Resupply

Resupply is the act of distributing equipment to Ground troops - particularly Infantry - to replenish equipment that has been used up during the mission. The term is often also used to refer specifically to the final step of the process, where players collect the actual equipment that has been brought to them. Much of the process is often handled by the Logistics (Logi) unit, though this is not always the case.

Resupply often occurs partway through the mission, and may occur several times in one mission. It is typically scheduled by Command, either when one or more units are getting dangerously low on ammunition or Medical Supplies, or pre-emptively when the situation is favorable to perform the process.

The Crates containing the resupply equipment are normally prepared back at base. They can be transported to the battlefield using a variety of methods, including Transport Helicopters, Trucks, or even an air-drop by Transport Planes. Occasionally, Resupply Crates are placed at specific points on the map before the mission even begins.

Once the crates are unloaded from the vehicles, units may arrive to take equipment from them as necessary. In the current version of ArmA 3, crates may be carried to the units by hand to allow them to resupply more quickly. Units resupply in piece-meal fashion in order to keep some units on the front lines while others run back to grab equipment. Too many units resupplying at the same time can lead to all sorts of problems, including Clusterfucking and Mass Cas.

Procedure Overview
Resupply is one of the more complex and lengthy processes in a ShackTac mission, requiring multiple elements to coordinate and often many long minutes to execute. The procedure effectively ends when the unit(s) being resupplied receives its equipment, which can be many long minutes after the order to resupply that unit is given.

Technically, Resupply begins when a unit announces that it requires additional equipment. Command must pay close attention to the equipment levels of each unit, often actively asking units to report their current condition in order to keep track as it slowly depletes. Resupply is best enacted before a unit runs out of equipment. Units report their Ammunition and Medical counts separately, as these can sometimes be depleted at different rates (and can be resupplied separately, especially in ArmA 3). Units may also ask for resupply of specific equipment, such as Light Anti-Tank Launchers or Automatic Rifle magazines, if they happen to run out of one specific type of equipment.

Once it is determined that a unit needs to resupply, Command has to issue the order to whatever unit is responsible for preparing and moving the equipment. If a Logistics unit is present, this will likely be its primary activity - running equipment to and from base, or at least dispensing it from the Logistics Truck. In units with Transport Helicopters present, it may be the sole duty of the helicopter crews to create, load, and move the equipment to the battlefield, especially in ArmA 3 where crates are standardized and easy to create.

This is also the point where Command must decide where the relevant units will receive their supplies. Getting supplies to a unit on the move is often a bad idea - it is best to resupply at a position that the unit can hold safely, in order not to put the Logistics/Helicopter unit in undue danger, nor the unit that is being resupplied. Proper hard cover (behind walls or even inside buildings) are typically the preferred locations for resupply, followed by a position surrounded by natural obstacles (e.g. a dell or bowl, defended on all relevant sides by Infantry). Resupply may need to be delayed until the target unit reaches such a position.

Once all parameters have been decided, the Logistics or transport unit must create the necessary equipment back at base, if it does not already have it. In ArmA 2 this was a very involved process, as the persons responsible would have to create each of the necessary items and add them manually to a Resupply Crate (or vehicle), determining how many crates are needed for all of the equipment. The process was significant simplified in ArmA 3 with standardized crates, which contain all of the equipment that might be needed by a unit; thus leaving only the decision of how many crates of each type to take.

The next step is the most straightforward: delivering the equipment to the intended Resupply Point. There are multiple methods of doing so, depending mostly on what types of transport assets are available to the players' force. Trucks are typically used when Logistics units are present, whereas Transport Helicopters can carry large crates slung under the body or (in Arma 3) standard crates inside the helicopter itself. A Motorized Infantry force usually carries some supply crates in its vehicles, making Resupply significantly easier (the equipment is right there with the Infantry), but is liable to run out sooner or later. If no transport assets are available at all, the Game Master may handle resupply by sending Transport Planes to drop crates by parachutes near friendly forces.

