Introduction
I've been working on improving my win:loss ratio for my war college ribbon for about three months now. I thought I would share some of the things I have learned so far with all you soldiers and commanders in the hope you might appear on my team and help me win!
I don’t believe that anything I advocate or do myself is in violation of EA’s nice policy that could cause your stats to be wiped. If anyone feels differently, please let me know, and I will update this guide.
There are a number of things I’ve found have helped, thing you must, should and could do, but the number one rule about the war college ribbon is this (and it might come as a bit of a shocker, brace yourself)..
- The number one way to get the war college ribbon is to win games.
Wow, well that blew me away.
Getting 50 hours as commander – this is a no brainer, jump on, click apply.
Getting a score of 45 as commander, go on a 64 player server with around 30 people on and take the commander spot. Win or lose, no matter, you should get a good score. Again pretty much a no brainer.
Which leaves win to loss ratio.
Now you know what you need to do, let me tell you how to achieve this.
Choosing a server to play on
The server that you connect to is very important. Here are some tips on how to select your server.
- 16 player servers all the way, unless you want to be here until 2016.
- Low ping is important; most servers kick you for a high one. Common sense.
- Look at the team you are going to be joining. You will join the side with the least number of players. If the number of players are the same, you will join US.
- Join a winning team. Deciding whether a team is winning can be a little tricky. Here’s how I do it.
- Look at the top 5 or so players on each team. If one set has high scores, say around 40 down to 30, and the other team has, say 20-15 the ones with the higher scores being the winning team is a good possibility.
- Don’t join a server where a lone wolf has a score of say 50, and the rest of the team is rubbish. Teamwork is more important.
- Clans tend to make better team players. This is very vague and a horrendously sweeping statement, but if you have three people with a clan tag on the same side, the chances are they will be acting as a team in a squad.
- Know how good your potential team is at team work. From the server screen, you can work out the teamwork score:
Name Score Kills Deaths
SomePlayer 50 15 10
A kill is 2 points, so their kill score is 30, the teamwork score is 20. Basic maths, huh.
- Don’t ever join a server where both sides main players scores are 0, or very low (i.e. 10 or less). You can’t make a call at this point on how the teams are doing.
- If a team has virtually no teamwork score, they might still lose even if their score is higher. i.e. Let’s do an example, with the winning team playing MEC on Karkand (or Karkland as so many people call it).
Winning MEC team
Joe 30 15 3 (chances are he’s in a tank)
Fred 28 14 17 (gung ho infantry)
Bill 21 8 8 (some teamwork)
Matt 13 6 14 (prefer not to have this guy on our side)
Max 10 5 2 (maybe in APC or cautious infantry)
Losing USMC team
Mary 20 6 12 (good teamwork 8, maybe medic or taking flags)
Katie 19 8 16 (not much teamwork, killed a lot, poor player)
Deb 18 3 6 (amazing teamwork, probably flags / medic / repair)
Angie 16 16 0 (good commander back of map, dropping artillery)
Judy 10 4 5 (average to poor player, but even mix of kills / TW)
Now this map would be interesting to call, but let’s look at some figures.
Tickets on each side are 100
MEC has 48 kills, leaving 52 tickets to US
US has 37 kills (thanks to their amazing commanders artillery skills) leaving them 63 tickets
So it sounds as though MEC are winning, because they have higher scores and they start with more flags - the scores and knowledge of the maps tell us this. Consider then the teamwork aspect. If the USMC team are taking the flags due to good teamwork (the scores would suggest they are), the tickets will be going to USMC faster, so the chances are they will win the game. Also USMC can’t lose all their flags because they have an uncappable base, but MEC can.
Something to note: Even though they have two poor players in their team, Mary and Deb and the commander alone will probably win this map for them. In a 16 player server, an individual who contributes highly to the teamwork aspect will have a massive impact on the chances of winning a round.
Now if the teamwork on each side was balanced, I would say MEC would win because they start with more flags. If they can hold at least two of these, they will easily win as they are getting more kills.
