# Tips
1. Point your blaster in the same direction you’re looking in, so you are always ready to shoot.
2. Practice shooting while waiting (but don’t).
3. Never run if possible, always crouch when moving.
4. When you shoot at a running opponent, shoot in front of him so he’ll run into your blast.
5. Don’t shoot from the same place twice in a row.
6. Be calm, don’t always shoot back when someone shoots at your shelter, but be ready for someone running at you.
7. Don’t hesitate to shoot at an opponent you can’t see, if it’ll make him nervous or help a teammate.
8. Shoot at an opponent when a teammate is moving in on him, even if you know you won’t get him, so that opponent will rather look your way, but your teammate will.
# Tactics of Distraction
With this tactic your main squad will take the enemy’s attention away from your snipers. Your snipers will be able to come up from behind or from the flanks and take them out. Give the Gunnners and Grunts two extra water bottles, this way they can shoot more than usual, and keep the enemy too preoccupied to notice your snipers. Give the snipers an extra bottle of ammo in case they run out. I recommend putting this in your backpack with the rest of your equipment.
# Silent Movement
You need to quickly and silently get behind enemy lines early in the game. Sounds tough? It really isn’t that hard if you have spent some time surveying the battlefield before the game. You need to ask yourself a few questions-
Which avenues of approach will the other team take to get to our fort?
Which avenues of approach will be the hardest for them?
Which avenues offer the most cover?
Ask the same questions about how your team will most likely get to their base. You should avoid any routes that you think either team will take. You need to pick the route that has the worst terrain. More than likely, no one else will take that route. This route needs to change from game to game. If they get hit from the same position twice, you will definitely pay the third time if you got lucky the second.
Ask these questions…
Does your route offer you good cover most of the way?
Are there leaves or small trees along your route?
Are there obstacles that will make noise if you cross them like dead tree branches?
Is there an alternative route around the obstacles?
Now, the secret of silent movement. You will look pretty goofy doing it. If you do it right, no one will see you doing it. When the battle starts, start off running down your route. If the enemy team is made of a bunch of greenies they will be making a lot of noise to cover your noise. After you have made it about 1/4 of the way to the enemy fort, you need to begin moving silently, and quickly. Get into about a half crouch. This will test the strength of your leg muscles. Plant the heel of your foot, firmly, on the ground and move forward on the outside of your foot. You should look like a monkey running if you are doing it right. The “monkey run” will make a minimal amount of noise. If you are in close proximity of the enemy and you need to move, the key is weight distribution and how quickly you distribute it. Try to put your foot underneath anything that will make noise if you step on it. This includes twigs, large leaves, etc. After you have moved a foot under anything that will make noise, slowly put your weight down on that foot and relax the weight on the other. Repeat this process over and over. The slower the better. It could take several minutes to move just a few feet.
Make sure you don’t have any loose gear that makes noise or will catch on something. Don’t wear anything reflective that can be seen. Silence means nothing if your gear or something you have with you makes noise or gives you away.
# Patience
Probably the most important sniper trait. If you get easily bored, sniping isn’t for you. You may have to sit, silently, behind enemy lines, for 15+ minutes to take one shot. If you get bored or impatient, you increase your chances of being seen dramatically. Most players don’t have patience and will move or take a stupid risk. Wait for them to do it and take your shot. If you can wait, you can win.
# Remain Calm
What do you do when you have three players from the other team within 5′ feet of you? Nothing. Don’t move, breathe slowly, and wait. If they knew you were there, you would already be soaked. After they move past you, find your avenue of escape, take a few good shots and move quickly, and quietly to a new hiding spot.
# Distraction
If a player doesn’t see you and you would like him to look a different direction, try chucking a large rock towards where you would like him to look. Human instinct will get him to look where the noise is. This should give you the opportunity for a quick shot. This usually works a little too well. Caution – make sure there aren’t any other players anywhere near where you are throwing the rock. I assume no liability if you hit another player with a rock.
# Communication
Communication is paramount for any team or squad. A sniper or ranger squad should have good hand signals to show the other members of their team what they can see or are intending to do without making any noise.
To tell someone what you see-
Point to the middle of your chest for – “I”
Use two fingers and point to your eyes for “see”
Hold up the appropriate number of fingers to represent how many of the other team you see
To ask if another player sees anyone-
Point to the other player
Use two fingers and point towards your eyes
Hold one palm towards the sky
To tell another player to give you cover fire-
Point towards the middle of your chest
Move two fingers in a scissor-like motion to simulate running
Point towards the other player
Use your thumb and pointer finger to make a gun and fire with your thumb
Hold up three fingers on your hand and count down 3, 2, 1
Your teammate begins cover fire and you move
To tell the other player to move in and you’ll give cover fire-
Point towards the middle of your chest
Use your thumb and pointer finger to make a gun and fire with your thumb
Point towards the other player
Move two fingers in a scissor-like motion to simulate running
Hold up three fingers on your hand and count down 3, 2, 1
You begin cover fire and your teammate moves
You can also adapt military hand signals for battle use. Or make up your own. Just make sure everyone on the team is on the same set of hand signals.
