Re: Being an Effective Squad Leader
OK, you asked for it... I wrote it awhile ago so people who actually play in squad and like a squad may know most of this. But for those who are new to the game or just started to play in squads, it may be helpful.
Introduction
The Battlefield series has always offered players the chance to work together as a team on a virtual battlefield. As the series has progressed, there were slight improvements for teamwork to be accomplished. Battlefield 2 has taken this up a notch in the form of squads.
With squads, players can now talk to each other via the in-game Voice Over IP (VOIP) with good sound quality. In addition, they can see each other’s names and positions (on the map) in green. This helps to easily identify your bothers in arms.
Squad members can also use their squad leader as a mobile spawn point. The only exception is when they are spawning or there are no bases that your team occupies. This mobile spawn is a very powerful tool that can use to effectively make a difference in the game.
Anatomy
The most important part of any squad is the squad leader. This is not because he can boss his squad members around, but he has the most influence to the squad. The squad leader can talk to the commander over VOIP as well as his own squad members. He can also direct the squad by clearly marking objectives for the squad to follow. These objectives can consist of attacking or defending a flag, repairing the commander’s assets among other objectives.
The squad leader can be any kit, which depending on their skills with that kit, can make them a force to be reckon with. But one of the more important qualities of a squad leader is the fact that as long as he is alive, he is a mobile spawn point for the squad.
Next comes the actual squad that will consist of 1 to 5 players of varying skill level and kits. Obviously, the more people you have on your squad, the more potential you have to make a significant impact in the game. But with more members, there will be other challenges that arise which will be discussed later on.
Another member of a squad is what I call the sergeants. While this is not an official term used in the game, it can be an important part of keeping a full squad working together. The sergeant/s are there to help the squad leader carry out any tasks that may need to be done.
The majority of the members will be the role players or grunts. They will do most of the dirty work. But at the same time, can earn more points if they are successful. Depending on the situation, it’s possible that a role player can be a sergeant and lead the available squad members to obtain their objectives.
Kits
Anti-Tank: This kit can be useful on most maps, if not all. They are the “Superman” of the squad. With the number of missiles they have in addition to their gun, they can be effective against most forms of enemy.
Pros: Clearly this kit excels at taking out any form of ground vehicles in addition to helicopters from time to time. They can guide the missile for long distance shots (when they should be more protected from the enemy’s fire) or do quick shots at close range. They can also be effective “mental warriors” by locking on to a target, but not firing. For most players, this should get them nervous enough to move. I find this to be quite effective on helicopters.
Con: Their gun is not very powerful so they will need to get the jump on the hostile soldiers. They also don’t posses any grenades which may come in handy when attacking a flag.
Assault: Every squad should have at least one of these guys to be their “point man”. They carry an effective weapon (rifle and grenade launcher) against infantry. The grenade launcher can also do its fair share of damage against light vehicles.
Pros: Assault soldiers should be used to take out hostile infantry. They can be very effective leading an assault into an enemy’s flag as the “point man”. In this role, they should be directing the squad by giving them info of any hostiles in the flag and other useful info.
Cons: Their weapon isn’t very effective on larger vehicles/aircraft.
Medic: A medic can be a very useful asset to most squads. While their default weapon is not that powerful, their ability to heal and revive squad members can easily make up for it. If the map has more infantry battles, a medic can become an effective member of a squad. With maps that tend to have a lot of vehicle battles, there tends to be fewer chances that some one can be healed with out risking the life of the medic.
Pros: The biggest benefit a medic has is the ability to heal and revive soldiers. This can greatly improve the speed of the squad in getting to their destination. A healed or revived squad member doesn’t have to waste time waiting to spawn. Also, if the squad leader dies, they can be revived and the squad can continue on to the objective.
In addition, the medic can improve the morale of the squad because people should be dying less. This will put the individual members in a better mood, which should result in better play.
Cons: Their main weapon isn’t very effective, so the medic needs to be a bit more cautious while engaging hostile infantry.
Engineer: This tends to be a rarely used kit in the average squad. Their shotgun is only useful in close quarter fights. Their mines can be an effective deterrent to vehicles, especially the light vehicles that travel at higher rates of speed. But the one thing that they can do is repair stuff. This can be extremely useful for the squad that travels in vehicles, especially armor and transports. They can also be useful to the commander by fixing any destroyed assets.
Pros: These guys can be the mechanics of the squad by fixing any damaged vehicles. This is most effective after the squad has taken a flag and the vehicles have gotten a little banged up. When an engineer is in a vehicle, they can fix other vehicles near them at a slower rate. This can be useful when squad members are taking a flag together in multiple vehicles (APCs and Tanks).
They can also be useful in the defending of a flag against vehicles. If they place their mines down in a spot that is hard for hostile drivers to see, they can do some serous damage. In addition, if they are effective enough in blowing up vehicles with their mines, the enemy may become more timid when they approach your flag.