OK test time. Would you join this server with the sides as they stand?
Answer: Yes. You would join on the USMC side and if you help the teamwork aspect, the chances are you would win the round.
Joining a server with the intent of team switching (because the sides are even) is really, really dodgy ground for of a number of reasons.
1. It isn’t fair. Not that this stops everyone team switching from a losing side once they realize the ship is sinking fast!
2. I believe it’s against EA’s terms, and you may get your stats wiped.
3. You join. In the process of you loading / verifying someone on the USMC team realizes they can switch and… pop across they go. You join a losing side which you can’t change.
Wow, all this text and we haven’t even joined a server yet! Let’s change that.
Select a server using the tips above and join a winning team with plenty of teamwork. Wait while it loads and verifies, use the time to consider how you are going to fund that overdue upgrade to 2 GB of memory and a new graphics card.
Choose your role
Interesting one, but very important. Most people have a class they are comfortable with. Mine is special ops – especially explosives. However, there are three teamwork classes as you all know.
Medic – points for healing, and reduces lost tickets due to deaths by reviving. Good upgrade gun.
Engineer – Can keep vehicles and commander assets in ship shape, enabling harassment of enemy. Good upgrade guns
Supply – Keeps vehicles and troops supplied with ammo. Gun should be used for suppression.
Out of the three, most people select medic. Which is why I go for engineer – rounding off the team. Remember if your team is rounded and works well together, it will be unstoppable. The enemy will not know what hit them!
LG-Mindbullets did an amazing post on being the primary contributor. You can find it here: http://forums.bf2s.com/viewtopic.php?id=6948. Read and digest this because it will help you win.
Flags, then kills win the game
No too difficult this section, but it’s one that pretty much 90% of players on a server seem to forget. They get involved in shooting other people, when it isn’t about that. So for those 90%, here are the basic rules in order to win the match.
- You aren’t going for medals.
- You aren’t going for score.
- You are going to win the game.
- Holding flags wins.
- If you have all the flags you win.
- If you have most of the flags, their tickets will be going down a lot quicker.
- If the flags stay about even, then (and only then) it’s the kills that will win the game.
- Teamwork is vital.
Teamwork will help taking the flags and getting kills. Reviving a player in the middle of action will let him help take out the enemy (two against one are better odds). Repairing a tank in the middle of a tank exchange will pretty much guarantee you blow up their tank, saving a lot of infantry lives, and a long drive back to the action by your tank driver. Those infantry will then go on to take flags, you will get repair points and hopefully win the game.
A couple of players who constantly drive past all the action and take flags at the back of the map is the single most pain in the ass thing a commander can face.
- First because it loses a flag and his tickets will go down quicker.
- Second because it means that the enemy now has two places they can appear – in front of and behind your troops.
- Third because it means you have to split your forces from defending the front line to recapturing the flag.
If you are playing commander and you see a jeep flying up the map, drop an artillery at the potential flag before they get there, stay at the back and deal with them, but above all, let your soldiers know they are there. Don’t let them take that flag!
If you are a soldier, do this at all costs. Taking just one flag can be the turning point in a game. Flags are very important when it comes to winning.
Keep on the winning side
Some of you will no doubt translate this to “teamswitch”. I am not saying that at all, in fact I’ve already advocated against it. What I mean is this.
If you are playing as a lone wolf or squad member and you get killed, if your team has two or more people than the enemy team you will be team switched. Guaranteed. Pop, instant loss when you have worked you ass off to help your team (who is now your enemy) win the game.
How unfair is that? Sometimes it isn’t your fault. I’ve been killed in a tank by a friendly helicopter with two tickets to go and got moved. I’ve been guarding a flag using the gun on a jeep when someone jumped in and drove it over the edge of a cliff, killing us both, and I got teamswitched.
