The Cheesy Tactical Guide: Basic Soldiering

Squad
The Cheesy Tactical Guide

Cheesy_LeScrub
v1.0
4 December 2015
By Offworld Industries
SQUAD - the Cheesy Tactical Guide
Introduction
Introduction
The world according to Cheesy. Or, how to avoid being an absolute wombat.
The purpose of this Tactical Guide is to present my approach to Squad. It is an exposition

of the tactics and techniques that I employ to make my experience of Squad the best that
it can befor myself and for my team. It is, at its core, my own account. And I would like
to make it clear that I am not an expert. This guide in no way constitutes a definitive
lesson on how to play Squad. Each player has their own approach, priorities, and
strategies. That, in itself, makes the game and the community unique.
I have the intention to expand the scope of the guide as the game itself evolves. I plan to
include a detailed discussion on each particular gamemode, vehicles (and their integration
with infantry), and a more general discussion of tactics, techniques, and procedures as
applied to actually fightinginfantry minor tactics at the section level. If you believe
something is missing that should be included, I am open to suggestions!
This guide is not a manual. If youre looking for a manual, please consult the fantastic
work by Squad community member Usgu: Unofficial SQUAD Alpha Manual
My ethos is simple, and in this Guide I hope you find a common thread that binds most of
my musings together: Squad isnt about you. Squad is about your buddies, your Squad-
mates, and your team. Its even about your enemy! To that end, I hope that my
contribution will serve to educate new players, inspire regular players, and maybe even
give the grizzled veterans a fresh perspective.
Whilst Ive written this Guide with the express purpose to educate, I find that there is
truly no substitute for actual practical experience. When in doubt, get out there and
play the game! Trial and error goes a long way.
This guide is focused primarily on infantry play at the rifleman, Squad Leader, and then
strategic or tactical (platoon) level.
Section One Basic Soldiering

This section covers the fundamentals that are critical to success as an infantryman in
Squad. These fundamentals apply to anyone who is playing the gamebe it for the first
time of the five hundredth.
Section Two Basic Leadership

This section explores the fundamentals of Squad Leadership. Including, but not limited to,
planning, objective focus, and the need to avoid tactical masturbation.
Section Three The Formula for Success!

This section constitutes a more holistic approach to Squad, from the top-down. Whereas
Sections One and Two dealt with the principles soldiering, this section deals with the
tactical and strategic aspects of Squad. Drawing heavily on an article by my good mate
Swedge, this section explores how the combination of a Focus on Objectives, Speed, and
Spawn Networks are a recipe for success.
Section One: Basic Soldiering
An infantryman from 7 Royal Australia Regiment employs his FN Minimi LSW to good effect (source: 7RAR Social Media)
Soldiering. Being a Squad-mate. What does it mean to you? Soldiering gets me more riled
up than beer and football on a Friday night. Soldiers, the infantry, are on the ground to
win the fight; to close with and kill the enemy; to get on his Flag, in his FOB, in his pit, in
his face: to wreck his day. Your focus is the Objective. Whatever it may be. Whatever your
Squad Leader tells you it is. Youre there, with your boots on the ground, balls-deep in the
shit, to get a result. Youre there to pile up brass and pile up bodies. And, without you,
the team gets nowhere. So, how do you, as a member of a Squad, be a good soldier?
1. The right kit & the right attitude

2. Listen to your Squad Leader & focus on the Objective
3. Select a critical kit first
4. Know your role within the Squad
5. Be a proactive Squad member
6. Maintain situational awareness
7. Take the initiative
8. Communicate
9. Provide feedback and be accountable
10. The game isnt all about you!
1. The right Kit & the right attitude

If you are not familiar with Project Reality, or you have only recently picked up a copy of
Squad, then I guarantee that this game will offer you a virtual experience like no other
except for maybe Oculus Rift porn. Squad is much more than just a first-person shooter (so
is Oculus Rift porn for that matter). Squad is, from the ground up, an exercise in
concentration, patience, coordination, communication, strategy, planning and, above all
else, teamwork. For you to succeed, and by extension for your Squad and for your team to
succeed, the game will demand of you a commitment to put your buddies before yourself.
Whilst you are playing Squad you owe it to your teammates, your Squad-mates, and your
Squad Leader to be fully attentive, prepared, and positive.
Firstly, its important that you have the right kit. Make sure you get yourself a
microphone. A microphone is essential. Youre not prohibited from playing the game
without one, but without one you will be a liability to your Squad and to your team. If you
dont have one, get one! They cost a tenna at your local computer store or stationary
retailer. If youre an Australian, you can get em real cheap from Officeworks or online
from places like PC Case Gear. No one cares if you sound like a twelvie, or if youre
naturally shy, or if you dont talk much. If youre willing to participate, youll be fine.
Each time you join a Squad you should immediately check-in with voice comms: hi lads,
how are we? Kick it off with a positive. By doing so, you let every other bloke know that
1
=AMG=Cheesy_LeScrub, 2015
youre there, youre confident, and that you have a microphone. And you let the Squad
Leader know that youre good to go. You should tell all your Squad-mates if youre new.
Get it out in the open. You may feel like a chump, but we all had to start somewhere. Its
important that other players know your experience level and what contribution to expect
from you. And I dont mean that in a bad way. If each dude assumes that youre a 500
hour veteran then their expectation of your behaviour, knowledge, playstyle, and
experience will be vastly different from them knowing and expecting that you are just
getting to grips with the game. Furthermore, it gives them the opportunity to sort you out
and mentor you properly. Your SL may buddy you up with a more experienced player or he
may help you through the functionality of a new kit youre trying out. You may also be the
first bloke to break the ice. If the Squad is all clamed up, someone saying anything can
help kick start the comms and the banter. Be positive and be confident. If youre not,
wing it.
Importantly, you should join the game, your team, and your Squad with a positive team-
focused attitude. Nothing degrades morale more quickly than a negative attitude. We all
have bad days, Im renowned for having bad days, but the blokes in game dont, and
shouldnt, have to deal with your shit. Were all playing to have a good time. If you want
to whinge, or bitch, or moan, please take it elsewhere. And, for the record, no one cares
if you consistently score high KDRs. Squad is about playing your role within a team.
Sometimes that means rolling in kills, Squad-score, and glory. Sometimes that means
sitting on a hill for 30 minutes watching the world go by. Remember: its not all about
you. The game is not about you.
2. Listen to your Squad Leader & focus on the Objective

Squad is an objective based game. You win a round by capturing flag points, destroying
caches, and killing the enemy. Therefore, a major portion of this guide is dedicated to
reinforcing a mentality of playing the objectives and of being objective conscious. I
cannot harp on this enough. When youre playing Squad, whatever youre doing and
whatever your role, your actions should be, in some way, related to the teams objectives
and/or the objectives of the particular gamemode that youre playing. You should be
thinking about the objectives constantly and asking questions of yourself and of your
Squad. Is what I am doing right now positively contributing to the team? What could I
be doing better? What could we be doing better? This focus on playing the objective
should be your preeminent concern for the entire round. Irrespective of what the 40 other
players on your team are doing, you can make a difference by playing the objective.
Sometimes, one player is all it takes to tip the balance in a firefight, on a flag zone, or at
a FOB. Get your arse onto the point. Get behind some cover. Dig in. Help out.
So, just to make it crystal clear: you must play the objective. It is imperative.
Whilst each gamemode has its own particular conditions, as a general rule most objectives
are achieved by having more friendly players within the objective zone than the enemy.
Or, your team has more friendly players blocking, hindering, or otherwise preventing the
enemy from achieving their own objectives. An objective can be anything from an enemy
Forward Operating Base (FOB), Rally Point (RP), or weapons cache. It could also be a piece
of terrain, a roadway, building, bush, or a contestable flag zone. It may not necessarily be
what is marked on the map as an objective, but a task or place that requires your
attention to support your teams overall effort. In the instance of destroyable objectives,
having more friendly units in the area can speed up the time in which your team secures
the area around the objective thereby making it safer for specialists to move in and
destroy it. If it is your Squads objective to capture one of these points, defend one of
2
these points, or hinder the enemy, then get your arse into gear and Shia LaBeouf it! Just
do it. Do it. Do it. Do it.
During a game of Squad you will receive direction and orders from your Squad Leader:
abbreviated to SL. Good SLs are affectionately known as Squaddie or Boss. Shit SLs
are commonly known as arsehole, chump, or NFI. If you like your SL, be sure to give
him a pet name. For the time youre in game your Squaddie is more important than your
girlfriend, your wife, or even your favourite hand. He is your be all and end all. The SL is
the king of your world. Your Sun and Stars. Your well, you get the picture. The most
important rule of Squad is never be a liability to your SL. The second most important
rule of Squad is do not give in to distractions. SLs are typically more experienced players
with a lot of playtime under their belt. Youll figure out pretty quickly if your SL knows his
shit. And, if he does, you should listen up.
Always pay attention.

Always act smart.
Your Squad Leader is there to direct the Squad and ensure that your individual efforts
combine into a single team-focused contribution. The SL isnt there getting off on a
power-trip. And he isnt ordering you around for shits and giggles. Its of the utmost
importance that you listen to your Squad Leader and focus on the command that he has
issued. Nine players working individually would no doubt make a difference in a game. But
nine players that are focused, coordinated, and working together will have a much larger
and more noticeable impact. Remember, you are merely a piece in a much larger tactical
puzzle: from your individual commitment comes Squad and Team success.
It is important to always respond on VOIP if a comment or question is directed at you and

you should never, under any circumstances, wander off on your own to take up a lone-wolf
vendetta. As it will be explained shortly, its OK in most situations for you to take some
personal initiative to find a better firing position or briefly track a potential contact. But
your focus should always be to maintain cohesion and contact within and with your Squad.
The old adage that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link rings aptly true in these
circumstances. Do not be that weakest link.
Its also very important to remember that at any given time you may not know the full
tactical picture. What you see in front of you, and on the overlay map, is often only a
fraction of the whole story. As such, its sometimes the case that the order your Squad
Leader has given may not make sense at the time. But unless hes a full-blown drop-kick
(in which case Id suggest you bail from the Squad) I guarantee that it is serving a
definitive purpose. This includes your Squad being on the defensive: sitting in vacant
capzones, acting as a blocking force in the middle of a forest or on a hill, or just generally
waiting for the enemy to come to you. There are some days where youre going to feel
like Squad is the most tedious or dissatisfying game in the world. You havent been on the
offensive, your Squad is tasked with defending a cap, and you havent had a whiff all
game. But just remember your part in the whole scheme of things. What youre doing is
probably important. And what youre doing means that some other bloke doesnt have to
do it. Your time will come. And when it does, youd better hope against hope that some
dude is sitting back in the defensive cap and guarding it with his life. Because if you lose
it, theres no point being on the attacking cap. Long story short: the team should trust
you. You should trust the team. The game is not about you.
You must also be conscious of what your Squad Leader is dealing with at any given time.
He will be constantly engaging with other Squad Leaders in order to appraise and react to
the current situation, take action to address any present deficiencies, implement the
3
teams current plan, evaluate and predict friendly and enemy action, plan contingencies,
and coordinate the action of your nine Squad members in concert with up to forty other
players. This all takes place, mind you, whilst youre sitting there browsing PornHub,
stroking your neckbeard, and complaining that the task youve been set clearly, and in no
way, is actually helping the fucking team. If youre unsure about what youre doing, or
why, you should ask. Its up to the Squad Leader to be transparent about what the Squad
is doing. And you can absolutely make him accountable for it. But its not up to you to
take matters into your own hands and wander off elsewhere. Listen to your Squad Leader
and focus on the objective. Squad will only succeed if everyone is willing to contribute. If
you dont like your SL, or you think hes doing the wrong thing, then say your piece in a
respectful and considerate manner. If hes not interested in what you have to say, just
leave. Dont make a song and dance about it.
3. Select a critical kit first

When you first join a Squad youll need to select a kit. A good idea is to ask the Squad
Leader what he needs, particularly if the game is already in progress when you join. You
can use this as part of your check-in procedure outlined in Point 1 above.
Hi SL, Cheesy here, what role do you need mate? I see theres Medic or LAT still
available.
Hey Cheese, take LAT mate. Weve got a few enemy vicks floating about
Done. Spawning Rally.
Cheers.
If youve joined at the beginning of a round, then a Squad Leader will often announce
what kits he would like his soldiers to fill. From there, its good drills for players to call
out which kits theyve selected. Doing so allows the SL to take stock of what kits are in his
Squad, and it allows other players to identify the Medics and other specialist roles that
may be called upon as the game develops.
SL: Ok boys, SL here. Please fill two medics, AR, Grenadier, and LAT. Machinegunner
optional. Otherwise, your choice.
S1: I got AR mate
S2: Medic
S3: Medic too
S4: I just took rifleman mate
S5: Grenadier
S6: Hey dude, I grabbed LAT
S7: Hey guys Im kinda new so Ive got rifleman
S2: Who is the other Medic? This is S2, Ive got one of them
S3: Me mate, S3
S2: Alright, perfect. Lets keep some separation so we dont both get slotted at once
S3: Hah. Perfect. Ill stick with SL
If the SL states that there is no specific role he would like you to fill, then you should
endeavour to fill any of the roles available in the following order of importance
1. Medic
2. Automatic Rifleman (AR)
3. Grenadier
4. Light Anti-Tank (LAT)
5. Support kits (Engineer/Breacher/Machinegunner)
6. Rifleman
4
Irrespective of what roles have or have not been filled, if youre a newer player, then, as
a general rule, you should start at the bottom of the list and work your way up. Most kits
above Rifleman require some actual in-game experience to operatein terms of weapons,
equipment, and playstyle. Selecting Medic in your first ever round is a sure-fire way to get
overwhelmed, lost, confused, and then subsequently chewed-out by less forgiving players.
Having said that, Squad really is a game in which the best training is on-the-job training. If
you would like to try a new kit then announce to your SL and your Squad-mates that
youre going to be using a kit that youve never played before or with which you have
limited experience. Most community members are willing to teach if youre willing to
learn. Just ask for help and youll receive it!
4. Know your role within the Squad