Cons: Like the other “support” kits, they main weapon is not very effective. While it does a good deal of damage at close range, with only 7 shots, you have to be accurate with your aim. At longer distances, they are better off throwing a grenade.
Sniper: This is the king of the Lone Wolf player. While snipers can be helpful to the team overall, they will not be helpful to a squad. The purpose is this kit is to strike fear into players by shooting them at a long distance. A sniper needs to be covert and well hidden to increase their chance at being effective.
Pros: They can shoot from very far distances compared to the other kits. With their uniform and making smart choices, they can stay hidden more effectively then other kits. They can make the enemy think twice about walking into an open area.
Cons: Their main weapon is not that effective at close range. The sound of their gun can give a player with a sense of sound, their general location away.
Special Ops: This kit can be as effective as an Assault and an Anti-Tank kit combined. Granted, they have to go about destroying heavy vehicles in a more stealth manner. But where this kit really shines is in the destroying of the enemy commander’s assets. They are the only kit that can destroy them.
Pros: This kit is very versatile if used correctly. The rifle can be an effective infantry stopper. But it’s the C4 they carry that makes the enemy nervous. A smart Special Op can destroy even the mightiest of tanks with a click of a button. In tight spaces, they can easily sneak up to heavy vehicles and in a few seconds; making the enemy wish they were a full-time infantry soldier.
They are also the only kit that can destroy the enemy commander’s assets. These assets include multiple artillery guns, radar, and a UAV trailer. When these are down, they tremendously cripple the opposing commander. The destroying of the commander’s assets should happen more frequent in the upcoming patch (1.03) when they will earn points for a job well done.
Cons: They have to more careful in taking out larger vehicles.
Support: This is another rarely used kit in a squad. They do have an intimidating weapon that can be useful in defending a base or an area. They are also the keepers of ammunition. With the ability to supply your squad members, especially the Anti-tank guys, they can really help out a squad.
Pros: Their main weapon can be very effective in holding back infantry. This is especially true when defending a base. As one of the few sources of ammo, besides a supply crate or picking up an enemy’s kit lying on the ground, these guys can help keep an effective squad focused on the task at hand.
Cons: Their main weapon is not very effective while standing or mvoing. While the sheer number of bullets being fired may frighten the enemy, it may not be effective in eliminating them.
Purpose
The purpose of any squad is to have up to 6 people working together as one. Granted this is easier if all 6 people are in the same clan and frequently play together. But this doesn’t mean that a mutt squad can’t be an effective addition to their team.
The purpose of the squad comes from what the squad leader and some times the commander wants to do. This usually includes attacking flags and some times defending them. Once in a while, you may have a squad that only attacks the enemy, but never takes a flag. The squad leader needs to be clear on what he wants to do and covey that to his squad members.
The squad leader’s main purpose is to effectively direct the squad members where to go at any given time, which is usually done by designating a flag on the map. This is very important because it gives every one the same information on where they should be heading to at all times. Through out the game, your team will be split up for many reasons. Having this clear objective will allow every one to find their way back to the buddies.
The squad leader needs to think more of the global picture rather than the local one. The global picture includes what is going on across the map. Where are the other squads and what does it look like they are doing?
When a squad is attacking a base, assuming every one is together, the squad leader normally should be one of the last people in the base. This way the “point man” can give him the status of the base and how dangerous it is. If the squad leader determines it’s too dangerous for him or the squad to enter, he can mark at different spot on the map for the squad to go. If the other squad members die while attacking a flag, the squad leader can hold back until they have spawned which can save a lot of time in rallying the troops together.
The sergeants of the squad assist the squad leader. They can inform the squad leader the status of flags that have changed since the order was given. They can also help find transportation and the rounding up of the squad members into the vehicles. In the absence of the squad leader, they can lead any squad mates in capturing a flag or other objectives.
The role of a sergeant is easier to execute if a small group of people tend to play together. As with our group, we tend to have two to three people who play on a regular basis. We understand the role we need to play and practice that role until it becomes a habit.
If you don’t have a group of people you typically play with, keep the sergeant role in mind when joining a squad and try to be one. You don’t need to announce to the squad, “I am the sergeant of this squad!”, because they probably won’t know what you mean. Just try and help out the squad leader as much as you can. If you feel like your doing too much, focus on a few things and do them.
The grunts of the squad will do most of the work just because there are normally more of them. Their role is to work as a team in achieving the goal that the squad leader has designated on the map. This goal will be achieved quicker and more consistently if every one is working together.
There will be many times a squad will be fragmented across the map. This happens for multiple reasons. One of these reasons is that squad members are not following the squad leader’s orders and doing their “own thing”. If you don’t like the structure of a squad, be a lone wolf. This way you will be happy in the time you spend playing and not negatively affecting a squad.
There will also be times when your squad leader will die and he and other’s won’t be able to spawn with the group. When this happens, the group should continue on. If a sergeant is available, they can lead the squad as long as needed. This group is generally closer to the objective and thus has a chance to achieve the objective. If the squad consistently waits for everyone to be together before moving to an objective, nothing will get accomplished. Remember, ‘a good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow’.
