This guide is written from my experiences being a QM (Quartermaster), and my experiences of having a bad QM on the team. It is a long read but a necessary guide on most aspects of being a QM. Make sure you take time reading this to understand the QM position.
Other Foxhole Guides:
- Logistics: The Fundamental Guide for New Players.
- Gameplay Tips and Tricks.
- Weapons Damage Guide.
- Road Safety Tips.
- Maps.
Situational Awareness
All credit goes to Long Quach!
Frontline Feedback
This task can be done fairly quickly by simply reading the team chat. The grunts on the frontline will type in the chat what they expect to be delivered by logi players. However, take note that such feedback only exists when said front have already ran out of the mentioned resource/weapon or is running extremely low on them.
Hence it is necessary to directly ask them in chat to keep you, the QM, updated with their resource status. Tell them to tell you what might be running low next, the SS situation or what weapons are being used at a fast rate. From this, you can predict what will be running out soon and thus can make orders and get them ready before the front runs dry. By the time frontline players started yelling in chat, you would’ve gotten what they need loaded up on a truck and ready for delivery.
Similarly, when your drivers are sent to deliver said supplies, tell them to take note of the current situation and report back any scarcity of weapons, shirts, etc. All this gathering of information may seem redundant, however, it’s in your best interest. Slacking off till its too late severely hurts a front, and the resulting panic isn’t good for logistics. It is okay to stockpile stuff, just don’t abandon the front. You have to stay ahead of the ever increasing demand! If in a time crunch, fall back on the basics: shirts, rifles with its ammo, and HE/smoke. The front line may prefer better stuff but a front can push with just these items. This is better covered later in substitution for lack of supplies.
Compatible Weapons
Frontliners will like you if you send what they needed. To take this 1 step ahead, you can predict what they might need. Remember: This task can only be done when every front is reasonably stocked and you have some down time at the HQ.
You can do this by looking at the map. With the “Intelligence” Update, it makes the task easier. You can tell which kind of environment and situations your team is fighting in: Uphill, Urban combat, Long range shooting, etc. Using that knowledge, you can make preparations in advance. For example: giving them shotguns or bayonets for close quarter combat if they’re fighting in a town, and give them grenade and grenade launchers for long range fighting.
If you can keep this up, your team might be able to gain an advantage over the enemy and the frontline will be pushed up.
Manpower
Scrappers
Having knowledge on which resource nodes have a scraper on-site. This can save you time by using what’s already made, rather than having your logi players scrap for more. If your team does not have any scrappers, logi players will need to scrap for you.
Logi Players
You will need them to run bmats, make deliveries and bring you resources you don’t have access to. You will need to know how many logi players you have under your command to manage supply runs effectively. If you have the luck to get a lot of these guys, you can split them into running bmats, making orders and making deliveries. If you don’t have a lot, just cram their truck for each delivery and tell them what they need to do before reporting back to you at HQ.
Control of Resources
Weapon Stocks
The QM will have access to 2 weapons factories. It is common sense to use the WF with a lower tech level to produce basic weapons (such as HE, Rifle, Rifle ammo and Frag Grenades) while using the higher-tech one for advanced weapons that your team has unlocked (Carbine, Shotgun, SMG…).
As for basic weapons, it is essential to build up a stockpile for them because they are used most of the time and can run out extremely quickly. A lack of basic weapons can halt a whole push or even cost you a whole FOB/Town in extreme cases. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to make sure they don’t run out.
With advanced weapons, you need to remember what have been requested most and then make a surplus of them in case more is required. If possible, make a small reserve of other weapons that have yet been requested in case the need arises.
Throwables like smoke, HE and frags should also have a stock since they are necessary most of the time. Smoke and HE are most effective when used together, thus delivering them together will make sure they can be used efficiently.
It is essential that you have some kind of anti-tank (AT) weapons in reserve (preferably RPGs and rockets). Presence of hostile combat vehicles can have detrimental consequences to an allied push or hold-out. The faster your team can respond to the threat, the less damage your team sustains. You, as QM, need to make sure they have the tools for such task.
Materials
Bmats is an absolute requirement for a QM. If you want to keep production running, you need to make sure you have the Bmats to do it. You can do this by simply telling logi players to get you Bmats after they’re done with their deliveries and are on their way back to HQ.
Rmats should also have a stock (if possible). You usually do not need to use this resource as a QM. However, your team does. Supplying the front with Rmats is often a logi player’s job since you do not have access or the need to use this resource. Having a stockpile (preferably a box) will give you the ability to supply a front with enough Rmats in case of an emergency when there is no one scrapping Rmats. This stockpile can be built up as easily as the stock for Bmats.
