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PROFILE | GAMEPLAY | UNIQUE GADGET | STATS | CONCEPT ART
"WHO NEEDS EXPLOSIVES"
- SLEDGE
Every week we will unveil a new Operator Spotlight - going into detail on the background, inspiration, and gameplay of each operator. Please keep in mind that operators are a work in progress, and information is still subject to change by launch.
Seamus Cowden is a natural leader and intimidating physical powerhouse; he holds the all-time speed and strength record for the SAS qualifying physical exam. He prefers to be the point person on operations, ready to create a path for his teammates with one swing of his tactical breaching hammer “The Caber”.
Sledge is the operator to choose for quick and relatively silent destruction. His breaching hammer can be used to quickly go through multiple destructible walls, floors and barricades. But be careful: as opposed to breaching charges, which can be detonated from a distance, using the breaching hammer might leave you exposed, be ready to quickly take cover from enemy fire. Using the hammer makes less noise than an exploding breaching charge, you can use it to surprise your enemy by creating a path from an unexpected direction.
The breaching hammer is very effective against walls that are covered by Mute's Jamming Device and Castle's bulletproof barricades (making him a great pick against them).
Since Sledge operates in especially close quarters, he goes particularly well with medium to long range attackers like Ash and Twitch.
Sledge's loadout can be tweaked to make him a strong offensive close range breacher (with the Mossberg 591A1, MAC-11 and Frag Grenades). Another variant is to equip him with the Enfield L85A2 and Breach Charges for a more versatile and classic approach.
While breaching hammers are nothing new to CTU or law enforcement operations, “The caber” is unique due its exceptional size and weight. Such dimensions would be impractical in the hands of most agents but Sledge’s exceptional physical prowess make it a formidable presence on the battlefield, allowing for quick and effective breaches.
Sledge’s breaching hammer was directly inspired by CTU battering rams. There are four kinds of breaching tools: mechanical, ballistic, explosive and thermal. Using sledgehammers or other blunt objects to breach is known as mechanical breaching, and often serves as a relatively quiet supplement compared to the other, more attention-grabbing methods. Mechanical breaching was used during the Iranian Embassy Siege to gain access to rooms, and is still used in modern day conflicts in tight urban zones where ballistic or explosive breaching methods carry more risk.
