Squads

A major addition to the Battlefield formula is the ability for players to organize them into small strike teams, known as squads. This can be done after entering a game by hitting the Capslock key and selecting a squad to join. Each squad can consist of up to six members, and will have some built-in communication advantages over just running around by yourself, especially if you're using voice chat. Each squad consists of a leader and squad members. It'll be the leader's job to take orders from the commander and relay them to the team, while it'll be the squad members' jobs to actually put their lives on the line and get the job done, whatever it may be.

Squad Leader

If you're a squad leader, then you'll have the ability to speak and hear both the commander and your own squad members over the built-in voicechat utility, if you happen to have a voice headset. Your commander can issue you orders either verbally or through the commander interface. Most of the time they'll come through the commander interface, which will pop up your objective on the minimap; accepting these orders will automatically transmit the orders to each of your squad members. The most common task is to attack an enemy flag; if you accept one of these missions, then you'd better have a sizable squad along for the ride.

As a squad leader, you'll also have the option to request command support via the T menu. When you hold down T, you'll get a pop-up menu along the lines of the Q menu, giving you options to request a UAV, supplies, or artillery on the spot at which you're aiming. These are just requests; your commander may choose to ignore your request, or may not have the capability to fulfill it due to equipment destruction or due to his need to wait for a timer to refresh. Still, this is a quick and easy way to let him know of your needs.

The other aspect of leadership that is critical to get a handle on is the fact that you're generally not going to want to be in the thick of battle, and will instead be better off letting your teammates head for a flag and capture it. The reason for this is that you act like a mobile spawn point while you're a squad leader; all of your followers will be able to spawn at your position when they die. When you're assaulting a flag, then, it's wise to find some place near the flag, but not within view of the defenders, so that you can send your team ahead to take it over. If they happen to die in their initial assault, then they can constantly respawn on your location and try again, and again, and again, until you guys either give up or someone comes around to kill you yourself, which will force your squad members to spawn elsewhere.

Try and keep your squad spread out a bit if you're a squad leader - otherwise they'll be easily wiped out when a tank happens across them.

Since you're going to be hanging out of battles, for the most part, you'll want to pick a kit that will enable you to still contribute. We find that either support or special forces are good choices for squad leaders. As a support trooper, you can lay prone a distance from the action and attempt to pick off enemies while they're occupied with your teammates. As a special forces trooper, you can destroy bridges or

Squad Member

Your role as a squad member is fairly straightforward; stick close to your squad leader, spawning on his location whenever possible, and follow his commands to the letter. These are part of the implicit responsibilities you take on when you join a squad, so try to be a good team player. If you don't like the way your squad leader is running things - if he leads you towards uncapturable flags just to harass the enemy, say, or doesn't issue commands - then just leave the squad and join another. It's not worth causing a scene when you disagree with what someone's doing, unless you're of the gung-ho "this is a real war we're fighting here!" persuasion.

Beyond that, try to coordinate with your squadmates to pick a necessary kit. In general, squads are going to want at least two medics, two assault or special forces kits, and probably a support and an anti-tank trooper to round out the package. Your squad leader may ask you to change kits if needed; defensive squads, for instance, will want another anti-tank soldier to take down incoming vehicles. If you're asked to change kits, do so in the capslock menu, and when you die, you'll switch over. Snipers and engineers are often not going to mesh well with an infantry squad, having more specialized roles that aren't emphasized in most assault-this-flag/defend-that-flag maneuvers.