USMC model types

[Iorwerth]

I have been looking at the USMC squad I bought and was wondering which figures are what.

I have 4 models with with rifles that are at head height, pointing out. I presume these are the standard riflemen.

I have 2 models with rifles with bipods, which I presume are the Gunners with Saws

I have 2 kneeling down models, which I thought might be the Corporals

I have 2 models standing up with rifles being held pointing downwards, which I thought must be the segeant.

Do I have this right?

If I do, why is the extra model another Sergeant? Surely it would have been more useful if it was a standard rifleman or Saw?

 

[The-Patriot]

All US Marines are riflemen.

The 2 Marines with the M249 SAW are: Automatic Riflemen
The 2 Marines with the M203 grenade launchers are: Team Leaders
The 2 Marines standing about mite be: Assistant Automatic Rifleman, who would carry extra ammo for the SAW.

A USMC Squad is made up form 3 - 4 fireteams.
Fireteams are made up of 4 Marines.
4 x 4 = 16

Basicly, you have an extra 2 Marines in your box which I would assume, could be placed into a fireteam once you buy another USMC infantry squad.

 

[captainsmirk]

Yes the ones with bipods are SAW gunners.
The two kneeling models I believe have underslung grenade launchers, at least they look like they do...

Can't help on the others though i'm afraid.


Nick

 

[Mongoose Alex]

It sounds like you have too many models. Each USMC box comes with 9 models.

 

[Iorwerth]

I had 10 models in the one I was looking at. I got them at the Mongoose Open day - they weren't in a box, just in a plastic bag. But I have just checked another bag and it has got 8 - I must have somehow transfered a model between bags. Sorry about the confusion.

This still leaves a question of which models would be the corporals and which the Sergeant. It would be easy to say the kneeling guys are corporals but there is no model which can be easily identified as the sergeant.

 

[Mongoose Alex]

There are two guys with the rifles held across their chests. They are the fire team leaders. The two kneeling models have the underslung grenade launchers, and the three marines aiming plus 2 saw gunners completes the set.

 

[Turtle]

Which one is the Sergeant?

 

[The-Patriot]

All US Marines are riflemen.

The 2 Marines with the M249 SAW are: Automatic Riflemen
The 2 Marines with the M203 grenade launchers are: Team Leaders
The 2 Marines standing about mite be: Assistant Automatic Rifleman, who would carry extra ammo for the SAW.

A USMC Squad is made up form 3 - 4 fireteams.
Fireteams are made up of 4 Marines.
4 x 4 = 16

Basicly, you have an extra 2 Marines in your box which I would assume, could be placed into a fireteam once you buy another USMC infantry squad.

What I said there is how it is in the real USMC, so I may be wrong when it comes to the game.

USMC Fireteams are led by a Corporal or Lance Corporal.
No Sergeant is in a fireteam, as Sergeants only lead squads, and 10/9 Marines does not make up a squad.

Another thing... the reason why it's easy to say the man in crouch position with the M203 is a Cpl, is due to the fact that only the team leader is issued an M203 and only a Cpl leads a fireteam, as I said.

 

[lastbesthope]

From my experience eith the EFTF British Infantry, the guys who are least ready to fire are the highest rank :lol:

Funny, but true, I checked.

LBH

 

[Locutus9956]

Erm are you sure about that last bit there patriot. As far as I can back up the team leader is NOT necessarily the one issued with the M203, rather one member is designated a grenadier and given said weapon. It is often the squad leader but this is not mandatory. In game terms you can give the M203 to one of your riflement (your choice). Personally I would give it to someone OTHER than the leader as its less of an 'all your eggs in one basket' situation then. On the other hand if you keep the leader further back he will get shot LESS and therefore you could keep both leader and M203 alive and kicking....

Regardless the team leaders in the miniatures are the ones with the rifles held across their chests, the M203 armed marine is one of the riflemen.

Furthermore, each box set is a squad and includes a seargeant (another marine with rifle across his chest). 9 Men is NOT a full squad but under the rules you can pay the points for up to two aditional fire teams extending to a full sized squad. Otherwise you are effectively just fielding an understrenght squad.

 

[The-Patriot]

The United States Marine Corps fireteam is organized around the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. When on the objective, the fireteam assumes a "hasty 180", where the Automatic Rifleman covers 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock (12 o'clock being the most likely avenue of enemy approach), with the Rifleman and Assistant Automatic Rifleman covering 9 to 11 and 1 to 3 respectively. The Team Leader is next to the Automatic Rifleman to complement his fire with grenade rounds and to assign targets for the M249. Also known as RTFA (Ready-Team-Fire-Assist)

 

[Quel]

The United States Marine Corps fireteam is organized around the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. When on the objective, the fireteam assumes a "hasty 180", where the Automatic Rifleman covers 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock (12 o'clock being the most likely avenue of enemy approach), with the Rifleman and Assistant Automatic Rifleman covering 9 to 11 and 1 to 3 respectively. The Team Leader is next to the Automatic Rifleman to complement his fire with grenade rounds and to assign targets for the M249. Also known as RTFA (Ready-Team-Fire-Assist)

As good as Wikipedia is on many things, I would not always trust it as word-for-word being correct. Here's what an actual Marine has said on the subject:

"The fire team does not have to carry the M203, in fact when I was a squadleader and Pltsgt I would not let my team leaders carry one. They're job was to control their fire team not throw lead and rifle grenades."

It is just more common for team leaders to carry them(who wouldn't want to use a grenade launcher?), but it is definately not a requirement that only they can.

 

[Sgt. Brassones]

The guys standing are Jarheads, the guys with bi-pods are combat photographers and the guys kneeling are chaplains.

 

[Locutus9956]

Yup I had read that wikipedia article and though its quite good it is as I and several others have pointed out not necessarily the ONLY arrangement that ever occurs, the M203 is a bit flexible in its issue to the best of my knowledge. Nonetheless under that article the Mongoose models follow the fire team structure for US Army. Remember that BF Evo is near future not actually present day, you could just assume the marines adopted the Army fire team structure as it was found to work better etc etc