Squad Assault Guide

This guide is for anybody who wants to know how to successfully build a winning squad for Squad Assault (SA) and other Squads game modes like Wargame.

It covers various topics such as what you should and should not build your squad around, type of maps that are best used for SA in your Squad HQ, and general tips & tricks to make you a better Squads player and better Call of Duty: Ghosts player in general.

1) What is Squad Assault?

Squad Assault is a cloud-based gaming mode designed for one human + 11 A.I. bots (Player + Five A.I. Squad Members vs. Six A.I. Squad members of an opposing team).

Other human players can join and replace members of your AI Squad and fight along side you, but for the purpose of this guide we will assume a completely solo experience since the game mode is designed around one player.

2) How Does Squad Assault Work?

When you select "Find Match", your client contacts the cloud database of all CoD: Ghost player profiles who have bought the game on your particular platform. It downloads the following information from the opposing squad you are challenging:

• Squad Name
  
• Name of individual squad members & rank
  
• Weapons each squad member has been assigned
  
• Map being played on
  
• Game mode being played

Your client sets up a local private match based on the above criteria and then you play. Once you win or lose, it is recorded on the leaderboards as well as the number of points you have earned so far (relative to number of games played and other rankings) along with your Win/Loss ratio. The underlying premise is the same as most competitive rankings: Win more games than you lose and advance higher in the rankings.

3) Pros of Playing Squad Assault

• No lag since all matches are played on your PC
  
  
• You and other players don't have to even be online to gain XP
  
  
• The fun and unpredictable nature of MP gameplay without immature & cheating players
  
  
• Proceed at your own pace; Play as many or as few matches as time allows

4) Cons of Playing Squad Assault

• As you progress up the leaderboard, the bots you play against will also increase in difficulty. You may hit a skill cieling where you can no longer win versus always having varied skilled opponents when playing human players.
  
  
• You cannot unlock every piece of customization gear, nor do Operations (Barracks) achievements count like they do in full MP
  
  
• The A.I. bots in Ghosts are some of the best A.I. in any first person shooter, but they still have limitations and can be predictable when it comes to path finding. So, you can predict where they may go (be) at the start of a match and get easy First Blood kills, if only briefly.
  
  
• The bots will never fully replicate what it is like to play against real players, obviously.

Not only are human players highly unpredictable, resourceful and innovative, but they also have different priorities and playstyles compared to bots. The Ghost A.I. plays in a more straight-forward manner compared to humans. They don't care about their K/D ratio and play all game modes to make sure the entire squad wins and not just one, or two players. This is a positive if you want to see how these game modes should be played when everybody is doing their best to win for the team and not just using a particular game mode to boost their own individual standings.

5) Basic A.I. Squad (Bots) Background

• A squad in Ghosts consists of one human player + five A.I. controlled bots.
  
  
• The five A.I. bots will have separate, randomly chosen skill settings ranging from Recruit to Veteran when operating on their own. The same applies to the squad being challenged.
  
  
  
  
• Player rank does NOT effect how well (or not) a bot plays; Level one bots can beat Level 60, and vice versa depending on internal skill settings.
  
  
• Bots on the opposing squad (should) have higher uniform difficulty settings as you progress through the ranks on the leaderboard. The skill settings are Recruit, Regular, Hardened and Veteran.
  
  
• The bots accuracy are not effected by weapon recoil; Don't waste squad points on buying foregrip attachments since they don't need them.
  
  
• Bots DO benefit from telescopic sights and know how to effectively switch between near and far settings depending on range to target.
  
  
• Bots can use certain weapons better than humans e.g. The Honey Badger has the worst spread of any Assault Rifle (AR) in Ghosts, but bots will use it like a laser. The same goes for LMGs, shotguns, sniper and Marksman Rifles. These can be deadly in the hands of bots, so take care when engaging them, especially at recommended distances.
  
