Requesting Squad Leading Tips

[SilentxDeadly]

Definitely great tips from everyone! Minus one particular person *cough*.


Let me ask some further questions. I'd like to see how you guys respond.

1) You've established a FOB as SL at a medium distance from CACHE/FLAG, and would be used as a fallback FOB (I.E. There is another FOB closer to objective). Other squads are attacking objective, but are largely unsuccessful. You have a full infantry squad.

Q: Do you stay at the FOB you just built, or move towards objective with your full squad, abandoning the fall back FOB, leaving it open to possible attacks?


2) It's Muttrah City. You are ground infantry with objective to assault enemy flag.

Q: Do you stick to roads, use specialist to leapfrog through backyards, wait a 2 - 5 min for APC to move in, coordinate with semi-responding SL's from team, other?


There's no correct answer (at least I don't think), but these are the two harder situations I've faced.

Personally, I defend the FOB I just built, even if it's a fallback with little action. I also move in through backyards if possible, as a good plan executed now is better than a perfect plan executed later, but I do attempt to coordinate with other squads before moving.

**Again, great responses and tips!

[saXoni]

I'll answer your Muttrah question; Moving "stealthy" with 6 men is not always easy. If you are 4, moving through the backyards would be a nice idea.
Moving in with an APC might be the right thing to do when you're in a 6-men squad, but it has a high risk, as sneaky ATs are everywhere.

Me, personally, would just start walking. Not in the middle of the road, but from building to building, taking it step-by-step. Are you awake enough, it goes well.

[Punkbuster]

1) You've established a FOB as SL at a medium distance from CACHE/FLAG, and would be used as a fallback FOB (I.E. There is another FOB closer to objective). Other squads are attacking objective, but are largely unsuccessful. You have a full infantry squad.

Q: Do you stay at the FOB you just built, or move towards objective with your full squad, abandoning the fall back FOB, leaving it open to possible attacks?

I stick to the Firebase, because, the team is already failing badly to capture the flag, so they have no chance, and even with my squad help, the chance won't raise much, because they are already losing a lot of casualties. Also, if we still have this retreat FOB, we can recoordinate a new, stronger and more likely to succeed attack, but if we lose that, then we stand no chance at all.

2) It's Muttrah City. You are ground infantry with objective to assault enemy flag.
Q: Do you stick to roads, use specialist to leapfrog through backyards, wait a 2 - 5 min for APC to move in, coordinate with semi-responding SL's from team, other?

I won't use the APC, because, it only takes one HAT or Hellfire to destroy it, and if it is destroyed, your entire squad will be killed, so I stick to backyards and roads, and make sure the Medic is safe, because this way, if you were attacked by enemies, the Medic will still be there to revive you, however, if we would ride in an APC, he won't be there anymore.

[Rudd]

Q: Do you stay at the FOB you just built, or move towards objective with your full squad, abandoning the fall back FOB, leaving it open to possible attacks?

abandon it, if it goes down its an early warning system of a flank attack, your men will be needed where the action is, if you remain in a non-active position you hand the enemy the initiative and render your squad static and impotent. The exception is when running mortars.

Q: Do you stick to roads, use specialist to leapfrog through backyards, wait a 2 - 5 min for APC to move in, coordinate with semi-responding SL's from team, other?

I wait for the APC, the APC gives me the ability to take the initiative by attacking or withdrawing fast with more protection.

However to make this tactic work you need alot of coordination, this means stopping at any corner where you are unsure of enemy movements, scouting with the infantry to determine enemy strength, if no AT is present then the APC can follow the infantry in with supporting fire.

APC+infantry+intel = excellent attacking force, APC+infantry+rushingaround+no intel = dead force.

if the enemy have their AT performing exceptionally well, then teh APCs should be relegated to rear roles and you should rely on your specialist to help you flank enemy positions, but you should always aim for positions where you can put down focused fire without receiving fire from 360 degrees.

[Redamare]

Make sure you have a fair idea where the enemies might be dont rely on Squad mates so much to spot enemies and threats from behind.

Make sure to communicate location of enemies with reference to the map not from the direction of your position.

[dtacs]

if this is eveyones attitude how is anyone supposed to learn how to do anything,you must have been new to squad leading at one time, does that mean you should have never started doing it?

a man that made no mistakes never made anything

Are you telling me that you knew how to squadlead the first time you started to play this game?
No, you did not. You have to learn the game first.
Everybody needs practice to become greater at something. That includes help from other players that are more experienced than yourself.
I had no idea how to squadlead, but after a while, I must say I'm a decent SL. At least with pubbers.

If both of you would have bothered to read 20cm down the page you would have noticed the post giving an explanation of my reasoning.

