User blog:El Alamein/El Alamein Presents: A Glint in the Misty Morn - Season 3 Finale!



It's the ultimate high-stakes confrontation of hunter vs. hunter as the deadliest collection of snipers ever to grace history and fiction come together for a no-holds-barred duel to the death! Simo Häyhä - the White Death, a Finnish sniper with the most confirmed kills for one man, at over 700, who held off the Red Army despite subzero temperatures and a grenade to the face; Captain MacMillan - the ghillie-suited sniper who utilized patience, stealth, and a wicked Scottish accent to creep through an enemy troop-ridden Chernobyl to blow of Imran Zakhaev's arm and escape alive; Carlos Hathcock - the White Feather Sniper and bane of the NVA, who accomplished such daring assassinations as that of a high-ranking NVA general, that of a high-profile Viet Cong sniper, and that of the  Apache, all with the North Vietnamese government levying a hefty bounty on his head; Vasily Zaytsev - the Hero of the Soviet Union who, during the Battle of Stalingrad, crept through the ruins of his destroyed homeland and dealt out revenge to 225 Wehrmacht soldiers and officers; and the Sniper - the eponymous Australian huntsman who combines unconventional tactics with a dry Australian wit to pick off targets of opportunity and support his team! These men of varied backgrounds and settings will all come together for one last lethal hunt, but once the shots are fired and the last spent casing clatters lifelessly to the ground, only one man will be the deadliest warrior!

Simo Häyhä: The White Death
"I did what I was told to as well as I could."

- Häyhä, after being asked if he regretted killing so many people



Simo Häyhä, also known as The White Death, was a Finnish sniper during the 1939-40 Winter War, and who is viewed by many as the most skilled sniper to ever live, scoring the most kills of any sniper in the world, 542 kills, with his rifle, an unscoped Sako M2/28-30, as well an additional 200 with a Soumi KP-31 SMG. Häyhä at one point scored 25 kills in one day. Häyhä's Soviet enemies attempted to eliminate him first with trained countersnipers, however, Häyhä eliminated all countersnipers sent to kill him. He fought with no scope on his rifle (so as to eliminate the threat of the glint of sunlight giving away his position) and developed special white camouflage to blend into his surroundings. He was tactically sound, often taking care of minor aspects that could compromise his location (such as compressing snow into his mouth to reduce the visibility of his condensed breath). The Soviets also attempted to eliminate Häyhä with artillery strikes on his position, which also failed. Häyhä severely wounded by an explosive round to the face, however survived his injuries, though the war had ended by the time he got out of hospital.

Weapon(s)
|-| Primary Weapon=

Sako M/28-30


 * Finnish counterpart to Mosin-Nagant


 * Modified iron sights denoting ranges up to 2,000 m


 * 7.62x53mmR cartridge


 * Bolt-action


 * 5-round non-detachable magazine


 * 7.5 lbs (3.5 kg)


 * -| Other weapons=

Suomi KP-31 submachine gun


 * 9x19mm Parabellum round


 * 750-900 rds/min


 * 71-round drum magazine


 * Effective range of 200 m

Captain MacMillan
"Move slow and steady, we'll be impossible to spot in our ghillie suits."

- MacMillan



Captain MacMillan is an experienced SAS sniper and officer who was primarily responsible for training John Price. Prior to the start of the Second Russian Civil War he was assigned a mission with Price to assassinate the then-arms dealer Imran Zakhaev, who was operating in a town very close to Chernobyl, long since abandoned and overrun with a slowly-returning wildlife and a huge enemy troop force. After staking out for several days at the top of a derelict hotel, MacMillan guides Price to shoot Zakhaev - an effort that ultimately leads in the loss of the dealer's arm but not his death. During a rapid escape attempt, MacMIllan is injured as a downed helicopter lands on his leg, but he and Price manage to hold off an enormous assaulting force until they are medevaced to safety. MacMillan is characterized by a sharp wit, his Scottish accent, patience with both hunting and evading enemy forces and training Price, and knowledge of his terrain, as he is able to navigate routes free of excess radiation. He later becomes the director of the British special forces.

Weapon(s)
|-| Primary Weapon=

M21


 * Based on M14 rifle


 * Tactical 10x zoom scope


 * 7.62x51mm NATO round


 * Semi-automatic


 * Suppressed


 * 10-round detachable box magazine


 * 11.6 lbs (5.27 kg)


 * -| Other weapons=

H&K USP .45


 * .45 ACP round


 * 12-round detachable box magazine


 * Effective range of 50 m

Claymore mines


 * ~700 1/8 in. steel balls


 * Muzzle velocity of 1,200 m/s (3,995 ft/s)


 * C-4 explosive


 * Effective range of 50 m, maximum range of 250 m


 * Tripwire activated

Carlos Hathcock: The White Feather Sniper
"It was the hunt, not the killing."

