Tips for firing the M136 AT-4 in ArmA

[frederf 0]

I've noticed some sub par AT4 shooting both in my own unit, by myself, as well as in general MP play. I thought I'd share some tips on how to effectively employ the weapon as well as get some ideas from others.

Where to shoot from:

If you can, get close, above, and behind.

If you can get where the turret is not facing.

If you can get inside 150m. 100m is better. The effective range of the AT4 is listed as 300m.

Don't fire if you don't have a >90% chance of hit.

Shoot from a place that you have a path to escape.

Shoot behind a hill so going prone will protect you.

Before exposing yourself for the shot, make sure your AT4 is loaded and ready to fire.

Aiming:

The thing shoots lower than you think.

Make sure the round travels farther than 2 ft into the cover in front of you.

Cover the target with your sights if using them.

Aim for the center of the target if stationary, front tip if moving.

Practice at the range.

Post Firing:

Get cover, get down.

Get cover, get down.

Get cover, get down.

Do not:

1. See if your round impacted.

2. Reload the AT4.

3. Switch to rifle.

After you fire the weapon you are everyone's special friend inside 400m. Your shooting job is done, now your job is to live. Your job is not to shoot back for a while. A crew of a bailed T-72 knows exactly where you are. They will shoot you in the head. Let your friends take out the crew.

You take cover immediately after firing. Use the time the round is in the air. The BMP2 will not wait for the round to land before targeting you, you shouldn't wait to get out of his way.

If you are out of AT4 rounds, drop the launcher on the ground. It will get in your view's way and lets people know you're empty.

I'm trying very hard to train the AT4 gunners in 4IBas well as myself to do these steps. It is very tempting to watch your round fly through the air. Don't do it. It is very tempting (almost a reflex from CS) to reload your weapon immediately after firing. Don't do it. It is very tempting to switch to your rifle immediately after firing. Don't do it.

[mattxr 9]

I can kill a bmp at over 900m on flat ground.. i have a great trianing mission.. i guess pratice also makes perfect.

[Control 0]

Yes, with the current lack of accurate ballistict, one can take silly long shots on a stationnary target with almost 100% accuracy :-/

[celery 8]

AT4's ironsight downright sucks, that explains low hit rates. I always get an RPG if I see one, it has a way better aiming system. Am I the only one who thinks the rockets are going too slow?

[INNOCENT&CLUELESS 0]

I am used to the almost perfect ironsights in OFP addons hence I refuse to learn with those "wrong" until the right addons appear LOL

[Mr.Whitlow 0]

AT4's ironsight downright sucks, that explains low hit rates. I always get an RPG if I see one, it has a way better aiming system. Am I the only one who thinks the rockets are going too slow?

It seems about right to me... Maybe a little bit slow...

Judging from the videos I've seen. Although I watched them quite a while ago.

Oh and I almost forgot to say: Good tips, thanks

[rekrul 7]

I always have to "cover" the target with my at4 sight meaning I put the pin on the target (between mainbody and turret) then raise the sight so the main bottom iron part covers my target and I got no way to see the target, but it hits. Am I the only one strugling with this?

[celery 8]

By the way, a very good map to get good at instinctive aiming with the launchers is DM Rocket Rumble (made by me of course). In that map you fight with automatically loading launchers in Ortego. It's not a final version yet, so I ask not to spread/mirror it outside this thread.

Linky

[ck-claw 1]

Yepp,thanks for letting infamous get it early celery! as with a few other maps!

[-DirTyDeeDs--Ziggy- 0]

muhuhahaha rocket rumble. It just has a nice ring to it, eh?

[TheReddog 0]

I always have to "cover" the target with my at4 sight meaning I put the pin on the target (between mainbody and turret) then raise the sight so the main bottom iron part covers my target and I got no way to see the target, but it hits. Am I the only one strugling with this?

That's exactly what I have to do but it does not cause me too much of an issue.

[Big Dawg KS 6]

I always have to "cover" the target with my at4 sight meaning I put the pin on the target (between mainbody and turret) then raise the sight so the main bottom iron part covers my target and I got no way to see the target, but it hits. Am I the only one strugling with this?

That's exactly what I have to do but it does not cause me too much of an issue.

Only for longer distances, since the sights are zeroed for a specific distance and if your target is further away than said distance the rocket will drop below where you're aiming. Rockets aren't, afterall, uneffected by gravity.

[max power 21]

@Frederf

Good post!

[LoFFeN 0]

Yeah nice tips there, Frederf.

I have trained a bit at Long Range Fireing with the AT4, in the editor. It's awesome to hit a target that is far away.

[KJAM 0]

I can usually hit a moving target at a long distance of maybe 400-500m, depending on how fast the target is moving.

