A Sniper's guide (To doing it right)

[Flightbolt]

So this isn't specific to anygame, but there are more online shooters on the PC/360/PS3 then on the Wii so I'm putting it here. Since the dawn of shooting games, the sniper has always been one of the most deadly adversaries. A good sniper won't be seen, and can ruin your kill streak from across the map, if you wanna be good at what sniper's do, I've compiled a few easy rules to help you be a better sniper.

1. The Golden rule of Sniping is that if your not in cover your not sniping. There have been so many times where some-one is standing in the worst possible position to try and snipe. If you are planning on sitting in one area for a long period of time, I suggest you make sure your not wide open. In most games the best place to find cover is behind a tree or a rock. Any cover is better then no cover
2. Attention gets you killed... your a sniper, you have to keep everyone else as far away from you as possible, if your an attention seeking moron your going to get your ass blown off by a guy with a shotgun. Avoid things that draw attention, open rooftops, towers, the wide open high ground, fire, ect.
3. You don't spell sniper with the word Teamwork. If you're a sniper you work alone. The best cover will be held by the best sniper, and if there is some-one sniping beside you...well then your not the best sniper. Avoid group sniping, repeated muzzle flashes is asking to get your butt fragged. If you find that a teammate has moved to where you are, then move somewhere else.
4. Killcam is the death of you. What make's a good sniper effective is his ability to be mobile. Most games have killcams nowadays. That means once you have killed someone they will know exactly where you are, defeating the purpose of the golden rule. After a little while people are going to come hunt you down, to avoid this use the...
5. Point, check, advance and nest and repeat method. This is the method that good snipers use to get around, after you've killed everyone in your line of view, it's time to move. Instead of running across the map like a moron and being spotted use this method. Know where your next spot will be, and move there on the most un-conventional method. This could mean taking the long way around, this also means you won't be seen and you will continue to dominate the map. So once you know where you're going use this method. Point yourself in the direction your taking to cover, check to see that it is clear with your scope, advance to this spot, and nest. Nesting can be thought of as making sure the area around yourself is secure. Once your done repeat. Having 3-5 spots and working properly means that you're probably going to be #1 on the leaderboard.
6. You need ammunition to snipe. The worst possible thing you can do is after you're out of bullet is to move around the map with a pistol or side arm. Everyone else will have an advantage over it with a primary weapon. When your out of ammo, go get more (Using the point, check advance and nest method again).
7. Leading your targets leads you to victory. You don't snipe by following a target and shooting at where they are. Sniping is done by knowing in which direction your target is moving, and letting them walk into your cross hair. Depending on your games bullet time this can be very easy, or very hard.
8. Know your environment. Knowing where you are and where you can access is crucial if you want to be a good sniper. One of the most important things is knowing your enemies spawn points, this way your not going to run head on into 5 guys with semi automatics with another 10 seconds of invincibility. Avoid this by knowing your map. Knowing and camping the most traveled routes (From cover of course) is the best way to succeed in a match. When your enemey team finally wises up that attempting to make a run across a lone bridge is futile, you will have already moved on to where they will be heading next.
9. Crouch, crouch, crouch unless unless your vision is being obstructed, you should be crouching to minimize how much you can be seen.

Those are just a few tips to help you play your game better. It takes practice to get good, but it is so worth it in the end. When in doubt just remember these 5 simple things.

• Find cover
• Don't camp for extended periods of time
• Use the most untraveled routes to move from place to place
• Know your map
• Lead your target

That's it for now :)

[Linkeh]

This is how i use to Snipe in PC games. It actualy use to be the only thing i could do on PC shooters actualy xD. Its a shame my knack for sniping didnt follow me over to the 360. I honestly cant snipe using a 360 control pad they just dont like me.

But all is not lost xp. Going against the way of sniping actualy helps me snipe on cod4. I wont stand still and snipe, for some odd reason on that game only if i run around with a sniper ill do alot better.

Also another thing to add (Isnt in many games though) You can steal the other teams uniform after you kill them. So its perfect for a siper >:]. Sneak your way into the enemys main base and sit yourself down into a posistion where it looks like you would be sniping to protect the base. Then you just get afew sneakys head shots from there where they think they are safe. The number of times ive gotten away with 10+ kills before getting noticed is amazing xD.

I might have to try and apply some of this though. Ive gotten slack in my old age =P

Edit: Oh 5K posts ^_^

[Snakepit]

I wrote this a looong time ago, but it applies.

Basics:
This will be in seven parts: spawning, moving, stealth, shooting, awareness, artillary, and patience.

Spawning: You know you know how to spawn, I know you know how to spawn, but there is more to this for a sniper than just selecting the sniper class and any old spawn. This is where you have to think for a second. First, don’t pick a spot that is under heavy fire, or you’ll never get in place. Also, find a spot that has a small jeep or something (don’t go taking valuable armor just to go find yourself a place to snipe), and don’t spawn on the front lines. Simply put, pick an out of the way spot, have a way to get into position, and don’t choose a location that’ll get you killed before you move.

Moving: When you are moving from spot to spot, have a destination in mind. Keep in mind that you will often be alone and exposed, so don’t get caught. Always try to keep low, and avoid high spots until you find your sniping spot, or unless you have no choice. And don’t run into enemy positions!