  
• Bots take longer to zero in on targets using silenced weapons just like human players do. Use this to your advantage.
  
  
• Bots know how to use all perks, killstreaks, weapons and equipment, but certain ones more effectively than others. Take care when selecting items & weapons to equip your team with.
  
  
• Bots have very good path finding for the most part and will use all methods of navigation such as ladders, tunnels, back passageways, rooftops, catwalks, etc.
  
  
• Bots will breach breakable walls (Warhawk) and containers (Octane) to aid their navigation
  
  
• Bots can have problems navigating maps with rocky and cluttered terrain such as Prison Break, StoneHaven, etc. Take care when choosing or playing these maps in Squad Assault.

6) How to Build a Winning Squad

There is no one-size-fits-all strategy since half the fun is figuring out what works and what doesn't on whichever map. Also, different players have different ideas on what they feel is the best way to build a squad. However, there are some universal things to keep in mind given the constraints of the A.I. and the game modes you choose as well.



The A.I. is built on the underlying premise they will play according to the weapon(s) you assign them.

If you give a squad mate a SMG, or Shotgun, they will engage in medium to close range combat versus a squad mate who is given a Sniper Rifle, or LMG and will provide long-range support from a distance. Many players incorrectly think giving each squad member a different weapon makes their squad more versitile when that is often a formula for failure more often than not.

Why?

7) Build Squads Around Game Modes, Not Maps

Game modes in CoD: Ghosts are designed around specific types of play and it is *gameplay* you should build your squad around more so than the map they will play on.

Game type determines level of mobility, whether or not the squad should use additional equipment like the Trophy system, IMS, Turrets, etc., and/or the kind of squad mates you want to fill specific roles during that particular game mode. This is the main thing a lot of Squads players don't understand and it is why many squads are ill-prepared for the game type they have been assigned, and/or the map that has been chosen for them to play on.

In Domination (DOM), for example, the key is to capture and hold flags. So, players will want squad mates to not only use equipment like IMS, IED and other traps to defend flags, but also lethal and tactical equipment like flashbangs and grenades to make siezing flags easier. Conversely, if it is a more fast paced game mode like Cranked, you want your squad to do only two things: Move faster and shoot better than the enemy. This might mean stripping them of un-needed gear like flashbangs and IEDs since speed and accuracy are the main focus in this game mode compared to DOM.

Designing a squad around a game mode should improve your odds at defeating other squads when you are not playing with them. Map choice is important, too, but game type should be the priority since a lot of the game modes are slight variations on one another whereas maps can be as diverse as StoneHaven (large), or Showtime (very small).

8) Specific Game Types and How Your Squad Can Win

Team Death Match (TDM)

The most common game type found in Squad Assault is Team Death Match (TDM). It is the most common becausue A) It is the default game mode chosen for Squad Assault, and B) because it is the most simple: Kill the enemy as many times as possible and try not to die as much; The team with the most kills wins. The simplicity of TDM makes it an ideal game mode to build your squad around *because* it is so basic: Move and shoot. It also allows the human player to try out different weapons, perks, and killstreaks without fear of their squad failing too much, if at all.

The emphasis in TDM should be on speed and accuracy and this is what you build your squad around.

Squads should be assigned SMGs and other lightweight weapons along with the appropriate perks that allow for maximum mobility and use of those lightweight weapons. Assault Rifles and LMGs can be effective, but these weapons take longer to aim down sights, have poor hip fire accuracy (even with Bullseye perk) and slow movement (even with the Agility and Marathon perks). Don't bother with secondary weapons, lethal or tactical equipment. Bots often take longer than humans to deploy these devices which makes them easy targets between the time they ready a grenade and throw it. Your squad should be moving faster and shooting more than everybody else on the map in this mode.

Kill Confirmed (KC)

The same strategy for TDM applies to KC since this game mode is just a slight variation on standard TDM. Speed and accuracy above all else. Bots are good about grabbing dog tags, so players can feel free to rack up kills and the bots will nab the tags that are left.

