Choosing or at least establish in your own mind your preferred choice of role is a good idea before buying any Airsoft gun. Why? Well, if you intend to play or attend events and skirms it’s quite logic that you take a role and perform like that role as well as possible. You know, it’s all about winning or losing…. or do you only want to participate 😉 ? Well, I know the answer already….
So when you think over the different roles beware of the gear needed to a specific role. Each different role requires specific gear to that specific role and the different circumstances on the field. Think about your role first and then decide which gun you want to buy! Like being a Sniper as an Airsoft beginner seems not a very good idea because that role requires some experience in the field and the weapon needed can cost you a lot of money to purchase and or upgrade. Your options on the field are also extremely limited.
If you decided to join a team you have to choose which role to play. Experienced teams mostly will decide for you, based on your preferences, skills, experience and weight. So read this article to get an understanding of the different roles before buying a gun that not suits your role or maybe future role on the Airsoft field.
The Rifleman /Assault
The Rifleman is the most common position on the Airsoft field. Riflemen are the backbone of the whole team by providing plenty of fire power and support. They also are tasked with completing objectives and engaging the enemy together. A rifle team is actually a basic unit of every team.
Each individual should know the basic battle tactics and the riflemen as a team should trust each other to accomplish the main objectives.
A Rifleman will rely on one weapon. Do you know which one that is? Well, you should probably know: it’s a Rifle machine … 😉 Mostly it’s a basic Assault Rifle like an M16 or an AK-47, but it could any other starter weapon like an M4, AK, MP5 and G36; actually most of the G&G’s and GG’s. Most of the Riflemen have probably an AEG or GBB with .20 or .25 BB’s which are quite cheap and accurate.
Most of the weapons I mentioned are known as medium to long distance range weapons with great accuracy.
A Rifleman carries always a sidearm to be covered from any disfunction of their main weapon and to be effective in close quarter combats. Furthermore a Rifleman carries medium armor like a grenades. Most Riflemen don’t have a grenade but I think it should be part of the standard equipment because the other people are attacking and no one else carries a grenade. At least you should have a compartment on your back to carry a grenade.
Last but not least a Walky-Talky or Radio is a good option to communicate with your teammates. This is because your are out and getting objectives done. You see what’s going on at the battlefield and you want to effectively tell everybody else what’s going on.
Who can take the position of a Rifleman? Well, almost everyone can take this role. It is not important to be extra small or large but because you are regularly on the frontline, you can expect frequent and intense engagements with the enemy.
In my opinion this role is best suited for the beginner. It’s the most seen position in the Airsoft field and they make up the bulk of a squad.
Conclusion:
Rifleman is the backbone of the whole team. The role is versatile and is about attacking, ambushing, defending, suppressing and flanking.
Main Job:
- Attacking and defending
- Flanking
- Suppressing
Airsoft Gun:
- Electric or spring powered
- Medium to long range Assault Rifle
- 250-400 fps
- sidearm as backup Airsoft gun
Accessories:
- Grenade launcher
- Scope – Red Dot
- Rail Integrated System for upgrades
- Foregrip
- Sling
Airsoft Rilfeman Gear:
- Extra magazines for primary and sidearm
- Molle vest
- Walkie Talkie
- Helmet
- Extra pouches
- Hydration pack
Sniper
The Sniper appears at the opposite site (compared with Rifleman) of the battlefield. Where the Rifleman’s role is actually on the front, the Sniper acts most of the time in hidden situations at the back or at each side of a team. A Sniper has a totally different experience than a Rifleman because a Sniper is often be situated far away from the enemy instead of the Rifleman who is mostly in the front. That’s why this unit usually gets the least amount of kills; they eliminate targets and can be used to gather information because of their unique view of the game and their equipment. Being a Sniper is very demanding, physically and mentally.
Snipers will utilize both a Sniper-Rifle and a side arm weapon which is mostly a pistol to engage in close quarter combats. A Sniper Rifle is a perfect long distance weapon but they are less effective at short range. The bolt action Sniper-Rifle can be gas or spring. We prefer spring powered because the AEG works in all weather conditions and is more consistent.
A Sniper should be able to camouflage with their surroundings and hit targets at least 200 feet away. The camouflage is an important issue. Therefore some players covers themselves with gillie suits. These suits are comprised of various materials like leaves and twigs to disguise their wearer. In their disguise they are observing the area, waiting for their next shot. A lot of Snipers go into games without actually taking any shot! So a Sniper should be patient because he spent a lot of time observing the area and planning the next shot. Most of the time you rely information about what is going on via walky-talky or radio. The main objective is to get not found! If you are found then you immediately are a liability to your team because you are not able to take out the target and rely information!
What do you need as a Sniper? A Sniper rifle, a side arm, camouflage, light armor and a walky-talky.
Conclusion
Tasks on the field:
- Defending targets
- Long range suppression
- Information gathering
- Cover/Concealment/Stealth
Airsoft Gun:
- Semi-Automatic or Bolt Action
- Gas or Spring Powered
- Long range
- 450-600 FPS
- Sidearm
Accessories:
- Scope with zoom (4x)
- Sling
- Adjustable stock
- 2 stage trigger
Airsoft Sniper Gear:
- Extra magazines
- Ghillie suit
- Boonie
- Helmet with camera
- Radio headset
- Gun camouflage
The Support Gunner
The support gunner is part of the heavy infantry and utilise large weapons and high capacity magazines in order to back up the Rifleman with suppressive fire on enemy positions. It is actually a secondary fighting unit that support the Riflemen so the main objective of a Support Gunner is to support their team to get closer to the enemy. To accomplish that objective the Support Gunner mostly support their team by a suppressive fire which will cause the enemy to remain in cover for longer and hesitant about changing position for fear of getting shot. That will allows frontline troops to push forward and destroy the enemy.
