Running a team

[Marauder211]

I've been elected captain of an airsoft team (newly formed and getting our equipment ready). There are somethings i hope to get like advice on how to improve situational awareness, to improving cohesion within the team.

Any advice is welcome and i want to open this up as a discussion for everybody. Also: where can i get custom made velcro emblem pouches? I have the design.

 

[Gepard]

stitchmeup.biz for the patches.

 

[Skara]

Use proper comms, all on the same frequency.

Learn to work in 2 man squads first, it'll make working in a larger group much easier. More like herding sheeps than cats lol.

Try to wear something common for all the members (camo/hat/patch, something that can be seen easily enough), if you want you may even decide a team platform, we personally use anything that takes M4 mags, so if I run out the guy next to me can give me one mag.

Learn a few tactics (it's easy, we usually split in 3 groups, 2 at the sides and one in the middle, whose task is to dish out as many bbs as possible to allow the 2 other groups to flank the opponent) and practice them. A lot.

Yes you will look opor8urr af, but it's fun to be completely destroying the enemy team with some teamwork.

Oh, and don't forget the most important part:

Go out and have fun together, be it a beer or pizza or synthetic drugs best way to build trust in your teammates

we use the same camo pattern, the same platform and we play every Sunday, practicing some tactics when tournaments get close

 

[Druid799]

Definitely go for comms together (I’d recommend all getting the same radio as well) keep the tactics as simple as possible , unless you’ve done it for real anything bar the most basic of movements as a team will go tits up VERY quickly once you make contact with the enemy forces !

But most importantly of all don’t be ‘that guy’ shouting orders at your team mates listen to all there ideas and just have a good laugh and some fun together . ?

 

[Game Cam]

I have met quite a few teams and what has already been said is common across all of them.

Radios

Dress code

And moving together

I play with some mates and alot of people think we are a team cause when we are at spawn we usually discuss ideas about how to win.

Personally I think the best teams aren't the ones that perform the best but the ones that have the most laughs because they stay together for the longest and have the most fun.

So next game we are only using old school guns.

 

[Druid799]

Personally I think the best teams aren't the ones that perform the best but the ones that have the most laughs because they stay together for the longest and have the most fun.

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Spot on ! team I’m in been together over 10yrs and we still dick around like a bunch of kids and have a bloody good laugh ! BUT on the few occasions we do decide to switch on and go for it we can be quite a force to be reckoned with , we’ve been S’ofting together now for so long we all know each other’s playing style so well that we can anticipate each other’s movements without even thinking about it and we all use comms  . ?

 

[Marauder211]

Thank you, guys. I'll definitely keep these in mind. Splitting into 2 man teams is actually a very interesting idea (sounds like a battlebuddy system) so i'll definitely do that. I'm in the process of getting comms. I'm also buying red and blue arm bands for us to use instead of tape. 

 

[Game Cam]

Oh also friendly competition can be fun and push each other to do better.

So me and my mate Toby have a legolas/Gimli thing going on where we will see who can get most kills in a round.

(Toby gets a sick head shot)

Me: "that still only counts as one!" ?

 

[CrackCommandoUnit1972]

This how it is done

 

[Rogerborg]

Oh also friendly competition can be fun and push each other to do better.

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Careful now - never let that lead to pressure to not let the team down.  You'll want to be known for sportsmanship rather than gamesmanship.

 

[Aengus]

Communication comes with trust. All you need is one leader to emerge who communicates well and it's infectious.

 

[Pappa Large]

Didn't McNamara's Morons teach the US military anything?

 

[Seth_Erebor]

I'm a big fan of small squads of around 4-5 players, working together, etc.

Last night while in bed I was thinking that although we are all just slinging BBs at each other, teamwork, training and communication does has an impact on the outcome, but how do you quantify it?

Perhaps they are all counters to threats? So teamwork stops you from being flanked, training makes you more accurate 1-on-1, communication stops friendly fire, etc

When you see the direct link between what you practise and the reason why then it becomes easier to motivate the team.

Now, tools for teamwork is a really interesting subject, the challenge has a few parts:

1. What information do you need to know?
   
2. How can you quickly get that info?
   
3. How can you display it and understand it in under 5 seconds?
   

Let's look at the buddy system, as mentioned above, as an example.

What information do you need to know?

• Where my buddy is
  
• What sector they are covering
  
• What their reload status is
  
• (You get where I'm going)
  

If you can begin to share such information at a speed that allows faster movement, then scale it up to a squad, then platoon, the collective momentum could be a real game changer.

 

[Skara]

Imo that's already too much information..

