Close Quarters Battle/Combat (CQB/CQC)

Table of Contents
1-Introduction
2a-Intro to Types of CQB/CQC
2(b-e)-Differences of CQB/CQC
3a-Intro to Training of CQB/CQC Tactics
3b-Techniques to Improve CQB/CQC Skills
4-Kits/Weapons to Use in CQB/CQC
5-Finale


1-Introduction
I’ve seen a rise in people making guide for BC2 and the division, so I figured I would start. While CQB isn’t a huge factor in battle in Bad Company 2, you still nonetheless encounter it. The difference between effectively clearing a house or narrow hallway can mean the difference between life or death. Knowing how to look, where to look, and how to move can be detrimental to your success. So I am creating this compilation of years of knowledge, research, and information.

2a-Types of CQB/CQC
While most people see the image of CQB as house battles, it also takes form in other ways. CQB while mostly house battles, can be outdoors, urban areas, or commando missions. Getting used to house CQB is a safe bet, but there are times when you need the skills of a CQB master occasionally outside in the wilderness. This section explains those differences.

2b-House CQB/CQC
Most used type of CQB. This obstacle in every soldier’s way requires great reflexes, on the spot decisions, and skills. Being an attacker of a house may seem to be more difficult than defending a house, but with knowledge and maybe a teammate or two, those pesky campers turn into extra points. As an attacker, you have the element of surprise. Be ready to stack up, throw some nades, and clear that house like no other. You have to clear rooms in seconds. You have to be quick, but efficient, because if you clear a room, yet really haven’t, that tango will know your location, and probably knife you. Single story houses are the easiest, and multiple floors are much harder. You can single handedly clear a one story house with speed, but a multi house needs teammates, communication and speed. You need a plan ahead while stacking up. Your operators need to know which floor to directly attack. One man is the first floor, and if tangos are known to be in the house, at least two to attack the top/upper floors, one being preferably a medic to revive the first operator. Clearing a house with multiple tangos can relieve stress on other attackers, and clear a defensive point, in any gamemode, whether it is rush, conquest/ or SDM. Perfecting your lightning attack clearing is a skill that is learned over time, and helps with teammates you can talk to easily.
Being a defender of a house that is being intruded on is a much more difficult task. It requires at least three or four teammates to defend a house. At least two have to be on the bottom, regardless of the size of the house. One needs to patrol the doors, and another the windows, while being a back up for each other. The other teammates are useful in a taller house, as they can spot incoming tangos or provide fire to the outside, and if needed back up the men defending the bottom, always have at least one medic to revive casualties.

2c-Urban Area CQB
While being similar to House CQB, it’s in a larger area, less close quarters, multiple houses, and just as much teamwork. A good four man squad can clear houses, quickly, and take entire urban areas. It requires teammates to watch windows before entering houses, and communicate very effectively. Directions and colors of houses or landmarks should be used for quick identification. The squads will have to be quick, but make too much noise, and more tangos will be drawn into the area, and CQB defensive positions will need to be taken up. The most important key to success in urban operations is teamwork. If you succeed, you will have established ground for your entire team to work off of, in any gamemode.

2d-Outdoor CQB
The name might be almost contradictory, but it occasionally happens. Your squad may have moved up too quickly, yet that can be turned to an advantage. Your targets will be close range, and your cover is usually limited, so your squad has to move quickly, quietly, and eliminate any nearby hostiles. You will have to deal death at close range, and at faster rates than your enemies.

2e-Commando CQB
An extension of House or Outdoor CQB, and usually only undertaken as an attacker of a house/position. Instead of waiting for enemies to come to you, or engaging long range and possibly invoking the wrath of a sniper, you take the initiative and advance quickly to enemies, engaging them before they can do anything. This is very risky as you expose yourself at danger close ranges, but can be extremely effective and devastating to enemy morale as they are suddenly killed at close ranges, by efficient operators.

3a- Intro to Training of CQB/CQC Tactics
Close Quarters Battle is a fighting skill that not everyone can posses or be effective with. But there are many who posses the skills, but don’t properly exploit their potential. This section helps explain possible ways to improve your CQB tactics/skills/maneuvers.

