Squad Leader Archive
Thread: Here is a interesting question for my fellow SLs
I think you are mistaken in your comments... squad leader is actually alot of fun and isn't that what a game is all about? Pretty much any profession gets boring after you master it, unless you are a true believer in why you started the profession in the first place.
No matter what the skills of a group they still need to be coordinated in order for the mission to be a true success and how is this possible without a good squad leader? It's not! I'll admit that our profession has it's problems but the high points are enjoyable.
19 fighters looking up to you is one thrill, 20 fighters making it home in one peice under your leadership is something MUCH different.
Going back to the original question: what works well with squad leader?
I think that's really something everyone has different opinions on. For me, it's Creature Handler. And not because my Squad Leader abilities don't help my pets that much, but because CH doesn't require me to either a) drain my HAM, or b) get interrupted by squadleader specials.
Specials such as /steadyaim or /formup take an action, which means when you execute them you're both expending HAM and not shooting. I keep enough basic marksman in the mix to be able to fire the occasional shot into melee, but I tend to use my SL specials instead. /steadyaim really helps my team take down those defence stackers, and /formup or even /boostmorale at the right time in the thick of things can suddenly make a real big difference.
Being able to drop these in as required with minimal delay is useful, and it's something I can do easily because my main damage/tank contribution to the group is not me, it's my pets. In most combats I'm one of two people without a crossed swords icon. The other one is the doc.
Rounding all this off with some basic medic and novice entertainer. Even a novice entertainer can deal with mind wounds quickly after a /boostmorale spreads them around the group.
The downside? Well, I'm less able to solo than a CreatureHandler/<any direct combat profession> is. But then, I'm a master squad leader. I didn't come here to solo.
Well i entered into squad leader after getting tired of doctoring. I spent way to much money on resources and enjoyed being in the field hunting more than healing. But I had already migrated my stats I was going MRM/MD and had 500/500/900 as my stats. Since dropping all of doc and most all of medic i have kept that same set up and i find it works very well with squad leader. Most of our specials I have used deplete mind and with my higher stats and of course some brandy I can keep my mind up. With a dancer buff thrown on top its really nice. As a Rifleman i get the distance from the mob inorder to assess the combat situation and since mastering Rifleman I tend not to fire unless absolutely needed in battle. I see myself as being the man of last resort. Truley putting myself in the breach to rescue a situation before total disaster.
I looked at Doc/ SQL but realized i would have absolutely no offensive capabilities worth mentioning. But whatever you choose depends on your own playing style. Which is more important you as a SQL or as a MD, Medic, etc.
Choose what you enjoy. That is all that matters.
Squad Leader and one of the Ranged Elites (Pistoleer, Carbineer, Rifleman). CH is a nice addition while grinding if you don't have a regular group to work with.
Rifleman/Squad Leader can be a pain because everything uses the Mind, the other two tend to be a bit more manageable, with my preference for Carbineer being that I can inflict the very status effects I can negate as a Squad Leader.
Master Squaddie isn't bad, either. Its not Uber, but when you have a regular crew you work with, its a helluvan edge to offer.
This is a team player's profession, show boaters need not apply.
No matter what the skills of a group they still need to be coordinated in order for the mission to be a true success and how is this possible without a good squad leader? It's not! I'll admit that our profession has it's problems but the high points are enjoyable.
Why do people always mix up being a Squad Leader with being the leader of a squad? They're not the same! You can be a hugely successful leader without having a single Squad Leader skill box. In fact, by putting the points you spent on SL towards, say, Combat Medic, you'd probably be an even better leader.
In short, you don't need to be a Squad Leader to be a squad leader. If you're in love with leading squads, well, that's not the same as being in love with Squad Leader.
I became a Squad Leader to better organize my troup with the nifty /sys Command and for its bonus's to those who don't have scout skills.
I am a Commando(0143) / Master Squad Leader. And I'm effective at what I do. 
I specifically chose a profession that did NOT supplement squad leader. My particular style of running hunts involves everyone in the group having a function so that they feel significant in some way... thereby increasing their fun. Someone other than me calls targets, someone other than me thumps the lair, someone other than me makes camps, someone other than me tracks creatures, someone other than me is the primary healer, etc. My job as I see it is purely communication. I just sit back and help keep the machine running smoothly.
If I took a supplementary or complimentary profession that took others abilities to do things away, that would detract from their fun...
SWEzekiel wrote:
You are mistaken. You havnt fallen in love with the Squad Leader profession. You fell in love with the same thing I did. 19 group members looking up to you and people coming to YOU to ask for an invite. Its like being in a position of power! When you master SL you will realise how much it actually sucks and the dream will wear off.
With such an attitude, don't be surprised if your dream wears off.
To lead means to serve and to lead by example. It implies doing your best *for* your team not because you're in a supposed "position of power".