My advice to anyone trying long range shooting. You don't need to move the Ironsight up as much as you might think.

[frederf 0]

Thanks for the feedback. The main points I wanted new folks to take away from the topic is:

1. Don't try to shoot more than 300m

2. A perfect shot is useless if you die 2 seconds later. Get cover first, reload second.

I see many many people dying when they didn't have to because they reloaded their AT4 on the spot or tried to immediately pick off the tank crew that bailed. It doesn't have to be this way people.

[celery 8]

I see many many people dying when they didn't have to because they reloaded their AT4 on the spot or tried to immediately pick off the tank crew that bailed. It doesn't have to be this way people.

This part is funny, has a "save the whales" tone to it.

[Stewy 1]

Is it just me or does the AT-4 only "scratch" T-72s? I do a close in shot, in the back of the vehicle and it only seems to annoy it...

3 rounds does it - but you would think that 1 would put a hole in the back of T-72 surely?

[4 IN 1 0]

unless BI creat the sort of ironsight that American Army currently have, there is a slight chance for a accrate shoot over 300 with eyes on target

[max power 21]

Is it just me or does the AT-4 only "scratch" T-72s? I do a close in shot, in the back of the vehicle and it only seems to annoy it...

3 rounds does it - but you would think that 1 would put a hole in the back of T-72 surely?

Not firing from LOS aspect, I don't think... but even if, simply penetrating the armour back there isn't going to blow it up like they blow in ArmA. Maybe penetrating the turret would...

[frederf 0]

Is it just me or does the AT-4 only "scratch" T-72s? I do a close in shot, in the back of the vehicle and it only seems to annoy it...

3 rounds does it - but you would think that 1 would put a hole in the back of T-72 surely?

A real AT4 is not a MBT killer. Against AI in game I cause a crew bail kill in 1 AT4 hit regardless of the angle... so I have like no clue where people are experiencing this "3 AT4s to kill a T-72."

You do realize you can kill a T-72 without it brewing up right?

[celery 8]

Is it just me or does the AT-4 only "scratch" T-72s? I do a close in shot, in the back of the vehicle and it only seems to annoy it...

3 rounds does it - but you would think that 1 would put a hole in the back of T-72 surely?

A real AT4 is not a MBT killer. Against AI in game I cause a crew bail kill in 1 AT4 hit regardless of the angle... so I have like no clue where people are experiencing this "3 AT4s to kill a T-72."

You do realize you can kill a T-72 without it brewing up right?

A player crew is hardly affected by a secret "one hit eject" rule.

[4 IN 1 0]

Is it just me or does the AT-4 only "scratch" T-72s?  I do a close in shot, in the back of the vehicle and it only seems to annoy it...

3 rounds does it - but you would think that 1 would put a hole in the back of T-72 surely?

A real AT4 is not a MBT killer. Against AI in game I cause a crew bail kill in 1 AT4 hit regardless of the angle... so I have like no clue where people are experiencing this "3 AT4s to kill a T-72."

You do realize you can kill a T-72 without it brewing up right?

A player crew is hardly affected by a secret "one hit eject" rule.

thats why you need to use it clever, normally AT 4 are used to clear buildings, caves, soft target, light armor target and stuff, there are rare case that it is used as a tank killer(there are other stuff to due with them normally), it is possible, but you need to choose the right place to aim at, if ARMA did have directional armor value then the side, the back and the top would be great, if you have a really good aim or shit luck, aim for its cannon, use cover as much as possible to creat ambush effect and prevent enemy from seeing you while reloading in case your first strick is missed or only half done

edit: there are a few secound of confuse when being hit (human react far slower then AI most of the time)

also there is a chance that you kill the crew member within without doing heavy damage to the tank itself too

[bootleg soldier 2]

Played evolution last night and got a 765 metres hit on a BMP on flat ground (desert in between the towns due west of the airport) was very very chuffed, managed to take all three out as it seemed out of their range to return fire.

- Frederf you forgot to mention not to attempt a second shot from the same cover and place, always move to different side of the wall or cover as this is where everyone will be looking.

- Also stalking armour is made harder by the fact that an AI gunner will follow your movements with his gun even if he canot see you, this mostly happens when you are separated by a ridge and your crawling about, does't seem to happen as much if your behind a building.

Apart from that good post, learn it and share it is the only way to go  

Best regards

Bootleg

[Dwarden 1124]

most disturbing AI reaction is when You fire and get killed by same vehicle WHILE your AT projectile is on way to that AI vehicle ...

prolly caused by firing AT cause AI detect You and insta kill only solution so far is either be far far away or hidden partly by e.g. building

another solution is some dispersion on AI so they miss you with first salve ...

this little problem applies to use of both M136 and RPG versus APC, MG mounted jeeps and full crew tanks ...