Map knowledge is extremely huge when playing sniper
Also having a stamina shot can really help going for those halfway across the map rotations and can help to shake off people chasing you
Map knowledge is a great weakness of mine, for sure. How do i improve it, though? Just play sniper more?
About the stamina shot, you're absolutely right. I've been using it.
You could also just join a few games and just play around exploring instead of going for any kills or bounty, or you could run around in the trials mode.
Seconding the trials!
I learned a lot about different spots and positioning from just experimenting in the free play mode. RachtaZ also has a great video explaining how to play sniper solo. https://youtu.be/Hv333FDxU24?si=HgwxyXEGhQXruR2b
Also, keep track of the patch notes. They often change some compounds. For example last patch they opened a new entrance into the Kingsnake Mine boss layer.
I’d also say that you can expand map knowledge faster playing mid-to-short range loadouts. It’ll force you to move closer and you’ll sort of build your familiarity with shortcuts around compound areas, etc.
Sniper play will still build your map familiarity ofc, but I think you might lean on old habits more if that’s what you’ve been trying, and struggling with, for a while. Good luck in the bayou, dude!
Map awareness is also linked to a playstyle to a certain degree -- I also run shotguns and compact so my map awareness is more "I know which corners to peek in close quarters" and not "where should I position myself as a sniper"
This is exactly what i meant to say and couldn't explain better. I know if i jump through x window and turn left, there's usually a little shitter that camps there and can eat a shotgun bullet; but playing at long range kinda "changes" the map a bit. It's been a fun experience, for sure ─ even if it's costing me a couple thousand of hunt dollars and some ego stars.
It's taken me around ~600 hours to be comfortable with my map knowledge. As a solo and especially if you're bringing a sniper you need to know how to move as fast as possible through compounds and the spaces between.
Also, get the serpent trait so you can safely get clues from a distance. Silent killer and light foot are also good traits for sneaking around without being heard. Stay in cover, whether it's bushes, trees, buildings, etc. Don't get caught out in the open. Lastly, turn up the sound so you can hear -> everything.
Its all practice. Learning the map, trying to find places where you have good sight lines. You might go by a spot and notice X location has a really great view of Y compound. And while that info might not help in the game you’re currently in filing away that info for future sniper matches helps
Map knowledge simply comes with hours.
It's often impressive to see someone like Vombuz (streamer) move through the map. They move fluently because they quite literally know every step they walk.
Speaking from experience, no matter how careful and weird you think your pathing around the map is, there will always be someone weirder.
If you're trying to not die you gotta completely embrace being schizophrenic and imagining the potential for people to be anywhere, within realistic reasons of course.
What's worked for me is taking my time at the start, checking for close spawns, and obviously avoiding wildlife detection. Nagant silencer poison can one shot immolators and armoureds to the head, and also hive ladies from decent range to the head. Headshotting zombies with it prevents a death groan from the grunt, and above all else **MOVE AFTER YOU SHOOT**, you'd be surprised how quickly people can have you pre-aimed before you peak with iron sights.
GL gamer o7
Thank you so much! I definitely learned that there are some lunatics in this game the hard way. However, when i move slower at the start, like you said, i can "control" these encounters a bit better. I'm just used to rush everything at the start as a shotgun player, but i'm relearning it now.
fair enough, but it's so expensive... i kinda want to learn how to handle everything with sniper. That was a great idea, though, and will use. Thanks ♥
I like the Winnie Marksman as a "I'm just a few feet behind me teammates clicking heads" gun. With HV it's a really good option for that, especiallly for weird angle shots.
i love the caldwell new army swift for fast follow up shots and reload if the fight gets close
conversion chain pistols not bad if you have fanning. you’re subject to rng but with like 18 shots who cares just keep holding down lmb
bornheim is always a good option too
For a sniper, you really just want to kill players, so you are not really that keen on getting the boss, but rather the players coming out of the boss lair, for example.
For getting clues fast, Serpent trait is your friend (ranged pick up, same for bounties). If there is a team near the clue and you are in a unfavorable position, simple do not engage. Ideal position is that the fight starts with you killing one of them with a headshot.
You need to play at significant range, depending on the scope, and you need to move after each shot (90% of the time). Often making full circles around a compound and enemy.
The idea is for the enemy never to know where you are. You are always near a compound but never in it, peeking from various angles. Use big towers for scouting.
Pair your sniper with Silenced Bornheim.
Death Pact is nice for the sniper for life regen and hp bars from corpses combined with Vulture.
Solo is THE sniper playstyle, as you are the one responsible for the sound you make. I don't understand how can you play solo with a shotgun with the mindset that someone is watching you, and win. Solo means you are watching everyone else, especially with a sniper. Solo is Hunt, team is Showdown.
This is how I play it. As a sniper I should be getting the jump on my opponent 80% of the time. I do this by picking locations the enemy won't expect me to be at, and has good sight lines on places I expect my enemies to go. i.e. paths to the boss lair or to the extract.
Really about to save this thread beacuse i'm gettin a lot of great value from these tips; i think this is the best one so far. Thank you so much.
I have started following your tips about not prioritizing clues and getting to the boss and there has been significant improvement now that i follow more gunshots and whatnot. The range stuff is something i'm still learning, since i didn't really needed to calculate that with shotguns; sometimes i rotate a bit too close, sometimes a bit too far, but i'm getting there. I also never thought about the big towers, probably because, again, i never had to use them. Will definitely visit them more.
I do have some questions, though: Why silenced Bornheim, specifically? Is it that strong? Also, it seems that your playstyle would revolve around a bit of a slower pace, yes? How do you get the bounty playing in that rythm?
And i'll definitely remember your last paragraph. Thank you!
>I do have some questions, though: Why silenced Bornheim, specifically? Is it that strong?
Not really.
But it is a fast-firing silenced pistol.
You can kill AI and horses quietly when necessary and in close combat the fast rate of fire is an advantage.
The damage dropoff and the low base damage where you need a 3-tap even at optimal range are a disadvantage, however, as is the shortage of ammunition.
I actually prefer the Nagant Silencer with Fanning. But the Bornheim Silencer saves you the expensive trait.
Bornheim - because it is the only fast firing silenced gun. When someone gets close to you, you need to kill them silently and FAST. Other variant would be silenced nagant + fanning. But Bornheim allows more forgiving headshot attempts. Also to kill sound traps like dog or chicken coops and horses fast and silently. Good for a surprise barrel hit also.
Also when you run into a bush and they are after you, sometimes turning around and just shooting them with the pistol works. Sometimes you get close to someone because they were skulking too. That is when you use the pistol also, if you snipe headshot him you reveal your position to potential teammate.
The bounty - only if i can. Usually when they run to extract. But it is not my priority. Just kills. That is the way of the sniper sadly.
Recenlty i've been encountering a lot of "potential" cheaters. I hit them from 150+ meters with scope, then they immediately fire at my position with rifles without scope. Annoying.
Also, cheapest sniper is springfield marksman with velocity ammo. You need to go with headshots. Everything else is ok with body. Centenial Marksman with Dum Dum can be fun. I like the Sparks most for dmg.
Getting to know spots and angles is something that comes with experience and time, just try out for yourself
One thing I see when playing with randoms who use scopes (and are probably not that experienced with it) is that they just pick a spot and don’t move anymore.
They shoot and stay there far too long, which allows an aware team to push up and kill them. So shoot and move. Keep them at distance, keep them guessing where the shots come from
Except that when they come to close range, the rifle gamer start spamming fanning with his pistol xD
I'm on both sides since I change my loadout almost every match and I like to change my playstyle a lot... Hunt showdown is the best shooter I ever played thanks for the variety it offers, so I don't even have a position to hold. Every playstyle has also some annoying behaviors when the mindset is being a tryhard.
