Tactics · Mar 12, 2026

Insurgency Sandstorm: Fireteam Basics

How to move as a 4-man element, clear rooms, and hold points using TGH's adapted tactics.

Insurgency: Sandstorm punishes lone wolves harder than almost any other shooter. If you're not moving as a fireteam, you're feeding kills. Here's TGH's adapted fireteam framework for Sandstorm. If you're new to tactical shooters, read that guide first.

The 4-Man Element

One point man, one rifleman, one support (LMG or designated marksman), and one breacher. Each role has a lane responsibility and a job in the stack. For a full breakdown of squad roles across all games, see our squad roles guide.

Room Clearing

The point man calls the breach. On 'go,' the breacher enters first, cuts to the strong side. Point man follows to the weak side. Rifleman holds the door. Support watches the hallway. It sounds simple — but executing it under fire separates good squads from great ones.

Movement Between Buildings

Never cross open ground as a group. Bound in pairs — two move while two cover. Use smoke if available. The key is to never give the enemy a group target. This is map control at its most fundamental.

Holding Points

Set up overlapping fields of fire. If one person can see a doorway, two people should be able to shoot anyone who comes through it. Stack your firepower on the most likely approach and leave a tripwire (one player) on the back door. Rotate your tripwire player every few minutes to keep them fresh. Solid comms are essential for calling rotations.