Cranked

The same strategy for TDM applies to Cranked since this game mode is another variation on TDM. Speed and accuracy above all else.

Word of Warning: Be cautious when chosing this mode as your primary game type in the Squads HQ because if you and your squad are pitted against squads & humans at the higher difficulty settings you can lose control of the match very quickly. Bots are already efficient at tracking and eliminating targets and Cranked just amplifies that efficiency two, or three times depending on how many kills the bots can chain together. Add in a very proficicent human player and the odds are stacked against you before the game even starts.

Domination (DOM)

The goal of this mode is to capture flags and hold them as long as possible. Teams gain 10 points for every one minute a flag is held in their posession. Kills, assists and other actions also add to the score count, so DOM is a slower paced game mode about numbers in the end.

Since DOM is slower paced than TDM and its variants, players should build their squads around the specific tasks of capturing and holding points in the map. This may involve them using a lot more equipment like IMS, Trophy System, IEDs, Turrets, etc. to defend the flags than in other game modes where these items are not needed, so plan accordingly. The bots are very adept at using equipment you give them, so couple that with long-range "camping" weapons like LMGs, Snipers and Marksman rifles and you will have at least one bot defending a flag at all times.

Defending is only one part of the game play, however. You should also make sure certain squad members have specific roles in DOM such as Slayers -- Bots similar to TDM that are armed with lightweight weapons whose primary job it is to roam around the map and kill enemy players trying to make their way to your home flag or captured flags -- and Objective players -- Bots who are in between TDM and defending bots whose primary goal is to take enemy controlled flags and defend them, most likely the "B" flag located in the center of the map. The A.I. fights as a team and the side that controls the central "B" flag will defend it whereas the opposing team that is down by a flag will try and capture "B" and the opposing team's home flag as well. Be aware of this and build your squad with this basic strategy in mind.

PRO TIP: Human players can switch roles at will, so design your class to reflect versatility with your primary weapon being a SMG (Slayer), but also carry an IMS, or Trophy System (Defender) for securing flags once you capture them. Human players have another big advantage because they can often sneak behind enemy lines, capture the opposing team's home flag unopposed and hold it long enough to "Spawn Trap" the opposing side in the middle around the "B" flag. It's a lot harder to defend a flag with enemies coming from two sides versus one!

Search and Rescue (Search and Destroy not available in Squad Assault)

I would avoid playing this game mode in Squad Assault because if you are eliminated during the round, chances are you will not respawn until the next one. This is because the A.I. sees planting or defusing the bomb as their number one priority versus grabbing your tag and resurrecting you.

I have also found even if your team manages to lead 3 to 0, it appears to be "scripted" the opposing team will score at least one point the next round to force another round where you may, or may not win. Just keep this in mind if you choose this game type in your Squad HQ, or if choose to play other squads in Squad Assault who have chosen this mode as well.

Blitz

Playing a game of Blitz is almost like a "free" win because the A.I. is not to good at defending their goal at lower skill levels. They will put up a fight, but they are more focused on scoring versus defending. This is why I would not choose this game mode as my game mode of choice because the opposing human player will always outscore the bots, 3:1 in a lot of cases.

9) Choosing the Right Map (Squad HQ)

For any game mode, you want to choose a medium sized map (Tremor, Sovereign, Warhawk, Dynasty, etc.) that allows the A.I. to move around horizontally and vertically to gain strategic advantages. You also want to keep in mind there are only six members of your team versus six members of the opposing team. So, large maps may make getting back into the battle tedious if you respawn far away and have to run back to where you were, previously.

As stated earlier, try to avoid maps with a lot of rocky and uneven terrain (StoneHaven, Pharo, Prison Break). The A.I. can have trouble on certain parts of the map and make themselves easy targets if they get stuck on a rocky slope, steep incline, etc. If players insist on choosing a map of this type, they need to make sure to play with their squad as often as possible to make up for any navigational issues the bots may encounter during the match.

