Recon - Snipers

[TheFragacide]

Will add to this during Phase 2

All I have to say for now is to burn this one thought into your head.

If you get a kill... MOVE!
I dunno how many snipers I've found because I ran back and they were still sitting in the same roost that they killed me from.

1:0 is a lot better then 1:1 people. Don't give them a chance to get revenge. There's several good vantage points on every map, so utilize them.

[Bugattiboy91]

If you get a kill... MOVE!
I think my 18 headshot steak from the same spot in Rooftop will beg to differ.

[TheFragacide]

I think my 18 headshot steak from the same spot in Rooftop will beg to differ.

Wasn't against me.

[FaLleNx_]

yeah I agree with frag, stay put in the same spot for a long time and players that are actually uhm "on the lookout" will pretty much find wherever it is you're hiding

[jasonchan1994]

I think this applies to more than the sniping case. If an enemy locks onto your last know position and you peep out, he/she will have the advantage. So even if you don't move, at least look out from a different position. If you're detected by the oracle though, move for sure (saved my life a couple times).

[Freelancer852]

Moving is only required when you're playing without communication to your team. Usually they can cover you or warn you to move if you're currently being flanked.

Alternatively, stay in one spot on purpose with your cloak ready to go and purposefully lure people to your position. Open up on them with your pistol from a location slightly behind where you were sniping from.

[Nomnomnomeh]

I would agree to this to a certain point. If you notice you're spotted by another recon, move immediately. The thing is though is that if you're getting kills from that spot, don't move for like 10-20 seconds because moving makes it so you can't support your team from enemies because you're not killing. I agree with moving spot to spot, but I think you should pace yourself or your team may end up dieing.

[SeventhFr0st]

I'm going to be making a Recon tip thread too :D It's going to be way bigger and more in-depth than anyone could possibly want it to be! and i'm going to keep adding to it until i get bored! yay! I'm definately going to make sure to include the thoughts represented here in it, though. It's something I hadn't payed much mind to in how I play. Thanks, guys :D

[JoshHardenburg]

If your a recon and get put into a game where your whole team is nothing but recons. DON'T SNIPE! Pull out a SMG and play on the front line, your team is going to need it.

[w0lfhuntrz]

If your a recon and get put into a game where your whole team is nothing but recons. DON'T SNIPE! Pull out a SMG and play on the front line, your team is going to need it.
+1

[SnowLeopard71]

Am I the only one that finds the sniper rifles a tad weak? One-shot kills are scarce even with magnum ammo, and we are well within the "maximum effective" range of the (real world) rifles available. And it seems to me many of non-sniper weapons can kill from long range almost more effectively simply due to higher fire rate.

[LiquidX74]

Am I the only one that finds the sniper rifles a tad weak? One-shot kills are scarce even with magnum ammo, and we are well within the "maximum effective" range of the (real world) rifles available. And it seems to me many of non-sniper weapons can kill from long range almost more effectively simply due to higher fire rate.

Depends on the range.

At the ranges snipers ought to be sniping, they are unmatched. While it is true single shot kills are not all that frequent against assaults, specialists and other recons die in 1 shot all the time. Optimally you're going to be sniping down an area that allows you the time to get off a second shot. Keep in mind that the obvious places to snipe from are not always the best. most places that you think "oh I have a great field of view from here", usually have a narrower field of view, but more effective shot lane 10-15 feet back. These places are often more protective as well since only snipers can accurately target that little bit further (IE: assaults will have a very very difficult time being precise enough to score two hits in a row).

[bclarg]

Sorry to be ignorant, what is a "SMG"? Thx

[JoshHardenburg]

Sub-Machine Gun.


Lightweight automatic small-arms weapon chambered for relatively low-energy pistol cartridges and fired from the hip or shoulder. Submachine guns usually have box-type magazines that hold 10–50 cartridges, or occasionally drums holding more rounds. A short-range weapon, they are rarely effective at more than 200 yards (180 m). They can fire 650 or more rounds per minute and weigh 6–10 lbs (2.5–4.5 kg). Important types include the Thompson submachine gun, or tommy gun (patented 1920), the British Sten gun of World War II, and the later Israeli Uzi

Source (http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Sub-Machine+Gun)

[bclarg]

What is the best strategy for a Recon to use his Cloak? Also, supposedly, the "F" key is for both Cloak and Oracle. So how do I use one or the other? Thx,

[jeezmeron]

Im new and very nervous.I havent played in years .Is there a place to train here?

[Tecness0]

What is the best strategy for a Recon to use his Cloak? Also, supposedly, the "F" key is for both Cloak and Oracle. So how do I use one or the other? Thx,

You can't have both at once? The best strategy is for you to stay in cover as you cloak, then come out when you are fully cloaked, or else it will be easier to kill you.

