My Basic Guide to Commanding. (Not just for commanders to read!!!)
Posted: 2009-04-17 13:28
As seen in Many other topics, there are too many ways of commanding to have just one guide to commanding, therefor, this guide is just how I go about commanding (which i am forced to do alot of due to having the worst PC in the world)
All bits in red should be read by non-commanders also.
Squads
The easiest way for the Commander to co-ordinate his force, is if he team has different squads that are clearly labeled for their role in the game.
As a basic guide these are some squads I would like to have, if I was the commander of your team, as well as Infantry squads 9the majority of the force should be infantry):
Transport
Logistics
Armour
Air Support
Recon
Transport Squad.
The Transport squad should have in it APCs and Transport Helicopters. the APCs should be used as transport into a Hot area by land, as the APC can provide fire support until the squad has got into cover and put up an rally point, as Helicopters are vulnerable to enemy fire. Helicopters also require a clear LZ to keep reinforcements coming to support the squad, which must be defended to stop the enemy from taking out your helicopters as they resupply your forces, a Firebase could be set up here to help your infantry defend it. Helicopters are alot faster than APCs, and some can provide some fire support as they come in, but as fast as they are getting there, they are gone just as quickly, and the squad will generally be by itself unless you chose to send in another squad to support it.
Helicopters should be kept landed at main base while they are not transporting troops, or on fire support missions if they have guns (eg. blackhawks)
Logistics Squad.
A logistics squad should take control of all the Logistics trucks, and stay in them, not allowing anyone else to steal them. There should be 2 men per Logistics truck, a Driver, and a medic. Once the Infantry have cleared an area, a logistics truck should be sent to deliver two supply crates for the Infantry to reload, and, if the commander deams neccersary, to build a firebase. The medic can also help heal the infantry, to get them ready to fight as quickly as possible, which is the whole point of logistics, to keep the infantry able to fight for as long as possible, wherever they are needed. Once a logistics truck has completed a logistics mission, it should return to the Main base, to resupply itself, repair, and await further orders. A logistics truck should never be sent into a hot area, the area must be secured by the infantry first. Supplys can be dropped inot a hot area by APC, Humvee, or helicopter, as proper supply crates are not required for infantry to get more ammunition.
Armour Squad.
The armour squad should consist of tanks and IFVs ONLY, the armoured vehicles that canot transport troops! idealy, they should not be destroyed, so the squad should have no excuse for hanging around main, however sometimes they are, and the squad should stay at main unless more infantry is needed. Tanks and IFVs can be used as support if an Infantry squad requires it. Not only does a tank or IFV provide physical support, it also provides psycological support, not many infantry squads will fight as well if they can hear a tank, most likely they will keep there heads down. Tanks can also be used to counter enemy armour.
Air Support Squad.
The air support squad should be made up of jets and attack helicopters that cannot transport a full squad. Air support should be used like area attack, to save a squad that is in difficulty, to support an assault, or to soften a target before an assault. Attack Helicopters can also take a position, but a helicopter cannot hold a position, it requires infantry support to stop it from being shot down. Air support can also be used to take out large targets, for example is the Recon Squad sights a firebase, air support can blow it to bits.
Recon Squad.
The recon squad should have three members, an officer, a sniper, and a medic. The sniper and officer can both spot targets, while the medic can revive either of the other two if the recon squad is found. The recon squad should not be involved in a firefight by itself, and should never take fire. If it does it should withdraw to a safe location asap. A recon squad can spot critical enemy targets adn tell the commander of them. It can also provide sniper cover for an assault.
The Commanders Role
The role of the commander is to co-ordinate his force to victory, and give support where needed to his infantry. He should not tell a squad how to attack a position, that should be up to the squad leader. He should simply tell a squad to take a position, unless there are several squads involved, if there are he can take a more detailed role in commanding an assault, ranging from saying "squad 7 cover squads 3 and 4, squad 5 flank" to "Squad 2 land to the north in helicopters, squad 5 to the south in an APC, squad 3 take humvees nearby, APC to cover squad 5, squads 5 and 2 to attack the village and take out the two caches there, once both caches are down squad 3 extract both squads by humvees and all squads return to main base." A good commander can co-ordinate his force using every weapon in his arsenal, waypoints, fire support markers, and the support squads I talked about above.
Communicating with your squads.
When you give a squad an order, say the squad number then the order, and wait for a reply, the squad leader should then respond, with something like "ok", if they do not, wait a few moments and say the squad number again, then the order, then the squads number again, persistenently until they respond! if they never respond, ignore future requests from the squad for a while, until you need them to do something else. If they are not willing to co-operate with you, you shuld not co-operate with them.
General Tactics
Infantry, with support, can take a position quite easily, but it is the preperation for the assault, and the consolidation afterwards that the commander is required most. Getting his troops into position, organising transport and which squads will attack with position, is where the commander is needed. Then the assault takes place, the only thing the commander will do is the enemy spotted markers, call in area attack, air, or armour support. Then afterwards he must co-ordinate the positions defence agaisnt inevitable counter attack, and get supplys to the position to make sure the squad is fighting fit to take the next objective, and turn the position into a safe haven for squads to launch attacks. This means leaving a squad behind to defend positions with the Purple sheild over them.
