Template:Weapon Infobox

"What the hell am I supposed to do with this inside a Covenant ship?"
Kojo Agu[1]

The Sniper Rifle System 99D-S2 Anti-Matériel, abbreviated SRS99D-S2 AM, is an anti-personnel weapon system used by the United Nations Space Command.[2] It is produced by Misriah Armory as part of its SRS99 Series.

Design details

 
SRS99D-S2 AM sniper rifles being assembled at Misriah Armory on Mars.
Main article: SRS99 Series

The SRS99D-S2 AM is a semi-automatic, gas-operated sniper rifle that fires 14.5×114mm APFSDS rounds from a 4-round magazine. It is, alongside its primary Covenant counterpart, the Type-50 particle beam rifle, the most accurate and arguably the most powerful small-arms weapon in either arsenal.

The SRS99D has some notable changes from the SRS99C models. First off, it is fitted with a 5× and 10× optic that shows realtime images in infrared vision when not looking through it. When looking through it, the scope shows a target's distance and elevation. The SRS99D also has an altered foregrip and stock as well as an altered body and sports a trigger guard. The barrel also now has an iron sight. This weapon does not possess a safety and has a frame that serves as a carrying handle as well as a scope protector and a folding bipod located in front of the magazine on the underside of the rifle.

Gameplay

 
This article documents its subject as it pertains to the gameplay of the Halo games, rather than the lore.
 
This article is currently under construction and needs to be improved. Please refer to the talk page for more info. You can help by editing the page.
This article is about the weapon featured in most Halo games. For other uses of the term "sniper rifle", see its disambiguation page.
Sniper Rifle
 
Gameplay role

Faction:

Human (UNSC)

Weapon tier (?):

Tier-3 Power weapon

Weapon class (?):

Sniper rifle

Weapon type (?):

Kinetic Precision weapon

Firing mode:

Semi-automatic

Effective range:

Long to medium

Counterparts:

Covenant
Beam Rifle
Focus Rifle
Banished
Shock Rifle
Skewer
Stalker Rifle
Forerunner
Binary Rifle
Weapon stats

Damage:

High

Projectile speed:

Very high, near instantaneous

Rate of fire:

Low

Accuracy:

Very high

Magazine size:

4 rounds

Zoom:

Varies

 

The Sniper Rifle, sometimes shortened to just Sniper or Snipes, and known in Halo Infinite as the S7 Sniper, is a human precision power weapon featured in all major Halo games, starting with Halo: Combat Evolved. It is a long-range weapon which typically has two levels of scope, and is best used to pick off enemies at a great distance. The Sniper deals a large amount of damage per shot, but has a slow rate of fire and usually only carries four shots per magazine.

Universe and lore

Main article: Sniper rifle (fiction)

Most of the sniper rifles seen in the Halo games belong to the SRS99 family, a series of rifles produced by Misriah Armory for the United Nations Space Command armed forces. The original SRS99 AM rifle entered service in 2460 with the UNSC Army, and the SRS99 series was eventually adopted by all remaining branches in 2521, thanks to its impressive modularity and continuing support on behalf of Misriah.[3] Having gone through at least four further revisions since its initial adoption, the series remains in service as of 2558, with the Series-5 model being in mass production at that time.[4]

Another prominent sniper rifle is the M99 Stanchion, a now-defunct weapon that has been out of production since 2521.[5] The Stanchion bears more resemblance to a coilgun or railgun than a traditional chemical propellant-based firearm, using electromagnetism to launch its projectiles.[6] It was used by the crew of the UNSC Spirit of Fire during the Second Ark Conflict, along with another sniper rifle known as the signature-suppressed anti-materiel rifle.[7][8] Additionally, an Insurrectionist group active on Harvest and Arcadia was known to equip its soldiers with an as-of-yet unidentified sniper rifle.[9]

The following is a list of all sniper rifles in Halo lore that have appeared in the games:

Overview

The Sniper Rifle is a powerful precision weapon, featured in every notable Halo game since the series' inception in Halo: Combat Evolved. Typically dark grey or black in color, the weapon features one of the longest barrels of any weapon, as well as a large boxy scope and a prominent stock, making it very easy to identify. It is capable of killing enemy players in as little as one or two shots depending upon accuracy, and deals a large amount of damage. To compensate for this, it has a slow rate of fire compared to most weapons, usually only carries four shots per magazine, and is very rare.

