Assault

An Assault is a combat maneuver wherein a unit advances quickly and directly into an enemy's defensive position, with the intent of clearing it of enemies and/or forcing them to withdraw immediately. An assault is fast and aggressive, and is also dangerous to the attacking force if not carried out properly.

For the most part, players assault a prepared enemy position, fortification, or building. In order to minimize danger to the attackers, they will often approach the target by a route that conceals or covers them from enemy fire, beginning the assault only when it is impossible to advance any further without exposing themselves to fire. If terrain or obstacles are not available to conceal the approaching unit, Smoke may be used to mask the approach instead (usually fired by a Grenade Launcher from some distance away). The closer the unit can get before starting its assault, the safer it will be during the assault itself.

Assaults can be further assisted by establishing a strong Base of Fire (BOF) beforehand, using a second unit. The BOF unit suppresses the target, forcing the defenders to keep their heads down and/or focus their entire attention on the BOF unit. This increases the chance that the assaulting unit will be able to get to the target safely, or at least cover more distance before they are spotted.

Once the assaulters get to the target, they will rapidly clear through it using various CQB techniques. The assault is completed once all enemies have been killed or driven out, at which point the assaulters may switch to holding the asset they've just captured against enemy counter-attacks, or immediately move on to assault another enemy position. The BOF unit may be moved to assist further, or to join the assaulters at their newly-captured position.

An "Assault" is distinct from a "Push" - a maneuver where a unit moves forward towards a known or suspected enemy position. In an Assault, the enemy position is well-defended and unlikely to be abandoned by the enemy. In a Push, the enemy is not yet fully entrenched, and the pushing unit may engage any contacts encountered from some distance if necessary.