Hello! Today I will be telling you, yes you, how to kill godly snipers as every cla*s. I am a sniper main who’s getting tired of saying there’s no way to counter snipers, so who better to tell you than a sniper main?
This guide will cover how to kill snipers who manage to kill you at point blank range, who are protected by their team, and to overall just take care of them or counter them effectively, as trust me, they may not seem engaging to fight, but once you get into a rhythm, you will have fun killing snipers and avoiding them, as a challenge is meant to be.
General Tips and Information
This is the tedious part, but before you go on to how to counter them as your favourite cla*s, here’s sniper’s main strengths and weaknesses.
His main strengths are of course his pick potential, long range, and defensive capabilities.
But he has quite a few weaknesses, but one of them is not a weakness. Close range is not a weakness, sure he may be at a disadvantage but two melee swings, shahanshah, jarate-bushwacka, huntsman, and close-range quickscopes if he’s good.
His weaknesses are vulnerability to getting rushed down, tunnel-vision, his high skill ceiling, and his light health. He’s also not as consistent as generalist cla*ses are and he has no self-made mobility options to increase either his vertical mobility or horizontal mobility.
Though the more casual the setting, the more risks you can take. The more competitve, less so. Especially in Highlander cause you’re guaranteed to be playing against really competent snipers.
So. Some tips I would say are these:
1. Play sniper yourself every once in a while to get a feel of his strongest places like his sightlines.
2. Get up close and personal before he catches you.
3. Only go for the kill if you’re sure he doesn’t know you’re there. This is a game about fighting on your terms. Whoever’s the first to spot the enemy, usually wins.
4. Move erratically and unpredictably.
5. Don’t peek sightlines.
6. Never underestimate your enemy’s skill-level. That will get you killed.
7. Pay attention to where he is and call him out. Move in a unit with your team.
8. Pay attention to his weapons of choice.
9. If you can, before you think of crossing into a sightline, get some overheal from your team’s medic.
10. Predict when you think they’re going to fire their gun or bow. This can help you jolt their aim and spam them out. No matter how good a sniper is, any coordinated attack and spamfest will shut him down.
Scout vs Sniper
Scout is a soft counter to snipers due to their fast movement countering a sniper’s prediction skills, their 1v1 ability, specialty in rushing down opponents, and his weapons.
Now there are several weapons in your arsenal as a scout you can use against a sniper.
For pestering and annoying snipers, there are several weapons to choose from.
For primaries, your main choice to annoy a sniper is the shortstop. At medium ranges, this thing excels because of the tighter spread. Even though it may do as little as 3-6 damage at long range, you can most certainly jolt them with it due to it’s extremely fast firing speed and its full clip reload. It is also useful against sentries and pyros, which a good sniper is likely to play around anyway. It shreds them. The Soda Popper is also useful due to its high meatshot damage and its fast firing speed. Its hype meter also comes in useful for being unpredictable against snipers.
For secondaries, you have everything useful against a sniper but the mad milk. You have the flying guillotine which is difficult to aim, but if you can aim it, it becomes viable against snipers as on hit, it does a flat 50 damage and bleeds him out for a few seconds which can help you a lot, as even if he’s using the cozy camper at full charge, the bleeding will damage him at least, countering his pa*sive healing. It also recharges really fast which is a big bonus. The pistols are good at pestering him, but the one that is extremely useful is the winger due to its fast firing speed and extra jump height while deployed, but only has 5 shots instead of 12 in a clip. You also have the Bonk! Atomic Punch which is good at tilting the enemy team and Crit-a-Cola. The Crit-a-Cola is something everyone hates, but combined with our primary of choice, you have no damage fall-off due to how crits and mini-crits work in this game.