Stealth: You are probably asking yourself, didn’t I already cover this? I covered only the bare bones of stealth. First of all, keep low and don’t get spotted. Its not like MGS or Splinter Cell where you can just sneak by through timing, you are dealing with smart people who know a sniper is someplace on this map! You are vulnerable at close range, armor is a death sentence, and the enemy will likely check his back on occasion. In short, always keep some kind of cover between you and your foe. Again, high places are a bad idea, the enemy might spot you and shoot you, so keep low and keep yourself flat, try the side of a mountain or cover behind a small bush. Still, just do all you can from being spotted. If you are in a good spot, the enemy could pass within inches of you and not see you. Just keep this in mind, if you get seen, run away, heal and replenish ammo if needed, and return to a new spot using a new route. One last note, stay a good distance from bases, if you stay away, the enemy won’t notice.

Shooting: This is the first rule of shooting, don’t fire on moving targets! I don’t give a f*** about how good you think you are, firing on moving targets is ten times harder than firing on a stationary target. As a sniper you should be able to maintain perfect accuracy throughout the game, and the best snipers never get killed. So, although you may be tempted to go after a moving target, this always turns out bad. For one, if you miss, he may hear the ricochet and take cover, and if you hit, odds are it’s the torso and he’ll just be ••••ed off. You’ll be surprised how many kills you get if you just wait for the guy to stop. If they know that they are your target, however, they’ll never stop moving until they find you. So think, shoot, find a new target.

Awareness: This is rather basic, but surprisingly hard to master: battlefield awareness. Keep in mind that somebody could easily walk up from your side and knife you in the ass while you are peering through that scope. So, only zoom when you think you have found a target, keep tabs on as many enemy targets as possible, and move if you think somebody is coming to get you.


Patience: One thing you must learn about being a sniper is patience, patience, patience. It could take you a while to get to where you want to got, but don’t use that as an excuse to infiltrate an enemy camp, steal a jeep, and try to drive on out of there like rambo or something. Also note, if an enemy is near your position, don’t panic and open fire like crazy, if he doesn’t see you, just hold your fire until you can get a clear shot at his head, or he leaves. Also note, you may lose your mind sitting in one spot just waiting for the golden moment to insert round into enemy skull, but that’s just the life of a sniper. All snipers have to deal with the boredom of waiting for that perfect shot, even in real life.

There are a few things about sniping that one should realize about the gaming environment. For one, don’t get discouraged, sniping is a life that takes a lot of practice and patience, nobody’s the perfect sniper. And also note, some people have some kind if weird, deep rooted prejudice against snipers (I guess they don’t like how some people have the ability to clip off their head from a distance). So, as a final note, being a truly effective sniper takes a lot of patience, dedication, thinking, and stealth.

[Blooregard]

i don't really think there is a guide that applies to snipers in all video games. all snipers in games are different.

Gears of War snipers require quick aiming and the ability to get back behind cover without your head getting blown off.

Halo 3 snipers are required to be able to strafe and snipe, jump and snipe, snipe moving targets and snipe close range.

Call of Duty snipers need to be able to aim in and out quickly, especially for close range sniping when you don't have time to switch to your pistol, spawn kill rushers, and move from place to place without being killed or spotted.

Counter-Strike snipers basically need to kill their enemies in less than a second of revealing themselves or their screwed.

[ajsuson]

I guess this will will be useful in PSP games (like Socom FTB & Star Wars Renegade Squadrons).

[AA7]

My COD4 hints on sniping:

Find a place that gives you a wide view of the map (so you don't get bored and you're always engaged) and make sure they're only two possible ways someone sneaky can creep up on you so you can place some claymores. If if your claymore fails (you'll here that clicking noise), take out your pistil and finish them with the damage they already have.

A lot of people use their Kill cam to their advantage so I suggest you move to another place of that selective area you have chosen to decrease the chances of you getting shot. If you do have a good view, this shouldn't be a problem as you can see any opponent trying that can kill you.

Grenades are lethal. So I suggest that you run in the opposite direction as fast as you can and don't throw it back. Good users spike their grenades first.

Don't show yourself too much and stay slightly hidden in the location you're in. If you make yourself obvious, you'll be killed. Stay crouched or lay down but still have a good view of the map. If you're injured and need to recovery, quickly lay-down or move behind a wall for protection against your opponent's finishing bullet.

Accuracy over bullet rate. Instead of shooting a guy once and trying to hit him again but failing; try being more accurate. Hold your breath, stay focused and predict where your opponent is going. You'll grin with that one-shot kill.

If you have ran out of ammo and Claymores, search the map for some dead bodies, sprint to them with caution and take their gun. Snipers aren't the greatest for streaks because of the amount of Ammo they have.

I suggest you use:

M40A3 Sniper Rifle

Perk 1: Claymore (mines)
Perk 2: Stopping Power (increased bullet damage)
Perk 3: Iron Lungs (more breath)

[Blooregard]

Iron Lungs is kind of like training wheels. It's a lot better if you can aim quickly because most 9 and 10th prestiges can kill you as soon as you try to aim at them

My preferred sniping class:

R700
Claymores/x3 Stun (depending on map and if i want to camp)
Stopping power
Deep Impact

[AA7]

Originally Posted by INVINCIBLE Bear

Iron Lungs is kind of like training wheels. It's a lot better if you can aim quickly because most 9 and 10th prestiges can kill you as soon as you try to aim at them

My preferred sniping class:

R700
Claymores/x3 Stun (depending on map and if i want to camp)
Stopping power
Deep Impact

I also use Deep Impact too, but sometimes you see someone camping in a building, you start aiming and you run out of breath as soon as they come out. But I see what you mean. You need to get good with the Aim and Shoot. It all depends on what map you're on in some cases.

[Triket]

Nice guide, picked up a few things =D

Now to wait till rik gets his butt on live again <3

[Bluestrat]

I love sniping. :>

Before my Live ran out, I would use the overkill perk and use an R700 and an MP5 together.

Great guide, dood.