The sniper is a fairly simple class to pick up but to master requires quick reflexes, knowledge of the map and good timing. Any veteran sniper knows that it’s not about how many people you hit, but who you hit.

The snipers main weapon is the sniper rifle (obviously) which deals moderate to high damage depending on how long it charges. The charge shows when you scope in and ranges from 0-100%. At 100 percent it will deal the highest amount of damage and will kill just about anyone in a single head shot. Even when not fully charged a head shot automatically has a 100% chance to crit and will most likely kill a weaker target. The snipers secondary weapon is a fully automatic “machine pistol” that deals low damage for close encounters. This leaves the machete which deals comparable damage to most other melee weapons.

While snipers are excellent tools on the field they are also very vulnerable. Turrets, heavies, demos, soldiers and pyros can easily tear down snipers if they get too close while even scouts, spies and medics will do their fair share of damage. Good snipers will need to be vigilant when targeting their enemies and must focus on whom they attack first. The first target all snipers should focus on is other snipers. This is done by picking them out and strafing back and forth, while zoomed, to get the headshot. After the target is taken out you have a choice. If there are enemies rushing your position they come first. If not, I would recommend taking out slow moving enemies like heavies and soldiers who can hit you from a distance. Medics can be another great class to take out but are fairly difficult to keep targeted. Of course any enemy that is stationary should be killed immediately regardless of class.

Tip 1: If you are sniping and can see an enemy turret being built take a shot at 100% power. If the turret is new it will destroy it. You can also take out teleporters and dispensers if engineers aren’t constantly repairing them.

Tip 2: Snipers should always keep their backs against a wall or something solid if possible. This act deters spies and other classes from getting behind them while scoped in. A good sniper also knows to check his surroundings almost constantly.

Tip 3: When using your Sniper Rifle, the laser dot that is used for aiming is also visible to the enemy. If you can hide it for example by pointing it to the side of a doorway and then quickly moving it into position when someone runs through, it will leave the enemy unaware.