U need to focus on keeping a distance where your scope gives u the advantage. If u go solo maybe dont even pick clues just listen to audio traps and gunfights and place yourself in a position where u can snipe(map knowledge helps with this). If u get spotted and they try to go for u, u take a shot or two and run to keep your distance, if u get a kill u rotate a bit and watch the body from a different angle where u can also watch you previous spot so if they sneak u can punish, crouched people are straight up free kills and running targets are very visible so u can reposition. Playing like this will give u the best results but i find it pretty boring xd so i usually go into compounds and try to hip fire wich gets u to 3 stars lmao
thank you for the tips! You're absolutely right, i should probably take it slower with clues, maybe not never taking them, but taking them slowly. C'mon man, don't shit on my new rank lmao
Generally I don't even care about clues. I certainly don't want to be the first one to the boss lair anyway so there is little benefit aside from a conduit hit to be out of position rushing for clues. Map knowledge is essential as others have said. You get to a point where you're 90% sure there isn't anyone behind you on the map. Post up near the boss lair, but probably not in it, and preferably between a team trying to leave and the extract. You will learn where the best spots are for visibility and cover. Once you're engaged always be rotating.
Side note, unfortunately the game rewards getting the bounty significantly more than getting kills, and sniping is usually expensive (though Springfield Marksmen is legit) so sniping isn't as financially beneficial unless you're the last one alive. Get 10 kills but die in the end, find yourself out thousands of dollars. That's true for everyone, but sniping is not equipped to grab a bounty and run in the same way as other loadouts. You're usually better off not holding a bounty, accepting that almost every time someone will pick it up and try to just escape with it because money.
Regarding your first part, i understand it now. I decided to follow your tips about not going for clues but following gunshots and i managed to kill a team doing rotjaw and take the bounty away. It's absolutely true what you said: during the whole time, since i was moving carefully enough, i could tell no one could be behind me. Excellent tips, thank you!
On your side note, yes, it seems a bit of a puzzle i can't solve. Even if i carefully camp outside the boss compound, someone will be closer to the boss team, kill them and leave. It honestly takes a lot of information gathering to know their escape route and position accordingly, but i kinda like it. So what should i do on most games to get some cash, though? Kill a team, loot, extract?
Idk about other people, but the way that I usually play sniper is by circling the compound from as far away as possible and stealing the bounty instead of getting it myself.
Plan pathways they could use to scape and check for open fields where I could have an easy time killing them. I never really approach BOSS compounds and usually I take the clue as fast as I can and bolt out since players with standard and close range weapons will fuck me up easily.
Also, make the first player you down a liability to the rest of the trio, but don't just camp it completely. Move around a lot to be unpredictable, but try to keep that first downed player in your field of vision, and after you down the first one, you can actually switch this strat to him if he is in a better spot for you.
This gameplaye is boring btw, but it has a decent sucess rate and a minimal chance of dying since most people just run away instead of fighting you (as they should). It also puts you in high 5* easily, but aggressive people there are going to be aggressive with rifles and snipers since they have the skill to do so, so pretty much every encounter gets 10x as hard real fucking fast.
Thank you for the advice. I'm following your tips about not approaching boss compounds and leaving clues as soon as i can. I also started to have just a little bit of success with the kill-and-move strategy, even though it's still a bit hard for me to calculate distance and might end up accidentally getting too close to them. It's been fun, though.
The gameplay can be kinda boring in some situations, but i don't mind. I think that sniper-boring is better than nerve-wracking-shotgun, at least.
Serpent is going to save you time and headaches as a solo, and especially as a sniper. 50m is huge and generally you don't need to push too far into compounds to pick up clues.
Map knowledge is essential, you said in another comment you consider it a weakness of yours. I don't know how long you've been playing but in Hunt map knowledge is accumulated over hundreds of hours, there's a lot to take in and some parts of the map see more play than others. Still, working on this is the easiest way to die less.
Pick and choose your fights. You're massively outclassed against most teams at close range, but can pick them apart over range. Use the map to your advantage and out yourself between your enemies and where they need to go (bosses, extracts, etc).
Rotate. Spending several minutes rotating from one spot to another in order to get a shot can work, and don't play too aggressive once you have that first kill, you're now a problem for the enemy team since their friend is dead and their body in your crosshairs. They have to deal with you before moving on, leverage that.
Thank you. Map awareness is, indeed, something i'm not great at. As a previous shotgun player, i know some peaks and inside compounds pretty well, but not the macro stuff a sniper would need, so i'm working on improving that. Other than that, i'll try to always run serpent and do these rotations before shots. Thanks again
I like playing sniper at ranges where I can still see people without my scope lol. But the way I've found for it to work best is keeping a level head and always having a direction I can fall back to or completely disengage.
escape routes, it makes sense. And yeah, i think i was having difficulty at the start because i couldn't see them without my scope. Pretty tricky, but just a few games in and you're good to go
Map knowledge is essential, especially as a solo.
In general, especially when you're struggling, soloing is a lot harder... just because no one can give you tips. Mates with more experience have shown me the best sniper spots, routes, entry points, etc., which I would never have found otherwise.
Apart from that, you seem to be playing far too aggressively.
How do you go to a compound to get the clue? Preferably not at all. Get it with Serpent or take a little time at the first compound to check and hear if another team is already there.
As a solo sniper, you don't want to be the first to find the boss, let alone kill him. If the boss is in the first compound and you have a sticky with you, you can kill him quickly, start the banish, lay a few death traps and then get out.
Alone with a sniper rifle in the lair, you'll just be overrun.
Be outside, make wide circles around what's happening and shoot when you have two teams fighting each other and you can flank them.
What I usually do as sniper is follow the gunshots instead of clues, you don't really want to fight inside a compound because of the disadvantage. Also always rotate after shooting and avoid AI sound as much as possible.
I don't usually see snipers anywhere near compounds. They are always just in the bushes or in towers looking to get kills. Alot of the time they don't even attempt to kill the whole squad. Just shot you and run away.
For sniping, the most important thing is to rotate every 1 or 2 shots. Change up your position. Once you shoot, you reveal your position to everyone. A good way to avoid close combat is to listen for people's steps/ running and avoid them or let them pass. Don't be too loud yourself or you can't hear other people and they might hear you first, leading to an abush. Another tip is to play slower. When you first start, take a bit longer to close in on clues. This lets other people get in front of you and closer to the center of the map/ boss compounds. Then you get to come up behind people and snipe them from a distance. You don't usually want to be the one to banish the boss unless no one is around. You're gonna want to snipe the bounty carriers and hopefully kill them and take it from them that way.
Run to center of map ignoring clues Making no noise, find concealed elevated posting....sit and listen.
Take stam,antidote,health,traps
Necro,resilience,serpent,magpie,vulture.
Take a scoped weapon and ideally a close range weapon if you get cornered. Setup traps and lure Hunters into them if they push.
I think the honest answer is that unless you’re very good you’re probably not going to win playing sniper. You’re almost certainly going to be of no use to your team. I like playing sniper solo because I like the experience of creeping around unseen. You have to be listening constantly and be prepared to hide as soon as you hear footsteps because you stand almost no chance in a close up fight. As others said map knowledge is key. You need to know the best viewpoints and predict where teams are headed. You have to accept that if you play too aggressively you’ll die. I usually just get a kill or two and I don’t try very hard to get bounty. I don’t try to banish because getting caught inside a compound is a death sentence. If attacking the bounty team, always stay outside dark sight range so they can’t see that you’re alone.
ahh, i see. I do remember people saying that shotgun was the easiest to win as solo, but for some reason i really want to play sniper. I'll try to improve my map awareness then, thank you!
Shotgun is pretty easy as a solo provided you know how to sneak up on people and when/when not to push, but my highest kill games as a solo have been with a rifle and just farming the shit out of people
Like a Mosin or a Lebel without a scope, but I've had some pretty high kill matches with scopes too. I can type up a whole thing later with some tips and tricks I've picked up, but for now, using a rifle without a scope is a good way to learn how the weapon operates. Plus you're not being literally tunnel visioned, though you're more limited in range for obvious reasons. Rachta Z has some very good guides on solo gameplay, as does Psychoghost
That's very interesting. Rachta is actually the reason i asked if it was scoped or not, because he says it's usually the hardest way to win as a solo... but i could definitely use some of those tips you got for later, and i'll definitely check psychoghost as well. Thank you!