Once youve selected a kit it is critical that you understand what role you will be fulfilling
within the Squad and within the wider context of the game. A Medic is not a pointman and
an Automatic Rifleman is not a Rambo. Ive briefly outlined the responsibilities and
playstyles of each role available in the present build of Squad (Early-Access) below. But
before we get to that, here is your role as an infantryman in Squad.
The role of the infantryman is to work with his Squad in order to seek out
and close with the enemy; to kill him and to capture the objectives. He is to
do so by utilising his Kit, with proficiency and skill, in a manner that
achieves a positive outcome for his Squad and for his team.
Almost everything that you do should be geared, in some way, to supporting your team
mates by performing your specific job: because no one else can. You picked the Kit, you
do the work that youre supposed to do. Simple. But. And its a big BUTT (I cannot lie). At
the end of the day, everyone is a riflemanirrespective of what Kit you select or what role
you wish to play. Everyone has a weapon and everyone will be expected to use it. Its up
to you to determine, at any given moment, if youre needed to perform your specialist
role or if youre needed as a rifleman to do some killing.
In order to perform your job within in the Squad, you must demonstrate proficiency with
the Kit that you have selected. Ive addressed this issue above in Select a Critical Kit
First. If youre not sure what to do: ask. Dont wait until the snap-crackle-pop kicks off.
You must also avoid the temptation to think that youre special. Hot tip: youre not
fucking special. If you have an ACOG, youre not a sniper. If you have the DMR, youre not
a sniper. If youre the Squad Leader, youre not leading an SAS Recon patrol in the middle
of Afghanistan. Do your job. Do not wander off. Do not be something you are not. Help
out your mates. Maintain Squad cohesion. Do what youre there to do. End of story.
Just a quick note: Depending on the Faction, either NATO/RU (Conventional) or

Militia/Insurgent (Unconventional), you could be armed with any variation of weapons.
Ive done my best to give a general description of each. In any event, the weapons are
generally equivalent in terms of function, if not look and performance or manner of use.
Therefore, we assume an AK47 is equivalent to the M4A1an assault-rifle is an assault-rifle
whichever way you cut it.
4.1 Rifleman
Rifleman. Grunt. Youre on the field with your gat, your frags, and your raging, rock-
solid battlefat. A rifleman is the most basic constituent of the infantry squad. You
5
have one job: get rounds down range at the enemy. Youre the first bloke in the order
of march, the first bloke through the doorway of an objective, and, often, the first
bloke to get slotted when the shit hits the fan. But dont let that discourage you. A
rifleman is an essential Kit. When youre not killing, you should be supporting the
other members of your Squad. Help them out with situation awareness and check their
six. What you do might not be fancy but it is fucking important. In later iterations of
the game, youll probably be armed with ammunition which you can distribute to
your Squad members. For now, its best if you stick with a buddy like the Automatic
Rifleman and watch his back.
4.1.1 Designated Marksman (DM)

You are not a sniper. You are not a sniper. YOU ARE NOT A SNIPER. Sry caps.
The Designated Marksman (DM) is a rifleman with an enhanced optic. You should
be fulfilling every role of the rifleman, except that you can reach out and touch
the enemy at a further distance. Your role is not to lone-wolf, although your SL
may put you on overwatch to cover the Squad as it advances or to check a flank
while youre in defence. Note: this is not lone-wolfing. The advantages of your
optics should not be used for trying to headshot some fuckwit who is three
kilometres away faffing about on a hill. Thats a waste of ammunition. Use your
optic to enhance your Squads situational awareness (see Situational
Awareness) by searching for and identifying targets that are out of visual range
for everyone else. While youre still a rifleman, its not all about killing for you.
4.2 Automatic Rifleman (AR)

The role of the Automatic Rifleman (AR) is to act as the Squads base of fire. Armed
with the M249 SAW or a variation of the RPK (not to be mixed up with PKM) you
possess the weapon that spits the most lead at (typically) the fastest rate. The AR is
crucial in both defensive and offensive capacities. If youre playing as AR you should
be seeking direction from your SL as to where he wants you placed and what lanes he
wants you covering. If the Squad gets into contact, your job is to saturate the enemy
with a large volume of fire, suppress them, and help your blokes take the initiative in
the firefight. Due to the cumbersome nature of your weapon (particularly when
reloading or, indeed, firing from any position that isnt prone) its always a decent
idea to ask the SL if you can have a buddy to help you out: queue Rifleman.
4.3 Grenadier (GL)

The Grenadier, a Rifleman with benefits, exists to lob little gold-tops of joy at
enemy point and area targets. Highly mobile, and highly accurate, the Grenadier
packs a powerful punch. As a Grenadier you should avoid wasting ammunition on lone
enemies or targets at extreme range. If youre working in concert with the ACOG, you
can potentially have him spot and adjust the fall of your shot if youre not sure where
your rounds are impacting. As a Squad Leader, I like to direct my GL to hold fire until I
need him to engage enemy FOBs or Compounds. The Grenadier comes into his own
when on attack in Insurgency. Lobbing GLs into the enemy cache location can be
absolutely devastating as they explode around packed-in enemies in a confined space.
4.4 Light Anti-Tank (LAT)

The Light Anti-Tank (LAT) Kit is another Rifleman with benefits. You will be armed
with a variation of a single-shot disposable Light Anti-Armour Weapon (66 or LAW)
or a variation of the RPG (including, at some time in the future, ammunition types to
selectHE, HEDP, HEAT). You represent the only organic anti-tank capability within
your Squad #nopressure. Your job is to destroy light-skinned enemy vehicles such as
Technicals (Techies) and Transport/Logistics Trucks (Transpo/Logis), and to damage,
6
disable, or knockout (if lucky) enemy light armour such as up-armoured Humvees,
Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), and Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs). LAT should
refrain from engaging main-battle tanks for the obvious reason of staying alive.
However, contingent upon the damage models that are implemented, LAT may be
able to track (disable) enemy MBTs in the future. LAT should also refrain (if possible)
from engaging infantry without the express consent of the Squad Leader. Make no
mistake, the LAT is perfect for neutralising fortifications and lobbing rounds into
objectives. But you should only do so when youre confident the weapon wont be
required to engage enemy vehicles in the immediate future. Vehicles > Infantry. If you
waste your LAT your Squad will get wasted.
4.5 Medic (Doc)

The Medic (or Doc) is the life-blood of your Squad. Without your Medic your Squad
cannot hope to function at full effectiveness in the heat of battle. As the Doc, your
primary responsibility is to look after injured team mates. You are not there to do the
fighting. Of all the Kit choices, where the decision between Specialisation/Rifleman
comes into play, the Medic should always err on the side of caution. If the Medic goes
down the team goes down. When the shit hits the fan, and the worst situation turns
even worse, then you can obviously pull out your weapon and pile brass and bodies.
But as Medic you should not be looking for a fight. Ideally, you should stick with the
Squad Leader and then move off when and if you are required. If you stay centrally
located, you can locate and treat casualties much faster.
Speaking of which, as a Medic you should always ask for support from your team mates
when tending to casualties. Get some other blokes to cover you whilst you go to work
on the injured players. When dragging is implemented, have a Rifleman drag the
wounded player to you (instead of doing it yourself). This way, you dont put yourself
in the line of fire. Always remember to report to the SL when youre running low on
bandages. When my Medic reports to me that hes almost out of supplies I make it my
Number One priority to escort him, or have a rifleman escort him, back the
Ammunition Point in order to restock.
4.6 Officer (Prick)

Haha! I cant fit this into a paragraph. Please see Basic Leadership.
And, with that, you should now have a basic understand of what each role entails. This, of
course, is by no means set in stone. As the context and circumstance of each game
changes youll find yourself performing duties or tasks that fall way outside of this
description. Roll with it. At least now youve got a head-start!
5. Be a proactive Squad member

Being a proactive Squad member is a way in which you can give back to your Squad Leader
and help out with the management of the Squad. Being proactive means that youre on
your toes, thinking, acting, and managing yourself without too much outside intervention.
The Squad Leader shouldnt have to micromanage you. Being proactive is related to your
Situational Awareness and maintaining the Initiative. For the sake of brevity Ill keep it
short here, as much will be explained later.
A point that I will not cover later, however, is how you can assist your SL by volunteering
to do jobs for which he might ask assistance (or even those he does not). If the SL asks for
a volunteer to come over to help place a Rally or drop an FOBbe that guy. If an SL wants
7
someone to sit on a flag cap with two buddies while he checks out the terrain for five
minutesbe that guy. You should also volunteer your time in other ways. Ask if the SL
wants a 2/ic (2nd in command). Tell him youre a frequent Squad Leader, or you want to
try out the role soon (whatever it may be), and ask to have some freedom and
responsibility of your own. Not only will you get on the job training, but youll ease the
burden on his shoulders too. The game is about community. Support each other. I love
seeing Squad mates who care. Ask your buddies if theyre all bombed up and good to go.
Ask if they need medical assistance. Ask if any of them are NEW. And act on that good
faith: teach the new guys; direct the dude who needs a patch to the Medic; announce to
the SL that some bloke is running low on food for his bang-stick. Your effort will be greatly
appreciatedI guarantee it.
Situational Awareness (SA) is one of the key contributors to success in a game of Squad.
SA, simply put, is your ability to identify, process, and comprehend the current state of
the game and how the unfolding events apply to you, your Squad, and your team. By
extension, SA is your capacity to read the play. Much like a brilliant footballer will
always find himself in the right place at the right time to make a play, make an
interception, or pick the gap, your ability to read the play will ensure that youre
impacting the game in a positive manner. Without SA you cannot hope to do this. SA is
developed and maintained through use of your critical faculties: conceptualising,
analysing, and evaluating what youre seeing, hearing, and doing. You should also apply
these evaluations to what the enemy is doing: from where the enemy is, and where he is
going, you can deduce the direction from whence he came. When you add all of these
things togetherthat is your location and your intentions, the location of friendlies and
their intentions, and the location of the enemy and his suspected intentionsyou can build
a pretty accurate picture of the game at that time and allow yourself the capacity to
react accordingly or plan ahead. If you dont know any of these things, then actually
playing the game becomes a lot more difficult for yourself, your Squad, and your Team.
SA is also a test of your ability to filter out unnecessary bullshit that has no bearing on
you, or that would otherwise distract you from doing what you need to do. The battlefield
in Squad is often a chaotic shitfight, replete with dust, explosions, gunfire, obstacles,
threats, friendly playersall manner of distractions. Your ability to filter out these
distractions and focus on the job at hand, while keeping abreast of the current situation
and the context of the game, is what will set you apart from the field. Now, thats all
good and well, but without applying this concept to in-game scenarios it doesnt make too
much sense. So, what are some tips that can help you maintain your situational
awareness?
1. Check your map frequently

This sounds obvious enough. But when I say frequently, I mean fuckin frequently.
You should flick up your map every thirty seconds or so. Why? Well, you always
need to know the following
o Where you are
o Where friendlies are
Wheres your buddy?
Wheres the Squad Medic?
Are those enemies or friendlies that youre about frag with your LAT?
o Where the enemy (possibly) is
Friendlies arent there is that an enemy position?
And you should
8
o Look for markers your SL has placed

o Identify key pieces of terrain
o Gather an appreciation for the terrain that youre about to move through
Checking your map is critical. Every round I observe instances of fratricide or

otherwise shitty play than could have been avoided by a five second map-check.
You lose nothing by checking the map, but you could cost your buddy everything if
you do not. Check it. Check it again. And then check it once more to be sure.
2. Monitor your Supplies and your Status

Your Squad Leader is not there to hold your hand. You are responsible for your
ammunition, your supplies, and your status. You must maintain these things if you
want to be effective on the battlefield. Remember, do not be a liability to your
Squad. The kind of things you should watch include the following
o Health & Stamina (you cant fight effectively without either)
Wounded? Get patched
Out of stamina? Take a knee
o Ammunition
Specialist Requirements (bandages, LAT, grenades)
Reload and restock when theres a lull in the battle
Report any deficiencies so the SL can address them
The more information you feedback to the Squad about your status, the easier it is
for the SL, or other players, to make decisions about how to correct any shortfalls.
Dont be that guy who cant do his job because youre out of ammunition. If youre
a Grenadier and you run out of 203s, mention it to the SL! If my Grenadier tells me
hes run dry on 203s, its always a priority to get him restocked. The worst time for
me to find out that hes out of ammunition is when we hit the next cache and he
cant fuck shit up with his gold-tops of joy. Thats negligence on his behalf and it
pisses me offhe just became a liability to me and my Squad. Whenever there is a
lull in the battle you shouldnt be alt-tabbed on RedTube. Reload. Do a quick check
on your ammunition. Ask other guys about theirs. Make sure everyone is bombed
up, kitted up, and good to go. Trust me, the SL will appreciate it if do that type of
importantalbeit menialadmin so that he doesnt have to (see Be Proactive).
3. Report Enemy Sightings

