The Art of Target Selection (*UPDATED*)

I've been playing airsoft for the last few years, and during my airsoft career I've played as a sniper, DM, and a support gunner. Last weekend while I was playing as a support gunner, I realized that the support gunner and the sniper have quite a bit in common. So I thought I should discuss my thoughts and maybe this will help some of you who are just starting or who have been playing for a long time.

Target Selection

As a sniper one of your jobs is to take accurate and precise shots at enemy combatants to either hit them or you use indirect fire to suppress the enemy to allow your teammates to flank them or move up on them and take them out. As a support gunner you use brute force to suppress you enemy through indirect fire that allows your teammates to flank or to move up on and eliminate.

Organization

I realized that when you are playing either of these rolls, you must be able to organize target selection. When playing as a sniper and you see a group of people who do you shoot at? Do you shoot at the person who is most open for a clear shot? Do you shoot the person who is in the rear?

Lets list the basic players classes people use in airsoft: rifleman, medic, support gunner, sniper, grenadier, Dm, radio man. What we must do is be able to assess which players must be taken out first.

Snipers and Support Gunners

I realized at games there are very few "True" sniper or support gunners, but when I play those are the first two people I go for. In many states the fps limit for a support gunner is 450 while the fps limit for a sniper rifle is 550 and a rifle is 420. So therefore the support gunner has a greater advantage over the rifleman and therefore must be taken out as soon as possible. Not only to mention that support gunner carry almost twice the amount of ammunition as a rifleman and they don't have to reload as often.

When it comes to other snipers you have to be able to quickly assess the capability of the other sniper. I have been to games where I have seen people with low grade sniper rifles and I have not payed much attention to them, because I know they aren't capable of making super accurate far shot, but on the other hand I have been playing and I've see Livonia aiming right at me and I have made a quick dash to get to cover. The player must be able to quickly assess the skill and field craft of the other sniper.

All-in-all I think that as a sniper we must be able to decide which player when taken from the game will be the biggest cripple to the other team.

Medics

I also believe that one of the biggest targets on the field are medics. As a DM, medics where my first target. I would rather take my time and stalk a medic then go after simple rifleman. The medics are usually easy to pick out because they are either carrying some kind of medical satchel or they are wearing a medic patch. At many events in my local area, medics are required to display they are medics, which makes it even easier for me to recognize them. From personal experience, one of the most stressful things is being at a larger event and having to walk 1/2 a mile back to spawn. By taking out the medic you take out the ability for the other team to successfully function.

CO's

On of the best targets on the battlefield are Co's. You can usually pick them out very easily. They are usually the guy standing around and giving commands to players. If he is taken out, the unit will have a hard time organizing an effective counter attack.

Consclusion

The role of a sniper is to altogether cripple the other team. When I wrote this piece, I didn't look through a sniper's eyes, I looked through the eyes of the target itself. I was able to notice that the more attention you draw to yourself and the greater threat that you are to the enemy team, the more of a chance you will be targeted. I hope this is helpful not only for my fellow snipers, but for the riflemen, medics, support gunners, etc who are being targeted.