Sniper Tactics & Tips - Bolt Action

[@darioscomicschool1111]

I played yesterday 1000p with my ZHE GERMANS vs US Rangers... I had 11 Dice in my Bag, and my Sniper got a good elevated Position in Hard Cover and Took many many Scalps. I used him like you said, and Hunted for precious Targets. He sniped light Machine Guners, Bars, attempted to kill the Enemies 2nd Lieutentant... My Veteran MMG covered my mid Position and I took also 4 squads of 7 Men Infantry with each a light MG...(the last team had only 5)...which I took from watching your Friend play Germany. The Buzz Saw loomed over the Field. The Enemy tried to shoot at the Sniper, but his attention was at the Main Plaza where his Sherman faced off with my Tiger 4, assisted by my Pak40, Panzerfaust, and he threw his Howitzer Shots in there... Troops battleing in the Nearby Ruin of a big Building. It was epic... and It felt like Saving Privat Ryan. Thanks for the Sniper Advice. I wanted to make him Vet...but the Points where spend on the Medic that on this day saved countless lives... (4-5 at least and gave me another Dice in the Bag for 30p). Next Time I think I will also field a Priest.

[@scholaprogenium7276]

Hey man love the narrative there, really cool! Very pleased that the tips paid off for you :) That's one of the reasons I love this game, so many epic cinematic moments each time I play! Well done on the medic, I always seem to cut mine for something else on the last draft of any list but I need to force myself to give him a good run!

[@FinnishWolfBrigade]

For me, a veteran sniper is almost always an auto-include! Hard to hit, hard to kill and exceptional shot! Can be a real headache to the enemy weapon teams. Also good to handicap enemy medium mortar that is hiding somewhere deep by killing its spotter. Or the whole mortar if positioned poorly. When my sniper manages to kill someone in a bigger squad, I prefer to go for the NCO (except against germans, because their rule) to give them that nasty -1 on leadership tests. But of course I adjust my targets by their threat levels. If an engineer team with a flamethrower is getting close, of course I pop that flamer. Or if some LMG is giving me headache somewhere out of reach then it is his turn to buy the farm. Very good points about area denial! Have been thinking that too. "Trespassers will be shot!" How I like to tell people the difference between inexperienced and veteran unit: When veterans are shot at, they hide their heads. When inexperienced are shot at, they pop their heads up and try to see where the shot came from.

[@scholaprogenium7276]

Yeah veteran snipers are definitely in favour with me at the moment that's for sure, I almost never take a list without one at the moment. I have been guilty of pushing them a little too far recently, they still need looking after and there is definitely a ceiling to their power! Haha trespassers will he shot, love it. For sure the power of messing with an opponent's deployment and first turn manouvres can not be overstated. Yeah for sure, I like the system as it bridges the gap between a dynamic fight and a turn based game; inexperienced troops freeze, scatter, run in straight lines, lie face down and give up or even get lost or left behind during the advance!

[@ChrisS-fh7zt]

Always get a kick out of new players that think they are going to play Jackson from Saving Private Ryan or Enemy at the Gates and so going to take down everything with their super sniper. Then reality kicks in and they find out hitting is one thing but killing or eliminating is another in this game. I take a sniper for one important reason in most cases and that is they are almost a guarrantee pin on almost every shot so that after your 2 infantry squads land hits in a turn then the sniper can put the kiss of death on if the enemy can activate or not or to just waste that turn with a rally order. Now the one that I am liking more and more is the Japanese lone sniper yes it is 5 points extra at 55 regular over 50 for a regular sniper team but they can ignore the first pin and so function like they don't even have it, but if they get a 2nd then you have to add both for any activation or firing.

[@scholaprogenium7276]

Yeah man I think we've all been through that realisation to some degree when we started out! Fully agree with you on using them to shut down units such as veterans with pins, or even a howitzer or AT gun, an extra pin can be all it takes to make them miss when they only get one shot! Will has recently finished painting his Japanese force so I will pass your recommendation on to him, that is a really nice advantage in sniper duels if you don't get the first shot, surely veteran would be a great value investment to make sure you survive the first hit!

[@ChrisS-fh7zt]

@@scholaprogenium7276 Also that lone sniper has the option to take a LMG instead of a sniper rifle for 10 points but if you do it gets the -1 for firing since there is no loader for it and unlike the sniper rifle all modifiers apply where they are ignored for the rifle hard cover, small team ect ect ect. All the rules for it is on page 124 in the Mariana and Palau islands campaign book.

[@gamingborger]

from what i've seen. you take a sniper in case of sniper

[@scholaprogenium7276]

That is a big part of it for sure! Using the Finn sniper has opened my eyes to actively hunting other units too.

[@joelwashere5382]

Obligatory Comment 🫡

[@scholaprogenium7276]

o7

[@MrKieras666]

Clarify if you claim infantry needs necessarily rally to regain coherency or either rally,move or run. Artillery doesn't follow rules for infantry unit coherency, I call it bs. This what you're implying would make snipers game breaking.

[@scholaprogenium7276]

Warlord has recently released an FAQ that states if an artillery crew has a space of 1 inch between models they must advance to get into coherency but can still take the usual shot with a penalty to hit. In terms of infantry out of coherency, you must move them as soon as possible and therefore couldn't rally with the next dice, however with pins stacked you may be forced into an advance order that is hard to pass.