Have you ever wanted to play a sniper-style character, but wanted to focus on immersion and still be viable in close-ranges or when things get hairy?
Then you want to play a designated marksman!
Designated marksmen act as a longer-range shooter, but not quite to the extremes of the sniper; they typically carry a battle rifle or a modified AR for marksmanship at somewhat longer ranges, but are still useful at shorter ranges.
Let’s talk about the role you’ll play in breakpoint first.
How to play a designated marksman in Breakpoint
First and foremost: A designated marksman in Breakpoint works best with a squad (and yes, AI teammates work well here). You don’t (typically, depending on loadout) have the firepower of a sniper, nor do you have the ability to put a large number of rounds into enemies up-close since you don’t have the magazine capacity or rate of fire of an AR or SMG.
Overall, you’ll be playing spotter, keeping an eye out for enemies and handling the longer-range shots needed for your team. Like the sniper, you’ll focus on counter-sniper roles, taking out snipers, rocket gunners and other targets that can make your team’s life hell.
Finally, if you want a truly immersive experience, make sure you’re only carrying 1 rifle.
What are the best designated marksman rifles (DMRs)?
With TU 3.0.0 and Red Patriot, we actually have a pretty well-rounded set of selections for equipment, especially if you want to make use of your reticle to estimate where your shots will land.
First, let’s get this out of the way: While the Scorpio Scout is TECHNICALLY a DMR in Breakpoint, it can be considered a bit OP for a DMR role, and it’s ROF is actually still a little slow for this style of gameplay. Designated marksmen typically don’t utilize .338 rifles as their primary, so I don’t recommend you do so either.
There are 3 main rifles you’ll want to consider if you want to play a designated marksman:
- MK14 – The MK14 is a great option for a designated marksman; It offers multiple fire modes (even full auto), and when equipped with a rangefinder and Ballistic Advantage, its shots line up well with the VC16 optic.
- G28 – The G28 is another battle rifle that excels in designated marksman roles; Equip it with the ATPIALx3, VC16 and Ballistic Advantage and you’ll be prepared to handle a variety of engagements.
- MK17 Scout – If you’re looking to make use of a conversion rifle, the MK17 Scout is your choice here. You have 2 options: You can keep Ballistic Advantage and toss on whatever attachments you like if you’re shooting in the 300-400m range and be good to go, or you can ditch Ballistic Advantage and avoid any range-boosting attachments to make use of the TARS101 (which will be zeroed at 100m, which each interval on the reticle adding 100m).
What class should I choose for a designated marksman playthrough in Breakpoint?
When playing a designated marksman, the sky is the limit. I personally stick with the panther class for it’s boosts to stealth and pistols, but you can really use any of them (although the engineering class is less useful here).
Pathfinder is great for the Armaros Interface class technique; you get the ability to spot, rain down fire, distract and lure enemies repeatedly assuming you’ve got enough Uplink Protocol devices. Scout vision is nice, too.
Assault gives you a little extra beef, which is good since you are more willing to get into the thick of things.
Medic is fantastic if you want to support your team more; you’ll tend to hang back just a bit rather than lead the charge, meaning you’ll be well equipped to keep your team in the game (this also works with AI teammates!)
Finally, the sharpshooter class is a good standby; Sensor launcher, faster reloads with DMRs and sniper rifles, the ability to hold your breath for longer and the armor buster technique are all useful to a designated marksman if you plan on taking on longer shots. Just remember the armor buster also significantly boosts your range when loaded, so your reticle won’t be useful at those times.
That’s it! Let me know how you prefer to play and what your loadout is in the comments.