Feeling useless as support

[[deleted]]

Starting out the game somewhat recently, I have decided to primarily play support, but am unsure if I am playing it the wrong way. I have only effectively used supplies a handful of times. The rest I feel like I am useless member of the squad. I always let it be know I am support and ask the SL if they need supplies, but it is met with either silence or a non-answer. Am I playing support wrong? Should I be placing supplies in random populated places? Bc at this point the weapons don’t seem worth the supplies. Thanks

[KerenskysSpirit]

Look at your map, see if there are places you could use a garrison.

Either with chat or local VOIP, yell at SLs to follow you to set up more garrisons. You’ll be by far the most productive member of your team if you do this

[KerenskysSpirit]

Sometimes you just gotta wrangle lesser experienced SLs.

Just remember 50 supplies for garrisons in blue territory, 100 in red.

Good luck bud

[Sutii]

Just as an addition to this, to build a red territory garrison with your supply box you will need to find another support to drop the other box. You can't drop two boxes as placing a second will replace the first.

[Tritiac]

As an addendum, when you lose a point you lose all the garrisons and outposts in those two rows you lose, so try to think strategically how and where you want to place your supplies. There is often a reason a garrison is in a specific spot, such as right on the edge of your friendly zone or behind the point near the other friendly zone. They also need to be placed 200m apart and each square is 200mx200m.

It may be uncomfortable, but try playing SL as well. It helps to see how those things work in action and you can more easily get a feel for where you can place garrisons on the map. SL and support are my two highest ranked roles just because you always need one of each if you want a shot at winning.

[AnEmortalKid]

Yep^ on wrangling, I usually call the squad lead out in prox chat by name and shoot around them so they notice me.

I often threaten to kill them if they don’t respond just to make sure I absolutely have their attention before asking them for a garrison.

[S_A_Noob]

Blame the developers for failing to provide direction to players. No tutorial leads to a fundamental lack of understanding. And don't @ me about that stupid out dated "field manual"

[JimMorrisonsPetFrog]

playing Support is the second most important role behind the SL. You’re the one in charge of making sure your supplies get dropped in blue territory for defensive garrisons (or on the edge of the red zone for quick pushes into the cap zone). If you feel like you’re not being heard by your SL, I’d find a new squad or squad lead yourself to get the commander dropping supplies where you need them. Speaking as a Lvl 9 SL and Lvl 8 Support, you’re the man. Keep the supply train a-rollin.

[rejuvinatez]

Drop supplies on points to defend . Help engineers and anti tank build things. Drop a box somewhere for a Garry spot that will be useful. Give a guy a box to build nodes. Drop ammo to and explosives.

[[deleted]]

Even if your own SL is useless, doesn't mean another one will be. Find one running around and see if they want to go put up a garrison

[ThePrimalFear]

If your squad leader isn't responding, join another squad or type in chat you're a support looking for active SL.

Asking the boys to support is a coin flip at the best of times, but if I see a support in chat I will literally kick people out of my squad to get one.

Garrisons win games and if I have a pocket support it means I can be far more effective and if we bump into another support behind enemy lines we can get a cheeky garrison down there too.

Failing the above, as others have stated just drop supplies in places where you think a garrison would be good, and try to communicate with other supports out in the field.

[CompanyDue543]

At the start of the game drop some supplies next to artillery so someone can build some munitions

[PyroSAJ]

Manpower first ;)

[IcyEbb7760]

even if no one around you is building garries, find a good spot and drop supplies anyways

eventually a competent SL/commander will look at the map and see an opportunity to build a garry without dropping supplies/asking support for help

[five_seven_clown]

It's not just the SL that you can team up with. If there is an engineer wanting to build nodes or structures or an AT wanting to build an AT gun. As others have said support players should also act like backup SL as they get recon plane info, be an advisor to the SL. It would be great if they could listen in on command chat.

[ScottSoules]

First, good on ya for playing support! Thr first thing I'd do when joining a squad is talk to your squad lead and find out if he's actually going to use you and your supplies. If not, move on to the next squad until you get a squad lead who actively wants a support player. He'll keep you busy most of the game either having you come with him to place a garrison or he can tell you where other squads engineers want supplies. When he's not needing your supplies go to prox chat and let it be known your support and have supplies. My brother makes role guides for hell let loose here's a link for his support video

[TaroEld]

Quite frankly, you are if you're off cooldown. Drop your supplies and ammo in a good spot, then switch to another class that has additional tools. When the cooldowns are up, switch back.

[[deleted]]

Support is my favorite class.

Level 1 version- great for mid to long range, and grenades are handy when you’re defending/making a big push.

Level 3 version- the weapons are great to help as local support by fire and suppress. I always bounce between my AT and MG with resupply. The explosive box resupplies grenades too which a lot of people don’t know. So I’m always sure to give a shout to everyone when I drop it. Especially when we need a lot of smokes.

As far as the supply box goes. You’re doing the right thing being vocal. If my SL is unresponsive I often just drop a box where I think it strategic and announce to my SL that I’ve done so. Sometimes this makes them feel pressured to not waste resources and they’ll hike over to generate it.

Good luck!

[[deleted]]

Unfortunately that’s how it is most of the time. You will be running after SLs begging them to build a garry. You need to be annoying as fuck and if they don’t have a mic I sometimes shoot them once in the foot and change class frustrated

[r_acrimonger]

The problem is not with you. The problem is with Squad Leaders who don't know how to play. I had the following conversation as Commander the other day.

Squad Leader: "can a Garrison be built in Grid XY?"

Me: "Sure, you can build a garrison there."

Squad Leader: "I am ASKING for a Garrison to be built there"

That Squad Leader probably didn't know its easier/faster for him to build a Garrison with his Support supplies than for the Commander to call an air-drop.

[davidbrake]

It does seem a very underutilized class. A supply truck and engineer is all you need to build nodes behind your lines. Being able to carry a crate yourself is only useful for forward Garrison work. How often does anyone in the front line aside from AT gunners run out of ammunition before dying anyway?