OP-4

SNIPERS

INTRODUCTION

In military lore, the sniper wages combat by slinking through enemy lines to take out high value leadership targets at long range. "One shot, one kill," they are known to say.

It is important to note, however, that shooting a paintball is very different from shooting a bullet. Two paintballs from two different markers, traveling the same velocity (hopefully under 300 fps,) will travel about the same distance and will fly about as accurately as one another. At best, a specialized barrel will make as much as a twenty percent difference in distance or accuracy.

But, this twenty percent difference is nothing compared to the ballistic differences between military bullets. A military sniper rifle is accurate at over four times the range of a regular battle rifle (a four hundred percent, difference!) "Long-range" paintball barrels and markers, while useful, cannot come close to that claim.

INTRODUCTIONEven if there were "high value leadership targets" in paintball (sometimes found in scenario ball, I suppose,) it would be impossible to get a significant ballistic advantage that could be used to take out that target. One paintgun just doesn't shoot a whole lot further than any other paintgun.

And, yet, learning to be a paintball sniper can make you very valuable indeed - even when you play walk-on paintball. Most paintballers misunderstand sniper play and they discount stealth and accuracy in favor of movement and firepower. Movement and firepower certainly have their place on the paintball field, as they do in live combat.

Yet, how many times do powerful, aggressive forces bog down in long, drawn out shooting matches that could've been broken by a stealthy ambusher or flanker? How many games end in a tie because every string of paintballs was returned with a responding, but equally pointless, string of paintballs?

Though it may not be like Tom Berenger in the movie "Sniper," true paintball snipers use their superior camo and one-shot elimination abilities to conduct surgical, surprise hits on unsuspecting opposition. By doing so, they have the ability to break up log jams and tip the scales in favor of their team.

INTRODUCTION

Sniper play has a different rhythm than typical paintball play. A sniper who moves is usually a sniper whose cover is blown. That means that the true sniper's place is on the ground, silent and still. Playing sniper requires patience and a willingness to sit quietly, perhaps never seeing another player for the entire game. Boredom gets the best of most paintball sniper hopefuls. However, if you have a zen disposition, you can rack up some unbelievable eliminations as the other guys fall into your carefully laid traps.

EMPLOYMENT

Snipers are best employed in one of three ways.

First, and most effectively, I've seen snipers lay in silent ambush, waiting for the opponents' attack force to push past. These Ambush Snipers become a clever part of a forward-defense strategy. Done properly, an Ambush Sniper can single-handedly pick apart an enemy attacking force after it passes.

Second, a sniper can play forward as a Ghost Flanker. While this is much more difficult than laying in ambush, a sniper who's willing to belly-crawl into position can get behind or beside an enemy force or defense that has become an obstacle.

Third, while one paintball gun doesn't shoot much further than another, a sniper hide on high ground can add a ton of range to the long-shot. A Longbow Sniper on a high hill can harass and control huge sections of the field. Many unit commanders double as Longbow snipers because the high vantage also gives them a good idea of how the game's shaping up.

EQUIPMENT

Paintball MarkerMost any marker will do. Some use pumps. Others use semis. The basic rule is: the quieter, the better. Be sure your marker has a low profile for easy crawling and over-the-barrel-sighting in the brush. Also, going remote with your air source can lower your profile, making it easier to crawl (but the remote hose often hangs up in brush.) Check out www.specialopspaintball.com for a few sniper-friendly markers. Price: anywhere from $150 to the moon.

EQUIPMENT

BarrelMany barrels claim to shoot further or more accurately than other barrels. One barrel that obviously makes a difference is the Tippman flatline barrel. While the accuracy and velocity of the Flatline deteriorates over distance, it does reach noticeably further than other barrels by imparting backspin to the paintball. But, don't imagine that the Flatline is your only barrel option. Playing sniper isn't really about the long-shot. Playing with a straight barrel will actually give you better accuracy at normal paintball distances. Also, carbon-fiber barrels, such as the Stiffi, are much quieter than other barrels, and that can make a big difference on the right marker. Price: $50- $150.