[DegenesisRein]

Some other sage advice when sniping or counter sniping is to change the position you pop out at.

For instance when taking cover behind a block, popping out in the same spot is a big no-no. And you will likly pay the hard way for it.

You have multple ways to pop out, Not just Left, right or top. While in cover you can push the prone key to slouch down and go prone left / right. Push the crouch key to back to a crouched position and pop out crouch left / right, or push the movment key forward to pop out over the top if the cover supports. While in cover simply using your movment keys to push to whatever side you want.

If you know where they are at, simply changing your position where you pop out of cover will buy you the extra 1-2 seconds it will take for them to require you.

When taking cover behind a wall with only one side to pop out of you can change it up by popping out standing, cover or prone. When counter-sniping, mixing it up may not save you from being hit (sometimes you just have to take the hit ) but it will save you from the predictable headshot.

Crow

[combinesd]

I know a lot of people love oracles but I find myself cloaking while sniping and have wondered what cloaking mod you guys recommend... i bought the regen one thinking if I was cloaking and popping up taking a shot against other snipers and so on it would have ample time to regen. Plus regen is still nice to have while playing SMG mode, but i feel like the regen isnt strong enough.. just saves you 20 seconds from a full charge needs to have another benefit to be worth it over an extended or combat cloak

[JoshHardenburg]

Im new and very nervous.I havent played in years .Is there a place to train here?

Don't be nervous. This is a closed beta so all your stats will be wiped anyways. Closed Beta is your training ground, their is no training mode.

[sessou75]

Sorry to be ignorant, what is a "SMG"? Thx
http://cbjtech.com/filer/SMG-1.jpg

If there's one thing I don't really like about this game so far, is the fact you can't swap over to your SMG from the rifle in game. Snipers normally have a hand gun for those "close encounters" or a SMG on the side just in case the need to protect oneself is present...

I agree you should move after a kill. But sometimes, after you see that you have the inherent advantage of accuracy and range, it's tough leaving that spot. I had most of my head shots being in the same place, maybe moving over to a different spot, but in the same area only a few times.

And then you have snipers like High Point, that are simply out of reach with the toughest angle possible to even attempt to touch...

[JasonWeis]

what cloaking mod you guys recommend...

I just use the one that decreases the activation cost, seeing as I use it to snipe too. This makes it so you can use it for short bursts more often.


And then you have snipers like High Point, that are simply out of reach with the toughest angle possible to even attempt to touch...

This is what people call the prone glitch. You can lay prone around a corner or on a ledge and you have full view, while the enemy can barely see you. Making it hard to counter snipe them. Its a known exploit and they said it was supposed to be fixed soon.

[Compassghost]

Most modern-day US designated marksmen don't carry an SMG these days.

They may carry an M4 or their DMR can be used interchangeably between the two roles, such as the SPR.

Reason? Simply because it's easier to share mags with your teammates. Not going to find a spare 9mm long mag if your entire squad is using M4s or M16s.

In the case of game balance, giving Recons both of these would be a bit OP. The pistol is good enough to fill in the role of a back-up weapon, considering the SMGs in this case are already primary weapons.

[sessou75]

This is what people call the prone glitch. You can lay prone around a corner or on a ledge and you have full view, while the enemy can barely see you. Making it hard to counter snipe them. Its a known exploit and they said it was supposed to be fixed soon.
I don't know if it should really be considered a glitch or not. It wasn't like I couldn't see him or even hit him. It was that, he was already dialed in and so far away, that even if you did manage to hit him, it had little to no effect in taking him out. If you use your surroundings well, you can make it difficult to get hit. That's a skill Recon-snipers should learn well, considering they have the disadvantage of being less armored than the other classes.

[igmiester]

It's all about surprise and deception an being able to see your enemy before they find you. Good point on using smg when there's too many recons. I find that a lot of people when they start playing want to be recon and are bad at it. I wouldn't recomend starting out with recon unless ur a hardcore sniper. I always fire team with my buddies. Since its a team game, communication is vital. We won so many games because we talked and had startegy going in. I love being recon its my favorite class, can't wait to level up and get some new guns :) xoxo

[DegenesisRein]

I only have the basic M24 GI these days, and I typicaly hit anything I want, i just rarely kill it in one shot.

These days all I want to do is snipe.

But it's becoming more and more difficult making that happen. Most games I feel like if I am not up there on the frontline's making things happen it dosn't get done. =)

And if nothing else to go 1 and 1 with the other team's A-list so we cancel each other out.

I have plans of rolling a SR-25 tricked out with the 20 Rnd Magazine, the 1x-4x toggled scope, a grip and sort of treatining it like an assault rifle so I can push the frontline's or pull back and defend.

I'll let you know how it goes.

