Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Greetings, this is Dslyecxi from the Arma community group ShackTactical.
In co-operation with Bohemia Interactive, I'm creating a series of videos to explain some of the
basics of Arma 3. Today we'll be discussing the usage of two types of specialized infantry roles:
the sniper, and the anti-tank or anti-aircraft launcher teams. We'll be covering general
tips on how they can be deployed effectively. Snipers are designed to scout and engage enemies
from greater distances than typical infantry, while launcher teams can knock out heavy vehicles
that infantry are otherwise powerless to defeat. We'll look at snipers first, and then move on
to the launcher teams next. Snipers tend to operate in small groups, some distance from supporting forces.
Due to this, you must take extra measures to conceal yourself and avoid drawing undue attention from the enemy.
Your ghillie suit is intended to camouflage, as well as break up your silhouette, to make
it harder to detect. The key to this being effective lies in picking intelligent places
to hide. Nobody is going to believe that a bush laying on the road isn't a person. Whereas
picking a wooden area or patches of terrain that match the ghillie's colours, is using
it the way it's meant to be used. The same can be said of movement. A key distinguishing
feature between an actual bush, and a sniper in a ghillie suit, is that the bush isn't
going to stand up and start walking. So, stay low, move slowly, and take your time. Be aware
that being a sniper isn't all about racking up a kill count from a distance. A good sniper team
not only delivers precision fires, they also deliver intelligence. Spotting the enemy,
and communicating this to the rest of the team, can be more significant than just popping
off shots. Sometimes you'll do far more damage, simply by talking your teammates through an
area, warning them of dangers or helping them to focus their efforts. When you do need to
shoot, you'll want to have a solid understanding of what you're using as a weapon, how far
you're shooting, and how that distance influences things - as well as what you're target should be.
We'll look at the M320 rifle, as an example of a sniper's weapon. This is a .408 calibre rifle
with a 7-round magazine, and a high-powered scope. Looking through the scope reveals a
standard mil-dot reticule. This is a first focal reticule, which means that the reticule
scales according to the zoom level. The details of how a mil-dot ranging works is a bit beyond
this video, but if you intend to be a high-speed sniper, you'll want to look into it.
Usage of a rangefinder simplifies the process, which most sniper spotter will have access to
in some form. Arma 3 allows you to adjust your sight ranging. Once you know the range to
your target, simply adjust as needed, and the centre of your crosshair will correspond
to that distance. Bear in mind that at extended ranges the bullet will fly significantly above
your point of aim, during its flight to the target - and will strike with less force
than at closer ranges. When you're preparing for an engagement, choose your targets carefully.
Focus on high-value targets: leaders, people with powerful weapons, and similar. You generally
want to aim for the centre of the visible mass of whatever you're shooting at. While
headshots can be achieved at closer ranges, a good chest or upper torso hit will kill
just as well - and has a benefit of offering a larger target area, and less chance for
a near-miss. You'll want to fire from the most stable stance available to you. Good
positions will generally allow you to fire from a prone or in a sitting posture, if grass
obscures a prone perspective. Before firing, make use of your 'breath-hold' key. By default,
this happens when holding your right-mouse button down. This will help to give you temporary
aim stabilization, and is essential for long-range accuracy. Be precise, a single shot is harder
to detect, so make your first one count. Remember that firing repeatedly from the same location,
makes it much easier for the enemy to find you and return fire. Waiting for other battlefield noise
to occur before firing, can help to mask the sound of your shots - as well as
potentially keep the enemy from realizing that they're taking sniper fire, as well as
any other contact they might have. Most importantly, know when you've become compromised, and need
to bug out. Sticking around as a two-man sniper team to face off against a concerted enemy push
to find and destroy you will not end well for you. Particularly if the enemy brings
force multipliers like armor, air or artillery against you. Moving on from snipers, let's take
a look at another specialized infantry role: that of anti-tank and anti-aircraft launchers.
