While the USA will generally lead you on a solider-per-solider basis, often using advanced technology and infantry support, the GRM can successfully counter this by making use of their strong economy, large lead in manpower and deadly motorized/armor support in the form of inexpensive armed pickups and advanced tanks. While it's no walk in the park, defeating the US Army is easily achievable using the GRM.

However, before we go on there are some basics we will need to get out of the way. These tips apply to any player regardless of their Faction and will help you get those most out of your game:

• Know how to Quick-Prone: Call to Arms, being such an infantry heavy game requires you master the ability to preserve your manpower. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to use the Change Stance hotkey to quickly go-prone/stand-up. This is by default set to SHIFT+Q and should be used in any situation where you're being shot at but don't have cover. Alternatively, it is sometimes beneficial to set your squad to prone regardless of if they're in strong cover or not; ie when being overrun or outflanked. This will preserve your troops and make it that much harder for your opponent to flush you out. An excellent example of this would be hiding inside of a shipping container or building that is within a CP zone.
  
  
• Make sure you're rotating! Related to using the Stance ability to your advantage is making sure to use the Rotate command so your troops are watching for and prepared for their next engagement. By default you can do this by pressing R and then clicking in the direction you'd like your men to face. Not only will this save you precious moments from turning to fire at your target, it will also focus your units vision in that direction giving you better situational awareness of the battlefield. With lower level troops it's important you use every advantage possible to mitigate your units lack of experience.
  
  
• Looting is your best friend: Nothing sucks more than showing up to a gunfight with a Skorpion. Make sure you're scouring the battlefield for useful equipment at all times. A random RPG from a corpse can turn the tide of a battle or turn your cheap squad into an elite A-Team. Picking up certain equipment can also fill gaps in your tactical aresenal; ie Marksman/Grenadiers Rifles for the GRM. Make sure to search nearby corpses for extra grenades, healing kits, RPG/AT4 ammo, etc. By default you can see any weapons laying on the battlefield by pressing C and you can highlight corspes with V
  
  
• Single-click or double-click? When telling a squad to move, a single left-click will instruct them to slowly move their objective and stop to take aim/fire when they encounter an enemy. Double-clicking will instruct your squad to jump up from any stance and sprint to their waypoint; ignoring any enemy fire or cover along the way. Make sure you choose the right command when ordering your unit to move - There's no reason to make them sprint into enemy fire when there's still time to outplay them. On the otherhand it is often beneficial to move as fast as humanly possible regardless of a few casualties if it means capturing a superior position (this especially applies to the early game!)
  
  
• Spread out and use cover! There's no reason to keep your men grouped up in a tight formation - This only serves to make you a juicier target and makes it harder to efficiently use cover. I typically split my squads into 2 and give them each their own Command Group (Shift+1, Shift+2, etc). Use these separate groups to flank around the enemy or capture multiple CP's at once. When taking a CP take a moment to spread your men around, taking cover and setting up firezones. Leave the men with the longest range weaponry or MG's behind the zone to help give cover fire. Use this oppurtunity to send your flanking squads further into the enemy's rear/CP's
  
  
• Fight another day: Much of the multiplayer gameplay in Call to Arms comes down to a battle of attrition. Especially during the early game, you will not be freely building units at a whim and will need to preserve your manpower and equipment as best you can. While you probably can't avoid the bulk of casualties you'll receive (you usually only get a moment to react, and even then a 50cal ain't no joke) you can at least help mitigate the odds of this with cautious deployments and tactical decisions. Is running through that field worth the 10-15 seconds less time than crawling through it? Should you run the entire unit into that building at once, or leave some behind for covering fire? Should you let your 380MP squad get obliterated to hold this CP another minute? Always do your best to avoid casualties, even if it means delaying an objective for a short bit. This means keeping your men spread out, taking the "long way" for certain objectives and trying your best to only advance when you have the proper amount of support and intelligence.
  