Counterparts

The most prominent counterpart to the Sniper Rifle is the Covenant's Beam Rifle, a long-range weapon with two levels of zoom, which is similar in operation to the Sniper Rifle. The Beam Rifle was first introduced in Halo 2, but has reappeared in several games since. It fires a beam of light with a practically instant travel time, which behaves similarly to a Sniper Rifle bullet; a hit to the body will remove an opponent's shields, whereas a headshot will instantly kill them. Unlike the Sniper, however, the Beam Rifle uses a battery system for its ammo, typically with ten shots in total, and the weapon cannot be reloaded. In most games, the weapon will overheat after two or three shots in rapid succession.

Another Covenant counterpart to the Sniper Rifle is the Focus Rifle, first introduced in Halo: Reach. Unlike the Sniper Rifle and Beam Rifle, the Focus Rifle fires a continuous beam not unlike that of the Sentinel Beam, which deals heavy damage to enemy units, but will overheat if fired continuously for too long. However, the Focus Rifle takes longer to kill enemies than the Sniper Rifle does, and the brightly colored beam will expose the location of the player. Like the Beam Rifle, the Focus Rifle uses a battery ammo system, and cannot be reloaded. It also has two zoom levels, similar to the Sniper and Beam Rifle.

The Forerunner counterpart to the Sniper Rifle is known as the Binary Rifle. This rifle operates using a similar ammunition system as the Sniper Rifle, albeit with two shots per magazine rather than four. It features two levels of zoom, just as the Sniper does, however with one major difference: whilst zoomed, a distinct red targeting laser will shine out from the barrel - even before the weapon is fired - which will alert enemies to the fact they're being targeted, and will also highlight the user's location. The projectile fired by the Binary Rifle varies by game. In Halo 4, it fires a bolt of light that travels instantaneously and will always immediately kill an enemy player regardless of where it hits them. In Halo 5: Guardians, it fires a continuous beam for a brief period of time, which deals very heavy damage and can easily kill an enemy player if held on them for long enough - though the strong recoil can make this difficult.

  This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary

Sniper Rifle
 
Gameplay role

Counterparts:

None

Weapon stats

Damage:

101 (can headshot)

Damage type (?):

sniper bullet

Projectile speed:

1000 wu/s

Hitscan range (?):

~33.33 wu

Max range:

1000 wu

Rate of fire:

2 rounds per second

Spread (?):

0.5 degrees
0 degrees zoomed

Reserve ammo capacity:

24 rounds (6 magazines)

Zoom:

2x to 8x magnification

Tag name (?):

sniper rifle [10]

 
Main article: First-person shooter

Campaign

  This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Multiplayer

  This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Changes from Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo PC, Halo: Custom Edition, and Halo: CEA

  • Maximum telescopic zoom reduced from 10× to 8× (This change was carried over from international releases of Halo: Combat Evolved and is a visual only change. It does not affect the sniper's performance in any way).

Changes from Halo: CEA to Halo: The Master Chief Collection

  • Reduced the size of the Anniversary graphics reticle.
  • Maximum telescopic zoom reverted back from 8× to 10×.

Halo 2 and Halo 2: Anniversary

Sniper Rifle
 
Gameplay role

Counterparts:

Covenant
Beam Rifle
Weapon stats

Damage:

45 (can headshot)
2x vs shields

Damage type (?):

Generic: bullet_fast

Specific: sniper

Projectile speed:

1200 wu/s

Hitscan range (?):

80 wu

Max range:

120 wu

Rate of fire:

0.5s fire recovery time
(2 rounds per second)

Spread (?):

0.5 degrees
0 degrees zoomed

Reserve ammo capacity:

20 rounds (5 magazines)

Zoom:

3.5x to 9.5x magnification

Melee damage (?):

strike_melee

Tag name (?):

sniper_rifle [11]

 

Campaign

  This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Multiplayer

  This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST

Sniper Rifle
 
Gameplay role

Counterparts:

Covenant
Beam Rifle
Weapon stats

Damage:

H3
80 (can headshot)
ODST
120 (can headshot)
0.5x vs shields

Damage type (?):

Generic: bullet_fast

Specific: sniper

Projectile speed:

1200 wu/s

Hitscan range (?):

80 wu

Max range:

500 wu

Rate of fire:

0.7s fire recovery time
(~1.4 rounds per second)

Spread (?):

0.5 degrees
0 degrees zoomed

Recoil:

0.5 degrees per shot

Reserve ammo capacity:

20 rounds (5 magazines)

Zoom:

4x to 9x magnification

Melee damage (?):

strike_melee

Tag name (?):

sniper_rifle [12] [13]

 

Campaign and Firefight

  • In the mission Sierra 117 there is a downed Pelican at Rally Point Alpha and a UNSC supply box with two sniper rifles. After the Hunter encounter on The Storm where a hammer wielding Brute Chieftain is encountered, the room to the far left contains a sniper rifle.
  This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Multiplayer

  This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Changes from Halo 3 to ODST

  • Bullet damage vs shields decreased to 50%
  • Damage increased from 80 to 120.