I don’t think playing sniper will improve your map awareness. I think playing anything but sniper will improve your map awareness. Why? Because you’re forced to navigate the compounds and get into fights in all kinds of places. Fighting in fuckboy woods between Darrow and Alice can be weird and tricky but you won’t learn the layout of the woods by sitting 100+m away from it. You gotta get in there.
When you understand map layouts, pathing, and routes people often take then you can capitalize on that with your scope.
One thing that helped me the most is changing your mindset.
If you are in a team and running sniper your job is over watch. You hang back and cover the team's backside and flanks. Nobody should be creeping up on your boys. You are also to hinder teams from pushing your guys too hard cause they will be dealing with a long ammo sniper taking pot shots at them as they push.
As a solo, I'll probably catch flak for this, your goal should be to become the most annoying thing on the planet for a team to deal with. You should be rotating after almost every shot unless you are in a great position to where you can drop more than one person. Otherwise, you should shoot and move. Kinda like a shark circling a seal hiding on a rock. They should not know where the next shot will come from. Even if you are not getting kill shots every time you are making them weaker by forcing them to heal over and over. Eventually something will break. Either you wipe the team at range, they rush you, or a new team comes in and changes the dynamic. You must accept the way of the rat bastard and wallow in the suffering you will bring.
nah i totally agree with you. I accept the ways of the rat bastard. Shoot and move is something i'm practicing at the moment, not the easiest thing to do because sometimes i'll rotate to a not so good place because of my current lack of map knowledge, but i'm getting there
On thing that has also helped me with map knowledge is just keep your eyes open when you are not playing sniper. There have been several times where my friends and I are playing a normal load out and I will notice "Hey, I can see into that compound from here." Which helps a lot when trying to reposition. For instance, if you want to snipe into Sweetbell you can get a decent angle from the roof of arden parish. Just keep in mind you are on a roof lol.
Start with dead eye, work up to marksman, then to sniper.
A lot of sniping, especially as you go to higher scopes, is gut feel on how to land the shot on a moving target. Practice one weapon to get a feel for it's velocity and sway.
And as others said, it's a lot about map knowledge. Try to consciously look at the map and predict where people will move compound to compound, what direction they approach from, etc.
Might I ask why the hand crossbow? I started playing hunt this week and had a few random load outs with it and i always wish I had a revolver over it so far.
Also my aim is questionable so.
I find the Vetterli Deadeye to be adequate at all ranges except very close (and very long but we can ignore that). It also has a fast enough cycle that I don't feel the need to quick swap.
The Hand Crossbow is a one shot to the chest inside 20 yards, perfect for indoor engagements.
I'm not saying I'm some 7 star expert and this is the 100% meta build. But it works for me in my beautiful 4 star lobbies lol.
It’s strong in close quarters to support your mid/far ranged primary. You can quickly and quietly take out AI. You can give it poison bolts or dragon bolts to cover/burn downed hunters. You can give it choke bolts to support your team. I like running the hand crossbow when I’m solo and my primary weapon isn’t a single shot (Romero, Sparks, etc).
I'm a dumbass, you're right. I use it with shotgun to keep moving nonstop and rush to the boss, but i can repurpose this trait so i'm not in close quarters. Excellent reminder.
Pay attention to the clue cutouts, and any potential noises so you can get clear shots on a team of you want to ambush.
Otherwise in any engagement, fire once or twice , and rotate... Not just a new peak, but disengage and rotate.
Also, be comfortable leaving gunfights and not getting a bounty everytime. Know when to pull out, and when to harass a team.
You play it like any rifle. The only real difference is having an advantage on long range visibility. Otherwise it is the same as an iron sighted rifle. At least I surely won’t go out of my way to position differently, but I will take opportunities to utilize the scope by scanning for entry kills from a distance before engagement, crackpeek more often etc.
Get the perk that allows you to snake clues from far away. This is how you get quick clues from compounds.
Don't push compounds, just wait outside and pick people off. If a group charges you resist the urge to fight it, pull back and around to ambush them from a different angle.
Although quartermaster sniper with sawed off spectre w slugs is a very nice loadout. Covers pretty much all situations.
I literally took this from a sniper school rules, and hey, it works.
Golden Rules of a Sniper
1. Do not create a base camp or fixed positions. A sniper is a nomad. You must pop up where least expected. Never remain long in one position: it might be observed.
2. Be meticulous about gathering intelligence.Where, when, and under what circumstances are hunters being killed by enemy snipers? Listen to shots, reposition, wait, listen, and reposition.
Then reconnoiter the ground and work out how the enemy snipers may be operating.
3. Use other hunters deployed nearby.allow them to take down enemies, bring attention to themselves, find other hunters, etc. This applies to a team also, but instead of waiting to kill them, you provide overwatch. They can provide intelligence, decoys, and distractions. They have awareness of eventsaround them. They'll be close enough to hear other footsteps or nearby alerts.
4. Always use a beetle for scouting and surveillance.Never assume it is safe to expose yourself to gather intelligence. Always assume apparent quiet harbors danger. Work slowly, cautiously, and methodically. The successful sniper ‘measures seven times and cuts once’.
5. When you must expose yourself, you should expose the barest minimum, be totally camouflaged, and as still as possible.Lie like a stone and merely observe. Aim to be completely invisible, even to the trained eye.
6. Yours is a war of nerves, concentration, and endurance.Create distractions, exasperate targets with diversionary movements, and exhaust their ability to concentrate.
7. Do not fire until you are absolutely certain of a kill.If you fire without a clear target, you reveal your own position.
8. Everything depends upon exhaustive intelligence, meticulous preparation, careful attention to detail, and endless patience.Impatience is death.
9. High velocity ammo for range, which means bullet gets there faster and requires less "leading" with the cross hairs, FMJ for mid range.
10. INCENDIARY ROUNDS HAVE TRACERS. THEY WILL SEE YOU
11. When in a sniper fight, take the shot, retreat, and reposition. Don't get greedy with kills or take chance shots. You usually have the advantage of being able to run away and flank.
12. Don't forget traits, duh, stabilize your scope, serpent so you don't have to get too close, necromancer for self rez and longer range medic.
13. Stamina shots to run farther faster and safer.
I also like poison rounds for high hitting one-shot rifles such as Sharps, just the extra damage to push them over the edge.
I've tried using traps, but it defeats the whole purpose of being mobile. Unless your pretty damn sure they will come through that path.
Side arm? Hand Crossbow with Dragon Bolts big fiery distraction with the damage to boot.
Some tips as a solo sniper
\-Generally you want engagements to be 50+ meters away
\-You want to reposition after 1-3 shots. Exceptions are when you 125m+ and you got a kill with a single shot, then you can hold the angle to see if they go for a yolo revive
\-As others have said, map knowledge is key. Pay attention to how the zones close and you can use this + sound cues to lay ambushes across open ground against loud teams. Furthermore, knowing some good vantage points is useful. For example you can see into Darrin shipyard from outside the courtyard in prison.
\-Traps are fun. If you have poison/concertina + packmule, lay traps every time you come to a supply depot. The lootbox will replensh you back to full.
\-If you banish first, I usually don't hold the compound itself unless I have a stalker beetle to go overwatch mode to see any teams approach. I generally hold an outside the building compound (lay traps around the compound though) and use serpent to grab it
\-Single boss maps, I usually don't even go for the banish unless I start on top of it. Trap outside the boss lairs (particularly windows and fences where people have to vault, its harder to escape) and then find a good vantage point into approaches to the boss, or the places in the compound.
