Recon Kit Guide

[Prophaniti]

Recon for Dummies (Including me)

The Recon kit has only recently seen a rise in popularity because of the SL Recon Drone’s expanded utility when there’s a Recon guy in the squad. Up until this realization, Recon was the bastard child of BF2142 because the rest of the kits have greater visibility in their results when playing the game and when obsessively looking at the scores at the end of a round.

Recon isn’t just Recon though…unlike the majority of the other kits, Recon is divided into two distinct roles: Sniper and Infiltrator.

The Sniper:

Sniping is the polar opposite of an Infiltrator’s job. By taking on the role of Sniper for your squad, you’ll spend a lot of time looking through your scope and taking more of an observer’s view of the battlefield.

Important tips for a Sniper:

Spotting-
Since you’re far enough from the action to not be in any immediate jeopardy of death, you’ll be relied on to provide situational awareness to your squadmates. Spotting enemies, verbally advising your squaddies of both immediate and potential threats, and only after you’ve done this should you start popping the occasional helmet off of anyone too stupid to stay on the move. Spotting is the most important aspect of your role. In effect, you provide a higher volume of targeted, useful information to your squad leader than the CO does.

Shooting-
Patience is the key virtue for a sniper. The Zeller unlock is very powerful, but with only 3 rounds per clip, you are forced to conserve your shots to really make them count. Suppressive fire is NOT an option. Shoot only when you can connect with the target. Remember: A headshot kills with either weapon…the Zeller just packs a little more punch for body shots and can take out trooper-deployed assets.
When shooting enemies that are on the move, don’t try to anticipate which way they’ll dodge, because you’ll miss…period. Shooting a moving target should only be attempted if they’re moving in a straight line. Of course, they won’t do this if they know where you are.

Sniper’s Maxim:
The most effective way to kill someone with your rifle is if they don’t know you exist.

With the Zeller (only the Zeller…the default gun won’t do it) you have the added ability of taking out explosives. This goes for all varieties…both engineer and recon. One shot is all it takes to destroy it. There are times when this is useful, and times when it’s not worth going for.
Opening up a safe approach lane through motion mines for a friendly walker: Good.
Doing this when there are 5 motion mines (remember, you’ll have to reload to clear them all) and the Walker has no idea what you’re doing for them: Bad.
Use communication and your brain to figure out when shooting enemy explosives is worth it.

Unlocks-
Dedicating unlocks to Recon is almost counterproductive…and yes, this is a Recon fanboy saying this.
By the time you are able to unlock the Zeller, you’ll be tempted to use it just like the default sniper rifle. You can’t. Reload time is slower, and those extra two shots you get from the default gun will spoil you.
It is actually a much better idea to get that Zeller unlocked BEFORE you start your training as a Sniper specialist.
The Zeller will force you to learn patience, conservation, and accuracy. Once you’ve learned this, going back to the default rifle will give you the ability to perform your role as a dedicated sniper with much more effectiveness than you would otherwise.

Score vs. Contribution-
When you select the Sniper kit, know from the outset that your score in the end-of-round rankings will be low. Very low. It’s like what most veteran gamers have seen others do or have gone through themselves…at first, people play to win. If they aren’t on top and kicking ass (statistics-wise) they are upset and bitchy. Veteran gamers have grown up and look past this. They stop playing to get the high score and instead play to find a sense of accomplishment regardless of their score. This is even more true for a Sniper…the majority of what you do does not gain any points even though it is valuable to your squad.

The Infiltrator:

Agility, choosing your battles, and the inherent mindset to be sneaky are the main attributes that a good Infiltrator will have.

Shooting:
The carbine is a welcome addition to the Recon kit because it provides a further assault element to your squad. On the other hand, know from the onset that you’re bringing a peashooter to a cannon fight. The carbine does squat for damage…you’ll generally go through at least half a clip to kill a single enemy. It’s also not too accurate at range, but can do some good if you switch it to single-shot. For the most part, you’ll be able to get kills with this gun because you’re approaching your target when they have their back turned to you…more on this later.

