Recon Class

Recon Class

The Recon class is the niche in Bad Company 2. It is the only class that some players may conceivably never touch, basically functioning as other games' sniper class. It boasts a wealth of additional equipment and abilities, however, that make it fulfil far more than the ghillie-suited, stationary sniper role that some may expect. For one thing, if you have played enough as the other three classes, you will unlock multi-class guns, such as the G3 and shotguns, which the Recon class can use to excel in closer quarters. You can also begin the game with a M1-Garand if you are a Battlefield Veteran, and a Thompson if you bought the Limited Edition (also available at rank 10 to other players), both of which are again playable as Recon.

You are provided with the means to avoid long-range combat as Recon. It is the only class which can use C4 as standard, and the shotgun-C4 combination is indeed a favourite of more aggressive Recon players. The class is most effective over long distances, however. The sniper rifles are quite easy to use, though you have to adjust for distance and only headshots result in one-hit kills. The class also has a support capacity, with mortar strikes and spotting scopes available to help out your team.

Many of the maps are designed for snipers to flourish, but they are generally very well balanced. See the Rush and Conquest sections below for more information on where snipers can gain the most advantage. The only drawback to this class is that there is little way of protecting your position if you are sitting with your eye glued to the scope – usually trip mines or claymores are provided to assist in this matter, but snipers have to rely on their wits and the occasional motion mines in Bad Company 2.

Weapons:

The sniper rifles are all very similar, more so than any of the other classes. Because of the nature of sniping, where only one or two shots are fired, damage tends to be the key statistic. In these terms, the M24, the rifle that all players start with, is second only to the M95, the final rifle to be unlocked. The M95 has high calibre rounds, meaning it can destroy a UAV in one shot and damage helicopters and jeeps. With the magnum ammo enhancement, it can also kill in one shot on most parts of the body at medium-range. The M95 was one of the weapons most affected by the recent patch, reducing its damage, but the stats chart below is up to date as of 24/06/2010 after the first batch of server updates.

At the other end of the spectrum is the VSS Snaiperskaya. This has low damage and medium accuracy compared to all the other rifles. It is, however, fully automatic, meaning it can function as a very high powered assault rifle in the right hands. This is, indeed, the way most users get the best out of the VSS, but it is not suitable at all for close-quarters due to its tiny magazine of just ten rounds. You can put the Red Dot Sight on it to help with close-range accuracy, however. The damage means three to four body shots will down an enemy, and it is a good mid-range weapon for stealthy players – it comes with a silencer to further this end.

The Type 88 and SVU Snaiperskaya also have higher rates of fire than the other rifles, but without such a great loss of damage and accuracy. They are semi-automatic, as opposed to bolt action or fully-automatic, and are good middle-ground rifles for those wanting the reaction times of the VSS with the damage of a bolt action rifle.

The snipers are a similar bunch, with the exception of the VSS Snaiperskaya

Weapon Unlocks:

The sniper rifles are unlocked at the following xp boundaries:

M24  – 0 xp
Type 88 – 2,200 xp
SV98 Snaiperskaya  – 6,000 xp
SVU Snaiperskaya Short – 15,000 xp
GOL Sniper Magnum – 21,000 xp
VSS Snaiperskaya Special – 26,000 xp
M95 – 34,000 xp

Equipment:

In stark contrast to the medic class, recon units are loaded with a diverse range of equipment. C4 may seem an odd choice for Recon, as snipers are usually a long way from the combat and unable to make use of it. However, when you bear in mind that a shotgun can be used with the Recon kit, the shotgun-C4 combination becomes very attractive indeed. This is particularly true in Rush, where the M-COM stations can be cleared, have C4 planted on them, then armed, and the C4 detonated when defenders go in to disarm the box. They can, of course, also be used to destroy tanks, block paths from infantry, and destroy buildings – as well as some more creative uses.

The motion sensor is great for shotgun recons, and is also vital for maps where flanking is likely, as it will show where the enemies in range are. You have three to use, but only one can be active at a time. It lets out a beeping noise, and once a player hears that he may hide and wait for the recon to come in and investigate, so beware. It can also be used defensively, to monitor anyone coming for a sneaky knife kill on the sniper.

Mortar strikes are the ultimate anti-vehicle weapon, and you can get many kills in each game against tank drivers not moving around enough. This is particularly satisfying when a vehicle is in a stationary position bombarding an M-COM station or infantry. By the time the first mortar hits, the tank will struggle to move out of the way before it is destroyed. They can also be used against M-COM stations and enemy snipers camping in a certain position.

