* Players Offense - Sniper/Sniping

Written By: iSoaker.com | Page Posted: 20040501

Snipers should not necessarily be a specialized person in a water fight Team, rather sniping is more of a special ability a Team member may possess. As such, snipers are not listed under an assigned role. However, since sniping does play some use on the water battlefield, the following attempts to give some decent guidelines on when and how to use it.

Snipers attempt to soak a member of the opposing side without being seen, thus, without being attacked. However, due to the fact that water blasters fire a stream of water, the shot can easily be traced back to its source. Also, since most water blasters have a range less than 50 feet, escape if spotted or after an attack is almost impossible without being fired at first. As such, the sniper should not only be good at finding and getting into a good sniping position, but should also be an experienced fighter who is able to get away quickly despite being under enemy fire.

The most proficient snipers are able to employ both sniping and"hit'n'run" tactics to soak the opponents relentlessly while suffering from minimal dampness.

Snipers:

• should be armed with a blaster which has a good range for sniping with (i.e. CPS1000, CPS1500, CPS2000, Max-D6000)
• must be familiar with various blasters, knowing common ranges and payload
• should carry a back-up weapon for close-quarter engagements
• should carry a walkie-talkie (if available) for relaying information and location to the rest of the Team
• should make use of higher ground or raised positions in order to increase the range of one's blasters
• must always work for the good of the Team

Suggested Blasters

A good medium or large-sized blaste which has a good firing range would be recommended along with a good back-up blaster. Water balloons also recommended as a last resort.

Suggested Non-Standard Equipment

• walkie-talkies if available
• filled 500mL bottles for refilling on the field (amount of water carried depends on the person and their strength)
• filled water balloons
• binoculars (if available)

Getting Down to Business

The previous section went into a brief overview of a Sniper and his/her attributes. This section will go into more detail regarding various tips and tactics to follow when sniping. sniping, as mentioned before, is a skill to be employed by an experienced Player. Attempting to specialize as a sniper without proper skills in a water fight is basically pointless since one is bound to be discovered soon after sniping. However, there are ways to get the most out of those few moments between firing the first shot and being discovered.

Getting into Position

In order to get clear shots without being discovered, one must first find a spot which provides good cover while giving a clear shot at an area which opponents are bound to pass. Finding a truly good spot is often a matter of luck, though good knowledge of opponent's movement as well as knowing one's blaster's range will be of help.
One difficult aspect once a spot has been chosen is getting to the spot and setting up while remaining quiet and unseen. Sniping allows one to get the first shot if done correctly, but a lot of time, stealth and patience is needed to do it properly.
There are many things to consider when choosing a sniping position:

• height off the ground - the higher one is from ground level, the farther one's weapon will reach. Added range means added time after firing to hide or escape
• amount of cover - natural camouflage usually works better (and is cheaper) than synthetic ones. Staying out of sight while waiting for the enemy to enter the target zone is imperative if one is trying to sniper them
• ease of escape - though one should get the first shot, since a stream of water is fired, the enemy can quickly determine where the shot came from and return fire. Ease of escape become crucial here since one would usually not wish to stick around as a lone gunman
• ease of entry - of course, before one can sniper, one must get into position. If getting into position is a difficult or noisy task, there may be little point in trying to sniper from that spot
• field of view - the more area which can be seen from one's position, the more targets can be fired upon. Larger fields of view allow the sniper to see enemy location more easily than positions with a small field of view

Comments on Common Positions

• TREE-TOP: Up above the ground in a tree's branches often offers a good place to snipe from. Of course, the first part is getting up into the tree (one definitely should be a good climber). Trees offer a raised position allowing one to hit targets further away. Leaves also provide good cover in case of counter attack. Of course, the main drawback is that exiting a tree can be a difficult process depending on the height one is above the ground. Definitely have a back-up teammate nearby in case the going gets wet.
• BUSHES/SHRUBS: Most low-ground vegetation can provide decent cover for many snipers. However, since the position is at ground level, range is limited to the natural range of the blaster. Thankfully, being on the ground also allows for quick escapes if discovered or immediately after the sniping attack is completed.
• SHORT WALLS/FENCES: In certain types of terrain, short walls or brickwork may be used as a good hiding spot for a sniper. The main drawback is that one must look above or around the wall in order to see or soak anyone on the other side. This can lead to one being spotted before getting a chance to attack.
• DITCHES: Being below where opponents may be is not adviseable since they will have the upper hand (no pun intended). Being lower than ground level severely limits visibility as well as decreasing range.
• BUILDING CORNERS: Large walls or corners allows a sniper to remain unseen on the other side while the enemy approaches. In order to see or attack the approaching enemy, one must still potentially become exposed from one's hiding position, but the area exposed can be minimized through careful use of the wall. Being at ground level, the range of attack is solely dependant on the blaster being used. Of course, these spots are often also simple to escape from if discovered or after completing the attack.