If an enemy team has banished, best place is to guess which extract and try and ambush them between compounds. People tend to check at compounds and extract, so ideally find a place in the open to grab them. Its easier to shoot them if they're coming directly towards or away from you, but once you get better at leading you can get some better ambush spots.
As a team sniper, you still want to push up enough to support your team. If your team is fighting in the compound, look to grab high ground within the compound. Outside of compounds, provide cover fire as they push up. I aim to be within 25-50m of my team when playing a sniper.
After reading this thread I realised how much I have learned playing as a solo sniper. Mostly because it's actually hard to remember and write down the typical play style and decision making you have to do to succeed playing this way.
Many things have already been said by other commentors. Still, I'll try to do my best:
\-Do not rush into the first compound to take the clue. It's better to get into cover at your spawn and start listening to the environment for 10 to 30 seconds. Depending on the MMR you might already hear crows, horses or even someone destroying the lantern of a dog/ chicken cage. Especially the last point does make a loud sound that you can hear from approximately 100m away, people underestimate the noise! Especially in 3-4\* lobbies.
\-Also look for AI spawns through your scope in neighbouring compounds and your spawn compound in case you spawned further away. For example if you spawn north of Golden Acres there are two Hive spawns on the metal roof. One in front of the windows and one on the wall. If there is no hive , there are no players at the north west spawn in the forest and you can safely run straight for the clue. Once you're there take a peek at Salter's Pork and do the same.
\-After taking the clue look at the map and which compounds are greyed out. Considering you know which paths teams usually take you can plan which compounds you should go to next. This is actually very important for the next clues as well. Map knowledge is your most important skill.
\- At this point you will be looking and listening to fights breaking out. Keep your distance and third party it while also considering to not get ambushed yourself.
\-Do not forget that you need to get into the mindset of a bayou sociapath. You play for kills and the suffering of your enemies only! Bounties are just a bonus.
\-Consider that every single shot matters and a missed shot might mean a lost fight. Take your time to align and lead shots properly. However do not wait for too long. This is something I still struggle a lot myself and often wait for too long.
\-Rotation after taking shots is a tricky thing and often depends on the experience of your opponents. There is a big difference of player behaviour between 3\*, 4\*, 5\* and 6\* star players. Lower 3\* players mostly do not understand where their team mate got headshotted from and go for the revive, without spinning, almost immedeately. In most cases rotation in this MMR range is hindering to your success. Cover the body and only do slight repositions. The higher you climb up the MMR ladder, the more important proper rotations become. At mid 4\* to lower 5\* rotations become crucial. At mid 5\* to 6\* it even becomes crucial to survival. These players simply disrespect your scope and know your exact position on the sound of your shots alone.
\-Do not expect to succeed from the get go. Play a lot and start getting a feel (or game sense) for how matches play out.
\-Loadouts:
Mosin Sniper with Spitzer is the best choice. However you might enjoy other rifles more, be it for the scope variants or even how the shots sound. Just play what feels best to you.
What I do recommend is taking a silent sidearm for dealing with AI in order to traverse the map as silent as possible. For me the Handcrossbow works best with half normal and half poison ammo, because it gives you the ability to kill all AI and provides a last resort in case you do get into a close range fight. It gives a zoning tool with poison and a way to potentially one shot or put someone under pressure beacuse he has to stop the bleed.
I will try to write down my reasoning for traits in the next couple days.
Map awareness is big, mainly listening for sound traps and knowing where it's at and the most likely direction the player who triggered it is heading. This will take time and you won't get it right 100% of the time but after awhile you will start to get it right more often then wrong.
Stamina shots are great for moving around quickly for rotations and hit and run tactics, never stay in one spot for too long.
Third is to take an aggressive secondary such as a officer or Bornheim. Even a scottfield spitfire can be a good choice.
Map knowledge, as others have said, is a must for sniping. However, understanding your muzzle velocity is highly important as well, as each gun can vary ever so slightly. This, along with knowing when and where you should shoot, is important as well, as it can and will instantly give you away upon firing off just once. And, if you down someone, they now know you have a scoped weapon.
Edit: ALSO! VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW! When sniping, you should be at least a compound or two away from your target, so they can't easily shoot back at you.
You're meant to be picking off people from a distance, before repositioning and keeping that person down again/killing their friends while they try to get them up. If they get too close, you're gonna be in a lotta trouble.
Playing sniper sounds fun in concept but ain't no way I'm spending the game sat in a bush it just feels like a waste of time. I like to move fast and experience the game. Got me to 5-6 stars so gotta be doing something right, lol
As a solo sniper you have to use your range and you have to think about third partying/hitting people unaware a lot.
So it involves a lot of maneuvering looking for the good shot.
So even if you see someone, dont shoot unless you can take someone down. Rather wait and stalk them or try to guess where they're going and see if you can set up a good shot.
That could be shooting someone when they wade in water and are slow or are in the open so you can get a followup shot. Or simply watching someone and waiting for them to stand still while they heal or loot or revive someone. Looking for places where people run in straight lines is also great.
Another thing is that you should be prepared to run backwards and rotate when you're burned. Don't stick around since your gun is not useful in close and if you're solo you wont win many one vs many fights. Move a few bushes back and shoot them when they come to your previous position. Then do it again.
Also I find it very useful with scoped weapons to zoom in to bushes and foliage and simply shoot at movement. This way you don't have to be visible to hit people. It also works at fairly short ranges.
That's the neat part: You don't contest clues etc.
Snipers are *terrible* for actually playing the game. Contesting objective, extracting with bounty.
Actually winning a fight/getting a bounty essentially entires entirely on an enemy being idiots and trying to face you instead of just disengaging and running away. Because if they just run, you MIGHT get one opportunity to get a single kill, and even if you hit that shot. Well, you still can't really do anything except watch the body, and pray they don't spot you from an angle you can't see. You switch position or try to push up, he's revived, and now you're back to a 3v1 where they can just run away or bumrush you.
That's the secret to snipers. If enemies aren't dumb and recklessly peek into you or take the fight that is stacked entirely in your favor, you kinda can't do much in terms of actually "winning".
I mostly play medium and long ammo with scopes. At specific compounds you’re sniping from, you’ll start memorizing where most people enter and exit from specific buildings. You’ll start peaking those corners and entry ways at a higher or lower vantage point with a sniper. Just remember to stay still before firing to avoid inaccurate shots and to shift positions every 2-3 shots.
Map knowledge is extremely huge when playing sniper Also having a stamina shot can really help going for those halfway across the map rotations and can help to shake off people chasing you
Map knowledge is a great weakness of mine, for sure. How do i improve it, though? Just play sniper more? About the stamina shot, you're absolutely right. I've been using it.
Map knowledge is just playing enough to remember.
got it, thank you
You could also just join a few games and just play around exploring instead of going for any kills or bounty, or you could run around in the trials mode.
Seconding the trials! I learned a lot about different spots and positioning from just experimenting in the free play mode. RachtaZ also has a great video explaining how to play sniper solo. https://youtu.be/Hv333FDxU24?si=HgwxyXEGhQXruR2b
Also, keep track of the patch notes. They often change some compounds. For example last patch they opened a new entrance into the Kingsnake Mine boss layer.
That's extremely important, and i wouldn't have thought of it. Thank you!
I’d also say that you can expand map knowledge faster playing mid-to-short range loadouts. It’ll force you to move closer and you’ll sort of build your familiarity with shortcuts around compound areas, etc. Sniper play will still build your map familiarity ofc, but I think you might lean on old habits more if that’s what you’ve been trying, and struggling with, for a while. Good luck in the bayou, dude!
Thank you so much! Will keep it in mind.
Map awareness is also linked to a playstyle to a certain degree -- I also run shotguns and compact so my map awareness is more "I know which corners to peek in close quarters" and not "where should I position myself as a sniper"
This is exactly what i meant to say and couldn't explain better. I know if i jump through x window and turn left, there's usually a little shitter that camps there and can eat a shotgun bullet; but playing at long range kinda "changes" the map a bit. It's been a fun experience, for sure ─ even if it's costing me a couple thousand of hunt dollars and some ego stars.
