Don’t Overlook Sniper Rifles  by James Button
I recently read the “Favorite Marine Weapons” bit on the “Lessons Learned” page of the Tactics section. I dare to suggest that one weapon may have forgotten: the humble sniper rifle wielded by a “lowly” Scout.

Granted, it ain’t going to kill a Land Raider or even a Rhino (though I have seen massed rifle fire do nasty things to an Eldar Jetbike squad), but there are a few points in its favor.
 
It will take down a Wraithlord, if that is sufficient to your purpose: for example, if your bigger guns have Guardians to frag and bolt or a Wave Serpent to las to death.
 
Since you can infiltrate Scouts before it all kicks off, you have the opportunity to take out or nullify the crew of a support weapon (Eldar platform, Ork Big Gun, etc.) that otherwise would prove irritating at best.   
 
When facing an assault-heavy army (Orks spring to mind) then pinning becomes the veritable gift from God, especially against Speed Freeks: you can slow their footslogging second wave up even more, thus giving yourself more time to redeploy after waxing the trukks and buggies. They can be handy against ‘Nids as well, since they can outrange them and make use of cover/difficult terrain to slow up the broods. The suggestion that sniper Scouts could take out that Zoanthrope might draw a brood or big critter away from your gunline long enough to then be able to deal with said threat at relative leisure and not have it steaming through your Tactical Squads.
 
Following on from this, the implied threat can be a versatile tactic in itself, especially if you can infiltrate more than one squad, ideally up a flank or even holding the middle ground inside a terrain feature (although do be prepared to either support them or yank them out in a hurry, I'll admit).
 
Everything counts in large amounts: like massed bolter fire or even massed flamers and heavy bolters, snipers work better in groups of squads that are capable of mutual support. I’ve used three five-strong teams to hold an entire flank; they can generally gun down anything before it gets too near. Watching them take out Kroot is a joy in itself. 

Effective? Certainly. Worthy of mention? I think so. 
 

Related Pages
"Lessons Learned"
 

Posted May 2006. 

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