Communication
With in the squad, members can communicate either through VOIP or with the prerecorded voices commands. Both serve their purpose depending on the situation.
The prerecorded voice commands can help cut down on repetitious statements such as “Yes” and “No”. The one down fall to this is that other people in the squad need to look at the screen to confirm that one of their buddies is actually replying to their question.
But there are other commands that can be helpful to other members of the team. The most obvious of these is the “enemy spotted” commands. This can be done most effectively by placing your cross hairs on the target, pressing the key for the main radio and then pressing the left mouse button. Not only will this correctly identify the target (hostile tank versus a hostile infantry) by a voice command, it will also place a blinking red icon on the map temporarily.
But when the enemy is close, you may not have the luxury of taking the time to do all of that. In this case, use the VOIP to help communicate to the squad what is going on near you. This is especially important if the squad is defending or attacking a flag.
The VOIP can be effectively used to communicate ideas that are out of the scope of the prerecorded voice commands. If you are going to defend or attack in a particular place in the flag, use VOIP. If you need to ask the squad leader a specific question, VOIP is your friend.
But remember this, if you have a full squad, having six people talking all the time can be very distracting for every one. We all need to learn when to use VOIP and when not to. Try not to use it when you want to complain about what just happened to you. I know the feeling and have been guilty of this many times before. But we all know that it sucks when you spawn and a tank or artillery shell blasts you 100 feet into the air. If you must, make your complaint but don’t push the button and tell your squad. Now you have gotten it out of your system and can go on playing the game.
Also, learn how to communicate clearly and efficiently. The longer you talk, the harder it will be for people to follow you while they are busy playing the game. The game has a time limit on individual VOIP transmissions, which is a good thing.
Let’s say you are heading into a base and you see a hostile infantry to the left of the flag behind a set of sand bags. The following is not an efficient way to communicate this situation: “Umm, there is a bad guy, by the flag, but over to the left. He looks like he can be an AT, but I am not really sure. He could be behind the blockade looking thing, but then again he could have moved by now.”
A more efficient transmission would be: “There is a hostile infantry by the flag”. If you can be more descriptive with your words in a short amount of time, try “There is a hostile infantry behind the sandbags by the flag”. For most people, including myself, this takes some practice. It will take time to communicate the most information with the least amount of words. Try placing some single player games and pretend your squad mates are with you. Practice calling out the positions of the enemy in quick and clear fashion as if you were in a multiplayer game.
Another benefit of the VOIP feature is one of feedback. This feedback should come from the squad leader, but can also be beneficial coming from other members of the squad. If your squad comes into a flag and successfully eliminates the enemy while also capturing the flag before the spawn, let them know they did a good job. After the flag is captured and you’re on your way to the next objective, say “That was an excellent flag capture squad”. This little bit of positive feedback can go a long way in motivating your squad to continue to follow you.
This can also work on giving them constructive criticism, but you need to keep it constructive. If some one is doing something you thing they can do more effectively, let them know in a positive manner.
Say your squad is defending a base and a squad member is controlling the tank, but they are located in a “bad” location. The following won’t get the results your looking for: “Hey stupid, don’t you think you can find a better spot for that tank to be in?” You might have more luck saying “Hey Striker if you park the tank near the gate, you will have a clearer shot on incoming hostiles”.
Remember, those who play this game don’t have to be on your squad and are not paid to play it. The more you treat them with respect and give appropriate praise from time to time, the more they will be willing to play on a squad and help it out.
Transportation
Transporting the squad from one place to another can have an impact on how much you can achieve with in a round. The more members your squad has, the harder this will be. A goal of any squad should try to be as mobile as a lone wolf (who only needs to think of themselves), but as strong as a squad.
The first aspect of transporting a squad is they should try to move at the same speed. If there are two HUMVVEs available and 1 tank, it may make more sense to take the two vehicles that travel at the same speed. While the tank will offer more firepower, it may separate the squad, which will reduce their overall effectiveness to achieve the goal. With the two HUMVVEs, there can be 3 members in each vehicle, which will be faster and more maneuverable than the other option.
If a squad if fortunate enough to be able to use multiple APCs, then that will provide a great balance between speed and firepower. Granted there may be times when you want to grab a slower moving vehicle. If for some reason your are separated from your squad and when you spawn, you have a choice between a tank or a buggy, the tank might be the better option. You as a player need to decide if speed or firepower is what is needed at the point in the game.
The Ideal Squad
The ideal squad will depend mostly on what the squad’s purpose is for a particular map or situation. I will break it down into different objectives a squad may try to achieve.
Flag capturing: The typical squad is probably the one that will continually capture flags throughout the game. This is the most diverse of squads for they will need to be a “jack of all trades”. There should be 1 medic for the healing and reviving. There should be 1-2 assaults for the numerous infantry you are sure to meet. Special ops kits can be substituted for assaults depending on the skills of the player.
