Snipers, on the attack

[DavidFields]

I see that snipers have, legitimately, likely been removed from just being scouts, as they often were in CM1: they don't have binoculars, and without being in the chain of command radius it matters less as to what they see.

So, what is the best way to utilize them now, particularly on offense? Just plinking at stuff that is spotted?--are they more likely to target officers?

[Agua]

Same as always: locate opfor assets despite no means of communicating that info.

[MikeyD]

Just yesterday I read someone commenting/complaining about their tank commanders getting sniped on a regular basis. At least with CMSF the best plan was to put them into a good position and hope a high value target crosses his path. Command and hvy weapon crew. A sniper can make quite a nuisance of himself.

Oh, there's also two different classes of sniper. The seperate purchase 'real sniper' units by that name and the integral infantry guys who were issued the weapons as a 'sharpshooter'. Shaprshooter guy's within the chain of command of course.

Oh oh, and something about special purchase units. I believe (I'm not 100% on this) that if you drop a special purchase unit into a purchased TO&E force that special purchase guy will be inserted into the chain of command. So they're not completely free agents.

[simmox]

had a good sniper a few games ago

stationed in the heavy tree and foilage near the front line

he had a great view of the approaching enemies

he did well, 12 casualties and remained unmolested to the end

a grp of american infantry walked right by him without notice:)

[Dadekster88]

I once lost half a squad to a sniper before I even realized that the AI was using a sniper. Now that's just dirty. I think I may have lost a track commander or two to snipers as well.

[DavidFields]

"opfor" is short for, I assume, "opposing forces".

I had also never seen the term "C2" until the manual for the game.

The sniper I got in a QB was in the chain of command, but with the relative spotting it is now, legitimately, less enticing than in CM1 to push the sniper way off into no-mans land. Though, of course, there still is the quirk that you might find something. But one might forget to click on the sniper frequently to obtain the information, and the sniper info could not be used for other's targeting.

Again, all good improvements from CM1.

[Vanir Ausf B]

Seems odd that they don't have binoculars. At the very least they have the scope on their gun that would probably function about as well as binoculars.

[DavidFields]

Vanir Ausf B, I was hoping someone would bring up the issue of the binoculars. Indeed, I was wondering if they spotted in game "as if" they had binoculars--but was trying not to ask too many game-technical questions. My point was almost a suspicion that they had been tactically weakened because of over use in CM1.

But CMSF was in the intervening of CM1 and CMBN, so perhaps there was no "reaction" but just a by-product of the game engine changes.

[womble]

In my current QB, I've given myself a long scouting phase, and if I'd been scouting with snipers (or had sinpers accompanying my scouts, the enemy could well be down a Shreck team, 2 HQs and a Panther commander, as well as members of Infantry squads. All were sitting fat and happy being stared at by standard infantry teams which didn't fancy drawing attention to themselves just yet; a sniper or three would've been drooling at the target-rich environment, though

[DavidFields]

On the other hand, on the enhancing side, snipers no longer have just 10 bullets.

[LarsS]

In my current QB, I've given myself a long scouting phase, and if I'd been scouting with snipers (or had sinpers accompanying my scouts, the enemy could well be down a Shreck team, 2 HQs and a Panther commander, as well as members of Infantry squads. All were sitting fat and happy being stared at by standard infantry teams which didn't fancy drawing attention to themselves just yet; a sniper or three would've been drooling at the target-rich environment, though

I think taking things slowly is indeed the key to using snipers on the offensive. Haste gets them killed needlessly. Since there are only two in the team, it doesn't cost that much to give them crack or even elite motivation, and this seem to help with everything from spotting and hitting to concealment. Hard to judge to what extent, though. And since you can make them part of any platoon, it's easy to send up a split-off scout team from another squad in that platoon to resupply them with ammo when they are gettin low.

[Waaarg]

What are people doing in regards to Soft Factors in QBs?

I have been spending the points to make snipers Elite/+2 due to my experience with SF. Snipers were really underwhelming, and have never really done anything worth mentioning in my entire experience (base, all modules, completed almost every campaign mission, ton of scenarios etc), except for the opening mission in the Marine campaign which featured Seal snipers. They absolutely wrecked enemy squads. It wasn't 1 shot 1 kill, but it was close.

By all reports snipers have gotten significantly better, have people noticed a big difference in lethality/effectiveness for Very high quality snipers vs Regular quality vs poor quality?

This is near the top of the "must test" on my must test list =)