The hunter is an enigma of DayZ. A mod first built to promote teamwork in an open-world zombie apocalypse, the hunter, or 'bandit', has long been stigmatized as lower than a snake in a wagon rut, and indeed there are some who are, who 'camps' spawns to shoot unarmed players and 'bambis' for sport. But the hunter is someone who has surpassed the normal challenges of the game, one who has no problem overcoming with zombies and understands how to avoid other players when he wants to. The hunter derives his exhilaration from his art, by the way he meticulously and methodically plans a kill and its glorious execution when things go perfectly. 'Bandits' are the ultimate antagonists, and in all practical honesty, if it were not for them, DayZ would not have achieved the popularity it has enjoyed.


"There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter." - Ernest Hemingway


A typical hunter in DayZ Standalone

The first basic principle of being a hunter is not to be the hunted - and there there are several precautions in your movements to looting and aquiring shooting positions to keep you out from under the front sight post of a Lee-Enfield. Be a hard target. Being a hard target means that your head is on a swivel, you are always on the alert for other hunters, moving with a purpose, and avoiding danger zones.

When you move, avoid all high traffic areas - particularly roads - they offer little to no cover or concealment, and are the easiest places for a hunter to attain an 'enfilade fire' on. It's a given. Stay off the roads, and if it's necessary to follow them, stay several dozen meters off the shoulder of the road, so you can dip out of sight if you see someone coming down it.

Avoid 'skylining' yourself as well. Skylining is the when your silhouette is visible against the sky, with no background to hide your human form. Never move or take a position on the crest of a hill or the very top of a building.


ArmA2 DayZ mod player skylining himself for better visibility - but your visibility is only as good as your concealment.

If a hill must be followed, move by the 'military crest' on the side of hill that you're least likely to encounter someone. The military crest is the point near the top of a hill that a man can barely view over, but it but conceals his body - allowing him to observe both sides of the hill so that he isn't surprised by a party that suddenly crests the hill on the opposite side, and also providing him cover for when someone does approach.


The military crest

Avoid 'danger zones' - A danger zone is a military term for a large open space with nothing to cover or conceal you. These can be roads, pasture ground, or parking lots, for example. Never cross a considerable danger zone with out doing at least a hasty recon from a concealed position, and never stay in the zone long. A good hunter will have a shooting position overlooking a danger zone and will wait for his target to get to the middle of it before opening fire - which is the furthest point his victim is from any kind of cover or concealment. This will cause victim to have the longest stretch possible to cross the rest of the danger zone under fire without relief.


A danger zone on Altis - better start running and stay hydrated.

If you desire is to be an effective hunter, your capabilities are only magnified by the longer range you can engage from. The longer range that you can shoot from, the lesser chance of your prey seeing you, and if they do not see you, they cannot effectively shoot at you. In DayZ and Breaking Point, what you carry often is more up to expediency than player preference or weapon effectiveness.

However, there are common weapons that can be used for long-range shooting, like the No. 4 Lee Enfield in Breaking Point or the Mosin in DayZ Standalone. The rifle must have a round of such caliber that it is little influenced by the wind under 500m and has enough takedown power to drop a man in a single shot to the torso. These would be rifles chambered for cartridges like .30-06, .303, 7.62x51mm NATO, etc. If you do not understand much about firearms, their ammunition, and ballistics; do your best to learn about their real-life counterparts. ArmA and the games/mods built around its platform is the most accurate and realistic portrayal of firearms ever made in a video game.


7.62x54mm Mosin 91/30 from DayZ Standalone. Note that a Mosin's '7.62mm' differs from a Kalashnikov's (AK) '7.62mm': the AK shoots a 7.62x39mm - a shortened cartridge - which has considerably less propellant and therefore less power for the same size bullet.

Most people think of "high power rifles" as being black and plastic gun with a big scary "clip" sticking out, but that is very often not the reality. An 'assault rifle' is a select-fire weapon that utilizes intermediate rifle cartridges like 5.56x45mm and derive most of their lethality from expending their velocity into the target, fragmenting and spinning along the way.