Halo: Reach

Sniper Rifle
 
Gameplay role

Counterparts:

Covenant
Focus Rifle
Weapon stats

Damage:

80 (can headshot)

Damage type (?):

sniper

Projectile speed:

6000 wu/s

Hitscan range (?):

400 wu

Max range:

500 wu

Rate of fire:

0.75s fire recovery time
(~1.333 rounds per second)

Spread (?):

Default
0.08 to 4 degrees
Title Update 1
0.08 to 3.4 degrees

Reserve ammo capacity:

20 rounds (5 magazines)

Zoom:

4x to 10x magnification

Melee damage (?):

strike_melee

Tag name (?):

sniper_rifle [14]

 

Campaign and Firefight

  This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Multiplayer

  This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Changes from Halo: Reach to Title Update 1

  • Bloom reduced to 85%.

Halo 4

Sniper Rifle
 
Gameplay role

Counterparts:

Covenant
Beam Rifle
Forerunner
Binary Rifle
Weapon stats

Damage:

80 (can headshot)

Damage type (?):

sniper

Projectile speed:

2799 wu/s

Hitscan range (?):

186.6 wu

Max range:

500 wu

Rate of fire:

0.7666667s fire recovery time
(~1.3 rounds per second)

Spread (?):

0.05 degrees

Reserve ammo capacity:

16 rounds (4 magazines)
20 rounds with Ammo Mod

Zoom:

4x to 9x magnification

Melee damage (?):

strike_melee

Tag name (?):

storm_sniper_rifle [15]

 

Campaign and Spartan Ops

  • In the Campaign, the Sniper Rifle is first obtained in Requiem. It appears again in Reclaimer.
  This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Multiplayer

  This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Halo 2: Anniversary multiplayer

Sniper Rifle
 
Gameplay role

Counterparts:

Covenant
Beam Rifle
Weapon stats

Damage:

45 (can headshot)
2x vs shields

Damage type (?):

sniper

Projectile speed:

10000 wu/s

Hitscan range (?):

~333.33 wu

Max range:

120 wu

Rate of fire:

0.5s fire recovery time
(2 rounds per second)

Spread (?):

0.5 degrees
0.05 degrees zoomed

Reserve ammo capacity:

16 rounds (4 magazines)

Zoom:

4x to 9x magnification

Melee damage (?):

strike_melee

Tag name (?):

h2a_sniper_rifle [16]

 

Multiplayer

  This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Halo 5: Guardians

Disclaimer: all below statistics are derived from unofficial tools and may be inaccurate
Sniper Rifle
 
Gameplay role

Counterparts:

Covenant
Beam Rifle
Forerunner
Binary Rifle
Weapon stats

Damage:

80 (can headshot)

Damage type (?):

sniper

Projectile speed:

2799 wu/s

Hitscan range (?):

93.3 wu

Max range:

500 wu

Rate of fire:

0.75s fire recovery time
(~1.333 rounds per second)

Spread (?):

0.05 degrees

Reserve ammo capacity:

16 rounds (4 magazines)
20 rounds with Ammo Mod

Zoom:

4x to 9x magnification

Melee damage (?):

strike_melee

Tag name (?):

sniper_rifle

Variants and attachments

Halo 5 REQ variant(s):

 

Campaign

  This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Multiplayer and Warzone

  This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Unlock and acquisition requirements

In Halo 5: Guardians' campaign and Arena multiplayer modes, the Sniper Rifle can be found on the level or map as usual, and does not need to be unlocked.[17][18]

