The Basics[]
Sniping is a simple, and rewarding art. I'm Ryan Scathe (gamername) and I would like to consider myself among the elite snipers. Many players know the satisfaction of seeing somebody fall in their sights, and knowing that somewhere in the world, someone just threw their controller (or iPod) at the TV. This guide is full of all the tips, tricks, and general advice that all good snipers should know, and that I hope will teach some of you how to become a user of a long-range weapon.
Also, please do NOT edit this. Make your own guidebook. I recently had to repair this after some total cleverclogs came along and corrected it. If you see any information here that seems weird, or totally wrong, I AM responsible - I really don't know what I'm doing, but others who come along and edit this do.
Tools of the Trade[]
Sniping is an art, and like any art, you can't just use any tool and expect good results. Especially with sniping, having the right weapons setup is the key to success. Here's the thing. An ideal sniping weapon should do three things:
- Keep you concealed
- Hit your target consistantly
- Eliminate your target quickly
Now based on these criteria, here is the overview of all the weapons you can get, and their advantages and shortcomings. Please note that pro versions of weapons are not counted here.
Auto Rifle[]
This is the first weapon you will start out with in the game. It is quite lousy, but great weapon to learn the basics with. This weapon is actually quite formidable when upgraded, so it is also good in the 30's or 40's. For starters, like any bullet based weapon, it enables headshots, which is an essential skill if you plan to use the Ripper, Mag-Rail, Longshot, or any bullet-based weapon. Because there's a 2x damage multiplier for headshots, being good at precision aiming (cuz the head is pretty small) is a must for sniping with any bullet based platform.
- Damage - Poor
- RoF - Good
- Accuracy - Very Good
- Concealing Factor -Very Good
Mag-Rail[]
This is a variant of the Auto Rifle. It works exactly the same, but trades damage for a concealment. All in all, it dishes out about the same damage per second (assuming 100% accuracy). The Mag-Rail is the in-between ground between the almost spray-and-pray philosphy of the Auto-Rifle, and the precision shooting of the Longshot and Ripper. If you use this, shoot bullet by bullet.
- Damage - Decent
- RoF - Decent
- Accuracy - Very Good
- Concealing Factor - Very Good
Ripper[]
The ripper is unique from all other bullet weapons in that it sprays all of the bullets in its clip in less than a second. This gun is weak unless you score headshots with it, and this can be very tricky as you can't consistently fire round hoping the oppponent will run into them. This gun, along with the longshot, are the hardest sniping weapons to use however if used effectively, they are the best sniping weapons ever created.
- Damage - Decent
- RoF - Very Good
- Accuracy - Perfect
- Concealing Factor - Excellent
Plasma Cannon[]
This is the prime example of what you shouldn't use to snipe. Just as you would NEVER try to snipe with a shotgun in Halo or CoD, you shouldn't use this shotgun-equivalent blitz gun to snipe. Even worse, the bright blue contrails from the plasma nodes is like waving around a flare - you couldn't pick a worse weapon to keep you concealed.
- Damage - Very Good
- RoF - Good
- Accuracy - Terrible
- Concealing Factor - Terrible
Antimatter Jet[]
Another bad choice - because the bursts are very visible and quite slow. Good damage, but it takes a miracle to land enough shots for a kill from a long range - in the time it takes for the bursts to reach their would-be victim, they've usually moved out of the way. Even if you're amazing at leading your shots, players change direction constantly. The ability to consistantly hit its target is not the strong point of this gun.
- Damage - Very Good
- RoF - Good
- Accuracy - Very Poor
- Concealing Factor - Poor
Titan[]
The Titan is surprizingly a fairly good choice for sniping. Although the rockets travel fairly slowly, the splash damage makes even misses damaging. In addition, the potential for multikills is excellent. The only potential problem is that tracing rockets to their source is fairly easy, so make sure there is nobody else around.
- Damage - Very Good
- RoF - Decent
- Accuracy - Decent
- Concealing Factor - Poor
Rocket Launcher[]
The Rocket Launcher is the Titan's annoying little brother. Whereas the Titan has small clip and low RoF but high damage, the "Standard" Rocket Launcher opts for the opposite strategy - large clip, high RoF, but low damage, meaning that the implied strategy is to fill the air around your opponent with rockets to the point where they can't avoid getting hit. This is NOT a conducive strategy for sniping, so try to avoid using the Rocket Launcher in favor of the Titan.
