Squad Important Notes guide screenshot

Important Notes

Important Notes for Squad



This section covers critical warnings, common pitfalls, and essential knowledge that even experienced players often wish they knew from the start. Squad is a demanding multiplayer game with no single-player story or save files, but there are many non-obvious aspects that can drastically affect your experience.

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Warnings & Pitfalls



1. Communication is Mandatory, Not Optional


  • Warning: Playing without a microphone or refusing to communicate will get you kicked from most competent squads and will severely hinder your team.

  • Pitfall: Relying on text chat or ignoring squad lead calls. You will miss critical orders, enemy positions, and tactical adjustments.

  • Tip: Even if you are shy, call out enemy contacts, your position, and requests for orders. Use the ingame voice channels: Local (proximity), Squad, and Command (only for squad leaders).


    • 2. Do Not Lone Wolf


  • Warning: Running off alone away from your squad and objective is the single fastest way to get killed and waste tickets.

  • Pitfall: Thinking you can flank the entire enemy team by yourself. Squad’s maps are large, and you will likely die to a random enemy squad or a vehicle that you never saw. Every death costs the team tickets.

  • Tip: Always stick with at least one other squadmate. If you must move solo, stay in cover and support the objective from a distance.


    • 3. Friendly Fire (FF) is Always On


  • Warning: Team kills (TKs) happen frequently, especially with grenades, vehicle cannons, or machine guns.

  • Pitfall: Firing into a smoke grenade or at a friendly uniform that looks like the enemy (especially at night or in the desert where camouflage is similar).

  • Tip: Identify your targets before shooting. Learn the faction uniforms (e.g., Insurgents vs. US Army) and check your map frequently to know where friendlies are. Apologize immediately if you TK and avoid repeating the mistake.


    • 4. Vehicles are Not Taxi Services


  • Warning: Do not take a logistics truck, transport helicopter, or armored vehicle without permission from your squad leader or vehicle crew.

  • Pitfall: Stealing a logi truck that was meant for building a forward operating base (FOB) can cripple your team’s logistics for 10+ minutes.

  • Tip: Always ask before entering any vehicle. If you are not the designated driver or gunner, stick to transport or infantry roles. Logi trucks are critical – only drive them if specifically assigned.


    • 5. Don’t Overuse Rally Points (Rallies)


  • Warning: Rally points are limited per squad (1 active at a time, with a cooldown). Placing them in exposed or hot zones wastes them.

  • Pitfall: Dying immediately after placing a rally because you placed it in the open. Also, not using a rally at all – squads that never place rallies lose momentum.

  • Tip: Place rallies in buildings, behind berms, or in forests. Place a backup rally (if your squad leader is alive) before making a risky push. If your rally is red (overrun), deactivate it to refund some ammo.


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    Irreversible Choices & Missable Content



    1. Faction and Map Selection


  • Choice: You cannot choose which faction or map to play; the server runs a rotation. However, you can leave and join a different server if you dislike the current map.

  • Missable: Special events or limited-time maps occasionally appear on community servers. If you miss them, they may not return for months. Check the Squad Discord or subreddit for announcements.


    • 2. Kit Selection is Permanent for the Life of the Medic/Class


  • Choice: Once you pick a kit (e.g., Rifleman, Automatic Rifleman, Medic, etc.) at the start of a round or after respawning at a FOB/HAB, you are locked into that kit until you die and respawn again.

  • Missable: You cannot change your role mid-life. If you pick a kit and then realize your squad needs a medic, you have to die to switch.

  • Tip: Wait for your squad leader to assign roles. Don’t grab a special kit (Grenadier, Marksman) if the squad already has one. Communicate to adjust.


    • 3. FOB & HAB Placement is Irreversible for that Life


  • Choice: When a squad leader places a FOB (radio) and builds a HAB (spawn point), that location is fixed until the radio is destroyed by the enemy or deconstructed by your team.

  • Missable: Placing a FOB in a bad spot (too exposed, too far from objective) can waste your team’s build points and tickets. There is no undo.

  • Tip: Before placing a FOB, check your map for enemy markers, ensure good cover, and make sure it’s within 400m of the objective you want to support. Communicate with other SLs to avoid stacking FOBs.


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    Difficulty Spikes



    1. The First 10 Hours: The “Clueless Phase”


  • Spike: The learning curve is extremely steep. You will die constantly, not know where the enemy is, and feel overwhelmed by the large maps, complex mechanics (like radio overrun mechanics, suppression, stamina), and need for teamwork.

  • Tip: Spend your first few hours as a Rifleman or Medic (with a mic). Follow your squad leader, ask questions, and watch tutorials. Use the “Training” mode (under the main menu) to learn driving and shooting without pressure.


    • 2. Vehicle Coordination (Helicopters, Tanks, etc.)


  • Spike: Flying helicopters or operating tank crews requires significant practice. New pilots crash often, losing tickets and equipment.

  • Tip: Use the Jensen’s Range (training mode) to practice vehicle controls. For tanks, only crew with experienced players and listen to the gunner/driver commands. Helicopter flying on live servers is discouraged until you can reliably land on helipads.


    • 3. Squad Leading (SL)


  • Spike: Leading a squad is the most challenging role. You must manage the squad, place FOBs, communicate with command, and read the map simultaneously.

