Page 1 – Roosting
I love being a sniper. Most people who die by your hand never even see you until the “You Were Killed By” freeze-frame when their brains explode onto the wall, and this brings a weird satisfaction – almost a sense of being untouchable. Such is rarely the case. All good Snipers know when to run, since all good Snipers have been splattered across enough rooms in their time, and all good Snipers also know when it’s better to find backup to escape the situation with at least a few HP left than to stand and fight.
As a Sniper, you will have two primary play-styles to change between: roosting, and running. When I say “roosting,” I mean setting up in a semi-concealed area and popping off rifle rounds until your ammo or safety runs out; when I say “running,” I mean moving between points, chasing enemies, retreating from enemies, and so on. Every ‘versus’ will cover both styles of play, just for ease of use, with the roostings on the first page and runnings on the second.
One last thing before we get started, though: if you don’t have fast reaction speed and hand-eye co-ordination, DO NOT CHOOSE SNIPER in dire situations. If your team is hurting and near defeat, Sniper is not your best bet unless you’re dead sure you can find and eliminate your fair share of enemies. Ready? Here we go, mates!
By the way, I define a pot-shot as a single, quick, uncharged rifle shot from the Sniper on the move; often performed as a last resort attack by a retreating Sniper.
Versus Anyone:
Always keep your laser dot hidden from common sight: this means putting it on the outside of a doorframe, on your side of a slope enemies can’t see, above an exit, et cetera. Always be ready to switch out of your scope and run like hell, as people will come after you and/or spam your location with explosive weapons. Most of all, always remember that there will be a better Sniper than you somewhere, and that you can always become better by observing how they’re killing you so easily. Having trouble with headshots? Try aiming slightly lower, like for the neck or shoulder – you’d be surprised how often your bullets stray slightly upward into an unsuspecting face.
Versus The Scout
More than any other class as a Sniper, I HATE SCOUTS. They seem bent on total and utter humiliation and domination of the Sniper class since they’re so fast and able to double-jump to many of the locations other classes find unreachable. Most often, Snipers are told to ignore Scouts for their slower-moving brethren, but it is very important to know where that Scout is headed before you take your eyes off of him; a moment in lapsed concentration can lead to a Louisville Slugger to the back of your head when you least expect it. While you shouldn’t direct all of your Sniperly attention to a Scout on the move, try to pop off a shot into his body or legs (yes, you can hit them) as he’s barrelling toward you and your friends to make him an easier target; if he runs into the same building in which you are located before someone kills him, keep an eye on the ‘death ticker’ at the top right. If you don’t see his name on the ‘dead’ side of the ticker, be ready to bring out the kukri (machete) to slice him up when he inevitably arrives to put a bat upside your head.
Versus The Soldier
When roosting, the soldier is at once an easy kill and a tough opponent. While you will almost always be able to get the drop on them and shoot them before they know where you are, some will get crafty and fire rockets into your hideaway, and the even-more-crafty ones will rocket jump up to splatter you in person. Do your best to stay scoped to max your damage, moving behind corners occasionally – you shouldn’t have a problem with direct rocket hits, as you should be able to move out of the way before they get there – and try to minimize splash damage from stray rockets. If a Soldier does rocket jump up to crash your party, bring out the sub-machine gun and strafe like mad; sometimes, it’s better to simply jump or run from your roost and look for teammates to help you out.
Versus The Pyro
Another class that just loves to screw with a well-roosted Sniper, the Pyro can become quite the nuisance. When aiming for him from your roost, you will often find that the near-constant blasts of fire emitting from his flamethrower make it much harder to get an accurate dot on him – if this is the case, put the dot wherever you think is going to hit him and pull the trigger, since you can’t possibly damage your own team as a Sniper. It seems to me that Pyros often forget to zig-zag when moving through open areas, thus making them easy pickings for your rifle; even if they do ’serpentine’ and use a shotgun to try fending you off, that weapon’s damage decreases with range like nobody’s business, so you usually won’t have to worry about it. The biggest worry is that a Pyro will sneak up on you in your roost and roast you alive, and I must sadly inform you that often in these situations, it is we Snipers who will inevitably lose – close quarters are not good places to battle a Pyro. Run and try to find water, health packs, or a medic, should this happen to you.
Versus The Demoman
Like the Soldier, the Demoman can be a pesky bugger to deal with, even from afar: with his secondary weapon, he has the ability to bomb-jump to your location to waste you; with his primary weapon, he can lob shots into your area that will explode all around you if they don’t hit you directly; again, with his secondary weapon, he can lob bombs into your room, along the windowsill you’ve been shooting from – in short, anywhere you could be – ready for detonation at any time. The key here is to listen for that familiar “plunk” as his shots leave his weapons; if you can hear those, you’ve got a slight advantage in the situation, since you now know someone is targeting you. With Demomen, I always try to go for the one-shot kill, since the longer they’re alive, the more bombs they can place around you to detonate just before they die. If you don’t feel that you can take out the Demoman before he loads your roost up with explosives, don’t be afraid to switch roosts, or even sides of your current roost, or to run away entirely.