The average radio transmission should only be used to know where everyone is and quickly plan the next move.

"Squad 1, this is squad 2, we're flanking left, 80m to your 9 o'clock"

"Squad 2, this is squad 1, solid copy, we'll lay some covering fire for you"

Not

"Squad 1, this is squad 2, we have 3 guys with 3 mags and that retard Carl who forgot to load his, we're moving to the left, plz no sh00t"

Buddies should be able to talk to each other without using a radio, otherwise they're doing something wrong.

As you probably already know, expanding radio comms to large groups (in airsoft) usually ends up in a huge waste of time and resources to make sure everyone understood what the Shouty McYelly just said, jamming the channel for anyone who actually wants more details.

It's not easy at all and you risk being too focused on talking to the radio rather than slinging plastic..

And someone needs to have a dual band radio so that he can listen to the coc (you dirty minds) and talk to his squad simultaneously..

 

[Georgeturner2001]

Milsim or skirmish?

 

[Druid799]

Lots of really good suggestions on how to set your team up coming out on this thread , precise communication/dedicated roles in the team/proper drills/best kit to use/etc all really good information.

unfortunately reality is none of it is going to pan out in the real world , with all the best intentions going as soon as you get your first contact with the other team it’ll all go to rat shit and the meticulous planning will go right out the window and your team will break down to pairs and single players doing there own thing , it’s the nature of the beast you just can’t get proper cohesive interaction among airsofters . 

Now i’m not nocking airsofters (seeing as I am one my self !) its that you just won’t spend enough time together for it to be truly able to work , when ever you see real teams in action wether police/SF/regular army you must remember they’ve spent mths if not years together day in day out and it’s practice , practice , practice all the time to the point were they know what there team mates will do before they’ve even thought of it them selves ! and you just can’t get that kind of intuitive reaction to your team mates actions without living in each other’s pockets 24/7 .

so I’d say yes a team can and usually will be a lot more effective than your normal individual players at a scurmish, just keep your expectations low and hopefully you won’t be disappointed if it doesn’t come off as hoped . ?

 

[Samurai]

unfortunately reality is none of it is going to pan out in the real world , with all the best intentions going as soon as you get your first contact with the other team it’ll all go to rat shit and the meticulous planning will go right out the window and your team will break down to pairs and single players doing there own thing , it’s the nature of the beast you just can’t get proper cohesive interaction among airsofters .

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At first, sure it will. Just keep doing it, talking through the mistakes on the way to the respawn and after the game and it will get there. You need a squad leader who decides what to do and practice drills so members know how to do what the SL wants.

We chose the SL before each game day and whoever was in the mood, took the position.

 

[kasaran]

I dont think i could dedicate enough time for this sort of thing.  Wont deny im curious though.  'softers are like hearding cats mind, I often go with a guy i work with.  So we are together alot, we talk tactics and know how we botg play and have tried to buddy in games and make plans.  But after the first respawn we would be lucky to see eachother again.

Squading sounds cool though, probably because i lean towards impression kits (my russian kit is almost complete now) and it would be cool to match up with other crazies who have collected the gear.  But realisticly im not sure outside milsim how well it works as most airsoft games are chaotic and any level of cohesion is lost in the madness.

 

[Seth_Erebor]

I don't think i could dedicate enough time for this sort of thing.  Wont deny I'm curious though.  'softers are like herding cats mind, I often go with a guy I work with.  So we are together a lot, we talk tactics and know how we both play and have tried to buddy in games and make plans.  But after the first respawn we would be lucky to see each other again.

Squading sounds cool though, probably because I lean towards impression kits (my Russian kit is almost complete now) and it would be cool to match up with other crazies who have collected the gear.  But realistically I'm not sure outside milsim how well it works as most airsoft games are chaotic and any level of cohesion is lost in the madness.

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This comment warms my heart, I don't know when but I can see this becoming the norm in airsoft.

I know many will disagree, but I believe there are more players interested in great teamwork than lone-wolf glory.

At first, sure it will. Just keep doing it, talking through the mistakes on the way to the respawn and after the game and it will get there. You need a squad leader who decides what to do and practice drills so members know how to do what the SL wants.

We chose the SL before each game day and whoever was in the mood, took the position.

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Would you go on a free Squad Leader training course?

 

[Druid799]

Would you go on a free Squad Leader training course?

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As the old saying goes “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” in my book ‘free training cause’ = a bag of tits ! If a persons skills are high enough they warrant being able to teach others then they don’t just ‘give them away’ you get paid for it , so if someone IS giving them away for free then they either really suck at the job or there a Walt . 

Just my two penneth worth on the subject .?