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| [[File:Sniperteam.png|thumb|A [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine]] [[Sniper-Spotter Team|sniper team]] in [[Old Mombasa]] during the [[Battle of Earth]].]]
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| [[File:Radar Jammer.png|thumb|A jump pack Brute is sniped while airborne. The kill is seen through this weapon's telescopic sight.]]
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| '''Sniping''' is the act of covertly eliminating targets from a concealed or distant position. Snipers often rely on stealth and nearby cover; sniping is rarely performed from an open or conspicuous location. The most popular sniping weapons are the [[SRS99 series|Sniper Rifle]], [[Sulok-pattern beam rifle|Beam]] [[Zubo-pattern beam rifle|Rifles]], and [[Z-750 binary rifle|Binary Rifle]]. Others weapons (such as the {{Pattern|Vostu|carbine}} and the [[Battle Rifle]]) can also be used, though they are significantly less powerful and have a shorter range.
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| Sniping is an essential battlefield tactic in any form of combat. When correctly executed, sniping can inflict not only kills, but also a sense of demoralization and disarray among your enemy combatants. In ''[[wikipedia:The Art of War|The Art of War]]'' by [[wikipedia:Sun Tzu|Sun Tzu]], it is stated that one must "attack an enemy when they are disorganized." Sniping can disorganize an enemy, and in a team game, this can make an attack much easier. | | {{HaloWikiLink|Sniping}} |
| | [[Image:Image01271628cvbs9um.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Marine]] sniper/spotter team in [[Old Mombasa]] during the [[First Battle of Earth]].]] |
| | '''Sniping''' is the act of covertly eliminating targets from a concealed position, preferably far away, as to reduce the chances of being located. It is an essential battlefield tactic in any form of combat. When correctly executed, sniping can achieve not only kills, but a sense of demoralization and disarray among your enemy combatants. In The Art of War, by Sun Tzu, it is stated that one must "attack an enemy when they are disorganized." Sniping unveils that opportunity, and can allow for an objective to be swiftly and successfully carried out. The most popular weapons for sniping with are the [[SRS99C-S2 AM Sniper Rifle]] and Covenant [[Beam Rifle]], but it is possible to use other weapons for sniping. |
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| == Teams == | | ==Summary== |
| Sniping is effective both in free-for-all and team-based gametypes. If a sniper can find a good location to snipe from in a free-for-all [[Slayer]] match, then they can score a large amount of kills before other players are able to counter-snipe. It is entirely possible, however, for a sniper's opponents to temporarily cooperate in an effort to eliminate the sniper. Should a sniper need to retreat or relocate during a free-for-all match, they will not have allies to provide covering fire for them. Because of this, stealth is particularly important when sniping in a free-for-all match. | | It took Bungie a long time to realize just how popular sniping is in the Halo games. But they finally gave in and created the Team Snipers playlist. Sniping rifles are extremely powerful in both [[Slayer]] and objective games alike. A team with a strong sniper will be able to completely lock down areas and paths of attack. Not only are these rifles useful at long range. However, they can also be your best close-range weapon if you meet an opponent carrying an [[Energy Sword]], but then you must make sure to go for the [[Headshot]]. A strong sniper will always be a dangerous opponent. It is also important to learn to deal with enemy snipers. Successful tactics are to unscope them (hit them with fire so they come out of scoped position), do not give them easy targets (hide behind rocks and trees, take the shortest path between cover), talk about them (in fact in team games you must make it the first communication priority to call out the enemy sniper(s)). |
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| During a team-based gametype, snipers are extremely valuable. A sniper can potentially keep an entire team pinned down in one spot, and can also limit that team's exits and therefore their offensive and defensive capabilities. In objective-based gametypes, it may be very useful for the enemy team to know where a sniper is—this limits the team's options, making their actions more predictable.
| | ==Differences== |
| | The two most popular sniping weapons, the [[Sniper Rifle]] and the [[Covenant]] [[Beam Rifle]], are very similar in function but have some small differences in their abilities. |
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| Aside from their role as a useful distraction, snipers in team-based games can also provide very useful covering fire for teammates. Snipers can also act as effective scouts, locating hazards such as enemy [[vehicles]]. For these reasons, distance is particularly important when sniping in a team-based match.