Full rifle cartridges, particularly like those of old WW2-era battle rifles, are so powerful that they can often skewer through several targets with little effect on terminal ballistics. Their kill power comes from an infliction of hydrostatic shock, which causes sudden changes of the intravascular blood pressure as a result of a compression of intrathoracic great vessels. A shot to the stomach or chest by one of these rounds may very well kill its victim instantly by brain hemorrhaging, and ArmA does an excellent job of owing these rifles the lethality that they are due.


US Rifle, .30 cal, M1 Garand. In real life, armor-piercing M2 .30-06 rounds are capable of penetrating almost two centimeters of rolled homogeneous armor at 100 meters, and render many types of 'cover' as only being concealment. Ballistic penetration is also extremely well represented in ArmA 3.


Comparision of cartridges commonly used in Arma. Although a weapon's barrel length can affect range, accuracy, and to some degree velocity, these factors are largely determined by the size of bullet used and amount of propellant. To save an extensive lecture on ballistics, the best and most common ammunition used for mankilling in video games are these:

- 7.62x54mm Russian
- 7.92x57mm Mauser (Often reffered to as '8mm')
- 7.62x51mm NATO
- .30-06 Springfield
- .300 Win-Mag
- .303 British
- .308 Winchester (a civilian equivalent of 7.62x51mm NATO)

You'll notice that all these cartridges are of a similiar proportion to each other. They are the 'sweet spot' in rifle ammunition where range and accuracy meets power and lethality. Their high velocity exceeds that of sound, and are capable of inflicting hydrostatic shock.
Intermediate rifle cartridges like 5.56x45mm and its civilian equivalent .223 have decent velocity and range, but suffer from accuracy and power due to their small size. Shortened rifle cartridges like 7.62x39mm and .300 Blackout have larger rounds, but suffers even more in terms of velocity, accuracy, range, and killing power from their reduced amount of propellant. Bigger is not always better.
On the other end of the spectrum, the .50 cal BMG is an amazingly powerful mankiller, with long range and high velocity, but its large size needs several hundred meters to stabilize, reducing accuracy at common shooting ranges, and is not the perfect choice for hunting. The weight and recoil of a .50 cal weapon and its ammunition can also be severely restricting. All these attributes is reflected accordingly in ArmA.

The same is to be said about choosing the sights, from irons to ACOGs and mil-dot scopes. Choose your sights and optics well. Methods of finding a target's distance with these sights in game are true-to-life, and the bullet-drop-compensators (BDC) in various ACOGs can be used to accurately shoot with the caliber weapon they are designed for. Don't grab a fancy holo or dot sight because it looks cool, you can't adjust the range on those. Instead, stick with your irons until you can pick up an appropriate magnified power scope. I will often trade an AK or M16 (unless I have a 4x ACOG) for a bolt-action .303, because the killing power, accuracy, and range is so much better. I do not need full auto firepower or magazine capacity, or even much ammunition. My purpose with this rifle is not to get into firefights; rather I want to be able 'reach out and touch' someone, and dispose of them coolly and methodically. If I am ever in an equal fight, it's because I screwed up. Knowledge is power: know your weapon, know your sights, and know what your bullet does down range.

The bullet drop compensator for a 4x ACOG for 5.56mm rifles. Note how the width of each stadia line is the same as the width of a man shoulders at that distance. ACOGs for 7.62x51mm/.30cal weapons typically have green chevrons in ArmA, though in real life the color is up to the buyer's choice.

A hunting ground is composed of two optimal locations; a shooting position that offers a hide with high visibility for you; and an open 'field-of-fire' (FoF) with little cover, concealment, or defilade for your target. Ideally, your FoF contains a choke point like a bridge or some buildings your target will gravitate to to loot (but do not much obstruct your view), and is a high-traffic area for players. Often, you can find heatmaps on the internet based on recorded player activity on many popular terrains like Chernarus and Altis.

A Chernarus map featuring popular player routes from the ArmA2 DayZ mod.