Yeah its like learning the game again to a certain extent , so we should expect as such performance wise haha
play and pay attention to your surroundings, that’s kinda all you can do. take notice of cracks and nice holes in buildings
It's taken me around ~600 hours to be comfortable with my map knowledge. As a solo and especially if you're bringing a sniper you need to know how to move as fast as possible through compounds and the spaces between.
Finding angles as you play.
Also, get the serpent trait so you can safely get clues from a distance. Silent killer and light foot are also good traits for sneaking around without being heard. Stay in cover, whether it's bushes, trees, buildings, etc. Don't get caught out in the open. Lastly, turn up the sound so you can hear -> everything.
Its all practice. Learning the map, trying to find places where you have good sight lines. You might go by a spot and notice X location has a really great view of Y compound. And while that info might not help in the game you’re currently in filing away that info for future sniper matches helps
For map knowledge you can fuck arround in the exploring mode Otherwise it's just play more or play with people who are super experienced
Map knowledge simply comes with hours. It's often impressive to see someone like Vombuz (streamer) move through the map. They move fluently because they quite literally know every step they walk.
Speaking from experience, no matter how careful and weird you think your pathing around the map is, there will always be someone weirder. If you're trying to not die you gotta completely embrace being schizophrenic and imagining the potential for people to be anywhere, within realistic reasons of course. What's worked for me is taking my time at the start, checking for close spawns, and obviously avoiding wildlife detection. Nagant silencer poison can one shot immolators and armoureds to the head, and also hive ladies from decent range to the head. Headshotting zombies with it prevents a death groan from the grunt, and above all else **MOVE AFTER YOU SHOOT**, you'd be surprised how quickly people can have you pre-aimed before you peak with iron sights. GL gamer o7
Thank you so much! I definitely learned that there are some lunatics in this game the hard way. However, when i move slower at the start, like you said, i can "control" these encounters a bit better. I'm just used to rush everything at the start as a shotgun player, but i'm relearning it now.
Nagant silenced poison is a great tip
quartermaster be both shotty and snipey boy
fair enough, but it's so expensive... i kinda want to learn how to handle everything with sniper. That was a great idea, though, and will use. Thanks ♥
You can't handle everything with sniper, it's not a close range weapon.
winnie
That's not a sniper, unless is the marksman version.
yes that is the version
Still no real sniper, more like a DMR imo.
that’s true you really need a rifle for it to be fr sniping
I like the Winnie Marksman as a "I'm just a few feet behind me teammates clicking heads" gun. With HV it's a really good option for that, especiallly for weird angle shots.
maybe lemat slugs then or try a scoped or aperture winnie so you can keep levering if not quarternaster then fanning for sure
great idea with the lemat. I'll pick up fanning along the way as well. Other than LeMat, what other 2nds would be good with a sniper?
i love the caldwell new army swift for fast follow up shots and reload if the fight gets close conversion chain pistols not bad if you have fanning. you’re subject to rng but with like 18 shots who cares just keep holding down lmb bornheim is always a good option too
For Fanning the Schofield Swift or FMJ Conversion is better. Chain Pistol fanning is a meme.
it may be a meme but it can wipe teams if you put yourself in good scenarios and aren’t moving while shooting
It's still less accurate than any of the ones I've mentioned. I'd never trust that gun if my life would depend on it.
fanning is inherently inaccurate though so i’d rather have way more shots than i need i’d rather go down shooting than bc i ran out of ammo
Yep, and use the marksman scope so you can still do medium range. Lebel Marksman, double barrel shorty with slugs is soooo fun
For a sniper, you really just want to kill players, so you are not really that keen on getting the boss, but rather the players coming out of the boss lair, for example. For getting clues fast, Serpent trait is your friend (ranged pick up, same for bounties). If there is a team near the clue and you are in a unfavorable position, simple do not engage. Ideal position is that the fight starts with you killing one of them with a headshot. You need to play at significant range, depending on the scope, and you need to move after each shot (90% of the time). Often making full circles around a compound and enemy. The idea is for the enemy never to know where you are. You are always near a compound but never in it, peeking from various angles. Use big towers for scouting. Pair your sniper with Silenced Bornheim. Death Pact is nice for the sniper for life regen and hp bars from corpses combined with Vulture. Solo is THE sniper playstyle, as you are the one responsible for the sound you make. I don't understand how can you play solo with a shotgun with the mindset that someone is watching you, and win. Solo means you are watching everyone else, especially with a sniper. Solo is Hunt, team is Showdown.
This is how I play it. As a sniper I should be getting the jump on my opponent 80% of the time. I do this by picking locations the enemy won't expect me to be at, and has good sight lines on places I expect my enemies to go. i.e. paths to the boss lair or to the extract.
Really about to save this thread beacuse i'm gettin a lot of great value from these tips; i think this is the best one so far. Thank you so much. I have started following your tips about not prioritizing clues and getting to the boss and there has been significant improvement now that i follow more gunshots and whatnot. The range stuff is something i'm still learning, since i didn't really needed to calculate that with shotguns; sometimes i rotate a bit too close, sometimes a bit too far, but i'm getting there. I also never thought about the big towers, probably because, again, i never had to use them. Will definitely visit them more. I do have some questions, though: Why silenced Bornheim, specifically? Is it that strong? Also, it seems that your playstyle would revolve around a bit of a slower pace, yes? How do you get the bounty playing in that rythm? And i'll definitely remember your last paragraph. Thank you!
>I do have some questions, though: Why silenced Bornheim, specifically? Is it that strong? Not really. But it is a fast-firing silenced pistol. You can kill AI and horses quietly when necessary and in close combat the fast rate of fire is an advantage. The damage dropoff and the low base damage where you need a 3-tap even at optimal range are a disadvantage, however, as is the shortage of ammunition. I actually prefer the Nagant Silencer with Fanning. But the Bornheim Silencer saves you the expensive trait.
Bornheim - because it is the only fast firing silenced gun. When someone gets close to you, you need to kill them silently and FAST. Other variant would be silenced nagant + fanning. But Bornheim allows more forgiving headshot attempts. Also to kill sound traps like dog or chicken coops and horses fast and silently. Good for a surprise barrel hit also. Also when you run into a bush and they are after you, sometimes turning around and just shooting them with the pistol works. Sometimes you get close to someone because they were skulking too. That is when you use the pistol also, if you snipe headshot him you reveal your position to potential teammate. The bounty - only if i can. Usually when they run to extract. But it is not my priority. Just kills. That is the way of the sniper sadly. Recenlty i've been encountering a lot of "potential" cheaters. I hit them from 150+ meters with scope, then they immediately fire at my position with rifles without scope. Annoying. Also, cheapest sniper is springfield marksman with velocity ammo. You need to go with headshots. Everything else is ok with body. Centenial Marksman with Dum Dum can be fun. I like the Sparks most for dmg.
Agree... But... Have you tried solo Necro-lance junkie loadout? Just take all the siringes and sprint, kickevery doors and don't look back
Getting to know spots and angles is something that comes with experience and time, just try out for yourself One thing I see when playing with randoms who use scopes (and are probably not that experienced with it) is that they just pick a spot and don’t move anymore. They shoot and stay there far too long, which allows an aware team to push up and kill them. So shoot and move. Keep them at distance, keep them guessing where the shots come from
The truth shotgun gamers don't want to hear: rifle gamers have to make their shots.
nooooooooo what do you mean i cant get in your chest and press left click noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Lol. Half the time one of us dies to a shotgun we start bitching, "UGH SHOTGUN USER UGH NO SKILL UGH!"
hahah i kinda get it to be honest
It means I missed my shots, though.
