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Squad Academy

Marksman

The marksman is the squad’s long-range answer: precise shots, and a set of eyes that sees further than anyone else’s.

Marksman or sniper?

Section titled “Marksman or sniper?”
Marksman

Semi-automatic rifle with a large magazine. More kits available per team. Bullets drop more over distance.

Sniper

Bolt-action rifle with a small magazine. Better ballistics, close to an LMG’s, so less drop over distance.

Your job

Section titled “Your job”
  • Cover your teammates: your own squad, or several squads at once.
  • Be the eyes and ears of the team. Call out what you see: buildings, areas, sections, vehicles.
  • Be the long-range answer in firefights.
  • Read the game: anticipate how the enemy will move, and where the objective fight is heading.

Four ways to play

Section titled “Four ways to play”
100–200 m behind200–800 m behindENEMYyour squadother squadclose supportor level, on a flanklong-range support
Close support watches the flanks and windows the squad can't see. Long-range support covers several squads from far enough back that most enemies can't spot it. Dotted lines show where each one looks.
Close fire support

From high ground 100–200 m behind your squad, or level with it on a flank for a second angle. Watch the flanks and windows the attacking squad can’t see.

Good at: close support, taking small areas and compounds, easy ranging. Weak at: limited view; a scoped rifleman or MG can often do the same job.

Long-range fire support

From high ground 200–800 m behind several squads. Don’t go level with them: other squads do that. Suppress, and call out what you see.

Good at: hard to spot, low risk, easy kills with big scopes, spotting for the team. Weak at: harder ranging, needs a big scope. Factions with a 4× scope (irregulars, insurgents) can’t really play it.

Defensive

On or behind the point you hold, or protecting supply routes. Alone or in a group, but always concealed. An off-angle next to a defending squad works well.

Good at: stopping a push by picking off key targets, setting up before the attackers arrive, building cover. Weak at: outside the point, enemies can get behind you, and once spotted it is hard to escape.

Lone wolf

Far from the team, only with your SL’s permission. Hunt key targets, not random infantry: spawn points, emplacements, supply lines.

Good at: high impact when you find something, intel on pushes and logistics. Weak at: slow, no backup, and you must win every fight you start.

Staying alive

Section titled “Staying alive”
Cover or concealment?
Cover stops bullets. Concealment, like a bush or tall grass, only hides you. Know which one you’re behind.
Hard or soft cover?
Hard cover such as stone, concrete or earth stops rounds. Soft cover such as wooden fences and thin walls can be shot through.
Don't skyline
On a ridge or rooftop with the sky behind you, your silhouette stands out from far away. Stay below the crest.

Plan your exit

Section titled “Plan your exit”
  1. 1Plan ahead

    Know your escape route before you take the first shot.

  2. 2Be unpredictable

    Expect the enemy to come for you, and don’t move the way they expect.

  3. 3Smoke up

    Under constant fire, pop smoke and wait for it to thicken.

  4. 4Lean and shoot

    Lean out of the smoke to take shots at their position.

  5. 5Zigzag out

    Move to the next cover in a zigzag to avoid their fire.

Spotting

Section titled “Spotting”

Don’t try to scan the whole area at once. Split your view into slices, using trees, poles or other vertical objects as the edges, and check one slice at a time.

Marksman: rifles & rangingEvery faction's rifle, reading your scope, ranging and leading moving targets.