Every time that you see the enemy, you should communicate his position and draw
inferences from where he is and where he has come from
o Where is he?
o How many?
o Moving to where?
The more information you have about the enemy, and the more information you
communicate to your Squad, the better everyones SA becomes.
4. Identify the enemy by their weapons

Identify the enemys firing points from muzzle-flash, smoke, tracers, and sound. If
the enemy is shooting at you, move. Relocate. Get to cover!
If an RPG misses high, or a 203 hits to your left, or a burst of
machinegun rakes your window fucking move. This, again, is
something simple that I see time and time again on the battlefield.
Dont give the enemy a second chance. If he shoots at you, work out
where it came from and move. I love it when someone gives me a
9
second chance. Because once Ive let loose with a sighting round the
second will always be dialled in.
o Remember: militia factions may be using the same weapons as your faction.
Identify the type of weapon and check the map before you engage.
Theres not much more than I can put into writing on the topic of Situational Awareness.
You will find that as you play the game your Situational Awareness will develop naturally.
Its a concept thats difficult to teach on paper but quite easy to master with in-game
experience. The tips listed above are but a small list of the type of action you can take to
enhance your SA to begin with. As you gain experience in the game you will quickly learn
what to look for, how to look for it, and why. Practice makes perfect, and as Situational
Awareness will keep you alive, youll get the gist pretty quickly.
7. Take the initiative

The initiative is important at the individual, Squad, and team level. In this section, I will
deal with the initiative at the individual level. As it applies to the Squad and the Team will
be discussed in both Basic Leadership and the Formula for Success respectively. Please see
there for further information.
The Initiative is a phrase that I use quite a lot in my writing. What does it mean? The
initiative, or taking the initiative, is the continual process by which you make decisions
and impact that game. When you have the initiative you are on the front foot. You are
moving. You are winning the firefight. You are capturing flags. You are impacting the
battlespace. When you do not have the initiative, you are reacting to the enemy. He is
manoeuvring on your position, he is capturing your flags, or he has out-flanked you and
destroyed your spawn infrastructure. Do all of these things to the enemy and he will end
up confused, disorganised, and easy to pick apart. However, have these things done to you
and you will find out how easy it is to lose a game of Squad. You should always take the
initiative. Seize it and maintain it and all else follows. Set the pace, set the tempo, do not
be reactive. A pertinent note: without Situational Awareness you cannot take the
initiative. If you dont know the context of the game (where the enemy is, where your
team is, or the flow) then you will not be able to impact the game in any meaningful
manner. Please refer to Situational Awareness (quite literally right above here), or in
Basic Leadership, for more information on that subject.
There is no set way in which you can simply take the initiative and know you are doing
so. Initiative manifests itself in several forms, and there is a lot of crossover between
taking the initiative and the section on Being Proactive. For instance, if youre in a static
position defending a flag zone, to take the initiative you may move yourself to a better
firing position from which you are covering an area that no one else in your Squad is
covering, if youve got the ACOG you may get yourself onto a roof for better observation,
or if youre the Squad Medic you might let everyone know that your Aid Station is the
green-door building at the southern side of the compound. Movement. Thinking. Always
thinking. Those are the keys. Taking the initiative gives you scope to think and act outside
of what your Squad Leader has asked you to do. However, when acting on your own you
should consider what youre doing and how it will impact the overall objective of the
Squad. If the outcome is counterproductive, or purely self-interested, then you may want
to rethink your personal plans. Vendettas, lone-wolfing, or getting sick kills do not count
as a meaningful way to take the initiative.
If youre actually in a firefight, you gain the initiative by first suppressing the enemy
through volume and accuracy of fire and then quickly manoeuvring on his position to flank
10
and destroy him. For instance, if you see an enemy soldier that is close to you, and you
decide to engage him, you, by default, have the initiative over him. To maintain it, you
should notify your buddies to suppress his known position whilst you, or someone else,
move around to his flank in order to take him out. This concept, of course, can be
extrapolated to the Squad and Team level. And I will do so later on. Unfortunately, the
scope of this guide will prohibit me from an engaged discussion related to the application
of infantry minor tactics in game. I may write another volume dedicated to that in the
future.
8. Communicate
Communication is the lynchpin that holds a team together. Communication is used to
combine the key tenants of Situational Awareness, Proactive contributions, and the
Initiative. The result of this is organisation and coordination amongst your Squad. If you
are not communicating, you are not playing Squad. If you do not have a microphone, you
must get one. As I noted in the Introduction, a lack of a microphone will not preclude you
from playing the game but it will severely inhibit your ability to make a positive
contribution to your Squad and your Team. Without a microphone you will get people
killed. You will be combat ineffective. From Communication comes Success.
You must make sure that all of your communication is concise, clear, and accurate. This,
of course, does not cover in-game shit-talking. That can be whatever the hell you want it
to be. So long as when the action starts you switch-on and start doing your job properly.
Communication in Squad takes many forms. Throughout the course of a round you should
be communicating constantly with your Squad and your SL. Your SL should be giving you
updates on what youre doing and why, and you should be feeding back to him, and your
buddies, any information that you believe is pertinent to completing the mission. This
includes any suggestions, comments, or questions that you have about the current tactical
situation as it applies to your Squad specifically or the Team in general. This harks back to
Being Proactive. There are many times that I, as a Squad Leader, have had incredibly
intuitive insights and ideas come from a Squad membersolutions, strategies, or plans
that I hadnt even considered myself. These ideas, when executed, have then gone on to
directly impact the result of the game. If youve got something to suggest, do so. Most of
you either have, or will, lead Squads. Youre not stupid. If you see something going down
that you think needs to be addressed then bring it up!
However, the most important aspect of communication in Squad is the Target Indication. A
target indication is the manner in which you convey information to your Squad regarding
enemy contacts from which you are receiving fire, putting down fire, or have seen an
enemy combatant and wish to draw attention to him. The basic format of a target
indication is simple
Distance
Direction
Reference
Type (of enemy)
So, to put this into practice
CONTACT! 100 meters (Distance)

300 degrees (Direction)
Top of feature (Reference)
2 infantry (tanks, APCs, HMGs, whatever) in the open! (Type)
11
Now, in the heat of battle youre never going to get the format absolutely perfect. And
that doesnt matter. Whats important is that you convey the relevant information: how
far away are the enemy? In what direction? What is the enemy? And how can I help my
buddies find the enemy?
CONTACT! 300 Degrees

Top of the ridge
2 enemy in the open
About 100 meters
CONTACT! 2 enemy
100 meters
Top of the feature
At 300 degrees from my position!
CONTACT! 100 meters

2 fuckwits with AKs
300 degrees
Watch my splash! (proceeds to smash 100 rounds from the SAW in their direction)
Four methods. Same information. Same result. Learn it and use it. The more effective you
can communicate the location of the enemy, the more quickly and more efficiently that
you and your boys can deal some death in their direction. Weight of fire and accuracy of
fire. That shit wins firefights.
9. Provide feedback and be accountable

Just a quick note here, but one that is nonetheless important. Provide feedback. All day.
Every day. Let your SL and your buddies know if youve got a suggestion, if you think
theyve done wrong, and how they can improve in the future. Be tactful, be respectful,
and dont be a douchebag about it. Let the new guys know how they can improve and why
they did wrong. When doing so, you must also be accountable. Have integrity. I fucking
hate liars. If you do something wrong own it. Sack up. Be a man. Its an online video
game. At the end of the day were all buddies. Shit talk, but keep it sensible. Play hard,
but do it fairly. If you get bollocked, and you dont like it, let the dude know that hes out
of order. Theres no need to start a fist fight. If it escalates, leave. Join a different Squad.
Ive seen a few spite-filled encounters in my time and they never end well for anyone.
They leave a bad taste in the mouth and a poor example for new players. Weve got a
reputation to uphold. Most of us are mature adults. If you find someone who isnt, dont
give him the time of day. Enough said.

As a final note, Id like to leave Basic Soldiering where it started: the game is not about
you. You are but one of a handful of people in your Squad, one of 40 to 50 people on your
team, and one of 100 people on the server. Your actions, your attitude, and your
decisions will impact the game for all of them. You define the experience not only for
yourself, but for them. Never forget that. One bad apple can spoil the entire experience.
For the Veterans of the community its imperative that we set the tone. Its on us to
encourage and mentor newer players, engage and communicate with each other, and
enjoy what were doing with and against each other. A friendly, positive attitude will
12
entice others to try the game, and, hopefully, it will make them want to stay. For newer
players, you just need to jump in and get started. Roll with the punches. Learn as you go.
Get pissed off. Get frustrated. Earn it. Because I guarantee that once youve worked
through the learning curve, and once youve put in the hard yards, the experiences that
you have in this game will stick with you for years, and the community members who you
meet and go into battle with will be your gaming mates for life.
If youre a lone-wolf, or if youre looking for a game that is designed to satisfy self-
interest under the guise of teamwork, then try Battlefield or Call of Duty. I dont mean
that maliciously. I play Battlefield regularly, and I used to play Call of Duty. But the
attitude, playstyle, and approach that you can take into those games simply does not gel
with the environment or the purpose of Squad. If youve come to the Squad community
from either of those franchises, it is of the utmost importance that you understand this
game is not like those. Project Reality, the true ancestor of Squad, was a genre defining
tactical realism experience. Squad is set to emulate it. But the experience is up to the
players and the community. Do what you can to win. Do what you can to destroy the
enemy and wreck their day. But do it with integrity, respect, and a team-first/community-
first attitude!
13
Section Two: Basic Leadership

Soldiers from 7 Royal Australia Regiment observe the terrain at Cultana (source: 7RAR Social Media)
Ripped straight out of the (obsolete) Australian Army Manual of Land Warfare, 1971-1998,
leadership is the art of influencing and directing men so as to obtain their willing
obedience, confidence, respect, and loyal cooperation. The outcome of most battles
depends upon leadershipespecially the leadership of platoon and section commanders.
Boom. You want to be a Squad Leader? Read on.
The infantry Squad Leader is arguably the most difficult role, but also the most rewarding
role, that any player can adopt whilst playing Squad. The Squad Leader is the cornerstone
of a team. As a Squad Leader you are directly responsible for the coordination, welfare,
and overall experience of eight of your fellow gamers; a charge that no one should take
lightly. Your attitude, your aptitude, and your decisions will ultimately influence the
outcome of the game for your team and the enjoyment of the game for your Squad. Your
focus should be your men and the objectives. Squad Leader is a position that requires
more than a little selflessness. You will also need to be decisive, think quickly and
critically, and be compassionate; a good sense of humour is a plus, and an intimate
understanding of the mechanics of Squad is essential. Doesnt sound too difficult, does it?
The keys to being a great Squad Leader are as follows.
1. Make the game enjoyable

2. Know your role
3. Formulate a plan
4. Communicate
5. Be decisive
6. Delegate
8. Play the objective & stay focused
9. Maintain morale and cohesion
1. Make the game enjoyable!
It might sound a little flowery, but your role as the Squad Leader extends far beyond the
practicalities of leadership and decision making. First and foremost, your job is to make
Squad an enjoyable and rewarding experience for the players who join your Squad. After
all is said and done, Squad is just a game; and it was you who volunteered for the role of
Squad Leader. If youre not willing to accept the responsibility then do not take the
position. A pertinent thing to remember: there are eight other blokes in your Squad; some
might be new, some might be grizzled old veterans, some in between. Theyll be different
ages, sexes, and races; one might be a cracking sheila and one might be a totally shit
14
bloke. But one thing rings true: for whatever reason, theyve all ended up playing Squad
and theyve all ended up in your Squad. Its your job to motivate them, guide them,
cajole them, mentor them, and teach them. Its your job to be conscientious: to listen to
their suggestions, ask for ideas, and include them in the decision-making processboth
tactically and strategically. To balance all this can be a tough gig. Humour is a real ice-
breaker. And humour goes a long way in a shitty situation. And remember, you may be
someones first ever Squad Leader. That, in itself, is so fucking important. You might be
the first impression anyone ever has of this game, this community, and the experience
that is Squad. You would do well to honour that responsibility, if not for you, then for us:
the rest of the community.
Youll also need to accept that sometimes being an SL can be a shitty ass job. Youll have
arguments with other Squad Leaders, youll deal with bad apples, and youll get your ass
royally handed to you by the enemy. If you dont like a member of your Squad, or they are
being disruptive, trolling, or otherwise counterproductive kick them. That functionality
exists. If theres another SL thats being a royal pain in the behind, do your best to
communicate with them. If worse comes to worse, youll just have to sack up, put it to
rest, and get on with that youre doing. Whatever you do, dont blame bad situations or
bad outcomes on your Squad members. Feel free to bollock someone for being a right
twat. But only take it as far as is appropriate. Its just a game. Inhale. Exhale. When you
throw the toys out of the pram everyone gets pissed off. Youre the Squad Leader not the
Squad Baby. Pissed off with the game? Vent in the forums. Thats why theyre there. The
Devs cant hear you whinging about the inaccuracy of the SVD via Squad VOIP.
Ultimately, its up to you to lead by examplea have fun doing it. Engage with your team
and help them to help you get a positive result at the end of the round. Thats what this
game is all about.
2. Know your role

