Editing Sniper

{{Center|"Sniper" redirects here. You may be looking for the [[Sniper Rifle]] gameplay page or the [[Armor accessories/Sniper|Sniper]] armor permutation in [[Halo: Reach]].}}

A '''sniper''' is an infantry specialist equipped with a high-precision weapon, typically a [[Sniper rifle (disambiguation)|sniper rifle]]. Snipers engage targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the detection capabilities of enemy personnel.

All snipers in the [[United Nations Space Command]] armed forces receive similar training and equipment, but their method of employment varies by service and unit. [[UNSC Army]] snipers are arranged into specialized reconnaissance units at the [[battalion]] level, and operate as scouts and forward observers first, snipers second.<ref name="gc recon">'''[[Halo: Ground Command]]''', ''UNSC Recon Team description''</ref> Army snipers and marksmen are trained to live off the land for years, allowing them to operate in the field for extended periods of time.<ref name="artofwars">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/the-art-of-war-s '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Canon Fodder - ''THE ART OF WAR(S)'']</ref> Though snipers provide anti-infantry and anti-vehicle capabilities to the units they work with, the primary objective of a sniper is defined as augmenting the main strategic effort of their unit by placing sensors and extending the [[UNSC battle network]] into enemy territory.{{Ref/Reuse|gc recon}} The Army fields cavalry scouts, while the [[UNSC Marine Corps]] has reconnaissance [[division]]s and force reconnaissance units.{{Ref/Reuse|artofwars}}

Covenant snipers during the Human-Covenant War were predominantly [[Kig-Yar]] [[Kig-Yar Sniper|marksmen]] who were equipped with an array of precision carbines and rifles for medium-to-long ranged combat.{{Ref/Site|Id=universe|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/weapons/beam-rifle|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Beam Rifle|D=13|M=04|Y=2016}}{{Ref/Book|Enc22|Page=292}} The Covenant made effective use of the Kig-Yar's natural stealth skills and superior senses of sight, smell and hearing to deploy them as effective long-ranged combatants, often able to eliminate hidden enemies from extreme ranges.{{Ref/Site|Id=H4 Interactive Guide|URL=http://www.halowaypoint.com/en-US/halo4guide|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Halo 4 Interactive Guide|D=01|M=11|Y=2012}} [[Kig-Yar sniper]]s were often stationed within [[Covenant watchtower]]s on the battlefield, which granted them a height advantage over enemy ground troops and provided them with clean lines of fire.{{Ref/Game|Id=H2|H2}}{{Ref/Game|Id=H3|H3}}{{Ref/Game|Id=HW|HW}}{{Ref/Game|Id=ODST|ODST}}{{Ref/Game|Id=HR|HR}} When deployed in urban environments, Covenant snipers often took position in the upper levels of buildings and other large structures.{{Ref/Reuse|H2}}{{Ref/Reuse|H3}}{{Ref/Reuse|HW}}{{Ref/Reuse|ODST}}{{Ref/Reuse|HR}}

 

 

 

 

During the [[Fall of Reach]], a Sangheili [[Sangheili Field Marshal|Field Marshal]] of the [[Devoted Sentries]] armed with a {{Pattern|Gadulo|needle rifle}} fatally shot [[SPARTAN-III program|Spartan-III]] [[Catherine-B320]] in the head from an overhead {{Pattern|Ru'swum|Phantom}} as [[NOBLE Team]] were running towards a fallout bunker to escape from the [[glassing]] of [[New Alexandria]] on August 23, 2552. Following the outbreak of the [[Flood]] in the later stages of the [[Battle of Installation 04|Battle of]] [[Installation 04]] in September 2552, Kig-Yar snipers of the [[Fleet of Particular Justice]] armed with [[T-50α particle beam rifle|Type-50 Alpha]] beam rifles fought valiantly against the parasite on the ring, displaying uncharacteristic bravery during the battle.{{Ref/Game|Id=Alpha|H5G|List of REQ cards|REQ Card|Detail=Halo 2 Beam Rifle 'Alpha'}} During his [[Battle of Mombasa|invasion]] of [[Mombasa]] and the later [[Battle of Installation 05|Battle of]] [[Installation 05]], the Prophet of Regret deployed Jha'kaar personnel alongside other Covenant forces.{{Ref/Reuse|CFHVT}} Following the outbreak of the Great Schism, the [[Prophet of Truth]] deployed an elite team armed with [[T-50δ particle beam rifle|Type-50 Delta]] beam rifles to hunt down his political enemies.{{Ref/Game|Id=Delta|H5G|List of REQ cards|REQ Card|Detail=Halo 2 Beam Rifle 'Delta'}}

 

 

 

