Trenches and Cover

Why cover decides fights

Foxhole infantry are fragile in the open and durable behind cover. Most engagements are decided by who is using terrain and fortifications and who is exposed.

Cover is not optional decoration — it is the primary survival tool of infantry.

Using trenches as a fighter

Trenches let infantry fire while protected and move along the line without exposure. Fight from them, reposition within them, and use their connections to reinforce threatened sections.

A manned trench network is one of the most cost-effective defences in the game.

Why bad trenches help the enemy

Trenches are terrain. If they are dug in the wrong place, the enemy can capture and fight from them just as easily as you can.

• Trenches too far forward become enemy staging positions
• Trenches with no friendly fire support are easy to take
• Disconnected trenches cannot be reinforced or retreated through
• Trenches blocking friendly movement slow your own counterattacks

Holding through positions

Layered positions let defenders trade space for time: hold the forward trench, fall back to the next, and make every metre cost the attacker.

Defenders should know the next position back before they need it.

When to dig and when not to

Dig when a line needs to be held and a builder has thought about fields of fire and supply access. Do not dig reflexively — an unplanned trench can be worse than open ground.

If you are not a builder, ask one before placing fortifications.

Related systems

This connects to Infantry Basics, and on the construction side to Building Trenches and Common Building Mistakes.