Broken Arrow Doctrines Explained: Which Two to Pick
How doctrines (specializations) work in Broken Arrow: why you pick two, what each USA and Russia doctrine emphasizes, and beginner-friendly pairings to start with.
What a doctrine is
A doctrine is a specialization that decides which units you're allowed to bring. After choosing a faction you pick two doctrines, and the combined unit pools of those two are your deck-building menu. Change a doctrine and the pool changes — cards outside it disappear from your deck.
Doctrines are the single biggest identity choice you make. They're why two USA players can field completely different armies: one leaning on paratroopers and air, another on heavy armor.
Why you pick two
Two doctrines let you cover each other's gaps. A doctrine heavy on infantry might be thin on armor; pairing it with a tank-focused one fills the hole. The art of deck-building starts here — you're combining two specialties into one balanced force.
For a first deck, avoid stacking two doctrines that share the same weakness. If neither brings strong anti-air or recon, your deck will feel that hole in every match.
USA doctrines at a glance
USMC (Marines) — flexible combined-arms infantry with solid recon and transports. Airborne — light, mobile paratrooper infantry, strong early. Special Operations Forces (SOF) — elite infantry and precision, smaller pool. Stryker Cavalry — wheeled mobility and quick repositioning. Armored Brigade — heavy tanks and firepower. Baltic Battalion — a mixed allied-flavored toolbox.
A common beginner-friendly USA pairing is an infantry doctrine (USMC or Airborne) plus Armored Brigade: you get bodies to hold ground and tanks to punch.
Russia doctrines at a glance
VDV Brigade — airborne infantry, mobile and aggressive, deep pool. Coastal Troops (Naval Infantry) — versatile marine infantry with good tools. Motorized Infantry — cheap, numerous, wheeled. Mechanized Infantry — IFV-backed infantry, a balanced backbone. Guard Tank Brigade — pure armor punch, smaller and tank-focused.
A common beginner-friendly Russia pairing is Mechanized (or Motorized) Infantry plus Guard Tank Brigade: numbers and line infantry backed by heavy armor.
How to choose your first pair
Pick one infantry-oriented doctrine to hold objectives and one that adds a punch you're missing — armor, mobility or air support. Make sure that between the two you can build recon, anti-air and logistics; those must exist somewhere in your pool.
Don't overthink it for game one. Browse each doctrine's roster in our doctrines section, take a balanced pair, and adjust once you've felt where your deck struggles. You can always rebuild.