Versus The Heavy
Easy pickings, with an exception. While the Heavy is a slow mover and an inaccurate shooter, he will almost always be accompanied by at least a Medic, if not an entourage of longer-ranged and faster-footed attackers. Stay calm! Take your targets in priority: take out the Medic to weaken the Heavy; take out the Demomen and Soldiers as best you can before messing with a Heavy to avoid unpleasant explosive surprises; finally, charge up and slam a sweet head shot into that tiny little noggin of his. If things get too hairy, or his rapid-fire minigun is actually being accurate for once, don’t be afraid to switch roosts or run entirely – Soldiers are good friends in this situation.
Versus The Engineer
If you’ve ever been an Engineer for long periods of time, you’ll know that a well-positioned Sniper can be your worst enemy, able to destroy your buildings often with a single charged shot and take you out while you try to repair those he can’t smash with one bullet. If you’re reading this, though, you don’t care about being an Engineer, and are happy that you are able to calmly sit well out of an Engineer’s sentry range and absolutely crush his hopes of being helpful to his team. Even if it’s a tight battle with a lot of fast moving and commotion, take the time to charge your shots before aiming at his buildings – like I say, most can be taken out with just one 100% shot. If your shot doesn’t waste the building, get ready to aim for the Engineer’s head as he kneels down to repair his poor sentry gun or dispenser. In the rare case that the Engineer spots you and decides to make a mad dash to take you out before you take out his buildings, it’s only a short mouse movement to slip the laser dot to his chest or head and mow him down. It’s fun to dominate, isn’t it?
Versus The Medic
I hate Medics. In my experience, a good Medic is the one class (other than Scout, obviously) that can avoid a Sniper’s rifle with relative ease: they’re fast, they’re usually in a group, and they’re always assuming they’re being targeted and are thus always on the move. Clearly the Medic should be a primary target whether you’re on defence or offense, but in targeting the Medic you’re inviting the attacks of everyone else on the team that sees you while you’re shooting at him. Your best bet is usually to aim a 100% charged shot at his body instead of his head, as it’s larger and way easier to hit when he’s constantly moving, switching positions after one or two shots to keep his friends off of you. Sometimes, though, an interesting tactic can prove useful: ignore the Medic and attack one or two of his weaker teammates first; if he’s a really helpful Medic, he’ll try to move for them and heal them, leaving himself far more open to your attack. Have fun, and don’t forget to report to your team when you waste a Medic, as it’s basically a good chance for them to push up and destroy much of their human defences.
Versus The Sniper
Catastrophic in different circumstances. Maps like 2Fort and Well are infamous Sniper-battle zones, as they have tight areas rife with people to pick off as they dash madly between their CP and yours, but this tightness can also be a weakness to two battling Snipers. The one thing you always need to keep in mind is to LOOK FOR HIS LASER DOT before you move into position – I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been picked off just as I spotted my opponent. If you can find his laser dot, chances are you can deduce where he’s roosted and make it a fair fight; if you can’t, be cautious and edge around corners with a fully-charged scope, dropping the scope and strafing quickly if you see he’s looking right at you and you don’t have time to pull the trigger. A good Sniper will often be on the move within his roost, and it’s your job to do the same while trying to predict his next location; this happens most often in the aforementioned maps, where Snipers have the luxury of multiple windows with wide walls between and around them.
Versus The Spy
Here, the Spy is probably your worst enemy. Spies love to sneak up behind a scoped Sniper and dig a dagger into his back, simply because many Snipers forget that there is a world outside the scope of the rifle. When you’re going to be roosting in a small space for what should be long periods of time, it’s sometimes best to make your quick-switch weapon the kukri (machete) since the Spy will usually be within melee range to make his backstab effective. If you’re roosting in a larger space, however, the kukri is not always your best friend – remember, the Spy has a handgun on him – and should be used more as a last-ditch effort while the Spy reloads his six-shooter. The best tip available is to simply take down your scope when there’s not much to shoot at just to look around your immediate area. As for disguised Spies that actually fall into your scope, just keep an eye on your Engineers, Medics, and Heavies when you can, as they are the most likely targets for an enemy Spy; people running the wrong direction without asking for a Medic should get a shot in the chest, too, just for safety’s sake…actually, shoot ‘em all if they’re running the wrong way. Safety first!
Read on to Page 2 for running strategy!
