Hey, all. I'm going to be playing in an Age of Rebellion one-shot in the near future, something the GM has described as kind of like Rogue One - a time-sensitive strike mission for the Rebellion that we likely won't survive. I'm interested in playing a Soldier, with the Trailblazer specialization, as kind of a scout-sniper type. We're building at Knight-level, so 150 XP and 9000 credits worth of equipment. Aside from maybe the Light Stealth Armor from the Soldier book, though, I'm not sure what else to pick up equipment-wise, or what might be the most efficient of helpful way to spend that XP. I think I want to start as a human with Agility 4, and push Ranged (Heavy) to 2 to start, so 15 of that 150 will probably go to Ranged (Heavy) 3. After that, though, I'm not sure of the best uses for the XP; I've only played in a couple sessions before, so my level of system mastery isn't what it could be. Any suggestions?

They're more Scout than Sniper, is that what you want?

I could go Trailblazer or Sharpshooter, really. I like Trailblazer for the Stealth career skill and all the cover abilities, but Sharpshooter might be better from a pure damage perspective. The mission outline we've been given is pretty vague, so either path could work well.

I'd go with the one you'd have more fun playing. The aspect of the off spec could probably be handled by just focusing on the most appropriate skill.

If you're not limited to AoR careers, consider the Bounty Hunter/Assassin. They have both the stealth and sharpshooting aspects it sounds like you're looking for: Ranged (Heavy) as both a career and spec skill, as well as Stealth as a spec skill; lots of Lethal Blows for hard-hitting crits, 3 ranks of Stalker to improve Stealth/Coordination; Quick Strike, Precisie Aim, Targeted Blow, etc. to make that first, unseen shot count.

The thing about Trailblazers is that they aren't necessarily focused on long-ranged combat. Prime Positions and Blind Spot require your allies to be within short range, which isn't going to happen if you're firing from long range and they need to be at medium or closer, and Ambush only works against enemies within short range. Trailblazer is about scouting the enemy and either sneaking in close or laying a trap for them to walk into. If you want sniping, I think Sharpshooter will work much better.

Why not both? They are both Soldier specs so you don't lose that 10 XP. I think the stealthy, ambushy Trailblazer could benefit greatly from the two ranks of True Aim and the two Deadly Accuracy talents found in Sharpshooter.

As far as equipment goes, the E-11s Sniper Rifle fits both specs thematically but you can only fire every other round. But that isn't a huge issue if you wanted to play a shoot and scoot type, dropping land mines or grenades as you run around.