Buddy-Team Tactics
Two people moving correctly under fire is more effective than four moving badly. The buddy team is the smallest tactical building block, and almost every other small-unit drill is just buddy-team logic stacked.
One moves, one watches
Always. Even short bounds. The non-moving man's eyes and weapon are oriented on the threat, ready to suppress.
'I'm up, he sees me, I'm down'
The classic 3-second rule for individual rushes. Stay up only long enough that you'd be seen — then back down before the enemy can react.
Calls keep both alive
'Moving.' 'Move.' 'Set.' 'Reloading — cover.' Without these four, the buddy team is just two people running around solo.
Why the buddy team works
An unsupported single soldier under fire has roughly two options: run or hide. A supported soldier — one buddy holding overwatch — has three: run, hide, or move *under cover*. The third is what wins fights. The whole point of the buddy team is to never be the unsupported one.
The bounding rhythm
Buddy A calls 'moving.' Buddy B calls back 'move' (acknowledging he's covering). A bounds 5–15 meters to the next piece of cover. A calls 'set.' Now B can move while A covers. Repeat. Done well, this looks slow — but the team is *always* covered.
The reload problem
Reloading is the moment your buddy team has zero output. Always call 'reloading — cover' so your buddy knows he is now the only weapon in the fight. Never both reload at once. This is where most buddy teams quietly die.
Where to drill it
Open-map sims — Arma Reforger, Squad, Hell Let Loose. CQB games don't give you the distances you need to feel the bounding rhythm. TGH's milsim and Arma nights run buddy-team bounding drills as the warm-up before larger-element ops.
Common questions
How far should each bound be?
'I'm up, he sees me, I'm down' — about 3 seconds of exposure max. In practice that's 5–15 meters depending on terrain. Never longer than your buddy can suppress effectively.
What if there's no cover for the next bound?
Then you don't bound — you re-evaluate. Suppress harder, smoke, or pick a different route. Bounding into open ground is just running into the kill zone slower.
Where does TGH drill this?
Arma Reforger and Squad nights. Voice channel announces 'bounding drill warm-up' before the main op.