Once the equipment arrives at the intended Resupply Point, it must be distributed to the troops. In the ArmA 3 era, standardized crates are often unloaded from the vehicle and carried by hand to the target unit(s) so that they can resupply very close to where they are stationed. Otherwise, units may need to abandon their position to travel to the Resupply Point, send runners to pick up equipment for everybody, or send individuals to resupply one at a time or in small groups. Deciding how to handle this step is complicated in its own right, and depends on many different variables.

Should any items still be missing for any reason, Command may need to decide whether to call for another Resupply immediately, continue without the missing equipment, or appeal to the Game Master to rectify the situation. This last option is not too rare, as failure to resupply properly for any reason can cause a mission to break down entirely. It is often better to "cheat" in this way if a critical type of equipment is missing, rather than continue without it.

Determining Resupply Timing
The first step to any Resupply action is to determine whether units need to be resupplied, or whether they will need to be resupplied anytime soon.

To this end, Command must keep track of the current equipment levels of each unit under their command. This happens in one of two ways: Either the unit leaders themselves volunteer their equipment counts periodically, or Command actively asks for reports. Generally speaking, it'll be a mix of both.

Squad Leaders themselves need to keep track of their Fireteams' equipment counts, and in turn so do Fireteam Leaders. Should they feel that one of their subordinates is running low on equipment, they will often report this voluntarily to Command ahead of time, to ensure that Command is aware that Resupply may be needed soon.

Command may actively ask for an ACE Report from one or more units. Such a report includes the number of players still alive in the unit, as well as their current equipment levels. Equipment is generally reported in two or more points: Ammunition levels, Light Anti-Tank Launcher counts, and Medical Supply levels. If either of these is running out, the unit will likely need immediate resupply. Additionally, unit leaders may report other equipment that might be missing or running low, such as Flares - though this may or may not require urgent action.

In the ArmA 3 era, equipment levels are generally reported as color codes, with "Green" meaning "we have enough of this for now", followed by "Yellow", "Amber", "Red", and "Black". Units at "Amber" level may need resupply soon, whereas units at "Red" levels are going to run out of equipment very soon. Units at "black" level on any type of equipment have completely run out of that particular equipment; If it is necessary to continue fighting, the unit needs resupply immediately.

Note that Command may order a unit to continue moving or fighting despite it having run out of equipment. This can happen if Resupply is simply impossible at the time, if the mission is about to be completed (or Extract is imminent), or if the unit needs to urgently do something else. It may also happen if the specific equipment reported as "black" is not critical to the unit's current task, e.g. Flares when sunrise is coming soon, or LAT launchers when the unit is not expected to come under attack by armored vehicles in the foreseeable future.

Finally, the unit's current location has a very strong impact on whether or not Resupply will be called for that unit. A unit currently in the process of traveling - especially through open terrain - is often better off waiting until it reaches a defensible position before being resupplied. If the entire force is preparing to move, stopping a unit in its current defensible position just so it can get resupplied might delay the entire operation. The worse the unit's equipment levels, the less likely these factors are to affect the decision whether to resupply; It is sometimes better to resupply a unit at a bad position than expect it to advance while it is running out of critical gear.

Resupply Methods
A key element to any Resupply action is getting the equipment from where it is created to the front lines. There are multiple methods to doing this, depending on which transport assets are available to the players' force. In some cases, the extra equipment is already with the players and only needs to be unloaded and taken; In others, equipment is waiting for players on the battlefield. In most cases, however, a Vehicle of some sort will need to transport the equipment to them.

Ground Vehicle Transport
In missions with a Logistics (Logi) unit present, equipment is typically moved from base to the battlefield using Trucks or other cargo-carrying ground vehicles. This was the most common method in the ArmA 2 era, and remains fairly common in ArmA 3 as well.

In ArmA 2, Logistics units would spend much of their time back at base, preparing resupply shipments. They would receive a very specific count of all equipment required by the combat units, and would manually add this equipment to their vehicle's inventory one item at a time. The vehicle would then drive to the battlefield, often to a central Resupply Point, where Infantry would come to grab what they needed directly from the vehicle itself. Once the vehicle was emptied, it would drive right back to base to prepare for the next resupply run.

