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Squad Academy

Building basics: rallies and FOBs

Focus of this module

Read the whole page for context, but concentrate on Rallies and FOBs.

Leading a squad sounds like a lot, but the basics are simple: know your kit, talk clearly, keep a spawn close to the fight, and give your squad a structure. This page covers the essentials to lead your first squad with confidence.

The SL kit

Section titled “The SL kit”

You get a few tools nobody else has. The ones you’ll use every game:

Binoculars
Spot enemies, range targets and place accurate markers from a safe distance.
Smoke
Hide your squad’s movement across open ground, or cover a flank.
Rally point
A temporary spawn for your squad only. Your most important tool.
Radio & HAB
Build a FOB (radio) and a HAB so the whole team can spawn near the fight.

Talking to your squad and the team

Section titled “Talking to your squad and the team”
1Markers

Your squad follows your map. Use markers, arrows and combinations to show where to go and where the enemy is. See Map markers.

2Squad chat
Orders and information for your own squad.
3Local chat
Quick coordination with anyone nearby, including players from other squads.
4Command chat

Squad leaders and the commander. Learn your command-chat key (numpad or G, depending on your binds) before your first game.

Rallies and FOBs

Section titled “Rallies and FOBs”
Set up spawns while you advance
  1. 1Radio

    Place the radio (FOB) first, somewhere you can retake.

  2. 2HAB

    Build the HAB within range of the radio so the team can spawn.

  3. 3Move the logi

    Drive the logistics truck away from the radio once it’s unloaded.

  4. 4Rally

    Place a rally for your squad. Where depends on whether you’re attacking or defending (below).

Where to put the rally

Section titled “Where to put the rally”

The rally is your squad’s own spawn. Where you place it depends on what your squad is doing:

Attacking
OBJECTIVEHABlong runRALLY

Keep the rally close behind the fight, in cover. Your squad respawns near the objective and keeps the pressure on, instead of running back from the HAB.

Defending a HAB
enemy proxies the HABHABenemy routesRALLYretake

Put the rally away from the enemy's routes, off to the side or behind the HAB. When the HAB gets proxied and nobody can spawn on it, the rally is still up: a retake rally to win the HAB back.

Either way, replace it as soon as it’s burned.

✓Do
  • Brief your squad on the plan before you move
  • Keep a rally up at all times
  • On HAB defence, keep the rally off the enemy’s routes so it survives as a retake rally
  • Mark your planned route on the map before an attack
✕Don't
  • Leave the logi parked next to the radio
  • Go silent. Your squad can only follow what you tell them
Fireteams & spacingSplit your squad into teams and move it safely.
Rally pointsTimers, distances and rally tricks.
Module 13 of 13Next: finish & assessment