Best size squad?

[too-easy 56]

I either run alone or with one trusty RL friend.

We are both not "military guys" and don't like to be ordered around.

So we decide together what to do and when we engage. Sometimes, when there is no time to communicate what to do, one of us opens fire and the other engages, too, or tries to flank the threat.

We haven't encountered hostile groups bigger than 3 people yet and we win fights as often as we lose them.

As long as we don't die because of bugs we don't mind dieing.

We are not made for big squads, I guess.

[sachad 1016]

I either run alone or with one trusty RL friend.

We are both not "military guys" and don't like to be ordered around.

So we decide together what to do and when we engage. Sometimes, when there is no time to communicate what to do, one of us opens fire and the other engages, too, or tries to flank the threat.

We haven't encountered hostile groups bigger than 3 people yet and we win fights as often as we lose them.

As long as we don't die because of bugs we don't mind dieing.

We are not made for big squads, I guess.

 

I tried rolling with some people I met in the game, but it wasn't for me either. The constant "Oh let's go here!" and "We should go there!" starts annoying me after a while, so I usually just end up quietly sneaking off.

[pjano 34]

anything with 15 or higher and you basically control the server - this will become more evident when they add in more vehicles and persistence

[Dagwood 680]

Running with 3 people seems to work well for me. If we have a group of 4, we tend to further fragmet into two teams. This way if one player comes under fire when we're looting/scouting around an airfield, he has somebody close by to assist him or quickly get a revenge kill. I've learned that spreading yourselves out to gain maximum angles will often weaken the group.

[TGPstolas 20]

Generally, if you have enough people to split up into 2+ groups it's a good idea to do so. I like to go in a 3 man squad. i think its a perfect balance between power and stealth.

Normally have two guys with either AR's or SKS's, whichever is available, and one guy with a mosin. NWAF is great with three guys, one rifleman as a scout, and the other to stay back and watch the snipers back as he provides cover to the scout. It works perfectly, especially when you have experience with the other two guys in the squad. No friendly fire, no communication issues, and hardly any problems keeping to cover. 

have had experience running with up to 8 people at once, and it never works out. someone always gets shot because they wont answer in TS, or says the contact you spotted definitely isn't him. Then, next thing you know, he's bitching and moaning cause you shot him. 

any more than 3-5 people and we split up into fireteams of 2/3. 5 guys is the biggest squad i'm okay with, any bigger and you gotta make sure you're all together. always one guy that falls out...

[rybec 339]

The golden number is three people in total. Doesn't matter your loadout. If something happens to one, there's two to deal with the issue. More people is more of a liability because they're not likely to have synergy of a smaller group.

 

Spending most of my time as a fireteam leader when playing in organized Arma matches reinforces how I feel about it. Communication is more important than numbers.

[dethsupport 110]

Speaking from a military standpoint your standard four-man fireteam is your ideal for operation purposes. The general setup is a rifleman/pointman, automatic rifleman/gunner, assistant gunner, grenadier/teamleader, Between two and three fireteam elements you will have a full squad with each fireteam comprised of its own components with its own mission. Instead of designating one person as a sniper and leaving them behind you can have a full fireteam in charge of perimeter security and the teamleader will have their team adjust accordingly to fulfill the mission.

 

From a DayZ perspective I would not attempt to operate with anything over a five-man fireteam, if you absolutely need to exceed that you are better off breaking into two smaller elements, i.e. three on assault team, two on perimeter security. I would also probably recommend against anything over an eight-man squad broken into two fireteams unless you drill constantly as if it were real life. Personally I think a five operating as two smaller teams so no one is without a battle buddy is the most successful in DayZ. Here is my recommendation for a few different setups assuming no one is dual gunning:

 

Three man:

Assault team:

-Pointman/Scout (Semi-automatic rifle for engagements outside & sawed off with at least three snaploaders for building clearing)

-Gunner/Assaultman (Automatic rifle or SMG for suppression fire)

 

Overwatch team:

-Sniper (LRS Mosin & magnum for close quarters if someone sniffs you out)

 

 

Four man:

Assault team:

-Pointman/Scout (Semi-automatic rifle for engagements outside & sawed off with at least three snaploaders for building clearing)

-Gunner/Assaultman (Automatic rifle or SMG for suppression fire)

-Teamleader/Medic (Semi-automatic rifle or Automatic rifle or pump-action shotgun depending on your role)

 

Overwatch team:

-Sniper (LRS Mosin & magnum for close quarters if someone sniffs you out)

 

 

Five man:

Assault team:

-Pointman/Scout (Semi-automatic rifle for engagements outside & sawed off with at least three snaploaders for building clearing)

-Gunner/Assaultman (Automatic rifle or SMG for suppression fire)

-Teamleader/Medic (Semi-automatic rifle or Automatic rifle or pump-action shotgun depending on your role)

 

Overwatch team:

-Sniper (LRS Mosin, Magnum for close quarters if someone sniffs you out)

