"Smurf" in PR jargon means those not in your squad. I have lately been referring to, with some disrespect, anyone who I do not regularly play with as a smurf regardless of their color on the mini-map.

This shift in definition has come about because of two things. First, for a long while I've been playing with only a dozen or so very talented, very experienced people. Second, I've come to expect the very least from those people who are not immediately recognizable as part of my A-team. It is of course in fact usually a smart tactical decision to not trust the medic in the other squad to help you out, or the AR in the other squad to watch your flank, simply because experience has shown these things don't happen often. It is an entirely different thing however to find yourself with the attitude that everyone not on your individual A-Team is without value. Most importantly it is not a good attitude to take as a leader.

Personal anecdote time.

Recently I joined the server with none of my personal a-team playing, map being Ramiel, team USArmy. I took over an INF squad soon after joining. I composed the team, assigned kits, went over limited team rules; "keep good spacing and cover, don't separate from the squad, watch each others backs," and procured some questionable striker transport from a certain 69th member to the south side of the city. En-route i went over our first objective. Move into the city, set up an OP with myself and the specialist on a tall building to gather intel, with the remaining team members holding a perimeter around the building.

Skip to the AAR. The specialist couldn't throw the rope up. The perimeter had two completely open sectors when there were only three to watch. As i tried to instruct the specialist on how to use his kit, team members came into contact with a technical .50cal from the north. One casualty. Medic did not execute proper procedure to revive casualty. One more casualty. As i went around to the side of the building under fire to assist, a PKM took me down at medium range from the east. I immediately rage quit. The USArmy now had zero operating inf squads.

Smurfs can't cover. Smurfs can't throw a rope to its highest point. Smurfs can't react to contact. Smurfs can't shoot ****. If I were playing with X, i thought, that engagement would have never happened. We would have gotten the OP up, gathered good intel on enemy disposition and movement in under a minute, and withdrawn with less than a few rounds fired.

Then I realized something. Before i started playing with my personal A-team, my squad never consistently had a 5:1 KDR. We never took out five caches in one round. Failures don't just happen a few times a round with normal squads, in the long run they happen in a range around half the time you seek an objective.

If you only lead those with high talent, you have an easy job, a high success rate, and so naturally a huge penis. But If everyone is a smurf to you, you leave no possible room for team work. On TG we have many, many extremely effective squads. Effective teams are far less common. Good squads come from good players, but good teams come from good squad leaders.

I think if we all make an effort in the new year to check our A-team lists at the server lobby, TG will only benefit.