EQUIPMENT

CamouflageA good ghilli suit or ghillie cape takes the cake as the most important piece of sniper gear. Since you can't really reach a whole lot further than the other guys' paintguns, you better get closer to the opposition. If your paintgun, mask and pod belt are completely covered in ghillie leaf, it'll give you a significant stealth advantage in the woody margins of your field. Use the right ghillie, and the bad guys will walk within spitting distance without ever seeing you. Special Ops Paintball (www.specialopspaintball.com) offers a comfortable ghillie suit kit called the Action Ghillie just for paintball players. Price: make it yourself from the kit for around $60 or buy one online for $175 or more.

EQUIPMENT

Sights and ScopesIn order to be an effective sniper, you'll want to avoid getting in protracted gunfights. If you can take a player out with one shot, you will stand a much greater chance of maintaining your stealth. The best way to improve your first shot is to become an expert at using a point sight or scope. Also, make sure that your sight is raised high enough for you to easily see down the barrel with your mask on. Raised sight rails or special stocks can give you the mask clearance you'll need. You will probably never shoot further than forty yards, so forget scopes with magnification. A red dot or holographic sight is all you need to make your first shots count. The sight will help you aim left to right, but you'll still need to eyeball-adjust to account for paintball drop over distance.Price: anywhere from $30 to $300.

EQUIPMENT

SuppressorThe Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms has ruled that all paintball suppressors or silencers that have been manufactured so far for paintball are considered firearm suppressors (and this, arguably, makes them a felony to make, sell or own.) While the internet offers many plans for paintball suppressors, it's risky to slap one on your marker. (As a sidenote: before the ATF made their ruling against them, paintballers learned that suppressors do work and they make a substantial difference in the game of a paintball sniper.)

EQUIPMENT

Pod CarriersA paintball sniper should travel light, with any necessary gear carried on his back so that he can crawl freely. Load bearing equipment, such as a pod carrier, should not bunch or slip when belly crawling.

BipodSince you won't be taking shots beyond forty yards, a bipod is of questionable value. Sure, they look cool. But, they weigh you down, snag on brush and are rarely useful in sniper play. If you must have one, buy a cheap bipod that's very light.

EQUIPMENT

CommunicationsIf you play with a team (and every paintball sniper should) you need to stay in touch with your team leader. Be sure to run the comm cords inside your camo so they don't snag on branches. Since you must be deathly quiet, a radio/headset combo will keep you in touch while keeping you stealthy. Price: $30 plus another $25 for the headset.

SILENT AMBUSHI looked like Bigfoot late for a plane. A moment after the whistle blew, covered in heavy ghillie shag, I ran like a madman to reach my forward position before the other team's attackers made it to mid-fieldI plunged across the wooded side of our defense and ranged forward up the boundary line until I found a good stand of trees and brush. While I forced my breathing to slow, I pulled branches across my legs, made sure my boots were buried in fallen leaves and rolled my sniper-modified DM-4 up to my shoulder.And, then I waited.An agonizing five minutes later, the main attacking force from the other team came crunching through the woods, eyes scanning from left to right. I froze solid, my heart pounding in my ears.The two point men passed within ten yards of my sniper's hide without sensing my presence. Several stayed higher, on high alert for an ambush.

I knew that my team's strong-side attackers had gone up the other boundary and I could hear them from across the field, now engaged in their own firefight. My side appeared wide-open to the enemy attackers -- all the way to the small group of defenders inside our base.

Denying every urge to blast the first guy in line, I let each of the five attackers pass by unscathed. By the time the last attacker passed me, the pointman was beginning to trade shots with our defenders. With the sound of shots fired, the column of attackers excitedly positioned themselves to fire on our defenses. Within moments, they were totally engrossed in the siege against our base.

