100+ Lessons Learned as a Squad Leader

What I wish I knew when I started playing

Offworld’s ‘Squad’ is unique in that the game relies strongly on one critical element.

The Squad Leader

They’ve created a game and community unlike any other. By implementing an actual hierarchy that most players respect and take seriously, they’ve enabled players to execute precision tactics and strategy.

This naturally drew me to play as an SL. And after playing as one for over a year, I’d like to share 100+ lessons I’ve learned while playing.

Most comments on this will likely live in the reddit link. Also, contribute your own lessons and I’ll add them.

The Long-Ass List

1. Avoid being the first squad created. You’ll get people that need to join a squad. You want people that want to be in your squad.
2. Choose a good squad name. I usually use “teamwork + dreamwork” or “mics + teamwork”. It’s cheesy, but it’s effective and communicates what players want: a great squad experience.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask your squad to hold comms until you’ve arranged what you’re doing with the other SLs over command comms.
4. You will always need 2 medics and 2 LATs. The only time this is not true is when playing against INS when you know that they do not have armor.
5. Quickly learn the names of your LATs and medics.
6. Have a game plan in place by the 30 second warning. Communicate that with your squad.
7. Mark vehicles you will take with the red crosshair on the map. Tell other SLs that the mark means the vehicle is claimed.
8. Take the logistics truck. Why? Because if you don’t take it, someone else will, and who knows what they will do with it. If no one takes it, that’s even worse.
9. Encourage your squad to be efficient in acquiring vehicles in the first 15 seconds. It will pay off early-game.
10. Do not be a dick. You are in charge of your squad, but this does not mean you have to be a dick.
11. Be as friendly as possible in the beginning. This builds emotional equity between you and your squad mates that you can cash in on later.
12. The Squad community isn’t small but it’s not gigantic either. If you’re a dick, you’ll find your reputation precedes you.
13. I am not in the military, but most military personnel frequently say “slow is smooth, smooth is fast”, and it’s true.
14. Avoid the temptation to rush down the enemy’s first few flags to “halt” their progress. This strategy can sometimes work, but will mostly end with wasted time, FOBs, and tickets.
15. Dropping off a friendly at the first few flags can work, but I suggest bringing the whole squad point by point. If the enemy tries to rush, they are in for a world of hurt.
16. Your friendly armored vehicle is not an attack vehicle. Put your squad mates in between the enemy and the vehicle to scout and root out enemy AT and provide intel for the friendly armor. At the same time, your armor will also be able to cover you.
17. A few days ago, I continued to insist on lesson 16 to a pretty hard-nosed driver. Another squad mate said “SpinCrash, are you in the marines?”. I said “No. Why do you ask?”. He responded, “because that is pretty much right out of the book for the way we operated in Iraq”. I had no clue that this was true, but the point remains: This strategy works, and makes a lot of sense. Use it.
18. A successful friendly FOB rush or flag cut-off offers an advantage, but a failed one can break a team for the entire match.
19. An enemy FOB rush or flag cut-off is easily countered by full squads moving point by point. 2 squads moving point by point is hard to beat.
20. Have your riflemen drive and gun vehicles. You need your medics and LATs on the ground.
21. Armored vehicles change games. Use them.
22. Your drivers and gunners will want to operate vehicles like they are playing Battlefield. Reign them in and encourage them to hang back.
23. I’m embarrassed of this, but one time I threatened a driver that if our APC was destroyed I would kick him from the squad. This goes against Rule #9, but it worked.
24. Losing armored vehicles is a massive loss both strategically and in terms of ticket loss. As an SL, this is directly your fault.
25. Never abandon the logistics truck.
26. Give drivers specific, marked locations on the map and instruct them to hold there until you give orders otherwise. See rule #22.
27. Avoid armor vs armor fights unless (1) your armor is going for another armor that is significantly damaged or (2) you have manned 50 cal nearby.
28. Squad mates will often have requests for you as SL. Listen to and consider every single one.
29. Be approachable on comms and maintain a friendly attitude
30. In real life, squad leaders have earned their spot and the respect of their squad mates. There are some exceptions to this, but you likely have not done this. Keep that in mind.
31. Also keep in mind that the failure of your squad is your fault and not theirs. Your making the decisions, here.
32. You are responsible for the performance of your squad.
