Basic sniping guide

Alright, since you're here I might as well assume that you're interested in learning some tips and/or tricks from my perspective of sniping.



There are a few basic things you need to know when starting to use Sniper Rifles
- Your secondary weapon is more important than you think, it could save your *****.
- You are pretty much a supportive player, not an assaulter.
- You will turn into a primary target for your opponents.

Snipers are most effective when they pick up some kills here and there without the opposing team even paying attention to you.
You are extremely vulnerable and you will certainly turn into a major bullseye for your enemies.

As usual, I advise to practice in botgames first. Preferrably in a map you are familiar with. Bots usually walk a pre-defined route so you can know where to expect them and try to kill as many as possible.

Snipers should always know where on the map they are, from what directions to expect enemies and where to run off to when being spotted. This is why I suggest you play on maps you are very familiar with.



I often see people bash snipers for their low killcount etc. This is complete bull***** as snipers are much harder to play than an average player with an Assault Rifle or SMG.
For example, you will want to make sure that every shot you take at least HITS. If it doesnt, all you did was give away your position and waste a bullet that could be used to kill someone else.

When playing a live game against players, I highly advise NOT to use obvious sniper vantage points. Sure, they give you a nice view of the battlefield, but proper players usually check those spots often for snipers. So you are most likely to be spotted very, very quickly.
Instead, try to find not-so-obvious spots to snipe from, you might not cover as much ground that way, but you are way less likely to be detected randomly.



Your position

From the start of the game, find a suitable position to start sniping from. It's encouraged to find at least 2 or even 3 spots to snipe from, so you can switch back and forth, making it harder for the enemy to know where you are.



Waiting for the right moment

As a sniper, every bullet counts. Miss a shot, and you reveal your position. Once you unleash a shot at someone, I always get back behind cover as fast as I can in case my bullet doesn't kill the enemy. He will most likely spot you as soon as you fire and try to kill you a.s.a.p.

It's natural that as a sniper you want to take every chance you get to kill someone, but do not randomly shoot at everyone you see. For example, if you are aiming at a window, and an enemy runs past the window quickly, it's usually the best option to wait and see if he sticks around the window and pops up again. Ofcourse, for experienced snipers it is a possibility to take this shot, but expect a big chance to miss your shot, it's never easy to shoot a running target.



Switching Positions


It is not necessary to switch to a new position after every single shot, but do keep in mind to do it often to prevent the enemy from having a clear idea of where you are.
Snipers should be unnoticable, but deadly.

When switching positions, make sure you are aware where the largest gunfights take place. Do not switch to a position when there are Assault Rifles and SMGs spamming bullets all around it, you'll most likely end up dying or running for your life.

Most AC maps have 3 'routes'. A middle route, which is often very crowded, and 2 'side-routes'.



My own favourite kind of positions

To give you an idea of how I play the sniper I'll share some of my kind of positions with you.
I often snipe through hallways, corridors and similar area's where most people just run through without thinking properly.
This gives me the advantage of surprising my enemy. I'm usually able to fire a shot before the enemy even notices I'm there. After the shot, obviously I run to cover or a different position as these positions make me very vulnerable.

Another thing I like to do is take the side-routes which are highly un-used on certain maps. From there I'm able to have a view over the battlefield from a totally different perspective, able to pickup a few kills without the enemy even noticing where I am.
Most people do not check the flanking positions too often.



Guide break-down


So we've learned a few things now:

- Positions
- Waiting for the right moment
- How to react to enemies

Good luck practicing sniping and hopefully we'll meet sometime on Arctic Combat to test out our skills against eachother!

Credits to AmyMcLeet from http://forums.webzen.com