- Carlos Hathcock, on the aspect of sniping that thrilled him most



Carlos Hathcock was a US Marine sniper who fought during the Vietnam War. Prior to his deployment in Southeast Asia Hathcock had won marksmanship championships, including the Wimbledon Cup and competitions at Camp Perry, Ohio. He had 93 confirmed kills of NVA and VC personnel, but Hathcock put a personal estimate of around 300 total kills. He killed an enemy sniper known only as "the Cobra" who was deployed directly to kill Hathcock - the Cobra was killed by a bullet that travelled through his own scope and into his eye. Hathcock also killed a high-ranking NVA general in a 4-day grueling crawl through enemy lines and a daring escape immediately afterward, and went on to kill a female Viet Cong known as the Apache, who had been terrorizing US Marines in a nearby firebase. Hathcock was severly burned after an amtrack he was riding on struck a land mine, but he saved seven Marines in the process, an action that would later earn him the Silver Star. However, this incident brought his career as a sniper to an end, where he taught snipers in the US and took up shark fishing as a hobby.

Weapon(s)
|-| Primary Weapon=

Winchester Model 70


 * Unertl 8x zoom scope


 * .30-06 round


 * Bolt-action


 * 5-round non-detachable magazine


 * 6-8 lbs (2.72-3.62 kg)


 * White feather used as wind gauge


 * -|Other weapons=

Colt M1911A1


 * .45 ACP round


 * 7-round detachable box magazine


 * Effective range of 50 m

Claymore mines


 * ~700 1/8 in. steel balls


 * Muzzle velocity of 1,200 m/s (3,995 ft/s)


 * C-4 explosive


 * Effective range of 50 m, maximum range of 250 m


 * Detonated by M57 Firing Device ("Clacker")

Vasily Zaytsev
"On the whole I liquidated 242 Nazis in Stalingrad. My friends and pupils also eliminated many of them. I had trained 30 snipers who killed 1,126 Nazis during the war."

- Vasily Zaytsev



Vasily Zaytsev was a Soviet sniper during the Battle of Stalingrad in the Second World War who earned the title Hero of the Soviet Union as a result of his prowess on the battlefield. He was an experienced marksman as a result of hunting deer and wolves in his childhood in the Ural Mountains, earning his first kill at the age of twelve, using one shot to kill a wolf with a rifle he could barely carry. Over the course of his career he killed 225 soldiers during the Battle of Stalingrad alone and an approximated 400 more between October 1942 and January 1943. Zaytsev pioneered new tactics for mobile sniping, so as to ensure that once a few enemies were killed his location could not be pinpointed - he would hide under rubble or even in water pipes to remain concealed before reloacting after every few shots. Despite temporarily losing his sight to a mortar round that exploded in his face, Zaytsev was able to recover (and regain his sight) in time to participate in the Battle of Seelow Heights in April of 1945, earning the rank of Captain in the process.

Weapon(s)
|-| Primary Weapon=

Mosin-Nagant M91/30


 * PU 3.5x zoom scope


 * 7.62x54mmR cartridge


 * Bolt-action


 * 5-round non-detachable magazine


 * 7.5 lbs (3.5 kg)


 * -| Other weapons=

PPSh-41 submachine gun


 * 7.62x25mm Tokarev round


 * 900 rds/min


 * 71-round drum magazine


 * Effective range of 150 m, maximum firing range of 250 m

The Sniper
"Snipin's a good job, mate! It's challengin' work, outta doors. I guarantee you'll not go hungry, cause at the end of the day, long as there's two people left on the planet, someone is gonna want someone dead."

- The Sniper



In his former life as a tracker of dangerous game in the unforgiving Australian outback, the Sniper would spend months by himself in an effort to improve his survival and marksmanship skills. Prolonged isolation taught him a valuable lesson: you don't have to rely on other people if you never miss. The Sniper is a tough and ready crack shot. The Sniper's main role on the battlefield is to pick off important enemy targets from afar using his Sniper Rifle and its ability to headshot. He is effective at long range, but weaker at close range, where he is forced to use his Submachine Gun or his Kukri. As a result, the Sniper tends to perch on higher grounds or in hard-to-see places, where he can easily pin down enemies at chokepoints. His role at long range allows him to back up his team members or clear up concentrated enemy forces while maintaining a relatively safe distance. He is capable of defending himself at closer ranges with a wicked-sharp Kukri knife and a rapid-fire submachine gun, should the need arise.