[Davynelord]

I only have the basic M24 GI these days, and I typicaly hit anything I want, i just rarely kill it in one shot.

These days all I want to do is snipe.

But it's becoming more and more difficult making that happen. Most games I feel like if I am not up there on the frontline's making things happen it dosn't get done. =)

And if nothing else to go 1 and 1 with the other team's A-list so we cancel each other out.

I have plans of rolling a SR-25 tricked out with the 20 Rnd Magazine, the 1x-4x toggled scope, a grip and sort of treatining it like an assault rifle so I can push the frontline's or pull back and defend.

I'll let you know how it goes.

I recently tried this with SR-25 (except I don't have the grip)...it was surprisingly more effective in close combat than I thought...the ROF is just fast enough to kill even assault because of the damage per shot and you only need 2 hits and don't have to aim for the head....unfortunately there are still some encounters you just won't win unless you get the surpise and a head shot....such as verse a shotgun user.

One other downside though is the gun is loud as hell...even if you shoot with combat cloak (30% chance to fire without coming out of cloak) people hear the gun and key right in on you....it's funny how it makes a loud boom almost like a cannon but does some of the least damage per shot of any sniper rifle...LOL



As for the current topic, I have to say that as long as your on a good team that keep the flanks covered, you really never have to worry about anything other than being counter-sniped. With any of the scopes that can zoom in and out, you can pretty much see any cloaker easily trying to surprise you and any non-cloaker shouldn't be a problem to spot...therefore you shouldn't be counter-sniped easily except when you get double teamed by two snipers....Overall though it depends on how good your team protects flanks and call out enemy locations....as long as the enemy is not getting on your flanks or behind you and the enemy sniper isn't pinning you down, there is no reason to move at all....I've had plenty of matches where I complete shut down the path on one side because I kept killing their counter-sniper who kept trying to get me....while his team could not get past our front line.

So point here is that what you do as a recon sniper greatly depends on how much communication and teamwork you have more than anything....if you have bad support from your team, then I agree, shoot and move, play hide and seek, use cloak to change positions, don't always move to the well known sniping spots...even if you can't hit someone because they flash under cover too quickly, use your scope to call out things for your team.

I should also add that make sure you get and use vector detector...many players that are high enough level to get team skillls don't even bother getting them....but vector detector works well to detect running enemies near you....it's rare for enemies who know your general location to walk up on you...everyone always runs, so it helps sometimes...however, it's not something you can rely on 100%...

[Compassghost]

I've been using the Sentinel for overwatch, and I must say it is VERY accurate. 14 headshots out of 18 kills. I have a hard time justifying Oracle over Cloak per my playstyle, however. I am usually near the front, right behind an Assault with my Pistol if we keep pushing. Vector is helpful for detecting the push and the flank, especially highlighting cloaked Recons with SMGs.

[DegenesisRein]

Hey it's funny, These days I am running my Sniper with Cloak, and my CQC-SMG'er with Oracle.

Reason is (and thanks goes out to Corrosion and Sludge for teaching me this) but knowing where your enemy is and more imporant know where he is looking is far more important than trying to Hide from someone you think might be there.

With cloak I am running the gambit and "Hope'n" people don't notice my little shimmer (They are getting really good at noticing!) and then trying to Track them down and kill them before cloak runs out. Far easier to do at Long range where there is less chance to be spotted and more chances to track and kill, speicaly if they don't know i'm there.

With oracle I ping the area, if it's clear GREAT! keep pushing on. If it's not I can see exactly where they are at and more importantly where they are facing. Suddenly this turns into Metal Gear solid with me sneaking up behind the guards and capping one in the middle because all the other guards viewpoints are turned the other way. I've slinked right through an entire team of opponents guarding a point simply because i've picked a path that dosn't intersect with all of their viewpoints, turned around and mow'd them down.

So in my opinion oracle is far more potent than cloak anyday of the week.


I recently tried this with SR-25 (except I don't have the grip)...it was surprisingly more effective in close combat than I thought...the ROF is just fast enough to kill even assault because of the damage per shot and you only need 2 hits and don't have to aim for the head....unfortunately there are still some encounters you just won't win unless you get the surpise and a head shot....such as verse a shotgun user.


I did it!

SR-25, Grip, 1x Open Reflex sight, Extended mags and it is absolutly amazing! I posted in a feedback thread (About unscope sniper accuracy) more about it, but this thing is a land shark. The open sights and the Grip are a MUST for shooting on the go. Yes, Running around while shooting that sniper rifle and putting accurate shots on target. I've only had a few games with it before the server went down but I am averaging a 9-1 K/D ratio with it.

It incorperates exactly the kind of play I was looking for with my recon.

Good times.

