So you spent some time reading
Part 1 of the guide, and with some work you feel like you can do a good job of managing your squad strategically. That is to say, you can put them in roughly the right place, doing roughly the right thing. Now comes the tactical management of your job, which is the nuts and bolts of squad leading. Mastering these skills is how you go from being a good squad leader to a great one. But note, if you can't manage the skills outlined in Part 1 of the guide, doing this alone won't make you a great squad leader.
In fact, being good tactically without handling the strategic part makes you mediocre. People will *think* you are really good because you're doing the small things well, but the truth of it is even though your squad is performing well, they are doing it in a manner that has significantly reduced impact on the outcome because of your poor strategical judgment. So to reiterate, focus on strategic first before stressing about the tactical below. That said, here we go!
Communication
It doesn't matter how brilliant you might be as a tactical thinker if you cannot communicate your orders and expectations to your squad
in a manner that makes sense to them. The part in italics there is very important. Your job isn't to communicate in a way that makes sense to you. You already know what you want. Your job is to make your squad understand what you want quickly and clearly.
Pre-Round
Your job starts the moment you create a squad. You should know the map, and have an idea of what role you want your squad to be playing, at least initially. Create your squad, and get some people into it! I recommend you don't start giving orders until your squad is at least 3/4 full. At this point a Commander should be appointed. Quickly identify to him which squad you are and what you want to do. Chances are he'll say 'ok' but he might ask you to do something else instead. The good news is, because you were patient, you now only have to communicate things to your squad once.
1. Kit assignments. Know what you need to get the job done. Ask for volunteers for the specialist kits first, confirming people as they do so. Start with the less popular roles first (note: everyone wants to be support and carry a shotgun). EG
You: I need 2 engineers
Bob: I'll take one
You: Bob has one engineer kit. I need one more.
Silence
Jim: I'll go engineer
You: Jim is my second engineer. Now I need one support.
Eveyrone else in the squad: Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!
You: Billy is my support. Everyone else take assault kits please. Make sure you have your defib and either rockets or herzog.
2. Explain your expectations. It doesn't matter where you're going or what you're doing if the people in your squad either don't follow your orders or don't know what they're supposed to be doing in general. As funny as this may sound, you often have to explicitly tell your assault kit users that their primary job is to keep everyone alive through use of their defib. Explain to your engineers and support whether you want them up front or hanging back in general when you move. Also at this point if anyone asked if they could take recon or support after being told to take something else, I'll make a point of explaining I expect all orders to be followed or they would be kicked from my squad and reported to an admin for rule violation.
3. Explain the short-term goal. Start with whether or not you want people spawning in right away. Then tell them which flag you're going to and how you plan on getting there. If there's anything special you plan on doing when you arrive, explain it. For example:
You: Once we get to power station I Joe (who has an assault kit) to hold back off the flag for revives. Everyone else get into cap radius. I'll hold back close to Joe behind cover so you all can spawn on me if we don't get the flag
During the Round
1. Explain changing circumstances. If you need people to switch kits etc etc, then do so clearly and firmly.
2. Watching unit spacings. A clump of dots on the map is never a good thing - especially when that clump is your squad. Remind them to keep some space between themselves and their squad-mates. This is especially important as you converge on a flag as people tend to really compress in these circumstances.
3. Always hold 1-2 medics back when flag capping. You never know when some well placed RDX or rockets will wipe everyone else out.
4. Chain your orders. Your squad mates are people, not robots. They will always act with a certain amount of autonomy. The more pertinent information they have, the better they can do their jobs. This is where order chaining comes in. What is order chaining? It is explaining not just want you want them to do right now, but what will immediately follow. EG:
YOU: We're going to get move through this building and cap Com Tower, which the commander says is undefended. The moment the flag caps, race out NE past the rocks. We're going through the gap there to go after Pond.
This will change how people go about doing the initial action and put them in a better position to execute the second part. It also keeps people focused and reduces the chances of them wandering off.
5. Constantly check the mini-map and big map for information. Your soldiers should be using their eyes. You should be using the "radar". Warn them of suspected or expected contacts. Give them a direction. "Squad strength contacts coming in from the NE".
6. Take ownership of what is happening. If someone isn't understanding what you're telling them it isn't because they're an idiot. It is because you're not communicating it well. Actually they may be an idiot - but it is still your job to communicate it to them in terms they can understand.
7. Always have a plan. Even a bad one. Otherwise your squad will lose direction, will fragment, and will quickly become inefficient. Nobody likes a useless squad!
Post-Round
No matter how good or bad the round was, always say something positive to your squad. They tried. You tried. That's the best anyone can do.
"Next time we'll need to do a better job with the revives, but great effort out there guys".
I'll edit in more later, but duty calls!
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