If you think that PvP should be a nice honourable affair, where the 1 vs 1 is sacrosanct, then you're reading the wrong thread. Otherwise - let's get on to the concept of the Strike Squad.
A Strike Squad should be made up of a minimal number of players. 25 players in a conflict means that any fights you get into will be flagged as battles - and will be displayed on the map for all to see as giant orange swords. I'd say that any more than 8 players in a strike squad is too many, and any less then 4 is too few. Above that 8 person limit, you may as well split into 2 squads to cause maximum havoc.
So, you've got your Strike Squad together. What now? Well, your objectives are any - or all - of the following:
Distraction
Fortification
Preserving the PPT (point per tick)
Defending
Supporting your zerg
Scouting
Before you head out *anywhere* here are the key things:
* make sure you're loaded up with some flame rams, ballistas and arrow carts.
* endeavour to have everyone in your squad carrying supply at all times.
* keep the commander on the map - or the entire map - informed of what you're up to at key points.
Now, we can get onto the how-to for the above objectives. They're all in spoiler tags to prevent this from looking like a total wall of text.
Distraction
[spoiler]Bad players get tunnel vision. Use this. On your travels, you run into a larger group of enemy players. Usually, it's a better idea to avoid them (as engaging this group will put giant swords on the map, as engaing them could be a conflict involving 25 people). It's doubtful you can take them - but in certain circumstances, you may want to distract them for a while. Lead them on a merry chase - pull them off their course, or away from your own zerg. Don't be afraid to be cheap about this. There is nothing wrong about leading an enemy group into the Skritt Cave, for instance.
Remember those Seige blueprints you picked up earlier? If your team is fully loaded on supplies, get a flame ram down in front of a gate, and start knocking. Don't use your auto attacks on the gate, as this will alert the enemy. One person on the ram, everyone else keeping a look out or killing off respawning NPC's. The worst case scenario here is that the enemy will spot you. But that's ok - they'll soon likely be turning up en masse to stop the attack against their holding. Which pulls them away from whatever else they were doing. The best case of course, is that you break in unnoticed. In which case you can capture the holding. Or hide a mesmer in there for your zerg to meet up with later. If you get caught and killed inside, take a few minutes to be cheap. Don't respawn. Stay dead. The enemy will often assume that you have someone else hiding inside, and will dedicate man power to looking for your non existing team mate for a while.
If you have got up to 5 people in your squad, using clear communication will allow you to set up catapults, and maybe even 2 of them if you have guild catapults (or time to run back and forth for more supply, which can take hills "unnoticed" while the zerg is fighting elsewhere.[/spoiler]
Fortification
[spoiler]You're fully loaded on supply. On your travels, take a bit of time to run past that tower or keep you own. Is everything fully built? Is everything fully repaired? If not, do a couple of supply runs. Escort a Dolyak to get those upgrades ticking over. If you're feeling rich enough, kick off some upgrades. Have a quick jiggle on any seige inside the keep or tower - seige left unused for too long despawns. Build some defensive seige if there is none there. Every little helps![/spoiler]
Preserving the PPT
[spoiler]Those shiny numbers at the top of your screen? Here's a secret. They only matter once every 15 minutes. Your PPT is determined by what you own on the map. If you hold a supply camp for 14 minutes, but the enemy takes it in that last minute before the points tick over, you may as well have not bothered having that camp in the first place - the enemy got the points for that 15 minutes.
So - your mission is to ensure that you own as much as you can for when that PPT ticks over. Go out and take over the supply camps that the enemy owns. However - before taking on a camp, always check that the Veteran Supervisor doesn't have the 'Righteous Indignation' buff active. Odds are your small squad will not be able to take the camp in time for the PPT with this buff up. Also, check how much the supply camp can hold. If it's at 200, it's fully upgraded - meaning more guards at the camp, plus stronger guards.
Alternatively, you can guard your own camps against the enemy capturing them for the PPT. Bear in mind that even against superior numbers, you can hold the camp. Get your arrow carts and ballista built. If it looks like you're going to lose from the outset, be cheap. Send your squad into the capping circle one at a time on a suicide mission once all the NPCs are dead. As long as one of your team is alive in that circle (and not stealthed) - you're stopping the enemy from capping it. One at a time, stay alive as long as possible. Even though you will eat an armour repair bill, and ultimately lose the camp - you grab the points for the tick, and that's what matters here.[/spoiler]
Defending
[spoiler]Small squads can hold out for a surprisingly long time against large numbers in a tower or a keep until help arrives. Focus on holding the enemy at the gates. Or rush to where extra help is needed with defence. Build defensive seige, and get it manned. Be prepared to employ suicide tactics if the enemy breaks in to hold the circle. Or hide a mesmer inside, ready to help your zerg to retake the tower or keep with a sneaky portal.
Also, be prepared to have to defend an objective. Get all the defensive seige built up. Run Dolyak supplies to the tower or keep - and be sure to tell anyone else with you that the only time it's ok to take supplies from a tower or keep is as a last ditch attempt to keep the gates and walls repaired. Under no other circumstances is it acceptable to take supply from a tower or keep.[/spoiler]
Supporting your zerg
[spoiler]Keep communications open. Be aware of what else is happening on the map by watching the team chat or listening on the server team speak. If a call goes out to muster everyone for a full assault, be ready to assist. Meet up with the zerg, loaded with your supply and seige should it be needed. Alternatively, make sure that your team keeps hold of the supply camp nearest to where the zerg will be fighting. Supply is key to any attack or defence.[/spoiler]
Scouting
[spoiler]You'll be moving around the map alot, so share any relevant information! See an enemy zerg heading somewhere? Let the map know! Announce numbers, location and likely destination if you can. Keep the commander on the map informed of what is going on. Are the enemy server about to take a supply camp you're defending? Shout it out! You may not get full zerg support, but any stragglers in the area may pop by to help out. Keep tabs in the enemy location, and let everyone know.
In addition, patrol your own holdings. Small white swords on an objective indicate a small skirmish. Often, this will be Quaggan or Skritt attacking. Occasionally though, it could be an enemy strike team like yourself. Investigate, do a sweep of your holdings every now and then.
And finally - kill every enemy Dolyak you come across as a high priority. Do your bit to starve the enemy of supply.[/spoiler]
To wrap this up - a Strike Squad works best when they communicate what they're doing, and work with other players. Whisper the commander on the map, get on to the server team speak and stay aware of what is going on. Inform people of where your squad is headed. If assistance is needed somewhere, ask for it! Communicate! Try not to clash with other squads or the zerg/commander objectives. Try and spread our server colour on the map, and above all - have fun!
