Idea for Sniper Grapple Replacement: Knockback Trap

A lot of people who complain about the Sniper mention the grapple, saying that it gives too much close range power to a long range specialist. I also dislike the grapple because simply pressing a button when an enemy gets close to go into a repetitive animation that rings out/kills them allows little opprotunity for strategic or skillful use, and worst of all is boring.

I believe this skill could be replaced with something that players are less apt to whine about and which would make the class more interesting. My first draft of the idea is like this:

Deployable/destroyable like support firebase but does no damage. Can be picked up and redeployed like a firebase

Deals heavy continuous knockback within a frontal arc that effects the Sniper and enemies until they're moved out of its (short) range

Can be activated/deactivated by the Sniper, takes a few seconds to activate and is very audible during the start up and active stage but is silent when deactivated

This gives the Sniper a more strategically interesting way of knocking back enemies than the grapple allows. Imagine being able to knock enemies into ice traps/flak, push enemy pros against a wall for easier headshots, blow around enemy bots to shut down a lane or set up better explosive shot chains, save yourself from ringouts by placing it on an arena edge, or even using it as a makeshift jumpad to get from one platform to another.

This replacement would also be a nerf to the snipers close combat ability which a lot of players seem to dislike. All in all I think if implemented correctly this would be more fun and fairer than the grapple while providing even more synergy between the Sniper's skills.

So what I get from this is to give them a more powerful ice trap?

No, freezing enemies in place is like the opposite of this idea. The knockback trap would be more like a firebase that does knockback instead of damage, has much shorter range, and only fires forward. This aids the Sniper's control and deterrence abilities which seem to be a theme for all the other skills he has besides grapple. A powerful melee attack doesn't seem to fit the class design and more importantly isn't very fun for the user or victim imo.

Please no! One of the main problems with the Sniper is that he hardly moves from his spot and he is boring to play and to play against. The last thing he needs is a trap that automates the last action this class gets except scanning the horizon.

I would like a complete redesign of the Sniper that allows him (and forces him) to be a little closer to the action and actually participate in the match. I would want a Sniper who is right behind the powerful pros like Tank and Gunner and covers them, not a stationary one-shotting point defense that is glued to the center point of a trap labyrinth!

The simple solution is to make grapple level 3. Your idea is cool but not practical really, but cool still !