+1 to the guide band wagon, this time, well, you kinda know where I'm going now...
The Guide to being a sniper
Made by Charizard92
Ah yes, the sniper rifle. One of the many staples of FPS (along with grenade spamming and annoying shotguns). Sniping In MW2 is in some ways, a skill. Some also do things "their own way" and by that I mean Imitating the dozens of quickscoping Intervention montages all over Youtube (which interestingly keeps me locked into using that sniper). If you are trying to do this, stop now. The sniper rifle is NOT a combat weapon, so in almost all situations, you would be with the lower hand. Sniping from the sides or rear of your team is the best way to go.
1: the sniper rifle:
Let's not get ahead of ourselves, you need to pick the weapon that suits you first. There are 4 snipers, not as diverse as most other weapons groups, but this is in fact enough variability to cover all the fields. Each sniper rifle is best in their own category, and there is 4 (handy huh?). The 4 sniping categories is defensive, offensive, non-stopping power, and Jack-o-all-trades. I'll go over each sniping style, the best sniper, and why.
Defensive sniping: For those who hang back in some perch waiting for prey to sneak by attempting to cause carnage on your team or take a valuable objective, this is for you. Of course, it is slow, long, and tiring, but you are likely guaranteed the longest life if you set up your perch in the correct place. You might even have the highest K/D if you're lucky.
Best Defensive sniper: Intervention
One of two OHK rifles, the Intervention benefits from a lower recoil and slightly higher accuracy (You are still likely to miss a shot, but that is expected). Even without stopping power, it is a OHK to the chest or higher. Due to it's low RoF, you are most likely to rely on your secondary when traveling, aka relatively prone. Despite this, it is the best weapon to have in a sniper's nest.
Offensive sniping: Instead of waiting in a nest for prey that may never come, why not go along with your team and serve as an assist? This is offensive sniping. You are working off more stealth than the defensive sniper (although stealth is recommended to any sniper), so of course, you should be advancing from the sides, where enemies aren't likely to be. Traveling from perch to perch, picking off foes from behind.
Best offensive sniper: M21 EBR
The M21 functions more like a BR than an SR. This is why it is the best offensive sniper. With little recoil, connecting shots is easier, especially since this is a 2 shot sniper. It does remarkably well with an ACOG or silencer, both weapons of recommendation due to your method of sniping.
Non-stopping power sniping: Not exactly a sniping style, but more like a sniper set up. Stopping power is a recommended perk, but other perks like cold blooded is also of consideration. Technically, all sniper rifles can snipe without stopping power relatively well, but some do better than others.
Best rifle without stopping power: WA2000
Since the gun has low recoil, a OHK to the chest or above, and does not benefit from stopping power, it is the natural pick for sniping without stopping power. Of course, considering that other snipers do better in certain situations, it is often overlooked. No wonder it's the least popular sniper rifle (only 17% of normal game mode users prefer the WA2000. The Intervention Holds 39%, and the M21 holds 23%. The rifle I will cover next holds 21%)
Mixed sniper: Instead of having 2 sniper classes doing offensive and defensive sniping (and getting yourself killed), why not do both in one? Behold mixed sniping, a sniper that does well offensively & defensively. They adapt to what the team needs, making you potentially more devastating.
best Mixed sniper: Barret 50 cal.
It may be a bit less accurate than the intervention, and has the highest kick (even though it's predictable), but it's semi but/power sniper nature allows it to go in places the Intervention and M21 can't go, without breaking a sweat. It may be inferior to the other two in their respective zones, but the ability to easily cross the border is more than enough to warrant this (despite only 21% of people believing so).
Secondaries:
Unless you are using the M21, you are going to be relying on your secondary weapon a lot. With the Intervention, it is your moving gun. With the M21, it's a fallback. With the Barret and WA2000 it's both. Choosing the right secondary could save your life, or allow you to steal from the guy you just killed of the street an ACR or something.
Pistols:
The power pistols seem like a good Idea, but with their low ammo count, they are ill recommended on any sniper but the M21. The normal pistols may take a while to kill, but the ability to switch fast to them makes them a good fallback. As a travel weapon, they kinda suck, so it isn't highly recommended for the Intervention.
