The idea is that the beginning of a trials match will be a primary technical battle with less sniping. However, I don’t think sniping is the main issue, but rather the matchmaking, nevertheless here is how it goes. Either: A - the hardcore players wipe the other team before that team can get special, and then the hardcore team gets special. This gives that hardcore team the ultimate edge, as they can now use special weapons to kill the other team before they ever get special. Moreover, the casual team could have at least got some kills if they had a special weapon to use. B - you get some team using weapons like Ice Breaker or No Land Beyond to snipe in the beginning anyways, which defeats the main goal of taking special away. Using No Land Beyond is no big deal, it has its negatives, and team’s should look out for it. Using Ice Breaker just seems cheap. So, now in order for a team to compete they will have to use Ice Breaker to Ice Breaker or NLB to NLB to at least cancel. Seems like taking special away really just hurts the casual player. Those players may not have been destined to go flawless anyways, but at least make it to 5 or 7 wins is not asking too much. Those items aren’t adept or dropping at 320. On another note, why in the shell does a team from America get matched with a team in Canada or Mexico? Makes no sense, unless the servers can handle that separation, which they can’t. Every time these matchups occur; the game is froth with teleporting and red bars. This was and is the real issue, not special ammo and snipers. People get sniped anyway, and still they were not going to make it to the lighthouse without carry. Yet making it to 7 wins should not be crazy hard either.