I understand why it’s done, and it’s better than the alternative (15 players against 1 on the losing side), but how do you stop this craziness? Ah, EA in their wisdom stops commanders and squad leaders getting team switched. So, first thing you do, without fail is create a squad or apply for commander.
If you take commander position, you will not get switched. However, if you forget to take it again next round, or if someone else take it, you are a candidate for switching. Create a squad if you don’t get or take the commander position again.
If you are squad leader and are doing well, people will join you and you can lead them to the flags for a quicker win.
Don’t leave vehicles for the enemy you muppets
One thing that makes me really annoyed is troops leaving a tank and an APC and going on foot, only to get mowed down by an enemy tank.
A vehicle offers instant protection and speed. Leave it for long enough and the enemy will steal that advantage from you and use it against you.
If you get in a tank, and see the APC is available, tell your team mates. Press the K and type “APC available”.
See MindBullets rule number 12.
Knowledge is power
Oh yeah, the wise old saying – “knowledge is power”.
It really is, and you must use it to your advantage padawan. If you know where the enemy is you know where to shoot. If they know where you are they will know where to shoot. How do you get this knowledge?
- Commander UAV is probably the fundamental one.
- Spot spot spot. If you see someone, unless you have a guaranteed kill (standing over his head with a DAO-12… which you wouldn’t be because you are playing a support class) spot him up before shooting. It’s only a matter of pressing a key then clicking your mouse, so why not let your teammates around you know you have seen someone lurking in your area. Chances are they will come to your aid. (see MindBullets rule number 13).
- VOIP (covered in a minute, wait for it)
If you are playing and no-one is commander, take the role. It’s better to have a rubbish commander than no commander, besides you need 50 hours as commander to get the war college ribbon so you have to do some commanding! I’m not going to go into how to command, there are some good posts already here, but one thing I will say is keep that UAV in the air at all times. Let you troops know where to shoot, and where the shots will be coming from.
Luckily on a 16 player map, the UAV normally covers at least half of the flags if not more, so the UAV should be able to see quite a lot of the enemy troops.
Panserbjorn did an amazing commander guide that you should also consider reading. After all, this is meant to be a ribbon to shows a commander can lead his troop to victory in over 75% of the games he is involved in. That’s a tall ass order, commander, and you are going to need all the tips you can et. You can find this guide here: http://forums.bf2s.com/viewtopic.php?id=542.
Now here’s one that most shy people will not do. Use VOIP. Wow, actually talking to real people… scary huh!
Chatting to the commander or your squad or squad leaders gives the game a new dimension. You feel a part of the eight people on your side, and suddenly everyone becomes a tighter team. It’s just psychology, but it really helps.
Most servers will be quiet except for the chatter of the prerecorded drone of the UAV girl (I sometimes dream of what she looks like, but that’s for another post). You press the V key and tell your squad what to do, or maybe what you are planning, or even that a team of enemy soldier have just killed by creeping up behind you at a flag you were all defending. Suddenly they start talking back. Cool.
Even if they use a different language you can sometimes pick out bits i.e. Blackhawk, or even the tone of a “roger that”.
Making it personal by using team speak means you will get a better game experience, the teamwork will improve, and the chances are that the good players on your team will not team switch or leave because you are striking up a temporary friendship with them. It all adds up to a better chance of winning the game, which is what the war college ribbon is about.
Know when to quit
So you’ve joined a server and had a good run of wins. It slowly becomes more and more difficult to win. That 80-0 win because 55-0, 35-0 then 4-0. Everyone starts to leave on the other side, so players get moved across. New players on the enemy side join who are good team players.
What ever the reason, you know when things are going downhill. You might even get to the stage where you lose a game.
Losing a game means you have to win three games to make it up. 3:1 win to loss ratio. So if you lose, quit. Don’t mess around, don’t assume you will be able to team switch or win the next one because it was ‘so close’.
Losing will make you angry. Anger leads to the dark side. The dark side leads to losing. Losing leads to no war college ribbon.
Know when to quit. Then quit and choose another server. Period!