# Multiple shots – a good or bad idea?
Supersoakers, have the ability to fire the whole firing chamber (assuming you are using a separate compression chamber type weapon. Never as a sniper fire this all out in one burst unless you have a CPS 2000. This makes you liable to attack while pumping. Make short quick bursts of shots, and pump only if you have to.
# Movement & Concealment techniques
You have four primary tactical concerns as a sniper-
1. A good hiding space with at least two avenues of escape
2. A good secondary hiding space with at least two avenues of escape
3. A good third hiding space with at least two avenues of escape
4. A good supersoaker that will hit where you are aiming with one shot
You need to quickly find your two hiding spaces after the game begins. It doesn’t hurt to walk the battle area before the battle and figure out where you can successfully hide. This will save you precious time in the game.
Remain in your hiding space silent, until your target is close enough to eliminate. You do not want to take a shot until your are positive you can take out the target. If your hiding space is compromised before you are able to take a shot, retreat to your secondary position.
You will want relatively short shots. If you are not relatively sure that you can soaker or eliminate (in elimination games) a player, don’t take the shot. You won’t be able to make 150′ eliminations consistently unless you have a great Supersoaker insanely customized to fire automatic bursts of 20x CPS fire for 10 seconds strait over 65 feet.
You want to take on a maximum of two targets. If the other team has a large squad in your immediate area, you don’t want to fire unless you have a quick avenue of escape, cover fire, or a fortified position. Large squads usually spell doom for a sniper.
# Elevated firing positions –
1. Finding a position on a hill –
Probably your best option out of all of the elevated firing positions. If you setup on the top or side of a hill and your opponents are at the bottom of the hill you’ve got a pretty good advantage. Most players aren’t in good enough shape that they can keep running up a hill towards you. It will require very little effort on your part to keep them at bay for a little while. After they are worn out, your squads can work together to eliminate them. You won’t be winded and they will be. You have the advantage.
2. Climbing on top of an object (tree, fortification, building, etc.) –
If the area allows you to climb on top of something, you will need to insure you can get down quickly without hurting yourself and that you will have cover fire that will allow you time to get down. If you are above your opponents, you will have the advantage of surprise. If you don’t have anyone covering your position, you will be in a world of hurt if you miss.
Climbing trees is usually a pretty bad idea, but we’ve seen it done. If you don’t fall out of the tree you will probably be eliminated by your opponents as they laugh their heads off. Trees provide little to no cover when you are sitting up in them. We’re not saying that it can’t possibly work, just that it probably won’t. You would probably have better luck hiding behind the tree, unless your 50 feet up with a CPS 2000 like I was in Dominator War 2. At least then you can find a new position if your shots miss.
A position on top of a building or fortification will probably provide you with better luck. As long as your location provides you a place to hide and cover, it will be a surprise for the opponnent(s) when water comes raining down from above.
# Three basic strategy options for capture the enemies base in elimination type games –
1. Leave everyone back to guard the base. Keep your sniper(s) hidden outside your base to surprise the enemy.
2. Leave no one back to guard the base. Send everyone out. The sniper(s) stay with the squad.
3. Divide into squads. At least one squad defends the base and the other squads are sent out. Use snipers however.
Styles of fighting, Maneuvers-
Two Man Sniper Squad
Two snipers working together is pretty effective. Each sniper has his designated hiding spaces. Each sniper knows where all of the hiding spaces are. One sniper can try and force the other players towards the hidden sniper or both snipers can ambush the other players in a cross-fire. Before the snipers hide, they decide which sniper will fire first.
Leap Frog
Leap Frog requires two snipers. One sniper fires and retreats 8′ behind the other sniper who is remaining concealed in his hiding place. If the opponents see the single sniper and begin pursuit, the hidden sniper fires on them and retreats 8′ behind the first sniper. This will only work two or three times before the other team will stop falling for the bait.
# Recommended Equipment-
# a good main weapon: CPS 2000, CPS 2500, etc…. and especially any power modded CPS designed for sniping. Stay away from the CPS 2700 and backpacked guns because they’re too bulky. If you have to use an air pressure gun I recomend a Max D 6000 because it has good range.
# a good sidearm: Storm 750, XP 240
# binoculars for sighting the enemy, premium bird watching recommended
# guile suite: this is optional, but will help a ton in forested warfare
# a pocket knife, always comes in handy
# duct tape for anything broken dental floss and a sewing needle
Hydrowar 