- Damage - Poor
- RoF - Very Good
- Accuracy - Decent
- Concealing Factor - Poor
Stinger[]
The Stinger is the Rocket Launcher's little brother, literally. It is not recommended unless you can consistantly manage direct hits with a Rocket Launcher, due to its very low splash radius. That said, a direct hit is extremely damaging, and the warheads travel much faster, making for quicker kills. Adding to this is the fact that the rockets are far harder to trace, making it better for keeping you the sniper alive. However, due to the fact that almost direct hits are necessary, and the rockets take some time to reach their destination, this is not a highly recommended option.
- Damage - Very Good
- RoF - Decent
- Accuracy - Good
- Concealing Factor - Decent
Hellfire[]
The Hellfire is a tricky weapon to master, and is surprizingly one of the better weapons for sniping. It has an absolutely brutal damage, and a splash that could make the Titan cry - it is Eliminate's version of Ordinance weaponry. That said, it is also the only weapon in the game to feature a parabolic trajectory, which will put off many newcomers. In addition, the grenades launched by Eliminate's "noob tube" fly faster than any other warhead in the game, and leave less smoke trail too. However, if you have ever been confronted by one of these, you know that after a close hit, it can be difficult even discerning which direction is up. The explosion from Hellfire is enough to send a player the entire length of the large ramped corridor in Runoff - in short, you don't need to worry about people finding you if you can keep them disoriented, and that's what Hellfire does best.
- Damage - Brutal (best in game)
- RoF - Terrible (worst in game)
- Accuracy - Decent
- Concealing Factor - Very Good
Vaporizer[]
The Vaporizer is a decent weapon for sniping, but not without its risks. It's damage is good, and its accuracy is perfect, but there is a catch - there is a noticible lag-time while the shot charges up, so you need to lead your shots quite a fair bit. Second, the bright red beam is exceedingly visible, and a miss will result in your target seeing the blast and by extension, you. Also, any other people will see the light and come to kill you. Be extremely careful with this gun.
- Damage - Very Good
- RoF - Decent
- Accuracy - Good
- Concealing Factor - Terrible
Hurricane[]
In close range its high RoF makes up for its low accuracy through the "accuracy through volume" doctrine, but at long range, even the sheer mass of bullets cannot compensate for the low amount that will actually hit your target. Add this to the fact that the bullets do not do much damage per round, and you've got a "spray-and-pray" gun - not the best for sniping.
- Damage - Bad
- RoF - Decent
- Accuracy - Bad
- Concealing Factor - Good
Longshot[]
The Longshot is the first weapon by Arsenal Megacorp deliberately designed for sniping jobs. It has absolutely brutal damage, and coupled with the headshot capability, it is completely lethal. Matched against armors of the same level, a headshot is almost always a one-shot kill. However, because of the pathetic rate of fire, you need to make sure you make the shots you get. Otherwise, this is most definately the weapon you should use for sniping.
- Damage - Brutal
- RoF - Terrible
- Accuracy - Perfect
- Concealing Factor - Excellent
The Gravity Hook[]
I cannot say enough about the Grappling Hook . The Gravity Hook is the sniper's dream come true. Have you ever heard the expression "don't you wish that you could be a fly on a wall?" Well now you can. The Gravity Hook is the solution to that question - it allows you to stick to any surface, and zoom around an area with incredible speed and agility. Once you upgrade reload speed, it's almost more convenient than walking. Even if there is no obvious vantage point, it is easy to create one simply by grappling up into a corner on the ceiling, where (with a fully cloaked sniper suit) you will be almost completely invisible.
Favourite Sniping Hiding Locations[]
Factory - Top Floor Opposite Side of the Direct Lift to the top. ( Easily Concealable vantage point)
Who needs a favourite sniping location when you've got a Gravity Hook?
Top Floor of the Warehouse, Above the Big Lift ( I swear I can't count my deaths there beyond how many fingers I have)