33. Your squad mates are responsible for their individual performance. They are not responsible for the performance of the squad as a whole.
34. There is a subset of players who do not want to be SLs but want to tell SLs what to do and everything they are doing wrong. Politely address their requests in the affirmative or negative as you see fit. If it becomes annoying, tell them to relax or consider joining a different squad.
35. Banter among squad mates will happen. Encourage your squad to keep it to local chat and off the radio.
36. An SL’s three most important buttons are G, B, and V.
37. Communicate
38. Communicate
39. Communicate
40. Consider what you’ll say before you say it. I’ve had many embarrassing moments where I’ve word vomited under pressure. It’s not pretty.
41. When calling out a target. Start with what, direction, and distance. Distance is often forgotten but is key in identifying threats. “3 enemy infanty, NE, 100 meters”
42. Call out enemy bearings in local chat, not on the radio.
43. When on defense, encourage your squad to call out the direction they will be covering. This will cause the whole squad to naturally gain 360 degree awareness because they’ll know what is and isn’t covered.
44. If you have the flank on an enemy squad, consider calling a hold fire command. Once your entire squad is prepared and locked on a whole squad, call weapons free to take them by surprise.
45. Give a recap of your most recent order 10–20 seconds after you give it. Some players may have missed it because they were in combat or they weren’t paying attention.
46. Keep your squad mates inspired. Don’t just bark out commands in a monotone voice. Maintain the personality you have in real life. This makes you seem more human on the internet.
47. You are a catalyst for your team. Keep the information flowing up and down the command chain.
48. Your G key is your lifeline. Use it too early and you will waste other squads’ time. Use it too late and you’ll be wiped before help arrives.
49. Don’t run your mouth off on radio. Everyone has to manage their local chat simultaneously, and other SLs have to manage even more. Keep it concise.
50. Don’t blame other squads when your team is losing.
51. Other squads will let you down. Don’t dwell on this too much.
52. When the fight is looking bad, other SLs may get salty and hurl insults at you. This is because they are inadequate. Do not engage in their bullshit. See rule #50.
53. Place rally points often.
54. Place rally points behind cover or in concealment.
55. Never put your squad in a position where they must spawn at main.
56. Always consider what will happen if you die at any moment. Will your squad be unable to spawn? Will you be unable to spawn? If so, see rule #53
57. If you are fighting near an FOB with a HAB, place a rally in a relevant, but completely different location. HAB under fire? Spawn at the rally. Rally goes down? Spawn at the HAB. Contingencies, baby.
58. MG emplacements are underutilized. Build them on long roads and watch enemy armor explode.
59. You are the leader of your squad. The best way to lead is to serve. Always keep your squad resourced, well-spawned, and protected.
60. Why have a marksman when you can just set an APC from afar?
61. I don’t kick people often. But I will always kick a marksman who refuses to switch.
62. Communicate with other SLs to attack an objective from different directions.
63. It’s nearly impossible to defend an objective with only rally points.
64. A bad HAB placement is better than no HAB. Don’t fret about it too much.
65. Capturing and defending flags is the key to victory. K/D is irrelevant. Lots of teams with highest kills don’t win.
66. As an SL, it’s your job to live in the map while maintaining situational awareness.
67. If you see a squad mate who is doing his/her own thing. Politely ask “are you new to squad?”. You’ll find most people will say “yes, just bought it”. You don’t have to do this, but I’ll friend them on steam, and give them a quick tutorial session. This may seem like a waste of time, but once they learn up and get some hours in, guess who make the best squad mates?
68. Squad mates will stray. Frequently encourage them to fall back in with the rest of the squad.
69. Many people’s reaction to being shot at is to hit Z or even worse, scatter. This will halt an advance instantly and is not usually productive. Before an advance, encourage your team to push up even if engaged.
70. Be aware of the locations of other squads and their actions.
71. It’s your squad mates job to think 0 steps ahead. It’s your job as an SL to think 5 steps ahead.
72. Don’t get killed looking at your map
73. A bad plan is better than no plan.
74. Always give your squad an objective to work toward, even if you’re on defense.
75. Its takes 2 minutes to neutralize and 2 minutes to cap a point. Plan accordingly.
76. It takes 4 HEAT missiles to destroy a US Stryker, 3 for a BTR, 2 for a Humvee, 2 for a MTLB, 2 for a MATV. Plan accordingly.
