SL Help, for Those That Need it/Are Interested.

[Marcus Jackson]

This topic is for anyone that would like to try SL but are afraid they might blow it, or anyone who is just curious about the position.

Experienced SL's are asked to give some useful tips, and also share some great victory-tales when you have the time.

For those with questions, ask away.

[driecg36]

Personally, I'd just like to put that SL's have access to pod shutters and rasp shutters, as well as the consoles. It's something somewhat situational, but there's no way of knowing it unless someone tells you. It screwed up my first sl op.

[TeknoKot]

You want to be a good Squad Leader? Don't roleplay and focus on mechanical teamwork.

[Marcus Jackson]

You want to be a good Squad Leader? Don't roleplay and focus on mechanical teamwork.

I think it's a delicate balance of roleplay an tactical thinking.

[TeknoKot]

I think it's a delicate balance of roleplay an tactical thinking.

This is why you lose.

[driecg36]

You want to be a good Squad Leader? Don't roleplay and focus on mechanical teamwork.

I mean, every role does much better with metagaming/powergaming and less rp.

I do agree that sl's shouldn't go for elaborate rp schemes though. They matter too much for that stuff to not ruin other people's rounds.

[elantzb]

I'm inclined to ignore TeknoKot's comments here.

[Marcus Jackson]

This is why you lose.

Technically I'm not the one that will lose, It's people that try to meta-game too much and then get their faces ripped of by xeno teeth, or shot in the guts by a jumpy survivor when they bust open lockers like Christmas-presents that lose.

RP is apart of SS13, and Colonial Marines, so everyone ignore that "helpful" remark by TeknoKot, if you want to actually have some fun playing a video game.

[Renomaki]

I plan on making a guide on being a better squad leader of sorts sometime when I have the time, but for people who need some quick tips, here are but a few.

1: Supplies are your friend. Remember that you have up to 3 supply beacons that can mean the difference of a hive attack flourishing or puttering out and dying. Just be sure to make it count, however: Just ordering helmets is not going to be all that useful in the long run, so be sure to ask your squad mates if they need anything more [such as medical supplies, spec ammo, flares]. At the very least, add some ammo to those drops, since you can always use a few extra mags.

2: A silent SL is a bad SL. Keep in touch with command, fellow SLs and your mates whenever you have a chance. Just make sure your orders are clear and understandable, though: A chatty SL that is vague is no better than a mute.

3: Don't get too stuck into combat, moreso during the battle for the barrens. SLs are incredibly vital for ensuring a smooth push, and not just because you can help coordinate your squad on the attack. Supplies are key to victory, so be sure to call some in when you get a chance, unless you like marines retreating due to running out of ammo and helmets?

That is just a few tips, but they can really make the difference between a baldie who only picked the job for the 2-hit helmet and a proper leader who men can trust.

[Marcus Jackson]

Another tip for newer players of SL, Use language that is short but gets the point across imminently:

"Squad hold position."

"Move out, on me."

It's also good to use numerical directions when you can rather than the cardinal map-directions like most do:
"Contacts on our 6!"
"Suppress enemy at 2 o'clock!"

Also, you should try to look at your squad of misfits and use each member tactically:

"Squad, formation around me."

"Move out, Specs in front, grunts at back, everyone else at middle."

These are very basic tips, but the concepts can be the difference between getting wiped out in the first 12 seconds of combat, or delivering a Major Victory. Always think tactically, and always take your enemy on 1 step at a time, this way you don't lose focus and don't get your face bitten off.

[RedOktober12]

BRIEF. YOUR. SQUAD. Either in briefing or as you drop. Let them know what they're to immediately do, and how you're going to be doing it. The assumption should always be that your marines will somehow do the opposite of what you want them to do unless explicitly told otherwise. Half the time they'll do it an way, but it tends to save lives. I've noticed a clear relationship between Squads that receive firm SL briefings and those that stay together and survive the churn of the round more consistently than others.

