Premades Don’t Break Frontline — They Broke the Illusion of the Horde Stampede

[Divinemights]

Very fair point.

I guess the issue then is what worked for Secure 2.0 would not work on the other maps?

I have to say in any given match these days, I get far more irritated by people hiding behind rocks than I do by a light party leading the charge.

The so-called "good old days" of Frontline primarily existed in Secure 24 men, before Square Enix added Daily Frontline into the roulette system.
Secure was once a battleground dominated by experienced, dedicated PvPers.
Casual and newer players tended to queue into Shatter, which was more accessible through the daily roulette.

Because of this split, you wouldn’t often see organized premades in Shatter, not because they didn’t exist, but because most of the skilled players and premade groups preferred Secure’s 24-man mode, where coordination and strategy mattered more.
That’s why I disagree with your claim that premades created the Horde Stampede playstyle.