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Tonight, I have a chance to watch the Jack Reacher movie. On a tangent, I'm surprised I did not know about this movie until tonight. In this movie, Tom Cruise play a homicide investigator who comes against a trained military sniper. This is mostly an investigative movie, but the beginning depicts some combat tactics. The second half of the movie is like a Tom Clancy style operation. As in the tradition of this web site, I am going to analyze the movie, from both the good guys and bad guys point of views, on tactics that would work for airsoft.
Get your DVD out to follow along. Otherwise, you can rent the "Jack Reacher
3:20 Sniper puts on sunglasses... looks cool in the movies, but bad idea in the military. Glass reflects sunlight. Any gleam would give a sniper's position away. But he is hiding in a shaded parking structure. And he's firing against unarmed civilians... Maybe it's not such a bad idea for him. But we, as airsoft players, don't really have a choice. We have to wear goggles to protect our eyes.
3:30 Sniper checks ammunition is loaded before taking up shooting position. Great idea in airsoft as well. Once you are in position, double check your ammo, rifle, and scope cover before putting yourself in the line of fire.
5:09 Immediately after achieving his objective, the sniper makes his getaway. Same idea in airsoft. Once objective is achieved, move to a new location.
5:23 SWAT team moves in in armor vehicle. Notice that they are protected on the left side of the vehicle, not in the enemy's last know position's line of sight.
5:30 Two SWAT team help the wounded while a third takes up position to secure the parameter. Not shown, but expected, the SWAT team are probably providing 360 degrees parameter security. Very important in airsoft games. Many time, especially in zombie airsoft videos, I see the entire team converge and surround the objective, staring at it, allowing zombies to come in and tag them from the back.
5:35 SWAT team stack and file into CQB room. First man immediately crouch and take up parameter security to the left. Second man immediately enters and secures to the right. Other team members file in quickly alternating sides. Same thing in airsoft, assuming you can get a team together.
5:43 Example of what every team member should do after breaching a room. Everyone takes up a position in the room. Scan the room left and right to ensure no enemies are a threat. Only lower the gun to low-ready when the room is completely clear.
5:53 Two team members take up cover behind walls. First team member is crouched so that a second team member can cover over the first team member. The team is covering the left to ensure no intruder enters from the left. The M4's all have red dot sights to decrease target acquisition time. They are watching the six as...
5:54 Another three member team split off to the right to secure the area.
7:30 SWAT team breaches suspects home. Same thing as described before.
62.85 Shooter has sun in his eyes. That explains the sunglasses I questioned at the beginning.
62.86 Targets moving left and right is the hardest to snipe.
62.98 Optimal sniper condition: sun behind and targets coming straight ahead. In airsoft, you can't always get the optimal conditions in a fast paced game. But if you had a choice, or the game pace is slow, pick the optimal condition.
101.95 Enemy securing the parameter in the open. Not sure that's such a great idea. They should have at least one person in an overwatch position, scanning the area.
102.16 Two hands on the pistol in an Weaver stance. Good.
102.2 Identifies "friend" without pulling the trigger. Good. This is a skills that is quite lacking during airsoft. Yes, even I have been both victim and perpetrator of friendly fire in airsoft games.
102.45 Jack surveys the area of operation. Excellent. There is nothing better than prior intelligence of the field layout and enemy position in an airsoft game.
102.98 Getting a sharpshooter team mate to overwatch and flank... excellent idea. Airsoft is a team sport. You won't get very far as a lone wolf.
103.16 Combat knife will always come in handy in a stealth operation. But it isn't used in this film.
103.5 Pre-planning is part of winning the battle. It's not always easy to pre-plan an airsoft game. But if it is outdoors, satellite images (Google Maps) can help your team talk about the possible stand-offs.
104.1 Good call not to give away his position before having a guarantee plan of attack. On an airsoft field, don't give away an overwatch position unless: 1) you have a kill shot; 2) you are providing suppression fire to distract or to pin the enemy down; or 3) your are luring the enemy into an ambush.
105.08 Two enemy standing right in the open. This is only a movie. In airsoft and, perhaps, real life, it will never happen. But if it does, it is a perfect kill shot. Take it and move to a new location.
107.38 Looks cool in the movie, but seriously? Who would even consider laying down the rifle and kneel in a cool stance in the open in an airsoft game?
107.51 They should really be securing the parameter in cover, because they know the enemy is coming.
107.61 Only in a movie... give away your surprise attack in a backward stunt driving. A better surprise attack is to use stealth and take out the enemy one by one with the combat knife, while the sharpshooter take out any immediate threats.
