Battlefield 2 Commander Tips

Here are some tips and tricks for being a Battlefield 2 Commander that I've accumulated from other sites as well as from what I've learned myself for about 3 in game hours. I'm not an expert, just making some tips and suggestions for those having difficulty.

Persuade as many players as possible to form squads, preferably with at least 2-3 players per squad, no smaller (except possibly sniper + SpecOps squads)

I'd recommend playing as an Engineer and find a good hiding spot nearby your teams artillery, radar and UAV trailer installations so you can repair them yourself rather than wasting a supply crate.

Use VOIP! I can't stress this enough. It's much easier to give voice commands to all squads at once than using the in game command interface (but use them in conjunction if possible.

Commend your squads that obey your orders, or ones that are performing well.

Scan the map prior to deploying the UAV. Make sure there are enemy's where you are planning on deploying the UAV. Don't waste it.

Don't send your squads running all over the map. Send them to the nearest objective they can handle.

After a successful, heated battle for a flag, drop a supply crate for your squads to resupply and heal. Don't wait for them to ask for one!

I thought this one would go without saying, but in the past few games I've played, I guess not. Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to be on the front lines and play the commander role. You will suck at both. Play one or the other. Period.

Do not drop artillery, under any circumstances, in the close proximity of your squads, unless they explicitly ask for it.

Don't waste artillery on snipers. Just point them out on the map to your squads, or order a smaller squad to their position to take them out.

When attempting to take a heavily fortified control point, try to have two squads come from multiple directions. Don't just direct them head on, they will usually lose.

Communicate, communicate, communicate!

Cheap, but sometimes effective trick: if no one on your team is in need of a resupply, you can order an artillery strike in the center of a populated enemy control point, then drop a supply crate immediately. Most of the time, the enemy will all jump on the supply crate right away, resulting in a number of artillery kills.