-Crow

[DAM187]

I'm sure players will disagree with me ,but I think when you're moving around cloaking i.e. Behind enemy lines that the best layout is smg with cloak. The reason for this is because most likely you'll run into an enemy and its more of a chance there is an abilty that would detect you. A simple rifle won't do because you'll probably be caught mid to close range. The only way you can cloak and still have your rifle is if the other team is noob enough to push their entire team on one point while leaving only 2 guys to cover the other. Or if they're defending they get most of their guys on the point you're rushing the most and have only two to three guys on the other point.

[DegenesisRein]

Well yes and no, and Normaly I would agree with you.

This build isn't for everyone, no doubt about it.

The whole reason I even have cloak is to avoid those point blank encouters and force a confrontation in the Short to Mid-long range where my gun wins the accuracy/power/ROF contest. Now say "Pop Pop" outloud with your average speaking voice. That is how long it takes me to kill someone with this gun. Pop Pop, 2 shots. This guns stats are

Dmg: 76
Accuracy: 106
Recoil: 8
ROF: 120 ( I want to say, maybe 150)
Handling: 94

I mean this gun is ready just as fast as most assault rifles and SMG's, and i can shoot while moving with almost zero loss of accuracy.

Flanking is just the way of life, when a guy dies there is a 1-12 sec delay until they spawn again and whatever distance required to get back to the frontline. Attackers use this time to push up and or in this case to Flank his opponents on the other side. Flanking is very common and not just for Recon's, I flank with my assault and spec just as much and as often.

Now as for the Recon build, have you ever Flanked opponents and gotten into a good position and realized that your targets are just outside of effective range? What are your options?

Run into range and expose yourself to fire from respawners comming up to support as well as the opponents your are flanking. Once you are in effective range you are trading shots rely upon your SMG to kill them before they turn and kill you, or killing one and dieing to his freinds.

Or you could try and fire from range with your SMG using short controled bursts or even semi-auto but then your time to kill takes to long and all those shots tend to give your position away and you have alerted their whole team and they counter you by getting to cover or returning fire with weapons far more suited for longer range combat.

The above build gets you the best scenario, accurate fire from range with the highest time to kill with the least amount of exposure.

I see a buddy die to an SMG I know i am getting flanked.

I see a buddy die to a Sniper Rifle, I figure he was silly and stuck his head out.

I see buddies start to drop to a Sniper Rifle who are next to me and clearly in cover...*shrug*...well in the words of a great man "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition"

[Compassghost]

The SR-25 SD variant has a fire rate of 180 with 75 damage, which is higher than the other models with a suppressor attached while maintaining its fire rate, and comes with a bipod. It is a fair bit more expensive than the other models, but the integrated suppressor and bipod, as well as the higher ROF make it an easy-use weapon. However, I don't think using a variable-zoom scope is practical for it due to the difficulty with switching zoom while in cover, requiring you to scope in and scope up or down. I would say just attach a 6x and go.

When I use my SR-25 and cloak, I usually crouch or prone to minimize my background noise. Most people don't notice crouched Ghosts so much as full-sprinty Ghosts.

[Freelancer852]

If you depress the middle mouse button/scroll wheel the variable zoom scopes will toggle between minimum and maximum zoom. Makes it a viable option for me, and I didn't know about that until someone told me about it.

[DegenesisRein]

The SR-25 SD variant has a fire rate of 180 with 75 damage, which is higher than the other models with a suppressor attached while maintaining its fire rate, and comes with a bipod. It is a fair bit more expensive than the other models, but the integrated suppressor and bipod, as well as the higher ROF make it an easy-use weapon. However, I don't think using a variable-zoom scope is practical for it due to the difficulty with switching zoom while in cover, requiring you to scope in and scope up or down. I would say just attach a 6x and go.

When I use my SR-25 and cloak, I usually crouch or prone to minimize my background noise. Most people don't notice crouched Ghosts so much as full-sprinty Ghosts.

I did go back and look this over and I do have the SR-25 with the ROF of 120

I was a little sad when I saw the 180 ROF versions and skipped over them, (with their Med barrels, Suppressors and Bi-Pods) but then again the 120 Version was the only version i could get that allowed me to equip a grip.

Grip is the all imporant feature for me, I find myself running willy nilly all over the place and rarely sit in cover.

@Cort
Wow I did not know that, cool!

[Compassghost]

I run all over with the SR-25 SD as well. The sway post-patch was actually not high enough for me to notice any difference in CQB, due to the low recoil. As long as you're crouched, it'll be dead on. Normally, since I'm cloaked, I'll walk past my targets and take cover on a wall for the bipod buff and just shoot away with no sway. The suppressor does wonders and people have no idea what's happened.

In regards to the TOGGLE, WHERE IS TEH MANUAL. Next we'll find out HEAT CAN DO THE SAME D: