Heavy Gunner Team

Fri Mar 27, 2015 12:48 pm

Heavy Gunner Teams (often abbreviated HGTs) are special weapons teams used to provide added fire-support on the battle field. Basically they operate a machinegun that is too large to carry, operate, and feed efficiently for one man alone. These machineguns have larger ammo capacities and larger calibers than the standard assault fireteam's machineguns. They're not easily moved (you can't run and gun with them like you could with an assault fireteam's MG), but are easier than bringing in an armored vehicle. They are used most commonly on rough terrain or when vehicles would be too noticeable. In a larger element movement (as in a platoon rucking instead of a squad rucking somewhere), they often are used to at the front of security when making a stop.

During assaults they often are farther back from the fight, providing a wider range of coverage from afar (another form of overwatch), but may also be brought forward to assault an especially difficult position (say you need to eliminate enemies in cover behind something that the lighter machinegun of the assault team might not penetrate.), or to provide closer security of an especially hot situation. They usually cover the main areas such as roads, open fields, trails, or wherever there is a main funneling of troops and/or vehicles. (So they're not likely to be covering a window).

One member of the team carries the machinegun itself, while the other carries all the ammo and spare parts. Both are armed with submachineguns for self-defense. Owing to their more dangerous occupation, being placed in the most exposed positions of security and being a high-value target, they are given more powerful armor and shielding, though this slows them down more. To offset this their armor includes motorized enhancement for support and added speed, and if it should fail it is easily detachable and discarded, so that it doesn't end up locking up or just weighing them down further. Two HGTs make up a fireteam.

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