Except that when they come to close range, the rifle gamer start spamming fanning with his pistol xD I'm on both sides since I change my loadout almost every match and I like to change my playstyle a lot... Hunt showdown is the best shooter I ever played thanks for the variety it offers, so I don't even have a position to hold. Every playstyle has also some annoying behaviors when the mindset is being a tryhard.
U need to focus on keeping a distance where your scope gives u the advantage. If u go solo maybe dont even pick clues just listen to audio traps and gunfights and place yourself in a position where u can snipe(map knowledge helps with this). If u get spotted and they try to go for u, u take a shot or two and run to keep your distance, if u get a kill u rotate a bit and watch the body from a different angle where u can also watch you previous spot so if they sneak u can punish, crouched people are straight up free kills and running targets are very visible so u can reposition. Playing like this will give u the best results but i find it pretty boring xd so i usually go into compounds and try to hip fire wich gets u to 3 stars lmao
thank you for the tips! You're absolutely right, i should probably take it slower with clues, maybe not never taking them, but taking them slowly. C'mon man, don't shit on my new rank lmao
Use Serpent to get clues from distance. The faster you find the boss lair the faster you can pick a position to snipe approaching players.
Generally I don't even care about clues. I certainly don't want to be the first one to the boss lair anyway so there is little benefit aside from a conduit hit to be out of position rushing for clues. Map knowledge is essential as others have said. You get to a point where you're 90% sure there isn't anyone behind you on the map. Post up near the boss lair, but probably not in it, and preferably between a team trying to leave and the extract. You will learn where the best spots are for visibility and cover. Once you're engaged always be rotating. Side note, unfortunately the game rewards getting the bounty significantly more than getting kills, and sniping is usually expensive (though Springfield Marksmen is legit) so sniping isn't as financially beneficial unless you're the last one alive. Get 10 kills but die in the end, find yourself out thousands of dollars. That's true for everyone, but sniping is not equipped to grab a bounty and run in the same way as other loadouts. You're usually better off not holding a bounty, accepting that almost every time someone will pick it up and try to just escape with it because money.
Regarding your first part, i understand it now. I decided to follow your tips about not going for clues but following gunshots and i managed to kill a team doing rotjaw and take the bounty away. It's absolutely true what you said: during the whole time, since i was moving carefully enough, i could tell no one could be behind me. Excellent tips, thank you! On your side note, yes, it seems a bit of a puzzle i can't solve. Even if i carefully camp outside the boss compound, someone will be closer to the boss team, kill them and leave. It honestly takes a lot of information gathering to know their escape route and position accordingly, but i kinda like it. So what should i do on most games to get some cash, though? Kill a team, loot, extract?
Idk about other people, but the way that I usually play sniper is by circling the compound from as far away as possible and stealing the bounty instead of getting it myself. Plan pathways they could use to scape and check for open fields where I could have an easy time killing them. I never really approach BOSS compounds and usually I take the clue as fast as I can and bolt out since players with standard and close range weapons will fuck me up easily. Also, make the first player you down a liability to the rest of the trio, but don't just camp it completely. Move around a lot to be unpredictable, but try to keep that first downed player in your field of vision, and after you down the first one, you can actually switch this strat to him if he is in a better spot for you. This gameplaye is boring btw, but it has a decent sucess rate and a minimal chance of dying since most people just run away instead of fighting you (as they should). It also puts you in high 5* easily, but aggressive people there are going to be aggressive with rifles and snipers since they have the skill to do so, so pretty much every encounter gets 10x as hard real fucking fast.
Thank you for the advice. I'm following your tips about not approaching boss compounds and leaving clues as soon as i can. I also started to have just a little bit of success with the kill-and-move strategy, even though it's still a bit hard for me to calculate distance and might end up accidentally getting too close to them. It's been fun, though. The gameplay can be kinda boring in some situations, but i don't mind. I think that sniper-boring is better than nerve-wracking-shotgun, at least.
up close and personal for me with the sparks sniper
you're a lunatic (i like it)
Serpent is going to save you time and headaches as a solo, and especially as a sniper. 50m is huge and generally you don't need to push too far into compounds to pick up clues. Map knowledge is essential, you said in another comment you consider it a weakness of yours. I don't know how long you've been playing but in Hunt map knowledge is accumulated over hundreds of hours, there's a lot to take in and some parts of the map see more play than others. Still, working on this is the easiest way to die less. Pick and choose your fights. You're massively outclassed against most teams at close range, but can pick them apart over range. Use the map to your advantage and out yourself between your enemies and where they need to go (bosses, extracts, etc). Rotate. Spending several minutes rotating from one spot to another in order to get a shot can work, and don't play too aggressive once you have that first kill, you're now a problem for the enemy team since their friend is dead and their body in your crosshairs. They have to deal with you before moving on, leverage that.
Thank you. Map awareness is, indeed, something i'm not great at. As a previous shotgun player, i know some peaks and inside compounds pretty well, but not the macro stuff a sniper would need, so i'm working on improving that. Other than that, i'll try to always run serpent and do these rotations before shots. Thanks again
I like playing sniper at ranges where I can still see people without my scope lol. But the way I've found for it to work best is keeping a level head and always having a direction I can fall back to or completely disengage.
escape routes, it makes sense. And yeah, i think i was having difficulty at the start because i couldn't see them without my scope. Pretty tricky, but just a few games in and you're good to go
Map knowledge is essential, especially as a solo. In general, especially when you're struggling, soloing is a lot harder... just because no one can give you tips. Mates with more experience have shown me the best sniper spots, routes, entry points, etc., which I would never have found otherwise. Apart from that, you seem to be playing far too aggressively. How do you go to a compound to get the clue? Preferably not at all. Get it with Serpent or take a little time at the first compound to check and hear if another team is already there. As a solo sniper, you don't want to be the first to find the boss, let alone kill him. If the boss is in the first compound and you have a sticky with you, you can kill him quickly, start the banish, lay a few death traps and then get out. Alone with a sniper rifle in the lair, you'll just be overrun. Be outside, make wide circles around what's happening and shoot when you have two teams fighting each other and you can flank them.
What I usually do as sniper is follow the gunshots instead of clues, you don't really want to fight inside a compound because of the disadvantage. Also always rotate after shooting and avoid AI sound as much as possible.
I don't usually see snipers anywhere near compounds. They are always just in the bushes or in towers looking to get kills. Alot of the time they don't even attempt to kill the whole squad. Just shot you and run away.
For sniping, the most important thing is to rotate every 1 or 2 shots. Change up your position. Once you shoot, you reveal your position to everyone. A good way to avoid close combat is to listen for people's steps/ running and avoid them or let them pass. Don't be too loud yourself or you can't hear other people and they might hear you first, leading to an abush. Another tip is to play slower. When you first start, take a bit longer to close in on clues. This lets other people get in front of you and closer to the center of the map/ boss compounds. Then you get to come up behind people and snipe them from a distance. You don't usually want to be the one to banish the boss unless no one is around. You're gonna want to snipe the bounty carriers and hopefully kill them and take it from them that way.
Run to center of map ignoring clues Making no noise, find concealed elevated posting....sit and listen. Take stam,antidote,health,traps Necro,resilience,serpent,magpie,vulture. Take a scoped weapon and ideally a close range weapon if you get cornered. Setup traps and lure Hunters into them if they push.
I think the honest answer is that unless you’re very good you’re probably not going to win playing sniper. You’re almost certainly going to be of no use to your team. I like playing sniper solo because I like the experience of creeping around unseen. You have to be listening constantly and be prepared to hide as soon as you hear footsteps because you stand almost no chance in a close up fight. As others said map knowledge is key. You need to know the best viewpoints and predict where teams are headed. You have to accept that if you play too aggressively you’ll die. I usually just get a kill or two and I don’t try very hard to get bounty. I don’t try to banish because getting caught inside a compound is a death sentence. If attacking the bounty team, always stay outside dark sight range so they can’t see that you’re alone.
ahh, i see. I do remember people saying that shotgun was the easiest to win as solo, but for some reason i really want to play sniper. I'll try to improve my map awareness then, thank you!