  
• You tank bro?: Call to Arms is a much more infantry-centric game than it's predecessors. Vehicles, for the most part, have been relegated to the late-game/odd appearances and should therefore not be your main goal. To win this game will require good use of your *infantry*, vehicles and tanks mostly serving to support their booted brethren. However, on the flip side vehicles (both tracked and wheeled) are an extremely potent force and can definitely f*** some s*** up, capable of chewing up entire squads. The key is to not overly rely on big guns with armor showing up as it only takes one ~75MP RPG to ruin 1200MP out of the blue; The economy of this game simply doesn't support large amounts of armored units when the same can be accomplished in manpower. You can deal with this by either focusing on the 'good deals' (MK19's, Kord P650, etc) or earning an MP reserve with a strong early game.
  
  
• On that note, don't forget to repair! Never forget that you can often repair both your own and your enemy's abandoned vehicles. Crews will often abandon vehicles once an engine has been sufficiently damaged or the armor pierced, however these can be repaired within a few minutes and then turned against their former owners. Most vehicles carry a repair kit with them so this should always be possible regardless of the unit type being used to repair. To do this you can either press SHIFT+R and click on the vehicle, or select the gear icon > wrench first.
  
  
• And lastly, FLANK DAMNIT!!! and I don't necessarily mean 'flank that position', I mean flank the entire map if you have to! Are you getting slaughtered heading into that CP your opponent has on lockdown? Have you been losing the entire match and have nothing left to lose? Why dont you take that squad and take the extreme flank to their Spawn Zone and setup an ambush for the next unit they purchase? Or come up behind them during your next advance? This should work especially well on newer players who don't yet understand the concept of flank protection/recon. By using an extreme flank (ie, all the way to the edge of the map) you can also negate ~50% of the directions you can take fire/be spotted from and often times can make it across the entire map sight unseen. If you want to be extra sneaky, instruct your unit(s) to crawl and the odds of being spotted will be slim unless they were smart enough to setup a screen or spotter. On the otherhand remember to setup your own counters in case you enemy attempts a similar move - Often a single trooper behind some strong cover can delay an advance long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

Strengths:


Strength in Numbers
Compared to the USA your infantry are cheap (but deadly!). You can often achieve a 2-to-1 ratio in # of infantry, allowing you to easily flank your enemy or cap far off CP's. While their basic loadout is not as decked out as their counterparts they're still extremely effective when used right. Looting enemy corpses is a good way to remedy this.

Superior Vehicle Support
Currently the GRM has, in my opinion, some of the best vehicle in the game. Their 'Technicals' generally have superior firepower compared to the Americans (here's looking at you Kord 6P50) and their BTR/BMP line comes in both affordable and deadly. Their ability to directly counter most of the US' vehicles, while generally being cheaper, mixed with the capabiltiy of transporting lightly protected squads to the obejective is a strong advantage the GRM excel at. Be cautious however as you also tend to be more vulnerable to enemy fire.

Insurgent Teams [AKA The Ultimate Scavengers]
The GRM bring a unique unit to the field in the way of Insurgent Teams. 75MP for a 5-man squad is an excellent deal *especially* when playing vs USA. Bone stock, they do not pose much threat and should never be used as a lead unit (sans unique situations) but their strength lies in looting the battlefield after firefights. Keep them directly behind your frontline and swoop them in to loot enemy weapons/corpses after the battle has been won (or loot your own and retake your positions) picking up specialist gear and grenades. At such a low cost these units make excellent fodder for riskier tactics such as a hard flanking and rushes. Can also be used as vehicle crews. Be aware that they are some of the lowest skill level units in the game and should not be relied upon for 'serious bidness' without the poper backup.


Weaknesses:


Subpar Gear/Loadouts
When compared to your typical American infantryman, the GRM can be somewhat lacking in gear options. The 'Militia' for example, your basic GRM unit, is practically naked aside from their low-level base weapons and a single soldier carrying 2 grenades & a smoke. This extends into other areas than "just" gear; for example body armor will be a rarer commodity resulting in higher casualties, you will be lacking in special equipment such as flashbangs, etc. However, this weakness is somehwat offset by the low cost and high body-count for most of your units (the 'naked Militia' for example come with 8-bodies compared to 5 for a US Assualt Sqd.)

