask too many questions. Whether you've been to Hell and back or you're fresh out of Boot, you're expected to maintain a level of professionalism. Do your job, follow orders, and maybe you'll go home in one piece.
This guide assumes you have finished Marine Quickstart Guide and will hopefully help you transit out from being a baldie.
Your Squad
As a Standard Marine you will be assigned to one of four squads. Each squad has a colour to make them easily identifiable: Alpha is RED, Bravo is YELLOW, Charlie is PURPLE, Delta is BLUE.. Examining your ID or checking about the role when you spawn will tell you what squad you're in.
See those chrome-domes, snowcones, and badass wannabes over there? Those ass-hats are your fellow squaddies. Stay near them and you might not go home in a box. Stay on comms and let your squad know if you see anything out of the ordinary. If you find yourself standing around with some other jackasses who aren't wearing the same color as you, you fucked up. Go find your squad. That hardass with the funny stripes on his helmet? That's your Squad Leader. The squad leader's orders are the will of God and should be treated as such. The morons with the big guns? That's your Squad Specialist and your Squad Smartgunner. Leave them alone. Don't fuck with the corpsmen and the com-techs and they won't fuck with you. Okay, Grunt, time for a recap. Do what you're told and don't shoot your squad.
The Weapons
You have access to five firearms of your choosing. In an ideal world, you'll be smart enough not to grab the whole arsenal so your squad mates don't have to deploy with rocks and the stapler from Requisitions. Try to limit yourself to one primary weapon and one secondary for deployment. You can either keep your mags in the backpack/pouch you woke up with or you can ditch the pack and carry your ammo in the standard issue ammo belt and pouch. For the first deployment as a standard you'll find it a lot easier to be carrying an M41A Mk.2 Pulse Rifle because it's a lot easier to use than the M37 shotgun and packs more punch than the M39 submachine gun. The shotgun is better used as a secondary on your back and the SMG is best left for the people who need a free hand like the medics. Although don't let this deter you from using those weapons, At the end of the day it's about you finding a gun you like to use.
M41A Mk.2 Pulse Rifle: This baby's the workhorse and backbone of the USCM. It holds 40 + 1 10X24mm caseless rounds, takes a slew of attachment, has a live ammo counter, and sports an empty over-and-under 30 millimeter pump action grenade launcher. Take care of it and it'll take care of you. Good for long to mid range and short range if you switch to burst in CQC conditions.
M39 Submachine Gun: The M41A series's little cousin, the M39 fires 10X20mm caseless and holds 48 + 1 rounds per mag. As a Grunt, you shouldn't be looking at this except as a replacement for your sidearm. Other than that, leave it for the shrap-heads who know what they're doing. Good for mid to short range, use burst in CQC conditions.
M37A2 Shotgun: These shotguns have been in service since Vietnam back in the 20th century and knowing our QM, the Almayer's supply of M37s probably saw action there too. They're powerful weapons that can put a dinner plate sized hole in just about anyone you encounter with 8 + 1 shells that you can fit on to the tube. The 18 inch barrel means that you won't be hitting anything outside of pissing distance. Only good for short range (unless you're packing slugs in which case it's good for mid-short range) but will turn any close combatant into swiss cheese with a side of mars.
M4A3 Service Pistol: The saying that the only reason you should be firing your sidearm is if you're out of ammo or on your way to your primary holds true with the M4 series of pistols (Ie. Dual wielding). It'll put a hole in unarmored targets, sure, but it'll just piss off anyone wearing more than a light sweater. It holds twelve plus one 9mm rounds and you'll need every one of them. Good for mid to short range.
M44 Combat Revolver: So, what, you think you're Dirty-fucking-Harry? The M44's a beast and not just in firepower. Unwieldly, ugly, and mean; she's not the prettiest girl at the dance, but she'll turn a few heads. Then she'll keep turning 'em until they come off. It holds six rounds and God help anyone you manage to tag with one. Good for mid to short range.