This leads to a second point, which I feel is broadly applicable to all command. Get Clausewitzian, plan for Friction. This is the shit where as a battle goes on, soldiers become more disorientated, out of supply, and less aware of their leadership. They start making mistakes and die, losing you objectives and the means to retake them. It's when you hit the hour and a half mark and all the SLs are dead, and you have five out of 15 marines left. The first thing you can do to solve this is stay alive. You're the spine of your squad, and without you they're an uncoordinated rabble, good only for creating more aliens. While not getting yourself killed, keep your large text present for your squad to read. You don't need to spam, but making sure your squad keeps you up to date with the battle and the squad's condition is useful to them, and reminds them not to wander off and die. If a marine team can weather the Friction and maintain pressure, they can do pretty well, and as an SL you're the first and last defense against it.

[driecg36]

BRIEF. YOUR. SQUAD. Either in briefing or as you drop. Let them know what they're to immediately do, and how you're going to be doing it. The assumption should always be that your marines will somehow do the opposite of what you want them to do unless explicitly told otherwise. Half the time they'll do it an way, but it tends to save lives. I've noticed a clear relationship between Squads that receive firm SL briefings and those that stay together and survive the churn of the round more consistently than others.

This leads to a second point, which I feel is broadly applicable to all command. Get Clausewitzian, plan for Friction. This is the shit where as a battle goes on, soldiers become more disorientated, out of supply, and less aware of their leadership. They start making mistakes and die, losing you objectives and the means to retake them. It's when you hit the hour and a half mark and all the SLs are dead, and you have five out of 15 marines left. The first thing you can do to solve this is stay alive. You're the spine of your squad, and without you they're an uncoordinated rabble, good only for creating more aliens. While not getting yourself killed, keep your large text present for your squad to read. You don't need to spam, but[/shadow][/shadow]making sure your squad keeps you up to date with the battle and the squad's condition is useful to them, and reminds them not to wander off and die. If a marine team can weather the Friction and maintain pressure, they can do pretty well, and as an SL you're the first and last defense against it.

I agree with this completely. A good sl is one that constantly informs his squad what they should be doing. Some people are just boots and ignore orders, but a lot of people often just lose sight of the sl, forget the obj, and wander off. I know that there is nothing more annoying than a silent SL. If a squaddie asks a question, answer it. Give status updates regularly. Listen and talk to your squad. Your job is to organize, talk, and give orders. No matter how robust you are, you should be spending more times yelling over comms than fighting.

[Rocco Ward]

As SL I generally like to do RP type of things before briefing. Make my squad do push ups, jog around the station, etc. to build teamwork and coordination.

Once we hit the planet I tend to put our engies and medics at the FOB until we need them. Generally for formations, I like to put our spec in the back, with me in the center of the squad.

Two important tips: When your squad is engaged in a firefight many times marines don't see your orders as they are currently in rambo mode with huge adrenaline shooting through their veins. A nice trick I like to do when I'm ordering the squad to retreat in the middle of a firefight is to set my intent to grab, toss marines AWAY from the fight. This catches their attention quickly as when your SL throws 2-3 of his grunts in the opposite direction of the hostiles, they will check their message log to see what the hell is happening.

Also the FLAMETHROWER is SUPER ROBUST during a retreat. It will literally put up a wall of fire to give your squad a chance to run! Use it!

[Craftedminer]

2: A silent SL is a bad SL. Keep in touch with command, fellow SLs and your mates whenever you have a chance. Just make sure your orders are clear and understandable, though: A chatty SL that is vague is no better than a mute.

I couldn't agree more with this point, and I'm going to throw my 2 cents in and add to this point.

Squad Leaders, please don't respond to people saying "Fuck you SL." with "Fuck you." You need to be calm and measured in your responses, and make sure your messages also have decent spelling and grammar as well. 99% of the time you can normally talk out issues with your squads if you've managed to keep their respect, one way you can do that is by just merely saying "Good Job.", people like to know that their work is appreciated and this will help you develop a healthy relationship with your squad.

[RedOktober12]

I couldn't agree more with this point, and I'm going to throw my 2 cents in and add to this point.

