While the main attacking force is providing the first attacks, a two player team of sniper & spotter is sent to sneak right into the heart of the defended position before 'wasting' a large number of the enemy team.
 

Two words sum up what you need to have for a successful attack as a covert team:

1. Camouflage
2. Patience

Knowledge of good camouflage & concealment techniques will enable you to get within yards of your targets, to execute swift and hopefully silent 'kills'.

The two important aspects of camouflage are physical and mental awareness. Physical awareness is what you look like - how good your actual camouflage is. The main points of this are: concealing your skin colour (all over your body), concealing your upper body outline and concealing your eyes.

Mental awareness means you know when, where and how to move. Keeping low or even crawling belly down on the ground is an obvious tactic, but slow, careful movement crouched walking can also be effective if you KNOW you are in a relatively safe area.

Never fire unless you are 100% certain of a hit, and try only to engage targets who are alone, or in small groups who you can 'take out' without making too much noise. Any targets who are fast enough to get out of the way will be on to you with a fire support team.

One of the best ways to to co-ordinate your efforts with the rest of your team is outflanking. If the two main sections of the team are engaging the enemy in two different directions, then you can sneak in at the remaining angle, clear out the enemy team and recieve the praise of the rest of your squad. Players under attack from the left and right will not usually have time to look behind them.
 
 

Don't forget, outflanking doesn't always have to work at 90 degrees - if you run behind and then right round the back of the enemy position, engaging after the two main attacking forces, you'll stand a good chance of catching targets facing the other way, and completely exposed.

Never engage targets who are looking at you. If you hit them, their teammates will assume they were firing back at roughly your position and you'll have to move, quickly - risking all your hard work. If you miss them, they'll be on to you anyway.

Behind bushes and in gullies, you may be on the recieving end of wild, uncontrolled fire - where the enemy is raking the area in an attempt to flush you out and force your hand to expose yourself. There is always a risk of being shot, but unless BBs are landing within a few feet of you, there is no point in moving.

Pyrotechnics offer a similar problem - if someone knows roughly where you are, they may use BB grenades to make you move. Unless within 20 ft of these, forget about them, they won't hit you. If you're within the kill zone, the fastest and safest way of moving without risking exposure is the sideways roll. Stick your AEG at arms length and push yourself into a roll with a knee and elbow. One roll will move you about 4 feet, two, 8 ft, etc. This is also a good method of moving to change your angle of attack slightly, to see round trees, without having to sneak around obstacles, as rolling is transferring your weight very evenly so avoids the usual bruises you get from crawling.
 

Patience is linked to mental awareness, but slightly different !  This requires you to stick at it, even if you haven't had any action for more than 20 minutes of a game, or if all your team-mates have been 'shot out' and you have no real fire support.

When you move, try to conceal your movement with other activity. Wait until the enemy is firing - their sense of hearing will be knocked out by the noise, and their sight will be concentrated on where they are firing. Alternatively, wait until someone on your team is firing, maybe sitting 40 ft away. If you don't fire, the enemy won't notice you, and you're free to keep moving around.

Even if your team mates have been shot and walk past you, never offer them more than a whisper, or a small hand signal to let them know not to give up hope. A simple snap of the fingers is usually enough to get someone's attention if they are aware of their surroundings.

Don't forget though, 'dead men' don't tell tales !  If your own team fires at your area, a whistle, snap of fingers or a shout down a radio (if available) may help.

Many would-be snipers develop their skills after they purchase a rifle for sniping, I am a firm believer in developing the skill before buying the tools of the trade. A good sniper can crawl into a 'hot' area with a spring pistol and still get a similar number of 'kills'.  This keeps the costs down and enhances the level of skill you attain in both mental and physical awareness before you start shelling out £3-500 on a rifle you may never be able to exploit to its fullest potential.

Remember, a good player always takes his or her hits (and truly honourable ones take head shots, even when they might not count). If you do get shot, it's usually your fault for being seen or heard, but don't give up, practise makes perfect.
 

If you are a truly skilled sniper team, you will not get shot, but attaining this takes a great deal of practise and dozens, if not hundreds of games' experience.
 

Happy hunting !
 

This page last updated: Wednesday, October 3, 2001 9:12 PM

copyright 2001Arnie's Airsoft.