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Introduction A Forward Observer is responsible for directing artillery fire and aircraft onto enemy positions. Because artillery is an indirect fire weapon system, the guns are typically not in line-of-sight of their target. The forward observer serves as the eyes of the artillery battery, calling target locations and adjustments to the Fire Direction Center, which translates their spottings into firing solutions for the guns. Forward Observers are technically a support MOS providing cover artillery fire and support to Echo Company. They can do massive amount of damage to an area and can be a great asset to the company. The purpose of this guide is to teach new and learning Forward Observers how to effectively use the Forward Observer in the battlefield during the course of gameplay. Also, this is to boost the popularity of the Forward Observer among the community as it is currently one of the unpopular in-game classes due to several misconceptions.  Misconceptions about the Forward Observer -The Machine gunner does not have the biggest gun in game, the Forward Observer has!- with massive Artillery Batteries, you can have your fair share of kills with the rest of the team, planned Fire Missions and Orbital Artilleries can control crowds of Zulus and vanquish them instantly. -"I will teamkill alot with the Forward Observer because his skills have a wide AoE and it will hit friends." This is generally wrong, most team kills occur because there is a lack of team coordination or silly teammates. If you're doing things right, it is not your fault but theirs. Skills of the Forward Observer Orbital Artillery Artillery missiles propelled from military satellite networks provide near instant artillery support. Precision and MRSI(Mutliple Rounds Simultaneous Impact) capabilities improve with each level. Level 1 - 3 barrages, 200 radius. Level 2 - 3 barrages, 300 radius. Level 3 - 4 barrages, 400 radius. Level 4 - 5 barrages, 500 radius. Level 5 - 6 barrages, 600 radius. The first skill of the Forward Observer. It is an instant-cast channeling ability where the Forward Observer would bombard an area with barrages dealing damage per barrage. This skill hits air targets as well. Effective when needing to cover teammates from tricky situations when being chased down by clusters of Zulus. Fire Mission takes too long and WP doesn't help when they're closing in so there's always this skill to do that. Also, this skill helps during the airfield defense scenario in Chapter 2 Delta, where the Forward Observer would shower on the entrances to the airfield together with Fire Mission and Whiskey Pete. This skill is exceptionally handy during Lost Cause because of it is instant.  GLPS - Gun Laying and Positioning System Gun Laying and Positioning System(GLPS). This is a GPS-dependent, man-portable, north-seeking gyroscope with an intergrated precision lightweight GPS receiver (PLGR) capable of determining position, azimuth and deflection for quick, accurate gun-laying data for towed and non-Paladin howitzers. The GLPS is being fielded to the force with a basis of issue of one per firing battery or platoon. Reduces the firing delay of all types of fire missions. Each level increases artillery shell stockpile by 50 shells. Level 1 - 11 seconds Level 2 - 10 seconds Level 3 - 9 seconds Level 4 - 8 seconds Level 5 - 7 seconds Level 6 - 6 seconds Level 7 - 5 seconds The second skill of the Forward Observer, this skill allows Fire Missions, Whiskey Pete and Illumination Rounds to fire faster into the battlefield. Also, an added bonus that it gives 50 extra shells per level. Priority of this skill is also low, only learn once you are done with Fire Mission and Forward Observation skills. Fire Mission The Forward Observer is the essential link between Marines on the field and supporting Artillery Batteries. Each level improves the damage per shell. Barrage dispersion command available at Level 3. Level 1 - 400 damage Level 2 - 550 damage Level 3 - 700 damage Level 4 - 850 damage Level 5 - 1000 damage The third skill of the Forward Observer, this skill is important to the Forward Observer. It is a delay-fired, direct damage skill where the Forward Observer would shower a designated area with artillery shells. There are 2 commands for this skill. They are stated as below: 1) "-shells #" :- The first command allows the Forward Observer to set how many shells he would want to fire. 1 is the minimum amount of shell and 20 is the maximum. Each shell deals damage based on the Fire Mission's level. Also, typing "-shells" without the number would show you information on how many shells left,barage time, barrage dispersion range, and number of shells set to fire per Fire Mission. 2) "-dp #" :- The second command allows the Forward Observer to set the radius of the Fire Mission. 