As a Squad Leader its important to know your role. Once youve picked the SL kit youve
gone from being a run-of-the-mill infantryman to a bloke with a fair bit of responsibility.
You will need to adjust your playstyle accordingly. Your role is simple
The role of the Squad Leader is to unite and to lead the eight soldiers of his
Squad in a manner that best achieves a positive team outcome.
Your job is to formulate a plan, coordinate with other Squad Leaders, and direct your
soldiers. To do all this, you need to spend a lot of time looking at the map and you need
to spend a lot of time being alive. A dead Squad Leader is an ineffective Squad Leader. An
ineffective Squad Leader is a liability to the team. The simplest way in which I can help
you not be an ineffective Squad Leader (aside from stating the bleeding obvious of stay
alive) is to avoid what I like to call the Three Deadly Sins. The Three Deadly Sins should
be avoided like the plague: they are Pointman Syndrome, Tactical Masturbation, and
Being Special.
Pointman Syndrome is a condition of the Squad Leader that wants to do it all. He

wants to be at the head of the column, first through the door, and right up in the action.
As a Squad Leader, youll certainly get your chance to go balls deep and do your fair share
of the shooting. And, in a lot of cases, youll be the first bloke running toward the next
objective, or the first bloke through an unsecure compound in order to bust out a FOB.
These, of course, are contextually acceptable risks that you can and often should take in
the interest of speed. But when it goes kinetic, and the two-way range is open for
15
business, you should always rely on your eight Squad-mates to help you out with the
business of killing. Bring them into the game. Get them doing the fighting so that you can
avoid being slotted and actually perform your other more critical functions. If you go
down, they go down. There are notable exceptions to this (as there is with every rule).
And you will often find yourself in a position where youve got no choice but to run
through machinegun fire or get up next to your blokes who are trying to shovel through
some enemy sandbags in the middle of a shit-fight. Be there. Back them in. Just do it
where appropriate and only if you can afford the risk. It is not your place to try and win a
Victoria Cross in every firefight.
Tactical masturbation is a borrowed Swedgeism from Cheeky Bastard. Tactical

Masturbation is the infatuation that some players seem to have with the in-game
application of real-world tactics, techniques, and procedures at the expense of speed and
a focus on objectives; it is a complete lack of balance between actual practical Tactix
(shoutout to the Kiwi Netballers!) and the realisation that Squad is a game. Tactical
masturbation manifests itself in several forms. But typically youll experience it when you
have a Squad Leader, or indeed you are a Squad Leader, that cracks a fat over movement
in formation, rules of engagement, strict chain of command, the correct allocations of
kits, and proper react to contact or fire and movement. Dont get me wrong, there are
definitely a lot of valuable lessons to be learned and a lot that is applicable from real-
world examplesparticularly when it comes to picking a concealed path through terrain
and the theory of fire and movementbut if youre practicing or implementing these
procedures and techniques at the expense of the game, your rate of advance, or the
team, then you may need to rethink your approach. At the end of the day, Squad is a
game; a very realistic game, but a game nonetheless. And, obviously, a game comes with
gamey mechanics that, in some instances, require a suspension of what might otherwise
be sound practice in the real-world.
Dont get sucked in. Dont let needless faffing about jeopardise your team. You dont
need to know how to advance in wedge, echelon right, or diamondnor do the people
youre playing with. Through playtime and experience youll discover the best ways to
advance and the most effective formations in which to move. Pro-tip: theres no real
answer. For the most part, tactically astute veterans will impart their knowledge on new
players through demonstration and example. The most important things to remember are
what gets you seen (and how to avoid these) and what allows you the most flexibility when
you take fire. Shadow, Silhouette, Spacing, and Movement. Those are key. Spread out.
Keep that spacing. Move in a loose, casual formation toward your objective. Close
terrain with a lot of bushes and undergrowth? Bring it in a little so that you dont get
separated. Massive, open plain? Spread it out so a mortar doesnt wreck you all at once.
Ensure that players are paying attention to their surroundings; the bloke on the left is
looking left and that the bloke on the right is looking right. They are the fundamentals.
Being Special is the third of the deadly sins and another borrowed Swedgeism. When
playing Squad, please remember that you arent special. What you are is an infantry Squad
Leader in team-based, team-focused, team-oriented game. What you are not is a member
of the Special Air Service Regiment or Delta Force. You may be able to pick some pretty
Gucci kit, or drive a damn fancy vuh-heer-cool, but youre not the Stig and youre
certainly not a fucking runway superstar. Please act like. Nine blokes sitting on a hill
providing overwatch may sound productive. In fact, you might be funnelling some damn
useful information to your peers. But nine blokes are better served on an objective. If you
want to play recon, like if you really must play recon, please take a Squad to yourself,
with a maximum of two other people, and be surreptitious about itlest you get bollocked
by another Squad Leader.
16
The net-goals of avoiding the Three Deadly Sins are Speed and a Focus on Objectives.
These will be discussed in Section Three. As the Squad Leader, you dictate the pace of
your Squad and thus the pace of the team. In the interest of speed, theres no point
faffing about where faffing isnt necessary.
This leads me into the second part of your role as SL. Whilst most of the standard
functions of fighting, leading, celibacy, sexual purism (PornHub and Oculus Rift
notwithstanding), speed, objective focus, and general soldiering can be performed by
any member of the Squad, the Squad Leader himself has to perform several critical tasks
that no other player can. They are
Place Rally Points

Build FOBs
Place constructible fortifications
Communicate and coordinate with other Squad Leaders
The importance of both RPs, FOBs, and constructibles will be discussed at length in
Section Three. So suffice it to say I wont get into too much detail here. Whats most
important is that you build FOBs where appropriate, coordinate with other SLs where
appropriate, and always update your Rally Point. Push the RP forward as you move
forward. Always be aware of how many spawns are remaining (it is limited to 9 per
placement), and always replace it before it is too late. If you lose your spawn, you will
lose the game. Well, it might not be that drastic but youll certainly lose the initiative!
Communication with other Squad Leaders is also critical. Out of the 100% total time spent
on VOIP, at least 25% of this should be dedicated to communicating with other Squad
Leaders. You need to be in constant contact, discussing items such as
Friendly dispositions and intent

Friendly spawn infrastructure
Friendly objectives
Enemy dispositions and intent
Enemy spawn infrastructure
Enemy objectives
Where you discuss an item that is pertinent to your own team, you should think critically
and evaluate how, if at all, it applies to the enemy. If you determine the location,
strength, and intent of the enemy you can adapt what youre doing to better receive or
mitigate their actions. This naturally leads you to more easily overcome their position.
Mark on the map known and suspected locations. Confirm and reference any target
indications from your own soldiers and, where appropriate, pass this on to other Squad
Leaders. SLs alone can generate the full tactical picture at any given time in a round. It is
this tactical picture on which you base your assumptions about the enemy and the plans
that you wish to execute. The fuller the picture, then the more accurate your planning
and more effective your actions.
3. Formulate a plan
The formulation of a plan prior to the round commencing, or just as the round
commences, is of the utmost importance if your team is to start out on the front foot,
seize the initiative, and carry this through for the rest of the game. I cannot understate
how important it is for a team to get off to a solid, positive start. It instils confidence in
your team, and your soldiers, and it sows the seeds of doubt in the mind of the enemy.
17
Gaining the initiative is simple: you formulate a plan. Your plan doesnt have to be
complicated, sophisticated, or otherwise tactically genius. All you need is an idea. And
you will find, as the game develops and with the more experience that you gain, each
gametype and each map will lend itself to certain successful strategies that only require
minor tweaking. But, for the sake of exposition, your plan should include (at a minimum)
the following considerations
Friendly intent (what the team intends to achieve)

Squad intent (what duty your Squad will perform)
The construction of friendly Spawn Networks
From these three points, all else follows. Whilst the old adage may ring true, that no
plan survives first contact with the enemy, if you start out in a good position, with a solid
foundation and a positive attitude, the scope to react to unexpected developments,
maintain flexibility, and thus enact contingencies, is that much greater. You must be
flexible. You wont survive otherwise. If something goes to shit, and it was your call, sack
up and take responsibility. Integrity goes a long way to gaining the respect of your peers.
But, most of all, do your best to adapt to a given situation. Make a new plan. Start again.
The plan should also include a conversation about enemy intent and the location(s) of
their Spawn Network. Put yourself in his shoes. Where would you go, what would you do,
how would you achieve it, why would you do these things? If you can get inside the head
of your enemy, then youre one step ahead of him.
The key to developing a good plan is coordination and compromise. If you think youve got
a solid strategy for the particular map or gametype, then present it to your fellow Squad
Leaders. Be confident, assertive, and articulate, but also be decent and polite about it.
Earn the respect and endorsement of your fellow SLs and give them a reason to trust what
youre saying. If no one is willing to take overall command of the team, then take it
yourself. A strong, confident voice can be a godsend to anxious, inexperienced, or
generally cooperative Squad Leaders who arent fazed by someone else having a crack. Of
course, others may have equally valid ideas on how to tackle a particular tactical or
strategic problem. So, compromise. A balance must be struck between your plans and
those of others. Diplomacy and tact are a must. There are some strong-headed individuals
out there. If you are overruled, or the consensus amongst Squad Leaders is to adopt a plan
that is not your own, roll with it. A fractured team is a dead team. You may be frustrated
that your ideas were not given a run, but remember: the game is not about you. You will,
at another time, get your opportunity to present an idea and run the show. When youre in
that position, the worst outcome would be to have insubordinate or petty SLs that decide
to act on their own rather than abide by the team. Dont be that bloke. For the love of all
that is Holy.
4. Communicate
So, if by now you havent read enough about the need to communicate: heres another
paragraph to really ram it home. If a cornerstone to the success of a basic infantryman is
communication, then communication to a Squad Leader is the Holy Hand-Grenade of tools
in his arsenal (pie iesu domine/dona eis requiem amen). It is the be all and end all.
Communication should be clear and concise. It should be short, sharp, and to the point.
Practice it like your life depends on itbecause it does. If youre quiet for more than 30
seconds: youre doing it wrong. Talk. Talk. Talk. Talk. To your soldiers, to your fellow SLs,
18
and to the blokes around you. Talk to plan. Talk to adapt. Talk to survive. All Squad
depends upon it.
The basics of Communication have already been addressed in the relevant section of Basic
Soldiering. The only difference between what your infantrymen are doing, and what you
need to do, is to be clear on the plan. Update them regularly about what your Squad is up
to, and why. Let them know what other Squads are doing, and why. Fill them in on the full
tactical picture. You should also communicate to other SLs any pertinent information that
has been given to you by your own soldiers. Known and suspected any positions, enemy
FOB placements, or general information that you believe would be useful to other SLs.
5. Be decisive
Decisiveness, being decisive, is such an important facet of leadership, particularly in
Squad. Your capacity to make decisions under pressure will often result in the difference
between the life and death of your soldiers, success at an objective, and the overall
outcome of the game. Its super important to remember this: the willingness to make any
decision is better than the consequences of making no decision. Whatever situation you
are in, whatever problem presents itselfbe it in the planning phase or during the round
have the confidence to make a decision. Indecisiveness is a sure-fire way to get bogged
down, lose the initiative, and get destroyed. Making decisions and continuing to impact
the game is what you should be aiming to do at all times.
Indecision makes people nervous. It implies a lack of confidence and a lack of intelligence.
If you fail to be assertive, or if you fail to make decisions, you will soon find that your
soldiers lose faith in you and they start to question your ability, intent, and competence
(or assume a lack thereof). Furthermore, theyll get bored. Theyll tire of your lack of
direction. Thereby starts a domino effect that results in the fragmentation of your Squad,
lone-wolfing, and a crippling loss of Squad and/or team morale. When no decisions are
being made and when communication starts to break down, blokes begin to think to
themselves why am I bothering with this guy, hes doing fuck all. Ive got a better idea.
Theyll stop caring about you, about the Squad, and about the team, and theyll
endeavour to make the experience more enjoyable for themselves. When you get to this
point its very difficult for you to regain the respect of your soldiers. If you get to this
point, youve categorically failed in the stated role of the Squad Leader.
Any decision you make (anything you do, any action you take, any direction you lead your
men) will serve to keep the game interesting for them. More importantly, however, it will
result in a new set of circumstances for the enemy to appreciate, calculate, and react to.
They have to find out where you are, how many you are, where youre headed, and why.
They need to evaluate the risks of engaging you, or letting you gothey are adapting to
the circumstances that you dictate. This is the initiativethat fangled phrase I have
been throwing about so much. When you make a decision, the enemy reacts to you not
you to them. When you take the initiative you drive the tempo of the battle. You decide
when and where actions take place, you decide where and how to manoeuvre, and you
force the enemy to think about what youre doing rather than what they want to do.
Decisiveness drives the initiative.
Out of respect for these two considerations, its important that you make your decisions
quickly and you articulate them with clarity. Confusion in the heat of battle is a recipe for
disaster. Its also important that you continue to remain flexible. What you decide in the
first instance may need to be reviewed in short order as your take casualties, react to the
enemy, or simply change your mind again. Nothing is set in stone.
19
And, finally, you must display integrity. Everyone gets it wrong once in a while. You will
make bad calls as an SL. I guarantee it. If you make a bad call, you need to admit to it,
clear the air, and move on. Do not blame your soldiers if a plan doesnt come off. Sure,
one bloke may have missed a shot, or left a flank open, or any number of stupid mistakes
that each of us make 50 times a game. He just happened to do it at a critical moment. So
the fuck what? You must realise that your guys are there with you to win. Treat them like
you would like be treated. Give him a bollocking, let him know how to improve for next
time, then put it behind you and say the magic words: boys, I made a shit call. Spawn on
FOB at F8 and well reset and go again. This time well Thats all you need to do.
The game is not about you.
6. Delegate
With all that you have to focus on in your role as Squad Leader, it is often a good idea to
delegate some responsibility to more senior players with the Squad. Firstly, I like to
ensure that the skilled positions with my Squad (Medic, LAT, and AR) are manned by more
competent or experienced players (although one does not necessarily imply the other).
And, if the role is not manned by a competent player, I do my best to ensure that the
inexperienced player is appropriately mentored before the round begins. Mentoring can be
as simple as a few easy-to-understand directions and a brief explanation of the role. Or, it
can include pairing the newer guy with a more experienced buddy. The veteran can take
five minutes to have a chat with the new guy as everyone moves up toward the first
objective. Secondly, as necessity dictates, I will often assign a senior player within my
Squad the role of 2i/c (or second in command). This is a good idea if your Squad is split
between objectives, spawns, or separated by terrain and you need the other half of your
Squad to manage itself for a short period of time. In a conscious effort to avoid Tactical
Masturbation this assignment is always informal. I will ask for a volunteer, or pick a name
from the list within my Squad.
Cheesy: Alright, AR. Youre 2i/c. Stay here with Grenadier, Medic 1, and the rifleman.
Take the flag cap. Then regroup with us down at the objective point. Ive left
the rally here for you to spawn from. Well knock up a FOB.
AR: Right O mate. See you shortly.
AR: Ok boys, heres the situation. Well.
A highly informal selection, coupled with a clear and simple directive... Bingo. AR now
feels like a big-dick. Hes got some responsibility and youve got four players taking care
of themselves. When the Squad regroups, you can then again assume full-control. Or, if
youre happy with how AR handled himself, you can let him loose a little longer.
Delegation of this nature will become fair easier with the forecast implementation for
fireteams and fireteam leaders (FTLs).
Please note, with delegation comes trust. If youre going to lump some responsibility on a
bloke, you need to trust him. Let him take care of business. Keep him accountable but
dont micromanage him. Whatever you do, dont second guess himunless hes just
advised his three boys to charge headlong at a machinegun. If you dont trust him, and
youre interceding with every decision he makes, youve just defeated the purpose of
delegating to him in the first place. And thats clearly not the point.
Thus, the purpose of delegation is this fourfold: it allows you to take a load off of your
shoulders so that you can concentrate on the more important aspects of Squad Leadership,
it gives you confidence knowing that the important roles in your Squad are filled by
20
competent players, you further engage with your soldiers to enhance their experience by
giving them a more meaningful manner in which to contribute, and, of course, you provide
on-the-job Squad Leading experience to a player in your Squad. There is no substitute for
experience. AR might end up really enjoying his stint with a little responsibility. From
there you may even see him leading a Squad of his own next round. Boom. Community
enhanced by one simple opportunity.