For melee, you have quite a few options. You have the Boston Basher which will make it impossible for him to hit you if you hit him with it once you close the distance. You also have the Fan O’War which if you’re not sure you can kill him, marking him for death will make him take all damage from your team to be at least mini-crits. A heavy combined with that is death for sniper if he doesn’t get to cover. You also have the two ball melees, the sandman which can slow an enemy down or stun at long range and the wrap a*sa*sin is a mix between the basher, cleaver, and sandman. It launches a Christmas Ornament on right-click with it deployed. If it hits the sniper, it does at least a flat 40 damage and bleeds him out. The Atomizer is also extremely useful as you can make lots of unpredictable movement with its third jump. It also lets you reach places you couldn’t before allowing you to rush down and flank a sniper easily.
Sniper has an arsenal of weapons. But the ones he can use as primary to kill you more easily than stock are the Cla*sic (No doubt the best rifle against rushing scouts due to its 135 damage on full charge even out of scope) and the Huntsman. Against a Cla*sic sniper, move around till he misses his shot then go for the kill. Against a huntsman, move unpredictably and erratically. The Sydney Sleeper on scoped shot covers you in Jarate for about 2 to 5 seconds depending on charge.
For secondaries, he has the SMG’s and Jarate. The stock SMG can wittle down your health if your not careful due to your weakness against weapons that track you or require them to track your target. The Carbine is not as potent, but it has a crikey meter which gives mini-crits once it’s filled and activated. Same with Jarate, but it’s cooldown. If you encounter either the carbine or jarate, he’s likely using the bushwacka. So if you get hit with either the Jarate or he’s activated crikey, retreat and wait out the effects, then go for the kill.
Now for some things to look out for once you’ve closed the distance as you have a ma*sive advantage over the sniper.
1. He might try to surf damage.
2. He will back up if your chasing him but will not keep his eyes off you.
3. He will strafe oppositely of you. Once he’s figured out your pattern, he will place his crosshair to either flick you or fire once you’ve crossed. When you think he’s gonna scope in, crouch and duck erratically. Once he misses the shot due to that, he’s dead.
4. If he’s around a turtling engie or engineer nest, you’re out of luck. Just hara*s him until the sentries are destroyed, then kill him.
Soldier vs Sniper
Soldier is a great cla*s well equipped to deal with snipers. He has some of the best mobility in the game and is quite tanky. If you play your cards right, Screaming Eagles will kill Hooting Owls with ease and reign supreme. There are quite a few weapons good for dealing with snipers.
For primaries, any rocket launcher will do at hara*sing a sniper and closing the distance with rocket jumping. But the three that stick out are the Liberty Launcher due to its fast projectile speed and spammability but is admittedly a terrible weapon due to its damage feeling like your shooting empty soda cans out of a t-shirt cannon, the Direct Hit due to its fast projectile speed and ability to take down sentries with ease if a sniper’s around it but once you close the distance, not only does it just kill snipers, it flat out deletes them at close range. And lastly the Cow Mangler 5000. The Cow Mangler does its job well. It can stun sentries with its charged shots and the charged shots if aimed at a sniper, will set him on fire as well as mini-crit and knock him back. But it does make you headshot bait for a few seconds.
For secondaries, the obvious picks are the Buff Banner and especially the Batallion’s Backup. The Buff Banner ,once activated, will give you and surrounding teammates mini-crits for 10 seconds, meaning extra damage with no fall-off. This can especially help Heavies shoot down snipers. The Batallion’s Backup is easily the most useful for pushing against snipers. Once activated, it gives you and surrounding teammates immunity to critical hits (meaning your free from headshots for 10 seconds), 35% extra resistance to regular damage, and 50% sentry resistance. It also gives you a pa*sive bonus of an extra 20 health. Though both require 450 units of damage to fill the meters.
For melees, the three picks are one, the escape plan since it’s meta. But you should never whip it out as one, it marks you for death, and two, the speed at which you’re going gives away how low on hp you are. The other two are the Disciplinary Action and the Market Gardener. The Disciplinary Action is useful for supporting teammates and helping them get to the front faster. If you’re escorting a sniper, hit him with the whip, which can help him because of no self-made mobility options and to move around more which throws the enemy sniper off. The Market Gardener, once you’re good with it, has insane pick potetial against snipers and medics. And Market Gardening snipers is really fun.
