Thermal sights: infantry haves and have nots

[Anthony P.]

For factions like US Army infantry with its abundance of Javelin CLUs, how do people employ specialist teams such as snipers and scouts who lack thermal sights? I still haven't come across a case where a fire team equipped with a CLU isn't considerably better at spotting than sniper teams (even with markedly higher skill levels) restricted to normal optical sights are.

So far I'm struggling with putting them to any good use in the Task Force Thunder campaign, they just don't have a clue compared to teams with a CLU (I'll show myself out now).

Edited December 29, 2023 by Anthony P.

[Erwin]

In the game, it does not appear as if scouts (not sure about snipers) have any special training that makes them better as scouts.  Generally it's best to have Crack scout and sniper teams for that reason.  They are quite good.  Otherwise, the lesson that CM teaches us is that scouts tend to be expendable who find the enemy by getting shot.  

[chuckdyke]

2 hours ago, Erwin said:

In the game, it does not appear as if scouts (not sure about snipers) have any special training that makes them better as scouts.  Generally it's best to have Crack scout and sniper teams for that reason.  They are quite good.  Otherwise, the lesson that CM teaches us is that scouts tend to be expendable who find the enemy by getting shot.  

Scouts Veterans and above with a minus factor for leadership. The reason for minus leadership they go quicker in 'shaken mode' and seek cover. Veteran and above are better spotters if you use an infantry squad.  

[Anthony P.]

19 hours ago, Erwin said:

In the game, it does not appear as if scouts (not sure about snipers) have any special training that makes them better as scouts.  Generally it's best to have Crack scout and sniper teams for that reason.  They are quite good.  Otherwise, the lesson that CM teaches us is that scouts tend to be expendable who find the enemy by getting shot.  

The Task Force Thunder campaign features mostly "crack" scouts and snipers, but compared even to "regular" infantry fire teams with a CLU... they don't hold a candle to them. The CLU toting fire team can spot enemy dismounts in less than one turn, when the scouts and snipers didn't find them at all during the game.

Getting any serious use out of them (without getting them CLUs) is what I find challenging. The pros of using them for their intended role mainly seems to revolve around "they're too weak to be used as line infantry, so this is the next best thing".