Squad Roles

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The Rifleman:

Most airsofters that you will encounter will be riflemen. Riflemen are the “grunts” of on the skirmish field. They are the main strike force. Their job is to complete an objective. They are kind of like pawns in chess. Don’t let that discourage you. Jut like pawns in a chess game, riflemen in airsoft are very versatile. They can attack, defend, flank, or ambush an objective. No other role can do all of those things.

Types of Riflemen:

In airsoft, there are two types of riflemen: the urban rifleman and the field rifleman. The difference between the two is that the field riflemen operate in a wide outdoor area while the urban riflemen fight building-to-building or room-to-room. The urban riflemen typically engage the enemy at a distance of less than 120 feet while the field riflemen normally engage a target at more than 150 feet.

Finding a Weapon:

The field riflemen should have an assault rifle with a barrel length of at least ten inches so that they can be able to neutralize targets from a distance. Weapons for the field riflemen can include M4s, M16s, AK47s, G36s, G3s, ACRs, SCARs, L85s, and other long barreled rifles. Urban riflemen typically need a rifle with a barrel of ten inches or less. Having a shorter barrel allows for more maneuverability in close quarters combat (CQB or CQC) when fighting room-to-room (You don’t want your rifle’s barrel to snag on something when you have to clear a building.) Rifles for urban riflemen include MP5s, UMPs, G36Cs, M4s, and other short-barreled rifles.

The Sniper:

Most people enter the sniper role without really knowing what it is. I am here to tell you that as an airsoft sniper you won’t be “quick-scoping” and running around and racking up your kill count. As a sniper you will probably sitting in a hot ghille suit on the top of a hill waiting for the enemy to show up. Some people like that. Another important job of a sniper is to recon enemy territory and relay information back to his or her team. It takes a lot of patience to be an airsoft sniper. Snipers tend to get very little kills per game because they often focus their firepower on high value targets such as VIPs and they spend most of their time observing the enemy. Airsoft snipers normally to engage targets at distances over 200 feet.

Finding a Weapon:

Airsoft snipers need a rifle that can shoot a long distance accurately. There are three types of airsoft sniper rifles: Spring, Gas, and Electric. Spring snipers are bolt action rifles that you have to manually cock. Spring sniper rifles can be the most useful because they tend to be the most accurate and they are the most reliable. With a spring-powered sniper rifle you don’t have to worry any gears and batteries and such. Gas sniper rifles tend to be bolt-action sniper rifles that use a gas (Green Gas or Propane) to propel the BB out of the barrel. Gas snipers have trouble operating in cold weather and are often the least consistent shooting guns of the spectrum. Electric sniper rifles use a gearbox powered by a battery to shoot a BB. Electric sniper rifles are the most upgradable of the bunch. Some options for sniper rifles include: M700s, L96s, WA2000s, PSG1s, M2000s, and SVDs.

Designated Marksman:

The role of Designated Marksman or DM was created to close the gap between the riflemen and the sniper. DMs are a very important role in airsoft. The idea behind the designated marksman is to shoot enemies that are out of the riflemen’s range. Designated marksmen stay near the riflemen to hit targets that the riflemen can’t. The difference between a designated rifleman and a sniper is that snipers typically stay in one spot while DMs are on the move. The difference between the two also lies in the weapons that they use.

Finding a Weapon:

Designated Marksmen use rifles designed specifically to fit their needs: a DMR. A DMR is a Designated Marksman rifle. DMRs are AEGs that have a longer barrel than that of the riflemen. Some choices for DMRs include: M14s, M16s, and other long barreled rifles.

Support Gunner:

Support Gunners in airsoft are not at all what they are like in the movies. If you become a support gunner than you probably won’t be fire from the hip with one hand. As a support gunner your job will be to offer suppressive fire for the riflemen. Enemies tend cower in fear at the sight of a support gunner. The gunner typically fires at the enemy with a huge volume of BBs to allow the riflemen to advance and take them out. Gunners are a huge advantage in airsoft because they allow for the riflemen’s effectiveness to increase quite a bit. The effects of gunners in airsoft are purely psychological. A big guy with a big gun is definitely more intimidating than a big guy with a little gun. And a big guy with a big gun is certainly something you want to stay away from.

Finding a Weapon:

Support gunners need a weapon that can shoot a large amount of BBs without failing. Gunners usually engage enemies at a distance of at least 150 feet. This means that the gun should have a reasonably long barrel. They also need a tough, mean looking gun to “scare” the opposing force. The bigger and meaner your gun looks, the better. Some choices for a gun that will suit the role’s needs include: M249s, M240Bs, M60s and other light machine guns.

Scouts:

Scouts (also called pointmen or frontmen) are the quietest players on the airsoft field. They rarely shoot their gun. They are a little like ninjas. Their job is to scout ahead of the team and find out what the enemy is planning to do and send that information to the team. Being a scout requires stealth and craftiness. They must be able to run long distances quietly without getting fatigued. The smaller you are the higher your chances of success are. It is a lot harder to spot and shoot a small person than it is to spot and shoot a larger person. Scouts try not to shoot at the other team unless they are spotted in order to keep their concealment.

Choosing a Gun:

Scouts need to be quick. In order to maximize movement scouts need small guns such as submachine guns. Although smaller guns have less range than assault rifles due to their shorter barrels, they are often much more maneuverable than larger guns. They are also quite a bit lighter. Both the length and the weight of submachine guns offer for quicker movement. The scout should have a small gun in order to move very fast to avoid detection. Some guns that the scout in which might benefit from include MP5s, UMPs, P90s, MP7s, and other short-barreled rifles.

Grenadier:

The grenadier is essentially a riflemen with a grenade launcher mounted to the underside of his or her rifle. Grenade launchers in airsoft sadly do not launch grenades. They instead spray a large amount of BBs in the enemy’s direction with one pull of the trigger. Some grenades fire a rubber plug. Grenadiers have the same jobs as riflemen but with the extra punch that the grenade launchers offer them.

Choosing a Gun:

Grenadiers normally use assault rifles in airsoft combat simply because they are relatively light and tend to be the most usable with an under-mounted grenade launcher. Guns that should suit the grenadier’s needs include M4s, M16s, SCARs, AK47s, G36s, and other assault rifles.
If you wish to become a grenadier then you should find a grenade launcher that is designed to be mounted to your assault rifle. Most people who use M4s or M16s mount an M203 type launcher to their rifle. Airsofters who own SCARs generally mount EGLM type launchers to their gun. Players who use G36s usually put AG36 type grenade launchers on their gun. Choosing a grenade launcher all depends on the assault rifle you want to use.