[EXTRA] Advice for Players: How to be a Battle Hero Sniper

Day 1,681, 15:35 • Published in Japan Japan • by ahava3233

Hey y'all, it's ahava3233. Anyway, I wanted to share with you all my own reflection and advice on the new additions to the war module, the rockets and what you can now do with them.



Yesterday's upgrade to the war module brings in a very new dynamic to the battlefield, rockets. Rockets are similar to the WMDs temporarily introduced a little less than a month ago, except they don't do damage on as massive of a scale. Q1 can do 50,000 damage in one hit, Q2 250,000 damage, Q3 500,000 damage, and Q4 1,000,000. This is in comparison to the earlier WMDs which in comparison were able to do 5,000,000 damage in two clicks.



However, I think they would be better denoted as Sniper Rifles...let me explain why.



If you're an ambitious lad or lass, you've probably gotten into Battle Hero Medal hunting as a side source of income in-game. Obtaining Battle Hero Medals is now a reality for players of all skill levels and experience due to the implementation of the division battle system in-game. This is even more so a reality as the most powerful rocket you can obtain from a factory is linked to the division you are currently in. If you invest as much as you can into your rocket factory, you'll be on the same playing field as everyone else in your division. If you haven't yet invested as much as you can, you should try to get it done while the offer below is still in effect.



With rockets, you can now use a very powerful tactic in your quest for Battle Hero Medals. I will call this powerful technique sniping (as from the term auction or eBay sniping, which refers to bidding in an online auction, such as those on eBay, in the last few seconds so your competitors have no time to react and bid higher). I have used sniping tactics twice so far in-game using rockets, once for Taiwan and once for Japan; I was successful both times.



Given that I doubt rockets will be taken out of the game anytime soon, if ever due to the fact that they require an investment, I have a strong feeling that rocketry is here to stay in-game. As sniping is so effective for BH hunting, I have good reason to believe it will be the future of BH hunting, just as auction sniping is the current optimal tactic for many online auctions.


Anyway, the techniques for successful sniping are similar if not the same as they are for online auctions. Of course, there are some differences, such as the in-game financial risk involved, but you should already be aware of that risk. So, without further ado, given I'm sure this will be common information soon, here are some useful techniques for effective sniping.




1. Fire as close to the end of the battle as you can
This is probably the single most important rule to follow when you're sniping. Auction sniping, by definition, is ineffective when the opponent has a chance to react to your shot. The same applies to BH sniping. If possible, you want to fire your shot within 2-3 seconds to the end of the battle. With rockets, note, THIS TAKES TWO CLICKS (You need to confirm your shot on a pop-up dialog before you fire). Anyway, to do this, you need to be aware of/have two things.

A. A fast computer and internet connection
If your connection to erepublik.com is lagging, you don't have a fiber optic, cable, or a very fast (10 megabit per second+) DSL connection, or you have a slow computer and/or clunky peripherals (keyboard/mouse/trackpad/touchscreen), you will have trouble sniping effectively and you may unnecessarily waste supplies in your preparation to perform the maneuver in that specific battle because of your computer set-up. Upgrade your system and connection if you are lacking in this department.

B. When the battle is going to end
You need to be aware of the intricacies of the battle system and how points are scored so you can properly compute the time to strike. As you can read here, the battle system works as follows.

The battle ends when one side in your division scores 1800 points. The side with the most damage (highest amount of influence) at the head of each minute gets points every minute at the following rates. The point allocation is determined and added only at the end of the minute.

• 1-30 (0:01:00-😇0:00) minutes into the battle, 10 points at every minute;

• 31-60 (😇1:00-1:00:00) minutes into the battle, 20 points at every minute;

• 61-90 (1:01:00-1:30:00) minutes into the battle; 30 points at every minute;

• 91-120 (1:31:00-2:00:00) minutes into the battle, 60 points at every minute.