| | ===[[SRS99C-S2 AM Sniper Rifle]]=== |
| | The [[SRS99C-S2 AM Sniper Rifle]] is the more powerful of the two sniping weapons, requiring one headshot, or two body shots to kill an opponent. However, the sniper rifle has a slightly slower rate of fire than the beam rifle, and can only fire four shots in quick succession. |
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| == Headshots == | | ===[[Beam Rifle]]=== |
| {{Main|Headshots}}
| | The [[Beam Rifle|Covenant Beam Rifle]] is slightly less powerful than the Sniper Rifle, still requiring only one headshot, but needing three body shots to kill. However, the beam rifle has a slightly higher rate of fire, and the entire battery can be used without pausing, if one takes care not to overheat the weapon. |
| When aiming for kills, a sniper's goal is nearly always to score a headshot. A headshot, when scored with a Sniper Rifle or Beam Rifle, is instantly fatal (unless the opponent has some form of additional protection, such as an [[Overshield]]). Multiple consecutive headshots from Carbines and Battle Rifles are not instantly fatal, but will bring a target down faster. In reality and in ''Halo'', a sniper's motto is "one shot, one kill."
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| However, ''all'' headshot-capable weapons (even the magnum) kill in just ''one'' headshot, provided that the opponent's shields are down, or the shot is powerful enough to penetrate the enemy's shields.
| | ==Headshot== |
| | A headshot is a shot fired by any non-automatic weapon that hits an enemies head, or more specifically their head-box (a square box which contains the enemy's head, making it possible to slightly miss the head, and still score a headshot.) A headshot made with a non-automatic weapon deals more damage, resulting in a one hit kill with sniping weapons, and quicker kills with non sniping weapons. The headshot is the primary goal of snipers. |
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| == Weapon-specific Information == | | ==Advanced Tactics== |
| === Sniper Rifle ===
| | [[Image:Effective_relocation_and_flanking.JPG|left|thumb|A diagram of relocating and flanking.]] |
| {{Main|SRS99 series}}
| | It is important to keep in mind the role of a sniper, especially in multiplayer, when you posses the weapon. The sniper's creed is "One shot... one kill" and any user of the Sniper Rifle should stay true to that saying. Contrary to popular belief, the sniper's role is also to scout and gather intelligence. With voice communication on Xbox Live or the computer, the sniper can use his scope to, help him kill the enemy, but also to provide his teammates with vital information. |
| The Sniper Rifle is the one of the three main sniping weapons. A single [[headshot]] can kill any opponent—even a shielded one (with the exception of [[Brutes]] on ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'') – and only one body shot is needed to kill an unshielded opponent. The Sniper Rifle has a slower rate of fire than the Beam Rifle, and needs to reload every four rounds; however, it can hold more rounds.
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| === Beam Rifle ===
| | Perhaps the most important part of sniping, is counter-sniping. A Sniper's very first duty is to terminate an enemy sniper as quickly as possible without being killed in the process. Shown here is a diagram for effective relocation and flanking, just one part of the dynamic role of counter-sniping. |
| {{Main|Type-50 particle beam rifle|Type-27 beam rifle}}
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| The [[Covenant]] Beam Rifle is the other main sniping weapon. Beam Rifles are roughly as powerful as Sniper Rifles. They are slightly more powerful, being able to kill [[Sentinels]] on [[Isolation (level)|Isolation]] in a single shot, but the difference is negligible when dealing with enemy players. The Beam Rifle has a slightly higher rate of fire and does not need to reload, but is prone to overheating and has fewer rounds.
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| ===Focus Rifle===
| | The number one rule about being a sniper in multiplayer is to keep moving. Whether you're strafing or moving from spot to spot, you should always be moving, especially if the other team knows where you are. Never allow the enemy to pin you in, and always position yourself to view the most of the battlefield. You must keep the enemy guessing, and fearing wherever you may be. The Snipers role is almost as much a psychological one as a physical one. If the enemy fears walking into your view then you have succeeded. An effective sniper can change the entire tone of a match. |
| {{Main|Type-52 focus rifle}}
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| The Focus rifle is a scoped beam weapon capable of continuous fire, being able to kill a fully shielded [[SPARTAN-III program|Spartan]] in about 1.5 seconds. It fires a continuous purple-tinted beam, but overheats easily due to the continuous fire. It is, however, incapable of performing [[headshots]] on other players or enemies. | |
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| === Binary Rifle ===
| | Standing still with the sniper will make you an easy target. Also, strafing can help you perform a [[Face Painting|sweep snipe]] since your reticle is moving from side to side. |
| {{Main|Z-750 binary rifle}}
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| The Binary Rifle is a scoped beam weapon used by [[Forerunner]] military forces, capable of killing with a single shot regardless of where it hits, making it more powerful than the Sniper Rifles and Beam Rifles. The ''[[Halo 4]]'' version fires single shots that deal extreme damage with a downside of extreme accuracy loss when hipfired. The ''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]'' rendition of the weapon fires concentrated beams of energy that are fatal if they hit for most of the entire time they are fired, but lack the accuracy penalty when hipfired.
