Tips on how to be a good SL

[MastaLock]

Last night I ran into a situation that unfortunately happens a lot. We had no commander for the map. In this instance, I take it as my responsibility to try and coordinate the squads. Typically in this instance, I will have my squad defend a position while I send another squad to attack. This because (unfortunately) I don't trust the other squads to have the discipline to stay on station and not run off trying to cap something.

I would say if you don't have a commander, it is your responsibility as an SL to inform the other squads on your side via team chat what your next objective is (Attack/Defense). This will allow for at least some minimal coordination in-between squads and can make a huge difference in the game.

[Ace42]

Originally Posted by MastaLock

The first person in a group is usually the first one killed,

Actually, I find the first person in the group has a slight advantage over stragglers due to the element of surprise. If you have seen the mediocre film "Enemy at the Gates" - you'll recall the bit where the sniper team plays rock-paper-scissors to see who gets to go first across streets, etc, as it is the subsequent people trying to cross the street who are out in the open by the time the enemy has noticed the movement, brought the weapons to bear, and is ready to fire.

This is probably why I always manage to get on the flag while the rest of my squad is cowering around a corner waiting to get picked off, grenaded, or out-flanked.

I'd say getting on the flag ASAP is more important that keeping yourself and your squad alive. It's no good having your squad relatively safe waiting to move onto a flag while the enemy is in the process of taking the next flag in sequence, which will make your squad's efforts pointless. Especially as you can help make sure the flag you spawn near is defended en-route to the objective you are attacking.

Depending on the map and the flag in question, I can generally have 3 bites at the cherry and get on the flag at least a couple of times in the time it takes other squads to advance a fraction of the distance and STILL not get on it.

[Jimmy_Smack]

You beat Fuzzhead to it. Haha good stuff.

[Outlawz]

SL should never take point.

Ive played Kufrah and Desert Storm on Tactical Gamers and the first guy I shoot with an AK is a squad leader. Which pretty much screws them up, as the rest get picked off and cant spawn on their leader.
On Kufrah, US is losing badly and our squad is dealing with infantry incursions.
We got a sniper doing a shitjob of defending our position, he gets killed. I shoot the guy, who killed him, then pick up the Medic kit (ironsights in CQC=win), then shoot another guy, who turns out to be the SL.
Question was, why the hell didnt the SL stay back, when the first one got killed?
I'd expect a barrage of hand grenades, as soon as I killed the point men, but.....

[Ace42]

Originally Posted by Outlawz

SL should never take point.

Ive played Kufrah and Desert Storm on Tactical Gamers and the first guy I shoot with an AK is a squad leader.

And *I* have played EJOD where I've ran across a street, GL fire nipping at my heals, climbed up the stairs into a building, onto the roof, onto the eastern city flag, and had my entire squad spawn on me and clean up while two other squads were time and time again getting mowed down trying to engage defenders and cross the same fields of fire as more and more defenders concentrate on their angle of attack.

When *I* try to take cover in a defensive position, my squad generally do everything in their power to alert others to my presence, expose their backs to whichever direction I am not covering, attract enemy grenades, or decide to twiddle their thumbs.

So, no, I don't think "A squad leader should never take point" - you're just as likely to get shot in the ass as in the face, and a moving target is harder to hit. What I would concede though is "A squad leader should never have the chance to take point, because his squad-mates should be getting their s*** together and be twenty yards ahead of him while he covers them."

[Sturnn]

Well, whenever im squad leader and i ask for an airstrike or artillerey barrage on a target such as a squad held up inside a house killing all my team around me, the artillerey never fires and kills the enemy at all!. its like most commanders don't even bother with artillerey anymore or Artillerey doesn't work in PR....but anyway...I always have at least 1 guy to take point and we follow on his lead....which usually saves my skin loads of times because everytime i lead the squad i usually get mowed down by enemy gunfire or killed or wounded by a grenade...so i think its best to send someone out infront of SL so if he dies he can respawn on the SL or respawn on the rally point..

and i always throw a smoke grenade or ask others too, to conceal our movement or make a diversion to keep the enemy guessing...i remember once, me and my squad had a good field of fire in a house on the map al basrah i has a good killing zone where you can see up the hole street and give good suppressing fire with machine guns and sniper rifles...

[Ace42]

Originally Posted by Sturnn

its like most commanders don't even bother with artillerey anymore or Artillerey doesn't work in PR...

I haven't played a map in 0.6 where artillery has been used. It hasn't been available to me when I've been commanding. It may have been removed for good, maybe just on the maps that are popular on the servers I play on.

[TroyMcClure]

Originally Posted by MastaLock

Another useful thing I have found for move orders is if you manage to get hit and go down, quickly set a move order on yourself while calling for a medic to revive you, this seems to help the medics out a lot in quickly locating you, especially if they aren't in visual contact at first.

Very useful. I often play as a medic and I enjoy it, for me it's very important to know if the SL is down or dead and where he's, mostly in the wood I can loose a great amount (or all) of 30 secs to search SL.
Another important aspect it's to give short (when possible, english isn't my first language ) and explicative orders because SMs have to know if you want to attack that point, to skip it or to spread and expect for something.

[Sturnn]

I mostly get killed when im SL...so now i've started asking people to take point and follow on there lead...and if the lead guy gets killed then i know that way is where the enemies are.

Infact im going on PR right now lol.

[[R-DEV]fuzzhead]

Originally Posted by Ace42

I've ran across a street, GL fire nipping at my heals, climbed up the stairs into a building, onto the roof, onto the eastern city flag, and had my entire squad spawn on me and clean up

This is the exact reason would love to see SL spawning removed, sorry off topic :P