Squad Leaders, please don't respond to people saying "Fuck you SL." with "Fuck you." You need to be calm and measured in your responses, and make sure your messages also have decent spelling and grammar as well. 99% of the time you can normally talk out issues with your squads if you've managed to keep their respect, one way you can do that is by just merely saying "Good Job.", people like to know that their work is appreciated and this will help you develop a healthy relationship with your squad.

Another point is that when marines are getting bored of FOB duty, give them something to do RP-wise. I've had good times making grunts who've confessed boredom do laps of LZ1. PT is the only answer to the constant "SL, I'm tired of watching doors!"

[Marcus Jackson]

Another point is that when marines are getting bored of FOB duty, give them something to do RP-wise. I've had good times making grunts who've confessed boredom do laps of LZ1. PT is the only answer to the constant "SL, I'm tired of watching doors!"

When my marines get tired of watching doors I usually grab some tools and hand them to the grunt while saying: "Then make some more fortifications kid, you've got the time."

Also, as an SL you are allowed to do basic stuff like making table-barricades and welding doors closed so make sure that if you have too few engineers, that you and some grunts get to helping them set up your defenses.

[Tarkus_the_Soviet_Love_Hammer]

How do I get gud like Reno, Xur, Uriel, and the other competent SLs? Do you guys prefer passive or aggressive SLs? Also, what makes the SLs that I named off good?

[Casany]

How do I get gud like Reno, Xur, Uriel, and the other competent SLs? Do you guys prefer passive or aggressive SLs? Also, what makes the SLs that I named off good?

Xur isn't that good really

You gotta have a good balance of passive play and aggressive play, really

[Swagile]

Well, ive been playing a more laid back SL, and its done wonders for me.

Basically, assume at least 50% of your squad will go Rambo aka silent and disappear most of the round and go from there.

ALWAYS make sure the ones that talk are near you or you know where they are. The rest will usually follow after that unless they are True Rambos, those ones are lost causes.

Utilize your LT if they aren't bald, aka the power of the Squad Monitor. That will tell you where your squad mates are, their current condition, and relative tile space away from the SL (aka you) they are. This is great for rescue missions and telling McRambo Son to get back to X location.

Try and keep up rapport with your squad. Joke with them, defend them from other squads, get them an extra attachment if you can, call them by name instead of "Engineer, Grunt, Boot, Medic, etc."; this lets marines know that you actually care about them instead of just seeing them as "just another soldier". They will be more willing to follow your orders (even those they don't agree with) simply because you care about them more than some faceless entity in the air telling them orders (SO's, XO, and CO).

Goes hand in hand with above but ESTABLISH A PRESCIENCE; no one wants to hear the SL talk the moment you drop. They want to hear you early; get status reports, maybe add an accent to yourself, get a buddy system going. You have to make sure that the marines in your squad know you are there EARLY; if they find out later you are better off saying you just woke up from cryo because no one will listen to you otherwise as most of your squad will be all over the place by then.

Use rally points CONSTANTLY. Due to speeds at which Marines go even when welding a gun in two hands, you will want to set up areas where you stop and wait for everyone to group up. This is essential as Xenos love picking off stragglers in your squad who don't keep up, get confused, or have taken damage hence can't keep up even if they know the map well.

This is just general SL know how; this is more important to know that OB's or supply drops because those are more dependent on external factors (good Req and SO's), and even if you have good external factors in place, you will not be able to capitalize on them if you don't have a squad covering your back (a good OB but no one is following orders).

[Marcus Jackson]

How do I get gud like Reno, Xur, Uriel, and the other competent SLs? Do you guys prefer passive or aggressive SLs? Also, what makes the SLs that I named off good?

Generally, those guys are ok... but they arn't the best SL's. You should watch other less known SL's and see how they do things, because it's very different from how it is with Xur or Reno.

