So this new guy came to me and asked for some basic tips in TF2 sniping. I got inspired and here is the product: the ultimate beginner's guide to sniping in HL3 I MEAN TF2. Let me know if I'm wrong or need to add anything. My goal is for this to be a reference guide.
So, you want to play sniper in TF2
First things first, don't play sniper. Play another class. This isn't CoD, sniper is much, much harder to play, and it doesn't carry the team. Also, be warned, I tend to write excessively. When you have crossed this point, there is no going back.
If you really want to learn or you blatantly disobeyed the above paragraph, here's some tips.
1. Move.
Move around. This makes it harder for enemies to target you. You don't want to die, do you?
2. Spycheck, Spycheck, Spycheck.
If you don't want to die, always keep a keen ear and listen for the decloak sound of spies. If you bump into one, throw jarate and track him. If a teammate is acting suspicious, hit him a couple times to make sure. Also, watch out for dead ringers. Just when you think you've killed them, they come back and bite you in the ass.
3. Use your friggin jarate.
Get Jarate. This is EXTREMELY useful to yourself and other teammates. It makes the jarated player take all damage as minicrits. That's more damage to kill. It also makes cloaked spies visible. Also, get a bushwacka to go with it. With this, any minicrits automatically become crits. So, when you see a heavy/medic mowing down your team? Throw jarate, it makes them easier to kill. Bump into something you think is a spy? Throw jarate. On fire? Throw jarate. Jarate puts out fires on you and your teammates. USE YOUR JARATE! If you want to get jarate or a bushwacka without waiting for it to drop, craft a scrap and go to Scrap.tf. Easy.
Okay, some people say that the Stock SMG is better. It is useful for self defence, but not very helpful to the rest of the team. If you have learned tracking, it is quite dangerous.
4. Prioritise Targets.
So, you see a heavy medic pair, and they're causing trouble for your team. You wanna take them down, but there's this REALLY bad sniper just standing still over there. There's also a demo walking in a straight line from over there! And it turns out, that pesky spy you thought you just killed has come back! What do you do? Prioritise.
First, go for the spy. Immediate threats to you and possibly your team come first. Kill him, then go on.
Second, go for the medic. Read that again. GO FOR THE MEDIC. He is what's keeping the heavy alive, kill him.
Third, either jarate the heavy if he is in throwing range, or shoot the demo. If the heavy is in range, jarate him then let him die at the hands of your teammates. If you face him alone, you will most likely die. The demo should be an easy target.
Fourth, you finally get to shoot the sniper. Ah, the joy.
5. Aim for the head.
The MOST important aspect in the actual aiming process, aim for the head. It does WAY more damage in much less time, and full charge kills anything. Do this, and you will get a lot more kills.
6. Be Fast.
Always be quicker than your opponent. Move a bit, find your target, zoom in, shoot, move some more, repeat. You don't have to be efficient just yet, just watch your ammo. Still, aim for the head. Keep trying even if you miss oh so many times.
7. Track.
Tracking is a very crucial part of being a good sniper. This is the ability to find a target, predict where their head will be when you shoot, and hit their head. This is what defines a good sniper. Really, the only way to get good at this is through practice. Which carries perfectly into the next point, which is....
8. Practice!
Now, first of all, pick another class and PLAY THAT CLASS MORE. But if you want to get REALLY good at sniping in TF2, just remember an old saying. Practice makes perfect. That is all. I recommend you do this offline, online people will rage if your sniper skills are puny yet you still play it.
9. Don't worry about K/D
TF2 is not based on K/D. The game does not track K/D ratios. In fact, the only way to know your overall K/D is through Edgegamers' Gameme rankings. Why did I just tell you that.
Just don't worry about how bad you're doing, just play for the good of the team. This goes for any class.
10. Read and repeat.
That's right. Read and practice these until you've got them DOWN. Memorise these. TAPE IT ONTO YOUR FOREHEAD. Do what it takes to remember how to be a good sniper.
Now get out there and do #8.
Important Note:
Here are some nice settings you should have as sniper:
Automatic Reload: ON
Fast Weapon Switch: ON
Hit Sound: ON
Display Damage: ON
Play Sound When Sniper Rifle is Fully Charged: ON
Sniper Rifle Re-Zoom: OFF
Viewmodel size: Personal Preference
Best Loadout:
Stock
Jarate
Bushwacka
Stay away from pyros.