The concept of Situational Awareness (SA) constituted quite a significant portion of the
related section in Basic Soldiering. In the interest of space and time I wont rehash those
basics here. What I will do, however, is explore the concepts of SA and how they apply to
Squad Leadership. That is to say, what aspects of it are more important for Squad
Leaders. Whilst Squad Leaders have to be adept at maintaining SA for themselves, and
their own personal safety/responsibility within the context of the game, they have the
added responsibility of managing their Squad within the same environment. They require
an awareness, therefore, of how their Squad fits into the current context of the game
and by extension all of the associated complications that arise from this. Here we have to
start thinking about a Squad as an organic element in and of itself, rather than a
collection of 9 individual soldiers.
As a Squad Leader, in order to maintain Situational Awareness for your Squad, you must be
doing the following at all times
Keep your head in the map

Communicate (frequently) with other SLs
Maintain awareness of your role within the structure of the Team
Avoid tunnel vision
Monitor and address the status, health, and ammunition of your Squad
When actually leading your men, your Situational Awareness must be extended to a
knowledge of the terrain through which you are moving (and, indeed, how to move
through it effectively), tactics and techniques that you can employ to overcome the
enemy (infantry minor tacticsIMTs), and a keen ability to read the play.
Moving through the terrain or picking a route through which to conduct your
movement is a good skill to have as a Squad Leader. Once youve established where
you are going, and why, working out how to get there is as important as what you will
do when you get there. Consider the following when planning a route
Speed
Cover & Concealment
Direction of approach to objective
These three considerations should determine the route for you. How fast do you need
to get there? Is cover and concealment on the way important? From which direction
must we or should we approach the objective? Personally, I prioritise speed, cover &
concealment, then direction of approachin that order. Speed to maintain the
initiative, cover & concealment to reduce the risk of being spotted or engaged (and, if
so, provide ample cover from which to shoot back), and finally direction of approach
because, for the most part, youll be attacking objectives in a linear order. In the
instance of Insurgency, you can set up an FOB or Rally Point in the desired direction
and simply maintain the attack from that position.
21
Tactics and techniques of fighting (IMTs) can be taught and learned on paper, but
putting them into practice and learning your own is a much more enjoyable
experience. While the scope of this Guide is not intended to explore (fully) the
application of IMTs in game, I may go into further detail on this in a later edition or
indeed a later Guide. For now, Ill leave you with the Four Fs
1. Find the enemys position

2. Fix him in place with suppressive fires
3. Flank his position, establish enfilade
4. Finish him off by wounding or killing him and assaulting through his position
For a more complete look at IMTs, Id highly recommend Dslyecxis Tactics,

Techniques, and Procedures developed for the Arma 3 community Shack Tactical.
Reading the play is the manner in which you assess the current situation in-game, and
how you decide to act on or react to it. Key aspects of this concept can be broken
down as follows
Know the location of your Squad and know the location of other Squads
Determine the location, type, and intent of the enemy
Know the location of enemy spawn infrastructure
Once youve established these three pieces of information, you can do your best to
predict what will happen next (read the play) and thus make a decision based on your
deductions or assumptions thereof. Importantly, you should look to mitigate the
enemys influence over the battlespace, fill gaps in friendly dispositions by
manoeuvring your Squad to key objective points or pieces of terrain, and establish or
maintain friendly spawn infrastructure or locate and destroy enemy spawn
infrastructure. Importantly, you must always think critically about what you are
seeing. Analyse the location and movements of the enemy. Where did he come from?
Where is he going? Ask friendly Squad Leaders the same questions about their own
movement. Doing all of this will allow you to understand the flow of the game.
Flow is one of the most important aspects of SA. And, unfortunately, it is also one of
the most ambiguous, or, at the very least, difficult to explain. What I mean by flow
or context is the impression of the game that you gather by putting together all of
the previous elements and comparing it to how you feel the game is going. Which
team has the initiative? Which team is being more competitive? What can you do to
maintain or address the current situation? Understanding the flow is critical. But,
unfortunately, its not something that can be taughtand it is highly circumstantial.
The best example I can think of is this: if your team is being pushed back, hammered,
rocked and knowing the axis on which the enemy has been advancing across your
position you look at the map and spot an undefended FOBright where theyre
headed. Your knowledge of the game (enemy and friendly dispositions) and your
feeling that the enemy intends to move through that position, culminates in your
Situational Awareness of the current circumstance and then prompts you to fall back
to defend the FOB. That is a decision that you have made based on an analysis of the
game and a feeling of its flow.
22
8. Play the Objective & Stay Focused

Play the Objective. Again, Ive presented you with a title that sounds so simple and so
intuitive that it shouldnt even warrant mentioning in any guide related to Squad. The
reality, however, is that Squad Leaders time and time again lead their men in a manner
that is utterly counterproductive or total inefficientwhether from a lack of experience,
nous, or tactical awareness. This wastefulness can be addressed by playing the objective
and staying focused on the task at hand.
Play the objective and do your job. The objective, at any stage in the game, could vary
from a flag zone, to a cache, to an enemy FOB, or building and maintaining friendly spawn
infrastructure. Your job is probably specific to your role. Whatever youre doing, at
whatever time, you should be leading your men in a manner that will impact the game.
Where playing the objective is important for the individual rifleman, its is eight times
more important for the Squad Leader to whom the riflemen report. Play the objective. Let
me be clear: Im not going to write a list of what is, and what is not, considered a
legitimate objectiveits too complicated and too contextual. But if what you are doing is
not related to the four points listed above then you are not helping the team. Two quick
examples: a Heavy Anti-Tank (HAT) team hunting tanks is a HAT team playing their
objective and doing their job. A Squad Leader with ACOG sitting on a hill sniping at the
enemy and providing intel is not doing his job. I mentioned it in Being Special. If you
feel compelled to do something like this, please do it by yourself. Eight men are better
served on a cap zone than on a ridgeline. Squad is a video game. The effects of long-range
suppressing fires are greatly diminished as a result. Play the game as a game. Get on the
point. Get on the FOB. Impact the game and make a difference.
Stay focused. You can maintain a focus on objectives, speed, and the initiative by
refusing to be distracted. Distractions come in many forms, but typical distractions include
irrelevant or weak opposition, sexy enemy assets, or enemy Super-FOBs. Speed and
initiative are maintained by dealing with enemy threats with immediacy and urgency,
disengaging from contact when required, skirting or ignoring unimportant positions, and
thinking ahead at what your Squad will do when it gets where its going.
Irrelevant or weak enemy is any contact that is merely an annoyance rather than
a genuine threat or hindrance. If youre taking inaccurate fire from a single SVD on
the top of a ridge 300 meters away theres no need to take your entire Squad over
there to engage and destroy him. Ill bet you London to a Brick that when you kill
him hell appear back there ten minutes later doing exactly the same thing. If the
enemy isnt posing you a significant threat, or, indeed, if he is in an isolated
location or doing something that is detrimental to his own team (not impacting the
game) then leave him. Ive left entire enemy Squads on hills before. Ive just
walked right on past them. They were shooting at us, sure, but it wasnt doing any
damage, and all the while they were watching us outflank their Flag Zones: the
epitome of stupidity. When dealing with these annoyances, simply put some cover
between your Squad and the location of the enemy/his line of sight. Move on.
Dont get bogged down.
Sexy enemy assets, like boobs, get everyone excited. HMG positions, APCs/IFVs,
Techies, or anything that draws your attention because you believe it is a threat
that must be dealt with. Wrong. You can simply avoid enemy armour, snipers,
HMGs, or whateverparticularly if youre ill-equipped to deal with them, or if
engaging them will end up posing a significant risk to your Squad. Chances are, if
the enemy has APCs then your team will have APCs or, at the very least, Heavy
Anti-Tank assets. Let those people do their job so that you can do yours. If you
have to engage armour, get close, or draw them in. Coordination between armour
23
and infantry is often lacking in Project Reality, and it most likely will be in Squad.
Isolate the threat and deal with it if you have to.
Enemy Super-FOBs. Ye olde Super-FOB. Avoid them. Who cares? The enemy have
placed a shit FOB, theyre wasting resources by building it up and defending it, and
chances are theyre failing their team in more ways than one. Leave it. Skirt it. Do
not bother with it. Youll waste your own tickets attacking it. Through a sustained
assault youll eventually destroy it but theres literally no value in doing so. Just
let it go! Move on. Let them faff about. That helps you!
Break contact when required. There will be instances when youre in the middle
of prosecuting a contact but you have to move. The flag behind you is being
capped, Squad 2 needs you upfront to exploit an opportunity immediately, or the
contact is turning into a stalemate. Break it. Fine. Call out to your Squad mates to
disengage when they can and announce a direction in which they should move.
Cheesy: Alright boys. Fuck this. Squad 2 needs us up front right now. Break
contact. Break contact now. Move SOUTH. Disengage. Go go go!
Pop smoke if you need. Lay down a withering barrage of fire if you need. But bug
out. Move on.
The point is clear, I hope: impact the game, play the objective, and dont get
distracted. Remembering these three things will help you become a much more
efficient Squad Leader and will ultimately help your team in more ways than one.
9. Maintain Morale and Cohesion
Whilst Ive spent a considerable amount of time crapping on about how Squad is ultimately
a game, there is one real-world consideration that we cannot overlook: morale. Morale is
important for players not only in terms of garnering enjoyment and reward from their
playtime, but in motivating them and ingraining them with a willingness to play for the
team and complete objectives with each other and for each other. The morale of the
soldier is the greatest single factor in war. Morale is founded on discipline, leadership, and
self-respect. It is the degree of confidence a soldier feels in himself, in his leaders, in his
profession, and in his ability to overcome all obstacles. Thank you, Land Warfare Manual.
Morale in the context of Squad is developed and maintained through your leadership. Give
your soldiers a reason to feel confidence in those who are leading him (you) and his
comrades with whom he is fighting (your Squad). You, as a leader, should be calm (with a
cool head and a curb on your temper), collected, formulate and execute a plan in a timely
manner, and have a good sense of humour. You should praise the efforts of your soldiers
when they perform a task well: if they lob a brilliant 203, smash a bunker with LAT, or
work together to push through the enemy into a cache location, then let them know that
it was a shit-hot effort. Fuck, youll be hard as a rock when your boys stack bodies and
blow up a cacheyou might as well share in the collective ecstasy of the moment!
Conversely, if one of your blokes fucks up you should let them know about it. Execute ye
olde compliment sandwich: positive feedback, negative feedback, positive feedback. Its
the solution to all of lifes problems. In the end, were all going to have shit days, shit
rounds, and shitty moments. Dont take this negativity out on your soldiers. Try and
maintain a positive attitude. Youre in front of a computer in your comfortable house. It
could be much worse than it is right now! Grab a beer. Beer = morale lifted.
24
From morale, then, comes Squad and Team cohesion. Without cohesion, Squad fails as a
concept and a game. If players arent working together, bonding, and playing for each
other then I guarantee that theyll have a poor experience. Morale and cohesion are very
easy to maintain when a Squad or a Team is winning the fight. Winning is the best cure for
poor morale. Unfortunately, were not always in that position. Losses come thick and fast
in Squad. And some of them can be devastating. But its usually in the act of losing, when
a team realises that theyre cooked, that morale fails and cohesion crumbles like a stale
cookie. When morale is low, and players arent communicating or working together, youll
notice that Squads disintegrate very quickly. Why should I even bother? most blokes
think. I touched on this earlier in Know Your Role, but I figured it was important to
rehash it here. A Squad without morale and cohesion is a useless collection of lone-wolves
going about their own business. Its very hard to motivate a team that lacks morale and
cohesion. If you sense that the positive feeling in your Squad is waning, try and get
everyone together in the same spot and doing something. Whether it be building a FOB,
defending a point, or moving as a unit. Even if youre getting smashed. Try to do
something to get the blokes back in the fighteven if it means delaying the inevitable
crushing defeat by a few more minutes. Make the enemy work for it. Whatever you do, do
not rage quit or team switch. Thats the cowards way out. Wait until the round is over
before you leave or change teams. If you get auto-balanced back to the same team well,
sucked in. Haha.