Do Not Choose Small Maps

Contrary to logical belief, you should NOT choose a small map like Free Fall, or Showtime. Human players can process smaller environments faster than the A.I., ironically. Humans may not have lightening-fast reflexes compared to Veteran bots, but they have more tactical awareness in small surroundings and can adjust their play style quicker than bots which can give them a huge advantage in a short period of time.

Avoid Maps with Special Killstreak Rewards

You should also avoid choosing a map that has a special Killstreak reward (Unearthed = Seeker Aliens, Ignition = Rocket Test Fire) associated with the active Field Orders on the map. This will almost always give the opposing human player a distinct advantage in the match since Field Orders can only be used by humans. Avoid any and all maps that have the K.E.M. Strike as a reward because this will grant the side with the human who earns it six free kills (the entire opposing team!) and this can often end the match once it's deployed.

Beware of Maps with Human Interaction

Be careful when selecting certain maps (Frieght, Overlord) that have human controlled elements such as doors and elevators as your home base because savvy human players can use these against your squad by blocking routes normally used by the A.I. Players should also be aware of selecting certain maps where human players can "wall bang" -- kill enemies through thin metal walls like the warehouses on Freight -- Because this gives opposing human players another advantage against the bots.

10) Playing Certain Game Modes on Certain Maps

There are certain maps I will not play on, period. If these maps come up in the rotation, I exit the lobby and re-roll to see if I get something more to my liking. This is not "cheating" since some of the maps in Ghosts are not well-designed and a chore to play on with only 12 players versus 18 as mentioned before.

StoneHaven is the most obvious example. This map is far too big for just 12 players and the long sight lines allow the opposing bots to snipe you from across the map with SMGs when this is not possible in regular MP with humans.

Siege is another map I avoid not because of its long sight lines, but if you get killed at one end of the map, you most often spawn at the opposite end and this means you have to run all the way back to where the battles are taking place. This can cost you vital kills/objectives which in turn causes your Squad to lose the match soley because of bad respawns.

Stormfront is another map to avoid because of it being too big for 12 players, bad spawning and the A.I. being able to see through the tall grass around the building foyer. This gives them an distinct advantage unless human players have thermal sights equipped.

So, play the maps you want to play and are proficicent at because the main goal is to have fun. If you're not having fun, why play?

11) Advanced Tactics & Amusing Anecdotes

Do I Have Your Attention?

If you spot a bot moving away from you, entering a building, fire at the doorjam and this will get the bot's attention. This will make him/her come out and look for you which means an easy kill since you already have them in your sights.



Flank'em All, Let God Sort'em Out

If you are facing Veteran level bots, don't continue to go head-to-head with them because you will loose. Period. The best way to deal with them is move around behind them and take them by surprise. This applies to highly skilled human opponents, too.

Take the High Ground

Make sure to use height to your advantage. This includes catwalks, upper floors, balconies, awnings, nooks, etc. Think in three dimensions (up, down, left right) and not just two dimensions (left, right). It's harder to defend incoming fire from above if you are down below in the kill zone.

If you learn to think in three dimensions, it will be of great advantage in the up-coming Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare!

Shoot and Scoot (Displace)

Bot A.I. in Ghosts learn where you are very quickly, so make sure you don't camp in one area for very long. Tag one, or two kills and then MOVE. The majority of game modes require constant movement anyway, so this should be natural.

However, even in slower paced game modes such as S&R or DOM, you can still defend an objective by changing your position every 10 seconds, or so. This is tactical patrolling or "rotating" and will make you a harder target for bots and human players as well.

DON'T Drop It Like It's Hot

Drop shots in Call of Duty are common place when facing human opponents. However, you should avoid this when playing bots since they can track player movement much faster than human opponents and will still nail you.

