Sniping & Pointman Tactics

 

I normally play the role of pointman/sniper because I have powerful guns, I’m good (and humble (hehe)), and I don’t mind dying unless other people take too long (i.e. 20 minutes after I die+) to finish the war. No. 1 rule as pointman/sniper is to have powerful guns so that your ammo reaches the enemy and you can ambush them from long range. I carry My Six shooter (For heavy fighting) and my modified crossbow (for long range combat). Also a stripped-down Lock'n load is a sweet backup gun. In close quarters fighting I prefer my Six shooter but for long range I use my crossbow. Now I will say that carrying the Six-shooter while boosting my firepower also reduces my mobility a little despite the nice duct tape holster. The six shooter is a lot smaller than the ratchetblast and holds more ammo. Also the rate of fire is excellent which is why I use it. One piece of equipment that I consider almost indespensible is a Paper towel roll for a knife. I can't remember how many times I've killed people while they're trying to reload. of course just a crossbow and a knife is a pretty light load for most Nerf Warriors but offers superior mobility and ease of firing/motion compared to even small holdouts. The autogrip/crossbow combo is generally a good choice with enough range so you don't have to charge people with a knife whenever you reload. I would also comment that if you are going to be in serious danger and enemies could charge your position a ratchetblast with Duct Tape roll holster is actually quite acceptable because it offers a good rate of fire at close range. You might even find yourself getting kills with it. A manta ray is also good for the same reasons (in shotgun form) providing a sheild as well (if your rules allow it). Also many people might like to carry a secret shot or warthog for backup which would be good as well. There are endless combinations each providing a certain balance of mobility and firepower. I have to admit I often prefer mobility if possible because my wars normally aren't too big. I often have my bandoleer with me because I have never run out of ammo with it even though it is a little awkward. The only time I don’t is when I’m sneaking through the woods tracking enemy(s) because it gets awkward when you’re crawling around in underbrush and trying to be quiet as it occasionally snags and ammo falls out in the process, not to mention breaking small branches (so much for being quiet). Then I just shove some darts into my pockets. Camouflage is good especially if you’re in a wooded area and a Ghillie suit is even better (while bulkier). If you don’t have either of those use common sense and don’t wear pink and orange. Wear stuff like black and dark green. Occasionally, if you’re in one spot for a while waiting you can put some leaves and twigs on your person (I suppose in pockets and stuff would work if you were moving) to make yourself harder to notice. If you’re laying in one place and do a good job somebody could come pretty close without noticing (I’ve done this). Another thing, don’t make sudden motions, they attract attention.

Most of the time in the smaller wars that I have I "lead" the team and if I see enemies I get them from a distance if possible. If the other team is still alive and gets in close I shoot and if they get too close after I fire I try to get them back however possible. Even though snipers have single shot and can't scare the enemy with a spray of darts they have range and accuracy. Also, if using a knife try to get close to people when they are past your "comfort zone" (where you know you're letting them in too close) instead of retreating. This surprises them and they could use too much ammo and run out or possibly fall back. Whenever reloading try to avoid standing out in the open because this leaves you vunerable and in ANY war you want to avoid being vulnerable. Make the enemy feel vulnerable however possible (barring insults which do no good at least for me). War cries, insane charges, crossfire, outnumbering, all those and more can scare the enemy into doing something stupid and going down faster than normal. It all boils down to "AGGRESSION" Spoon1 which can make your enemies fear you as well as bringing you fast, fun, victorious Nerf Wars.

As far as actually hitting people from long range you must be able to compensate for range. What I mean is you have to aim further up or down because of the distance you are from your target. You of course need to concentrate and when you fire, don’t jerk the trigger, this throws your aim off by a long shot and can cause you to miss no matter how well-compensated (hehe :-P, sniper joke) you are and how good your aim is (which isn’t good if you jerk the trigger). Recently I've noticed that some sniper weapons like the 3b and the Supermaxx 500 have potentially aim-destroying trigger pulls. The absence of a stock on these weapons doesn't help either. I've found that bracing your hand or weapon against your chin can reduce some of that, along with pulling the trigger hard.

Whenever it is possible try to remain undetected. This is for several reasons. Your enemies can't shoot at you if they can't find you, and they don't know where to take cover. This makes your job MUCH easier. Darkness is your friend, it conceals you and generally makes things harder on whoever you are attacking. Enemies have even more trouble finding you if they are in a lit area and you aren't because their "night vision" is messed up. Another trick is minimizing your profile. Make it so that the enemy can't see your sillouhette(I can't spell). What I mean is that if some soldier can see your "outline" above the horizon you are much easier to spot. This applies in much more. The basic principle is try not to look human. What is more likely to be discovered? A person standing in a forest? Or a pile of leaves and twigs with a barrel jutting out? This is extreme and you have to think of what perspective they are looking from to obscure your form. Laying down is the first step, next find some decent cover, then try to point your weapon at the enemy in the least obvious way possible. Let me explain, somebody who's head is obviously sticking out from behind cover is more likely to be seen than somebody who tries to make his weapon, arms, and head appear to be part of the cover. Another option is up in trees which in my opinion isn't the best position because it's much harder to retreat and everyone seems to think snipers always hid in trees. Generally, think High or Low because this is where people are less likely to look. If you can catch a team off guard and keep your position hidden, this is what sniping truly is. If you have darkness, good cover, and possible a ghillie suit, it is quite feasible to take out a team single-handedly. Also, if you have multiple snipers (preferably with the same gun) position them on opposite sides of the enemy and have them trade off shots, buying your snipers more time before their locations are discovered. Simply put, every shot you fire is telling them more about where you are. At first they won't be listening or paying attention, but with every shot they will gradually begin to pinpoint your location and if they blitz you, don't expect to take more than 2 with you unless you have an airzone 6/10 shooter or two. In that case maybe at best 3-5. Your best bet is to escape unless the team is fairly small. Use a ratchet blast or whatever you have for cover fire during your escape because it won't matter how much ammo you have if you're dead. Finally, remember, sound can be just as revealing as sight. Try to be as quiet as possible.

 

This is all I have for now but as always it will expand and hopefully somebody will send me user-submitted stuff.

 

 Back to da Tactics

Return to the Main Page