What I did was properly prepare by learning from the mistakes of other squad leaders and learn the maps like the back of my hand before doing it. Of course I practiced the role thereby improving it, but the first time I didn't go in with elementary planning thinking 'oh I can start off terrible, I can only get better that way, the other 5 people in the squad won't care will they'

Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. Make the effort to learn as much as you can from experiencing that in a background position before doing the role. Going in hoping you'll do well is essentially telling 5 other people their time is worth less than yours.

And playing with a squad leader who simply took traits from others in an amalgamation of boring.

[LudacrisKill]

Use common sense...

90% of PR players don't seem to want to use it. Have a think about stuff and then do it.

Also remember that micro and macro are very different. Concentrate on your macro as its more important overall.

Use SL mumble channel.

Don't be a BLUE GUY!

[SilentxDeadly]

Make the effort to learn as much as you can from experiencing that in a background position before doing the role.

And playing with a squad leader who simply took traits from others in an amalgamation of boring.

Learn as much as I can from a squad leader, as a squad member, but don't take their traits because it'll be boring?

I'll be taking the good ideas/traits of competent squad leaders, and applying them towards myself. I spend 75% of my time being SL, but at least I'm willing to admit there's room for improvement. Not everything needs to be learned through experience, sometimes forums are a good place to learn more.

[saXoni]

And playing with a squad leader who simply took traits from others in an amalgamation of boring.

So you're saying that new squad leaders should not learn from other squad leaders, because that will be boring for the squad members?

[Gracler]

You should get familiar with the map first before squad-leading since that will help you a lot and save time.

In the beginning you should make your tactics as simple as possible otherwise you might suggest something that the squad-members could have done better using there own way, besides it will take you forever to explain on a public server.

When you get familiar with the skills of your members you can add things to the strategy while you advance.

Depending on the responsiveness of your members you might need to make your orders very specific. For example if you say " build up this Fire-base" and all 4 people with a shovel doesn't respond then you should use there names to get there attention. Its very annoying, but unfortunately often necessary. Also if the medic die and you say "someone go get the medic up" then either nothing happens or all 4 are going to the medic at the same time and forget about cowering.

And the last advice is something that some "experienced" squad-leaders could also learn from. Don't talk all the time as if you where a commentator of a football game. Say what has to be said and then shut up so that your squad-members can listen for incoming enemy's.

[LegioX]

offensive role heres some tactics
1. Mumble mumble mumble which can lead to....
2. Fireteams which can
3. Suppress and flank which enables
4. Stagger advancing (FT 1 covers, FT 2 advance, FT 2 covers, FT 1 advance) which leads to
5. More situational awareness (since the stationary team is observing)

Defensive role tactics
1. If holed up in a building, don't stick together. Everybody look through a different window.
2. Though seemingly noobssets, get a marksman.
3. ONLY 1 PERSON TAKE OUT A GODDAMN BINOCULAR AND THATS THE SQUAD LEADER. think about it, it takes ~3-5 seconds to switch to a weapon, then another 3-5 second for deviation. If only SL has binocs out, -mark target -everybody should be set for deviation - shoot.

Most importantly for both that nobody seems to be able to do....
take cover when shot at.

[goguapsy]

2. Though seemingly noobssets, get a marksman.

I am always asking one of my SMs to get a marksman in an 8-man (men?) squad. It's pretty useful when used correctly!



BTW... Did you ever get FTs to work well? I mean, if necessary, I split the people on the fly (ex. AR and HAT stay on this hill and cover the sneak up team... HOLD FIRE NOT TO GET SPOTTED... sneak up on good advancing position, wait for perfect moment to attack... Blue guy opens AR fire and ruins everything -,- and he was far from his squad, lol. How did he NOT see that my entire 8-ma/en squad WAS HOLDING FIRE? DAMN I hate trigger happy people).

[Cavazos]

Someone linked Masq's tactics? That's like the golden rules there.

[SGT.Ice]

Play the weak/lacking roll of the team.

Situational awareness

Ability to think on your feet

Manage your people.

Adjust to the situation at hand

Look for an opening in the opposing teams strategy.


Though Dtacs has a point about learning from experience. I followed and asserted myself for 7 years before leading. In either a Fire-team or squad. There is no substitute for knowledge other then experience.

If I have to sit in the backseat and watch for 7 hours to learn how to drive so be it. Learning from watching someone practice their craft is the best way to learn.

[Dr_Tubesteak]

Main point missed.... have fun. Simple as that. This is a game, it isn't real so don't stress out if you do squad lead. I try to keep it light and loose. I generally don't kick anyone, this includes whether or not they have VOIP, although asshats always deserve to be kicked.