DON'T Lie in Wait

Going prone when securing an objective in the open without cover is a viable tactic when facing human players. However, like drop shooting, when facing A.I. bots this gives them an easy head shot because they can instantly adjust for your 90 degree angle when aiming from a distance.

Guns Don't Kill People, Perks Do

This is a basic part of Call of Duty: Ghosts, but I have discovered it is one of the main reasons why A.I. squads lose more than anything else. The A.I. is programmed to benefit from the same perks human players do. So, make sure you use the right perks for the right weapon and the job you want the bots to perform. Don't use increased hip-fire accuracy on a AR. Don't use "Take Down" if you assign a silenced weapon, etc.

There are tons of resources on the internet that explain each and every perk and how they effect every weapon and in-game mechanic. Make the effort to research and PLAN your perk purchases accordingly.

All for One

A major benefit of every squad member (including the player) having the same weapon is you don't have to use the Scavenger perk. You and the bots can run over dead team mates weapons and instantly restock while on the go. This frees up two perk slots for something else more important.

Odd Man Out

There are certain weapons that are better than others, statistically, but there is no "best" weapon in Ghosts. The "best" weapon is the one YOU feel the most comfortable with and have the most success using. I just happen to assign my squads the same weapon I use, but not always. I always have alternate loadouts for the current character I am leveling to give me choices depending on map and game type.

The other benefit of having alternate loadouts is if one is not working as effectively, you can switch to another one when you respawn.

PRO TIP: Ghosts allows changing of class loadouts in the first 15 seconds of the match. So, you can start off with a SMG loadout and if you change your mind, you can switch to an AR loadout within the first 15 seconds WITHOUT having to respawn. I have used this many times when my original loadout felt "wrong" considering the map and game type.

Because You're Special

Once you have your squad finely tuned into instruments of death praying for war, you can start to experiment with the Overkill (carry two primary weapons at once) perk and Specialist Killstreaks (Killing gives you more perks). If you're squad is good at what you built them to do, having an Overkill class + Specialist Killstreak will allow you to agument your squads abilities even more.

I have an Overkill class with one SMG and one AR + Specialist Killstreaks. This is because a lot of maps in Ghosts are a mix of outdoor areas with long-sight lines (AR) and tight enclosed spaces (SMG). This allows me maximum flexibility to experience the benefits of multiple perks at the same time e.g. Stalker + Marathon = Super human strafing machine!

You can always choose to keep regular killstreaks in an Overkill class, but it makes sense to extend your abilities even further for the duration of the match. Having two weapons means maximizing your kill count to achieve the Specialist Killstreaks you have chosen.

Overwatch, not Overkill

An alternative strategy to Overkill is if your squad uses SMGs (for example), equip a long range weapon (Sniper, AR) and provide overwatch while they take care of business up close and personal. The opposite applies if your squad uses medium to long range weapons, too.

This strategy involves staying OUT of buildings and structures and roaming the outskirts of the map picking off targets of opportunity. You don't need any stealth perks, or even a suppressor. You should, however, limit yourself to long range engagements, so you aren't in a majority of gunfights, but are still contributing to the team effort.

This strategy works extremely well in DOM, but is versitile enough to apply to almost all game modes except Blitz, for obvious reasons.

Overpowered (OP), but Still Outgunned

The Ripper (DLC) is considered an OP weapon by many, but that doesn't mean an automatic win by any means. I have no stastical evidence, but I have observed if players pick the Ripper as their starting load out, the game seems to choose a higher skill level of the opposing bots to compensate.

On the other hand, I have faced entire squads armed with only the Ripper and BEAT them because the Ripper isn't as OP as a lot of people believe compared to stock weapons with certain attachments. Your milage may vary.

Bring a Knife to a Gun Fight

I have played close to 1000 matches of Squad Assault on PC, Xbox One and PS4, and one of the funniest and most annoying thing I have encountered are entire squads made up of nothing but knife wielding soldiers!

