Squad Leader

[Dilithium]

To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand the Squad Leader role on Colonial Marines. The gameplay features are extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of theoretical military command doctrine most of the role mechanics will go over a typical player’s head. There’s also the rest of your squad, which is deftly woven into the SL's gameplay- my personal philosophy as a SL draws heavily from Sun Tzu literature, for instance. The pros understand this stuff; they have the intellectual capacity to truly appreciate the depths of these mechanics, to realise that they’re not just useful- they say something deep about LEADERSHIP. As a consequence people who dislike the SL role truly ARE idiots- of course they wouldn’t appreciate, for instance, the intricacy in the makeup of your squad from you as SL, all the way down to the basic Marine which itself is a direct reference to the squad makeup of the United States' very own Green Berets. I’m smirking right now just imagining one of those addlepated simpletons scratching their heads in confusion as Bill Carson’s leadership genius unfolds itself on their computer screens. What fools.. how I pity them.

[Heckenshutze]

proceeds to AP the SL in the head

[Sargeantmuffinman]

Squad leader is the most stressful job.

[Dilithium]

proceeds to AP the SL in the head

If you kill the squad leader, do you become the squad leader?

I was going to say 'like Highlander' but that's objectively wrong.

[Rataca100]

Sun Tzu=COmmonsense :P

A SL needs a squad which will listen, there is not much under lying strategy in said game. You need a competent squad.

Also, i feel like tearing my hair out when in command.

[solidfury7]

This is like a bad copy pasta 2/10

[Dilithium]

This is like a bad copy pasta 2/10

I mean, it IS a bad copypasta.

[DeusMortis]

Let's be real guys, being a PFC is much harder than being an SL.

[Szunti]

Let's be real guys, being a PFC is much harder than being an SL.

This. SL is just easy mode private:

• You have better armor, more attachments.
• When you are wounded medics prioritize you, you are always in the front of the line in medbay.
• I play SL sometimes and doesn't even shoot a single bullet. But noone cares. Try to do that as private. Privates are constantly under stress about what will the SL say. SLs don'thave to care about anything, if you say something he doesn't like he calls the MPs.
• Back to weapons, privates need to get close to the xenos, risk their life for every shot bullet. SLs just stay behind barricades and call CAS - hopefullly not on the privates, or plant an OB in a defended zone - again hopefully not hitting the privates.
• A private has to always know where the SL is, they even have a dedicated marker. SL's don't need marker pointing anywhere, because they don't have to know where are others. They yell "On me!" and start running.
• Privates have to constantly adapt to please the SL, SLs do whatever they want.
• And last, if an SL doesn't understand the orders he gave, nothing bad happens. But a private has to know what the SL wants or it's chaos.

Of course sarcasm, before everyone turns against me.

[Kesserline]

It's not that people disliking SL are idiots, they can, because there are bad SLs.

Squad leader means leadership, means responsability, means duty towards those under your command.

You're not as critical as the Queen towards Xenos, but a surviving/inspiring/competent SL can make his/her squad survives and pull heroics shits through an entire round.

It's hard, and can be disappointing/depressing if you encounter only players who do not give a single shit about what you are saying to them, but, it can be really rewarding and amazing to see what some players do for you, and only you, because you're their SL. Seing a marine just buying you time, sacrificing himself, just to allow you to live a couple minutes more, it's just breathtaking.

Being SL is hard, on your energy, you have to comms with your squad, with command, sometimes with RO and CAS if you prefer not putting to much pressure on your SO. You have to fight for your squad, for the battalion, for yourself. You have to survive.

But most of all, SL is hard, on your mental : Losing men, losing ground, it's painful (at least to me). Privates can desert and fuck off the battleground. If Squad Leaders do that, entire squads fuck off the battlefield and morale is ruined. So, you can not allow defeatism on the battlefield. Rallying people around you, around the frontline, hold the line, push the line.

You can either be a defensive, an agressive or a supportive SL, but you have to lead your marines the same way you want to be led by someone. For me, my personality is based on duty. I lead because I feel the duty to do so. It's natural to me to lead. So, I don't feel really any pleasure to lead, but it's as normal to me as taking a walk or breathing. All that matters, is to be a leader, according to what you are, not what you think you are. And that will be easier to set your Leader Identity.


I more inclined to see the SL role being whitelisted, because of the duty and the responsability you have towards the players in your squad. A SL has to have some knowledge in medical (Skillset allowing the use of pillbottles and all autoinjectors), in engineering (at least for making cades and such), in weaponry (knowing what Spec weapon does what, the efficiency of the smartgunner depending on his/her location, what to advise to a baldie), in tactics (knowing how to flank, how to hold, how to push), in comms (knowing what to say to squaddies, to command, to logistics, to air support, to other SLs).

Whitelisting is elitist, but right now, we have the aSL system. So, in my opinion, we can afford it.

[DeusMortis]

While I agree that being an SL has a hefty amount of responsibility, I don't believe it should be whitelisted. Whitelisting should stay reserved for roles that have a great amount of power or skill, such as the CO having (near) absolute rule on the Almayer or a Synth having 5 levels in every skillset. An SL on the other hand is a good role for those who want to transition into roles with more responsibility while still being combat capable. Whitelisting the SL role could severely drop the number of players and deter many others from wanting to try their hand at leading a squad.