107.73 "This is a bad idea." Exactly what I just said. ;-)
108.08 Gunny sits quietly, listening to location of gun fire sounds. Although this is a movie exaggeration, in an airsoft game, you can use this technique to determine approximate location of the enemy.
108.16 Enemy got a little smarter. They are staying low profile, close to cover and concealment. Eyes on the red dot as they move.
108.21 Decent coordination. The two thugs take turn firing so that they don't run out of bullets at the same time.
108.6 Gunny finally takes action, but the action is correct. Based on the approximate location of the enemy, he puts down suppression fire. It's not intended to hit, but it's intended to make the enemy "duck".
108.73 Gunny listens and watches for muzzle flash behind cover. He fires more suppression shots. In airsoft, there will be no muzzle flash, but you can guess the enemy position based on the sound. Putting rounds down range, close the enemy will cause them to "duck". In hardcore MilSim games, where tracer units are used to simulate muzzle flash, you use gunny's technique at night.
108.93 Jack takes the correct action. While Gunny is providing suppression fire, he moves to the next cover. This is called "fire and maneuver" in the military, but works the same way in airsoft.
109.08 Enemy uses Gunny's technique to watch for muzzle flash in the overwatch position. Maybe Gunny should have moved, but given that Jack doesn't have a rifle, Gunny is Jack's life line. More team mates with assault weapons would have helped... perfect example why lone wolf can only go so far.
109.13 Probably a smart move to try to flank the overwatch position, giving up on the supposedly easy prey. He has team mates, but he doesn't communicate. In airsoft, you can use radios to coordinate.
109.31 It's a little late to pull out the combat knife. He has lost the chance for surprise attack.
109.56 Enemy misses Jack. That's obviously scripted. But if this happens in airsoft, it's because the rifleman isn't leading the target. Leading the target means firing in front of the target's path.
109.65 Finally some communication via hand signaling. Very important in airsoft.
109.86 Dumb bad guy transposes the rifle (sticking it out), giving the position away to Gunny. Gunny shoot through soft cover and kills the bad guy. In airsoft, this trailer is hard cover, so you can't kill the enemy this way. But once you see a transposed weapon, you can maneuver to get a jump on the tango.
110.11 Seeing his buddy go down, the next dumb bad guy moves out of cover!?
110.31 Dumb bad guy reload or clears a jam in the open... what a shock...
110.71 Jack finally gets his hand on a rifle. Dumb enemy tango moves out of cover without securing the area from behind cover.
110.96 Smart bad guy finally puts a spot light on the overwatch.
111 Jack provides suppression fire for Gunny.
111.06 Jack is not being very smart to stand in the open. Neither is the bad guy.
111.26 Excellent single element breach maneuver. Jack kicks the door open, enters into a crouch position in the nearest corner. He clears the opposite corner, then clears the rest of the trailer. Eyes on the red dot the entire time.
111.46 Another movie dramatization. Jack should have eye on the red dot while he moves. But instead, he lowers the weapon to reveal actor's face. Don't do that in airsoft.
112.78 Dumb thugs moves out of cover into the open. Don't do that in airsoft either.
112.8 Jack makes the first smart surprise attack. Taking the enemy from the back stealthily.
113.48 Coming out of the trailer... wasn't a smart place to be in. Now Jack has eyes on him. Instead, he should have camped in an overwatch position to see where Jack is coming from.
113.91 In airsoft, this is the opportunity to call, "Bang! Bang!"
114.63 Of course! Only in a movie does the protagonist and the antagonist drop their weapons to fight hand-to-hand.
116.55 Emerson takes a position behind the hostage. He sticks his pistol through the hostage's armpit. Very good position for a terrorist in a hostage-based MilSim airsoft game. Not sure if the second pistol on the hostage's head is necessary.
116.85 Not smart for Jack to scream into the trailer from behind the wall. Remember, in this case, the trailer is softer cover. Emerson can just shoot at the wall to kill Jack. But this technique is actually OK in airsoft, because it's hard cover.
117.25 Jack jumps in and shoot Emerson in the head. Another common movie scene. But it's just not gonna happen. The can only happen when sharpshooter is in position to take a shot through the doorway. But even that's high risk when the terrorist is so close to the hostage. How do you deal with that in airsoft? I don't know either. Luckily airsoft is just a game. :-P
117.38 Again, protagonist lowers the weapon, for the movie audience, before clearing the trailer.
That wraps it up for Jack Reacher. It's a fun movie to watch. And it has some interesting tactics to talk about. You see more tactics than me? Let us know. We'll do this again next time.
Jake
Sun, 09 Nov 2014 14:49:48 +0300
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