Stealth:
Active Camo (AC) is your number one resource. It’s good for many scenarios…from sneaking up on a Walker to plant RDX, to hiding in plain sight. There are so many uses for it, it’s not worth going into details…use your sneaky mind and you’ll figure it out. Even if you’re being shot at when not using the camo, sometimes you’ll be able to live through it by toggling to AC, switching it on, and ducking around a bit of cover. From then on, they’ll see you as a diamond in their HUD, but might not figure out how close you are. It doesn’t always work, but it will help reduce your death count by a small margin.

Stamina:
Having both sprint unlocks is an absolute MUST. In addition, using the light armor will get you a bit more sprinting power. With these unlocks, your stamina will usually recharge before your AC does. Always make sure you don’t get caught out in the open because you ran out of “juice.” If you see a good piece of cover to stop and rest up, do it.
Remember that jumping takes a huge chunk out of your stamina bar. Don’t jump over an obstacle if there’s a way that just a few strides will get you around. It’s much more economical to run around something than to jump over it.

Smart choices:
Infiltrators have the short end of the stick in many areas: Less armor, less stopping power with their weapon, and less chance of survival when doing their jobs. With this in mind, make sure that every move you make is for maximum effect.

Scenario A-
Not-so-smart choice: Using your RDX to blow up the EMP resource, and then trying to move on to whichever one is closest to repeat the demolition.

Smart choice: Using your RDX to take out the UAV and SatScan resources not only first, but simultaneously. If the CO can’t see you running around his turf, he can’t spot you for other enemies. If you delay detonation until you have planted on two separate resources, he won’t have a clue you’re there until it’s too late.

Scenario B-
Not-so-smart choice: Sneaking up behind the enemy front lines, just to unload your carbine and (possibly) kill one enemy before the rest turn around and riddle you with bullets.

Smart choice: Plant some RDX in their likely approach to you, use your ‘nades to target the most densely packed troops, and then fire off some rounds to get their attention and retreat as they come after you. If you thought it through correctly, they’ll run right into your RDX and you’ll take out a few more as you displace (aka run like hell).


Common Kit Loadouts:
Sniper: Rifle, APM & Scope
Infiltrator: Carbine, RDX & Active Camo

Titan Defense duty: Rifle, RDX & APM
Titan Assault duty: Carbine, RDX & Active Camo

Final Thoughts:
It takes a special breed to pull off a Recon kit and make it look easy. I’m not even close yet. Half of what I talk about here I know is the right way to do it, but in-game sometimes suffer from “FPS ADD” and get carried away. As certain pirate once said, this guide “is more what you'd call "guidelines" than actual rules.”

Happy Hunting,

Proph

[jonan_]

Great post. Recon is my least used kit because I am not good at it. I will have to try out some of your suggestions. Thanks

[Crux]

Nice work. With my Assault and Support in happy places, I'm currently working on Recon.

[Elite_Master]

Good points.. just an add on about moving targets..

If target is within 50 meters .. two things to note
Aim for the shoulders - you will probably get a one shot kill and if not you will probably hit the body
Aim at about 10 meters from the targets current location and time his movement then fire exactly when the target crosses your line of fire

If target is within 100 meters and > 50 meters .. two things to note
Aim for the shoulders.. you will probably get a one shot kill
Aim directly at the target as he moves and wait a second or two to get the proper mouse strafe in order to keep the crosshairs on him the whole time then fire - do not attempt to lead the target and fire when target crosses your line of fire

If target is > 100 meters --> GOOD LUCK! (only fire at head once target is stationary)

General maxims :
- Shot selection is key.. do not just keep aiming at target and trying to hit him, if you are properly positioned you already should have the target scoped and be able to keep him scoped for at least a 5 second maneuver-area.. therefore you want to use the targets environment against him, he will be running (if he stops and/or goes prone to try to engage you from a distance,, well then it's an easy kill) for cover so know where the target must halt his horizontal movement and begin a vertical movement from your frame of reference (it is much easier to make the kill shot if the target is traversing upward or downward rather than across your line of fire).. wait for him to have to maneuver through an obstacle and then take the shot - in other words, LOOK AHEAD and see where he must run to in order to get out of your line of fire and then plan at what exact location you will take the shot (example.. many times I see the dude running toward a buggy so I just simply aim right at the spot where his head will be when he enters the vehicle and bam dead once he enters it)
It also does not hurt to begin gathering distance data on your surroundings while no enemy is around yet.. gauging distances around you will give you an idea of where an easy shot will be and where a tough shot will be.. you can compare these locations against your knowledge of your own shot history to get an idea of high probability kill zones and low probability kill locations