3b- Techniques to Improve CQB/CQC Skills
The first way to improve your CQB skills is communication and teamwork. Get familiar with a good group of friends, say 5-6 incase someone can’t play with you. The most essential tool to help is VOIP, whether it is third party (Ventrilo), or built in. You need to talk with them often, learn to quickly identify their voices. Talk to each other, learn what kits you are or aren’t good with. Advantages certain squad members’ posses, and what they lack in. Maximize your potential of your deathdealing Delta operators.
If you have a good team that you can work with, you’ve greatly helped your CQB skills, but also your general game playing style. But you need to get used to planning quickly with your squad. Then develop skills to clear houses quickly. Throw nades, then assign floors, and quickly clear rooms. You need to get your eyes used to quickly sweeping, and then noticing any abnormal things. You might not recognize that assault by the window, but it should click, that something is wrong. Analyze quickly, and remove the threat. Get your squad kits maximized to their potential. Always have one medic. An engineer’s silenced weapon is a great breaching weapon, along with shotgun. Learn what works. Mastering CQB/CQC isn’t a quick task.
Practice clearing houses in empty servers/matches. Pretend to shoot things, or have fellow 13th members represent OpFor (Opposing Force) and clear the house, then clear it again, and again. Clear multiple types of houses, on different maps, by your self, and then with a team. Anything helps and will only get you better.

4-Kits/Weapons to Use in CQB/CQC
While almost any weapon can be used for CQB, certain weapons are clearly more effective.

Assault- Effective in CQB. With assault rifles, they can clear buildings quickly and deadly, and with a 40mm grenade/shotgun, its just boosts their ability. Or with an all kit weapon, i.e. G3, shotgun, they clear just as well, and now the assault has throwable C4.

Medic-Semi-effective in CQB. Their machine gun can clear, but isn’t always the clear weapon of choice. But their real use is in reviving fallen comrades. Therefore making them highly valuable support beasts.

Engineer-Effective in CQB. Their silenced weapons are great infiltrator weapons. They can take floor after floor, and possibly not even have the tangos above them know what’s happening. Their rocket launchers are good at providing devastating firepower, but at the cost of surprise.

Recon-Semi Effective in CQB. Unless the recon is armed with the VSS, their weapons are only subpar to the other classes at CQB. Their shine is C4 and sensor balls. They will help the entire squad greatly, and can avoid the team entering a deserted house, wasting precious time, and exposing them to unnecessary risk.

5-Finale
While I can only instruct or talk so much, you have to take the true initiative and begin using CQB. Practice, practice, and practice. Communicate with your squad, and you’ll be set.
I hope to add pictures soon, and my video which this guide is based off of. Supposed to be a companion. Let me know of anything wrong or ideas.Even noticed when almost finished that there is already a CQB guide, but I already made it, and has differences, and is a companion to my soon to be CQB video, so until next time on the battlefield. –Gunnery Sergeant GhostOps21

Congrats Ghost, that's a nice guide !

Now a few personal thoughts :

1) Weapons : on my idea 2 of the members of the squad at least should use shotguns. Those have devastating power at short range, and permit to be really more reactive to any bad surprise in a confined area

2) Medics : the medic should be supporting his squad, not rushing first especially on the floors.
Tip : when your suqad medic dies, swap your package with him and revival him, then become the squad medic until your next death. I saw too much members of a squad felling reluctant in dropping their favorite weapon, and die 2 meters farther for this ...

3) Assault : in case you dont mind noise, assault should first attack the roof to open a breech in it, then all the other squad members can throm nades through the hole in several directions. This means instant attack with every member of the squad knowing where to be positionned. Same thing can be done by RPG eventually.

Globally, I think a plan for a house attack could be :
- Squad : 2 medics or medic + engineer both with shotgun + 2 assault with nades launchers
- Order of the assault :
1) everyone takes position around the assault guy. when everybody's in position
2) assault #1 launches a nade on the roof. Simultaneously the 3 other members throw their nades in three different trajectories (may be one should launch his in the bottom floor thru window)
3) assault #2 rushes on bottom floor, behind him medic and engineer. assault #1 keeps outside, recharges his nade, and plays the goat, attracting tangos attention on him. He keeps nading the first floor, covering the noise of his m8 running in bottom room. He can survey jumping out tangos too and kill them, or alert his m8 if the whole bunch of tangos jump and come for a counter-attack (I saw this most times).
4) once bottom floor is wiped out, medic + engineer + assault #2 recharge their nades, then throw them upstairs
5) assault #2 rushes the first floor, followed by engineer then medic

Your point of view ?

Agree with you completely, that's a pretty good assault template. We'll definitely have to try it out sometime. For me, it depends on what type of assault you choose. Loud or quiet, and that dictates how it is carried out. The weapons are preference, and yeah at least one shotgun would be best. But you also need to be ready to established defense of counter attacks, so some longer range weapons will help.