50 is the minimum radius and 800 is the maximum radius. The Fire Mission will randomly shower it's Artillery shells based on the radius of the barrage dispersion range. This command helps the Forward Observer to determine how he would want to use his Fire Mission, larger dispersion radius is used for sweeping areas and support cover fire while smaller dispersion radius is used for taking out designated targets, like spores and cocoons. The Fire Mission skill is a must-have for the Forward Observer as it is his only direct-damage skill. This skill is also effective in many scenarios of the game. Fire Mission, timed properly can take out many Class As, like Minos and Lyganesh.  Forward Observation Skills The Forward Observer is trained in many complimentary skills. Level 1 - Learns Laser Designator Level 2 - Learns WP rounds and Vector V-Binocular Range Finder Level 3 - Learns Illumination Rounds and Ordnance Handling Level 4 - Learns Transceiver and Perimeter Intelligence Level 5 - Learns TOT Mission The final and staple skill of the observer, Forward Observation skills provides a nice set of skills ingeniously helpful to the Forward Observer and Echo company. Skills like White Phosphorous(nicknamed Whiskey Pete) rounds provide excellent support cover fire as it flares up zulus like frying pan and slows them down. Vector V-Binocular Range Finder reveals an area of the map for 5 seconds, revealing any invisible units along with it, and it only costs 5 energy with a 10-second cooldown. The Forward Observer too has Illumination Rounds which serve as a flare for the company, lighting up a designated area for 20 seconds and consuming 5 shells. Also, the amazing Forward Observer comes built-in with a transceiver! - making an easy work for Moirae and other Class As. Finally, the final skill Forward Observation has to offer is TOT Mission, a skill which showers an area around the beacon with artillery fire for 15 seconds, protecting the team inside within the safe zone while the zulus get decimated by artillery fire. Forward Observation skills also grants useful miscellaneous skills such as Ordnance Handling, which allows the Forward Observer to stack 2 cases of any form of explosives together, without the need of disarming it first, and Perimeter Intelligence, a skill which grants True Sight to all members of Echo company.  Items are important! Here's a small guide to your backpack There are a few items effective in helping a Forward Observer during gameplay. 1) Flare Gun - This 10-charge item lights up an area for 15 seconds, disorienting and slowing down zulus within this area, is helpful for the Forward Observer to scout for targets. However, the true purpose is that he uses this item to slow down Class As to effectively target his Fire Mission on them, making sure that they get hit effectively by Artillery Fire. 2) Smoke Grenades - This item slows down Zulus by 50% for 40 seconds, use this with flare gun, and that big bad zulu is never going to escape it's impending doom of being redeemed by Fire Mission. 3) Ground Illumination Flares - This item is thrown on the ground, lighting up and giving view of the area around it for 4 minutes. But the true purpose is the flares, thrown far enough from the company, can attract zulus to attack it - use a few of this a baits under a Fire Mission, and presto.  Course of Gameplay as a Forward Observer As the eyes of the artillery battery, Forward Observers generally stay in the battlefield, designating important targets for batteries or requesting cover support-fire from zulus. Here's how to effectively use him as the game moves on. Chapter 1 At the first phase of the game, you have nothing much with you, so try and get to Level 3 as soon as possible. Once you get to that level, an option is to start scouting, use viper binoculars as much as possible to scout for items, and spores. If you find a spore, designate it to reduce it's armor and Fire Mission it, with level 1 Fire Mission, you should be able to take it out in 12 to 13 shells.  During the convoy mission where Echo meets up with India company, use Whiskey Pete rounds to cover the convoy, screening paths with phosphorous where zulus might use to zero in on the convoy. Here is an image to help you grasp quickly on how.  After the convoy is secure, there are 2 options with the Forward Observer, you could either help to plant arrays, or stay with the flesh composite hunting squad. Nothing much if you are going to help with the array, use viper binoculars again to scout for dangers ahead and while you're moving to plant the array, don't forget to pick up items and supplies. As for hunting down flesh composite, use WP if necessary to cover your team by slowing it down. If so happens you try to solo the flesh composite, draw it's attention so it starts chasing you, designate a WP zone early and lure him to it, then, designate a Fire Mission zone after estimating the time it should take to walk to it before the shells impact on him. There are 2 possible scenarios after the sentries:- Civilian Evacuation and USS Independence For this scenario, you would need to evacuate the civilains from the remaining houses to the USS Independence. Moirae or Hades will spawn for this scenario, nothing much at the start, just use WP shells to cover the entrances of the town (leave one entrance clear) from zulus. If it's Moirae and there's no transceiver, use your transceiver skill to take it out (hopefully you are level 7 by now). If you don't have a transceiver, the next best way is to lure Moirae into smoke grenades, flare it and WP round it, before showering it with Fire Mission. If it's hades, just gun it down.  