And, once again well leave off where it all began. The game isnt all about you. This is
doubly true when youre in the position of Squad Leader. Understand this. Learn this. Live
by this. The moment you picked Squad Leader the game changedit became about the
blokes in your Squad. Your men. Your girls. Your soldiers. Youre no longer merely a part
of a Squad, with full autonomy and no responsibility. You are the Squad. While you are not
fully responsible for the experience of the players who have joined your Squad, you will be
a massive factor in defining that experience. Particularly if someone in your Squad is
brand-new. On the eve of Early Access, as I sit here writing this, I keep thinking back to
the experience of my first Squad Leader in Project Reality. The bloke was a champion.
Friendly, compassionate, hilarious, and, importantly, interested in my experience. I told
him I was new. He didnt berate me, he didnt scold me. He talked me through picking the
rifleman kit and told me to stay on his 6 for the entire map. That defined my first
impression of Project Reality and I havent looked back ever since.
Obviously, it wont all be roses and happiness. You will come across people who are bad
apples. And you will cop criticismsome genuine, some unfair. If youve got a bloke in
your Squad with a prickly attitude who wants to start some shit hear him out. Listen to
the complaint in a courteous and respectful manner. Feel free to explain your position:
what youre doing and why. But also address yourself if you know youre being an absolute
wombat and someone is calling you out on it. If worse comes to worse, kick the bloke from
the Squad: sorry mate, no hard feelingssee ya later. Have some integrity. It goes a
long way. People can be wrong. Its a thing. You can be wrong too. No one cares.
Importantly: do your best. For yourself, for your Squad, and for your team. At the end of
the day its a game and were here to have fun. If you play hard, but fair, youll always
end up having a good time. When the dust settles, were all in this together.
25
Section Three: The Formula for Success
Squad 1 places a silly FOB and cops a spray from SL Squad 2 (source: Squad)
So youve read through the guide and youve made it this far! Or maybe youve decided
that this is where you want to start. Irrespective of where you started, or why, this
section is the business end of the guide. The Formula for Success is my take on Squad at
the strategic or operational level. It comprises a more critical analysis of the keys to
team success in Squadthe meta-game related to integration and cooperation between
Squads. This section is quite theoretical and presumes that the reader has an intimate
knowledge of the mechanics and flow of the game. It is aimed primarily at those players
who already fill the Squad Leader role on a regular basis, or players who are looking to
take up that mantle in the near future.
The Formula for Success can be applied to all gamemodes that were present in Project
Reality and those that (I assume) will be present in Squad. I have included reference to
various gamemodes, through use of examples, in order to fully explore the Formula. The
previous sections of this guide have involved a lot text. The best way for me to illustrate
the Formula is with a diagram. So, what is the Formula for Success?
26
Bingo. The Formula for Success is a giant dick. And, much like its fleshy real-life
equivalent, its pretty easy to understand: a team that is Focused on Objectives,
operates with Speed, and is supported by a Spawn Network, will, in almost all cases,
achieve orgasm! Uh I mean victory! So far weve looked at both Focus on Objectives
and Speed in section two Basic Leadership but I will provide a bit more exposition here.
However, for the most part, the following section is dedicated entirely to the
establishment and maintenance of spawn networks.
In the interest of editorial integrity, and as a nod to my good mate, I would like to make it
clear that the image above, and indeed the original concept of the Formula for Success,
are not my own creations. I have merely borrowed the diagram and the concept (with
written permission) and engineered it to apply to Squad. All credit belongs to Swedge (an
Australian gamer and exponent of tactical realism) who has written extensively on Project
Reality: Arma 2. Swedgey presented the Formula in his Cheeky Bastard: Strategy Guide
for PR:ARMA2 BETA. Despite being written for PRA2, Cheeky Bastard is still completely
relevant and totally applicable to Squad. If youre interested in some further reading, I
highly recommend it.
1. Focus on Objectives & Speed

A Focus on the Objectives is key to success as a Squad Leader and it is also key to the
success of a Team. A Focus on Objectives requires the Squad Leader to motivate his
Squad, and other Squads, to complete three simple objectives. These objectives may
change, and they may take a higher or lower priority contingent upon the circumstance
and context of the game at the time you are assessing the situation, but they are the
three tenants to success. They are
Objectives (flagzones/cache locations)

o Offensive/Defensive
Creation of infrastructure (Build Spawn Networks)
o Forward Operating Bases/Squad Rally Points
Destruction of enemy infrastructure
o Location and suppression of enemy FOBs/Squad Rally Points
At its most fundamental level, winning a game of Squad is incredibly easy. If each Squad
Leader on your team is focused on completing these objectives (in concert with each
other, through effective use of communication and coordination) then I guarantee that
you will win 75% of all games that you play. And the 25% that you do lose will be the result
of an exceptional opposition or plain bad luckthe former you can be thankful for the
challenge, the latter happens to the best of us at the worst of times.
Completing the above objectives should be done with a sense of urgency. There is a
military adage that goes slow is smooth, but smooth is fast. Thats not entirely true.
Slow is methodical, and methodical is accurate would be more appropriate. And, of
course, in the real world where real lives are at stake its important to take that
approach. But Squad is a game. You have the luxury of being allowed to take a few more
risks. Be quick about what youre doing. Im willing to stake a game on the trade-off
between accuracy and assurance for a little more speed. Attain speed through proficiency.
Practice what youre doing and get good at it. Whats important to remember is that in
Squad most things are equal: flag capture times, FOB build times, movement speed. If you
can gain the advantage of speed in aspects of the game that you can control, such as
personal proficiency, organisation, and an aggressive attitude, then you can get yourself
one step ahead of an enemy who is not that way inclined. Every second counts. Beat the
27
enemy to the objectives, establish your position, and receive him into the teeth of your
defensive structures. Why fight a meeting engagement on a flag zone when you can
establish yourself, absorb the enemy, and then push through and onto the next objective?
Being tactically aggressive will win you the game. Be aggressive when it calls for it.
Theres a time and a place for a defensive mind-set and an attacking mind-set. But if
youre always looking for the opportunity to go on the attack you should take it when it
presents itself. Sometimes you will have to do so at the expense of your Squads structure
or organisation. You make the call. Is the risk worth it? Will leaving three men behind on
the FOB be enough to secure it while you move forward to establish another position?
These are the types of decision you will have to make. But rather you make them with an
aggressive attitude than miss the chance all together.
At every opportunity you should hunt, locate, and destroy enemy spawn infrastructure.
Fuck up his support structures and he wont be able to maintain a supply of men and
material to the front line. Wreck FOBs, locate Rallys, and cut off his logistics chains.
Conversely, create depth and maintain your own structure (as will be explained). If an
enemy is relying on a tenuous spawn network, and you happen to mess it up, you will
steam roll them. The further they have to move to the battle, the better it is for you.
Distance of movement destroys cohesion. And, obviously, the further the enemy have to
move to get back to the battle gives you time to do what you please. What better to do
with that time than attack.
2. Build and Maintain a Spawn Network

The success of a team in Squad is predicated on the creation, support, and maintenance of
a defensive or offensive spawn network; from this, all else follows. What is a spawn
network?
A spawn network is the systematic integration of Main Base (MB), Forward

Operating Bases (FOBs), and Rally Points (RPs) so that a team may develop
depth, maintain flexibility, and have the capacity to supply an unimpeded
flow of reinforcements and materiel to critical locations on the battlefield.
Without an integrated, fully-functioning spawn network a team cannot hope to consolidate

its position, supply its position, and develop the opportunity to further advance from its
position. These are the express objectives of a spawn network. The compromise of a
spawn network, or any one of its constituent parts, jeopardises a teams ability to fightin
sometimes spectacular fashion (you will get rolled). A more subtle and often overlooked
consequence of your spawn network is that players take queues, mostly subconsciously,
from the location of spawns and infrastructure. You will note that players often use
spawns to decide where to move or what task to undertake, or, indeed, to determine
what features on the battlefield are important. To this end, your spawn network should
be designed (with RPs and FOBs placed in such a manner) that even the most daft, but
ultimately team-focused player, can easily deduce where to go and what to do. Whilst
most gamers who play Squad are more tactically astute than their CoD or Battlefield
counterparts, it is never detrimental to fashion a spawn network that is simple and self-
explanatory. As Swedge noted in Cheeky Bastard, you may not be able to lead a horse to
water but you can build a fucking lot of taps around its mouth.
28
A hierarchical approach to the spawn network looks as such
Main Base (MB)

Forward Operating Base (FOB)
Squad Rally Point (RP)
Quite obviously, each individual component of the spawn network has its own distinct
advantages and limitations. Starting at the most basic levelthe Squad Rally PointI will
explore both the SRP and FOB, in turn, to shed some light on its attributes and explain
how it is best employed to enhance the teams spawn network. The MB does not really
warrant a discussion as its role is inherently limited. It gives you an instant spawndone.
It may be best to note here that the following discussion assumes that fortifications
(constructibles) are inextricably linked to a radius emanating from the FOB radio. This is a
fundamental concept, and one that shapes the entire discussion on FOB purpose,
placement, and integration. Should, at any time in the future, the ability to establish
defensive structures be removed from the FOB then this entire analysis will be redressed
to that end.
2.1 Squad Rally Points
Small, discreet, highly mobile, free to place without restriction, and for your Squad only:
the RP is the essential and versatile final component of the spawn network. An RP should
be your Squads most forward spawn point. SLs should feel free to place RPs in more
dangerous forward positions without too many undue fears of the consequences should
they be compromised or overrun. Whilst RPs have a high spawn-timer, they have a low
ticket penalty for destruction.
RPs are an essential tool for maintaining Squad cohesion and replacing casualties directly
on the front line (on or near your current position). Spawning off of an RP (slightly higher
spawn-timer notwithstanding) also serves to facilitate Speed, and thus a more effective
Focus on Objectives, as Squads spend much less time faffing about waiting for a trickle of
players to rejoin and for the Squad to reorg. Without access to RPs, it follows that newly
spawned soldiers are required to rejoin the fight from MB or the nearest FOB. This has the
potential to be problematic for several reasons. Firstly, the nearest FOB may be a
considerable distance from your current position (particularly if the Spawn Network has
not been established correctly). And, without vehicular transport, the time it takes for
reinforcements to rejoin could unnecessarily prolong the amount of time that your Squad
is spent immobile. Secondly, spawning from an FOB could place undue risk on soldiers as
they manoeuvre, often individually, through potentially hostile terrain in order to link up
with the Squad. Thirdly, any spawn from a friendly FOB increases the chance that its
location will be compromised. If any component of the Spawn Network should be
compromised, quite obviously the RP is preferable in every instance. These factors, of
course, do not suggest that you should never spawn on an FOB. They are merely a list of
considerations that you may wish to take into account when selecting a spawn point or,
for SLs, when youre placing an RP.
The advantages of the RP lie in mobility and discreetness. Theyre much easier to place
than FOBs and theyre far less obvious, theres no User Interface that prompts enemy
players when they are within the vicinity of an RP, and, unlike FOBs, RPs can be used
without too much discretion. RPs should be placed frequently and updated often. An SL
should do his utmost to ensure that their Squads RP is always on the map. If it is running
now on spawns, then he should prioritise placing a new one in order to refresh the count.
29
Ideally, RPs should be used forward of FOBs. However, all SLs should take care to place
RPs away from or on a different approach from the nearest friendly FOBin relation to
known or suspected avenues of enemy advance. As noted in previous sections, enemy
movement toward an objective zone can be, and often is, indicative of the direction they
travelled from their own spawn infrastructure. If anything should be compromised, losing
an RP over a FOB is most definitely preferable. Further advice related to the placement of
RPs can be found in the Physical Location portion of the discussion on FOBs. As those
lessons easily translate to the FOBs smaller cousin.
2.2 Forward Operating Base
Whilst Main Base is where the spawn network begins, and the RPs are where it ends, the
FOB is, without doubt, the most crucial link in the entire spawn network. FOBs have two
intrinsic functions. First and foremost, FOBs are a forward spawn point for your entire
team. Indeed, once placed, they are the only spawn point for your entire team within a
400 meter radius (excluding cache sites in Insurgency). Everything else is subsidiary to
this function. Everything. Irrespective of what you intend for the FOB, you must always
remember this: a single poorly placed or inadequately defended FOB can, quite literally,
determine the outcome of an entire round. It can force players to manoeuver upwards of
400 meters to rejoin the fight, and it has the potential to drain assets, manpower, and
tickets by forcing a team to defend an untenable position for the sake of maintaining their
teams forward spawn. Therefore, you should always think before you place. Secondly, an
FOB provides a 100 meter radius within which fortifications and weapons emplacements
can be placed and built (shovelled).
To this end, there are several key considerations that SLs should take into account prior to
establishing a new FOB. Although these considerations are not ranked in order of
importance, nor is one necessarily more important than the other, they will ultimately
determine the type and placement of an FOB. Indeed, the circumstances and context of
the game at the time you choose to establish a new FOB, when considered in conjunction
with these points, will often determine the type and placement of the FOB without much
input on your behalf. And remember, there is no substitute for actual in-game
experience.
Purpose
Depth
Flexibility
Physical location
Squad Cooperation
2.2.1a Purpose
Before establishing an FOB, you must determine the purpose that it will serve within
your spawn network. The purpose of an FOB will determine where precisely you
decide to locate it and with what, if anything, you choose to fortify it. An FOBs
primary function as a spawn point aside, players typically construct two types of FOB:
the secluded and concealed Spawn FOB (SFOB) and the dug-in fortified Firebase
(FB). Whilst each maintain the capacity to spawn friendly reinforcements, the SFOB is
typically placed in a secluded area with little to no fortifications as evidence of its
existenceproviding covered and concealed avenues through which friendly
reinforcements can return to the battlespace. Conversely, the FB is typically a balls
30
out fortified position less concerned with concealment and more concerned with
providing a formidable position from which a friendly element can provide fire support
(direct or indirect) to an objective zone, a friendly element that is manoeuvring, or to
secure key piece of terrain from the enemy.
2.2.1a.1 Spawn FOB (SFOB)
The primary function of an SFOB should be to provide a conduit through which