This seems like an easy win, but never EVER underestimate this kind of squad because the Combat Knife in Ghosts is an overpowered, one-hit kill weapon with no counter. It's basically a roving sniper rifle without the warning shot!

12) Closing Thoughts

In my opinion, Squad Assault is one of the best modes to be included in the Call of Duty franchise, let alone first person shooters in general. I hope Squads and all of its modes are included in future installments of the CoD series from this point on.

The best part about Squads and SA in particular is it allows players to build up their skills at
their own pace. Nothing is more frustrating than having to learn "the hard way". In this case, being
thrown into live MP with people who are better than you and who make it a point to let you know
you are nothing but a dirty noob who won't amount to anything. How is somebody suppposed to get better at something if all they experience is failure and riddicule?

As I stated earlier in this guide, there is no magic combiniation of weapons, perks and maps that determine if your squad is going to be successful, or not. However, certain setups will work more favorably than others, but in the end it's still a toss up given how the game scales the difficulty the higher you progress on the leaderboards. The one thing players DO have control over is whether or not they improve their own set of gaming skills to help their squad out whenever they play with them.

What are some of the basic skills for Call of Duty: Ghosts, and first person shooters in general?

Being able to aim properly and hit targets is the most basic skill there is, but a lot of people incorrectly stop here when defining skill, in my opinion. This is just a foundation of what goes into becoming better at a first person shooter.

Map knowledge is probably the second most vital skill a player can work on. This is where real tactics come into play and can make the difference between somebody who has slower reflexes getting the drop on somebody with faster reflexes... Like the Veteran skilled bots.

The third most important skill players can work on is communication. You can't talk to your squad and give them orders, but you can LISTEN to their call outs and react accoringly. The call outs aren't there just to add "flavor". The bots are programmed to alert you to threats you may not be able to see or hear, currently. This is what team work is based on in the real world. It is often the deciding factor between victory or defeat where stakes are higher than in a video game.

In closing, I want to thank you for reading this guide :)

I hope you come away with a better understanding of how Squad Assault works, how the Squad A.I. works and how you as the Squad Leader have a lot of options at your disposal to ensure you and your squads success. You aren't going to win every match, but you can use the tips & tricks in this guide to help maximize the chances of you winning more than losing, hopefully.

Thank you for your time, and I hope to see you and your squad in the field sometime in the near future!

:)

[conofgaming]

thanks man

[Marsigne]

I just did 18 wins a row on Squad Assault thanks to this guide.

[Marsigne]

Cool guide.

[elias.barroso]

Thanks a lot for this guide. Maybe it is too late to talk about this game mode. I just started to play squad on steam and xbox, Do the difficult settings for wargames in regular changes with my progress? or it is the same regardless of my progress on gameplay?

[Xx__NighthawK]

Nice write up but I'll definitely disagree with you on the best A.I in any first person shooter.
The best A.I belongs to F.E.A.R and by comparison makes cod ghosts bots look very basic, however I do agree compared to previous COD's they are really good.

[Mario]

This is probably a really late response, but I wanted to give my suggestion on Squad Assault and the best type of classes to use for it, best gamemodes etc.

Best Class: Any Smg along with specialist perks and fast movement; silencer+ rapid fire

Best Gamemode: Cranked (You can get upwards to 4000-6000 leaderboard score per game as oppossed to TDM or Domination at like 2000-3000

[TheJester]

grate guide to squads i do love this game but never truly new the best way to play
but you'er guide has helped a lot many thanks bud keep it up

[StoneColdReaper]

Nice writeup! Appreciate you taking the time to write such an imformitive article.

[cleber1nep]

...bem trabalhado o seu guia, vc está de parabéns!...gosto demais desse jogo e principalmente dessa entrada, que diga-se é a melhor coisa feita pela Activision em anos.

[Frovryg]

Thanks for this nice Guid :D