  • Tip: Do not become SL until you have at least 50 hours of infantry experience. Volunteer as a fireteam lead first. Use the command channel for essentials only.


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    Grinding Traps



    1. Don’t Grind Kills – Focus on Objectives


  • Trap: Chasing kill death ratio (K/D) leads to playing passively or rushing without purpose. Squad rewards objective control, building, and revives.

  • Tip: You earn more points/experience for captures, kills near objectives, revives, and repairs. There are no virtual items or progression rewards tied to kills – only cosmetic unlocks (skins, etc.) that come from playing any role.


    • 2. Weapon Unlocks are Cosmetic Only


  • Trap: Thinking you need to grind to unlock better weapons. Squad has no weapon progression – all weapons are available from the start, determined by faction and kit.

  • Tip: Spend your time learning the existing weapons rather than worrying about unlocks. The only grind is for cosmetic items (camos, skins) via the in-game currency “Ticket” earned from playing matches.


    • 3. Spending Hours in Training Mode


  • Trap: Staying in Jensen’s Range for hours practicing perfect aim. Useful, but not a replacement for live games.

  • Tip: Use training for 30 minutes to learn basics (recoil patterns, vehicle controls), then jump into live matches. You will learn more from real players than bots.


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    Online Etiquette & Anti-Cheat



    1. Microphone Etiquette


  • Do: Use push-to-talk (PTT) – default key Caps Lock or V – to avoid broadcasting background noise. Speak clearly and concisely. Use local chat to communicate with nearby friendlies, squad chat for squad info, and command chat (only for SLs) for commander-level coordination.

  • Don’t: Chat during firefights unless it’s a critical callout. Avoid lingering music, screaming, or roleplaying. Squad veterans will mute or kick you.


    • 2. Respect the Chain of Command


  • Do: Follow your squad leader’s orders, even if you disagree. If you want a change, suggest it politely. If the SL is incompetent, leave the squad and join another or create your own.

  • Don’t: Micromanage your SL or argue in squad chat. If you see an issue (e.g., FOB placement), wait until you respawn to discuss.


    • 3. No Team Killing (TK) or Griefing


  • Warning: Intentional TKs, stealing vehicles, or destroying friendly assets (like HABs) are serious offenses. Server admins ban players for these actions.

  • Anti-Cheat: Squad uses Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC). Cheating (aimbots, wallhacks) results in permanent bans across all servers. There is no appeal process. Report suspected cheaters to the server admin or via the official Squad Discord.


    • 4. Server Rules Vary – Read Them


  • Pitfall: Many servers have specific rules about vehicle claiming, artillery usage, or squad composition. Ignoring them can get you kicked or banned.

  • Tip: When joining a new server, press ESC and look for the “Server Rules” button. Common rules: no ramming helicopters, limited marksmen per squad (usually 1), and no shooting from main base.


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    Save Management Advice



    1. No In-Game Saves – But Save Your Keybinds


  • Fact: Squad is entirely multiplayer; there is no single-player campaign, auto-save, or manual save. Your progress (stats, cosmetics) is stored server-side tied to your Steam account.

  • Tip: To save your controls and settings, go to the Settings menu. Your configuration is stored locally in your user profile folder (usually `%localappdata%\Squad\Saved\Config\WindowsClient`). You can back up files like `Input.ini` and `GameUserSettings.ini` if you want to transfer settings to another computer or after a reinstall.


    • 2. Rebind Your Keys Before Playing


  • Pitfall: Default keybinds (especially for radio channel switching) are not optimal. New players often struggle with toggling voice channels.

  • Tip: Remap Squad Chat (default V), Local Chat (default B), and Command Chat (if SL) to easy-to-reach keys. Many players use mouse buttons or side buttons. Save these settings early – you don’t want to relearn controls after 100 hours.


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Things Players Commonly Regret Not Knowing Earlier



1. You can move while healing as a medic – but at reduced speed. Many new medics stand still, making themselves easy targets.
2. The map (M key) shows enemy radio icons when you’re within 50m of a FOB. Use this to locate hidden enemy HABs.
3. Suppression effect (blur, aim shake) is heavy – do not try to outshoot suppressed enemies. Wait for it to fade or find cover.
4. Stamina management – sprinting too much drains stamina, increasing weapon sway. Walk when safe, sprint only when crossing open areas or going for close-quarters fights.
5. Shovels (entrenching tool) can dig up friendly FOBs if you hold left-click on the radio, and build/destroy constructions. Many players don’t know they can help destroy a badly placed FOB to free up build points.
6. Logistics trucks carry 1200 build points and 1200 ammo points – that’s enough for 2 full HABs. Don’t waste them on small outposts.
7. Commanders can use artillery strikes – but they require a radio and a forward observer (a squad leader near the target) to call. Don’t expect artillery to come instantly.
8. If you are not in a squad, you cannot see squad markers or use voice channels effectively. Always join a squad. If all are full, create a locked squad and wait for others.

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Final Words



Squad is a game that punishes individual heroics and rewards patience, communication, and situational awareness. The most important note: listen to your squad leader and stick with your team. The learning curve is steep but extremely rewarding when your squad works like a well-oiled machine. Avoid the pitfalls above, and you’ll transition from a liability to an asset much faster.