>>6408738I noticed that in all the A3 vs. Z dickwaving, your question was never answered.
Generally speaking, in Alpha 2 and 3, you have a few options for attacking:
1) The Leader of the squad attacks by itself. This allows you to target a specific member of the enemy squad (good for picking off support-defenders).
2) The whole squad attacks. Basically, the leader uses whatever attack you select while the other squad members use attacks specifically marked as PLA for platoon - these attacks are typically not very strong, and deal half-damage unless the pilot has a specific skill, but they do waste support defenses and add +20% hit chance to the leader's attack. The downside is you can only attack the target Leader, not other squad members.
3) The Leader attacks with support from an adjacent squad's Leader. This works exactly like Support Attack does in non-squad games, including needing the Support Attack skill. Unlike squad attacks, you can pick what weapon the supporter supports with. Like support attacks, though, you can only target the target Leader.
4) If you use a MAP attack, ALL attack (that hits all enemies in a squad), or a combo attack (combos are possible when all required units are in the same or adjacent squads), the attack can't be a supported or part of a squad attack.
Squad Leaders are swappable as long as the squad hasn't acted; it basically works like transforming. Usually, though, you have one "Squad Leader" and fill the rest of the squad with repairers, ressupliers, or things with good PLA attacks. And pilots with good seishin, of course.
