• They have higher movement speed than assaults

• They are cheaper than assaults

• Smoke grenade reduces accuracy of hostile enemy units

• They can move through the forest

• Lower health than their counterparts

• Overall less damage than assaults

The most important role of the rifleman is in container collection at the start of the battle. From well positioned barracks, they are able to be rallied around the map to collect resources scattered on the battlefield. They do this more efficiently than assaults due to their higher speed and ability to move through forests.

They are a support unit in many formations, and can help in clashes when grouped with jaguars, coyotes, armadillos and many other units. They are quite versatile and can assist in most unit combinations.

Riflemen are also good for spying on the enemy. They can hide in the forests, and if placed in key locations, monitor enemy movement and actions. This is key in countering and planning in advance to face the enemy. Hidden riflemen are essential in battles where forests are present. They can also appear out of the forest to ambush the enemy. They can be detected in the forest from a distance by fire assaults, fortresses and cyclones. They are also detectable if an enemy unit stands 1 cell away from them while they are in the forest.

They are best at countering infantry. Best against heavy assaults

Top priority:
Speed is key. But so is your survival rate. Of course, it's important to keep running in the first few minutes in order to get those crates. Speed is also needed in order to conquer all those flags. If coyotes are not an option, your riflemen is your next choice. And you already have them in the field. You will find your Riflemen's movement speed upgrades under the Combat Suit upgrades.

Primary:
If you plan to fight your opponents with riflemen scatter them around before engaging the enemy. One for each tank is a rough ideal combination.

Make sure you max out all health and armor first: Combat Suit, Metal Alloy Armor and Individual First Aid Kit. The Individual First Aid Kit only has occasional upgrades on health and should be done last in the health list. Keep the Combat Suit and Metal Alloy Armor on equal level during upgrading, so their durability will grow together this way.

Secondary:
The rifle itself. Upgrade the Combat Rifle and Armor Piercing Ammo.

Tertiary:
The electro smoke grenade makes up of only 1/5th of your arms, so it is best to save this one for last. Nor will the effect of the grenade increase during upgrades. The accuracy debuff caused by this grenade can be sped up by increasing your rate of fire of your rifle instead. The grenade upgrades will only increase the damage. The radius of the explosion however, might affect nearby units as well.