Less Specialization
Unlike the Americans, you don't have easy/cheap access to as many 'specialist squads'. While the Americans have an abundance of units such as Marksman Squads, Grenadiers and efficient AT's, you will generally need to make do with what you can muster from the battlefield or save up for later in the match. (Note in some situations you will still have similar squads, however they aren't as easily affordable to the GRM as they are the USA).

Lower Soldier Skill
Your soliders individual skill level will be lower than that of their opponents the majority of the time. This has the ability to effect their aim time, accuracy, battlefield awareness, etc. While it is usually a pretty small difference, played out across an entire battlefield this builds up into a strong handicap that you must stay aware of. To get around this you must play smart; Don't just throw your men into a meatgrinder thinking you can just buy more - If the enemy ends up matching in you numbers you are almost assuredly f***ed. Take advantage of your manpower to flank distracted squads, capture undefended CP's with a stealth Milita, set up ambushes, etc. You will have to make up this difference yourself with efficient micro/tactics.

Below is a list of all of the GRM units currently available and their associated cost.

****GRM INFANTRY SQUADS:****


Milita
Cost: 120MP
Manpower: 8 men
Equipment: 2 grenades, 1 smoke
Skill Level: 1
Weapons: AKM, Skorpion
Description: Your basic squad, the Militia are one of the bread & butter units of the GRM. While they come practically naked (minus the single solider carrying grenades) they make up for this in the fact they come with 8 troopers - compared with the US' 5. Best used as frontline fodder or for risky flank moves where casualties are expected. Alternatively, use them to distract/pin down the enemy while your elite units finish the deed to help conserve manpower. Note that unlike the vast majority of infantry in CtA, the Militia do not include medkits and so cannot heal unless/until you loot these items from the battlefield.

Conscripts
Cost: 140MP
Manpower: 6 men
Equipment: 7 grenades, 6 smoke, medkits
Skill Level: 2
Weapons: AKM x4, FAL x2
Description: Ahh, the Conscripts. For 20MP more than Militia you receive a kitted out squad that is fairly decent at hitting what they aim at! These guys are personally my goto unit for the early game as their grenades, medkits and FAL's help close the gap between the GRM and the US. Best used as your main infantry as they're still cheap, outnumber their opponents and come with enough 'nades and medkits to survive/win an even firefight. Be wary of enemy vehicles or special forces as they're lacking in any sort of AT and lack MG support (you should either prone or retreat them if an HMMV/heavy squad about to target them).

Mercenaries
Cost: 180MP
Manpower: 6 men (1x Medic)
Equipment: 7 grenades, 6 smoke, medkits
Skill Level: 2
Weapons: AKS74, RPK x1
Description: Out of the gate the Mercenaries come with upgraded assault rifles and an MG-Gunner. They also include a medic which can be an extremely important addition not only for their own squad, but others around them as well. They're similar to an American Defense Squad and should be played as such, laying down heavy cover fire as others advance and generally anchoring your lines. Keep the medic in a safe position at all times and try and recoup any casualties when possible.

Guards
Cost: 280MP
Manpower: 6 men (1x Medic)
Equipment: 14 grenades, 5 smoke, medkits
Skill Level: 3
Weapons: AKS74, Mini, RPK74-M (MG)
Description: More grenades, higher skill level and better equipment, the Guards make excellent Heavy Infantry. The only thing these guys are missing are some AT and they would become one of the best infantry units on the field; as-is I'm still not too sure how I feel about them. By the time you can begin to afford them you probably already have a fairly large infantry force in play and should really be looking to fill any niches you've left open in your army instead (AT, Technicals, Snipers, etc). However, they still have their use in large MP battles or in the later half of games when you have the $$$ - or a strong enough lead in general - to make use of them.