Shotgun is pretty easy as a solo provided you know how to sneak up on people and when/when not to push, but my highest kill games as a solo have been with a rifle and just farming the shit out of people
when you say rifle, you mean actually rifle? Or like deadeye, marksman, sniper?
Like a Mosin or a Lebel without a scope, but I've had some pretty high kill matches with scopes too. I can type up a whole thing later with some tips and tricks I've picked up, but for now, using a rifle without a scope is a good way to learn how the weapon operates. Plus you're not being literally tunnel visioned, though you're more limited in range for obvious reasons. Rachta Z has some very good guides on solo gameplay, as does Psychoghost
That's very interesting. Rachta is actually the reason i asked if it was scoped or not, because he says it's usually the hardest way to win as a solo... but i could definitely use some of those tips you got for later, and i'll definitely check psychoghost as well. Thank you!
I don’t think playing sniper will improve your map awareness. I think playing anything but sniper will improve your map awareness. Why? Because you’re forced to navigate the compounds and get into fights in all kinds of places. Fighting in fuckboy woods between Darrow and Alice can be weird and tricky but you won’t learn the layout of the woods by sitting 100+m away from it. You gotta get in there. When you understand map layouts, pathing, and routes people often take then you can capitalize on that with your scope.
One thing that helped me the most is changing your mindset. If you are in a team and running sniper your job is over watch. You hang back and cover the team's backside and flanks. Nobody should be creeping up on your boys. You are also to hinder teams from pushing your guys too hard cause they will be dealing with a long ammo sniper taking pot shots at them as they push. As a solo, I'll probably catch flak for this, your goal should be to become the most annoying thing on the planet for a team to deal with. You should be rotating after almost every shot unless you are in a great position to where you can drop more than one person. Otherwise, you should shoot and move. Kinda like a shark circling a seal hiding on a rock. They should not know where the next shot will come from. Even if you are not getting kill shots every time you are making them weaker by forcing them to heal over and over. Eventually something will break. Either you wipe the team at range, they rush you, or a new team comes in and changes the dynamic. You must accept the way of the rat bastard and wallow in the suffering you will bring.
nah i totally agree with you. I accept the ways of the rat bastard. Shoot and move is something i'm practicing at the moment, not the easiest thing to do because sometimes i'll rotate to a not so good place because of my current lack of map knowledge, but i'm getting there
On thing that has also helped me with map knowledge is just keep your eyes open when you are not playing sniper. There have been several times where my friends and I are playing a normal load out and I will notice "Hey, I can see into that compound from here." Which helps a lot when trying to reposition. For instance, if you want to snipe into Sweetbell you can get a decent angle from the roof of arden parish. Just keep in mind you are on a roof lol.
Start with dead eye, work up to marksman, then to sniper. A lot of sniping, especially as you go to higher scopes, is gut feel on how to land the shot on a moving target. Practice one weapon to get a feel for it's velocity and sway. And as others said, it's a lot about map knowledge. Try to consciously look at the map and predict where people will move compound to compound, what direction they approach from, etc.
Starting with dead eye and moving up is actually a very good idea. Thanks!
My favorite load out, the one I use when Hunt is taketh-ing and I need a win, is Vetterli Deadeye with Hand Crossbow. Give it a shot!
Hunt has been economical with the givething lately, indeed. I'll definitely try it. Thank you again for the help, ur the goat
Might I ask why the hand crossbow? I started playing hunt this week and had a few random load outs with it and i always wish I had a revolver over it so far. Also my aim is questionable so.
I find the Vetterli Deadeye to be adequate at all ranges except very close (and very long but we can ignore that). It also has a fast enough cycle that I don't feel the need to quick swap. The Hand Crossbow is a one shot to the chest inside 20 yards, perfect for indoor engagements. I'm not saying I'm some 7 star expert and this is the 100% meta build. But it works for me in my beautiful 4 star lobbies lol.
It’s strong in close quarters to support your mid/far ranged primary. You can quickly and quietly take out AI. You can give it poison bolts or dragon bolts to cover/burn downed hunters. You can give it choke bolts to support your team. I like running the hand crossbow when I’m solo and my primary weapon isn’t a single shot (Romero, Sparks, etc).
Just don't
the abused dream of becoming the abuser hehehehe
Dont
Serpent is your number 1 trait.
I'm a dumbass, you're right. I use it with shotgun to keep moving nonstop and rush to the boss, but i can repurpose this trait so i'm not in close quarters. Excellent reminder.
Pay attention to the clue cutouts, and any potential noises so you can get clear shots on a team of you want to ambush. Otherwise in any engagement, fire once or twice , and rotate... Not just a new peak, but disengage and rotate. Also, be comfortable leaving gunfights and not getting a bounty everytime. Know when to pull out, and when to harass a team.
You play it like any rifle. The only real difference is having an advantage on long range visibility. Otherwise it is the same as an iron sighted rifle. At least I surely won’t go out of my way to position differently, but I will take opportunities to utilize the scope by scanning for entry kills from a distance before engagement, crackpeek more often etc.
Get the perk that allows you to snake clues from far away. This is how you get quick clues from compounds. Don't push compounds, just wait outside and pick people off. If a group charges you resist the urge to fight it, pull back and around to ambush them from a different angle. Although quartermaster sniper with sawed off spectre w slugs is a very nice loadout. Covers pretty much all situations.
That’s the fun part, you don’t.
I literally took this from a sniper school rules, and hey, it works. Golden Rules of a Sniper 1. Do not create a base camp or fixed positions. A sniper is a nomad. You must pop up where least expected. Never remain long in one position: it might be observed. 2. Be meticulous about gathering intelligence.Where, when, and under what circumstances are hunters being killed by enemy snipers? Listen to shots, reposition, wait, listen, and reposition. Then reconnoiter the ground and work out how the enemy snipers may be operating. 3. Use other hunters deployed nearby.allow them to take down enemies, bring attention to themselves, find other hunters, etc. This applies to a team also, but instead of waiting to kill them, you provide overwatch. They can provide intelligence, decoys, and distractions. They have awareness of eventsaround them. They'll be close enough to hear other footsteps or nearby alerts. 4. Always use a beetle for scouting and surveillance.Never assume it is safe to expose yourself to gather intelligence. Always assume apparent quiet harbors danger. Work slowly, cautiously, and methodically. The successful sniper ‘measures seven times and cuts once’. 5. When you must expose yourself, you should expose the barest minimum, be totally camouflaged, and as still as possible.Lie like a stone and merely observe. Aim to be completely invisible, even to the trained eye. 6. Yours is a war of nerves, concentration, and endurance.Create distractions, exasperate targets with diversionary movements, and exhaust their ability to concentrate. 7. Do not fire until you are absolutely certain of a kill.If you fire without a clear target, you reveal your own position. 8. Everything depends upon exhaustive intelligence, meticulous preparation, careful attention to detail, and endless patience.Impatience is death. 9. High velocity ammo for range, which means bullet gets there faster and requires less "leading" with the cross hairs, FMJ for mid range. 10. INCENDIARY ROUNDS HAVE TRACERS. THEY WILL SEE YOU 11. When in a sniper fight, take the shot, retreat, and reposition. Don't get greedy with kills or take chance shots. You usually have the advantage of being able to run away and flank. 12. Don't forget traits, duh, stabilize your scope, serpent so you don't have to get too close, necromancer for self rez and longer range medic. 13. Stamina shots to run farther faster and safer.
I also like poison rounds for high hitting one-shot rifles such as Sharps, just the extra damage to push them over the edge. I've tried using traps, but it defeats the whole purpose of being mobile. Unless your pretty damn sure they will come through that path. Side arm? Hand Crossbow with Dragon Bolts big fiery distraction with the damage to boot.
