Lately, I’ve heard people on the DoD:S server I frequent ask how to use the Rifleman class effectively. I can’t really offer comprehensive advice while the game is going on, and so I’ve decided to write this entry so I can refer people to it if they need to know. As proof that I do in fact, have some idea of what I’m talking about, I present this as evidence:

There are two requirements to using the Rifleman class effectively even before we touch on things that can actually be practiced. One, your fps must be rock solid, the higher the better. Two, your ping must be low, anything higher then 125 is pushing your luck, around 60 or so is ideal. The reason why these are requirements is because both heavily affect how well you can track your enemy with your crosshairs.

Some thoughts on sensitivity.  I personally prefer my mouse to feel twitchy, so I set my sensitivity around a 7.5 or so.  For some players this may seem excessively loose but there are good reasons for doing so.  Playing with a higher sensitivity allows for quicker 180\360 degree spins.  It’s a habit I picked up in CS and have taken to all the games I play, at any point in time I will quickly check my six and then look to the front.  This takes me less then a second and can be credited for saving my life on more then one occasion.  Also it means you can be quicker to respond when you realize someone is directly on your flank.  A higher sensitivity means that you can also traverse the distance between your crosshairs and your enemy faster.  In close up fights where split seconds are everything, this can be crucial.  I’ve lost track of how many “snap” shots I’ve pulled off where all I needed to do was jerk my mouse hand and click to nail my enemy.  You can of course play with a lower sensitivity, but I personally feel that the pros take the cons in this case.  It would be well worth your time to get used to a higher sensitivity.

Finally, practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. It’s not how much time you spend, it’s more about how you spend that time.

Allright, here we go.

Step 1: Footwork matters

Get off your belly. Learn the nuances of sprint. Get very comfortable with shooting on the move. More importantly, learn to sprint for cover as if your life depended on it.

Step 2: Improve your tracking

Get a sniper rifle and learn how to snipe. Not only that, get comfortable with moving up with a sniper rifle. Sometimes even ahead of the assault and support classes. Snipe at close range zoomed in.

The reason why I say learn how to snipe is because, its a more forgiving class to play when it comes to single shot weapons. It’s easier to use at long range, and for short distance combat, you have access to the pistol. Sniping will force you to improve your tracking under the restriction where you can only fire a single shot at a time. It is essential that you learn how to track your enemy properly. Furthermore, you must learn to do it with as little time as possible. Learn how to accurately snap shot. Once you get comfortable with the sniper rifle, take up positions that overlook highly active portions on the map that have minimal a field of vision. This is to improve your reflexes.

Sniping will also train you to start shooting for the center of mass. This is handy because that’s exactly where you should be aiming for with your rifle.

Close up sniping will get your comfortable with the idea you have one shot, and one shot may be all you ever get. When you use a rifle, you are going to find yourself in many situations where your first shot may decide the firefight then and there. I won’t lie, if you aren’t comfortable with sniping, this is going to be rough. But forcing yourself into this situation will help improve your reflexes and aim.

Step 3: Start using the rifle

I highly reccomend starting with the KAR when trying to use the rifle. While the bolt-action may feel more restrictive, having the ability to one shot your opponent should not be underestimated. The Garand is in many ways, a more unforgiving weapon since it requires two shots period unless you hit the person in the head.

Do not deliberately aim for the head unless there is nothing else to shoot at. Center of mass is still the best area to target, and if you manage to hit their head instead, great. Your first priority is to hit them.

Learn to duck behind cover after you take a shot. This is more important for using the KAR. The reason is because you need to buy time for the bolt to do its magic. During this time, there is little sense in exposing yourself.

Your rifle is NOT a sniper rifle. Do not use the iron sights unless you have to go head to head with a sniper or machine gunner. Using the iron sights restricts your field of view and movement so much to make it good for only those two situations. Still, do not underestimate the iron sights. Your shots will land exactly where the sights point at, making it very useful when you need to snipe something.

Avoid camping. You can abuse a corner, but be ready to run if you need to. Since your weapon fires much slower then anything else in the game, you have to put yourself in situations where you can fall back to give yourself some extra room. Even though you can handle close range combat if you have to, you should avoid it if at all possible.

Avoid balls to the wall rushing. You should push forward, but you need to be more conservative in many respects then the designated rushing classes. You always should be near something that can give you some cover.

Hope this helps.