There should be 1-2 Anti-tank kit for every map has some vehicles that will pose a thread to your squad. The last kit can be useful between an engineer or support kit. Both have their merits and the squad will have to make the best use of what kits they have. If a map tends to have a lot of vehicles (Zatar Wetlands) have more Anti-tanks than Assault/Special Ops kits. If there is more infantry based action (Strike at Karkand), you can reverse the ratio.
Main Base Defending: The joy of defending a base is normally not shared with most players. The action tends to be not as frequent as the other options a squad has. But, if you have an good commander and a main base that can be captured, keeping it can be the difference between winning and losing the game.
This squad needs an engineer and is the most vital of the kits. Their ability to fix the commander’s assets will allow the commander to keep focused on the job at hand. They will also be able to deter vehicles from rushing the flag by laying down mines near the flag or on popular roads. A medic is always beneficial to any squad, no matter what their purpose is for reasons stated before. The last four positions can be a mix of assault, anti-tank, or special ops. One of each would work well while adding an addition kit depending if vehicles or infantry will be your dominant threat. You probably won’t have to worry too much about ammunition because I am sure the commander will drop a supply crate when ever you ask for it.
Main Base Attacking: This squad will change depending on if the enemy’s main base can be captured or not. If it can’t be capture, your squad can be the enemy’s commander worse nightmare. The squad leader should be the support kit. They need to stay hidden as much as possible to allow your squad members to spawn close to the base. They can also supply them with ammo, which may be needed for an effective squad. A medic won’t be as useful in this group. If a player is damaged, they shouldn’t risk exposing the position of the static members of the group. A medic would need to be static and stay in one place to avoid being detected.
The rest of the squad should be special ops. They carry weapons that can defend against infantry and light vehicles, which they will run into from time to time. But as we all know by now, they have the C4 to blow up the commander’s assets. In most maps there are at least 4 things to destroy, as there are usually two artillery guns. In some maps, there will be additional guns. If you have four special ops guys, they will need to worry about fewer assets and thus not have to travel around the base as much. This will greatly reduce the chance of them being spotted.
At the time of this being written, the special ops soldier doesn’t get points for destroying the commander’s assets. This will be changed in the upcoming patch. For now, destroy these assets for the benefit of your team. That in itself will need to be your reward.
On the other hand, if the base can be captured that will change your strategy. The most important thing is to capture the base first. There is no point in alerting the other team that you’re near their main base by destroying their commander’s assets. First, create a squad that will allow you to capture the base effectively. But make sure you have at least one special ops if not two. They will need to destroy the commander’s assets quickly after the base is captured. This will prevent a retaliatory artillery strike or the commander aiding his team in recapturing the base by the use of the UAV or radar scanning.
Once the base is captured and as soon as you can, revert to the setup for defending a base, but instead of an engineer, have a special ops to help keep the commander’s assets disabled. The enemy commander can always drop a supply crate to fix his assets. If your not paying attention, you might be on the wrong side of an artillery strike or a UAV scan. Also be aware of any enemy engineers (who could even be the commander) trying to fix the assets.
Search and Destroy: This is the squad that likes to find and kill enemy soldiers, plain and simple. While they won’t help control the flags, this squad can reduce the enemy’s tickets by the sheer number of kills they can achieve. They will also be effective in disrupting the other team’s squads in achieving their objective.
This team should have a medic and a support kit. The medic will help keep the squad fighting longer and the support kit will help an effective squad by supplying with the ammo they will surely run out of. The remaining kits should be divided up between assault, anti-tank, and special ops depending on the type of map that is played and the abilities of the players.
With out the worries of capturing bases, this squad is free to do one thing and that is eliminating all enemy threats. For some people, this may be more fun that trying to capture and/or defend a flag. If the player is having a good time, they will tend to be more of an asset to the team by playing better.
Things to Remember
*While the squad leader is the most important member of a squad, he needs to do his fair share of the grunt work. One extra body in the midst of capturing a flag can be the difference between success and failure.
*When ever possible, a squad member should always spawn with the squad leader. This will increase the chances of the squad staying together. It will also allow the SQUAD LEADER to be better protected. If the squad leader changes the objective, the squad will be able to get to the objective at the same time.
*To be a good squad member, you have to be a team player. This means sacrificing some of your personal needs for the sake of the team. At times this may mean spending the entire time destroying the enemy commander’s assets and making sure they stay destroyed. Other times it may mean defending your main base and your commander’s resources to help the team in general.
*To be a good squad leader, you must allow your team some freedom in playing the game. A good squad leader will tell the team what needs to be done, but not necessarily how to do it.
*The more people in the flag’s capturing radius, the quicker the flag will be captured. This will help eliminate the spawning of enemy infantry that will try and take that flag back. But spread out as much as possible to avoid the whole squad dying from an accurately placed grenade.
*Once a flag is neutralized, an aware commander may send a retaliatory artillery strike. It’s always smarter to side with caution and protect yourself. You can do this by spreading out and finding or cover. But if you are not by the flag, the artillery can’t get you, so be quick to leave or flag after it’s captured.