friendly reinforcements flow easily into the battlespace. Typically, an SFOB
should be placed in a secluded position that provides multiple covered and
concealed approaches to the objective zone. In the interest of concealment, an
SFOB should have little to no fortifications. If required, sandbags or hescos can be
erected around the radio itself to provide immediate cover to any players
spawning at the position. However, an SFOBs security lies in the bet that youve
placed it such a position and such a manner that the enemy is highly unlikely to
locate it. Dont make it easier for them by situating emplacements nearby.
2.2.1a.2 Firebase (FB)
The Firebase serves an entirely different purpose to the SFOB, as its intended
purpose is to provide a fortified fighting position from which friendly elements
can dig-in with maximum physical security at the expense of concealment. The FB
is often placed on or around objective zones or on critical pieces of terrain. An FB
should be placed judiciously. If a team is to construct an FB it must be confident
that it has the resources to construct it, to maintain it, and to defend it, and that
these concerns do not come at the expense of the objective. FBs are magnets for
enemy attentionparticularly if they are placed on an objective. An FB should
never be placed in such a manner that terrain, circumstance, or lack of attention
cause it to be compromised easily. And it should never be established where an
enemy can easily capture an objective and neutralise the FB at the same time.
The FB must be placed and constructed in such a manner that it affords every
advantage to the defenders and little, if any, advantage to the enemy.
Here it is pertinent to note that in a video game (and Squad in particular) it is far
easier for an attacker to isolate, attack, and destroy any fortified static position.
The real-life advantages that are generally stacked in favour of a defender are
significantly diminished by the ability of an enemy to respawn quickly,
communicate easily, utilise to good effect the prevalence and accuracy of
indirect explosive weapons, and exploit the more organic manner in which players
handle command, control, movement, and assaults through terrain. Most static
positions in Squad will be overrun if subject to a sustained attack for a period of
15-30 minutes. If an enemy has to destroy your FB to take a flag zone, it had
better be a fucking good FB. Be aware of this. Ive seen FBs annihilated in short-
order in almost every instance they appear on the map; Ive been responsible for
that destruction on numerous occasions. Always remember: your FB is also your
spawn. Never make it easy for the enemy to eliminate your spawn, capture an
objective, and destroy your FB at the same time. Never. Make. It. Easy.
As I write this, the debate continues to rage on the Squad Forums (and in game)
as to the legitimacy of what has been coined the Super FOB. A Super FOB is, in
essence, a player-made fortress that aims to deny enemy access to a piece of
ground or simply to satisfy some bizarre urge for players to FOB-craft their
team into inevitable destruction. Unfortunately, the tendency of most proponents
of the Super FOB is to construct an FOB that a) does not impact an objective at
31
all, b) is placed in a centralised, though tactically untenable location (thus

precluding other more useful FOBs from being built), and c) serves as a resource
and man-power sink as players flock to defend the FOB (for no appreciable gain)
as opposed to attacking or defending legitimate objectives. Im highly critical of
the Super FOB phenomenon. And this harks back to my Introduction. Squad
requires a degree of selflessness. Building a massive FOB, in a ridiculous location,
without want or desire to achieve the teams objective, shows to me a profound
disrespect to your fellow team-mates and gamers. It should be discouraged at all
costs.
2.2.1b Depth
Depth is the deliberate integration of multiple FOBs and RPs with the intention to
create and sustain a multilayered spawn network that specifically avoids the reliance
on a single forward spawn point. A team should never rely on a single FOB once they
have advanced from Main Base. A team that relies on a single forward spawn runs the
risk of being catastrophically overrun if this spawn is compromised.
Depth is often established as the natural flow of the game progresses, and as teams
establish FOBs when advancing across a map in AAS or spawning at cache locations in
Insurgency. A team should always aim to create depth as they move forward through
new objectives. And a team should always work hard to defend their depth if an FOB
in the rear area is being compromised. If you notice that your team has advanced
without creating positions in depth, then you should immediately address this issue. In
general, when placing an FOB, you should look at the map and determine if your
current spawn network would be sufficient to support your team should the most
forward FOB be overrun. If you believe the network is sufficient, then you can go
ahead and place your FOB in a position that supports the most forward objective or
simply not place one at all. If you notice that your side only has one or two FOBs, then
take ten minutes out of your game, grab two buddies, and build up some
infrastructure behind the line. You should also ensure, if possible, that each objective
has a supporting FOB either servicing it as a spawn point, a defensive position, or
both. If your forward spawn and objectives are overrun, this FOB in depth will then
serve as your teams pre-established fallback position from which they can mitigate
the loss and regroup. And they can do so having spawned at that next critical location
(that is the enemys next objective) without faffing about or having to move a
substantial distance to get there. If you fail to do these things, then by the time you
realise the deficiency it may already be too late. If you are in the position to destroy
an enemys depth by neutralising an FOB in their rear, then you should, if
circumstances allow, make every effort to do so. In the subsequent discussion on FOB
Placement I will go into further detail about the theory of where to place FOBs in
relation to objectives in order to achieve this depth.
2.2.1c Flexibility
It is important to maintain flexibility when placing your FOBs. Typically, a team will
build FOBs as Squads advance across the map from their MB to their first contact with
the enemy. Once vehicles are implemented it will not be uncommon to see Squads
branch out across the map to place forward FOBs in anticipation for future action. In
any event, when building an FOB network, thus hopefully creating depth, its
important to consider what impact a particular FOB will have on the potential to
create further, more advanced FOBs or even FOBs that are more tactically sound.
Taking into account the 400 meter exclusion zone is critical when calculating where to
32
place FOBs as you advance (or in anticipation of an advance). What will happen, I
guarantee, is there will be imperfect FOB placements that will require a degree of
flexibility from you and your team. There may be situations where youre forced to
put down an imperfect FOB for the sake of speed or necessity. However, if you reckon
youve got enough time you should always place the FOB in an area that will provide
your team with maximum flexibilityboth defensively and offensively.
Flexibility is also concerned with allowing your team multiple spawning options and
multiple approaches to objectives. What you should avoid at all costs is a centralised
FOB. One FOB in the centre of the map inherently limits the potential to create
depth, limits your spawning to a single point, and only offers a unilateral approach to
the objective. Imagine a triangle with two Flags in the middle. Placing a FOB right in
the centre of the triangle would most certainly offer the quickest, most direct means
to reinforce the Flag zones and the capacity to construct emplacements and
fortifications. However, if you place a FOB at each point of the triangle you
immediately triple your teams spawning capacity, offer a multilateral approach to
the objective zone, and force the enemy to contend with more than one threat
vectorat the slight expense of distance and time required for reinforcement. As
discussed in Purpose, distance and time are not necessarily a bad thing when it comes
to placing concealed FOBs.
The speed at which you need to place an FOB may come at the expense of flexibility
this is another judgement call that SLs will need to make in-game at the time. Often
times you will not find the perfect location for an FOB. And as the game plays out you
may find yourself in a cracking flank position with the perfect opportunity to exploit a
gap in the enemys position, or your team may be getting rolled and a backup spawn
point is an absolute priority. This isnt to say you should simply rush a FOB placement
for the sake of it, as you charge out across the map, or hastily fall back to your next
defensive flag. You will need to make a judgement call to decide whether or not it is
worth the risk of hunting around for a more ideal location or simply whacking the FOB
down and moving on. If youve got the enemy on their heels, its probably best to opt
for the latter. If theres a lull in the battle, then you may wish to take your time. Its
your call.
33
2.2.1d Physical Location
When placing the actual radio for your FOB the physical location is critical. These
rules apply to SFOBs and FBs a like (as the radio itself acts as the spawn). Ideally, the
radio should be placed in an area that offers both cover and concealment. Cover being
a position that cannot be attacked by direct (and ideally indirect) enemy fires, and
concealment being that the enemy simply cant see it (and ideally the approaches to
and from it). Depressions, saddles, draws (or re-entrants for us internationals), heavily
forested areas, large (high-walled and spacious) compounds, or an area that is simply
out of the way are perfect locations for FOB radios. Places to avoid include the crests
of hills, high-traffic areas (both known and suspectedfriendly and enemy), and any
area that has a significant terrain feature (be it a building, outcrop, or hills) that
provide an easy overwatch into the radio area.
Placing an FOB radio within a building warrants a discussion in itself. Siting a radio
within a structure has significant pros and cons. If youre looking to place a radio in a
building, the building should be within a compound that has multiple egress points.
Your team, at the time, can decide to wall up or fortify these egress points (which, of
course, act as entrances for the enemy). But the choice to do so is key. When it comes
to buildings, you should avoid, at all costs, placing a radio in an isolated or otherwise
standalone structure that is easily identifiable. Placing radio in a grape-hut in the
middle of a field may offer new spawns a significant amount of cover from all types of
fire, but it is a perfect way to have it isolated, suppressed, and destroyedat the cost
of a lot of lives and a lot of tickets.
Generally speaking, the radio should also be far enough away from an objective zone
that the enemy cannot easily capture both at once. There may be situations where
this varies (and that has been addressed in Purpose and Depth) however as a hard and
fast rule its best to whack your FOB in an area through which you do not expect
heavy enemy movement. This is part of the trade-off you have to make between a
discreet spawn-focused FOB or a balls-out defensive gargantuan.
Also remember, if youre wanting to build up a defensive structure around your FOB,
your radio does not have to be in the centre. For example, if youre looking to build a
firebase on top of a hill to overwatch a piece of terrain or an objective zone, siting
the radio on the reserve slope will allow your team to spawn in cover and
concealment but still enable you to build weapons and fortifications on the crest.
Long story short: if youre intending to build a FB, then you should consider at all
costs not placing the radio in an area that is susceptible to enemy fire or access.
2.2.1e Squad Leader Cooperation
Of course, it is paramount that you cooperate with other Squad Leaders and consult
them on your appreciation of the situation and where you believe is the best location
for an FOB. There is nothing worse than finding yourself in a brilliant position to place
a new FOB, only to have another Squad Leader place one down thus prohibiting you
from establishing your own. Communicate. Always. Talk to the other SLs. Mention that
youre in a cracking position and youre about to establish a new FOB. Ask if this
conflicts with their plans. If it does, why? How? Where? What are they doing? This
step, whilst not the longest nor most engaged, is arguably one of the most critical.
Cooperating with your fellow SLs is the be all and end all of a team. Oh, and not to
mention the fact one of them might simply have a better idea than you or have seen
something that you yourself have missed.
34
2.2.2 FOB Placement
Now that weve had a look at these considerations in isolation, well now look at them
together and apply the concepts to several real-world (actual in-game) examples.
Remember, all of these concepts can also (within reason) be applied to the Squad
Rally Point.
1.2.2a Unfrails Approach to FOB Placement (for AAS)
This foundation of this discussion relies quite heavily on a conversation I was involved
in on the Squad Forums. The topic was related to ideal FOB placement. To elucidate
his position in the debate Unfrail produced the following illustration, which he has
graciously consented to my using for this guide.
Unfrails Guide to Effective AAS FOB Placement as presented on Squad Forums
Unfrails diagram succinctly articulates the considerations of Purpose, Depth, and