Additionally, you also need to note the status of the battle if you intend on scoring a successful snipe. To snipe successfully, one side MUST WIN at the close of that minute. If the level of influence on both sides is very close, if you snipe for the losing side, you could knock the battle out of balance by doing 50k-1000k damage, extending it further. As a sniper, you want to avoid doing this as much as possible to keep your competitors from overtaking you. To prevent changing the outcome of the battle, you can try gauging how many points have been scored so far by killing a few enemies with conventional weapons and determining how the kills affect the influence bar. By observing how your attacks affect the bar using rough arithmetic/multiplication you should be able to make a rough estimate of how your rocket may affect the influence bar when you let it fly.




2. Stay hidden
As a sniper, it is in your best interest to stay hidden from your competitors until you fire your shot(s). You can do this by, for example, staying out of the top 5 combatants on your side until the very last few moments. This gives your opponents little opportunity to evade your shot(s). This is however not always possible, depending on the level of participation in the battle.

Also, if you can't avoid being in the top 5, you can try using feinting techniques (ceasing fighting at a certain point early in the battle, then bursting out damage at the end) to trick your competitors. Be creative.




3. Have A Safety Buffer
If you can, try to make it so you have as much distance from your opponents as reasonably possible score-wise after taking your shot. Don't use your arsenal unless you're sure it will be effective. You can do this by firing off bazookas or standard weapons to increase your score before the very end. If the scores are too close, be wary about firing your rocket, you are VERY likely to lose the Battle Hero medal that way. However, don't forget the aforementioned rule number 2 while you do this, stay out of sight if you can.




4. Make Sure Your Shot Flies True
Adjust your scope for windspeed and check the other players before you fire, you don't want to miss the target and waste a rocket. There is a probability that there are other people on your side also trying to snipe a Battle Hero Medal in the same battle. If they fire early and make your shot impossible, you should take note of this and not take your shot or use bazookas and/or conventional weapons to first boost your score. As you should be aware, rockets cost ALOT of money for the amount of impact they cause, if you miss a shot, it WILL take a toll on your finances unless you are very wealthy. You should have thus refreshed the page and checked the scoreboard within the last 10 seconds or so of the battle before you take your shot, unless you're following rule/tactic #5 below.

On that note, a great sniper knows when to hold their fire. If a far more powerful hunter is pursuing the same mark, stop pursuing and let them take the kill. Don't get too emotional over the kill, you could waste alot of money competing with other experienced hunters.




5. The Double Tap

(DISCLAIMER: As the Rocket mechanic is new, this technique has not been tested by me and is only theoretical. It may not be possible to do this with the game mechanics in mind (ie: you might not be able to fire off two rockets in one day using this method), although given what I have read off the official wiki, it is probably possible. If any player has managed to use this technique, please let me know)

Tested, it works, and it allowed me to give a Bulgarian a run for his money in an Israel-UAE battle in Dubai (for Israel). GO KICK SOME TAIL GUYS!

If you really want a battle hero medal in a contentious skirmish (an important battle or in Division 4) the best way to help ensure this is to follow an equivalent to Zombieland (A great movie) Rule #2, the double tap. Although I have never done this, theoretically, it should be possible; to perform a double tap, you should have made an unused rocket the day before or earlier and have the supplies on hand to make another rocket. Open 2 tabs, one on the battle and one in your storage, and give yourself probably about 15-20 seconds or so on a fast internet connection to perform this tactic. Fire your first rocket. then refresh your storage and build the second one. Then, refresh the battle and fire off your second rocket. If you do this successfully, your competitors will be in for a huge surprise and you will hit VERY hard VERY fast. Just as this technique will improve your chance of actually killing a traditional zombie in the event of a zombie apocalypse, it will greatly improve your chances of earning a Battle Hero Medal in this game.

Trivia: If this theory is correct, it should additionally be It is possible to perform a triple tap in a single battle if a battle begins one day and ends the next. A similar theory applies, building your second rocket before the close of the day, although you probably won't be able to fire 3 times in rapid succession unless the battle is due to end right after the close of the day.


So yeah, that's all folks. I hope you found this advice informative and/or useful. If you liked this article feel free to vote it up and subscribe to my personal newspaper, Gougai/号外/Extra. Also feel free to leave a comment, thanks!