Originally posted by goof72
The Anatomy of a BF 2 Squad
By cwv_Odedge
Introduction
The Battlefield series has always offered players the chance to work together as a team on a virtual battlefield. As the series has progressed, there were slight improvements for teamwork to be accomplished. Battlefield 2 has taken this up a notch in the form of squads.
With squads, players can now talk to each other via the in-game Voice Over IP (VOIP) with good sound quality. In addition, they can see each other’s names and positions (on the map) in green. This helps to easily identify your bothers in arms.
Squad members can also use their squad leader as a mobile spawn point. The only exception is when they are spawning or there are no bases that your team occupies. This mobile spawn is a very powerful tool that can use to effectively make a difference in the game.
Anatomy
The most important part of any squad is the squad leader. This is not because he can boss his squad members around, but he has the most influence to the squad. The squad leader can talk to the commander over VOIP as well as his own squad members. He can also direct the squad by clearly marking objectives for the squad to follow. These objectives can consist of attacking or defending a flag, repairing the commander’s assets among other objectives.
The squad leader can be any kit, which depending on their skills with that kit, can make them a force to be reckon with. But one of the more important qualities of a squad leader is the fact that as long as he is alive, he is a mobile spawn point for the squad.
Next comes the actual squad that will consist of 1 to 5 players of varying skill level and kits. Obviously, the more people you have on your squad, the more potential you have to make a significant impact in the game. But with more members, there will be other challenges that arise which will be discussed later on.
Another member of a squad is what I call the sergeants. While this is not an official term used in the game, it can be an important part of keeping a full squad working together. The sergeant/s are there to help the squad leader carry out any tasks that may need to be done.
The majority of the members will be the role players or grunts. They will do most of the dirty work. But at the same time, can earn more points if they are successful. Depending on the situation, it’s possible that a role player can be a sergeant and lead the available squad members to obtain their objectives.
Kits
Anti-Tank: This kit can be useful on most maps, if not all. They are the “Superman” of the squad. With the number of missiles they have in addition to their gun, they can be effective against most forms of enemy.
Pros: Clearly this kit excels at taking out any form of ground vehicles in addition to helicopters from time to time. They can guide the missile for long distance shots (when they should be more protected from the enemy’s fire) or do quick shots at close range. They can also be effective “mental warriors” by locking on to a target, but not firing. For most players, this should get them nervous enough to move. I find this to be quite effective on helicopters.
Con: Their gun is not very powerful so they will need to get the jump on the hostile soldiers. They also don’t posses any grenades which may come in handy when attacking a flag.
Assault: Every squad should have at least one of these guys to be their “point man”. They carry an effective weapon (rifle and grenade launcher) against infantry. The grenade launcher can also do its fair share of damage against light vehicles.
Pros: Assault soldiers should be used to take out hostile infantry. They can be very effective leading an assault into an enemy’s flag as the “point man”. In this role, they should be directing the squad by giving them info of any hostiles in the flag and other useful info.
Cons: Their weapon isn’t very effective on larger vehicles/aircraft.
Medic: A medic can be a very useful asset to most squads. While their default weapon is not that powerful, their ability to heal and revive squad members can easily make up for it. If the map has more infantry battles, a medic can become an effective member of a squad. With maps that tend to have a lot of vehicle battles, there tends to be fewer chances that some one can be healed with out risking the life of the medic.
Pros: The biggest benefit a medic has is the ability to heal and revive soldiers. This can greatly improve the speed of the squad in getting to their destination. A healed or revived squad member doesn’t have to waste time waiting to spawn. Also, if the squad leader dies, they can be revived and the squad can continue on to the objective.
In addition, the medic can improve the morale of the squad because people should be dying less. This will put the individual members in a better mood, which should result in better play.
Cons: Their main weapon isn’t very effective, so the medic needs to be a bit more cautious while engaging hostile infantry.
Engineer: This tends to be a rarely used kit in the average squad. Their shotgun is only useful in close quarter fights. Their mines can be an effective deterrent to vehicles, especially the light vehicles that travel at higher rates of speed. But the one thing that they can do is repair stuff. This can be extremely useful for the squad that travels in vehicles, especially armor and transports. They can also be useful to the commander by fixing any destroyed assets.
Pros: These guys can be the mechanics of the squad by fixing any damaged vehicles. This is most effective after the squad has taken a flag and the vehicles have gotten a little banged up. When an engineer is in a vehicle, they can fix other vehicles near them at a slower rate. This can be useful when squad members are taking a flag together in multiple vehicles (APCs and Tanks).
They can also be useful in the defending of a flag against vehicles. If they place their mines down in a spot that is hard for hostile drivers to see, they can do some serous damage. In addition, if they are effective enough in blowing up vehicles with their mines, the enemy may become more timid when they approach your flag.
Cons: Like the other “support” kits, they main weapon is not very effective. While it does a good deal of damage at close range, with only 7 shots, you have to be accurate with your aim. At longer distances, they are better off throwing a grenade.