However, in Warzone, the weapon can only be acquired via the REQ system. To unlock the Sniper Rifle, the player must acquire a Sniper Rifle certification, an Uncommon REQ card that can be found randomly in any REQ pack that can contain Uncommon cards. Upon receiving the certification, the player will also be given a number of Sniper Rifle REQ cards, and will begin to randomly receive more when opening future packs. Each of these cards can be redeemed in a Warzone match to spawn a Sniper Rifle, at the cost of   energy. Doing so will consume the card. Alternatively, the cards can be sold for   75 each.[19][20]


REQ information
Category Power weapon
Rarity Uncommon
Energy cost   energy
Sale price   75

Variants

End of the Line
 
End of the Line in Halo 5: Guardians.
Main article: End of the Line

"All good things must come to and end. Improved Sniper Rifle with reduced recoil, but emphasis on faster rate-of-fire has slightly reduced damage."
— REQ description[21]

End of the Line is a Rare REQ variant of the Sniper Rifle, featured in Halo 5: Guardians. It boasts a faster rate of fire and significantly reduced recoil, but deals slightly less damage per shot - though it is still capable of killing an enemy player in two body shots or one headshot. Should the player have an End of the Line REQ card, the weapon can be acquired in Warzone via the REQ system for a cost of   energy, or alternatively the card can be sold for   100.[21]

REQ information
Category Power weapon
Rarity Rare
Energy cost   energy
Sale price   100
Arrow of Time
 
Arrow of Time in Halo 5: Guardians.
Main article: Arrow of Time

"There's no going back. Advanced Sniper Rifle with extended magazine and heavy-duty cyberlink that prevents descope. Unfortunately, the weapon does have extra recoil to compensate for."
— REQ description[22]

Arrow of Time is an Ultra-Rare REQ variant of the Sniper Rifle in Halo 5: Guardians. It features a larger magazine than the standard Sniper, with 6 shots instead of 4, and the player will not be descoped when shot whilst zoomed in with the weapon. However, it also has increased recoil compared to the normal Sniper Rifle. Its REQ card costs   energy to use in-game, or can be sold for   150.[22]

REQ information
Category Power weapon
Rarity Ultra-Rare
Energy cost   energy
Sale price   150
Nornfang
 
Nornfang in Halo 5: Guardians.
Main article: Nornfang

"A master-crafter instrument of death and destruction. Mythic Sniper Rifle firing high explosive armor piercing (APHE) rounds that increases overall damage. In addition, Linda's modifications ensure the Motion Tracker is visible even when using Zoom."
— REQ description[23]

Nornfang is a Mythic, Legendary REQ variant of the Sniper Rifle in Halo 5: Guardians, and is the personal sniper rifle of the SPARTAN-II Linda-058. The weapon fires rounds that explode on impact, dealing damage to any nearby enemies, and instantly killing them if hit directly. Additionally, when scoped in, the motion sensor will not be hidden while using Nornfang. To balance this out, the player gains the Damage Boost visual effect when they equip the weapon, making them very easy to spot. Nornfang can be requisitioned in Warzone for   energy, provided the player has a spare Nornfang REQ card, or alternatively the card can be sold for   200.[23]

Nornfang also appears in Halo 5: Guardians' campaign. It can be found abandoned in the troop bay of the ONI Acrisius on the level Unconfirmed, and on the Blue Team missions in co-op, the player playing as Linda-058 will spawn with the weapon at the start of the level (but not upon respawning). However, in campaign, the weapon is significantly less powerful, retaining none of its bonus abilities from the multiplayer.[17]

REQ information
Category Power weapon
Rarity Legendary, Mythic
Energy cost   energy
Sale price   200

Halo Infinite

Disclaimer: all below statistics are derived from unofficial tools and may be inaccurate
S7 Sniper
 
Gameplay role

Counterparts:

Banished
Shock Rifle
Skewer
Stalker Rifle
Weapon stats

Damage:

SP: 161 (can headshot)

MP: 143 (can headshot)

Damage type (?):

Kinetic

Projectile speed:

600 wu/s

Hitscan range (?):

20 wu

Max range:

500 wu

Rate of fire:

SP: ~1.11 rounds per second

MP: ~1.23 rounds per second

Spread (?):

SP: ~0.4 to ~1 degrees

MP: ~0.15 to ~0.7 degrees

Reserve ammo capacity:

SP: 16 rounds (4 magazines)

MP: 20 rounds (5 magazines)

Zoom:

5x to 10x magnification

Melee damage (?):

SP: strike_melee

MP: strike_melee_mp

Tag name (?):

sniper_rifle

Variants and attachments

Halo Infinite variant(s):

 

