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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.
Summary
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)).
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.
SRS99C-S2 AM Sniper Rifle
The SRS99C-S2 AM Sniper Rifle is the one of the two main 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.
Beam Rifle
The Covenant Beam Rifle is the other main sniping weapon, still requiring only one headshot or two 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.
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.
Advanced Tactics
The Role of the Sniper
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 not only to counter snipe and eliminate key opponents, but 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.
Counter Sniping
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.
Counter Sniping Tips
- Keep under cover.
- Sometimes it is best if you do not shoot other players until the sniper is eliminated if you want to stay alive. If you shoot with a sniper, the shot is very noticeable, attracting attention from the enemy sniper. A Beam Rifle may not leave a trail for such a length of time like the Sniper Rifle, but it is bright, and someone from the opposing team is sure to have seen it, and notify the sniper.
- If you do shoot other players or if the enemy sniper survives your shot, then move to a secondary hiding place. Get out of your hiding spot and jump somewhere else.
- Preset a secondary hiding place in case you feel that you are soon to be discovered (if you have been discovered, you are probably also dead, unless you are REALLY good or have really good team coverage.) and a path to get there.
- Always be thinking, strategy is a big part, think of all probable variables.
Movement
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.
Standing still with the sniper will make you an easy target, unless you have very good cover. If you are in the open, strafing can make you less of a target as well as help you perform a sweep snipe since your reticle is moving from side to side. NOTE: Do not move a lot from side to side if you have a concealed hiding place, but after you fire a shot or two, get out of there, someone will be closing in on your position.
Multiplayer Role
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.
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.
When a sniper kills an opponent in multiplayer the Sniper Kill Medal is awarded.
Aerial Sniping
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.
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.
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.
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.
Related Links
Internal
External
- How to be a better sniper: Guide to Sniping - Halowiki's Snipers guide