Weapon(s)
|-| Primary Weapon=

Sniper Rifle


 * Based on Remington 700


 * Telescopic scope, laser sight mounted on barrel


 * .308 Winchester round


 * Bolt-action


 * 25-round non-detachable magazine


 * 8.99 lbs (4.08 kg)


 * -| Other weapons=

Submachine Gun


 * Based on MAT-49


 * 9x19mm Parabellum round


 * 600 rds/min


 * 25-round detachable box magazine


 * Effective range of 50 m, maximum firing range of 100 m

Kukri


 * Slashing/hacking damage


 * 25-in. blade (65 cm)


 * Single-edged


 * Steel blade

X-Factors
Not the traditionial sort of X-Factors, but rather a brief highlighting of each of the snipers' distinct skills and traits that give them unique edges in the fight.

|-| Simo Häyhä=

Expert marksman: Simo Häyhä is deadly with his rifle, having killed hundreds upon hundreds of soldiers over the course of the Winter War. Couple this with the fact that he is using only iron sights, in freezing temperatures, and you know he can put a bullet where he wants it to go.

Tactically sound: He is also able to cover his tracks remarkably well - thinking of the smallest things, like using snow to hide his breath in the cold, or iron sights to prevent a glint of sunlight from revealing his position.

Resilient: Häyhä survived a brutal winter, numerous attempts on his life and even an explosive to the face - while a bullet to the brain is certainly going to kill him, he is physically very tough and can withstand a lot of punishment and exposure to the elements.


 * -| MacMillan=

Patience and calm: MacMillan staked out on top of a hotel for days on end waiting for Zakhaev, remaining alert and watchful the entire time. He crawled on his belly through enemy-ridden Chernobyl (even sneaking through an armored patrol), and put up with the relatively untrained Price, molding him to becoming a better soldier.

Stealth: MacMillan is not only equipped with a ghillie suit to blend into his surroundings, but has a silenced weapon and couples this with slow, deliberate movements that make him difficult to spot up-close and almost impossible from a distance.

Resilient: He had a helicopter land on his leg, and despite being unable to walk still fought through the pain and held off a massive human-wave attack from Ultranationalist forces to buy time for friendly reinforcements and a medevac.


 * -| Carlos Hathcock=

Expert marksman: Carlos Hathcock won several marksmanship challenges before his service in Vietnam and went on to teach other snipers after the war. On top of that, he performed incredible kills, like shooting an enemy sniper through the scope of his rifle and using a .50 caliber machine gun outfitted with a special scope to kill an enemy at over a mile away. He uses a white feather as a small wind gauge for making long-ranged shots.

Stealth: Hathcock was able to infiltrate an NVA compound, kill an enemy general, and escape with all enemy units on high alert.

Resilient: He was riding an APC that hit a mine and was engulfed in flames, but still rescued seven friendly troops before jumping to safety. Although the burns caused him severe pain for the rest of his life, he devised a contraption that would hold him in place on the firing range despite the pain the position would cause him, allowing him to remain proficient as a marksman.


 * -| Vasily Zaytsev=

Expert marksman: Zaytsev had hunted since childhood and killed hundreds of Germans during the Battle of Stalingrad - one of the bloodiest and most destructive battles of the entire Second World War. He was also able to defeat counter-snipers sent specifically to kill him.

Tactically sound: Zaytsev developed a "mobile sniper system" to prevent enemy units from finding out his location, and he was able to fit in the most unlikely of spaces, such as water pipes, to remain hidden when operating.

Resilient: Zaytsev was blinded by a mortar round that blew up in his face, yet recovered his sight and recuperated in time to fight in the outskirts of Berlin and earn the rank of Captain. He also withstood the elements during the Battle of Stalingrad, one characterized by a particularly fierce winter.


 * -| The Sniper=

Expert marksman: The Sniper trained himself in the Australian outback and exercises his skills regularly to support his team, ensuring that he is always at the peak of his abilities and capable of delivering a damning shot.

Patience and Calm: The Sniper must wait extended periods of time before an opportunity might present itself, and he is able to compose himself and remain active even if he comes under concentrated enemy fire.

Resilient: Spending a long period of time fending for yourself in the Australian outback takes skill and toughness that will likely come into play if the battle drags out for an extended period of time.

Battle
Will take place in a small valley, at the center of which sits a shelled-out and abandoned city, situated on a tundra, which is being slowly overgrown by dense foliage. The city does have access to electricity, which will be powered at night, although frequent rolling blackouts complicate this process. On the top of the valley, in a ring around the city, is a thick forest with a lot of cover. A small river/stream trickles its way from one point at the top of the valley and through the city where it ends in a pond. All snipers are assumed to have enough rations to survive for a reasonable amount of time. The entire battlefield will be shrouded in a fine mist that thickens and thins out periodically to allow for a varying line of sight.

To be written

Expert's Opinion
To be determined