Campaign

  This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Multiplayer

  This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Unlock and acquisition requirements

In Halo Infinite's multiplayer modes, the Sniper Rifle can be found spawning on the map, as usual. In campaign, it can also spawn in certain locations on the open-world map and in missions, but to unlock it for on-demand spawning at FOBs, the player must earn 1,500 total Valor. After this, it can be summoned at any point from the weapon crates at any FOB, at no cost.[24]

Variants

S7 Flexfire Sniper

The S7 Flexfire Sniper is a variant of the S7 Sniper, seen in Halo Infinite. Its magazine capacity is increased to 10, and it can hold 4 magazines (40 rounds) in reserve. The Flexfire can fire much more rapidly, at the cost of reduced damage and much greater bullet spread. It also only has one zoom magnification level, unlike the standard S7 Sniper. The variant is decorated in a yellow and white colour scheme, to distinguish it from the standard model.[25]

Changes from Halo Infinite to Season 2: Lone Wolves

  • Melee damage has been reduced by 10% in both multiplayer and campaign.

Changes from Season 2: Lone Wolves to February 15, 2023 Update

  • Error angle max reduced by 30%
  • Error angle minimum reduced by 55%
  • Time to reset bloom reduced by 20%

Changes from February 15, 2023 Update to Banished Honor Update

  • Ready initial playback speed scale 1 >> 1.2.

Changes from Banished Honor Update to Fleetcom Operation Update

  • Rounds total maximum 20 >> 24
  • Rounds per second from 1.111 >> 1.23
  • Upper bound deceleration time 1 >> 0.8 seconds

Halo: Spartan Assault and Halo: Spartan Strike

Sniper Rifle
Gameplay role

Weapon tier (?):

Upgraded weapon

Firing mode:

Automatic

Effective range:

Long

Weapon stats

Damage:

Very high

Rate of fire:

Low

Magazine size:

35

 
Main article: Twin-stick shooter

"Semi-automatic sniper rifle. Fires projectiles that can immediately kill multiple infantry units."
Halo: Spartan Assault loadout description[26]

Campaign

In Spartan Strike, the Sniper Rifle also spawns in the campaign itself, exclusively on the final mission: E-6: Hold the Line. In total, four Sniper Rifles spawn on this mission, along with four Spartan Lasers and four Rocket Launchers, the two other previously loadout-exclusive weapons.[27]

  This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Unlock and acquisition requirements

In Halo: Spartan Assault, the Sniper Rifle can only be acquired via the loadout screen. It costs 500   to equip in both games and can also be purchased with 25   in Spartan: Assault. Once equipped, you will spawn with the Sniper Rifle at the start of the level and every time you die, so long as you do not quit back to the menu. It is single use - that is, it will not carry over to the next level, nor will it be available next time you play the level on which you purchased it.[28][29]

Cost:   25 /   500

Skins and cosmetics

The Sniper Rifle has seen many equipable weapon skins and coatings across the various games it's been featured in.

Halo: Combat Evolved (MCC)

Main article: Skins (Halo: Combat Evolved)
Sniper Rifle
vde
Icon Name Description Unlock requirements
Default Default skin. Unlocked by default
Desert Looks very stylish with a poncho. Series 2, Tier 10 (  1)
Great Journey Don't worry... I know what the aliens like. Series 2, Tier 42 (  1)
Woodland Camping is a legitimate strategy. Series 2, Tier 52 (  1)
Avalanche Like Sidewinder, but with more polygons. Series 2, Tier 80 (  1)
Golden Bling on the ring. Series 2 Challenge: Zero Five Eight
Defeat 150 opponents with the Sniper Rifle in any game mode.

The Exchange (  2)

Halo 3 (MCC)

Main article: Skins (Halo 3)
Sniper Rifle
vde
Icon Name Description Unlock requirements
Default Default skin. Unlocked by default
Woodland Camping is a legitimate strategy. Series 4, Tier 22 (  1)
Desert Looks very stylish with a poncho. Series 4, Tier 35 (  1)
Golden Bling on the ring. Series 4, Tier 50 (  1)
Red Alert The source of cautionary tales. Series 5, Tier 61 (  1)
Hazard Pay Safety first! Series 5, Tier 68 (  1)
Amethyst Raven Searching for foes under alien skies. Series 6, Tier 17 (  1)
Vexing Tomorrow True are is rarely appreciated by its target audience. Series 8, Tier 47 (  1)
Avalanche Like Sidewinder, but with more polygons.
Black Rhine An artist appreciates their tools. The Exchange (  3)
OGX - The Exchange (  3)
Scorned Fate The hand of Atropos weighs heavily on executioners. The Exchange (  4)

