Sgt. Vinck

Ive been squad leading alot lately so i invested a couple unlock points in the squad leader items and unlocked the otus. Ive seen other people using it and ive gathered that it gets a bonus when you are playing as recon but can someone tell me more about it? or maybe point me to a thread containig more info on it ? Thanks in advance .

DunNa

Basicly every so often completely on its own it sends out a pulse that marks enemy locations on your netbat system (those red diamond things). The netbat system gets bonus's based on the various soilder types in your squad with there netbat unlocks for the kit (the helmet unlock).
The recon netbat is probably the single most useful because it makes the diamonds last longer and what not. Each kit brings there own little bonus through the unlocked netbat to the whole system. You yourself don't need to be a recon, you can just have one in your squad and it should give the bonus.

As far as actually using the OTUS over the beacon. Generally I would say do it if you get a good squad going that sticks together. Otherwise you will almost certainly be better off with the beacon. Generally in the actual gameplay setup you will want to hang back some with your OTUS and act as a OTUS bot/spawn point more than anything else. You guide your squad and support them, and they go pwn stuff for you.
I generally find it best to be a medic as with the OTUS since you have no beacon, having the defibs on you for a kit swap and res can be a real life saver for your whole squad.

The Accipter (the gun SL drone) is there for laughs and to mock people with. Though with the NS improved beacon unlock its worth unlocking just so you can get to that.

jazy2

Be very careful with that "improved" beacon unlock......it reduces the amount of time your squad has to revive before respawning.
From 15 seconds down to 10!!

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Jakaleel

An IDS on Spanky (the gun drone) makes it the best of both worlds. Either come in as support or have a support put the IDS on it. Another tactic is to start with a beacon, swap out kits on the ground or change kits when respawning with an otus or gun drone. Remember with a beacon down your squad members will spawn it and not you.

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Fehmart

The Otus is pretty cool if you have a diverse squad. Please take a look at the thread referenced below for more details.

http://www.tacticalgamer.com/battlef...tus-drone.html

By the way, this thread could be found through the TG guide index stickied at the top of this sub-forum.

MDFubar

Hmmm, I don't like the beacon although it does have it's uses. The drone give you more information and allows your squad to respond better. The diamonds show where the soldiers where when the scan was done, once they move the diamonds still show where they where.
The Accipter, commonly refered to as Spanky,is the one I prefer. It engages the enemy while you are concetrating on other things, such as I am shooting at a tank and it is engaging infantry behind me. It also follows the enemy with the guns blazing. My thought is that if something is going to float over my head and give my position, it is damnwell gonna shoot back! Many times this has saved my life, or avenged my death by killing the person that shot me..then my medics come and revive me. Believe it or not, Spanky will also provide cover-fire when you are down so the medic can get to you.
The biggest problem, Spanky is very tempermental! One day he will engage anything in visula range and the other day he will greet to enemy with cookies while they kill you.

it is all a matter of preference and SL style.

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Arithea

I don't use the Otus much, but that's just a matter of personal preference. I don't often ask for recons in my squad, and I personally suck at recon, especially since I don't have any of the unlocks. Also, I'm with Fubar--if it's going to give away my position, it had better pose some danger to the enemy in return. I often play support as SL, partially because it gives me IDS and partially because it's a lot better to have your squad members reviving each other (and you) than it is for you to have to rush out and try to revive your squad. You're more important as a spawn point for those who are past the Point of No Revive.

As for beacons...I tend to use them only on very large maps where I really don't want to have to rely on getting a vehicle to make it to a certain flag. I'll set down a beacon someplace out of the way and use that as a rally point to mount an attack on a far-reaching control point.

Again, this is all personal preference. I've known some great squad leaders who have done very different things with their squad leading.

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Baggy911

I don't have a lot of experience as Squad Leader, but from experience, I suck with the Beacon, because I place it in crap positions, and I've never found it to be useful. But that's just me.

The Otus is probably the one I use the most, and with Recon, it's really great. It can place enemy positions, even through walls and objects. It's a very good Squad upgrade, especially with a diverse squad.

And finally the Accipter. I have mixed thoughts about this. I agree that it can provide good back cover while engaging other enemies, and can be a nice killing machine. But it's not a squad upgrade. It doesn't place enemy positions, and kills don't generate any bonus points. It's fun to get a "kill-back" after getting killed, but it's not substantive.

And another point, both the Otus and Accipter are almost useless on Titan and large maps, like Suez or Sidi, because it not only gives your position away, but those levels are heavily vehicle infested, and vehicles can be seen from a long distance without an Otus, and can't be damaged by an Accipter. On these levels, there is nothing as useful as a Beacon.

MDFubar

Uhmmm, nobody is trying to generate bonus points.......lol. At least not here, it is all about the teamwork and tactics. The best use for Spabnky is on Conquest with an IDS on it. This is now a roving UAV with guns, although I must agree that the Drone is much more beneficial to the sqaud. Great point!

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Anospa

Just as a heads up, it reduced man down time, not revive time. Say you are killed while in a vehicle or rail gunned, and cannot be revived, then using the upgraded beacon, your killed time is halved.