You are at an absurd advantage against snipers at close range. However you shouldn’t underestimate him, so do not rocket jump if you know there’s a sniper staring the place you’re in down.
However, experienced snipers may surf a rocket if you shoot at their feet. So at close range, aim for the body so the sniper can’t surf the damage to shoot while flying away or go to cover. Also you use explosive projectiles, meaning around corners, you don’t need a line of sight to damage a sniper.
Pyro vs Sniper
Pyro is among one of the best cla*ses for hara*sing snipers. This will be quick though as there isn’t much to say.
All that matters is secondary. Flare guns. The flare gun is good for burst damage, the detonator is good for flanking and detonating near snipers to set them on fire, the manmelter if you have crits, can put a dent in DDS snipers. And that’s all.
Wait what? There’s another? Fine! I’ll cover it.
The spawn of Satan himself, the Scorch Shot. I don’t like using it and I hate it with a BURNING pa*sion, but it does its job of hara*sing snipers TOO well. The bouncing flare on direct hit and no need to even just hit directly makes it annoying and counters sniper too hard. I hate the thing and I personally never use it because I don’t hate everyone I play against, but I can’t tell you how to play a bloody video game. You do you, but people will hate you for it.
Also, don’t try to hara*s a sniper wearing the Darwin’s Danger Shield because he’s immune to afterburn and has 50% fire resistance. I don’t like the Darwin’s either. But if you don’t have a flare gun, there’s not much you can do unless you rush him down at close range.
Demoman vs Sniper
It’s pretty much the same as Soldier, but you do one thing better than soldier. It’s not requiring a line of sight at all, which is useful against snipers. though there are some weapons that excel at fighting snipers.
The primary is the Loch-n-Load due to its faster projectile speed.
The secondaries are the stock Stickybomb Launcher and Quickiebomb Launcher so you can stickysnipe them or jump to them and sync a sticky and a pipe.
Demoman excels at fighting snipers.
Though for Demoknight, it’s a bit different.
For Demoknight, the secondaries function mostly the same as they’re all shields.
But any melee works. If the sniper’s using the Bazaar Bargain, do not fight him with an Eyelander at long range or medium range. If he’s using the Huntsman, do not charge until they fire an arrow or close the distance. Huntsman snipers are a bigger threat to you than normal snipers.
However, if the sniper’s using neither, you should be able to kill him easily as you excel at close range. Though if he has the Bushwacka out and has Crikey activated or you’re covered in Jarate, it’s the same as the Scout. Wait for it to wear off then kill him.
Heavy vs Sniper
Sniper is Heavy’s biggest counter so don’t engage him. However, there is a way.
At close range, you shred snipers. Even if he’s using the huntsman. Huntsman snipers are apex predators of heavies, so if you see him at all, do not engage him, do not rev, and retreat to cover.
Though heavy is actually stronger than sniper at long range if his damage is boosted by mini-crits or crits.
For primaries, the options that give you a chance are the Tomislav, Natascha, and Bra*s Beast. The Tomislav because of its tight spread and medium-ranged nature. Natascha and Bra*s Beast because once you’re hit 150, if you get headshot again while revved up, it does only 120, leaving you with 30 health left, allowing you to escape while your next to cover.
For secondaries, Sandvich, Banana, and Dalokh’s Bar. But against huntsman snipers, you should really switch off heavy, but if you insist on going heavy, then equip a shotgun if huntsman snipers are a problem as you can still do damage without having to rev, allowing you to avoid arrows and other projectiles easier. Shotgun is up to personal preference, but I myself prefer the Family Business.
For melee, it’s easily the Fists of Steel.
Engineer vs Sniper
Engineer against Sniper is…. interesting to say the most. As Engineer, you don’t have a chance against snipers. Huntsman, Sleeper, and the Hitman’s Heatmaker, heck any sniper primary in general, is good for taking out engineers and sentries.
