Pathfinder

Pathfinders are USA's elite snipers.
==Background==
Equipped with a long-range sniper rifle (Heckler & Koch MSG90) and effective camouflage (Ghillie suits), the Pathfinder can take out enemy infantry systematically and often without enemy commanders realizing. Pathfinders are cloaked when not moving. However, they are completely useless against vehicles and buildings. If revealed, a single vehicle could dispatch Pathfinders without much trouble. To compensate for this, many players use a very effective tactic of filling Humvees with a Pathfinder and four Missile Defenders to provide Pathfinders with protection from vehicles. Pathfinders can surreptitiously garrison buildings; the building will appear unoccupied to opposing armies as long as only stealth units occupy the building. Just a single Pathfinder provides exceptional anti-infantry protection for advancing units. 
Not wanting their training to fall into the wrong hands US officials restrict them only to Generals who had achieved special promotions. Kassad was reported to train snipers that are identical in appearance to Pathfinders in his main base, though the player cannot train any while playing as him. General Leang, a high-ranking Chinese general, also had access to Pathfinders.
==Upgrades==
	Chemical Suits 	This upgrade makes the Pathfinder more resistant to toxins and radiations, which means that they take less damage from them, still they are vulnerable to them.	Purchasable at any Strategy Center in Zero Hour for $1000
	Advanced Training	Allows Pathfinder to gain veteran status twice as fast, which means that they can be promoted, faster. 	Purchasable at any Strategy Center for $1500
==Game unit==
===Strategy===
Pathfinders remain hidden while stationary, though they have to break cover to move. They can detect stealth units, making them valuable as scouts. A handful of these snipers can easily render almost all infantry on the battlefield useless. They can also suppress the missile-armed rebels inside a GLA Stinger Site, given the structure's open design, continuously eliminating the site's replacement rebels and rendering it defenseless. Pathfinders can board vehicles such as the Humvee and fire from while on the move while also gaining the vehicle's protection and mobility, and benefiting from anti-vehicle capabilities of accompanying infantry and the vehicle itself.
They also make good perimeter security, surrounding a base. Stationing a few Pathfinders near points of entry to an allied base would make it very hard for hero units or saboteurs to enter. This is a good counter to stealthed infiltration forces under Prince Kassad's command. A few Pathfinders in the base's rear will also make short work of a rebel ambush that spawns within the base itself. 
Against a GLA opponent, they could eliminate the worker that emerges from a GLA hole, allowing other units to finish off the building before it is reconstructed. They are good at killing GLA workers at a remote supply-gathering base, which they can usually do from outside defensive range. Similarly, if a Chinese general had not placed his money-gathering Hackers sufficiently far back inside base, the Pathfinder could kill them from outside the perimeter. 
Like other detector units, the Pathfinder loses his stealth detecting ability when garrisoned in a building or when traveling in a vehicle. Thus, if being used to support garrisoned infantry, it is usually best to leave the Pathfinder outside and slightly away from the building, trading the physical protection of the building for stealth detection. 
Pathfinders could also shoot accurately from helicopters that had been designed to permit infantry to fire from within: these included General Granger's robust Combat Chinook, or, if the player had somehow captured Chinese airfields, a Battle Bunker-equipped Helix or Shin Fai's Assault Helix. A single airborne Pathfinder inside such a helicopter would be extremely dangerous to all infantry in the field. 
Unlike the GLA's sole sniper (Jarmen Kell) Pathfinders will automatically shoot enemy infantry on sight and do not need to be ordered to fire. 
===Counters===
However, observant commanders can pinpoint the location of a Pathfinder by studying the trajectory of a fired shot, as a Pathfinder can only remain cloaked when stationary. Unlike Jarmen Kell's who has a rifle with special anti-vehicle rounds, their sniper rifle is utterly useless against vehicles. If cornered by an anti-infantry vehicle, Pathfinders have to remain still and rely on their camouflage to protect them. They also have a habit of running towards infantry a short distance before firing, then staying put in that position until all infantry in their vision are wiped out. Once they are done, they will return to their original spots, going back and forth as needed; this can be easily exploited by counter snipers. The GLA could adopt the callous but effective tactic of sacrificing rebel infantry, causing the Pathfinder to reveal his position and so that Jarmen Kell can eliminate him; however, this works only if there is a single Pathfinder to deal with. Another method is to bring in a stealth detection unit like Troop Crawler, Radar Van, or the Scout Drone upgrade for USA vehicles and pair it with a good anti-infantry unit for a spectacular sniper takedowns.
==Changelog==
*Generals sneak peek patch 1.02: can no longer destroy aircraft with one shot
==Selected quotes==
==Trivia==
*In reality the MSG90A1 has been tested by the United States Marine Corps but it is ruled out in favor of the M14 DMR.
*Pathfinders resemble real life United States Marine Corps Scout Snipers.
*The Pathfinder has unused animations for lying down and shooting while prone. As to what effect this would have had, is unknown, although it was likely that the sniper would only become camouflaged while prone.
*Despite wearing green camouflage suits, they can still camouflage in the desert, cityscapes, and in the snow.
*The Pathfinder is voiced by Quinton Flynn; who also voiced the Humvee, Missile defender, Raptor, and Pilot. He is arguably best known for his role as﻿ Raiden from the Metal Gear Solid series.
==See also==
* Jarmen Kell
Category:Generals 1 infantry
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