There are a number of different roles in Airsoft, each suited to a person’s character traits, fitness and what you might imagine being in a battle should be like.
Having the correct understanding of the purpose of each role can help you to decide which one might suit you best to lead you and your team to victory.
Sniper
For those with patience and a flair for the tactical side of skirmishes, the Sniper role may be the best choice for you. Snipers are often far away from the action, using a sniper rifle’s long-range of vision and shot to hit enemies from a distance without them being able to see you.
With sniper rifles being one of the heaviest Airsoft weapons, it is advisable to pick a spot and stay there for long periods of time targeting people from afar.
This is where patience is key. Picking a good spot to lay low will help to ensure you are out of sight and may give you a good view of the enemies but there may be times when you see no one for long periods of time.
Add to that, you will likely be lying on the ground with your sniper rifle which might not be the most pleasant feeling depending on the terrain and the weather. A sniper has a less active role in terms of moving about the battlefield which might be appealing to you or it might leave you wanting more.
Designated Marksman
The idea is for you to work closer to the frontline, rather than far away, to take out people who are out of range of regular riflemen. This role requires a high-powered AEG or GBBR, but keep in mind that most sites in the UK will enforce a minimum engagement distance (MED) for DMRs due to their increased power. All DMR's must have their fully-automatic modes disabled; in compliance with UK law, sites will not permit DMR's with an accessible fully-automatic mode.
Unlike a sniper, the Designated Marksman role requires movement around the battlefield picking off targets rather than staying in one place, helped in part to the rifle being lighter and more flexible than a sniper rifle.
For a sniper or a Designated Marksman, it is common that the role doubles up as a scouting role to identify enemies from a distance, report on the number of enemies in a location and point out any areas where the enemy is weak or lacks cover.
Rifleman
A rifleman is found on the frontline in the heart of the battle. paired with a fast-firing gun such as an AEG or GBBR, the rifleman forms the main point of your team’s offensive work from gunfights with rifleman on the other side, clearing and securing a room or an area in order to fulfil your game’s main objective.
This role is one of the more active roles as you need to hit people, avoid being hit and cover ground quickly as you will likely be in constant battle. To put it simply, this role is where the action is. With that comes the fact that you will be in a role where you are at most risk of being hit.
Support Gunner
The Support Gunner is one of the more selfless roles in Airsoft. This role requires you to be in the heart of the action with the Riflemen but your job will be to help them succeed rather than aim for glory yourself.
One of the main jobs is to provide covering fire to pin the enemy down so that Riflemen and other teammates can pass through an area without coming under fire themselves.
This role is a physically demanding one as you will have to carry a large support weapon, with 1000s or rounds to a magazine: some are made of plastic and are relatively lightweight, but c'mon, is it really a machine gun if it isn't a constant bicep workout?