Flexibility when establishing an FOB in relation to an objective zone and within a
spawn network a large. It further provides a good illustration of the areas in which the
Type of FOB you decide to establish (SFOB or Firebase) becomes importantin the
context of its proximity to the objective zone or its position relative to the suspected
axis of enemy (and friendly) advance. This point I touched on briefly in Physical
Location. In order to maintain the security of your FOB (particularly the radio itself),
irrespective of its Type, it is important to site the radio in an area that will be
generally clear of heavy enemy, and indeed heavy friendly, traffic. If youre building a
Firebase rather than an SFOB, in an area through which you suspect large numbers of
35
enemy to traverse, then all effort should be directed toward establishing the radio in
a location that is totally covered and concealedas you can almost guarantee that the
location of your FOB will be compromised quite early in the piece. All-in-all, you
should do all you can to reduce the chance that an enemy unit will discover your
radio, or, in the instance of an FB, have direct line of sight to it and the ability to
place well-sighted explosive ordinance in the vicinity.
Quite obviously, the closer you place an FOB to the axis of enemy advance, or on a
key piece of terrain, the higher the chance the enemy will discover its location and
therefore the more resources you will need to dedicate to establishing suitable
(effective) defences, and physically manning them. This is a trade-off that you need
to make, and a critical set of decisions that must be communicated between Squad
Leaders: does your team have the time, resources, and inclination to establish and
then defend a high-risk FOB? Is that risk worth the reward? Is the safety of placing a
secluded SFOB outweighed by the necessity of fortifications and fire-points at or
nearer the objective zone? The risk factor is neatly presented in Unfrails diagram (as
Red through Yellow through Green hotspots), in conjunction with the line through
the flagzones representing the primary lateral axis of advance for both teams. Placing
an FOB in the red zone constitutes a significant risk to its survival. Placing an FOB in
the yellow zone reduces this risk. And placing an FOB in the green zone diminishes the
risk more-so. It is, however, important to note that even the most secluded FOBs can,
and sometimes are, compromised by the enemy. However, in most instances, this is
an individual soldier who is either lost or lone-wolfing. As such, the capacity of that
individual to destroy the FOB before being killed himself is almost negligible and thus
exceptions like this should not factor into your decision-making. Should a lone-wolf
compromise the location of your FOB, an effort can be made to mitigate the enemys
(further) attempt/s to locate and neutralise it before its too latethough lone-wolves
dont often communicate that well anyway.
I have referred frequently to areas of both enemy and friendly traffic as a factor to
consider when placing an FOB. I do so with reference to both sections on Situational
Awareness in Basic Soldiering and Basic Leadership. Situational Awareness drew
attention to the other ways in which the enemy can deduce the location of your
spawn infrastructure (aside from physically locating it) by merely observing origins,
volume, and patterns of your teams movement. There is no way in which you can
totally obscure your teams movement from FOBs. However, as outlined in Physical
Location, you can place the FOBs in areas which provide concealed or covered egress
points and that do not dissect the lateral axis of advance of both teams. The point
here, in the context of Unfrails illustration, is to place an FOB that, whilst not on the
suspected axis of enemy advance, is also not on the main axis of your advance.
Placing FOBs set back and to the side of objectives, perpendicular to the axis of
advance, or in otherwise out of the way areas are all means by which you can
conceal their location for longeras the enemy is less likely to stumble through those
locations on their way elsewhere.
So, now that weve got the theory out of the way lets look at some practical
examples taken from real in-game scenarios. Always remembering: there is no
substitute for actual experience.
2.2.2b Textbook Spawn Network
The following in-game screenshot (see next page) is a textbook example of a spawn
network. I use the term textbook liberallyin the sense that this network is still
problematic if critiqued on the basis of all the points which I have previously
36
addressed. However, you will never find a perfect spawn network. And this is as close
as you will get.
The annotations denote the following: build order in text, supported objectives in
green, and zone of control in blue. We assume the main axis of advance is through
each objective on the East-West axisaccounting for the independence of both
Northern and Southern sets. PAAS does encourage unilateral (East-West/North-
South) movement through the battlespace as the in-game situation changes. However,
Squads will typically focus on their next East-West objective in coordination with
other elements focusing on their own East-West set.
FOB One and Main Base are supporting the first three caps. Admittedly, if the
team was pushed back that far without building another FOB near C9 objective
it may spell danger. Having said that, there was no pressing requirement to
address the issue at this stage in the game.
37
FOB Two (a classical SFOB) was built by Squad 2 as Squad 1 moved in on

Objective E6/F 6 and Squad 2 established contact with the enemy moving from
the G4 objective (to screen).
FOB Three (a classical Firebase) was placed by Squad 3 in anticipation of
contact with the enemy moving from G8/H8
FOB Four was established by Squad 3 with the assistance of Squad 1 whilst
Squad 2 held G4 with support from a Squad Rally Point and SFOB 2.
FOB Five was established by Squad 1 and Squad 2 as Squad 3 held in place at
objective H7 with support from FOB Four.
As noted, the green lines are indicative of the individual objectives, and approaches,
that each FOB is supporting. What is less obvious is my use of the blue line indicating
the FOBs zone of control. By zone of control, I mean the battlespace that is
directly (immediately) influenced by the FOB and in which a team can defend,
reinforce, or attack through by utilising that given FOB as a spawn point. Therefore, a
zone of control is effectively a portion of the map that you are denying to the enemy
by placing your FOB. This is one of the elements of Depth and Flexibility that allow
you to withdraw (voluntarily) or fall-back (if forced) to a more sustainable position
the zone of control is that position.
When looking at this particular example, its necessary for me to highlight the simple
fact that the team is not relying on a single forward spawn. Indeed, there are five
forward spawns in play at the moment this screenshot was taken: FOBs Two, Four &
Five, and RPs 2 & 3. The team would come to rely on a single FOB (FOB Five) once the
final I5 objective was captured. However, each SL was duly updating RPs forward and
away from each FOB in such a way that none of our FOBs was ever compromised.
In order to establish such a spawn network on a notoriously difficult map and

gametype combination, each Insurgent Squad communicated perfectly, resolved issues
amicably, and worked the enemy over through an exemplary use of mutual support,
speed, and objective focus. So, with that in mind, what is actually problematic about
this spawn network? As the situation stands at the time there is nothing seriously
wrong with how the spawn network has been created. There are, however, a few
points of concern that could have been addressed
1. The H5 FOB was established out of necessity, in the interest of speed, to

facilitate an immediate and sustained assault on the final I5 Flag. Considering
that the enemy were fixed in-place, and unable to advance past that objective
zone, the FOB was not in any immediate danger. Some enemy did manage to
get past the FOB (and we later found an enemy RP in H4kp7) but the FOB was
not placed on the main axis of their advance, and their influence was
mitigated, and thus rendered negligible, due to the existence of FOB Two
situated in Depth from which we spawned to recapture the objective. The
network was also supplemented by forward Squad Rallys that kept the fight at
the flag (for the most part) and not at the FOB (or the backcap). Admittedly,
in the face of a coordinated opposition thrust, the FOB could have been
overrun as there were no defensive emplacements.
2. FOB Three and FOB Four were placed dangerously close to objective zones.
However, FOB Three was made quickly redundant by the speed of the teams
advance and FOB Four was established as a fall-back/forward support position
after Squad 3 had secured the G8/H8 objective and was capturing H7
objective.
3. FOB Two is a very common FOB location for both teams on PAAS Logar. It is a
key piece of terrain that provides overwatch on both the D4 and E6/F6
38
objectives (in a Westerly direction), and support to both the E6/F6 objective
and the G4 Flag (in an Easterly direction). However, should the team be
pushed back through the G4 flagzone, FOB Two becomes incredibly vulnerable
to attack as the enemy work to establish themselves on the E6/F6 objective
and then push through to D4. Any serious opposition team would not be able to
complete E6/F6 & D4 double without first locating and destroying that FOB.
39
Closing Remarks
Thats that. Thank you very much for taking the time to read the Cheesy Tactical Guide. It
has been a true labour of love: a few sleepless nights, a lot of caffeine, and a several
dozen drams of scotch-whisky. I genuinely enjoyed writing the Guide. And all I can hope is
that you got something out of it. Whether you read the whole thing, or only a chapter, or
only a paragraphif you left knowing more than when you started then Ive achieved my
goal.
And, one final formality
While I consider this Guide a community resource, please extend the courtesy of
contacting me, Cheesy_LeScrub (Alex), via Squad Forums, Steam, or email
(cheesylescrub@gmail.com) for written permission to copy or disseminate this Guide by
any means (I wont say no ). This work remains entirely my own, unless otherwise
indicated by reference or inference. I have done my best to include correct citations to
sources that have assisted in the writing of this Guide. Any picture, diagram, or model
produced by use of the game Squad should be credited to Offworld Industries.
See below for a few resources and some sources of further reading.
RESOURCES and FURTHER READING

Whilst I drew inspiration for this Guide from many publicly released sources, and posts
within the Squad Forums, the following I have specifically referenced
Swedge, The Cheeky Bastard Strategy Guide for PR:ARMA2 Beta

https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1ysB6nmJvvy5uYkH9lQm404Vo5i-
4VhPadmwiEbIpcag
Swedge, Sneaky Bastard Insurgency Guide, for the Arma 2 Mod Insurgency.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1okY6oyEeeakqwb0T2S49AAkTzvCSOaPr6ifZWMGHE
BQ/edit?hl=en
Dslyecxi, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP3) for Arma 3

http://ttp3.dslyecxi.com/
Squad Forums (Unfrail), FOB Placement Basics for AAS

http://forums.joinsquad.com/topic/5292-fob-placement-basics-for-aas/
Squad Forums (BattleBorn), Battles Tips for Young Players

http://forums.joinsquad.com/topic/5984-battles-tips-for-young-players/
Australian Army, Manual of Land Warfare, Part Two, Infantry Training, Vol. 1, Pam. 2,
The Rifle Platoon, Australian Army, 1986.
http://www.army.gov.au/~/media/Files/Our%20history/AAHU/Primary%20Materials/Peac
ekeeping%201973-1998/Training%20Materials/MLW%202-1-
2%20The%20Rifle%20Platoon%201986%20Full%20Obsolete.pdf
40
=AMG=Cheesy_LeScrub
December, 2015.

The Cheesy Tactical Guide: Basic Soldiering

Încărcat de

Informații document

Descriere originală:

Titlu original

Drepturi de autor

Formate disponibile

Partajați acest document

Partajați sau inserați document

Opțiuni de partajare

Vi se pare util acest document?

Este necorespunzător acest conținut?

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

The Cheesy Tactical Guide: Basic Soldiering

Încărcat de

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

Squad

The Cheesy Tactical Guide

The purpose of this Tactical Guide is to present my approach to Squad. It is an exposition

Section One Basic Soldiering

Section Two Basic Leadership

Section Three The Formula for Success!

Section One: Basic Soldiering

1. The right kit & the right attitude

1. The right Kit & the right attitude

2. Listen to your Squad Leader & focus on the Objective

Always pay attention.

It is important to always respond on VOIP if a comment or question is directed at you and

3. Select a critical kit first

4. Know your role within the Squad

Just a quick note: Depending on the Faction, either NATO/RU (Conventional) or

4.1.1 Designated Marksman (DM)

4.2 Automatic Rifleman (AR)

4.3 Grenadier (GL)

4.4 Light Anti-Tank (LAT)

4.5 Medic (Doc)

4.6 Officer (Prick)

5. Be a proactive Squad member

6. Maintain situational awareness

1. Check your map frequently

o Look for markers your SL has placed

Checking your map is critical. Every round I observe instances of fratricide or

2. Monitor your Supplies and your Status

3. Report Enemy Sightings

4. Identify the enemy by their weapons

7. Take the initiative

So, to put this into practice

CONTACT! 100 meters (Distance)

CONTACT! 300 Degrees

CONTACT! 100 meters

9. Provide feedback and be accountable

10. The game isnt all about you!

Section Two: Basic Leadership

1. Make the game enjoyable

1. Make the game enjoyable!

2. Know your role

Pointman Syndrome is a condition of the Squad Leader that wants to do it all. He

Tactical masturbation is a borrowed Swedgeism from Cheeky Bastard. Tactical

Place Rally Points

Friendly dispositions and intent

Friendly intent (what the team intends to achieve)

The game is not about you.

7. Maintain situational awareness

Keep your head in the map

1. Find the enemys position

For a more complete look at IMTs, Id highly recommend Dslyecxis Tactics,

8. Play the Objective & Stay Focused

9. Maintain Morale and Cohesion

10. The game isnt all about you!

Section Three: The Formula for Success

1. Focus on Objectives & Speed

Objectives (flagzones/cache locations)

2. Build and Maintain a Spawn Network

A spawn network is the systematic integration of Main Base (MB), Forward

Without an integrated, fully-functioning spawn network a team cannot hope to consolidate

A hierarchical approach to the spawn network looks as such

Main Base (MB)

2.1 Squad Rally Points