In ArmA 3, standardized crates have changed the way Logistics trucks work. The truck is loaded with a number of standardized Resupply Crates, each capable of replenishing the equipment of a single basic-level unit (a Fireteam, a Medic, a Weapon Team, etc.). The truck would then stay close to the frontline troops, often driving right up to each unit in need of resupply to quickly unload a crate or two and retreat to a safer position. When the truck runs out of crates, it may be sent back to base to pick up additional crates. This makes Logistics a significantly easier job, as the Logi unit members only need to keep track of how many crates of each type they are carrying, and how many need to be picked up from the base, rather than specific counts of each type of equipment. This also significantly reduces the margin of error, as each crate contains everything the corresponding unit might need.

Of course, in both versions of the game, resupply by ground vehicles can be very risky. A ground vehicle is more likely to be ambushed by enemies on its way to and from the base; though it is slightly less likely to be destroyed when delivering equipment directly to each front-line unit (as compared with other delivery methods). Of course, one important advantage is that ground vehicles do not need to seek a Drop Zone or Landing Zone to deliver their equipment, making the resupply process much less involved than with Air Transport.

Under-Slung Crates
A Resupply method that was somewhat common in ArmA 2 and significantly less common in ArmA 3 is to carry a large Resupply Crate slung under a Transport Helicopter and dropped at a central location near the front lines.

In ArmA 2, the Logistics unit would prepare such a crate just as they'd load ground vehicles (see prev. subsection), adding items one by one to the crate according to the counts provided to them by Command. This would require Logi to determine how much equipment can fit in each crate, and thus how many crates are needed for the resupply - matching this with the number of Transport Helicopters available to determine how many trips are needed to carry the entire load.

In ArmA 3, standardized crates loaded directly into the helicopter (see next subsection) have largely replaced this method; However a larger Resupply action may still require a large crate. Instead of loading items into the crate piece-meal, standardized crates are packed into the large crate and can later be unloaded from it after it is dropped off. There is no need for a dedicated Logistics unit back at base, since the Pilots/Co-Pilots can quickly and easily generate and load those standardized crates themselves in a matter of seconds, take off, sling the load, and head out to the front lines.

In both versions of the game, Resupply by under-slung crates requires the FAC and/or Command to establish a safe Drop Zone for the helicopters. This typically needs to be a very safe and very wide-open location, since the helicopter will need to hover over it for many long seconds while dropping the large crate as gently as possible on the ground. Failure to select a suitable site can result in the helicopter being shot down, or the cargo being dropped incorrectly. When the drop itself is taking place, the FAC often needs to guide the aircraft down on the radio to make it easier for the pilot to maneuver into the drop zone.

This method allows transporting a very large quantity of equipment to the battlefield in a single action, and the helicopter is typically much safer than any ground-based transport; However as explained above, the drop itself is significantly more complicated and dangerous.

This is also a method of bringing in light Vehicles to the battlefield, such as HMMWVs.

On-Board Crates
In ArmA 3, Transport Helicopters can now carry standardized Resupply Crates loaded directly into the helicopter itself. These can be manually unloaded from the helicopter by anyone standing outside it while it is on the ground.

Standardized crates are loaded into helicopters the same as they would be loaded into a ground vehicle. The process only takes a few seconds per crate. This allows the Pilots/Co-Pilots themselves to perform the loading action back at base, without requiring a separate Logistics unit. The pilots only need to know how many crates of each type they are expected to bring with them.

Helicopters need a Landing Zone to be prepared at the front lines for this kind of resupply action, as they would need to fully land on the ground (or at least perform a Pinnacle Landing) in order to be unloaded. While this puts the helicopter in slightly less danger compared to the under-slung cargo crate method (see prev. subsection), it is still a dangerous maneuver that requires a safe landing zone to avoid disaster. Since the helicopter must spend time on the ground while it is being unloaded, it is vulnerable to LAT strikes and even GPs, so a landing zone that is physically blocked on all relevant sides is necessary. The Landing Zone must also be large enough to fit the entire helicopter, meaning that large helicopters like the Chinook are rarely if ever used for this sort of Resupply.