Attachments and Requisitions
Now you may have heard of that mythical land where special equipment, grenades and weapon mods flow like it's motherfucking Christmas. That place is called Requisitions and it ain't no Mount Olympus and that sweaty guy over there ain't Zeus. He's the RO. Rule motherfucking one: Don't fuck with the Requisitions Officer. If he says you don't get attachments, guess what, Boot? You don't get attachments. If he says so, the MPs will throw you in the fucking brig. So don't go screaming and trying to bash your way into cargo because you couldn't get a third red dot for the M39. Now, the RO answers to "On-High" and "On-High" has deemed it acceptable for you to request two to four attachments and probably 2 pieces of special equipment (such as webbing and grenades) from Requisitions, depending on how the RO sees it. To get these attachments you're treating like holy fucking relics, you must go to the requisitions line, located aft of the briefing room. Now, remember, the RO has a low tolerance for bullshit so if you show up in your underwear he'll refuse to serve you. Then your "buddies" will throw your ass out of the line. Then the MPs will kick your ass out of boredom.
Alright, you've managed to wake up, eat breakfast, get dressed, let your squad leader know you exist, and wait in a single file line for a little over three minutes. Aren't you fucking special? Think again! Your ass is still bottom of the food chain so don't hold your breath over getting anything good but seeing as you're holding some sort of weapon, I guess there's still hope for you yet. Everyone's got their favorite loadouts but it all boils down to what you prefer. Trial and error is the best way to know what you like and don't like.
In the field
You have superior firepower and can fire across the screen, the limiting factors are lighting, vision, and terrain.
Lighting
To overcome low visibility of the battlefield, you need rail flashlight and flares. Rail flashlight not only extend your light, it also extends your throw range (you can only throw/shoot to tiles that is lit), allowing you to throw flares further thus even more light. Rail flashlight increases your throw range from 3 tiles to 6 tiles by allowing you to throw into the dark by one tile.
First aid
Helping others
Before pulling a downed marine back in the front, use point at (shift + middle click) to show your intention of going in or to urge the nearer marines to pull them. As you are pulling the downed marine back, shift + click to check the marine, bandage the bleeding wounds when it's safe. If the marine is conscious (not seems to be asleep), shake them with Help intent to get them up, get them to a medic if he doesn't get up. If the marine has no pulse, get them to a medic then remove their armor (drag their sprites onto yours to open their equipment window, click ExoSuit: M3 armor) so that medic can immediately revive them (can't revive with armor on).
- Get splints
, you can split the stack by holding it in the active hand then click it with another hand, restock the new stack (one splint) to a NanoMed 
then you keep the rest. - Get a roller bed in your bag so you can quickly transport wounded out in an emergency (being overrun/no Medic/no CASevac).
- Marines whose revive timer ran out, without a head, chestbursted and turned gray (aka husked, too much burn damage) are unrevivable.
Your Skillset
To find out about how the skill system works head over to the skills system page.
Tips
- Only take what you need. You're going to need somewhere between zero and one armor piercing magazine in the field for heavily armored enemies and probably more if you see tin men in the field. For everything else, soft point ammunition to hollowpoint to incendiary is superior.
- Stick with your squad at all times, a lone Marine is a dead Marine.
- Follow the chain of command. If someone tells you jump, you'd better ask how high on the way up.
- Use appropriate titles. Your Squad Leader is Staff Sergeant, or Squad Leader. He's not an officer so don't call him "Sir" and he's not in the Army so don't call him "Sarge."
- Be useful. Offer to carry extra engineering, medical, or some specialist/smartgunner supplies. Those guys are already carrying more weight than you'll ever be able to.
- Keep your superiors informed. Stay on the radio and keep the squad and command up to date on what's going on. Do you see movement outside the perimeter? Let your fireteam know. Did Private McFuckface blow his hand off playing catch with a grenade? Let your squad leader know. Did your staff sergeant just get his head taken off by incoming artillery? Let command know.
- Stay in the light. There ain't many things out there scarier than marines and they all like the dark. Keep your shoulder lamp on and pop a flare whenever you're stopped for more than a moment.
- Use single fire for long to medium ranges and burstfire for CQC and close range engagements. By doing this you conserve ammo but can still dish out the pain to incoming hostiles.