Who am I?
I am Xander Vegas. I generally play marine and go SL, engineer or medic sometimes. This is my first guide. So it may not be the best.
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Who are you?
You are SSGT of USCM leading one of the four squads (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta). Following ranks come under you: SGT-Specialist, CPL-Smartgunner, LCPL-Engineers, Medics, PFC-Marines. You are expected to use your leadership and Tactical Equipment over mere bullets to stomp the enemy. If you just wanna gun enemy down, go marine.
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Squad Organization
You can assign Fireteams to organize your squad into smaller groups. Assigning PFCs with medics, engineers to cover them or to Specs to finish off kills could help if they follow them around.
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Gearing Up
Tactical Binoculars: Use it for CAS, OB, mortar strikes and Supply drops. Also use it before proceeding in any direction. If theres light, you will get a lot of tactical info.
-Supply Drop: As soon as you land, get coords of FOB and NOTE IT DOWN (You may skip it if you see a competent SL at fob duty). Go to IC Tab, Add Note, to store info for the round. You can read it with IC Tab->Notes. Also remember to ask your Specialist, Smartgunners, Engineers for supplies and PFCs for ammo periodically.
-CAS: CAS can be lazed in open areas. Discuss payload with POs and remember to tell you squad you are lazing for CAS so they dont charge like mad maybe. Use light CAS like GAU to clear alien structures. and try lazing a little behind few enemies, so they are hit while retreating or they commit to fighting you dying on marine bullets. Ask POs to launch when you need CAS and laze only when CAS is in air. You can also fake CAS, by lazing even if CAS is not up to confuse xenos. Also stop CAS if enemy has retreated from your laze and marines are pushing. Stop lazing and ask PO to stop sending missiles.
-OB: Big Fat Bomb for Xenos. Use it for pushing and retreating. Always push after OB if you got men to do it. Get coords of OB behind enemy lines. It has a 10x10 area of effect I think. Whenever you ask for OB, ask command to announce it too so each marine know to push after OB and not get bombed. NOTE: It works under metal ceilings and underground but not deep underground.
-Mortar: This is highly underused weapon and could be effectively used especially in prison where theres metal ceiling everywhere and you cant laze for CAS. Get coords behind enemy lines, ask for inci shell then get offset ask for another shell and then push in to trap xenos cutting their retreat. You can chain it with OB and CAS. Like ask for CAS at a spot and get mortar fired at farther spot so they are hit even when they try to run.
Motion Detector: To hunt enemies and realize enemy flanks before you get cornered. It helps with lurkers and xenos at edge of your screen in the dark. It also helps to know if they are behind the wall. Note: It doesnt ping on stationary xenos, only moving ones are pinged I think.
MedHUD: To know whether a marine is goner or defibbable. Grab It!
Advanced First-Aid Kit: SLs can open pill bottles. Get bicardine, kelotane, tramadol pill bottles from medbay. Remove 2 trauma kit and 1 burn kit from medkit and put those 3 pill bottles in it. Now you can give first aid to wounded marines as well as yourself. Especially useful during low pop.
Whistle: Very conditional. You can tell your squad that charge on whistle or something like that. Or follow the whistle while in LV caves to stop splitting up. Though xenos will hear it too. I personally take it just for fun. :P
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Loadout
Loadout 1:
Armor slot: Pulse Rifle
Back Slot: Flamethrower
Webbing: 3 rifle AP mags
Armor: 2 rifle mags
Belt Slot: Motion Detector
Pouch 1: Large General Pouch - Tac Binos, pocket extinguisher, crowbar/C4
Pouch 2: First aid pouch or Medkit Pouch - Medkit with bicardine, kelotane, tram pill bottles
PlayStyle: Rifle is the way to go in pushes. Flame the flanks you see to avoid those lurker pounces and runners running around. Flamer is best used when you are holding or retreatng. Always flame while retreating while your medics get wounded out. I go rifle over shotgun as I can flame a line between them and me so they dont come close and then shoot from across fire. Use flamer to burn sticky, eggs and area denial. REMEMBER NOT TO FLAME if marines are pushing ahead.
Loadout 2:
Armor slot: Shotgun
Back Slot: Pulse Rifle
Webbing: 3 rifle AP mags
Armor: 2 handful of buckshot shells
Belt Slot: Motion Detector
Pouch 1: Large General Pouch - Tac Binos, crowbar/C4, Rifle mag or handful of buckshot
Pouch 2: First aid pouch or Medkit Pouch - Medkit with bicardine, kelotane, tram pill bottles
Playstyle: Rifles is general. Shotgun in CQC as fallback weapon. though if you find using shotgun more you are positioning yourself wrong.