Another responsibility besides supporting the Rifleman and defend objectives is to resupply all other classes. So you have to be able to carry a lot of ammo.
Who is able to play the role as a Support Gunner? Well, fist you shouldn’t be afraid of being hit end you should have some kind of scare factor in you. You should also be comfortable without being able to use cover. A Support Gunner is always in service of other teammates and is able to come when called to lay down a blanket of continuous fire that keeps the enemy head down so teammates can move forward and come closer to the enemy.
The equipment of a Support Gunner is mostly an AEG which should be reliable with a sustained fire. These guns should be fire for a long period of time without having any problems. Typical guns for the Support Gunner is a SAW – squat automatic weapon – like an M249, M240 (GPMG and FAMAS) and the RPK. They at least should have any kind of automatic weapon that is reliable and has a high rate of fire with the use of .20 BB’s.
To be able to be supportive you need high capacity magazines with a minimum of 1000 BB’s to perform well on your objectives. You have to be able to put out a lot of rounds without reloading you magazine in order to be effectively supportive.
The armor is usually very heavy for front line defence but some Support Gunners utilise light machine guns such as LMG’s in order to be able to fire large amounts of BB’s continuously. To choose a heavy of light gun depends on your preferences and your style. Ask yourself the question of being able to get through the day with a heavy gun or not.
At least you need a weapon that fires on full auto and has a massive magazine capacity to sustain the rate of fire demand. In Airsoft it’s general excepted to have a burst of 2 seconds max otherwise you will hurt your opponent. This position in the field requires a lot of ammo to spray at your target. However this spray is not appreciated anymore, a better approach is a deliberate aimed bursts which gives you more accuracy and respect of your opponent.
Conclusion
Tasks on the field:
- Defending targets
- Suppression
Airsoft Gun:
- Medium Range Rifle
- Electric powered gun
- 300-400 FPS
- Automatic and semi-automatic
- Sidearm
Accessories:
- A lot of mags
- Foregrip
- Bipod
- Sling
Airsoft Sniper Gear:
- Hydration Pack
- MOLLE vest
- Helmet
- pouches (drop leg)
- Radio / Walkie Talkie
Designated Marksman
The designated Marksman is actually a mix of a Rifleman and a Sniper. The weapon used by a DMR is a mix of an AEG and a Bolt Action. It is actually an AEG with geater range / accuracy. That greater range is achieved by heavy internal upgrades that help power output because it has to be shooting about the same every time. An example of an upgrade is the extensive Hop-up modification to get the BB’s out far and consistently. The BB’s used are .28 BB’s of higher; actually the higher the better!
The gun should be able to go on semi-auto as well as full-auto. The rifle should be able to get a range close to that from a sniper but has the capability of being a rifleman if necessary.
Most guns shoot 200-250 feet consistent when they are really tuned.
The DMR goes hand in hand with the sniper. As they work together the Sniper is often hidden but the DMR shoots and move like a Urban Sniper. So the DMR forces the enemy to move because the enemy Riflemen are outranged by your tuned gun.
To communicate you need a radio or walky-talky. The Riflemen need to rely on your information as you give them long range support.
Next 2 roles are less common but I will discuss them shortly.
Conclusion
The DM works closely with the assault force by supporting the flanks or assisting in suppression. Uses a DM Rile with accurate fire to suppress the enemy at medium long ranges.
Tasks on the field:
- Attacking / Defending
- Supporting
- Accurate suppression
- Flanking
Airsoft Gun:
- Semi- automatic weapon
- Electric powered gun
- Rifle with long barrel
- 400-500 FPS
- Sidearm
Accessories:
- Variable zoom scope
- Foregrip
- Bipod
- Sling
Airsoft Sniper Gear:
- Hydration Pack
- MOLLE vest
- Helmet / Boonie
- Extra mags for main and secondary Airsoft gun
- pouches
- Radio / Walkie Talkie
Team Leader or Commander
This is the person with the most experience and should be the final decision in many cases.
As a teamleader you will need an automatic weapon such as an battery powered AEG with rapid fire system which allows you to fire on auto or semi auto. Any Assault Rifle work well for a Commander.
Recon
This is a unit which moves faster and is more versatile. These are actually the pawns of the Airsoft. These are the first to clear a building and that’s why they also get eliminated before others. A Recon unit can be assigned to lead a charge into enemy territory and not be afraid of getting shot.
Conclusion
Tasks on the field:
- Attacking and Defending
- Suppression
- Flanking
- information gathering
Airsoft Gun:
- Electric/Gas/Spring powered gun
- 250-400 FPS
- Short to medium range
- Sidearm
- Short barrel
Accessories:
- RIS system
- Red Dot / Reflex sight
- Foregrip
- Sling
Airsoft Sniper Gear:
- MOLLE vest
- Helmet
- pouches for mags and radio
- Radio
Good luck on the Airsoft Field! 😉
