Hell Let Loose Vietnam Roles — All 17 Roles Explained

Every 50-player team in Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is built from 17 roles spread across six units: Command, Infantry, Recon, Armour, Helicopter and Mortar Squad. Each role has a specific job in the chain of command, its own loadout options, and a very different experience of the same match. This guide explains every role — what it does, what it carries, who it suits — so you can pick the one that fits how you actually want to play.

Here's what you'll learn:

• The full 17-role roster, organised by unit
• What each role actually does on the battlefield
• Which roles are best for beginners vs veterans
• The two roles that are tutorial-locked at launch
• How the mortar squad and helicopter units change team composition

Official resources: Steam store page · Official site · Steam news hub · IGN game page

The Role Structure: Six Units, One Chain of Command

The official store description names the structure explicitly: "17 specialised roles within a 50-strong team made up of multiple squads" across Command, Infantry, Recon, Armour, Mortar and Helicopter units. Roles aren't just loadout presets — they define who you talk to, where you spawn, and what the team expects from you. A match lives or dies on this chain: the Commander sets strategy, Squad Leaders execute it on the ground, and specialist units (recon, armour, mortar, helicopter) multiply the infantry's effectiveness.

Per the official game description on Steam: players "choose from one of 17 specialised roles within a 50-strong team made up of multiple squads," including infantry, recon, armour, mortar squads and helicopter units.

Command: The Commander

The single most impactful role in the match. The Commander sees the big picture, coordinates squad leaders through the command channel, and calls the game-changing abilities — artillery, recon assets, and the reworked Napalm strike, which launch-window balance turned into an area-denial tool that blankets a sector in smoke and fire. Being a good Commander is less about aim than about reading the map and talking clearly. It's tutorial-locked at launch: you must complete the Commander tutorial before you can select it.

Infantry: The Seven Backbone Roles

Infantry is where most of the team lives, and it has the most roles:

• Squad Leader — the squad's backbone. Places the squad outpost (your forward spawn), sets markers on the tactical map, talks to command. Tutorial-locked at launch. If you've ever wondered "why is our squad spawning from HQ" — the answer is usually an SL who isn't placing outposts.
• Rifleman — the standard soldier. M16A1 on the US side, Type 56 on the NVA side, grenades, ammo. Nothing flashy, always needed. The best first role for new players.
• Grenadier — the explosive specialist. Carries the M79 grenade launcher (US) and works as the anti-vehicle infantry threat on the NVA side with the RPG-02.
• Engineer — the builder and breaker. Constructs resource nodes and fortifications, places mines and satchel charges, and repairs vehicles. Engineers are why teams have spawn economies — see the how to play guide for the node system.
• Medic — the revive specialist. Bandages and revives, drags downed teammates out of fire. The most appreciated role in the game; every squad wants one. Full job details in the beginner role picks.
• Specialist — the flexible role that shifts loadout by faction and situation (the exact loadout spread varies by patch; treat it as "the role for unconventional kits").
• Machine Gunner — suppression. M60 on the US side ("The Pig"), RPD on the NVA side. Your job is volume of fire, not kills — pinning an enemy squad so your riflemen can move is a successful engagement.

Recon: Spotter & Sniper

The two-man recon squad is the team's eyes behind enemy lines. The Spotter is the squad leader of the pair — places the squad spawn, marks targets, and calls artillery for the team. The Sniper is the precision rifle, M40 on the US side, Type 53 PU on the NVA side. A good recon squad doesn't just farm kills: it hunts enemy garrisons, reports tank movement, and paves the way for the infantry push. Only two players per team get to do this, so it's not a role you grab casually.

Armour: Tank Commander & Crewman

Tank Commander leads the tank crew — perches in the hatch, spots, coordinates with infantry, and commands the gunner. Crewman is the tank's driver/loader, and the same role covers other armoured vehicles. Armour in Vietnam is a team-within-a-team: an unsupported tank dies to a satchel or an RPG-02 in seconds, so tank squads need infantry coordination. Tanks fight on every map except the tightest jungle, and a good crew can dominate open ground like Đắk Tô's runway — the all maps guide notes where armour shines.

Helicopter: Logistics Officer & Pilot (US Only)

Vietnam's marquee new unit — and it's US-only, the counterweight to NVA tunnels. The Pilot flies the Huey-style chopper: transport insertions, supply drops, fire support. The Logistics Officer handles the rear-seat job — managing drops, calling in the right supplies, coordinating with command. Key synergy: Officers can deploy a Field Pad spawn point after stepping off a helicopter, turning a single insertion into a forward base. Learning to fly against 49 watching teammates is a rite of passage — practice the flight tutorial first.

Mortar Squad: Observer, Support & Gunner

Mortars are the NVA's indirect-fire answer (the US has comparable support assets elsewhere). The three-man team: the Observer spots and adjusts fire, the Support carries ammunition and keeps the tube fed, and the Gunner fires. Mortars can demolish a defensive position or a capture point — but a bad mortar crew can also team-wipe, so coordination is everything. The Observer is effectively the mortar squad's leader: fire missions go where the Observer says.

Role Unlocks & Progression

Two systems gate roles at launch:

1. Tutorial locks — the Squad Leader and Commander roles require completing their respective tutorials first (the Getting Started tutorial is optional and skippable).
2. XP progression and loadout weight — roles earn XP that unlocks loadout options, and Vietnam's new weighted loadout system means heavier gear costs more carrying capacity. The devs tuned early progression to be faster so new players reach useful loadouts quickly.

Best Role for You: Quick Picks

For the guns each role carries and how they handle, see the weapons guide. For the full game overview, the wiki hub is the place to start.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many roles are in Hell Let Loose: Vietnam?

17 roles across six units: Commander (Command), seven infantry roles (Squad Leader, Rifleman, Grenadier, Engineer, Medic, Specialist, Machine Gunner), two recon roles (Spotter, Sniper), two armour roles (Tank Commander, Crewman), two helicopter roles (Logistics Officer, Pilot) and three mortar roles (Observer, Support, Gunner).

What is the best role in Hell Let Loose: Vietnam?

For new players, Rifleman. For maximum team impact per player, Medic and Engineer are consistently underrated — revives and nodes win matches more than kills do.

Are Squad Leader and Commander locked in Hell Let Loose: Vietnam?

Yes — both roles require completing their dedicated tutorials before they unlock, per the official launch info blog.

What roles are in the helicopter squad in Hell Let Loose: Vietnam?

Logistics Officer and Pilot — the pilot flies transport/supply/fire-support missions and the logistics officer manages drops. The helicopter unit is US-only.

What is the difference between Spotter and Sniper?

Spotter leads the two-man recon squad (spawn point, target marking, artillery coordination); Sniper is the precision marksman who executes. They're a package — the game's official role list keeps them paired.

Related Guides

• Hell Let Loose Vietnam Beginners Guide: First Match, Roles & Survival
• Hell Let Loose: Vietnam Weapons — Full Arsenal Guide
• Hell Let Loose: Vietnam Wiki — Overview, Modes & Maps
• How to Play Hell Let Loose: Vietnam — Objectives, Modes & Spawns
• Hell Let Loose Vietnam Maps: All 6 Battlefields Explained
• Hell Let Loose: Vietnam Best Settings — Graphics, FPS & Visibility

Last updated: August 15, 2026.