77. You cannot depend on other squads to fall back or push up accordingly. The best plan is to go where you are most needed.
78. If you feel confident in your squad mates, let them lead the charge while you stay in the back. You may have more important things to worry about than direct combat.
79. Encourage proper squad spacing. One well thrown grenade should not kill more than 2, but maintaining close distance is critical.
80. Avoid advancing one by one. You’ll just get picked off one by one.
81. Take a horizontal line formation while advancing. If a squad mate encounters an enemy or is killed, the rest of your squad will wrap around the enemy like a slap bracelet.
82. It can be a good idea for 1–2 squad mates scout ahead for more intel.
83. If you have too many “scouts” you’ll be overrun by an enemy advance.
84. Squad leading can take a lot out of you. Consider taking a break after 2 games in a row and come back fresh.
85. Take note of other great SLs you play with and jump in their squads. Mentally note what they are doing right and apply that. Take advantage of their mistakes by considering them your own.
86. Win or loss, applaud your squad for their hard work in the post-game.
87. Friend good squad mates and keep in touch. You’ll be surprised at how often they ‘join on friend’ and jump in your squad.
88. “Why do you keep saying the word ‘encourage’ SpinCrash?” See rule #11.
89. It’s tempting to dig in during a firefight if you’re getting good kills in. Avoid that temptation unless you’re on point defense.
90. Keep the squad moving if you’re not on point defense. If the enemy figures out you’re not moving you’ll be flanked and destroyed.
91. Avoid “skylining”. This is when you run along a ridge line, directly exposing your silhouette against the sky to the enemy.
92. Consider terrain as you move from objective to objective. The quickest way there may not be the safest. Addition from Avery on reddit: If possible, fight downhill. “ On maps such as fools road, where the hills provide plenty of concealment, taking a small detour to get reach higher ground before you engage, proves to be worth it time and time again.”
93. Don’t be afraid to give a disengage order to turn your squad’s attention to a more pressing matter. Be aware that this concept goes against every gamer’s instinct. You will have to repeat yourself multiple times.
94. Enemy SLs are as smart as you. “They won’t come from north because that’s where our base is!”. Guess what? They would.
95. When attacking, if there is no enemy FOB on the point then one of your first goals is to find where they are spawning from and take out their FOB.
96. Keep LATs on roads and other spots you would expect enemy armor to come from.
97. Follow DocEast on YouTube.
98. Follow JohnnyOmaha on Twitch
99. If an FOB becomes irrelevant, the SL can tear it down at no ticket loss. This takes 2 solid minutes to do alone, so grab some squad mates to shovel it out.
100. Do not allow your squad to be without mobility on a large scale map. Have a troop transport or APC ready to collect and move troops. Also, see rule #24 as you do this.
101. Stay flexible and always adapt.
102. You will lose a lot. Stay positive.
103. Win or loss, create a fun experience for your squad. I love hearing squad mates say “That was still a really good fight” after a close loss.
104. Create a strategic and tactical take away each game. Make a mental note for the next match and act on it.
105. Get involved in the community. North American Squad is a great place to start because they are not a clan, but an organization of clans. This lets you learn, and sample some clans before you buy in.
106. Jump in Squad Coach. These are workshop-like learning events with some of the best squad leaders in the game. You know I’ll be there, as a student!
107. Rally points have a way of funneling in squad mates into combat one by one. Get a little ahead of the rally, and use local chat to rally your squad on you to make a focused push.
108. As a squad leader, you’re the only member of the squad who has the right to use words “my position” as a reference point. Everybody else should use either the direction from his squad leader, or an easily recognizable nearby landmark when calling out locations.
109. Avoid the temptations to “turtle up” inside of a defense objective. If you become compromised, you’ll instantly lose the objective. Securing a tight perimeter allows your squad to gain visibility on where the enemy is coming from, and also let’s you get some respawns in case things don’t go your way.
110. Squad has one of the better gamer communities, but it’s not without its fair share of toxic players. These people are almost always in clans, have played far too much, and spew insults and complaints on the radio or command chat. Ignore or kick these players. Do not engage with them.

Thanks for reading. I am very far away from being a great squad leader. But I hope that this can help some people get to that place.

Big thanks to Mills, Balou, and JohnnyOmaha.

-Spin