Once you arrive to the USS Independence, you have to escort the ship to safety. Use WP rounds again on paths and slopes from the river to land to provide support for the team from the zulus. When loki's war cry is heard, start using viper binoculars and illumination rounds to look for it early. It is better to know where Loki is early as that thing tears you up like paper in a few hits. Once spotted, designate it and let your team clip its wings.  Dark Clouds For this scenario, dark clouds would severe your vision, reducing it to 0 unless you have a field light, ground illumination flare, or a flare gun with you. Head to town as soon as possible, while firing illumination rounds and your flare gun you started with to light up the path and your teammates path who are stuck in other parts of the sector, illumination rounds has an extremely long range so be sure to use it for your teammates as well. Once you get to town, fire illumination flares now and then on the outskirts of town to light up the area, don't overuse this, as it consumes a hefty 30 energy and you will need that energy later. When hades spawns, it will pull you or your teammate to him, ask him to ping his location and fire an illumination round on him, allowing him better vision. Once hades is down, Minos will spawn, continue throwing WP around the outskirts, when you catch sight of Minos, designate it. If your team has already laid claymores and chain explosives, lure it to them, otherwise launch a smoke grenade and flares on it, slowing him down before Fire Missioning it to the ground. As always use Fire Mission on where you think he will walk to, not where he is right now. It is easier though if you have an engineer in the team to net and discharge it before Fire Mission shells impact.  Chapter 2 - Delta Again 2 scenarios can be happen in this chapter:- 1) Airfield Defense - make your way to the airfield with SFOD-D squad and prepare to defend it. Cover chokepoints and entrances with WP. Also advisable to use smoke grenades for further slowing and Fire Mission to destroy clusters of Class A Zulus as those things are exteremely tough. Also, use illumination flares and viper binoculars to spot Minos and Atlas early so that your team can prepare themselves for them.  Once the pilots get to the airfield, prepare for the gargoyles, if you have Orbital Artillery, use them to massively take out gargoyles on a certain area. Be careful though as you are channeling while using this ability so always get ready to run when the gargoyles get near you. If you have any smoke grenades left, use them as they now slow air units too. 2) Chaingun Drop - follow Staff Sergeant Thompson for this scenario, if you have a MQ-3 Predator in your team this mission is easier, just follow Thompson while the predator collects it. Use WP sparingly on certain choke points of the map and the path behind the team. As always use viper binoculars to spot for incoming danger like Atlas. Illumination Rounds can also be used to give your team vision in certain tricky parts of the sector. (E.g : A MG Component that was dropped into the woods would severe your team's vision if they were to enter it, using Illumination Rounds would help them regain their vision and prevent them from being attacked by Zulus).  Once the M242 has been assembled(usually assembled in town), feel free to use TOT Mission and WP around the town for support cover fire, careful though not to teamkill SFOD squad if they are near. When using TOT, remember to always warn the team you are using it, especially the recon classes(Predator MQ3, Force Recon and Delta Operator). Chapter 2 - Revelation Your team would usually gather at two locations for this chapter, either at town or the airfield. Recommend them to stay in Ravenholm as it will be easier for you to take out the cocoons later on. Also, if you have TOT Mission ready, staying in town is better as the Jefferson Airfield has F-22 Raptors and AH-1 Cobras which you may accidentally destroy if you were to use TOT Mission there. As always, use WP on chokepoints and entrances the zulus will use to engage your team. TOT Mission will also help as SFOD squad will not be here. When Lyganesh approaches, you have the option of blasting it with EM using the transceiver or let the CAS take it out.  