I've worked with those guys alot as an SL, and let me tell you... sometimes they get very erratic with their mission planning, which is something you want to avoid. Always have a plan, don't be afraid to deviate from your plans a bit, but definitely keep a couple plans bouncing in your head just in case shit hits the fan.

[NoahKirchner]

Don't be an asshole drill sergeant SL. Remember that there's "Team" in teamwork, and respect the other guys in your team. Don't pull rank unless absolutely necessary, and don't order them to do anything that you wouldn't be willing to do yourself. Communicate beyond orders, joke, generally be a part of the conversation and people will follow you far more often than if you just order them to follow you as soon as you hit the planet.

Play off of your teammate's strengths and weaknesses, and delegate if need be. Let people do their jobs, and recognize what people are good at/want to do, and then allow them to do it. It'll always work out better in everyone's favor.

[Imperator_Titan]

Don't be an asshole drill sergeant SL.

This should be how every SL plays.

https://youtu.be/p77XnhzJz7g?t=17

[RedOktober12]

Don't be an asshole drill sergeant SL. Remember that there's "Team" in teamwork, and respect the other guys in your team. Don't pull rank unless absolutely necessary, and don't order them to do anything that you wouldn't be willing to do yourself. Communicate beyond orders, joke, generally be a part of the conversation and people will follow you far more often than if you just order them to follow you as soon as you hit the planet.

Play off of your teammate's strengths and weaknesses, and delegate if need be. Let people do their jobs, and recognize what people are good at/want to do, and then allow them to do it. It'll always work out better in everyone's favor.

You can totally get away with being a gruff drill sergeant. I think what's important is establishing presence on the field. If you're not liked, be respected or admired. You don't have to be a dick, but some squads honestly enjoy it. So long as you establish yourself as a leader, visible on the battlefield and making common sense decisions, I think you're fine. It's a matter of style. Like you say though, respect is a two way street. A good SL, regardless of their style, knows who to rely on and when to give credit.

[NoahKirchner]

You can totally get away with being a gruff drill sergeant. I think what's important is establishing presence on the field. If you're not liked, be respected or admired. You don't have to be a dick, but some squads honestly enjoy it. So long as you establish yourself as a leader, visible on the battlefield and making common sense decisions, I think you're fine. It's a matter of style. Like you say though, respect is a two way street. A good SL, regardless of their style, knows who to rely on and when to give credit.

Sure but you have to realize that drill sergeants aren't dicks to be dicks, they have purpose. As such, being a hard-ass dick to your men for no good reason is going to result in them hating you.

[Sneakyr]

1. Rescues for small amounts of captured marines are bad if they are behind enemy lines. Small consists of 1-3, arguably four marines. It is a waste of resources.
2. If someone is causing trouble and bitching a lot about your leadership, do not ignore them. They reduce squad cohesion. Make yourself seem cool-headed and them pointlessly angry, then call the gestapo/Military Police down to deal with them after conveniently assigning them LZ1 duty. Charge: Insubordination. On the same coin, take responsibility for your failures.
3. It's all well and good to RP when the opportunity arises, such as aboard the Alma or during a peaceful moment, but when it comes down to business then you have to think like a chess player. Keep this bit to yourself, though, as people won't trust you if they think you don't value their lives (and therefore entertainment).
4. Don't be antagonistic to command.
5. Don't be a pushover to command.
6. Don't be afraid to sacrifice the few to save the many (chess, again).
7. DELEGATION IS KEY. NEVER DO SOMETHING YOURSELF IF YOU CAN SEND SOMEONE ELSE TO DO THE JOB WITH THE SAME OUTCOME.

These aren't all conducive to good RP, I admit, but SL isn't really an RP role nor is it one that needs it. It's a role that can RP, sometimes. SL (in my view) exists to make sure other players have a good time by having clear orders and plenty of supplies.

For a story? I once lead two squads (Bravo was mine, Delta never had a lead until late game) simultaneously in a flanking maneuver that destroyed the Xeno frontline. Granted, the flank wasn't my idea and the Xenos later won, but it was cool to do and awesome to see Command actually have a good plan that ended up being executed properly.