Thread: [migrated] Team Fortress 2 Sniper Guide

TF2 Sniping
[img width=700 height=393]http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd347/Kyl3_700/tf2sniper.jpg[/img]

A Sniper takes practice above all else, so don't spend all your time reading this article. The main way your sniping skills will improve is to go out and practice! But here are some tips to use while in the field.

Aim for the head!
[img width=700 height=525]http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd347/Kyl3_700/Sniperheadshot1.jpg[/img]
Snipers are the easiest class to headshot, besides Heavy's.
Always try and aim for the head. A headshot is always a critical hit, and it can kill some classes with one hit to the head. When counter sniping another Sniper, always just aim for the head and fire. It is easier to do this then wait for your shot to charge up, and then fire.

Charging your shots.
Some Targets, such as the Heavy and Soldier can't be killed with a single headshot. As you go in to a scoped mode, you can notice that the dot that shows where you are aiming slowly gets bigger, and that a meter next to the dot grow larger. This is called "Charging your shot". A Heavy with a medic on him his very hard to kill due to having to have a fully charged shot which takes about 5-7 seconds. A good tactic is to first headshot or fully charge a shot and kill the medic, and then pick off the Heavy. About 2-4 uncharged shots will kill a Heavy without a medic. A soldier follows the same principle, only the Soldier moves a bit faster than the Heavy. A Soldier will take about 1-3 hits to take down, with non charged shots. A fully charged shot will also take down an enemy Sniper, regardless whether you hit them in the head or not. A uncharged shot will do 34-66 damage, while a headshot will x3 the damage. When counter sniping another Sniper, when they are zoomed in, you can see the dot of their rifle. You also make a dot when you are zoomed in, visable to all enemy's. Keep this dot out of sight so that the enemy does not know you are sniping, and when they round a corner.....
UN-CHARGED BODY SHOT = 50
FULL-CHARGED BODY SHOT =150
UN-CHARGED HEAD SHOT = 150
FULL-CHARGED HEAD SHOT = 450

Thanks to Silent_Crow.

[img width=700 height=525]http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd347/Kyl3_700/Sniperdots1.jpg[/img]
This is what Sniper's scoped in looks like to the enemy team.
Using the SMG.
[img width=700 height=525]http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd347/Kyl3_700/TF2SMG1.jpg[/img]
The SMG is the best tool for close quarter combat. A Sniper's general rule is to stay out of close range, but there is always a odd Scout that wants to get rid of you, or the pesky Spy needs to be dealt with. The SMG bullets are not pinpoint accurate, but they are accurate enough not to miss a target 98% of the time. There are 100 bullets to one SMG, and they go quickly. It has a decent rate of fire, and is generally powerful enough to kill a Scout or Spy while back traveling. For targets such as the Heavy, Demoman, Soldier, and Pyro, a Sniper should generally not engage, and retreat, if possible. I find it easier to pop a few shots to the head of a Heavy in close quarters, and it works better than moving backwards and fireing a SMG.
Using the Machete.

The Kukuri, or the Machete, is one of the more powerful melee weapons in the game. This is great for attacking Scouts as they come to kill you, and the Spy. It can generally kill a Scout and a Spy in 1-2 hits, and is sometimes a better choice than using the SMG. If you come in close quarters with a Demoman, Soldier, ect. Then it might be a better choice to take out the machete then the SMG. Depending on their health, a Demoman and Soldier can be taken down in 2-4 hits from a machete, and is sometimes a better choice to make if you are going to die than backpedaling with a SMG.
Hitting Moving Targets.
Hitting a moving target is much harder and requires more practice to pull off than counter-sniping or Sniping Heavy's. The best way to learn to snipe moving targets is again, to practice, but here's some tips to help them improve.
Again, always try and aim for the head, even with a fully charged shot. This increases your chances of getting a kill and further you're chances of helping out your team. An easy way to get some kills is to just predict where they are going, and wait for them to fall into your aim. This works well on flat surfaces, with no bumps on the ground where your enemy is walking. Unless he is jumping, you never have to move your aim up and down, just side to side.

Primary and Secondary Targets
Some targets are of more use to kill as a Sniper than others. Of course, always go for any kill, but try and kill off the primary targets first.
Primary Targets


Heavy-

• Huge head
• Easy to snipe; Slow moving.

Medic-

• Sticks around Heavys and Soldiers often.
• VERY useful to the enemy team; Stops Ubers and kills their health supply for a bit.

Engineers-

• Almost always stand still whacking their sentry's
• Makes it easier for your team to kill off their sentry, because he is no longer their to repair it.

Snipers-

• Stand still, but can snipe you back.
• If they are good, they pose a threat to your teams Engineers and Medics. Counter snipe them as soon as possible.

Secondary Targets
(In no particular order)


Scouts-

• Hard to snipe because they hop around a lot, and they run fast.

Hard to snipe because they hop around a lot, and they run fast.


Soldiers-

• Move slightly slow; Easy to pick off.

Demoman-

• Normal speed, easy to pick off; movement pattern predictable

Spies-

• Of almost no use to snipers, although if they get behind you they have a good chance of killing you.

Pyros-

• Keep your distance. Move slightly faster than the rest of the classes.
  

I hope that you learned a lot from this article, and are ready to try and figure out for yourself how fun and effective it is to snipe a enemy's head off. Happy Hunting!