Squad Leader Archive

My goal is to become a Master CH and I like to group with my friends often so I thought SL would be good as a side profession if it worked with pets. It does, so I figured I would shoot up the melee defense tree, but I am wondering if +25 melee defense to group members is worth the 18 skill points? I guess the problem is I really don't know how the defense bonus works and I am irrated that the 2 skill boxes before the passive melee defense is of questionible value, /formup and /sysgroup. Its the uncertainty of what value the whole line has that has me worried, because I have a pretty good idea what 18 skill points can do in other professions like Pistoleer or Medic. For now I will give it a try, if I don't like it I can always drop it.