Sniper: This is the king of the Lone Wolf player. While snipers can be helpful to the team overall, they will not be helpful to a squad. The purpose is this kit is to strike fear into players by shooting them at a long distance. A sniper needs to be covert and well hidden to increase their chance at being effective.
Pros: They can shoot from very far distances compared to the other kits. With their uniform and making smart choices, they can stay hidden more effectively then other kits. They can make the enemy think twice about walking into an open area.
Cons: Their main weapon is not that effective at close range. The sound of their gun can give a player with a sense of sound, their general location away.
Special Ops: This kit can be as effective as an Assault and an Anti-Tank kit combined. Granted, they have to go about destroying heavy vehicles in a more stealth manner. But where this kit really shines is in the destroying of the enemy commander’s assets. They are the only kit that can destroy them.
Pros: This kit is very versatile if used correctly. The rifle can be an effective infantry stopper. But it’s the C4 they carry that makes the enemy nervous. A smart Special Op can destroy even the mightiest of tanks with a click of a button. In tight spaces, they can easily sneak up to heavy vehicles and in a few seconds; making the enemy wish they were a full-time infantry soldier.
They are also the only kit that can destroy the enemy commander’s assets. These assets include multiple artillery guns, radar, and a UAV trailer. When these are down, they tremendously cripple the opposing commander. The destroying of the commander’s assets should happen more frequent in the upcoming patch (1.03) when they will earn points for a job well done.
Cons: They have to more careful in taking out larger vehicles.
Support: This is another rarely used kit in a squad. They do have an intimidating weapon that can be useful in defending a base or an area. They are also the keepers of ammunition. With the ability to supply your squad members, especially the Anti-tank guys, they can really help out a squad.
Pros: Their main weapon can be very effective in holding back infantry. This is especially true when defending a base. As one of the few sources of ammo, besides a supply crate or picking up an enemy’s kit lying on the ground, these guys can help keep an effective squad focused on the task at hand.
Cons: Their main weapon is not very effective while standing or mvoing. While the sheer number of bullets being fired may frighten the enemy, it may not be effective in eliminating them.
Purpose
The purpose of any squad is to have up to 6 people working together as one. Granted this is easier if all 6 people are in the same clan and frequently play together. But this doesn’t mean that a mutt squad can’t be an effective addition to their team.
The purpose of the squad comes from what the squad leader and some times the commander wants to do. This usually includes attacking flags and some times defending them. Once in a while, you may have a squad that only attacks the enemy, but never takes a flag. The squad leader needs to be clear on what he wants to do and covey that to his squad members.
The squad leader’s main purpose is to effectively direct the squad members where to go at any given time, which is usually done by designating a flag on the map. This is very important because it gives every one the same information on where they should be heading to at all times. Through out the game, your team will be split up for many reasons. Having this clear objective will allow every one to find their way back to the buddies.
The squad leader needs to think more of the global picture rather than the local one. The global picture includes what is going on across the map. Where are the other squads and what does it look like they are doing?
When a squad is attacking a base, assuming every one is together, the squad leader normally should be one of the last people in the base. This way the “point man” can give him the status of the base and how dangerous it is. If the squad leader determines it’s too dangerous for him or the squad to enter, he can mark at different spot on the map for the squad to go. If the other squad members die while attacking a flag, the squad leader can hold back until they have spawned which can save a lot of time in rallying the troops together.
The sergeants of the squad assist the squad leader. They can inform the squad leader the status of flags that have changed since the order was given. They can also help find transportation and the rounding up of the squad members into the vehicles. In the absence of the squad leader, they can lead any squad mates in capturing a flag or other objectives.
The role of a sergeant is easier to execute if a small group of people tend to play together. As with our group, we tend to have two to three people who play on a regular basis. We understand the role we need to play and practice that role until it becomes a habit.
If you don’t have a group of people you typically play with, keep the sergeant role in mind when joining a squad and try to be one. You don’t need to announce to the squad, “I am the sergeant of this squad!”, because they probably won’t know what you mean. Just try and help out the squad leader as much as you can. If you feel like your doing too much, focus on a few things and do them.
The grunts of the squad will do most of the work just because there are normally more of them. Their role is to work as a team in achieving the goal that the squad leader has designated on the map. This goal will be achieved quicker and more consistently if every one is working together.
There will be many times a squad will be fragmented across the map. This happens for multiple reasons. One of these reasons is that squad members are not following the squad leader’s orders and doing their “own thing”. If you don’t like the structure of a squad, be a lone wolf. This way you will be happy in the time you spend playing and not negatively affecting a squad.
There will also be times when your squad leader will die and he and other’s won’t be able to spawn with the group. When this happens, the group should continue on. If a sergeant is available, they can lead the squad as long as needed. This group is generally closer to the objective and thus has a chance to achieve the objective. If the squad consistently waits for everyone to be together before moving to an objective, nothing will get accomplished. Remember, ‘a good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow’.
