Battlefield 3 Recon Class Guide: Sniping, Reconaissance, Enemy Spotting and More
The Recon class is good for those who don’t really like to get their hands dirty. Let the assault and support soldiers charge headlong into an objective, dealing with enemies closing on them from all sides, the Recon soldier can simply sit back and watch everything from afar, protecting their allies with direct fire and reconnaissance.
From a carefully-selected spot, the Recon soldier can see and directly affect much of the battlefield. While a front line soldier can only affect that which is directly in front of them, the sniper sees all and is capable of covering multiple objectives simultaneously.
In a pinch, the Recon class can even pick up an assault rifle or SMG and charge into the fray, lending their allies the advantage of motion detectors and mobile respawn points. While many pigeonhole the kit into a pure sniping role, Recon is far more versatile than you might think.
Sniping
Yes, the most obvious role for a Recon soldier is that of sniper/overwatch. From a comfortable concealed location, a skilled sniper can take down multiple enemies without ever being spotted. It’s entirely possible to defend an objective from afar, sniping any member of the opposite team stupid enough to show themselves nearby.
Sitting in one spot and camping for any length of time is no longer a viable strategy thanks to the killcams in BF3. You will find yourself knifed in the face by one of your victims if you employ this strategy.
Instead, move after every few kills, finding good cover to snipe from. Remember, your scope glint will give away your position, so don’t raise the scope to your eye until you’ve found an enemy and are ready to take your shot.
Recon
They don’t call it the recon class for nothing, and this kit is very skilled at gathering information for teammates. While sniping, you are usually in a good position to spot enemy troops and vehicles that may be closing on objectives. Doing so gives your teammates a chance to prepare for whatever is headed their way. You should always spot enemy targets when you see them, but this is more important than ever for a Recon soldier.
The T-UGS is another valuable tool in the reconnaissance arsenal. Place it near an objective (or between the enemy spawn and an objective) to automatically make any nearby enemies appear on your teammates’ mini maps. This information can be invaluable, and will get you quite a few spot bonuses, to boot.
The MAV allows you to gather recon on the fly, but does not have any offensive capabilities. Just make sure you find a good hiding spot before deploying, as you will be totally defenseless while at the controls.
Mobile Respawn Point
One ability that is unique to the Recon class is the Radio Beacon. Deploying this beacon sets up an additional spawn point for your squadmates.
Recon soldiers excel at getting behind enemy lines. Use this talent to set up your mobile spawn point in a strategic location and call in your squad mates. It is possible to set up a beacon near an objective and literally have your squad mates parachute in right on top of it. Do not underestimate the value of a well-placed beacon.
Up Close and Personal
One thing the Recon soldier is not really known for is their effectiveness on the front lines. This is unfortunate, because they actually have some tools that make them pretty deadly in a direct assault.
First, setting up the Radio Beacon near an objective can turn the tide of a battle.
Second, slapping a red dot or other low-magnification scope on your semi-automatic sniper rifle will allow you to acquire close targets quickly and dispatch them with one or two well-placed shots. You can do this on the move and in close quarters.
Third, a strategically-positioned T-UGS will give you and your teammates plenty of advance warning when enemy soldiers advance on your position. These motion sensors are most effective when placed close to the battle, and fighting on the front lines is the best way for you to get it there.
The Recon kit is capable of fulfilling multiple roles on the battlefield. With close-combat, sniping, and recon-gathering abilities, an effective squad is not complete without one of these soldiers. The only real disadvantage of the Recon kit is the lack of anti-vehicle capabilities, but making friends with an Engineer or Support soldier can take care of that problem.
What are some of your favorite Battlefield 3 Recon kit strategies? Let us know in the comments.
References
- All references and images from Battlefield 3.
This post is part of the series: Battlefield 3 Kits
From tips, tricks and strategies to dominate as a medic or assault soldier to sniping, recon, enemy spotting and more, check out these kit guides for Battlefield 3.