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| === Covenant Carbine === | | ==Multiplayer Role== |
| {{Main|Type-51 carbine|Type-57 carbine}}
| | Sniping, both moving and from a fixed location ([[camping]]), is very popular in [[Halo]] multiplayer. Uses for the sniper rifle include teleport coverage and picking off enemy players in Warthogs and Scorpion tanks (note: sniping an enemy out of a [[Scorpion]] will only work in [[Halo 1]]). Network lag is a serious problem for this weapon, as even a small error makes the difference between a hit and a miss. When using the Sniper rifle, an enemy can easily sneak up from behind and melee the shooter's back for an instant kill, because the motion tracker is not shown when zoomed in. Use audio clues to help defend yourself. Another life saving sniping technique is temp-zooming, clicking the right stick and holding. This will zoom you in as normal but if you release the stick after holding it you will zoom back out to normal view without having to cycle through 10x zoom.(You can also do this from 5x to 10x) However, when actually getting ready to take shots, it is recommended that you do a normal zoom. (Note that motion trackers are only disabled when zoomed in [[Halo 2]]. In Halo 1 it is prudent to glance at your motion tracker often when zoomed in.) A useful tactic, called "injection" or [[No-scoping]], involves using the sniper rifle at close range to quickly incapacitate an opponent. Although very effective, this requires practice. If a successful no-scope is performed, a follow up melee attack will often finish the foe. |
| Neither the {{Pattern|Vostu|carbine}} and {{Pattern|Mosa|carbine}}, the [[Battle Rifle]], nor the {{Pattern|M'tara|focus rifle}} are considered sniping [[weapons]], but they can be used as such. Both weapons are [[headshot]]-capable, and both possess scopes that allow for long-range battles.
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| | The snipers' first objectives are not always to kill an opposing sniper. You should first listen to your team and ask if they need anyone dead and FAST. This would be especially important in a game of capture the flag. |
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| === LightRifle ===
| | When a sniper kills an opponent in multiplayer the [[Sniper Kill Medal]] is awarded. |
| {{Main|Z-250 lightrifle}}
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| Like the Covenant Carbine, the LightRifle is not considered a sniping weapon, but can be used as such. It is capable of headshots and possesses a [[Morph sight|scope]] that facilitates long-range battles. The ''Halo 4'' rendition of the LightRifle fires in three-round bursts when hipfired and powerful single rounds when scoped in, while the ''Halo 5: Guardians'' rendition always fires single shots but fires wider, more powerful rounds when scoped in.
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| === Magnum === | | ==Aerial Sniping== |
| {{Main|M6 series}}
| | Before you try this, know that it is a risky maneuver. It is very suspicious to see a slow moving [[Banshee]] unless its guns are blazing away at the enemy. This will draw attention to you. Two bad things can happen from this. A [[Double Kill]] for the enemy... or the Banshee escaping to safety and dropping the sniper. |
| This weapon was not designed as a sniper, but due to its high accuracy, power, and range, it can be used for sniping in a similar way as the Battle Rifle.
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| === Battle Rifle ===
| | The Banshee has big enough wings to allow someone to hitch ride. Just fly towards one of your teammates that has a sniper rifle and have him jump on your wing or stand on the top of the main bulk of the banshee. Then you can fly him around while he snipes. |
| {{Main|BR55 battle rifle|BR85 battle rifle}}
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| Like the Carbine, the Battle Rifle is not explicitly intended for sniping. However, it is scoped and headshot-capable, able to bring down a fully-shielded player with four headshots.
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| === DMR ===
| | Remember that while you have a sniper riding the Banshee you can't go up or down at much of an incline. If you want to get lower or higher slowly incline, little by little. Don't use your boost! Obviously don't barrel roll. The sniper must also be fairly good to be able to sniper from a moving vehicle and stay on at the same time. |
| {{Main|M392 DMR|M395 DMR}}
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| Like the Carbine, the DMR is not explicitly intended for sniping, but is scoped and headshot-capable, able to bring down a fully-shielded player with four headshots.