SILENT AMBUSHNow was my moment. I still had easy shots on the last two attackers and reasonable shots on the rest. The guy who had been giving all the orders stepped into one of my shooting lanes. Taking very careful aim through my pointsight, I fired off two paintballs at the commander and another four at the man next to him. Their arms shot up just as a nearby teammate wheeled around, madly seeking whoever had fired on them. He began blasting blindly into the forest and I dispatched him with another handful of paintballs.The guys on point knew that they were cut off and they began firing at anything and everything. I took one out before his buddy hit the ground and vanished, buried in the leaves and weeds.After slowly circling around his position, I radioed our defensive commander. He ordered me to leave the last attacker and to put a stalk on another attacker who had broken through on the opposite side.I belly crawled along the back boundary of the field, cutting the distance between myself and the attacker each time he traded shots with our defenders. As I neared, I could see that one of the most experienced tourney-ball players on the opposition had gotten in behind our base and was hammering our guys.By the time I closed within twenty-five feet, it became clear that my stalk had been completely undetected. I had a fully-exposed side-door shot on him. I could even read the lettering on his blue jersey. I raised my gun and laid the bright red dot of my point sight on his chest."Phut, phut, phut," my DM-4 purred as three shots chased each other silently out of my carbon-fiber barrel. The tourney guy jumped a mile and, as soon as he got himself together, raised his marker into the air.

SILENT AMBUSH"Who was that?" I could hear one of the defenders ask over the radio. "That guys called himself out and I didn't even hear the shooting." Under my ghillie mask, I smiled big.

Weak-side ambush is one of the sexiest sniper plays in woodsball™. The sniper is actually part of the defense and this play works best when your entire attacking element goes up the opposite side or the middle. The idea is to give the enemy a clear run to your base so that they will fill the gap between your sniper and your defenders. Then, the sniper closes the door and the back-door mayhem begins.

When the whistle blows, the sniper races to a position on the weak side, slightly forward and to the side of the likely paths the enemy might take. It's important that your opponents not see the sniper make his move.

Once the opposition begins sucking into the gap, the sniper must bide his time, allowing the entire attacking element to pass him by. Once the attackers are firmly committed to their siege, the din of the battle will provide sound-cover for him to begin his ruthless work.

SILENT AMBUSHA well-ghillied sniper can take out many players before they catch on to his well-concealed hide if he's willing to go quiet at the right times. By letting the attackers pass the sniper by in the first place, they will be very confused. Paintballers assume that if nobody is shooting at them, then nobody is there. Think about it: if you walk by an area and nobody fires on you, you become convinced that it's a safe area. Letting players walk past is one of the deadliest tricks in the sniper's book.

If you're looking for glory runs to the flag, playing ambush is probably not for you. If you have the patience and fortitude to stand fast and spring your clever trap when the time is right, then Ambush Sniper might be your game.

GHOST FLANKERI've never liked the attack lane along the upper boundary of our home field. Though it's lined with a series of good bunkers, it's usually a race to see who can capture the main bunker first. If you loose the footrace, then you're stranded in the open, tasting the paint of the guys who beat you there.

This time would be different, our squad commander, Rory, explained. "Let's hold short of the bunker and grenade it after they fill in."

With the blare of the whistle, we pumped up the hill, taking a wide, sweeping course to keep us out of eyeshot of the other team. We crossed the road and burrowed into the brush on the opposite side. Our point man slithered back from the lead and passed back the hand-signal indicating that three bad guys had dropped into the center bunker. All six of us popped grenades from our vests and prepared for a mass toss.

GHOST FLANKERAt Daves signal, we rose to a knee and threw our grenades in high, arching parabolas that would rain down like hellfire around the bunker.

When the surprised shouts of our opposition died down, our pointman turned and signaled that all three had been eliminated and that we could advance.

Our boys fanned out, over-running the now empty bunker. As we met no immediate opposition, we continued to press along the south boundary, sliding parallel to the enemy defenses.

As expected, we began to draw sporadic fire from the southern-most pillbox of the defending base. This was where the game could bog down in a stalemate. Rory called me forward.

That day, I was playing Ghost Flanker and it would be my job to break the standoff. I rustled up to the front in my leafy ghillie suit and Rory laid out instructions, even though I already had a pretty good idea what he was going to ask me to do.