I've been working on improving my win:loss ratio for my war college ribbon for about three months now. I thought I would share some of the things I have learned so far with all you soldiers and commanders in the hope you might appear on my team and help me win!
I don’t believe that anything I advocate or do myself is in violation of EA’s nice policy that could cause your stats to be wiped. If anyone feels differently, please let me know, and I will update this guide.
There are a number of things I’ve found have helped, thing you must, should and could do, but the number one rule about the war college ribbon is this (and it might come as a bit of a shocker, brace yourself)..
- The number one way to get the war college ribbon is to win games.
Wow, well that blew me away.
Getting 50 hours as commander – this is a no brainer, jump on, click apply.
Getting a score of 45 as commander, go on a 64 player server with around 30 people on and take the commander spot. Win or lose, no matter, you should get a good score. Again pretty much a no brainer.
Which leaves win to loss ratio.
Now you know what you need to do, let me tell you how to achieve this.
Choosing a server to play on
The server that you connect to is very important. Here are some tips on how to select your server.
- 16 player servers all the way, unless you want to be here until 2016.
- Low ping is important; most servers kick you for a high one. Common sense.
- Look at the team you are going to be joining. You will join the side with the least number of players. If the number of players are the same, you will join US.
- Join a winning team. Deciding whether a team is winning can be a little tricky. Here’s how I do it.
- Look at the top 5 or so players on each team. If one set has high scores, say around 40 down to 30, and the other team has, say 20-15 the ones with the higher scores being the winning team is a good possibility.
- Don’t join a server where a lone wolf has a score of say 50, and the rest of the team is rubbish. Teamwork is more important.
- Clans tend to make better team players. This is very vague and a horrendously sweeping statement, but if you have three people with a clan tag on the same side, the chances are they will be acting as a team in a squad.
- Know how good your potential team is at team work. From the server screen, you can work out the teamwork score:
Name Score Kills Deaths
SomePlayer 50 15 10
A kill is 2 points, so their kill score is 30, the teamwork score is 20. Basic maths, huh.
- Don’t ever join a server where both sides main players scores are 0, or very low (i.e. 10 or less). You can’t make a call at this point on how the teams are doing.
- If a team has virtually no teamwork score, they might still lose even if their score is higher. i.e. Let’s do an example, with the winning team playing MEC on Karkand (or Karkland as so many people call it).
Winning MEC team
Joe 30 15 3 (chances are he’s in a tank)
Fred 28 14 17 (gung ho infantry)
Bill 21 8 8 (some teamwork)
Matt 13 6 14 (prefer not to have this guy on our side)
Max 10 5 2 (maybe in APC or cautious infantry)
Losing USMC team
Mary 20 6 12 (good teamwork 8, maybe medic or taking flags)
Katie 19 8 16 (not much teamwork, killed a lot, poor player)
Deb 18 3 6 (amazing teamwork, probably flags / medic / repair)
Angie 16 16 0 (good commander back of map, dropping artillery)
Judy 10 4 5 (average to poor player, but even mix of kills / TW)
Now this map would be interesting to call, but let’s look at some figures.
Tickets on each side are 100
MEC has 48 kills, leaving 52 tickets to US
US has 37 kills (thanks to their amazing commanders artillery skills) leaving them 63 tickets
So it sounds as though MEC are winning, because they have higher scores and they start with more flags - the scores and knowledge of the maps tell us this. Consider then the teamwork aspect. If the USMC team are taking the flags due to good teamwork (the scores would suggest they are), the tickets will be going to USMC faster, so the chances are they will win the game. Also USMC can’t lose all their flags because they have an uncappable base, but MEC can.
Something to note: Even though they have two poor players in their team, Mary and Deb and the commander alone will probably win this map for them. In a 16 player server, an individual who contributes highly to the teamwork aspect will have a massive impact on the chances of winning a round.
Now if the teamwork on each side was balanced, I would say MEC would win because they start with more flags. If they can hold at least two of these, they will easily win as they are getting more kills.