Loadout 3:
Armor slot: Shotgun
Back Slot: Pulse Rifle
Brown Webbing: C4 and buckshot
Armor: 2 handful of buckshot shells
Belt Slot: Ammo Belt with M4A1 mags
Pouch 1: Large General Pouch - Tac Binos, crowbar/C4, C4
Pouch 2: First aid pouch or Medkit Pouch - Medkit with bicardine, kelotane, tram pill bottles
Helmet: Painkiller and First Aid Injector
Playstyle: Thats how I usually roll. Shotgun for CQC, Rifle for pushing and killing. I take point initially to get marines moving, once they are on the move I usually let them take point. Grabbing C4s on Prison is must. You can create flanks and open paths which can be very useful.
Some Viable Alternatives:
Machete on belt slot: helps clearing sticky thereby increasing push speed.
Ammo Belt: If you are using your gun more than the bigger ornaments that command gave you.
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Squad Objectives
-Scouting Duty: Ensure that you tell your squad where to go while the dropship is dropping so your squad knows that you know your shit. Dont rush off alone. Point the path you taking. Those big green arrows are easy to follow. Hold for a moment and watch behind with binos to look for stragglers. Inform your position on squad comms periodically so others may catch up with you. Use your binos constantly. You may spot lone marine getting attacked or a xeno moving around casually and catch it offguard. Everyone likes a SL who keeps speaking and communicating constantly. Also remember to inform command your position, status and enemy contacts. You can get a bag label it intel bag and collect intel while you are scouting. Also be aware of other squad positions. It helps him deciding when to commit fully to a fight and when not to. If other squads are too far and you face lots of xenos, committing to it fully could mean you lose most of your squad.
-FOB Duty: Make sure you have an engineer onboard dropship before launching. Ask PO, command to wait for him or ask for another engineer if he isnt responding. You dont want to deploy without fob engineer. You will be called incompetent for having no fob defenses. While in transit, tell your squad what to do. If you dont, they are more likely to fuck off to fight. Try giving them something to do like making a FT to gather materials, sending a FT for a patrol run around fob, sending someone to move supplies. Ask spec if he is going to front, send someone to cover him. No spec like wasting his RNG sitting at FOB. But ask him to bail out if things get ugly. You would want your spec to be last spec alive especially if you are fob for fob siege. When you touch ground REMEMBER to get supply coordinates, NOTE it down and relay them to command. Always ask for fob mats even if engineer doesnt ask for it as they are required initially to get the fob going. You can also help engineer in building cades. Get flanks secured. Bolting/Welding doors that are not used could help. Ensure theres ammo at FOB. And try keeping your men manning cades so they dont get melted. You can assign FTs and assign them spots at fob to keep it covered.
-TComms Duty: Make sure you have an engineer onboard dropship before launching. If you are to hole up there follow same as above. If you are just fixing tcomms and moving out. Ensure you have atleast a single layer or something so strolling xenos dont go and slash at apc easily
-Power Duty: Make sure you have an engineer onboard dropship before launching. Ask your squad to remain inside engineering compound while engineer is fixing power. Its easier to defend while ALL of you are inside and marines dont get dragged off. Move out together when engineer gives thumbs up that he is done. If engineer doesnt know his shit and is taking way too long, use your judgement whether you should abandon fixing power for now or you can wait. While the power is getting fixed, keep track of location of other squads so you know where to move when you are done.
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Be Aware Of:
1. "HELP" scream in squad comms. Ask Command to locate that guy if he doesnt scream his position and save him if not engaged.
2. "NEED ANOTHER SQUAD" scream on command comms. Sometimes command is slow in rerouting a squad. If you think you should go and help squad thats facing enemy, tell command and move out. (If you are not FOB squad). You can also send a FT and not full squad
3. RO asking if anyone need supplies on command comms.
4. Location of Enemies being reported on command comms. Relay them on squad channel.
5. CAS Runs.
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Things to do every few mins.
1. Repeat the last orders or just say anything so that squad knows you are alive.
2. Check on Specialist, SG, Medics. See that they dont die. If they stop responding, ask command to locate them.
3. Ask if anyone need supplies. If you have already requested, check on command comms for status of supplies.
4. Sitreps: Inform command of your position and where you are moving, and request another squad early if you want help. Squads are slow when it comes to reinforcing other squads.
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EDIT - 1
Some Useful Guides from a far experienced player than myself
https://cm-ss13.com/old/viewtopic.php?f=135&t=16628
https://cm-ss13.com/old/viewtopic.php?f=135&t=16154
https://cm-ss13.com/old/viewtopic.php?f=135&t=16264
https://cm-ss13.com/old/viewtopic.php?f=135&t=16424
Thanks Chatilllon for pointing them out.
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Edit 2 - Loadouts Added
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Edit 3 - Loadouts Update
Removed HPR loadout (I was missing too many shots in burst when I pushed with it), made some changes suggested by Chatillon, updated current loadout that I use.
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PS: I will be adding more sections which I couldnt at the point of writing. Wrote it on a train journey. Will update it whenever I am idle again.