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| === Rocket Launcher ===
| | Also, try getting the sniper invisible, it can be a great way to get a kill or two, then secretly let him set up for ground sniping. |
| {{Main|M41 SPNKR|M57 Pilum}}
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| The [[Rocket Launcher]]s have a scope, but are fairly poor weapons for sniping. The rockets that they fire are painfully slow, visually obvious, and generally easy to avoid. Sniping with a Rocket Launcher is only feasible when performed by a player with an incredible gift at leading targets, and against a player whose line of sight precludes them from seeing the rocket.
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| === Spartan Laser === | | ==Related Links== |
| {{Main|M6 Spartan Laser}}
| | ===Internal=== |
| The [[Spartan Laser]], introduced in ''[[Halo 3]]'', has a relatively long range. Its scope is between the Battle Rifle's 2× zoom and the Sniper Rifle's 5× zoom, and it is certainly capable of killing an opponent in one shot. It has the disadvantage of being highly noticeable; it emits a red tracking laser for four seconds before firing, and its profile is rather conspicuous when being held or when being carried on a player's back.
| | *[[Face painting]] |
| | | *[[Noscoping]] |
| === Incineration Cannon === | | *[[SRS99C-S2 AM Sniper Rifle]] |
| {{Main|Z-390 incineration cannon}}
| | *[[Beam Rifle]] |
| The Incineration Cannon, introduced in ''Halo 4'', has a relatively long range. It behaves much like the Rocket Launcher, but the projectiles not only move much faster, but are also capable of much more damage, as they leave behind explosive submunitions upon impact. The ''Halo 5: Guardians'' version of the weapon is one of the least ideal choices for sniping, due to its greatly reduced effective range.
| | *[[SPARTAN-058]] |
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| == Advanced Tactics ==
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| === Reconnaissance ===
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| Snipers are particularly useful when keeping a team coordinated. A sniper with a headset can report back to his team, relaying information on the locations of enemies, enemy vehicles, what weapons an enemy team is using, and other hazards. A sniper with a good position can survey the entire battlefield, searching for important events and observing them in detail with a scope.
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| === Movement ===
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| When acting as a sniper, keep moving—especially in a free-for-all or Slayer game. In a free-for-all game, snipers don't have any allies that will provide covering or supporting fire; once a sniper is found, they have almost no hope of making it to safety without being seen or followed. This problem is compounded by the fact that many sniping weapons, particularly the Sniper Rifle, leave a bullet trail—a player, when killed, will know where the bullet came from. Frequent relocation can keep a sniper from being spotted and counterattacked.
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| In a Team Slayer match, a stealthy sniper is also important. If the enemy team knows the sniper's location, they can simply avoid that sniper. If the sniper's location is unknown, opponents may walk directly into the sniper's line of sight, giving the sniper an easy kill. A hidden sniper can also make the opposing team cautious—sometimes excessively so—and that caution can prevent the team from being as aggressive, decreasing the number of kills they will end up scoring.
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| A sniper should, when they begin sniping, already know where they plan to go next, and how they will get there. They should also have plans for a retreat, should their next location become inaccessible.
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| === Leading in ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' ===
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| ''Halo: Combat Evolved''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s netcode requires players to lead their targets even more than in later ''Halo'' games. Players may often have to lead by a large amount to compensate for [[lag]], which greatly steepens the learning curve for sniping in Halo: CE, more so than in the other games.
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| === Secondary Weapons ===
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| A sniper's secondary weapon should be a close- to mid-range weapon with reasonable firepower, such as a Carbine, [[Z-180 Scattershot|Scattershot]], [[Shotgun]], [[M6D]], [[SMG]], Assault Rifle or Battle Rifle. Melee weapons, such as the [[Energy Sword]], also work reasonably well. Extremely powerful weapons, such as the Rocket Launcher, should be avoided though.
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| The purpose of a sniper's secondary weapon is to dispatch nearby enemies. The secondary weapon should always be fully reloaded, and should be something that a sniper can safely use without risking an accidental suicide. (This is why weapons like the Rocket Launcher and Incineration Cannon should be avoided.)
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| The choice of a secondary weapon mainly relies on what the player wants to use it for. A player who is confident in staying far away from the enemy could use a Battle Rifle, Covenant Carbine, or even another Sniper Rifle or Beam Rifle.
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| == Aerial Sniping ==
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| Two players, one a vehicle pilot and the other a sniper, can cooperate to score kills from the air. The pilot must be skilled with a [[Type-26 Banshee|Type-26]]/[[D'nomlhe-pattern Banshee|54 Banshee]] or competent with a [[AV-14 Hornet]]; the sniper will have to be very good with no-scoping if a Hornet is used. Either way, pilot-sniper communication and cooperation is critical. The sniper can jump onto the Banshee's wing, or hop onto the Hornet's side seat.