When finding a hide, visibility is the most key: anything you can see, you can shoot. It's bad to post up inside of a city, with your FoF being limited to just the width of a street, meaning that you have so much less time to spot, assess, and shoot your target before he darts into or behind another building. Instead, post up on a hill (even if its so slight) outside of the city, so you can watch several streets and anyone coming or leaving the town. Personally, I prefer not to post in buildings or towers for elevated hides, because they attract the eye. Cautious prey will investigate them first and more closely for you. Conversely, making a hide in nature has its own liability; though you cover your front, you can still be seen from the sides and rear. Grass can't help cover you because it only renders at a certain distance, or may even be disabled for some players. This is where terrain is key. Post yourself beside a bush or a tree, even though you can't be directly behind it to make your shot, it merges your outline with that of the object's, and breaks up your recognizable 'human' form. To cover your sides and rear, place yourself in a small depression, but on the side of a hill to maintain visibility of your FoF. This depression will obscure all view of you except for the front, which you are covering with your rifle. This, combined with a few bushes, rocks, or trees, is the ideal shooting position. The only way you can be detected from the rear and sides in this position is by walking right up on you, which is highly unlikely, but if this does occur, it gives you a chance to detect the miscreant by hearing his footsteps and gives you time to react. Also, don't commit the mortal sin of skylining.

Commonly preffered positions for bandits on Chernarus.
Author screenshot of an ideal position. The rocky crevices protect the flanks and the steep back drop of the hill behind (evident by how all of the foreground is in the shade) covers the hunter's silhouette and prevents others from approaching from the rear. The edge provides cover if the hunter is fired upon. Note how the hunter has enfilade fire over the roads heading towards him; and the sea and hills channel player movement into his FoF.


A good position in a building. Stay back from the windows, keeping the profile of your body small, in the dark, and that of your rifle from jutting out conspicuously. Strafe to the right or left to keep and eye on your full FoF. The room also acts as in conjunction to a suppressor - it contains most of the sound reverb that is carried by the gasses that propel the bullet expanding from the muzzle of the barrel. The only downside is the lack of a supported shooting position for your weapon, as you are largely unable to move objects around in the game for your benefit.

After establishing a shooting position, observe your surrounding terrain. Mentally note key features; lootable buildings, roads, train tracks, bridges, vehicles, or even dead bodies. Make range estimations on every one using your map or a mil-dot scope. Each small grid square is 100 meters long. Dial your sights to a median distance in your FoF or a good key feature. If necessary, and being sure that the FoF is clear of other hunters, and take a couple of ranging shots on the local fauna to check your estimations and gain confidence in your weapon. Last but not least, be patient and wait. Them moving and your being stationary is your greatest advantage, because the one who moves will be seen first, and the one who is seen first will be shot first.


Calculation for range finding with mil-dot scopes. 1.8m is the standard height of a man.

Military range card done for a static/stationary position. Note the ranges listed for key terrain features on the bottom rows.

Discerning the appropriate 'drop' on your target can be easy, because methods exist for estimating range and zeroing your rifle to that range. However, 'lead' is more complex. Over 300 meters, it becomes difficult to do with any consistency; leading a target becomes more a game of luck. Outside of the ArmA 3 ACE mod, there are no fancy ballistic calculators, and therefore no way to expediently measure target speed and angle to find the appropriate lead. Therefore, your target can be far, but to guarantee a kill, he must become stationary.

The surest way of stopping your target is to rely on their greed. Have visibility to the front of a doorway to a building and shoot them when they enter or exit to loot. Shoot them through a window when they stop to loot when you can. Shoot them when they go to loot another guy you killed. In the old DayZ mod for ArmA2, I had a particular habit of 'prepping' my FoF, by driving out a car with some disposable weapons and ammo stowed inside. I would destroy the engine block to the car and take up a shooting position to best hit the driver's seat. Players who stopped to test the car or loot it encountered a nasty 7.62x51mm surprise.