Rocket or missile launchers come in a few different forms, with three primary
goals: either to kill vehicles, aircraft or infantry. Anti-tank launchers are either guided,
like the Titan Short and the PCML, or unguided, like the RPG-42. Guided projectiles are known
as missiles, while unguided are designated as rockets. Some launchers will have the capability
to load different types of rounds, such as anti-tank and anti-infantry munitions.
Rocket launchers have reticules that are calibrated for the drop of the rocket over range.
This is the RPG-42's reticule. You can see that there are crosshairs corresponding to the
point of aim from 50 to 500 meters. If you use it, match the distance of your target
with the correct reticule aim point, and take your shot. Missile launchers, on the other
hand, are primarily concerned with locking on to targets - be they anti-tank launchers
or anti-aircraft. To lock, press the 'T' key while aiming at a target. You'll see
a box appear, and then a diamond fading over it. When the diamond turns solid, your lock
is acquired and you can fire your missile. The Titan Short is one launcher with additional functionality.
While it can lock unto targets and automatically track them, it can also
be fired in an unlocked mode - in which it will track along with the launcher's aim point.
This can be used to precisely engage structures, infantry, or other targets that can't otherwise
be locked. When it comes to the tactics you use with launchers, the general theme is to
act in a manner that respects the tremendous power of the sorts of vehicles and aircraft you'll
be engaging. Agitating a tank by missing it with an anti-tank rocket, is not conducive to your
long-term survival. It's better to just blow them up and be done with it on the first shot.
So make that first shot count. You generally want to strike armored targets either on their
sides, their rear, or from above. The frontal armor is the strongest and hardest to defeat.
Also keep in mind where they're looking. You can tell where driver and gunner are looking
by the orientation of the vehicle and the turret. Firing from the front means a driver
is likely to see your launch signature and communicate it to the rest of the crew,
as well as try to evade it - while firing when a turret is facing you is an easy way to get
yourself promptly exploded. Try to fight vehicles in dense terrain. It's much easier to knock
out a tank or similar in an urban area at close range, than it is to try and hit them
from a distance in more open terrain. Luring vehicles into towns or cities also allows
you to fire at them from above, making it that much harder for them to counter you.
Try to select key hold positions, in which you can only be seen or engaged from a narrow angle.
Knocking out a tank is great, but if his buddies saw you fire and return the favor,
you're victory celebration may be dramatically cut short. If you're using rockets against
armor, it helps to have multiple gunners ready to engage. If the first gunner misses, he
can rapidly communicate the adjustment needed to the second gunner - who can use that information
to improve his chances for a hit. When dealing with aircraft, one must keep in mind that
many are equipped with flare dispensers, designed to keep heat-seeking missiles away from the
target aircraft. Because of this, you'll want to take extra care and fire only when the
aircraft isn't looking in your direction. Giving them advanced warning allows them to
fire off their flares and potentially defeat the missile. Some dispensers will detect the
launch of a missile and engage automatically. If this is the case, you may need to fire
two missiles in rapid succession to get a higher probability for a kill. Two separate
anti-air gunners are ideal for this. Try to get aircraft when they're slow, and if possible,
engage them from the rear of the sides for maximum effect. The key to survival, whether
you're an anti-tank or anti-aircraft gunner, is to stay aware of your environment.
Stay aware of the enemy threat, and employ your weapons such as the odds are stacked as highly
in your favor as possible. As with all things, practice makes perfect. The more time you
invest in learning how to fight tanks and aircraft as a launcher-equipped infantry, the
more likely you are to succeed when it matters.
For more Community Guide videos, be sure to subscribe to the official Arma 3 YouTube Channel.
For other Arma 3 updates, keep track of the official website, Facebook, and Twitter pages.
If you'd like more in-depth tutorials on multiplayer gameplay of Arma 3, and previous Arma games, I'd also recommend you to check out my Channel here.
This is Dslyecxi, and I'll see you on Altis.