So just how "stealthy" are sharpshooters?

[noxnoctum]

I'm having a little trouble figuring this out.

First off, does the experience level affect this?

I have multiple crack sharpshooters scouting ahead of my main unit in a PBEM I'm playing. Will they get spotted if moving from patch of trees to patch of trees (i.e in the open)?

I ask because in my last battle I had a sharpshooter literally RIGHT NEXT to an enemy infantry squad and he was not spotted. He wasn't even hidden! (though it was in a wooded area)

Also, is there any way to determine what kind of chance of killing an enemy unit they're getting? Is it pretty much one shot one kill with these guys or what's the deal?

[Michael Emrys]

Also, is there any way to determine what kind of chance of killing an enemy unit they're getting? Is it pretty much one shot one kill with these guys or what's the deal?

Been a long time since I played, but ISTR that they are pretty good. There seems to be an optimum range for them. Beyond that, their effectiveness naturally falls off, but too close and they won't open fire and reveal their position. At a rough guess, I'd say 150-250 meters should work well.

Michael

[Joachim]

Any unit with 2 men or less (at 100%), ie TH teams, Schreck, ATR, LMG, crews from 2-man-vehicles are stealtheir than squads. Sniper are even stealthier. Depending on respective experiences, troops might run over them without noticing - if you keep the sniper from firing.

Gruß

Joachim

[Vark]

Take care, they are not 'Predator like' in their 'invisibility'. I got sloppy during a game and moved a crack sniper from one piece of forest to another and had him gunned down at 100m. His colleague, a veteran, sneaked across and lived. Read up on basic sniper tactics and you should be ok, in covered terrain or woodland they can be detected but it is a rare occurence.

Trouble is they totally unbalance games as they become elite scout-snipers (realistic) able to instantly broadcast, to all friendly units, the presence of all enemy units they encounter (load of pants). Due to their ability to stalk, they can destroy a carefully thought out attack, which tries to conceal its main thrust and no, lots of split units and 2 man teams do not mitigate this ability.

The 10 round limit is bizzare and I have read that it represents a series of shots, or an artificial way to limit their effectiveness. I once had a Hathcock Vietnam encounter transposed to Stalingrad and was suprised at the ineffectiveness of my Elite sniper team.

[SleeStac]

These threads might help, in the fourth thread there is an image with sniper test results in it.

http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?t=49076&highlight=sniper

http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?t=41895&highlight=sniper

http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?t=4595&highlight=sniper

http://www.theblitz.org/message_boards/showthread.php?tid=39828

As I recall, sniper won't open fire inside of 100 meter with their rifle, but will open fire with their pistol at very close range. Occasionaly to great effect.

[John Kettler]

SleeStac,

Welcome aboard! Very useful post, especially that valuable fourth thread.

Newcomers,

BFC officially calls these units sharpshooters, NOT snipers, and a search will confirm this. Even though they're not proper snipers, as evidenced by the lack of spotters to locate targets and protect the shooter, they can be very nasty, as clearly shown in the fourth thread SleeStac referenced.

Vark,

I carefully worked one into position during a ROW battle, only to have him cut down just as he finally gained LOS to a worthwhile target. ISTR a previously undetected 2 cm flak got him. Very frustrating! OTOH, I've had a sharpshooter in cover repeatedly refuse to fire his rifle, then pot three infantrymen in a row at 40 meters or so--with a pistol!

Regards,

John Kettler

[Vark]

I think we can agree CM1's infantry model is a little wonky, having said that the revised Steel Panthers engine turned them into the grim reaper! It will be interesting to see how CM2 handles this unit, given they had such an impact on the small scale tactical battles.