Halo 2: Anniversary

Main article: Skins (Halo 2: Anniversary)
Sniper Rifle
vde
Icon Name Description Unlock requirements
Default Default skin. Unlocked by default
Black Tiger One shot, one kill. Or one shot, beat feet. Series 9, The Exchange   3
Bloodscorched Seeing red. From very far away. Series 9, The Exchange   3
Chroma Blue Looks can kill. Series 9, The Exchange   3
Sandstorm A most vicious desert predator. Series 9, The Exchange   3

Halo Infinite

Main article: Weapon coatings (Halo Infinite)

Medals

The following medals are exclusive to the Sniper Rifle and its alien counterparts. The Sniper Rifle does also inherit some other precision weapon and power weapon medals such as Headcase and Power Player, but these are not listed here.

Icon Name Games Unlock requirements
  Sniper Kill
  • Halo 2
  • Halo 3
  • Halo: Reach
  • Halo 4
  • Halo 5: Guardians

Halo 2:

  • Kill an enemy with a Sniper Rifle or Beam Rifle.

Halo 3, Halo: Reach:

  • Kill an enemy with a Sniper Rifle (or Beam Rifle) headshot.

Halo 4:

  • Kill an enemy with a Sniper Rifle.

Halo 5: Guardians:

  • Kill an enemy with a Sniper Rifle, but not by a headshot.
  Sniper Headshot Halo 5: Guardians Kill an enemy with a Sniper Rifle headshot.
  Sniper Spree
  • Halo 3
  • Halo 3: ODST
  • Halo: Reach

Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST:

  • Kill 5 enemies consecutively with the Sniper or Beam Rifle, without dying.

Halo: Reach:

  • Kill 5 enemies with the Sniper Rifle without dying.
  Sharpshooter
  • Halo 3
  • Halo 3: ODST
  • Halo: Reach

Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST:

  • Kill 10 enemies consecutively with the Sniper or Beam Rifle, without dying.

Halo: Reach:

  • Kill 10 enemies with the Sniper Rifle without dying.
  Be the Bullet Halo: Reach Kill 15 enemies with the Sniper Rifle without dying.
  Snapshot
  • Halo 4
  • Halo 5: Guardians
Kill an enemy with the Sniper Rifle, Binary Rifle or Beam Rifle while not zoomed in. This is commonly known as no-scoping.
  Airborne Snapshot Halo 5: Guardians While airborne, kill an enemy with the Sniper Rifle, Binary Rifle or Beam Rifle while not zoomed in.
  Hat Trick Halo 5: Guardians Kill three enemies with Sniper Rifle or Beam Rifle headshots in a row.
  Snipeltaneous Halo 5: Guardians Kill two or more enemies with a single Sniper Rifle shot.
  Snipunch Halo 5: Guardians Shoot an enemy with the Sniper Rifle, then finish them off with a melee.
  Buckle Up Halo 5: Guardians Kill the driver of an enemy vehicle while it is moving, using the Sniper Rifle.

Achievements

The following achievements involve the use of the Sniper Rifle:

Name Game Description Gamerscore Image
Sniper Kill Halo 2 for Windows Vista Kill an opponent with the sniper rifle or the beam rifle. 10    
Headshot Honcho Halo 3 Killed 10 enemies with headshots in a ranked free for all playlist or in campaign.[Note 1] 5    
Close Quarters Combat Complete the level "Truth and Reconciliation" with at least four rounds left in your Sniper Rifle. 25   (CEA)
10   (MCC)
 

 
 

Production notes

"Robert McLees is definitely the go-to guy for the gun stuff. I wanted to come up with an animation for the sniper scope, an 'idle cycle'. If you activate the scope, and then sit too long without doing anything, the animation would kick in periodically, just to keep things interesting... Simple, right...? He replied, 'No way. If you adjust your scope in the field, you're dead. Snipers don't do that.' That's how detailed his weapon designs are -- not just guns, but how they work, and how a sniper would fire them. Amazing."
— Animator William O'Brien, regarding the Robert McLees and his weapon designs for Halo 2.[30]

The earlier games' depictions of the Sniper Rifle, notably those from Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST, bear significant resemblance to and were likely inspired by the real-world Denel NTW-20, an anti-material rifle developed in the 1990s by Denel Mechem.