Communication
With in the squad, members can communicate either through VOIP or with the prerecorded voices commands. Both serve their purpose depending on the situation.
The prerecorded voice commands can help cut down on repetitious statements such as “Yes” and “No”. The one down fall to this is that other people in the squad need to look at the screen to confirm that one of their buddies is actually replying to their question.
But there are other commands that can be helpful to other members of the team. The most obvious of these is the “enemy spotted” commands. This can be done most effectively by placing your cross hairs on the target, pressing the key for the main radio and then pressing the left mouse button. Not only will this correctly identify the target (hostile tank versus a hostile infantry) by a voice command, it will also place a blinking red icon on the map temporarily.
But when the enemy is close, you may not have the luxury of taking the time to do all of that. In this case, use the VOIP to help communicate to the squad what is going on near you. This is especially important if the squad is defending or attacking a flag.
The VOIP can be effectively used to communicate ideas that are out of the scope of the prerecorded voice commands. If you are going to defend or attack in a particular place in the flag, use VOIP. If you need to ask the squad leader a specific question, VOIP is your friend.
But remember this, if you have a full squad, having six people talking all the time can be very distracting for every one. We all need to learn when to use VOIP and when not to. Try not to use it when you want to complain about what just happened to you. I know the feeling and have been guilty of this many times before. But we all know that it sucks when you spawn and a tank or artillery shell blasts you 100 feet into the air. If you must, make your complaint but don’t push the button and tell your squad. Now you have gotten it out of your system and can go on playing the game.
Also, learn how to communicate clearly and efficiently. The longer you talk, the harder it will be for people to follow you while they are busy playing the game. The game has a time limit on individual VOIP transmissions, which is a good thing.
Let’s say you are heading into a base and you see a hostile infantry to the left of the flag behind a set of sand bags. The following is not an efficient way to communicate this situation: “Umm, there is a bad guy, by the flag, but over to the left. He looks like he can be an AT, but I am not really sure. He could be behind the blockade looking thing, but then again he could have moved by now.”
A more efficient transmission would be: “There is a hostile infantry by the flag”. If you can be more descriptive with your words in a short amount of time, try “There is a hostile infantry behind the sandbags by the flag”. For most people, including myself, this takes some practice. It will take time to communicate the most information with the least amount of words. Try placing some single player games and pretend your squad mates are with you. Practice calling out the positions of the enemy in quick and clear fashion as if you were in a multiplayer game.
Another benefit of the VOIP feature is one of feedback. This feedback should come from the squad leader, but can also be beneficial coming from other members of the squad. If your squad comes into a flag and successfully eliminates the enemy while also capturing the flag before the spawn, let them know they did a good job. After the flag is captured and you’re on your way to the next objective, say “That was an excellent flag capture squad”. This little bit of positive feedback can go a long way in motivating your squad to continue to follow you.
This can also work on giving them constructive criticism, but you need to keep it constructive. If some one is doing something you thing they can do more effectively, let them know in a positive manner.
Say your squad is defending a base and a squad member is controlling the tank, but they are located in a “bad” location. The following won’t get the results your looking for: “Hey stupid, don’t you think you can find a better spot for that tank to be in?” You might have more luck saying “Hey Striker if you park the tank near the gate, you will have a clearer shot on incoming hostiles”.
Remember, those who play this game don’t have to be on your squad and are not paid to play it. The more you treat them with respect and give appropriate praise from time to time, the more they will be willing to play on a squad and help it out.
Transportation
Transporting the squad from one place to another can have an impact on how much you can achieve with in a round. The more members your squad has, the harder this will be. A goal of any squad should try to be as mobile as a lone wolf (who only needs to think of themselves), but as strong as a squad.
The first aspect of transporting a squad is they should try to move at the same speed. If there are two HUMVVEs available and 1 tank, it may make more sense to take the two vehicles that travel at the same speed. While the tank will offer more firepower, it may separate the squad, which will reduce their overall effectiveness to achieve the goal. With the two HUMVVEs, there can be 3 members in each vehicle, which will be faster and more maneuverable than the other option.
If a squad if fortunate enough to be able to use multiple APCs, then that will provide a great balance between speed and firepower. Granted there may be times when you want to grab a slower moving vehicle. If for some reason your are separated from your squad and when you spawn, you have a choice between a tank or a buggy, the tank might be the better option. You as a player need to decide if speed or firepower is what is needed at the point in the game.
The Ideal Squad
The ideal squad will depend mostly on what the squad’s purpose is for a particular map or situation. I will break it down into different objectives a squad may try to achieve.
Flag capturing: The typical squad is probably the one that will continually capture flags throughout the game. This is the most diverse of squads for they will need to be a “jack of all trades”. There should be 1 medic for the healing and reviving. There should be 1-2 assaults for the numerous infantry you are sure to meet. Special ops kits can be substituted for assaults depending on the skills of the player.