MPs:
Half of the MPs whip out relatively fast (The G18 and M93R), while the other two take a while and have less ammo. The two pistol MPs are thus the more recommended ones, and can serve as good travel and fallback weapons, making them good with all snipers.
Shotguns:
while they certainly are a good travel weapon, they aren't so good to fall back on. This is because they take a while to take out, in contrast to the 1 second MPs, or near instant Handgun. You may not want to start with one of these, so don't
Launchers:
Please, do yourself a favor and pick something other than these. They are not direct combat weapons, and considering that you now have 2 non-direct combat weapons, you have nothing to fall back on.
Equipment:
There are two equipment I recommend. The TI is a great offensive sniper tool, allowing you to stay on the front lines, or even behind enemy lines. For defensive snipers, Claymores are more recommended, since they serve like a warning buzzer if someone is too close (there is a distinct click before one goes off, if you hear that, get ready for a fight).
Specials:
I recommend Smoke to cover your tracks, but anything goes.
T1 Perks:
Marathon, while tempting, is not a great perk for a defensive sniper, since you are going to be sitting on your *** for half the match. For offensive snipers, maybe, but other perks are available.
The Faster ADS of Sleight of hand pro is also tempting, but reloading fast isn't that helpful to a sniper, nor to a typical MP or pistol secondary. Best used with a shotgun that HAS AMMO (aka not AA-12)
Scavenger is really a godsend to snipers. Giving extra ammo, and the ability to reequip your equipment, and your grenades, and your ammo, is incredibly great.
Bling is only recommended for offensive or mixed snipers, giving you two attachments of varying effectiveness. I prefer scavenger, but your call.
One man army, really bad Idea. The ability to swap classes is countered by the fact that you have an indirect combat weapon. Worse, you only have one, so you are outright screwed in a fight.
T2 perks:
While marathon has potential, Lightweight needs marathon, and since you aren't running in the first place, and the T2 field is dominated by 2 perks, kind of like a penny in a chest of gold (replace penny with lowest value currency in countries without pennies).
Stopping power if of course, the most recommended perk in the game. However, I do not recommend stopping power. Sure, you can kill with a stomach shot, but you don't need it. Worse, it makes you kinda lazy with your aim, and makes aiming at a barely exposed part more difficult. That and that everything can see you, which makes staying alive more difficult.
Hardline is also tempting, but really, Do you really need it?
Cold-blooded, the ability to be harder to spot on thermal, invisible to killsteak rewards, and, well, hide. Not being seen is of course, possibly the most needed thing on a sniper kit (or a Monty Python Skit). Just remember the first rule of not being seen, don't stand up. Rule number 2, do not employ an obvious piece of cover.
Danger close, you aren't using explosives, NEXT!
T3 Perks:
Commando gives you an extended knife range, and also the ability to fall without getting hurt. But again, other perks are available.
Steady aim pro. Your secondary (and primary if you're in a no-scope situation) gets a tighter hip cross hair, making your secondary more effective. You can also hold your breath longer, which is of course, extremely helpful.
Scrambler does raise up flags, so if you are trying to stay hidden, I ill recommend. Fine if you want to mess with the other team though.
Ninja also sounds good, but Heartbeat sensors aren't as common as UAVs, and People with headsets can still hear you.
Sitrep shows you where equipment is, but you don't need that. Nor do you need to hear that plane engine sound.
Last stand, useless, nooby, and guaranteed death.
Deathstreaks:
Any you want. I go with Final stand, but it's your preference. Anything but Martyrdom, which sucks.
attachments:
Silencers are useless on a sniper. You only appear as a 1 sec red dot, which nobody is going to react to.
Heartbeat sensors can be distracting. Worse, they require your primary to be out. Did I tell you that Sniper rifles aren't direct combat weapons?
ACOG on M21, good. ACOG on anything else, bad.
Thermal, Either this or FMJ. Thermal makes finding people easier, but is prone to compromise in the form of cold blooded. That and it's just plain tiny.
FMJ, any added power (outside stopping power) is recommended. that and this is like The Deep impact perk from CoD4.
Extended mags, not needed.
Thus concludes yet another guide on the SWF MW2 Page.
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