Mortar Strikes work against all kinds of enemies, and are great against popular camping locations.

Equipment Unlocks:

The equipment for the sniper class are unlocked at the following xp boundaries:

C4 – 0 xp
Motion Sensor –0 xp
Mortar Strike – 4,000 xp

Specialisations:

As you might expect, specialisations for snipers come largely in the form of scopes to enhance their sniper rifles. Not only can they use the 4x scopes of the other classes, but a 12x scope. This is most useful with the M95 because of its high power, allowing marksman shots on a more regular basis. You may wonder why the Red Dot Sight is unlocked only after the 4x and 12x scopes, but that is because of the boost it gives to the shorter-range rifles, such as the VSS.  Finally there is the Spotting Scope, which automatically spots targets for other snipers and closer infantry to take out at a certain range.

Specialisation Unlocks:

The recon class's specialisations are unlocked at the following xp boundaries:

(Primary) 4x Rifle Scope – 8,000 xp
(Primary) 12x High Power Scope – 10,000 xp
(Primary) Red Dot Sight – 12,500 xp
(Secondary) Sniper Spotting Scope – 17,000 xp

Hints and Tips:

It's recon, not sniper. Like with the medic, many people interpret the function of the recon class differently. It should, in theory, primarily be used to assist more close-quarters infantry, spotting enemies, calling in mortar strikes to suppress targets and destroy vehicles, and to use motion mines to help give a clearer picture of enemy movements on the map.

C4 and shotgun equals win on Rush. This combination was mentioned briefly above, and very few players actually make use of it. Shotguns have uses for every class in Conquest, but on Rush, the addition of C4 makes it very valuable indeed. You can burst into the area around an M-COM station, take out two or three enemies and then C4 the box. Arm the M-COM station and then retreat out of the building, waiting for defenders to come in before detonating the C4. Not only do you get a lot of kills like this, but you damage the M-COM even if it is disarmed. Similarly, some buildings can be destroyed with C4 to take out the M-COMs using Destruction 2.0. It takes 12 C4 charges to destroy an M-COM itself, so targeting the building may be best.

Motion sensors are your friend. We have already outlined the benefits and importance of using motion sensors to spot enemies for your team. They are, however, just as useful from a personal standpoint. If you are assaulting a base or in a tight area, throw a motion sensor, as it might just save your life.

No-scoping rarely works. Unlike other FPSs, such as Halo, for example, attempting to shoot enemies without using your sniper rifle's scope rarely works. There are no crosshairs for the sniper rifles, making aiming difficult, and it is easy to completely miss from close-range. It is possible to quickly scope and dispatch an enemy, and this is the best way to go. Of course, if you regularly find yourself in this situation, you may be the wrong class. Also consider using a Red Dot Sight.

Motion sensors are your friend, as it the ability to quickly snipe enemies at close quarters.

Recon is the second anti-vehicle class. That's right, the recon class is second only to engineers in terms of their anti-vehicle capabilities. This is largely due to the mortar strike, which can take out a tank in seconds. They also have C4, which can be used as anti-tank mines in a road. Consider laying them in a strategic location and then hanging back to snipe enemies from long range while monitoring your C4 until enemies come near.

Be creative with C4. You can do a lot with the C4 that the game provides. Probably the most inventive is to create a kamikaze vehicle. This involves planting lots of C4 onto a quad bike or other vehicle (try a UAV!) and getting an ally to steer it into an enemy. You can then detonate it when it nears enemies, or reaches an M-COM station. You could also do the driving, but it is harder to time the detonation correctly. Friendly C4 shouldn't hurt you or your allies, though if it is shot by the enemy you can be killed by it. You can also C4 vehicles and wait for enemies to get in them before detonation.

Pick a good pistol. If you are playing with a sniper rifle, a decent pistol is essential. See the section below for more information on picking the best for your play style. Find a pistol that you like, and it is possible to dominate all other guns except shotgun at close range.

Be a Marksman. You get marksman bonuses for especially long-range kills. These can add greatly to the normal 50 for a kill. The added benefit of this is that enemies will rarely be able to spot you at such extreme range, while your own close-quarters squads (especially on Rush) will be picking out enemies as they move through the level.

Marksman shots are not easy, but are very satisfying and can more-than-quadruple your points for the kill.