Sculpted by: Tom De Wulf
A capable sniper is perhaps one of the most feared weapons at the disposal of a company commander. While the Royalists are forced to make due with an ad hoc master-tyro relationship and no formalized training to speak of, the Crusader approach is markedly different. Any rhyfler who feels he is proficient enough with a rifle may request his caerten recommend him for sniper school. Should the officer relent, the next time the company rotates off the line or otherwise returns from the front, the SBS will be waiting for the new recruit. Some find it odd that Alykinder's own Special Branch of Security should be responsible for training new snipers, but those quar are among some of the deadliest on all of Alwyd, and they take their craft very seriously.
Deadly seriously, in fact. A tyro has two options while at the secret SBS training locations scattered across the continent - either master his newfound trade, or meet his ancestors trying. There is no failing out, no returning to his original unit, nor a timetable on how long it should take to complete his training. A tyro is deemed ready or he is returned to the instructors, though the brutal pace and incredibly realistic training practices virtually insure that no recruit will take any longer than absolutely necessary. The would-be sniper will return to the battlefield, sometimes to his original unit, with his new Afir rifle and near-total autonomy, or will be returned to his mother wearing a cheap pine coat.