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| If using a Banshee, the pilot must be able to dodge fire from Spartan Lasers, Rocket Launchers, and [[Missile Pods]]—all while ensuring that the sniper does not fall off of the vehicle. They must also be able to set up shots for the sniper and inform the sniper of any planned maneuvers. The sniper must in turn call out targets for the pilot, as the sniper often won't be able to take out heavily-armored targets (like [[Scorpions]]).
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| This tactic is highly conspicuous; a slow-moving Banshee is extremely suspicious, given that the aircraft is almost always used for high-speed aerial support. If the sniper and the pilot aren't skilled enough, they may be giving an opponent a free [[Double Kill]]. This is compounded by the fact that the Banshee cannot fly at too much of a vertical angle, and they cannot boost or perform a barrel roll; these actions will fling the sniper off of the vehicle.
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| A particularly useful technique is to have the sniper grab [[Active Camo]] before jumping into the Banshee; they can get covert kills, and then jump to the ground (or be dropped off at a high sniping position) to snipe normally.
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| == Countermeasures ==
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| There are a variety of anti-sniper techniques, ranging from tips to avoid getting sniped to strategies for counter-attacking a sniper.
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| === Avoidance ===
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| There are a variety of ways to avoid being sniped or headshot.
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| * Find cover.
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| * Never stand still, and never move in a predictable fashion. Introduce an element of randomness to your movements.
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| * When jumping in a sniper's view (or going out of a [[Man Cannon]]), constantly crouch and uncrouch. The constant head movement that results will complicate a headshot. | |
| * Fire the occasional bullet or throw the occasional [[grenade]] at the sniper. Inflicting damage on them will cause them to zoom out. In Halo 4, the sniper's reticule will bounce around, as opposed to zooming out. | |
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| === Flanking ===
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| In a team game, it can be particularly useful for some or all of a team to flank an enemy sniper—especially if the sniper's position, and therefore their line of sight, is known. The team must simply split up, going in opposite directions, staying at the edge of the sniper's movement, and exploiting every piece of cover they can find. Should they reach the sniper at the same time, they can form up and launch a coordinated counter-attack.
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| Alternatively, a single teammate can sneak away from the group, while the remaining teammates remain trapped by the sniper. The solo teammate can sneak around the edge of the battlefield and get to the sniper. If the sniper is not being adequately defended by their teammates, and is not skilled at close-quarters battle, then killing them should be a trivial matter (and may require nothing more than a simple assassination). Of particular note is the fact that a sniper using their rifle's zoom cannot see their [[Motion tracker]].
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| At the same time, a sniper that has practiced battling at close range can be an extremely formidable opponent. Such snipers can usually [[no-scope]] a nearby opponent with ease; they also tend to watch their backs when alone.
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| === Jump Sniping ===
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| When counter-sniping, find some cover and hide behind it. Aim so that if you were to jump, your reticule would pass over the enemy sniper—that is, aim slightly below where the sniper would be if you could see them from your present position. Zoom in, and jump. When the enemy becomes visible, fire.
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| This will likely reduce your accuracy, but it is also quite safe; you are only vulnerable while you take the shot.
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| ===Bring Out The Big Guns===
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| When all else fails, use heavy weapons fire to blast the sniper apart.
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| A sniper can dodge shots fired from another sniper rather easily; all that is required is strafing. Dodging the splash damage from a Scorpion's blast is more difficult. [[Zurdo-pattern Wraith|Type-26]] and {{Pattern|Kemu|Wraith}}s are similarly dangerous to a sniper. A Gauss or Rocket Warthog can quickly eliminate an enemy sniper as well. Heavy vehicles are particularly effective if their pilots can approach the sniper without being seen until they fire the shot; if they fire from a shorter distance, the sniper will have a shorter time to see the shot, react, and dodge. Best of all, another tried and true tactic is to simply run your opponent over, though this has caused mixed results depending on which vehicle is used.
| | ===External=== |
| | | *[http://h2wiki.halowiki.net/wiki/Sniping How to be a better sniper: Guide to Sniping] - Halowiki's Snipers guide |
| ==See also== | |
| *[[Face painting]] | |
| *[[No-Scoping]]
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| *[[Sniper rifle|List of sniper rifles]]
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| [[Category:Multiplayer lexicon]] | | [[Category: Advanced Skills]] |