:: Submitted Tips

Sniping / Night Fight Tactics by Tyler S. | Posted: 20011130

The following are some good tactics if you are sniping in a night fight. It is easiest to snipe in a night fight because you can now take advantage of the dark. Night fights are best to play at dusk or in a good neighborhood.

Camoflage for a night fight:
You should wear a dark brown if you are fighting in a lighted area. If you wear black, you stand out of the background more easily, therefore you are easier to see in the dark. If you are not in an illuminated area, it is ok to wear black for camo. It is good to wear dark camoflage clothes if you are in the woods. These will greatly help you to blend in to the surroundings you might be in.

Choosing a weapon:
There are many things to look at when choosing a sniping weapon:

a) your weapon should have a range of more than 30 feet.
b) your weapon should have decent power.
c) your weapon should be easy to manuever with.

You want a weapon that balances power and weight. The big weapons such as the CPS 2000 and the CPS 2500 have GREAT range and power, but they are MUCH too heavy to get away with. You have about 1 shot at an enemy and then you're gonna have to run. QUICKLY. Believe me, you do NOT wanna run around with a heavy blaster weighing 20 pounds. I've learned this from experience. The
best blasters to use for sniping are the: CPS 1000, CPS 1200, CPS 1500, Monster (small, 2001)

Those blasters have excellent power and range. They are also not too heavy and you can get around pretty easily with them. The XP 110, 150, and 310 make great medium sniper blasters. Test your blaster to see if it has good range and is in good working condition. You can't snipe without a blaster!

Prepping your blaster for a sniping / night fight:
If you want to be a sniper in a night fight, you need to have the tools to survive on the field. For night fights, it is a good idea to have a flash light with you. It is an even better idea to strap the flash light to your blaster! Use strong, good tape, or attach straps to your blaster to have a flash light attached to your blaster. Use this to see your surroundings or to temporarily confuse enemies. If you are sniping, it's a good idea to have a scope attached to your blaster. You can get these at most army discount stores.
Get a good, strong, durable scope to attach to your blaster. Use really good tape or cord or rope to attach it. Using a scope can GREATLY increase your accuracy of hitting a target. I DO NOT RECOMMEND LASER POINTERS ON YOUR BLASTER!!!
Shining a laser pointer at somebody's face and eyes can PERMANENTLY damage a persons eyes or make them go blind. You want to soak people, not injure them!!!!

Practicing for a sniper's job:
To be sniper, you need PATIENCE AND ACCURACY. Shooting blindly at a target will most likely get yourself under attack be opposing members. You need to practice aiming and firing. Set up targets outside. Preferrably, small, or narrow targets such as poles and cans. Get into attacking position about 25-30 feet away from the intended target. If you have a scope, use the scope to aim, as this will increase your accuracy. Check the wind. Winds can move your stream away from the target, so you can't hit it. When the coast is clear, FIRE!!! If you didn't hit the target, try some more. This will get
you ready for the real war.

WAR:
During a night fight, try to use the lighting to your advantage. This will conceal you from enemy forces. Try to find the perfect place to set up a sniping spot. During a war such as this, you want a small sidearm or water balloons for a last resort if you are caught. Usually, high places and barricades make the best sniping positions. Try to get low. You want to hide from view as much as possible. Be VERY VERY PATIENT AND QUIET. Even if it takes a whole hour and nobody's coming, still hang around there for a few minutes. If nobody comes, go somewhere where you KNOW somebody's gonna go by. If you see somebody you want to shoot, get low and fire at them. Whether you hit them or not, you need to RUN!!!! Get away as fast a possible and try not to make a lot of noise. If you still have plenty of water and pressure left, set up shop somewhere else after a few minutes and SNIPE ON!!!!

These are my sniping / night fight tactics. I hope these will prove useful to you.