There should be 1-2 Anti-tank kit for every map has some vehicles that will pose a thread to your squad. The last kit can be useful between an engineer or support kit. Both have their merits and the squad will have to make the best use of what kits they have. If a map tends to have a lot of vehicles (Zatar Wetlands) have more Anti-tanks than Assault/Special Ops kits. If there is more infantry based action (Strike at Karkand), you can reverse the ratio.
Main Base Defending: The joy of defending a base is normally not shared with most players. The action tends to be not as frequent as the other options a squad has. But, if you have an good commander and a main base that can be captured, keeping it can be the difference between winning and losing the game.
This squad needs an engineer and is the most vital of the kits. Their ability to fix the commander’s assets will allow the commander to keep focused on the job at hand. They will also be able to deter vehicles from rushing the flag by laying down mines near the flag or on popular roads. A medic is always beneficial to any squad, no matter what their purpose is for reasons stated before. The last four positions can be a mix of assault, anti-tank, or special ops. One of each would work well while adding an addition kit depending if vehicles or infantry will be your dominant threat. You probably won’t have to worry too much about ammunition because I am sure the commander will drop a supply crate when ever you ask for it.
Main Base Attacking: This squad will change depending on if the enemy’s main base can be captured or not. If it can’t be capture, your squad can be the enemy’s commander worse nightmare. The squad leader should be the support kit. They need to stay hidden as much as possible to allow your squad members to spawn close to the base. They can also supply them with ammo, which may be needed for an effective squad. A medic won’t be as useful in this group. If a player is damaged, they shouldn’t risk exposing the position of the static members of the group. A medic would need to be static and stay in one place to avoid being detected.
The rest of the squad should be special ops. They carry weapons that can defend against infantry and light vehicles, which they will run into from time to time. But as we all know by now, they have the C4 to blow up the commander’s assets. In most maps there are at least 4 things to destroy, as there are usually two artillery guns. In some maps, there will be additional guns. If you have four special ops guys, they will need to worry about fewer assets and thus not have to travel around the base as much. This will greatly reduce the chance of them being spotted.
At the time of this being written, the special ops soldier doesn’t get points for destroying the commander’s assets. This will be changed in the upcoming patch. For now, destroy these assets for the benefit of your team. That in itself will need to be your reward.
On the other hand, if the base can be captured that will change your strategy. The most important thing is to capture the base first. There is no point in alerting the other team that you’re near their main base by destroying their commander’s assets. First, create a squad that will allow you to capture the base effectively. But make sure you have at least one special ops if not two. They will need to destroy the commander’s assets quickly after the base is captured. This will prevent a retaliatory artillery strike or the commander aiding his team in recapturing the base by the use of the UAV or radar scanning.
Once the base is captured and as soon as you can, revert to the setup for defending a base, but instead of an engineer, have a special ops to help keep the commander’s assets disabled. The enemy commander can always drop a supply crate to fix his assets. If your not paying attention, you might be on the wrong side of an artillery strike or a UAV scan. Also be aware of any enemy engineers (who could even be the commander) trying to fix the assets.
Search and Destroy: This is the squad that likes to find and kill enemy soldiers, plain and simple. While they won’t help control the flags, this squad can reduce the enemy’s tickets by the sheer number of kills they can achieve. They will also be effective in disrupting the other team’s squads in achieving their objective.
This team should have a medic and a support kit. The medic will help keep the squad fighting longer and the support kit will help an effective squad by supplying with the ammo they will surely run out of. The remaining kits should be divided up between assault, anti-tank, and special ops depending on the type of map that is played and the abilities of the players.
With out the worries of capturing bases, this squad is free to do one thing and that is eliminating all enemy threats. For some people, this may be more fun that trying to capture and/or defend a flag. If the player is having a good time, they will tend to be more of an asset to the team by playing better.
Things to Remember
*While the squad leader is the most important member of a squad, he needs to do his fair share of the grunt work. One extra body in the midst of capturing a flag can be the difference between success and failure.
*When ever possible, a squad member should always spawn with the squad leader. This will increase the chances of the squad staying together. It will also allow the SQUAD LEADER to be better protected. If the squad leader changes the objective, the squad will be able to get to the objective at the same time.
*To be a good squad member, you have to be a team player. This means sacrificing some of your personal needs for the sake of the team. At times this may mean spending the entire time destroying the enemy commander’s assets and making sure they stay destroyed. Other times it may mean defending your main base and your commander’s resources to help the team in general.
*To be a good squad leader, you must allow your team some freedom in playing the game. A good squad leader will tell the team what needs to be done, but not necessarily how to do it.
*The more people in the flag’s capturing radius, the quicker the flag will be captured. This will help eliminate the spawning of enemy infantry that will try and take that flag back. But spread out as much as possible to avoid the whole squad dying from an accurately placed grenade.
*Once a flag is neutralized, an aware commander may send a retaliatory artillery strike. It’s always smarter to side with caution and protect yourself. You can do this by spreading out and finding or cover. But if you are not by the flag, the artillery can’t get you, so be quick to leave or flag after it’s captured.
Comment