If you cannot stop your target by these means, then you can attempt to do so by firepower. Traditionally, immobilizing a target is done by suppression - causing the target to run to cover and pinning him down by it by steady fire, and having another element move around the cover to destroy the target. This presents a paradox to the lone hunter - when you miss your first shot, your target runs for cover, out of visibility. He may find a path from there to escape, or wait for a partner to root you out, or assess your position and attempt to shoot back. He may even log out of the game. As a single man, you have no way of flanking that cover to kill him without giving up your own cover and concealment.

The alleviation to this issue is what I call 'inverse suppression'. After your first shot, the victim can only offer a flight-or-fight response, and both requires him to make an assessment of your position to effectively do. If your target is moving and you miss your first leading shot, continue to make several more shots until the target runs in front of a hill, building, or other sight obstructing obstacle, and stop shooting. If he runs behind something that obstructs your vision of him, keep shooting. This will cause your target to perceive that you are shooting from another direction and that the cover most visible to you is his safest option, and likely he will utilize this false sense of security to make his assessment on your position. This is when the kill shot is to be made, when the target is stationary. Stopping your target by inverse suppression is messy, it exceeds the '2-shot' maxim snipers have in the real world, and can cause a belligerent third party to detect and uncover you. It is advisable to use only if you have a confident knowledge of what occupies your environment and in the low-populated and 'wild' parts of large maps like Chernarus.


“Who was the first that forged the deadly blade? Of rugged steel his savage soul was made.”
-Tibullus, Roman writer

A single competent hunter can wreck havoc in even rather large group of players, but the capabilities of a 3 or 4 man team is almost limitless. As an individual, you are largely consigned to picking people off outside of spawns and favorite looting spots, but in a team you can develop a more offensive doctrine. In the military, we had an acronym for advancing - 'RIGS' - Recon, Isolate, Gain Foothold, Secure.


Textbook RIGS maneuver. The support element/base of fire engages the enemy using an adjacent building for cover, causing the enemy to orient on them, while the maneuver element uses the cover of other buildings on the flanks to close the distance enough to make the assault.

Before approaching a town or a high player density area, take your time to stop, find cover or concealment, and 'Recon' the area - look for zombies spawned too far out, parked vehicles, and listen for gunshots. Doing your recon can set you much above others in terms of lethality and survivability. You can often catch players coming in and out of a town at the very moment you meant to enter it, and could give you that opportunity to cut them down from cover or concealment with superior firepower; rather than a surprise meeting with them out in a field while your character is out of breath. When you do sight targets, communicate to your team effectively by using key features or compass degrees to identify their direction and location to your hunters.

After you recon, you 'Isolate' - if there are players in a town or building, set yourself and your hunter friends up in such a way to view them from multiple angles, cutting off their way of escape from their covered position. Proper Isolation means that they cannot leave either side of a building or town without being shot at. All the while, preserving the element of surprise; send in a couple of guys (ideally four, but groups rarely have 6-8 people total) to root them out of the town or target building and 'Gain the Foothold'. In military terms, you are establishing a 'base of fire' and a 'maneuver element'. Keep eyes on your targets' location and report to your assault team if the target re-positions. It is not ideal to shoot at this time to preserve your assault team's surprise, but if necessary, pot-shots can be made to scare the targets into holing up into a building. Though they may be aware of a shooter, at least they are goaded into remaining inside a single building so that its easier to isolate and coordinate your assault team to clear, and your assault team suffers little chance of them sallying out to counterattack in the plethora of unknowns they are psychologically going through.

When the assault team strikes, offer support to their havoc by suppressing fire, even if you don't necessarily have visibility on the targets. After the targets are disposed of, your assault team can take 'Security' in that building and cover you while you re-position and move to it to collect your fair share of loot.


Sniper/spotter team in DayZ Standalone

Being a hunter takes a special kind of confidence and master over the game. Be knowledgeable of your weapon and optics. Know what your bullet does down range. Feel your round gliding through the atmosphere and ripping through your target upon impact. Know how to move in such away as not to be detected. Be patient and observe. Have a winners' mentality, an opportunity bias, but be cautious and don't let yourself fall for the same psychological tricks that you are about to employ.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”


ArmA2 Sniper