OK test time. Would you join this server with the sides as they stand?
Answer: Yes. You would join on the USMC side and if you help the teamwork aspect, the chances are you would win the round.
Joining a server with the intent of team switching (because the sides are even) is really, really dodgy ground for of a number of reasons.
1. It isn’t fair. Not that this stops everyone team switching from a losing side once they realize the ship is sinking fast!
2. I believe it’s against EA’s terms, and you may get your stats wiped.
3. You join. In the process of you loading / verifying someone on the USMC team realizes they can switch and… pop across they go. You join a losing side which you can’t change.
Wow, all this text and we haven’t even joined a server yet! Let’s change that.
Select a server using the tips above and join a winning team with plenty of teamwork. Wait while it loads and verifies, use the time to consider how you are going to fund that overdue upgrade to 2 GB of memory and a new graphics card.
Choose your role
Interesting one, but very important. Most people have a class they are comfortable with. Mine is special ops – especially explosives. However, there are three teamwork classes as you all know.
Medic – points for healing, and reduces lost tickets due to deaths by reviving. Good upgrade gun.
Engineer – Can keep vehicles and commander assets in ship shape, enabling harassment of enemy. Good upgrade guns
Supply – Keeps vehicles and troops supplied with ammo. Gun should be used for suppression.
Out of the three, most people select medic. Which is why I go for engineer – rounding off the team. Remember if your team is rounded and works well together, it will be unstoppable. The enemy will not know what hit them!
LG-Mindbullets did an amazing post on being the primary contributor. You can find it here: http://forums.bf2s.com/viewtopic.php?id=6948. Read and digest this because it will help you win.
Flags, then kills win the game
No too difficult this section, but it’s one that pretty much 90% of players on a server seem to forget. They get involved in shooting other people, when it isn’t about that. So for those 90%, here are the basic rules in order to win the match.
- You aren’t going for medals.
- You aren’t going for score.
- You are going to win the game.
- Holding flags wins.
- If you have all the flags you win.
- If you have most of the flags, their tickets will be going down a lot quicker.
- If the flags stay about even, then (and only then) it’s the kills that will win the game.
- Teamwork is vital.
Teamwork will help taking the flags and getting kills. Reviving a player in the middle of action will let him help take out the enemy (two against one are better odds). Repairing a tank in the middle of a tank exchange will pretty much guarantee you blow up their tank, saving a lot of infantry lives, and a long drive back to the action by your tank driver. Those infantry will then go on to take flags, you will get repair points and hopefully win the game.
A couple of players who constantly drive past all the action and take flags at the back of the map is the single most pain in the ass thing a commander can face.
- First because it loses a flag and his tickets will go down quicker.
- Second because it means that the enemy now has two places they can appear – in front of and behind your troops.
- Third because it means you have to split your forces from defending the front line to recapturing the flag.
If you are playing commander and you see a jeep flying up the map, drop an artillery at the potential flag before they get there, stay at the back and deal with them, but above all, let your soldiers know they are there. Don’t let them take that flag!
If you are a soldier, do this at all costs. Taking just one flag can be the turning point in a game. Flags are very important when it comes to winning.
Keep on the winning side
Some of you will no doubt translate this to “teamswitch”. I am not saying that at all, in fact I’ve already advocated against it. What I mean is this.
If you are playing as a lone wolf or squad member and you get killed, if your team has two or more people than the enemy team you will be team switched. Guaranteed. Pop, instant loss when you have worked you ass off to help your team (who is now your enemy) win the game.
How unfair is that? Sometimes it isn’t your fault. I’ve been killed in a tank by a friendly helicopter with two tickets to go and got moved. I’ve been guarding a flag using the gun on a jeep when someone jumped in and drove it over the edge of a cliff, killing us both, and I got teamswitched.
