Pillbox

Pillbox
Category	Defence
Hit points	800
Supply cost	8,000
Fuel cost	0
CP cost	0
Requires	Headquarters (Level 4)
Build limit	4

The Pillbox serves as a buildable Defence-type structure in ArmA: Mobile Ops.

Overview

• Role:
  • Garrisonable defensive structure

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Huge bunker with a thick wall of concrete, steel, special composites. This stronghold defence structure is built empty and must be operated by a soldier unit. You have to assign one of your created units to the Pillbox in order to protect your base. Shop Description

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Purpose

Unlocked at the same time as the Mortar, the Pillbox is a unique base defence that functions quite differently compared to other defensive buildings.

It cannot attack enemy units on its own and must be garrisoned by an infantry squad (i.e. Fire Team) trained at the Office in order to function. Compared to other defences which are able to attack in any direction, the Pillbox has a limited aiming arc, variable fire rate, restricted types of targets that it attack, and a DPS output that changes depending on the squad manning it. Pillboxes are mostly restricted to covering the direction that they are facing at, though they can still be rotated manually to face another direction if necessary (outside of battle).

For example, a Heavy Team garrisoning the Pillbox becomes a powerful anti-vehicle/aircraft defence that can rival - if not outperform, the AT Launcher in terms of DPS. However, it is shorter-ranged, has minimal splash damage, and also has a small firing arc that prevents it from attacking any units that are approaching it from behind.

On the other hand, a Force Recon squad becomes an excellent anti-infantry/light vehicle defence that covers a very wide arc and range. But consequently, it cannot attack flying units, has a higher damage drop-off when attacking distant targets, and is ineffective against heavy vehicles like the Tracked UGV.

Regardless of these limitations, even unupgraded Pillboxes work well as supplementary structures to complement your bases' more specialised defences like the anti-ground Machine Gun or slow firing Autocannon. Their high amount of HP makes them viable as decent damage sponges.

Garrisonable Units

NOTE: Engineer Teams cannot be garrisoned into Pillboxes.

Name	Base DPS	Range	Coverage (Main/Max)*	Valid Targets
Fire Team	10	24 metres	45° (130%) / 270° (70%)	Ground/Air
Heavy Team	25	30 metres	45° (130%) / 270° (70%)	Ground/Air
Force Recon	35	54 metres	90° (130%) / 315° (70%)	Ground

Because every infantry unit has its limitations, there is no "perfect" unit to place into a Pillbox as each squad's performance will vary depending on your bases' needs:

• The Fire Team has the shortest range and coverage and no splash damage, but it has an extremely high DPS output.
  • A max rank veteran Fire Team however, is quite deadly against ground vehicles due to their high fire rate and increased damage, though they will still struggle against upgraded Tracked UGVs.
  • At low HQ levels, Fire Team garrisons are not particularly useful either. But at higher HQs and with a decent veterancy rank, the Fire Team can easily shred Helicopter Drones with ease.
• The Heavy Team has slightly more range than the Fire Team and is capable of attacking flying units. Their rockets can inflict a small amount of area-of-effect splash damage on enemy targets, which is lethal against clumped-up infantry and light vehicles.
  • However their rockets do not lock onto their targets like those fired by the AT Launcher, which means that fast flying aircraft like the X35 Jet or the Helicopter Drone can easily destroy the Pillbox while taking minimal (if none in the case of the X35 Jet) damage from it.
• The Force Recon squad has the greatest range out of all the squads; more than double of a Fire Team's and almost twice as much as the Heavy Team. A single Force Recon-garrisoned Pillbox can cover half of your base in almost every direction (except for the small arc directly behind it) from all ground units. Their long range means that infantry squads will almost always get mowed down before they can even get close enough to start firing on it.
  • Force Recon-garrisoned Pillboxes cannot attack flying units, and their attack speed is also the slowest (though not by much). Since it only has slightly less range than a Railgun Tower, the Pillbox should ideally be placed behind your defences instead of at the front like with the other two squads.

(*) Coverage refers to the maximum aiming arc that enemy units can be attacked in. All squads have an inner (main) arc that usually covers the angle directly in front of them; enemy units in this arc take 130% damage from their attacks. Anything in the outer (max) arc can still be attacked, but will receive only 70% damage per hit.

Trivia

• Prior to Update 1.11, the Pillbox did not account for the garrisoned unit's veterancy, and always had the same DPS output as a non-veteran infantry squad. Garrisoned Fire Teams were also unable to attack flying units prior to the patch.
• The Pillbox's model is based off the various military bunker structures from ArmA 3's Malden 2035 map that was added with the release of the (free) Malden DLC.

Gallery

An unupgraded Pillbox.