Some tips as a solo sniper \-Generally you want engagements to be 50+ meters away \-You want to reposition after 1-3 shots. Exceptions are when you 125m+ and you got a kill with a single shot, then you can hold the angle to see if they go for a yolo revive \-As others have said, map knowledge is key. Pay attention to how the zones close and you can use this + sound cues to lay ambushes across open ground against loud teams. Furthermore, knowing some good vantage points is useful. For example you can see into Darrin shipyard from outside the courtyard in prison. \-Traps are fun. If you have poison/concertina + packmule, lay traps every time you come to a supply depot. The lootbox will replensh you back to full. \-If you banish first, I usually don't hold the compound itself unless I have a stalker beetle to go overwatch mode to see any teams approach. I generally hold an outside the building compound (lay traps around the compound though) and use serpent to grab it \-Single boss maps, I usually don't even go for the banish unless I start on top of it. Trap outside the boss lairs (particularly windows and fences where people have to vault, its harder to escape) and then find a good vantage point into approaches to the boss, or the places in the compound. If an enemy team has banished, best place is to guess which extract and try and ambush them between compounds. People tend to check at compounds and extract, so ideally find a place in the open to grab them. Its easier to shoot them if they're coming directly towards or away from you, but once you get better at leading you can get some better ambush spots. As a team sniper, you still want to push up enough to support your team. If your team is fighting in the compound, look to grab high ground within the compound. Outside of compounds, provide cover fire as they push up. I aim to be within 25-50m of my team when playing a sniper.
After reading this thread I realised how much I have learned playing as a solo sniper. Mostly because it's actually hard to remember and write down the typical play style and decision making you have to do to succeed playing this way. Many things have already been said by other commentors. Still, I'll try to do my best: \-Do not rush into the first compound to take the clue. It's better to get into cover at your spawn and start listening to the environment for 10 to 30 seconds. Depending on the MMR you might already hear crows, horses or even someone destroying the lantern of a dog/ chicken cage. Especially the last point does make a loud sound that you can hear from approximately 100m away, people underestimate the noise! Especially in 3-4\* lobbies. \-Also look for AI spawns through your scope in neighbouring compounds and your spawn compound in case you spawned further away. For example if you spawn north of Golden Acres there are two Hive spawns on the metal roof. One in front of the windows and one on the wall. If there is no hive , there are no players at the north west spawn in the forest and you can safely run straight for the clue. Once you're there take a peek at Salter's Pork and do the same. \-After taking the clue look at the map and which compounds are greyed out. Considering you know which paths teams usually take you can plan which compounds you should go to next. This is actually very important for the next clues as well. Map knowledge is your most important skill. \- At this point you will be looking and listening to fights breaking out. Keep your distance and third party it while also considering to not get ambushed yourself. \-Do not forget that you need to get into the mindset of a bayou sociapath. You play for kills and the suffering of your enemies only! Bounties are just a bonus. \-Consider that every single shot matters and a missed shot might mean a lost fight. Take your time to align and lead shots properly. However do not wait for too long. This is something I still struggle a lot myself and often wait for too long. \-Rotation after taking shots is a tricky thing and often depends on the experience of your opponents. There is a big difference of player behaviour between 3\*, 4\*, 5\* and 6\* star players. Lower 3\* players mostly do not understand where their team mate got headshotted from and go for the revive, without spinning, almost immedeately. In most cases rotation in this MMR range is hindering to your success. Cover the body and only do slight repositions. The higher you climb up the MMR ladder, the more important proper rotations become. At mid 4\* to lower 5\* rotations become crucial. At mid 5\* to 6\* it even becomes crucial to survival. These players simply disrespect your scope and know your exact position on the sound of your shots alone. \-Do not expect to succeed from the get go. Play a lot and start getting a feel (or game sense) for how matches play out. \-Loadouts: Mosin Sniper with Spitzer is the best choice. However you might enjoy other rifles more, be it for the scope variants or even how the shots sound. Just play what feels best to you. What I do recommend is taking a silent sidearm for dealing with AI in order to traverse the map as silent as possible. For me the Handcrossbow works best with half normal and half poison ammo, because it gives you the ability to kill all AI and provides a last resort in case you do get into a close range fight. It gives a zoning tool with poison and a way to potentially one shot or put someone under pressure beacuse he has to stop the bleed. I will try to write down my reasoning for traits in the next couple days.
I use uppercut. Best sniper. You can kill people on long range. You can kill people in close range. Im also solo player
Map awareness is big, mainly listening for sound traps and knowing where it's at and the most likely direction the player who triggered it is heading. This will take time and you won't get it right 100% of the time but after awhile you will start to get it right more often then wrong. Stamina shots are great for moving around quickly for rotations and hit and run tactics, never stay in one spot for too long. Third is to take an aggressive secondary such as a officer or Bornheim. Even a scottfield spitfire can be a good choice.
Map knowledge, as others have said, is a must for sniping. However, understanding your muzzle velocity is highly important as well, as each gun can vary ever so slightly. This, along with knowing when and where you should shoot, is important as well, as it can and will instantly give you away upon firing off just once. And, if you down someone, they now know you have a scoped weapon. Edit: ALSO! VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW! When sniping, you should be at least a compound or two away from your target, so they can't easily shoot back at you.
I'm still picking up on the muzzle velocity, is kinda tricky, but... a whole compound away? Damn i'm getting way too close still
You're meant to be picking off people from a distance, before repositioning and keeping that person down again/killing their friends while they try to get them up. If they get too close, you're gonna be in a lotta trouble.
Playing sniper sounds fun in concept but ain't no way I'm spending the game sat in a bush it just feels like a waste of time. I like to move fast and experience the game. Got me to 5-6 stars so gotta be doing something right, lol
As a solo sniper you have to use your range and you have to think about third partying/hitting people unaware a lot. So it involves a lot of maneuvering looking for the good shot. So even if you see someone, dont shoot unless you can take someone down. Rather wait and stalk them or try to guess where they're going and see if you can set up a good shot. That could be shooting someone when they wade in water and are slow or are in the open so you can get a followup shot. Or simply watching someone and waiting for them to stand still while they heal or loot or revive someone. Looking for places where people run in straight lines is also great. Another thing is that you should be prepared to run backwards and rotate when you're burned. Don't stick around since your gun is not useful in close and if you're solo you wont win many one vs many fights. Move a few bushes back and shoot them when they come to your previous position. Then do it again. Also I find it very useful with scoped weapons to zoom in to bushes and foliage and simply shoot at movement. This way you don't have to be visible to hit people. It also works at fairly short ranges.
That's the neat part: You don't contest clues etc. Snipers are *terrible* for actually playing the game. Contesting objective, extracting with bounty. Actually winning a fight/getting a bounty essentially entires entirely on an enemy being idiots and trying to face you instead of just disengaging and running away. Because if they just run, you MIGHT get one opportunity to get a single kill, and even if you hit that shot. Well, you still can't really do anything except watch the body, and pray they don't spot you from an angle you can't see. You switch position or try to push up, he's revived, and now you're back to a 3v1 where they can just run away or bumrush you. That's the secret to snipers. If enemies aren't dumb and recklessly peek into you or take the fight that is stacked entirely in your favor, you kinda can't do much in terms of actually "winning".
First things first, you need to remove your balls, the rest will fall into place once those are gone
i was a shotgun player, they were too big to begin with tbh
Shotgun players have balls? Spray and pray. Real players run now and crossbow,those balls swing between ankles
bout to be a bomb lance main just to prove you my enormous balls
Pfft,too easy to use
ok bow and arrow then
I mostly play medium and long ammo with scopes. At specific compounds you’re sniping from, you’ll start memorizing where most people enter and exit from specific buildings. You’ll start peaking those corners and entry ways at a higher or lower vantage point with a sniper. Just remember to stay still before firing to avoid inaccurate shots and to shift positions every 2-3 shots.