Note that the Pilot/Co-Pilot rarely leaves the helicopter in order to unload the crates; Instead someone from a nearby ground unit will typically be sent to do this. If the helicopter was transporting troops into the battlefield, those troops may be asked to unload one or more crates from the helicopter immediately after landing. If there is no one to help, the pilot or co-pilot may jump out of the helicopter to assist, but this is sub-optimal.

Air-Dropped Crates
The ArmA 3 era has also brought with it the option to drop crates directly from over-flying Transport Planes. A plane will fly over the front lines, over or nearby to friendly troops, dropping multiple crates with parachutes attached. The crates then glide down to the ground, where they can be picked up by the ground forces.

This method is typically used when the players have no transport assets that can go back to base to pick up equipment. Accordingly, the entire Resupply action - apart from the final pick-up - is handled by the Game Master rather than any player-controlled unit. The Game Master must determine how many crates they wish to drop on the battlefield, and then trigger a script that flies the planes over the desired drop position. The pilots are AI-controlled, and will largely fly in a straight line over the designated drop position, then fly away and disappear from the game after some distance.

Crates dropped in this way typically contain Beacons which mark their general position on the map, to within a radius of about 50-100 meters. This allows ground units to more easily locate the crates once they touch down. Nevertheless, searching for the crates can take some time, and the drop position is rarely in a secured position; Players may need to fight their way to the crates, and in some cases completely abandon them due to heavy enemy fire. If the Game Master feels like their drop was too difficult to reach, they may immediately trigger another plane to come in and drop additional crates.

Once the crates are on the ground, they may or may not be dragged away to a safer position. If their position is already safe, or very close to friendly units, resupply may occur directly where the crates landed.

This method of Resupply is by far the easiest to arrange (especially for the players, who are almost completely uninvolved), and there is effectively no danger to the transporting vehicle; but this is also the least flexible method and may put the troops themselves in danger as they try to collect the crates.

Both standardized crates, and large crates containing standardized crates, may be used in this sort of air drop. Though it is technically possible to air-drop light vehicles this way (e.g. HMMWVs), this has not yet been observed being performed in ShackTac videos.

Finally, a rare variant of this Resupply method is player-controlled Transport Helicopters or even Gunships dropping standardized crates on parachutes from a high altitude, one by one. So far, this has proven an imprecise method of delivering supplies, but this may change at any point in the future.

Pre-Placed Crates
The most straightforward type of Resupply occurs when the equipment is already present on the battlefield, and only needs to be picked up - no transport necessary.

This occurs mostly during Defense in Depth and Defense in Place scenarios, where the players are going to be defending a prepared position. In the first case, Command typically chooses which positions to prepare and how many crates are placed at each position. In the second case, the crates are typically all piled up at a central, highly-defensible location within the players' Alamo.

Pre-placed crates may also appear on the map during offensive missions, at specific locations that are either known or unknown to the players beforehand. They may need to reach a specified location in order to resupply, or they may stumble upon crates bearing supplies that they may or may not have any use for. The S.H.A.C.K.E.R missions feature this sort of resupply situation, since players have no other logical means to get supplies (other than the occasional item found on dead bodies).

Resupply Point
A "Resupply Point" is the location where equipment can be picked up by the units themselves.

There are two general types of Resupply Points: A centralized Resupply Point where multiple units will arrive to pick up equipment or whole crates; And a specific Resupply Point where a unit stores its crates so that they can be immediately accessible.

Large Crates often form a centralized Resupply Point. In ArmA 2 this is where all units receiving Resupply will have to come to grab their equipment, since the crate itself cannot be moved and cannot be dismantled into movable parts. Units are likely to rotate when coming to pick up items from this Resupply Point, one unit at a time, keeping other units watching for and engaging enemies. Runners may instead be sent from each unit to pick up as much equipment as they can, and then return to their unit to distribute the equipment to specific players or to drop it on the group (creating a specific Resupply Point).