Emats is the god of high grade weapons. As QM, you’ll need a stock of these in case your team ask for indirect-fire weapons (howitzer, mortars) and to build up your AT weapons reserve. Unlike other resources, Emats is scarce and has a long respawn timer. You need to make sure your logi players get you the Emats as soon as they spawn to maximize your team’s Emats output. Just keep them in stock for when the need arise or to build more RPGs.
Utilities
These resources you do not have access to due to distance and thus you will need your logi players to help you build up a stock.
Soldier Supplies: The most powerful resource. Whole fronts collapse in absence of them. You need to make sure these are constantly made and brought back to you so they can be distributed as quickly as possible when they are needed.
Medical supplies: They are cheap and quick to make. They don’t deplete as quickly as other resources. Presence of medical supplies will help a front to maintain its resources. Less dead dudes = Lower supply loss. Just keep a small stockpile of them and make sure every front have plenty to use.
Workshop products: Binos, radios, bayonets, grenade launchers, satchels… These are just accessories so you don’t need to make too much. However, these things can give your team an advantage so keep a small stock of them in case your team ask for them.
Advanced Stuffs!
Being Nice to Your Logi Line
Doing logi is a tedious and boring job. You gain a lot of commends just for making orders in the Weapon Factories. Keep your logi team motivated by feeding them commends once in awhile so they do their job well.
Substitution for Lack of Supplies
Sometimes the front asks you for supplies that you do not currently have. Rather than just saying “No, I don’t have any!” you should give them something similar to help them do their job. For example: Give them Rmats if you don’t have RPGs so they can build AT turrets, give them SMGs for Close Quarter Combat if you don’t have shotguns, and so on. Give them tools so they can do their job, then you can send them what they need later.
Breach-point Damage Control
A small hole is punched into the weak point of a friendly defense line. You need to keep an eye on the map in case there’s a breach in the line. Keep a radio on you at all times so you can be updated with map situation. Once a breach appears, halt all your deliveries into the closest road to the breach point or tell your logi players to use a different road. Alert your team of the breach so they know about it to counter it. Get a truck ready, loaded with Bmats and Rmats, then send that truck to the breach point once the enemies have been cleared. Your team can use that resource to seal and reinforce the defense line.
Technically Prepared
Update yourself with the tech level of the Vehicle Factory. Make preparations for the vehicles which your team is going to get. For example:
- Prepare HMG ammo when your team is near to getting Halftracks
- Same goes for Tanks and Field Artillery!
- Just prepare some ammo. Such small deeds can help your team to push great distances.
Dealing with Stealing / Thieving Players
Sometimes there are logi players who come to the QM area, take their fill of mats and then be on their way doing their own thing. This might not necessarily be a thieving action. QMs sometimes have an excessive amounts of mats that they probably can’t make good use of, hence some players use this resource for something else. If you don’t like people doing this to your stockpile, you can just tell them and they would probably stop. If they refuse to, the best option is probably to set up a barracks, then squad claim it and use it as a storage.
Tech Leveling Order
As long as the logi line is still lead by you, it is important that you control the flow of tech parts. This is the order in which you should invest your tech in for maximum combat efficiency for your team:
- Lv 3 workshop early game for Sledges
- Lv 4 weapons factory for rockets, MGs and Smoke
- Lv 2 VF for APCs
- Lv 5 WF for mortars and carbines.
- Lv 4 WS for gas masks and tank shells
- Then keep upgrading VF to lv 5
You should not attempt to tech up both weapons factory as it is not necessary. It will bring more production capability but it cannot outweigh the benefits of advanced combat vehicles. Level 6 Weapons Factory is, in my opinion, unnecessary as storm rifles are expensive to make and have very limited combat power on the front. It is highly recommended to invest that 50 techs elsewhere.
What not to Do as QM
Walling off the Weapons Factory
This is something that have been done before. Greedy QMs restricting access to the WF to themselves and their own logi drivers. This would clog the traffic outside the WF and would not benefit your team because it prevents logi players who supply specific fronts to do their job. 1 order in queue does not mean the end of the world so share the WF to other people, too! It’s a team game after all.
Teamkilling
This is common sense. You don’t kill people because they attempt to make an order in the WF. This is a kick-worthy offense and hence the team will kick you for it if they’re angry enough. It is recommended to find a more peaceful, more civilized solution like talking it out.
Ask them what they are making, and which front they are making it for so you don’t have to make the same thing for the front which they are already supplying.
Be the first to comment