Bearing from Spotter vs Scout Plane

Players search these as if they were one mechanic. They are not. A Spotter report is ground intelligence drawn from that Spotter’s position. A Scout Plane is an aerial recon request you aim with a start grid and a bearing. Star Shell is a third tool.

Tool A

Spotter bearing

Locate the Spotter on the map first.
Draw the reported bearing from that Spotter, not from the Iron Nest.
If a distance clue is included, community guides use compass / arc tools from the same origin.
When two Spotters report, their lines (or line + arc) are what you triangulate.

Tool B

Scout Plane bearing

This is a recon flight you request, not a Spotter report.
Community recordings show setting a starting grid and a bearing, then receiving recon photographs.
Feed the result back into the map. It does not skip triangulation or the final Nest measurement.

Developer distinction — In a Steam discussion the developer treats Scout Plane and Star Shell as different tools: they do not provide the same kind of information, and Scout Plane recon is described as not starting the Counter-Battery timer. Do not mix them in one sentence as “the recon tool.”

Not published here — Unlock or requisition cost, photo count, flight duration, exact UI field names, and line colors have not been confirmed in the current build for this page.

After either tool

Both tools help you mark a place on the map. The shot still needs a firing bearing and range measured from the Iron Nest’s current position. That rule is the same as on the triangulation page.

How to triangulate →

Turn two clues into a candidate point.

Counter-Battery →

Why Scout Plane vs Star Shell matters under fire.

Fire and Light →

Spotter reports plus illumination corrections.

Evidence

Sources & last check

Facts on this page were last checked against the records below on 2026-08-14. Store wording, menus, and mission details can change; confirm in the current build and on official Steam pages before treating any number as final.