Covenant snipers employed the [[particle beam rifle]] as their primary special application precision weapon. The various patterns of beam rifle were incredibly powerful and accurate, allowing users to perform kills at extreme distances. While commonly used by Covenant recon squads and security details, beam rifles were most prodigiously used by skilled snipers.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc293}} The {{Pattern|Zubo|beam rifle}} was employed early in the Human-Covenant War, and were largely favored by Kig-Yar due to the weapon's ergonomic design. Despite this, the ''Zubo''-pattern was largely superseded by the {{Pattern|Sulok|beam rifle}} and was only resurrected near the end of the war, later being the primary long-range weapon of choice for Jul 'Mdama's Covenant. The ''Sulok''-pattern was considered a weapon with few equals during the Human-Covenant War,{{Ref/Reuse|Enc293}} and it was put into elevated production, becoming the most commonly encountered Covenant long-range weapon in the final months of the war.{{Ref/Reuse|universe}}{{Ref/Reuse|bnetbeamrifle}}

 

The {{Pattern|M'tara|focus rifle}} was another long-range system employed by the Covenant. Instead of using individual beams of ionized particles, the focus rifle allowed users to effectively suppress enemy combatants with a continuous stream of electromagnetically guided plasma. The focus rifle possessed an enormous energy draw which the Covenant were unable to reduce, which meant that the weapon was generally relegated to shock troops and to provide suppressing fire. While several patterns of focus rifle were employed by the Covenant, only the ''M'tara''-pattern was extensively used throughout the Human-Covenant War, seeing usage in pivotal battles such as the [[Fall of Reach]],{{Ref/Reuse|Enc293}} as well as limited usage by Sangheili personnel of several Covenant remnant factions in the years following the war.{{Ref/Game|SA}}{{Ref/Game|SS}}

 

The [[Banished]] employ dedicated sniper units comprised of both [[Jiralhanae Sniper|Jiralhanae]] and Kig-Yar soldiers.{{Ref/Game|Id=HI|HI}} Jiralhanae snipers belonging to the Banished are drawn from the greatest of the species' outland hunters. Naturally skilled at tracking their prey, Jiralhanae snipers are vigorously trained within their birth-clans. They are incredibly deadly and stealthy warriors, able to effectively eliminate enemy combatants from ranges of several thousand meters away, oftentimes without being detected. Banished hunting and raiding parties often host Jiralhanae snipers on their [[Qavardu Workshop Prowler|war-sleds]] and [[Qavardu Workshop war-skiff|skiffs]], from which they used their superior abilities to track and neutralize their quarry, often during the heat of a chase. Additionally, Jiralhanae snipers were often stationed in elevated positions around Banished bases and redoubts, allowing them to scan the surrounding areas for signs of enemy movement{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc426|Enc22|Page=426}}

 

Kig-Yar snipers within the Banished operate largely the same as they did within the Covenant. Kig-Yar snipers of the Banished are used in hunting parties to attack enemy forces, as well as to provide support for other Banished ground forces. They were also used in defensive roles, augmenting their Jiralhanae brethren in protecting Banished outposts and other key locations.{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc433|Enc22|Page=433}}

 

 

 

Blue-armored Jiralhanae snipers deployed on Zeta Halo usually equip [[Flaktura Workshop Skewer|Flaktura Workshop skewer]]s as their primary weapon,{{Ref/Reuse|HI}} which they used to devastating effect against vehicles as well as while hunting prey on the surface of the ring.{{Ref/Game|Id=forge|HINF|Forge - Skewer description|Quote=Bold and brutal, this Banished weapon fires a single massive armor-piercing harpoon. It has proven useful in hunting both beast and machine on Zeta Halo.}} They also carried [[Ukala Workshop Mangler]]s as sidearms.{{Ref/Reuse|HI}} Red-armored Jiralhanae snipers instead preferred to use [[Sicatt Workshop shock rifle]] as their weapon of choice,{{Ref/Reuse|HI}} using the rifle's brutal precision to kill enemy targets at extreme ranges,{{Ref/Book|Enc22|Page=477}} while using [[Sicatt Workshop Disruptor|Sicatt Workshop disruptor]]s as sidearms.{{Ref/Reuse|HI}}

*[[Devon Sparks]]

File:H5G-Linda GI.jpg|[[Spartan-II program|Spartan-II]] [[Linda-058]], renowned among Spartans for her skill with a rifle, in ''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''.

File:HINF MarineSniper.png|A Marine sniper on [[Installation 07]] in ''[[Halo Infinite]]''.

File:HW2 SpartanSniper Concept 1.jpg|Concept art of a Spartan sniper for ''[[Halo Wars 2]]''.

File:HW2_SpartanSniper_Concept_2.jpg|Another take on the Spartan sniper concept.