Remeber not to over-stretch your forces, and to be cautious in everything you do, wary of counter attack, and not letting the enemy flank your forces.
This is juts a rough guide as to how I command a team.
If you have any questions, just ask.
All bits in red should be read by non-commanders also.
Squads
The easiest way for the Commander to co-ordinate his force, is if he team has different squads that are clearly labeled for their role in the game.
As a basic guide these are some squads I would like to have, if I was the commander of your team, as well as Infantry squads 9the majority of the force should be infantry):
Transport
Logistics
Armour
Air Support
Recon
Transport Squad.
The Transport squad should have in it APCs and Transport Helicopters. the APCs should be used as transport into a Hot area by land, as the APC can provide fire support until the squad has got into cover and put up an rally point, as Helicopters are vulnerable to enemy fire. Helicopters also require a clear LZ to keep reinforcements coming to support the squad, which must be defended to stop the enemy from taking out your helicopters as they resupply your forces, a Firebase could be set up here to help your infantry defend it. Helicopters are alot faster than APCs, and some can provide some fire support as they come in, but as fast as they are getting there, they are gone just as quickly, and the squad will generally be by itself unless you chose to send in another squad to support it.
Helicopters should be kept landed at main base while they are not transporting troops, or on fire support missions if they have guns (eg. blackhawks)
Logistics Squad.
A logistics squad should take control of all the Logistics trucks, and stay in them, not allowing anyone else to steal them. There should be 2 men per Logistics truck, a Driver, and a medic. Once the Infantry have cleared an area, a logistics truck should be sent to deliver two supply crates for the Infantry to reload, and, if the commander deams neccersary, to build a firebase. The medic can also help heal the infantry, to get them ready to fight as quickly as possible, which is the whole point of logistics, to keep the infantry able to fight for as long as possible, wherever they are needed. Once a logistics truck has completed a logistics mission, it should return to the Main base, to resupply itself, repair, and await further orders. A logistics truck should never be sent into a hot area, the area must be secured by the infantry first. Supplys can be dropped inot a hot area by APC, Humvee, or helicopter, as proper supply crates are not required for infantry to get more ammunition.
Armour Squad.
The armour squad should consist of tanks and IFVs ONLY, the armoured vehicles that canot transport troops! idealy, they should not be destroyed, so the squad should have no excuse for hanging around main, however sometimes they are, and the squad should stay at main unless more infantry is needed. Tanks and IFVs can be used as support if an Infantry squad requires it. Not only does a tank or IFV provide physical support, it also provides psycological support, not many infantry squads will fight as well if they can hear a tank, most likely they will keep there heads down. Tanks can also be used to counter enemy armour.
Air Support Squad.
The air support squad should be made up of jets and attack helicopters that cannot transport a full squad. Air support should be used like area attack, to save a squad that is in difficulty, to support an assault, or to soften a target before an assault. Attack Helicopters can also take a position, but a helicopter cannot hold a position, it requires infantry support to stop it from being shot down. Air support can also be used to take out large targets, for example is the Recon Squad sights a firebase, air support can blow it to bits.
Recon Squad.
The recon squad should have three members, an officer, a sniper, and a medic. The sniper and officer can both spot targets, while the medic can revive either of the other two if the recon squad is found. The recon squad should not be involved in a firefight by itself, and should never take fire. If it does it should withdraw to a safe location asap. A recon squad can spot critical enemy targets adn tell the commander of them. It can also provide sniper cover for an assault.
The Commanders Role
The role of the commander is to co-ordinate his force to victory, and give support where needed to his infantry. He should not tell a squad how to attack a position, that should be up to the squad leader. He should simply tell a squad to take a position, unless there are several squads involved, if there are he can take a more detailed role in commanding an assault, ranging from saying "squad 7 cover squads 3 and 4, squad 5 flank" to "Squad 2 land to the north in helicopters, squad 5 to the south in an APC, squad 3 take humvees nearby, APC to cover squad 5, squads 5 and 2 to attack the village and take out the two caches there, once both caches are down squad 3 extract both squads by humvees and all squads return to main base." A good commander can co-ordinate his force using every weapon in his arsenal, waypoints, fire support markers, and the support squads I talked about above.
Communicating with your squads.
When you give a squad an order, say the squad number then the order, and wait for a reply, the squad leader should then respond, with something like "ok", if they do not, wait a few moments and say the squad number again, then the order, then the squads number again, persistenently until they respond! if they never respond, ignore future requests from the squad for a while, until you need them to do something else. If they are not willing to co-operate with you, you shuld not co-operate with them.
General Tactics
Infantry, with support, can take a position quite easily, but it is the preperation for the assault, and the consolidation afterwards that the commander is required most. Getting his troops into position, organising transport and which squads will attack with position, is where the commander is needed. Then the assault takes place, the only thing the commander will do is the enemy spotted markers, call in area attack, air, or armour support. Then afterwards he must co-ordinate the positions defence agaisnt inevitable counter attack, and get supplys to the position to make sure the squad is fighting fit to take the next objective, and turn the position into a safe haven for squads to launch attacks. This means leaving a squad behind to defend positions with the Purple sheild over them.
Remeber not to over-stretch your forces, and to be cautious in everything you do, wary of counter attack, and not letting the enemy flank your forces.
This is juts a rough guide as to how I command a team.
If you have any questions, just ask.