Once the cocoons spawn, remember their locations or ping them yourself so you can effectively bookmark them, press spacebar to see last few pings locations. Use Fire Mission on these cocoons and the Minoses inside them will never see the light of day, or so to speak. Tips on effectively destroying cocoons with the fire mission:- 1) Tell your teammates not to ping on the cocoons location. Believe it or not, pinging them only ruins it from you being able to hit it accurately with fire mission. 2) Set -shells 10 and -dp 50, this settings is for Fire Mission level 3. If you are unsure, set -shells 15 and -dp 250 instead. 3) When the pings are given, hover your mouse to the central dot (estimate this) and Fire Mission it. Remember to do this fast, you should be all to target all four cocoons quickly in one ping. If you are at the airfield, then this is much trickier. Ask your teammates to move along with you to a better location so you can target the cocoons. As always, do not ask them to ping for you, remember the locations yourself. 4) Watch the cocoons go boom.  Chapter 2 - Nightstalkers A new scenario for Chapter 2 which has a chance to occur after Dark Clouds; the Dark Clouds continue to remain in the sector and Echo Company has to restore the power generators South-West of the sector. During Night Stalkers, you have 2 roles, provide your team with the necessary vision by using Illumination Rounds and eliminate the Minoses that will spawn later in the game. Camping with half the team is one effective way to group the Minos-es together before using Fire Mission to pound them to the ground. This also allows your Generator Recovery Team to get the generator operational again without the interference of the Minos class Zulus. Finally, remember to constantly support them with Illumination Rounds if they require it, as Agents appear during Nightstalkers and will decimate them if they cannot keep a lookout for the Agents.  Chapter 3 - Magnificent Bastards From here onwards it's pretty much the same, nothing much for the Forward Observer to do. Use WP on certain chokepoints and viper binoculars to scout for tech-2 items(items which comes later ingame, Nano Body Armor, TX-1 ammunition). When Prometheus spawns, CAS it to the ground, in addition, you are the Forward Observer, set -shells 20 and Fire Mission it!. If your Fire Mission Level is 5, each Fire Mission deals 20,000 raw damage to Prometheus. Show him the power of the Forward Observer in the battlefield. Don't forget to flare, smoke or net it though, as you will miss it if Prometheus isn't slowed.  Chapter 3 - Lost Cause Fox Company does not arrive, instead Captain Barnes and Golf Company arrives with "orders to relieve you of your active duty in the Sector". However they are actually planning a coup; using Residence 41 Nuclear Capabilities to nuke Boston. You and your squad have to stop them by securing Ravenholm and the technicians there before they actually nuke Boston. There are 2 ways in beating this mission. The first, is to secure a perimeter and Bombard Ravenholm to the ground, killing off everyone and everything, including the technicians, whom gives a -30 Player Experience penalty upon killing. This is the easiest way to beat this mission though it is rather costly and awards minimal amount of Player Experience upon completion. The other method is to tactically proceed to Ravenholm and secure it from Golf Company. If your team picks this method, use Illumination Rounds and Binoculars as much as possible. Golf company outnumbers you and it is better to spot them from far and eliminate them before you and your team get spotted and shot. Also, throw WP on chokepoints and locations behind your team to weaken / eliminate the enemy marines that tread through them. Obstacles faced while playing as a Forward Observer Every class face obstacles in order to master it. The Forward Observer is no different. These are the obstacles you must overcome while playing as a Forward Observer. -Timing the Artillery shots, a crucial factor to the play style of the Forward Observer. He/she has to time Fire Missions, WP and Illumination Rounds correctly in order to make full use of it. -Accuracy and Memory, certain scenarios requires the Forward Observer to accurately place Fire Missions on designated targets. Encounters like cocoons also require the Forward Observer a little bit of memory to remember where the spores are. -Micro management, the Forward Observer has to constantly time WP shots and Fire Missions when defending perimeters such as the town and airfield on various entrances. Conclusion The Forward Observer, a support MOS, can be extremely useful to the team for its massive damage and AOE set of skills. Using this MOS right can make all the difference in the game. Hope that this guide has served you well in giving the correct details and play style you need to know to master your Forward Observer. |
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