[Kesserline]

No whitelisting =
- Having some incompetent/baldies SL. Incompetence is forgivable when you see the SL has goodwill and tries to improve. But yet, you have people not caring, just wanting 3 attachments (like me for example) and some extra medical care, a better armor, a free webbing + cool pouches, and a cool free M4A3 AP mag.
- Destructing squad cohesions, giving a poor gameplay for affected squad (low sustainability, cowardice, improving mutiny/desertion chance)
- Marines disliking SLs status and disobeying even when good SLs shows their faces, because the previous ones were shitty and now, they got the habit to act on their own.

You have the aSL system going right now. During low-pop rounds, Corporals and Specs can be forced to aSL if there is no SL already.

It's just that, now we have the aSL system covering the lack of SLs (or their death), we can focus on whitelisting SLs which, at least, have some experience as PFCs and maybe medical/engineering (and hoping for some tactics/communication skills). SLs would be more honorific because having a good SL mixed with solid squaddies gives you incredible squads on the battlefield.

Whitelisting shouldn't be as strict as the CO or Synth (which are based on RP AND Skills/Experience). Here, the app should be judged on Experience/Skills and at least decent standards of RP (nothing fancy, just the what you expect from a medium RP policy).

But yet, it's a long debate and an admin/mod will come here and say : GO ON GITLAB YOU SCRUBS. So, meh.

[DeusMortis]

Forgot to mention rping being a big part of the whitelisted roles. If the whitelisting for SL isn't as strict as for other roles, I'd support it.

Now let us speak of whitelisting PFCs.

[Kesserline]

In my truly, honest, sincere and serious opinion : only janitors shouldn't be whitelisted.

[DeusMortis]

Must...Gitlab...

[Kesserline]

In my european timezone, here are the most talented-regular SLs I could come accross :

- Claymore Allister (No pref ? Charlie/Bravo)
- Uriel Turner (Delta/Charlie)
- Alexander Hawking (Delta only ?)
- Vanechka "Sleepy" (dunno the name) (Delta/Charlie)
- Eric Cowper (Alpha)

These SLs, first, have really solid sense of comms, leadership and especially for Allister and Cowper, they are not affraid to talk to other squad leaders on command channels, leading sometimes to great manoeuvers.

When I see their names on the command channel, I know that somewhere in the battalion, I can expect some help/reactivity/good shit.

[DeusMortis]

I need to try out SL more. Always fun poking RO to give you some supplies every 10 minutes.

[Symbiosis]

I'd prefer if SL's only got two attachments and were disallowed from BC's; BUT... given some cool squad buffs to compensate. Delegate attachment verb or something like that. If your Smartgunner never got a BC, you can give them one for example.

[Kesserline]

Squad leaders can get BCs ? That's fucked up. They need a good weapon to increase their survivability/pushing/covering abilities, but eh.. BC ? It's too much indeed.

Maybe I should ask one, as I'm usually one of the first of the RO line to secure it, and then ask for my spec or my smartgunner to ask for an extended barrel for myself.

But meh, the idea of SLs keeping the BC for themselves, meh meh.

[DeusMortis]

The RO directive board needs to be updated. Don't know why webbing is prioritizes everything but a PFC getting webbing.

[HR171]

In my european timezone, here are the most talented-regular SLs I could come accross :

- Claymore Allister (No pref ? Charlie/Bravo)
- Uriel Turner (Delta/Charlie)
- Alexander Hawking (Delta only ?)
- Vanechka "Sleepy" (dunno the name) (Delta/Charlie)
- Eric Cowper (Alpha)

These SLs, first, have really solid sense of comms, leadership and especially for Allister and Cowper, they are not affraid to talk to other squad leaders on command channels, leading sometimes to great manoeuvers.

When I see their names on the command channel, I know that somewhere in the battalion, I can expect some help/reactivity/good shit.

I agree with you here. When i play SO if the SL is Claymore Allister Or Vanechka 'sleepy' (whatever the surname is) it always makes me know i'm in for a nice and easy round.
These two are really good SLs and always instils confidence in me when i see them playing.

[Fitchace]

The battles on CM are only won by SL's because it is them who are on the ground keeping the marines organized and telling their marines what to do.

The Bridge Officers can give you everything you need but its up to the SL to communicate everything to their squad so they comprehend and make sure they comprehend what to do.

I know some standards won't listen, but you must be very clear, talk loudly and repeat yourself many times and always have simple easy to follow instructions if you want your marines to follow you.

[Arbs]

Leadershit takes intuition/sensing, predicting, fast thinking, organization, carisma and balls to take up the responsibility.

But sometimes, just sometimes. Its just too much to be bothered with. Which is why I usually go for Lt most of the time.

[Gnorse]

SL is godly if your marines actually give two shits about your orders.
Which is why it's good to play as XO/SO/Standard and get known for your robustness to increase the chance of marines actually acknowledging you exist.

[caleeb101]

being a squad leader is akin to having a piece of paper stuck to your back that says 'blame me first if shit goes wrong, then command'