- The generation of the conditions that garner the kill start early even when the encounter has not yet started... the advantage is derived from distance and position (area scope/visibility and difficulty for an enemy to approach) so although it's nice to remain hidden you must engage with the assumption that you are not hidden. Use these advantages, place APM's at entrance points to your location..get up high where the enemy must take a risky path to approach.. (to get up close he must traverse an open area)...etc
although I have to say bf2142 has crap maps for sniping as compared to bf2 or other games..

Anyway, there are too many to list so at some point I'll get around to making a video ...

[Prophaniti]

I should have edited the title similar to Bommando's method. Working title of this should be "Recon Kit Guide Part 1: Recon Roles and Theory"

The next part of the series will cover the nitty-gritty...such as screenshots to easily identify the different commander assets, proper placement of APMs and RDX for maximum effect, and cover some of the very same scenarios that Elite_Master just mentioned about leading your targets on a vertical angle.

[NoDebate]

Just a useless comment of mine, but when shooting targets at close or PBL (point blank range) I tend to relax and use the scope to shoot the target once in the body, then I run for cover. Most of the time my target also dashes for cover and by that time has completely lost track of me allowing me to reastablish my self, pick him out, and shoot. Then in that rare occasion that the target doesn't run for cover, use that trusty pistol, and try and lure him into your APMs, assuming you have them placed and concealed.

[Sir_Brass]

Originally Posted by Crux

Nice work. With my Assault and Support in happy places, I'm currently working on Recon.

Yup, same here, but for me it's Assault and Engineer.

Actually, learning to use the baur proficiently, then going to sniper and learning how to do that fairly well, THEN going back to Assault but with the Voss has lead to increased first-burst kills for me on the Voss.

Sniping taught me to be quick on aiming for the head/upper torso to maximize damage and potential surface area to hit. With the Voss, an aimed (scoped) burst will start at the upper torso and naturally move up to the head, resulting in a kill in one to two bursts. Unscoped, I'm usually close enough to hose very fast dead center since I learned in sniping to keep the reticle on the center and not let it drift laterally when firing. This naturally carried over to using the Voss.

The baur has seen increased effectiveness as well, but not as much as the voss, simply due to the fact that the voss is naturally a new guy's spray-and-pray gun, where the baur forces you to be smarter. I've gotten faster on the longer kills with the baur, but not for the close in kills. My kills at range with the voss have gotten better (from nearly non-existant to fairly regular at ranges out to medium range) and kills up close have gotten reliably consistant (I normally win when I start shooting first).

So, learning to be faster and more careful on the aim (when sniping sometimes you KNOW you will be seen and your only option is to draw a bead FAST and stay dead accurate.....fast enough that vertical drift doesn't come into play) through sniping, b/c that is a must for effectiveness helps IMMENSELY with assault play.

I think all assault players, after learning to be proficient in the role (and have most of the kit unlocked), should then switch to learning how to be a sniper...the tactics, mindset, and skills necessary. The ones that help in assault carry over and then your higher ROF and larger magazines then become tools for in-your-face fighting, rather than necessities to simply get a single kill. The lower power of assault ammo doesn't really come into play since its plenty powerful by itself and anyway, you shoot in bursts, and you'll deal out damage as quickly as a single sniper round can.

[Guardianx11x]

****IMPORTANT****

For those of you who have trouble hitting targets on the move, long range, and long range on the move. DON'T FOLLOW Elite_Master's advice, you'll make yourself and elite failure.

Why?...in short...BF2142 physics

A) Bullet Speed: Bullet needs time to travel to target, it's not a laser. You NEED to lead targets that are moving esp. at range and running orthogonal to your line of fire.

