How to Run Two Shotcallers on Discord (Offense and Defense)
To run two shotcallers on Discord, put both callers in one command channel, then use a voice relay that sends each caller only to their own team's channels. ShotCaller does this with Voice Teams: the offense caller is heard in the offense channels, the defense caller in the defense channels, and the two callers hear each other because they share the command channel.
Discord can't do this alone. Here's why, and how to set it up in a few minutes.
Why two callers are hard on plain Discord
A shotcaller needs to reach several voice channels at once, and a Discord account can only sit in one. That leaves two poor options.
The first is one big channel with both callers in it. Everyone hears both, so offense members get defense calls they don't need, and the two callers talk over each other. Priority Speaker can quiet the room for one voice, but it stays inside one channel and doesn't sort calls by team.
The second is a separate channel per team. Each caller now reaches their team cleanly, but they can't hear each other, and that conversation is the one that wins the fight. Someone ends up typing in chat or relaying messages by hand.
A standard voice broadcast doesn't solve it either. It mixes every caller into every party channel, which is right for one commander and wrong for two teams.
How Voice Teams splits the calls
With Voice Teams, you name your teams and give each one callers and channels. Here's an offense and defense setup with eight party channels:
| Team | Callers (Discord role) | Channels |
|---|---|---|
| Offense | Offense Lead | Offense 1, Offense 2, Offense 3, Offense 4 |
| Defense | Defense Lead | Defense 1, Defense 2, Defense 3, Defense 4 |
Both callers sit in the shotcaller channel. When the offense caller talks, the four offense channels hear it and the defense channels don't. When the defense caller talks, it's the reverse. Each caller hears the other directly, because they're in the same Discord channel, so they can trade information without anyone else listening.
Members don't change anything. They join their party channel and hear their caller through the bot, layered over their party chat.
Set it up
Step 1: Create a role for each caller
In Discord, create a role such as Offense Lead and another such as Defense Lead, then assign them. Any Discord role works, except @everyone.
Step 2: Pick your channels
Follow the ShotCaller Discord bot guide to choose your shotcaller channel and assign a speaker bot to each party channel. A channel needs a bot before it can join a team.
Step 3: Build the teams
On the Configure page, turn on Voice Teams. Add a team, name it, then choose its callers and channels. Repeat for the second team. A channel can belong to one team at a time. The configuration docs cover each option.
Step 4: Start the relay
Put both callers in the shotcaller channel and type /start. The bot lists your teams and warns you if a team channel has no bot. If the relay was already running, use /stop and then /start to apply your changes. The command reference has the details.
What happens in the edge cases
| Situation | What people hear |
|---|---|
| A channel has no team | It hears every caller |
| A caller has no team | Everyone hears them |
| A caller's role is in both teams | Both teams hear them |
| Both callers talk at once | Each team hears only its own caller |
| Two callers on one team talk at once | Their team hears both, mixed together |
| Voice Teams is switched off | The setup is kept, and every caller reaches every channel |
The "no team" rules give you a useful third role. Keep a raid leader or guild master outside both teams, and everyone hears them when the plan changes. A role in both teams does the same job for those two teams.
How talk-back fits in
Talk-back works the same way with teams. Party leaders with Priority Speaker hold Push to Talk (Priority), and their voice reaches the shotcaller channel. Since both callers sit there, both hear every report. If a defense party leader warns about a flank, the offense caller gets it too, which is often what you want. The talk-back guide covers the keybinds.
When two teams are worth it
Split teams suit fights where groups have different jobs at the same time.
- Where Winds Meet guild wars, with players spread across lanes and objectives.
- Albion Online ZvZ, when a second group flanks or chases a separate objective.
- Throne and Liberty sieges, where attack and defense groups need different calls.
If your whole group moves as one force, keep it simple and use one caller with a backup. Our shotcalling guide covers how to run comms in either setup.
Alliances and cross-server events
Cross-server events ignore Voice Teams, so everyone hears the caller as usual. Your teams stay saved and apply again on your next normal relay.
FAQ
Can two shotcallers talk to each other on Discord while leading different teams?
Yes. Both callers sit in the same shotcaller channel, so they hear each other like any two people in a Discord call. The relay sends each caller to their own team's channels.
Do I need a higher plan for Voice Teams?
No. Every plan includes Voice Teams. Your plan's channel count sets how many channels you can split between teams.
Can a shotcaller lead two teams?
Yes. Add the caller's role to both teams and both teams hear them.
Can I have more than two teams?
Yes. You can add as many teams as your plan has channels, so a clan with many squads can give each squad its own caller.
Do team changes apply during a fight?
No. Team changes apply when the relay starts, so use /stop and then /start. That keeps routing steady during an event.
Do members need to install anything?
No. Members stay in Discord and hear their caller through a speaker bot in their channel.
Is this the same as TeamSpeak whisper?
It's close to a fixed whisper route. Each caller always reaches the same team, rather than picking a target in the moment. TeamSpeak Whisper on Discord compares the two.
Split your comms
Offense and defense calls are easier when each team hears one voice. The Voice Teams guide walks through the full setup, and you can try it on a 7-day free trial. See plans.