Seventeen Roles in Six Unit Types
The current official store listing for Hell Let Loose: Vietnam identifies 17 roles across six battlefield unit types. Earlier promotional material referred to 19 roles, but the current 17-role inventory is the appropriate basis for this page.
| Unit type | Listed roles | Important scope note |
|---|---|---|
| Command | Commander | Team-level coordination role |
| Infantry | Squad Leader, Rifleman, Grenadier, Engineer, Medic, Specialist, Machine Gunner | Equipment varies by faction and progression |
| Recon | Spotter, Sniper | Detailed tools still need stronger direct evidence |
| Armour | Tank Commander, Crewman | Crewman remains one role even when occupying different vehicle positions |
| Helicopter | Logistics Officer, Pilot | Listed as United States only |
| Mortar Squad | Observer, Support, Gunner | Detailed workflow is currently supported mainly by third-party guides |
Role names and categories are more stable than loadout details. Equipment, unlocks, unit limits, and some responsibilities can change with faction, role level, or a later balance update.
Command and Infantry
The Commander coordinates squads, manages team resources, and uses command abilities described by current guides, including reconnaissance, supplies, and strikes. Exact resource costs and ability timing are not reproduced here because they remain patch-sensitive.
The Squad Leader directs an infantry unit, communicates with the Commander, and participates in constructing team spawn infrastructure. Current guides also connect the North Vietnamese version of the role with tunnel systems, though detailed construction rules need direct verification.
The seven infantry roles cover different battlefield tasks:
- Rifleman is a general front-line role whose loadouts may include basic supplies, tools, and grenades.
- Grenadier handles anti-armour or explosive tasks through faction- and level-dependent equipment.
- Engineer builds defenses and resource nodes and can repair vehicles.
- Medic revives and bandages teammates and can carry medical supplies and smoke.
- Specialist is a flexible equipment role with some items gated by progression.
- Machine Gunner supplies suppressive fire; the North Vietnamese version is also described with a deployable anti-air capability.
These summaries describe responsibilities supported by multiple current guides. They are not complete loadout tables.
Armour Roles
Armour has two listed roles: Tank Commander and Crewman. The Tank Commander directs the vehicle crew. A Crewman can occupy driving or gunnery positions, but those positions do not create separate role entries in the 17-role count.
Vehicle availability, seat count, and exact crew controls belong to a versioned vehicle reference. The roles list alone cannot establish them.
Recon, Mortar, and Helicopter Units
The official role inventory establishes the names in these specialist units. Current third-party guides broadly agree that Spotters observe and coordinate with Snipers, while Snipers focus on longer-range fire. They also describe Mortar Observers, Support players, and Gunners as a coordinated three-role team.
The United States-only Helicopter unit lists Logistics Officer and Pilot. Third-party descriptions associate the officer with coordination and logistics and the pilot with flight and onboard operation.
Those detailed duty descriptions remain less certain than the official role names. Tools, spawn functions, crew limits, and exact unit workflows should be checked against an official tutorial or a recorded current build before they are treated as complete.
Unit Limits and Progression
One current guide describes infantry units as containing up to six players and reports limits on particular roles. It also says players can switch to an available role after death and redeployment. Because those details currently depend heavily on one guide, they are not presented here as fully verified universal rules.
Progression and loadouts can affect what a role carries. A role name therefore does not imply that every player or faction has the same equipment at every level.
Choosing a Role as a New Player
There is no verified universal best beginner role. Different guides recommend Rifleman, Medic, Engineer, Machine Gunner, or other choices depending on the task they want a new player to learn.
A safer principle is to choose a role whose immediate responsibility you understand, stay with the unit, and avoid occupying a limited specialist role without knowing its current task. That is editorial guidance, not an official ranking.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many roles are currently listed?
The current official store listing identifies 17 roles across six unit types. The earlier 19-role figure is treated as outdated.
Which helicopter roles are listed?
The United States-only Helicopter unit lists Logistics Officer and Pilot.
Are driver and gunner separate armour roles?
No. The official count lists Tank Commander and Crewman; a Crewman may occupy driving or gunnery positions without becoming two separate role entries.
Which role is best for beginners?
Current guides disagree, so there is no verified universal best role. Choose according to the unit's immediate need and the responsibility you can perform.