GHOST FLANKER“Steve, I'm worried that their main attack force went down the other side and that our defenders won't hold out if we get stuck here too long. I need a break in this defense, pronto. If you can take out the dudes in the pillbox, we'll do the rest. Fast-crawl along the side boundary and hang a left down into their backdoor. Get yourself a shot in the door or over the top of that damned pillbox. Radio me when it's clear."

I gave Rory the thumbs-up and hustled up to the boundary line. I dropped on my belly and began fast crawling, keeping my head in the brush, hidden from the defenders. With a sigh of relief, I emerged unnoticed from the oak brush. I had made it behind their base and, luckily, they hadn't placed anyone in their backside bunker. I just needed a little more ground and I would be able to see through the doorway and into the pillbox.

I slid slowly up and over a mound and worked my way behind a small clump of trees that would give me some cover. With my silencer in place, they probably wouldn't figure out my position for several shots. I knew I had better make those shots count.

Parting the grass in front of my goggle, I could see two defenders bouncing around in the pillbox from one shooting port to another.

I lined up my pointsight on the defender who I could see clearly through the doorway and I held the shot two feet high to compensate for the long distance.

GHOST FLANKER"Brumph! Brumph!" my silenced paintgun ripped out two rounds like a gopher farting. The first paintball burst on the defender's lower back and the other slammed high inside the pillbox with a startling thwack. The live defender, knowing that something was definitely amiss, leaned out the doorway, scanning his backyard for any sign of my presence.

But, I knew that he wouldn't see me in my ghillie and that it would take many such shots for him to locate me by sound. I let loose another short string of paintballs and he waited a little too long before pulling his head back behind cover. Holding his paintgun high through the door, he stepped out with both hands up and a clear orange slash on his mask.

I pressed my comm against my throat and whispered, "All clear. Add two, Alpha Sniper." into the mic. Since Rory had jumped the squad the moment the first defender went down, my guys were already swarming the now-empty pillbox.

GHOST FLANKEROther defenders had become aware of my presence and I was receiving some exploratory fire in my direction. That soon changed as our squad machine gunner blazed into the defensive fortifications with the full fury of his Double-trouble Gatlin gun.

Within a few moments, our guys mopped up the last of the defenders and left with the flag.

Playing Ghost Flanker can spice up your paintball days with some serious glory plays. Of that there is no doubt. But, before you strap on the ghillie suit, you better make your peace with crawling through the dirt. Because, if you're not stoked about putting the belly to the brambles, you won't be anything more than a big, furry target.

A sniper on the move is a sniper everyone can see. Most snipers choose to play the defensive, Ambush Sniper, position rather than face the fatigue and jittery stalks that come with playing Ghost Flanker. Go Light! Take only what you absolutely need onto the field. Keep cutting back on your ammo until you're just as thin on paint as you dare.

POINTERSShoot From a Low Platform. Customize your paintgun until it shoots from a very low profile. You'll be making your best shots from a prone position and you best lay flat. No bottom-line air. No drop forwards. Go remote with your air and get L-O-W to the ground.

Use a Pointsight. You'll need to make your first shots count. There's no better way to do that than with a pointsight or scope (with NO magnification.) You'll have to hold high for distance, but at least you'll know where you're shooting left-to-right.

Crawl Fast Under Cover, Slow in the Open. No matter how good your ghillie is, the opposition will easily spot your movement when you're not behind good cover. That's just how the human eye works. You can crawl fast when you have cover. When you don't, move like a glacier - steady, but slow enough to avoid detection.

POINTERSCrawl, Crawl, Crawl. Nobody crawls in paintball. It's too much work. That's why it works so dang well. You will be amazed at the unbelievably killer shooting positions you can claim when you use the power of the creepy-crawler!

Play with a Team. A flanker's only as good as the team that's backing him up. What good are heroics if nobody's there to see it (and to take advantage of the hole you just busted in the enemy lines?)