Sniper Tips

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PR0 SNIPER HEADSHOT MONTAGE 420 SMOKE WEED KING JUGGALO 4 LYF
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I'm going to be blunt here.  The vast majority of Snipers you will come across in your TF2 career are shit.  They are the reason that the Sniper is commonly called the worst class in the game, along with the probability that there will be at least two of the damned weekend plinkers on your team in any given pub. Even so, a player must understand that the Sniper has the potential to wreak havoc on almost any battlefield. He is essentially a professional troll, and can have a great advantage over the clueless chucklefucks who think they're untouchable in any given situation.

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PISS RIFLING THE NIGHT AWAY
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-If you want to be a hilarious, yet totally ineffective Sniper, use the Piss Rifle set.

-The Machina is a straight upgrade. Use that shit and increase your bodyshotting potentials.

-It really is your preference when it comes down to your secondary, but I favor Jarate over the SMG. If you're using the SMG, use the Tribalman's Shiv to help you find cloaked Spies. If you're using Jarate, you'll want the Bushwacka.

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How to beat up Snipers and insult their mothers as another class.
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-As a Demoman or Soldier:
 *As you go about your business of carpet bombing the opposition, you should always keep a watchful eye on the horizon. Most encounters with Snipers will be at a long distance. Should you see a sniper lurking around, then you should take advantage of your splash damage, and launch a volley of rockets or grenades in their direction. You will flush the Sniper out of his position for a moment, which means he won't be able to pull off that shot.Both classes can also extend their jump with a well placed explosive, which is very useful for surprising a sniper in his nest. Soldiers should switch to their shotgun to finish him off if necessary. If you are a Demoknight, then too bad.  You probably deserve to get bitch slapped.

-As a Scout:
 *Snipers like me feel nothing but hatred for good Scouts, whereas bad Scouts will be laughed at and shot down for sport. You are arguably the best class for dealing with Snipers, other than another Sniper, so you should harass them whenever possible as you run about. If you're
a half-decent Scout, then you should know that your immense speed and agility is your greatest asset.  Keep this in mind when engaging a Sniper. Take advantage of your double jump to change directions in midair, dart in and out of cover, but whatever you do, DO NOT RUN IN A STRAIGHT LINE. If there are other routes available, then use them to flank. Just remember that one fully-charged bodyshot is all it takes to down you.

-As a Heavy and Medic:
 *I know it's easy to get caught up in the moment when you're mowing down jerks by the dozen, but it is absolutely vital that you keep an eye out for Snipers. If you've been doing even a half-decent job, then you're public enemy number one, and you can bet your fat ass that every Sniper on the opposing team wants to be the one to take your head.
 *The most important part of not getting a bullet to the skull is that you must constantly stay on the move. Don't stand around with you mini-gun wound up, and keep running in and out of cover.  If you're moving around the map, then it will make it much harder for the Sniper
to engage you from a safe distance. Avoid large, open areas like the plague, as your relative lack of mobility will render you utterly helpless.
 *Your Medic should be just as alert as you, and stay vigilant for any
threats from wherever you aren't looking, and alert you when there is danger. Also, keep in mind that a Sniper is much more likely to aim for the Heavy instead of his healer. Don't hesitate to activate your ubercharge if you see a Sniper lining up his sights.

-As a Pyro:
 *Attempting to engage a Sniper head-on is usually a bad idea. You are completely ineffective at long range, so stick to cover and try to find a route to flank. If you're using the Flare Gun, pray he's not observant. If you're using the shotty, only use it to pepper him if he sees you.

-As an Engineer:
 *You really don't have any business taking on Snipers. In any case, it is far safer just to avoid them.  However, they can be a nuisance, as they are capable of taking out a dispenser, teleporter, or small sentry gun with a single shot (a level 3 with 2 shots).
 *Before you set up, take a look around to see if your position makes you or your machines vulnerable to Sniper fire. You may find that the Wrangler is of some use against them, but considering that it is an extremely situational weapon, and it can be hard to hit them with it anyway, it really isn't worth it in my opinion.

-As a Spy:
 *You may be the only answer for particularly well-entrenched Snipers.  You should be able to take them out fairly easily if you keep a few things in mind. The first is your loadout. A Dead Ringer, makes a very audible, very distinct sound when you decloak.  Do not decloak anywhere near a Sniper. Experienced Snipers have evolved a sixth sense that allows us to know exactly where a Spy is, so you must handle this very delicately, but quickly.  Try to wait until he looks down his scope, then swoop in for the stab.  If he's using a Razorback, then don't panic because he obviously doesn't know what the fuck he's doing anyway. Even the L'tranger can kill a Sniper in three shots before he has time to react, so whip out your revolver and teach that dumbass to not put his faith in a hunk of wood.

-As a Sniper:
 *In general, a Sniper's worst enemy is the opposing Sniper. Your job is to make sure that he isn't shooting piss darts at your teammates while you fuck up bodyshotting that Scout for the hundreth time. The easiest way to do this is by constanly changing position. Kill him once, move, and watch for him to zoom straight back the the point you were at. Wash, rinse, and repeat as necessary. When you're both locked in a heated duel (haw haw), then the best time to shoot is right after he does. The momentary slow and inability to do anything after immediately firing is the best time for you to scope in on his head and drop the fucker. Other than that, just don't stand still some some kind of fucking F2P. Always move around and call out advancing enemies to your team.

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General Tips:
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-Snipers love their Jarate:
Many Snipers, myself included, absolutely LOVE the Jarate + Bushwhacker combo.  Pyros should be very wary of this tactic, as even though the Bushwhacker makes the Sniper 20% more vulnerable to fire, he still has enough health to charge headlong into the flames and kill the Pyro with one swipe. Jarate will also reveal cloaked Spies, and can't be removed with the Dead Ringer, which is handy for making sure you don't lose them in chase.

-The submachine gun isn't a pea-shooter:
The stock SMG that the Sniper starts with can be surprisingly effective in close quarters. It packs enough power to drop a Pyro with half a magazine, and if it gets a critical, then it will absolutely melt through anyone even at mid range.

-Snipers are the kings of random criticals:
The chance for a random melee crit can reach a maximum of 65%.

-Snipers hate competition:
Even given the large number of targets in a battlefield, if you put two enemy Snipers on opposite sides of each other, then the chances are high that they will immediately ignore all other targets in favor of gunning for each other.

-I find it useful to always aim the slightest bit ahead of your intended target. Sniper weapons are hitscan, but when accounting for user error and server latency, the slightest nudge forward can make all the difference.

-Learn to predict where someone is heading. This allows you to line up the shot and impress all those girls who totally want your cock.

-An uncharged headshot does 150 damage. This is enough to one-shot Engis, Scouts, Medics, and Spies; almost half of the classes. Don't spend time waiting for it to charge, scope in, aim, and shoot.

-However, bodyshots are acceptable in some cases. But, once you start making them a habit, you've already lost. Use them when you know you can't get the headshot or when someone's retreating. You can hardly be blamed for bodyshotting that Atomizer Scout or for picking off the guy you know is bleeding to death anyway. Mercy killings, really.

A tip of my hat to Captain Chen !VNnRLZxm/M for writing this.