-Guardian (Semi-automatic rifle or pump-action shotgun and magnum for close-mid range defense)

 

 

Squad option:

Assault team:

-Pointman (Semi-automatic rifle for engagements outside & sawed off with at least three snaploaders for building clearing)

-Gunner/Assaultman (Automatic rifle or SMG for suppression fire)

-Assistant gunner/Medic (Semi-automatic rifle or Automatic rifle or pump-action shotgun depending on role)

-Teamleader (Semi-automatic rifle or Automatic rifle depending on your mission and intent)

 

Overwatch team:

-Sniper (LRS Mosin, Magnum for close quarters if someone sniffs you out)

-Guardian (Semi-automatic rifle or pump-action shotgun and magnum for close-mid range defense)

-Secondary sniper/Medic/Mule (LRS Mosin or Semi-automatic rifle or pump-action shotgun depending on role)

-Teamleader/Secondary guardian (Semi-automatic rifle or Automatic rifle or pump-action shotgun depending on your mission and intent)

 

Ensure everyone has at least basic medical supplies in case you need to perform self/buddy aid before your medic can get to you. I recommend at least a bandage, epi-pen and morphine at the bare minimum. If you choose to take a medkit with you throw in painkillers and a saline IV or a bloodbag IV. Operating with everyone carrying basic medical supplies decreases the need for a dedicated medic which you can swap for another role.

 

As it was already stated this requires drilling and precise communication at all times.

Definitely. It takes a lot of concentration to keep track of 6+ other players, you also have to get your team to use correct, concise contact calls, speaking in third person more commonly ie "capo is entering the atc", and in general concentrating on what other people are saying, and making sure they answer when a relevant question is being asked.

This is an excellent way to clear up confusion on comms. If you have a hard time remembering everyone's names use alphanumeric callsigns that are assigned before a mission i.e. A1 = alpha team leader, A2= alpha team pointman, B=1 bravo team leader etc.

 

Also, if you want a real challenge do this with proxy on and using walkies instead of an external program. Although it puts you at a disadvantage its very interesting.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Dethsupport

[hekp 223]

Alone and 98 bullets to double tap the other 49 survivors.

 

When not playing alone, i mostly prefer two man squad with my friend on whos screen i can see, so we need like zero comm.I always know where he is and im just wookiyin' around; I Stalk him & overwatch.I never enter the same building. We're never together.If i need something he drops it. Works like a charm.

 

3 man with two "stalkers" is imo ideal.

4 is overkill (just lol at rolling medics in squads. You either come on top and bandage yourself or you die. Can't imagine how much you have to hoard not to be able to carry all the supplies including seline bag (which you probably used after that one firefight instead of just energizing on food)).

5 or more is a school kindergarden excursion everyone will spot.

Edited January 28, 2015 by halp

[Calvin Candie 189]

Even the best squads get annihilated by a hidden rooftop snipers.

I have seen good squads of 4 and 5 people defeated against 2 stealthy motherfuckers.

Its how you use what you have, not how many people you have by your side.

[jiggyjoe 43]

First, a little about myself. I normally play with one other guy and it has normally worked out fine. He has an AKM, myself a mosin and as of recently the MP5K. That combination means we have weapons that work at all ranges. Moreover, due to the small size of the squad, we don't have to share food and possibly not have enough for everyone. 

 

However, borrowing some tactics from the military (who are obviously pretty qualified in combat tactics) they seem to split into 4 man bricks (bricks is what the British army calls squads). Would having a four man squad or even higher increase my survival time and what are your experiences with squads?

Usually i feel more comfortable with 4 to 6 guys... Preferably 6... For the simple reasons that when we have to approach a town, one 3 man team stays concealed with a great FOV to cover our asses while the 3 remaining goes for loot WITHOUT ever going out of the covering team's sight...

For military bases it's fairly different, especially the one on the western side of the map... On that case, i usually use a multi-flank approach having 2 from north, 2 from south and 2 from either west or east... Those tactics usually bring good results...

Movement is also important, basic formations for exposed area like a line formation from left to right, or  a staggered column when traveling following a road... Also, if you have like 8 mens, on exposed area you can use efficently the wedge formation (Shaped like a V where the tip always on the front, and then guys on the right and left 45 degrees allignment) those formations can increase survival as it makes the enemy unable to kill more than 2 targets in a fast pace

Hope it helped (I was part of many realism units in many games that helped me a lot)

[jiggyjoe 43]

Even the best squads get annihilated by a hidden rooftop snipers.

I have seen good squads of 4 and 5 people defeated against 2 stealthy motherfuckers.

Its how you use what you have, not how many people you have by your side.

This is why tactical movement and formations can be handy ! Forcing them snipers to constantly adapt their aim instead of going in a straight line where he just have to adjust up and down...

[jiggyjoe 43]

from 2:59 and the rest of videos it can be very useful to squad based teams ;)