My personal thoughts on beacons: not useful. You give away your position very easily and it sometimes will let you SMs feel like they're expendable, seeing as they have a quick and close spawn point. It pays off much more to just have the SL stay back if they're afraid they'll die than to waste time and tickets dealing with beacons. Having the SL be the spawnpoint, one can expect a mobile and quiet spawn point. I still use beacons in some cases, such as recon runs on Cerebere or Berlin, or, as Arithea said, large maps where there's a lotta running.

Pound for pound, I feel the Otus to be the most useful SL item, followed closely by Spanky. On some maps, it can be beyond useful to spot out people running behind buildings near you. Having all the different kits can make this SL item very powerful for a squad.

As an FYI, Spanky will only engage targets that have been marked with diamonds.

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Arf

Use the Otus. If you've got a diverse squad it has good range, shows you kits/health, and they even come up on the mini-map.

Say you're attacking the Pond on Belgrade:

First thing that happens is you can see the enemy before you reach the top of the hill. Before they can even see you you throw a volley of grenades. That will force them out of cover and even get a few kills. With the Otus you'll know at least their direction but you'll often also see them on the mini-map and with a little practice that first volley can be lethal.

Second as you move in closer divide up the targets. This doesn't require everyone shouting, "I've got the second guy on the left from the crates." The unspoken rule is that if you're far left you shoot the enemy far left.

There is no third step, it's a very simple strategy. You can win the fight on the first step. The level of teamwork and depth of strategy you can employ with the Otus makes it far superior to any other tool. It's just too helpful to know things like there's a guy on the other side of the wall before even looking and also whether he's a Medic and thus if it's more likely that he'll shoot or rush out and try to revive his friends.

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DunNa

Well for me personally it really depends on if I'm doing attack or defense and the maps. Lets take Berlin for example.
On Berlin as EU you will not get a better option than the OTUS, it will help you spot break throughs and easily get that last little squad member hiding somewhere. It lets your squad act rather on its own and allows the commander to help the main line with you just sweeping the back and stopping any and all break throughs.
While as PAC on Berlin I will almost always grab the beacon no questions asked. You can't play conservatively as an SL on Berlin you HAVE to be in the thick of it getting pwnt with your SMs. The beacon allows you to effectively get that break through throw down a hidden beacon and give your squad a second attempt on say Square if the first attempt fails. While having the OTUS might make it slightly easier, it really points you out as "kill me please and kill the break through" even if you only launch it AFTER your through it still doesn't provide enough compaired to that of the beacon.

Now for a map like say Tunis, this is where it really comes down to a SL choice and what your mainly going to be doing. Since a map like Tunis is equal parts defence and offense you end up having to choose what you feel is best for your current situation. If your going to be a floating defense squad OTUS ALL THE WAY, you need to make sure you find that little guy hiding wherever and so on. Where as if your assaulting the beacon can mean the difference between success and failure in capturing a point.

Why do I hate the gun drone? Because it offers NOTHING to save the random off chance it might kill a person and make ressing me slightly easier. The only time I could see rocking the gun drone as the "best option" would be for an APC/ground vehicle squad. Just make sure that you as the SL are the driver of the APC or whatever you are in or else you will get lots of team damage messages from it the drone slapping the APC alot. Even then for this it works just aswell to have the OTUS since it provides the diamons for everyone in the APC.
Though if you do this drone + vehc combo right its rather nice.
Also a word of advice about the gun drone if you are going to do it, make sure you are support with the pulse meter. The drone is like 75% more likely to shoot a netbatted target (which the pulse meter marks the enemys on net bat providing the red diamonds). Which means it will be inherently more effective.

As for the IDS suggestion, this works for both drones though you will notice the OTUS has something like DOUBLE the range of the IDS. Also as a drone using SL you will generally want to hang back some making the small range of the IDS a real pain in the ass.

I don't want to rant about TG and recons, but suffice it to say I think the server has a real stigma about recons which in the hands of a good player can be VERY effective. RDX+APMs can be a huge boost to a squad, as is the netbat bonus. If I am an SL and not playing recon I will ask for a lambert using recon, and most people will jump on it. Having a support guy emp some armor recon can go and RDX it effectively, with no need to ever spawn in an engie. APMs can be really nice "break through detectors" throw them out on common break through routes and it will really help catching those pesky back base attackers. APMs while assaulting a flag can really be a huge boost, specially if its on a heavily contested flag.
That said, you will rarely want snipers in your squad since they are just sorta worthless ingame. They have there uses but with ARs and the Rifle Rockets, whats the point in sniping?

sc1ence

Otus is far superior to any other squad leader unlock. The only reason to use spanky is for laughs after 1 am.

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Bobslovski

Otus is perfect for defence locates enemy positions , spanky is fun but pretty ****, and beacons are horrible ( disperses squads ).

But attacking with an otus is debatable as it gives away your position

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Baggy911

One thing should be noted; the diamonds that are shown don't move, so if your target is moving from sniping point to point, then you can't follow him.