Robert McLees was known within Bungie for being the expert to consult when doing work related to the games' weapons during Halo 2's development. At one point, animator William O'Brien sought to create an idle animation for the Sniper Rifle, in which the player character would adjust the scope if the player zooms in and then remains idle for a while. McLees shot down this idea, claiming that in reality, no sniper would ever adjust their scope on the field.[30]

Trivia

  • In the original Xbox 360 version of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary the Sniper Rifle's reticle is far larger than it is in the original Halo: Combat Evolved on Xbox and PC. In the Halo: The Master Chief Collection version of Halo: CEA, the reticle returns to its original size.
  • In the Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta, the scope shows the identity of the weapon's user as "ID-NOBLE6", regardless of who wields it. This is not present in the final build.

Gallery

Concept art

Renders

HUD icons

Screenshots

List of appearances

Notes

  1. ^ Although not mentioned in the official description, the Headshot Honcho achievement can only be acquired using the Sniper Rifle or Beam Rifle.

Sources

  1. ^ Halo 3: ODST, campaign level, Prepare to Drop
  2. ^ Halo 3 manual
  3. ^ Halo: The Essential Visual Guide, page 179: Sniper Rifle
  4. ^ Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, page 66: Sniper Rifle
  5. ^ Halo Graphic Novel, page 122
  6. ^ Halo Waypoint - Universe, Railgun
  7. ^ Halo Waypoint - Canon Fodder, The Art of War(s)
  8. ^ Halo Wars 2, campaign
  9. ^ Halo Wars, multiplayer
  10. ^ Halo: Combat Evolved Editing Kit, game file tags\weapons\sniper rifle\sniper rifle.weapon
  11. ^ Halo 2 Editing Kit, game file tags\objects\weapons\rifle\sniper_rifle\sniper_rifle.weapon
  12. ^ Halo 3 Editing Kit, game file tags\objects\weapons\rifle\sniper_rifle\sniper_rifle.weapon
  13. ^ Halo 3: ODST Editing Kit, game file tags\objects\weapons\rifle\sniper_rifle\sniper_rifle.weapon
  14. ^ Halo: Reach Editing Kit, game file tags\objects\weapons\rifle\sniper_rifle\sniper_rifle.weapon
  15. ^ Halo 4 Editing Kit, game file tags\objects\weapons\rifle\storm_sniper_rifle\storm_sniper_rifle.weapon
  16. ^ Halo 2: Anniversary Multiplayer Editing Kit, game file tags\objects\weapons\h2a_sniper_rifle\h2a_sniper_rifle.weapon
  17. ^ a b Halo 5: Guardians, campaign
  18. ^ Halo 5: Guardians, multiplayer
  19. ^ Halo 5: Guardians, requisition system
  20. ^ Halo 5: Guardians, REQ card: Sniper Rifle
  21. ^ a b Halo 5: Guardians, REQ card: End of the Line
  22. ^ a b Halo 5: Guardians, REQ card: Arrow of Time
  23. ^ a b Halo 5: Guardians, REQ card: Nornfang
  24. ^ Halo Infinite, campaign: Valor unlocks
  25. ^ Halo Infinite, S7 Flexfire Sniper
  26. ^ Halo: Spartan Assault, Loadout description
  27. ^ Halo: Spartan Strike, campaign level E-6: Hold the Line
  28. ^ Halo: Spartan Assault, loadout screen
  29. ^ Halo: Spartan Strike, loadout screen
  30. ^ a b The Art of Halo: Creating a Virtual World, page 100

Changes from the SRS99C (Halo 2)

  • Overall higher damage and slower fire rate.
  • New muzzle brake with front iron sight.
  • Handguard, body, and stock has been altered.
  • The scope now shows real-time with an LCD screen and infrared vision.
  • It now has a trigger guard.
  • The SRS99D-S2 AM now has a new flat matte black color finish to it.
  • Recoil affects aim.

Trivia

  • When meleeing with the weapon, the image on the scope will briefly reflect the player's field of view before switching to the scope's view.
  • When throwing a piece of equipment, the player character's model will appear to sink into the rifle and disappear until the throwing animation is finished.
  • The SRS99D's in-game model lacks the cyan "trinity" emblem seen on the sniper rifles in Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2. However, it is shown with this symbol in Halo: Landfall.

Gallery

List of appearances

Sources


See also