Pasdaran
Cost: 425MP
Manpower: 6 men (6x Medics)
Equipment: 14 grenades, 6 smoke, 4 RPG's, medkits
Skill Level: 4
Weapons: G3A4, AKS74, PKM, Mini
Info: All members are medics

Assasins
Cost: 520MP
Manpower: 6 men (6x Medics)
Equipment: 14 grenades, 6 smoke, 6 Molotov's (AT), Claymores, C4, medkits
Skill Level: 5
Weapons: ASVAL, UMP45, Mini, AKS-74U


****GRM SUPPORT SQUADS****


Tank Crew
Cost: 40MP
Manpower: 2 men
Equipment: 2 smoke, medkit
Skill Level: 2
Weapons: AK74

Engineer Crew
Cost: 50MP
Manpower: 2 men
Equipment: 3 grenades, 3 smoke, C4, Claymores, medkit
Skill Level: 2
Weapons: AKM

Support Team
Cost: 80MP
Manpower: 3 men
Equipment: 3 grenades, 3 smoke, medkit
Skill Level: 2
Weapons: AK74

Fire Team
Cost: 135MP
Manpower: 3 men
Equipment: 3 grenades, 3 smoke, medkit
Skill Level: 2
Weapons: AKM, RPK (MG)

Anti-Tank Team
Cost: 140MP
Manpower: 3 men
Equipment: 4 grenades, 3 smoke, 7RPG's, medkit
Skill Level: 2
Weapons: AKS74, RPG

Sniper Team
Cost: 375MP
Manpower: 2 men
Equipment: 4 grenades, 2 molotov's, 2 smoke, medkit
Skill Level: 3
Weapons: SVD, FAL

Insurgent Team
Cost: 75MP
Manpower: 5 men
Equipment: None
Skill Level: 1
Weapons: Lee Enflied No.4 (x4), AKM (x1)

Shotgunner Team
Cost: 120MP
Manpower: 3 men
Equipment: 8 grenades, 2 smoke, medkit
Skill Level: 3
Weapons: S-12K Shotgun (x2), Mini (x1)

Heavy Anti-Tank Team
Cost: 300MP
Manpower: 3 men
Equipment: 6 grenades, 2 molotov's, 3 smoke, 7 RPG's, medkit
Skill Level: 4
Weapons: AKS74, RPG29 Vampir


****GRM SUPPORT****


2B14 Podnos Mortar
Cost: 500MP
Info: 3-man crew, 125rnds HE mortar rounds

Ural
Cost: 100MP
Info: 10-man transport capacity. lightly protected.

Ural Ammo
Cost: 250MP
Info: Refills ammo in radius

Technical SPG9
Cost: 350MP
Info: HE rocket launcher (effective anti-light vehicle)


**** GRM VEHICLES****


Technical PKM
Cost: 150MP
PKM MG

Technical Kord 6P50
Cost: 225MP
2000rnd, very effective anti-personnel

Technical ZPU
Cost: 450MP
AA gun, extremely effective vs infantry

BTR-80
Cost: 550MP
14.5mm, PKMT, smoke

BTR-82A
Cost: 750MP
30mm, PKMT, smoke

T62
Cost: 900MP
Info: 115MM AP/HE, NSVT, RKMT, smoke
Exposed gunner, slower


**** GRM TANKS****


BMP-3
Cost: 850M
Transport

BMP2
Cost: 1000MP
Info: 30MM 2A42, ASG-30 AA grenade, 135MM 9M113 Konkurs x4, PKTM
Rear exit, deadly. Transport. Rank 3

T80BV
Cost: 1100MP
Info: 125MM, NSVT, PKMT, smoke Rank 2

T80U
Cost: 1400MP
125MM, NSVT, PKMT, smoke
Info: Rank 2, remote control gunner, ERA

**** WORK IN PROGRESSS***

In this section we'll go over some of the strategies the GRM excel at! Be sure to add your thoughts in the comments below!!!