WARDOGS Recon Guide: Best Loadout and How to Play Recon

Recon players are the eyes of the faction. You sit back from the fighting, find enemies before they find your team, and pick off the players who matter most.

A good Recon player doesn’t just get long-range kills. They spot infantry, vehicles and helicopters so the rest of the faction can react, and they earn cash and XP every time they do.

Recon in one line: Stay hidden, stay connected to the fight, and spot everything before you shoot anything.

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Recon at a Glance

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The Recon Loadout (Season 2)

Unlock levels below are Recon track levels for Season 2. Prices are approximate vendor prices per life and can change between updates.

Which Rifle Should You Use?

• SVD – the best all-rounder for most Recon players. Semi-automatic, quick follow-up shots, and forgiving if your first shot misses.
• SKS – a cheaper semi-auto option for when you’re still levelling Recon.
• SV98 / MK22 – bolt-action rifles. Hard-hitting and accurate, but your first shot has to count.
• BMR-308 / M14 – premium semi-auto rifles for players who move a lot.
• AMR 50 – extreme range and huge damage, but heavy (around 12.5 kg) and expensive. Only bring it when you have the cash and a safe overwatch position.

Keep It Light

Recon lives on repositioning. Every extra kilogram slows you down when you need to move after being spotted.

• Stay in Level 1 armour or a ghillie suit.
• Don’t overfill your backpack. Two or three magazines plus a sensible amount of loose ammo is plenty.
• A cheap sidearm is your close-range insurance. You don’t need an expensive one.

Budget Tip: Binoculars cost about $75 and need no level. Even with the free rifle, spotting earns you Recon XP and cash from your first match.

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How to Play Recon

1. Spot Before You Shoot

Spotting is the most valuable thing you do.

• Hold your binoculars or range finder on the target until the mark completes. Look away early and the spot won’t register.
• Use a normal ping to point teammates at a location, and a Recon spot to mark a specific enemy or vehicle.
• Spot first, then shoot. Even if you miss, the mark is still helping your team.
• If a teammate kills an enemy you’ve spotted, you’re still rewarded.

2. Pick the Right Targets

Don’t shoot the closest enemy just because you can see them. Prioritise:

1. Helicopters and vehicles heading towards friendly positions – spot them so Support players can react.
2. Flanking groups moving around your team.
3. Enemy Medics reviving teammates.
4. Support gunners pinning your team down.
5. Enemy Recon watching your faction.
6. Anyone heading into the Control Zone or Hot Zone.

3. Sightline Beats Height

The highest tower on the map is the first place every enemy sniper checks.

• Choose positions with a good view of useful routes, not the tallest building.
• Use reverse slopes, rock lines, tree lines, broken walls and side windows.
• Never stand on a crest. Lie just below it so you don’t silhouette yourself against the sky.
• Shoot from inside rooms, away from the window, rather than leaning out of it.

4. Be Camouflaged

Camouflage helps, but it doesn’t replace good positioning.

• Once unlocked, the Ghillie Headwear and Body Suit make you much harder to spot in grass and scrub.
• Stay in shadow and avoid bright, open ground.
• A suppressor helps hide your position when you fire.
• Move slowly when enemies might be looking your way. Movement is what gives you away.

5. Relocate Often

After a few meaningful shots, assume someone knows where you are.

• Change angle, change floor, or move 50–100 metres to a new position.
• Plan your next position before you take the shot.
• Use smoke to break line of sight if you need to leave a compromised spot.

6. Set Your Zero

Zeroing makes long shots far easier.

1. Use your Range Finder to measure the distance to your target.
2. Adjust your zero with Page Up / Page Down (default keys).
3. Take the shot.

Not every rifle zeroes the same way. The SKS and SVD adjust in 100 m steps up to 1,000 m, while some bolt-actions have a much smaller range of settings. Check yours before you need it.

7. Stay Connected to the Fight

Sitting 1.5 km away watching an empty field doesn’t help anyone.

• Watch the routes into the Control Zone, the Hot Zone and the Towers.
• Keep an eye on rear approaches, side roads and ridges.
• Watch the third faction. They’re the ones most likely to surprise your team.

8. Call It Out

Short, clear callouts win fights. Give what, where and how far:

Two infantry, north ridge, 400 metres.

Vehicle heading for our F.O.B from the east.

Helicopter inbound, south-west, low.

Sniper in the white building, second floor.

9. Protect Yourself

• Place a Claymore (Recon 23) on the most likely approach to your position.
• Keep your sidearm ready if someone gets close.
• Carry bandages so a stray hit doesn’t end your life.

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Common Recon Mistakes

• Camping the obvious tower. It’s the first place enemies check.
• Shooting before spotting. You lose the spot reward and give away your position.
• Never moving. One position for the whole match is a death sentence.
• Overpacking. Heavy armour and a full backpack make you slow and easy to catch.
• Drifting too far from the objective. If you can’t see the fight, you can’t help it.
• Ignoring vehicles. Spotting a vehicle you can’t destroy is still a huge help.

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Pre-Deployment Checklist

• Rifle, scope and 2–3 magazines plus loose ammo
• Binoculars or range finder
• Cheap sidearm
• Bandages and at least one smoke
• Light armour or ghillie
• A plan for your first two positions

Remember: The best Recon players are rarely top of the kill feed. They’re the reason everyone else knew where the enemy was.

Unlock levels and prices are for Season 2 (Update 0.2.0). WARDOGS is in Early Access, so check the in-game vendor for the latest values.