B) Bullet drop: The reason why our friend Elite_Master can't hit anything at 100+ meters is cause he doesn't compensate for bullet drop. His bullets are falling at their feet when he is aiming for their shoulders (not to mention landing behind them-see "A")


Also, if there are enough people interested (making it worth my time). Let me know and I'll put together a full length recon sniper guide based on my experience that will include but is not limited to:
1) Screen shots showing proper compensation for target distance and elevation.
2) Advanced movement and tactical tips
3) Favorite spots
4) Target hierarchy (what to kill and when)
5) Adopting the sniper role as a squad element

Lastly, if your wondering about my qualifications for such a write up. Some short data to save you the time (as of 5/15/07).
--------------------------
Guardianx11x:

Time as Recon- 10 Days 01:55:45
Kills as Recon- 13788
Kills w/ Sniper Rifles- 8824
Combined Sniper Rifle Accuracy- 53.58%
# of hits with sniper Rifles- 12902
Kill to Hit Ratio- 0.684
Kills with APM- 1214
Kills with RDX- 360
--------------------------
Prophaniti:

Time as Recon- 03 Days 20:29:15
Kills as Recon- 2975
Kills w/ Sniper Rifles- 1217
Combined Sniper Rifle Accuracy- 43.16
# of hits with sniper Rifles- 2172
Kill to Hit Ratio- 0.560
Kills with APM- 419
Kills with RDX- 175
--------------------------
Elite_Master:

Time as Recon- 11 Days 01:58:59
Kills as Recon- 7433
Kills w/ Sniper Rifles- 1728
Combined Sniper Rifle Accuracy- 47.55%
# of hits with sniper Rifles- 3162
Kill to Hit Ratio- 0.546
Kills with APM- 398
Kills with RDX- 201
--------------------------


If there is a person more and qualified willing to take this on I'd be happy to defer the task to them. There are a lot of really useless snipers out there, and an individual who enjoys recon very much I'd like to do my part to improve the sniper community and diminish snipers poor reputation.

[jonan_]

I would love to see a sniper guide.

[Lyramion]

Time As Recon- 09 Days 17:56:49
Kills As Recon- 13442
Kills w/ Lambert Carbine 4451
Kills with APM- 2975
Kills with RDX- 1603

I am the best Sniper!

[Anospa]

Haha, what's your accuracy?

[Guardianx11x]

Originally Posted by Lyramion

Time As Recon- 09 Days 17:56:49
Kills As Recon- 13442
Kills w/ Lambert Carbine 4451
Kills with APM- 2975
Kills with RDX- 1603

I am the best Sniper!

Ahhh yes, I donno about the best Sniper...but you defiantly beat me out in the infiltrator category of the class. You can do that portion of the guide

Sadly, I've only spent about 12 hours with the Lambert but somehow have managed to rack up about 800 kills. <-- Definatly my weakness with the recon class.

Although if you look closely...
(Lyra total recon kills) - (Kills with all sniper rifles = 727) - (RDX kills) - (APM kills) - (Lambert Kills) = 3686

Probably has something to do with your sexy vehicle/frag/knife skills

EDIT: Added for Anospa
- Lyra Avg. sniper accuracy: 50.91%
- # of hits w/ sniper rifle: 1331
- Kill to Hit Ratio: 0.546

[Aerosecurity]

I would like to know, do you have to load the scope separately, or is it automatic?

I've tried being a sniper numerous times, and i think it's pretty fun to be able to take out people at range an them not know where it's coming from.

To be honest, I didn't know BF accounted for bulletdrop and bulletspeed, which would explain why i've been having so much trouble sniping. I may go an experiment with the sniper kit some time.

[MDFubar]

This is an interesting thread, I personally would love to see a recon/sniper guide. I do not have nearly the time invested as you all do but here are the numbers:
Time as Recon: 37 hours 26 minutes
Combined sniper rifle hits - 1013
Combined sniper rifle kills - 439
Accuracy(per 2142 Stats) - 47.16%
AP mine kills - 272
RDX kills - 42

Always willing to learn new things!

[Lyramion]

Well I wasnt really serious

When I started BF2 I started as SNIPER - crawling inch over inch around the map trying not to die! - and that for 100 hrs streight!

..since that time I am done with Snipers