HANDS ON GUIDE

Support #2 - The Sniper

Sniper: 125 HP

The Sniper is the ultimate class for a twitch gamer to master. His game can either be one of measured, tactical, precision, or a mind numbing campfest, depending on how well you can play the class. A Sniper’s primary concern is that of position. You need to be as far from the enemy as possible, with room to evade rockets, grenades, and rushing Scouts. It’s best if you can overlook a path, or chokepoint, where the attacking team is emerging into a heavy firefight. This causes them to slow down as they engage, and gives you the best chance of scoring a headshot with your rifle.

Primary Weapon: Bolt Action Sniper Rifle

The Sniper’s main weapon is a single shot Sniper Rifle. You only carry 25 shots, but since you’re rarely in the frontlines running away to collect ammo is not a problem.

The scope is activated with the second mouse button and as soon as you go into scope mode, the rifle begins to charge up. The more charge, the greater the damage. When the rifle is raised it produces a laser dot, in your team colour, wherever it’s pointed. This serves as a warning to the enemy, informing them of your presence, and the charge of your sniper rifle. The red dot contains a brighter spot, which grows in relation with your Sniper’s charge. A large bright red dot is a fully charged Sniper Rifle and should serve as a strong warning to slow moving Heavies.

An experienced Sniper will learn to hide the dot so it’s not visible to the enemy. You want to keep the dot at head level, and as near to your enemy’s path as possible. It doesn’t take too long to charge a shot, so you should periodically un-scope to check your back and re-evaluate your targets and surroundings. When your Sniper is fully charged you will kill any enemy with a single headshot. You need a steady hand, calm nerves, and the reflexes of a cat, but the headshot is the best way to stop your enemy. Stay calm and don’t panic, especially when an inaccurate class like a Heavy is trying to send shots in your direction. Let the bullets rain around you, and take the attacker down with a well-placed shot.

The Sniper Rifle is also effective against the Engineer’s structures. It’s fairly easy to destroy any structure as long as there isn’t an Engineer repairing it. If an Engineer is repairing it, then try to destroy their Dispenser or kill them with a headshot.

If you have a lot of fast moving targets you can fire before your rifle is fully charged, but it will take a few hits to take them down. If you’re really good concentrate on the head, but we mortals get reasonable results when we aim for the centre of the body. If they get past your killing zone, and move into mid to close range, you’ll need to resort to your Machine Pistol if you’re going to survive.

Secondary Weapon: Machine Pistol

The Machine Pistol is similar to the Medic’s Syringe Pistol. Both rapidly squirt a barrage of low impact shots which suffer from parabolic droop. It isn’t a great weapon, but it’s enough to cover your retreat to a new location. While you can get kills with it, you’re better off not bothering if you can help it. If someone does become a pest, then you can use the Machine Pistol to reduce their health for a melee attack.

1 | 2

Latest Hands on guides

These are the most popular features articles over the past three months.

Mobile Broadband

Compare prices

Fastest, cheapest 3G mobile broadband dongles from 3, Vodafone, T-Mobile and Orange
from just £10/month