Most of the time I will take the Commander role if it is free.
I only had once situation where idiots started crapping on me for being a bad Commander because I didn't immediately call up recon, call a strike or force respawn.....
.... because I was too busy helping the team get to the first objective with my SMG, popping my two smokes, helping with my additional capping power, seeing first hand what my team was dealing with and getting an arty mark placed because no other SL was bothering to do so.
Shortly afterwards I finally got to a nearby radio, pulled up the recon, informed my team of the recon, then warned them about the rockets I was about to drop on the enemy's head, told them to keep away from the area and exactly where it was going to land as well as when..... and then did a force respawn when the pool filled up enough.
Then the rockets landed and I wiped out about 80% of the enemy team in one swoop and then instructed my team to advance immediately, restocked my smoke grenades and then helped lead the charge to get the objective with my capping power.
Funny thing is that as soon as the body parts started to fly into the air and the kill feed spammed my kills, those same people shatting all over me quickly changed their tone and as we just rolled over the enemy, they were sucking the corn from my butt and saying I was an awesome commander.
Players need to learn some patience and also need to learn that a Good Commander does not equal some guy who camps in front of a radio the entire match. (And a good Squad Leader isn't someone who just hides in a hole to be a spawn point)
A good Commander is someone who uses all the Commander's abilities in one fluid motion..... this sometimes means you won't get recon planes flying back to back or arty being dropped the moment they become available.
The trade off is also having that extra capping boost in objectives while the enemy's Commander sits on his butt by a radio well away from the objective waiting for other people to mark arty and for recon and force spawns to become available........ the trade off is having those extra two smoke grenades to help your team flank or advance on a position without getting shot up.
.... The trade off is having that extra SMG or Semi Auto dropping those extra few enemies so your team has less to worry about.
.... The trade off is having your team mates gain additional points for killing enemies who shot near you, via "Protected Team Leader / Commander"
If you can pull off all of these things well as a Commander, your team has a huge advantage over an enemy with a stationary Commander who just stares at a radio the whole match.
Sure he can call arty and recon quickly, but he'll also be scratching his head wondering why they're losing so badly when his whole team is in the objective, your team is in the objective too, but they still lose it...... Because you - the Commander - are also in the objective and have the capping initiative while he sits there doing nothing.
--------------
When I play Mamayev Kurgan as the German TL, we have never lost. I order my team to hold back from the first objective. I mark the horizon where the objective is, hop into the bunker for the radio, Rocket their limbs into the air, watch the kill feed spam away, then pop smoke, order the team to attack and lead the charge, wiping out any remaining Russians.
We cap quickly and easily.
Then we move straight into the next objective before the enemy can spawn and make their way into the objective to setup a decent defence..... Capped within minutes.
Then by the time we make it to the third objective, the rocket strike has cooled down and ready to be used again.
Rinse and repeat until the map is won.