Though there are some weapons that increase survivability of you and your buildings.
Though one tip is DON’T. PUT. YOUR. BUILDINGS. OUT. IN. THE. OPEN. and don’t try to rambo a sightline. That will get you killed and your buildings destroyed.
For primary, the Rescue Ranger. It’s because of its ability to maintain your buildings from far away and yoink them out if things are getting a bit hairy.
The wrangler is good for increasing your sentries survivability and deterring snipers from shooting you and your buildings.
The stock pistol is good for hara*sing him from afar, but it’s better in a more offensive situation.
The short circuit is useful, but situational. It comes in use against snipers in two ways. Distracting them to get the heck out and against a huntsman arrow or jarate coming your and your team’s way.
Other than that, don’t try to take on snipers on your own.
Medic vs Sniper
As a Medic, you’re the last cla*s that should ever peek a sightline and you should be moving in a unit with your team more often than other cla*ses most times.
Though ubercharge can help you get to him. Overheal your teammates as often as you’re able, especially other medics and your team’s snipers.
You can hara*s him with the Crusader’s Crossbow and even kill him that way.
You can also kritz your patient, especially a heavy, to deal with a sniper.
If you manage to close the distance, you can chase him down. Though this warning does go for other cla*ses as well, he may be trying to give you the idea that he’s running from you, so be careful.
That’s it for medic.
Sniper vs Sniper
The most reliable counter to a sniper, is another sniper. This is less about weapons and more about strategies though.
Though if it’s rifle against huntsman. the rifle is at an advantage at medium to long range but huntsman is at an advantage at close range.
Countersniping:
If a medic’s on your team, ask them to overheal you unless you’re wearing the Razorback.
The first strategy is second scoping. Now listen. I hate second scoping and under no circumstance do I do it myself. If a sniper second scopes you, it’s on you because you gave him the advantage to do so. But like with the scorch shot, it’s a video game and I can’t tell you how to play. You do you.
It relies on waiting for the enemy sniper to scope in first, then you scope in to kill them. Though they can second scope you back, making you look like an idiot. Not reliable in the slightest.
The second is more advanced. It’s called bait scoping. You basically scope in to tell the sniper you want to engage him, then when he scopes in, scope out then scope back in and kill him. It works best against second scopers.
Though there is a third strategy and it’s by far the best one. It’s called being better than the enemy sniper. Shoot first. You should try it.
Though against snipers that don’t know I’m there, I tend to just get close to them then headshot them. It’s funny when it works out even though it’s stupid. It works surprisingly well.
Though if you need to practice sniping, go on MGE or Snipezilla servers as they can help.
Spy vs Sniper
Spy is a hard counter to sniper. So it’s important to know how to take snipers out as spy.
If no one’s around and they aren’t paying attention, either backstab them or shoot them if they’re using the Razorback.
Though they have something called ears. If you’re caught out, use your cloak or dead ringer and get to where a sniper wouldn’t expect you. So while invisible and caught out, don’t immediately run for cover. They will line up a shot.
Now what if the sniper is wearing a razorback and near an engie and sentry? Isn’t spy shut down?
Well no. Call your team to fake a push, then kill the engineer and sap the sentry before shooting the razorback sniper. If he’s using the sleeper, jarate/carbine-bushwacka, smg, or tribalman’s shiv, be careful. Wait for the effects to where off then go for the kill. Also do so before the pyro kills you.
Now what if it’s a nest with a razorback sniper near? Then wait for an ubered demoman or soldier to take care of it before going for the sniper if your sniper sucks too much to hit him by then.
Now that’s it for spy.
Here we come to an end for Team Fortress 2 How to Be a Good Sniper- Sniper Guide + Tips & Tricks hope you enjoy it. If you think we forget something to include or we should make an update to the post let us know via comment, and we will fix it asap! Thanks and have a great day!
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