Smartgunner

MARINE
Smartgunner	Difficulty: Medium Supervisors: Squad Leader Rank: Not defined Duties: Employ the M56 Smart Gun. Guides: Bullet Paths and Friendly Fire Unlock Requirements: Not available. Detailed Description: |__________| Not defined |__________|

"LET'S ROCK!" ―Pvt. Vasquez, Aliens

While most of the Marines can put their Pulse Rifles on automatic and keep shooting, that may not be enough. You are the Squad Smartgunner, filling the futuristic role of the automatic rifleman, using your heavy machinegun to provide supression, overwatch, fire support and turn your enemies into swiss cheese.

Squad Smartgunner

Like the Squad Specialist, you'll have access to heavy weapon -- in your case, it's the M56 Smart Gun. Squad Smartgunners are expected to not only employ their special gear but also on his or her greater understanding of tactics. Squad Smartgunners hold the rank of Lance Corporal, putting them a cut above the typical Squad Marine. Like all marines, the Smartgunner's weapon is treated like an extension of themselves and as such, Smartgunners know their firearm, inside and out.

M56 Smart Gun System

The model of 'Smartgun' issued to the Almayer is different from the more popular auto-targeting model. The M56 'Smartgun' is actually a four-part system, consisting of a combat harness, ammunition and power pack, Heads-Up Display, and the Smartgun itself. The backpack contains five belts of fifty rounds each, in addition to the weapon's inexhaustible power supply. An extra power pack can be found inside the vendor. The smartgunner HUD functions similarly to meson scanners and night vision goggles, allowing target acquisition in complete darkness, and easy Identification- Friend or Foe in combat situations. Note that the M56 Smartgun has inbuilt IFF detection meaning that you'll be able to target enemies behind marines in front of you, the user. Effectively whileusing the M56 smartgun you cannot friendly fire a fellow squad member.

Very few marines have training in the M56 Smartgun system. Among them are You, the Squad Specialists, the Commander, and the WY Smartgunners.

Tactics

As a verified badass in the USCM, you'll want to employ tactics in combat which may just end up saving your life, or the life of others. The tactics you use as a smartgunner boil down to use the Smartgun's IFF tracking to your advantage, what is meant by this is that you shouldn't enter any room as the pointman, you should always be behind the pointman and potentially riflemen as you can fire past them and into the enemy if they try and attack. Your rank as the Smartgunner is Lance Corporal [LCpl] this means that you can order the standards around and pull rank in certain situations, just keep in mind that your orders can be overturned by Medics/Engineers+.

Being a Smartgunner is a key support role due to how you essentially can't friendly fire meaning that if your squadmate gets pounced or tackled two marines in front of you, you can still fire directly at the alien attacking. This is essentially how smartgunner should be played, you're a support role, not a pointman. Your sole purpose is to fire past friendlies and into the enemy.

Your Skillset

To find out about how the skill system works head over to the skills system page.