I understand why it’s done, and it’s better than the alternative (15 players against 1 on the losing side), but how do you stop this craziness? Ah, EA in their wisdom stops commanders and squad leaders getting team switched. So, first thing you do, without fail is create a squad or apply for commander.
If you take commander position, you will not get switched. However, if you forget to take it again next round, or if someone else take it, you are a candidate for switching. Create a squad if you don’t get or take the commander position again.
If you are squad leader and are doing well, people will join you and you can lead them to the flags for a quicker win.
Don’t leave vehicles for the enemy you muppets
One thing that makes me really annoyed is troops leaving a tank and an APC and going on foot, only to get mowed down by an enemy tank.
A vehicle offers instant protection and speed. Leave it for long enough and the enemy will steal that advantage from you and use it against you.
If you get in a tank, and see the APC is available, tell your team mates. Press the K and type “APC available”.
See MindBullets rule number 12.
Knowledge is power
Oh yeah, the wise old saying – “knowledge is power”.
It really is, and you must use it to your advantage padawan. If you know where the enemy is you know where to shoot. If they know where you are they will know where to shoot. How do you get this knowledge?
- Commander UAV is probably the fundamental one.
- Spot spot spot. If you see someone, unless you have a guaranteed kill (standing over his head with a DAO-12… which you wouldn’t be because you are playing a support class) spot him up before shooting. It’s only a matter of pressing a key then clicking your mouse, so why not let your teammates around you know you have seen someone lurking in your area. Chances are they will come to your aid. (see MindBullets rule number 13).
- VOIP (covered in a minute, wait for it)
If you are playing and no-one is commander, take the role. It’s better to have a rubbish commander than no commander, besides you need 50 hours as commander to get the war college ribbon so you have to do some commanding! I’m not going to go into how to command, there are some good posts already here, but one thing I will say is keep that UAV in the air at all times. Let you troops know where to shoot, and where the shots will be coming from.
Luckily on a 16 player map, the UAV normally covers at least half of the flags if not more, so the UAV should be able to see quite a lot of the enemy troops.
Panserbjorn did an amazing commander guide that you should also consider reading. After all, this is meant to be a ribbon to shows a commander can lead his troop to victory in over 75% of the games he is involved in. That’s a tall ass order, commander, and you are going to need all the tips you can et. You can find this guide here: http://forums.bf2s.com/viewtopic.php?id=542.
Now here’s one that most shy people will not do. Use VOIP. Wow, actually talking to real people… scary huh!
Chatting to the commander or your squad or squad leaders gives the game a new dimension. You feel a part of the eight people on your side, and suddenly everyone becomes a tighter team. It’s just psychology, but it really helps.
Most servers will be quiet except for the chatter of the prerecorded drone of the UAV girl (I sometimes dream of what she looks like, but that’s for another post). You press the V key and tell your squad what to do, or maybe what you are planning, or even that a team of enemy soldier have just killed by creeping up behind you at a flag you were all defending. Suddenly they start talking back. Cool.
Even if they use a different language you can sometimes pick out bits i.e. Blackhawk, or even the tone of a “roger that”.
Making it personal by using team speak means you will get a better game experience, the teamwork will improve, and the chances are that the good players on your team will not team switch or leave because you are striking up a temporary friendship with them. It all adds up to a better chance of winning the game, which is what the war college ribbon is about.
Know when to quit
So you’ve joined a server and had a good run of wins. It slowly becomes more and more difficult to win. That 80-0 win because 55-0, 35-0 then 4-0. Everyone starts to leave on the other side, so players get moved across. New players on the enemy side join who are good team players.
What ever the reason, you know when things are going downhill. You might even get to the stage where you lose a game.
Losing a game means you have to win three games to make it up. 3:1 win to loss ratio. So if you lose, quit. Don’t mess around, don’t assume you will be able to team switch or win the next one because it was ‘so close’.
Losing will make you angry. Anger leads to the dark side. The dark side leads to losing. Losing leads to no war college ribbon.
Know when to quit. Then quit and choose another server. Period!