Relax, use common sense, use mumble, be aware of what's going, work with other squads and mark targets.

[RikiRude]

One thing I noticed missing from all the SL advice (at least I didn't see it.) assign a point man! Very important imo.

Also keep your team properly spaced and in "proper order" SL and medic should never be leading! Have a point man which should be a rifleman, SL second behind him, medic in the middle, HAT/Marksmen/autorifleman in the back. The person in the rear should always be checking behind of you.

Also if you split your squad into two fireteams make sure you split them evenly. For instance dont have 3 guys with iron sights and 3 guys with optics in a bunch. I like to do SL, medic, rifleman, and marksman/hat/lat, autorifle, rifleman. Assign point men for both fireteams.

know when your plan needs to be changed, and always have a plan b and c ready. you never know when another squad is going to be attacking from the same position (though it helps if you do know via mumble/chat) or if an enemy vehicle or squad is going to reroute you.

[goguapsy]

assign a point man!

But hey... isn't it SO much more epic when there is a line of balls in the map following a big ball with a number?

Seriously though, what I've got with point men is this... IF we are in a city, I normally assign someone (specialist most of the time) to go in front of me. But in the open, rarely do you have time to let someone who doesn't know the plan as much as you do (well, everyone) lead the way. This is more important in AAS, with thanks and stuff around.

[Gracler]

One thing I noticed missing from all the SL advice (at least I didn't see it.) assign a point man! Very important imo.

Also keep your team properly spaced and in "proper order" SL and medic should never be leading! Have a point man which should be a rifleman, SL second behind him, medic in the middle, HAT/Marksmen/autorifleman in the back. The person in the rear should always be checking behind of you.

As long as you keep some spacing and run from cower to cower then i don't see a need for a point-man in most situations, only if my squad has to cross a big open field.
The problem with a point-man is that he won't have anyone to support him if he gets attacked from a flank, and by the time his squad-mates can help the enemy could have moved so you have 1 wounded member and no sight on the enemy.

Also if you split your squad into two fireteams make sure you split them evenly. For instance dont have 3 guys with iron sights and 3 guys with optics in a bunch. I like to do SL, medic, rifleman, and marksman/hat/lat, autorifle, rifleman. Assign point men for both fireteams.

2 teams of 3 players is always a win win. Being able to flank with 3 players when the other 3 gets pinned down is mostly going to surprise the enemy, but still i wouldn't use a point-man unless I'm crossing large areas with no cower.

What you could do is using the first team as a Point-team (assault-team) which could all have iron sights since they will be facing close encounters (some maps you always need someone with optics though like Kashan Desert). and the second-team is a support team with a SAW/HAT and Rifle-man with optics for example.

[LegioX]

I am always asking one of my SMs to get a marksman in an 8-man (men?) squad. It's pretty useful when used correctly!



BTW... Did you ever get FTs to work well? I mean, if necessary, I split the people on the fly (ex. AR and HAT stay on this hill and cover the sneak up team... HOLD FIRE NOT TO GET SPOTTED... sneak up on good advancing position, wait for perfect moment to attack... Blue guy opens AR fire and ruins everything -,- and he was far from his squad, lol. How did he NOT see that my entire 8-ma/en squad WAS HOLDING FIRE? DAMN I hate trigger happy people).

Yeah, fireteams work extremely well if you get a good squad. By that i mean kicking anybody who you don't like. Its hard to get a good squad, but on PRTA and Tactical Gamer, you'd run into a good squad some of the time. One time on Kokan, I had the Marksman/AR set up on a high position (finding a good position can be a ***** though if you have tactically challenged squadmembers) overlooking the cache like this


[C]
/
\ FT l /
\ l /
\ l /
M G AR
-- Grenadier use smoke to cover advance, while FT 1 (you medic and specialist) advance.
-- Get up to the wall and frag the shit out of the place and smoke into the windows
-- MORE SMOKE and GRENADIERNADES (could be dangerous if you have a shitty grenadier which most people are).
-- Rope over, and keep rope attached.
-- Hopefully you told someone on mumble/commander to bring in the hmvees or APC to cover you (I almost forgot this extremely important step)
-- Shoot anything that moves. Do NOT conserve ammo.
-- Take out the cache.
--MORE SMOKE!!!!!
-- Run like dem hoes are after your money.

Result
- 15 kills total (enemy was denied entrance by fireteam 2)
- Destroyed Cache
- My squad took no casualties but one noob humvee got RPGed in the ***.

It was an epic game once in a blue moon

All this leads my to my main point SMOKE like you europeans like it and FIRETEAMS

[LegioX]

Sorry illustration sucks. didnt realize spaces got omitted