In ArmA 3, centralized Resupply Points are much rarer, since standardized crates can be moved from one place to another freely. Trucks will likely drive up to a unit and provide it with its own crate(s), which members of the unit will then move to the safest and most accessible location they can find nearby to create a specific Resupply Point. Large Crates contain standardized crates rather than items, so the large crate will be dismantled as necessary and its components then carried to create specific Resupply Points elsewhere. Nevertheless, there may be situations (e.g. Defense in Place where a centralized Resupply Point is still created, especially when the units are all bunched up in a single Alamo and/or if there is only one extra-safe place to put the crates.

In all cases, the Resupply Point must be marked on the map to ensure that players know where to go in case they need equipment. The marker will typically be named "Resup", pre-fixed with a letter or set of letters signifying which unit a specific Resupply Point is meant to service; e.g. "B Resup" for a specific Resupply Point for Bravo Squad. Medical Crates are often marked "Med Resup". Once all (or all useful) equipment has been depleted from the crates, leaders may erase the marker.

Unit Resupply Procedure
The final step of a Resupply action is distributing equipment to the units themselves. This part is often referred to as the "actual" Resupply, since up to that point the equipment being transported is only potentially available. After all, just having equipment sitting at a Resupply Point is meaningless unless someone arrives to actually take and use it.

Taking equipment from a Resupply Point is not a trivial matter; If all units simply rush to take what they need, they'll be leaving the front line unobserved and may allow enemies to overrun the whole force. Furthermore, if any player takes whatever they can carry, other players may be left without any equipment - potentially rendering them useless.

Resupply is often handled piece-meal, with only a handful of players from each unit moving to a Resupply Point at a time, while other members of the unit remain on the front line watching for (and engaging) enemies. This is typical when a unit has its own specific Resupply Point (see prev. chapter), in which case Squad Leaders may send one Fireteam or even one Color Team at a time to Resupply, until all players have had a chance to grab some equipment.

Resupplying a whole Squad at once is slightly rarer, but does occur from time to time. This was more common in ArmA 2, when centralized Resupply Points were more common due to the lack of standardized crates. A whole Squad would be pulled off the line to grab equipment quickly and return to their position. Naturally this could not be performed while the force is engaged with enemies, as pulling a squad off the line could open a gap through which enemies could pour in.

An alternative is to send runners to pick up equipment and distribute them to the other members of their unit in person. This is still done from time to time, though it has become less common over time. Stamina issues typically prevent players from carrying a lot of equipment to and from a Resupply Point, even if their inventory can fit all of the items. It is still occasionally done when the Resupply is only for Light Anti-Tank Launchers or ammunition for Assault Rifles, in which case one player may be able to handle it alone.

Similarly, a standardized Medical Crate is intended to be picked up by the medic alone, so resupplying from such a crate only requires the Medic to run over to the resupply point; Other players will remain where they are.

Failure to ensure that only a few players grab equipment from the crates at any given time also prevents a situation called a "Clusterfuck", wherein multiple players are crowding a single (often undefended) location and thus making them an excellent target for enemy Mortars, GPs, Cannons, RPGs, or any other weapon that can strike multiple players simultaneously or in rapid succession. This can lead to a Mass Cas, where multiple players are injured and bleeding out, potentially killing several or all of them. In case a Clusterfuck occurs, players who notice it may call for other players to move away and wait their turn; but it is obviously preferable to avoid it altogether.

Regarding etiquette, players are expected to only take as much equipment as they need to replenish their original inventory, while making sure that at least some equipment remains for other players. A crate or vehicle will only be emptied of its contents (sometimes called "Ratfucking") if the resupplying unit absolutely requires all of the equipment, or if the container is about to get left behind - in which case there is usually no point to leave anything in there. Nevertheless, players can exercise their own discretion as to whether they actually need more equipment than they had at the start of the mission. A good example is a player who is exceptionally good with one specific weapon, and may take more of that weapon (or its ammunition) from the crate than they would normally be carrying since they are more likely to put it to good use. Again, players are expected to use common sense and never leave other players without necessary equipment.