If you don't want to take time to learn how to headshot, there's another rifle you can use that is a bit impractical, but still powerful. The Sydney Sleeper is rather effective at medium range. It takes a while to charge and get the jarate effect, but it's helpful you your team. It's not very useful against other snipers because of the time it takes to charge, unless you cornersnipe, which is also not advised. It also has the added bonus of making others rage.
So, you want to play sniper in TF2
First things first, don't play sniper. Play another class. This isn't CoD, sniper is much, much harder to play, and it doesn't carry the team. Also, be warned, I tend to write excessively. When you have crossed this point, there is no going back.
If you really want to learn or you blatantly disobeyed the above paragraph, here's some tips.
1. Move.
Move around. This makes it harder for enemies to target you. You don't want to die, do you?
2. Spycheck, Spycheck, Spycheck.
If you don't want to die, always keep a keen ear and listen for the decloak sound of spies. If you bump into one, throw jarate and track him. If a teammate is acting suspicious, hit him a couple times to make sure. Also, watch out for dead ringers. Just when you think you've killed them, they come back and bite you in the ass.
3. Use your friggin jarate.
Get Jarate. This is EXTREMELY useful to yourself and other teammates. It makes the jarated player take all damage as minicrits. That's more damage to kill. It also makes cloaked spies visible. Also, get a bushwacka to go with it. With this, any minicrits automatically become crits. So, when you see a heavy/medic mowing down your team? Throw jarate, it makes them easier to kill. Bump into something you think is a spy? Throw jarate. On fire? Throw jarate. Jarate puts out fires on you and your teammates. USE YOUR JARATE! If you want to get jarate or a bushwacka without waiting for it to drop, craft a scrap and go to Scrap.tf. Easy.
Okay, some people say that the Stock SMG is better. It is useful for self defence, but not very helpful to the rest of the team. If you have learned tracking, it is quite dangerous.
4. Prioritise Targets.
So, you see a heavy medic pair, and they're causing trouble for your team. You wanna take them down, but there's this REALLY bad sniper just standing still over there. There's also a demo walking in a straight line from over there! And it turns out, that pesky spy you thought you just killed has come back! What do you do? Prioritise.
First, go for the spy. Immediate threats to you and possibly your team come first. Kill him, then go on.
Second, go for the medic. Read that again. GO FOR THE MEDIC. He is what's keeping the heavy alive, kill him.
Third, either jarate the heavy if he is in throwing range, or shoot the demo. If the heavy is in range, jarate him then let him die at the hands of your teammates. If you face him alone, you will most likely die. The demo should be an easy target.
Fourth, you finally get to shoot the sniper. Ah, the joy.
5. Aim for the head.
The MOST important aspect in the actual aiming process, aim for the head. It does WAY more damage in much less time, and full charge kills anything. Do this, and you will get a lot more kills.
6. Be Fast.
Always be quicker than your opponent. Move a bit, find your target, zoom in, shoot, move some more, repeat. You don't have to be efficient just yet, just watch your ammo. Still, aim for the head. Keep trying even if you miss oh so many times.
7. Track.
Tracking is a very crucial part of being a good sniper. This is the ability to find a target, predict where their head will be when you shoot, and hit their head. This is what defines a good sniper. Really, the only way to get good at this is through practice. Which carries perfectly into the next point, which is....
8. Practice!
Now, first of all, pick another class and PLAY THAT CLASS MORE. But if you want to get REALLY good at sniping in TF2, just remember an old saying. Practice makes perfect. That is all. I recommend you do this offline, online people will rage if your sniper skills are puny yet you still play it.
9. Don't worry about K/D
TF2 is not based on K/D. The game does not track K/D ratios. In fact, the only way to know your overall K/D is through Edgegamers' Gameme rankings. Why did I just tell you that.
Just don't worry about how bad you're doing, just play for the good of the team. This goes for any class.
10. Read and repeat.
That's right. Read and practice these until you've got them DOWN. Memorise these. TAPE IT ONTO YOUR FOREHEAD. Do what it takes to remember how to be a good sniper.
Now get out there and do #8.
Important Note:
Here are some nice settings you should have as sniper:
Automatic Reload: ON
Fast Weapon Switch: ON
Hit Sound: ON
Display Damage: ON
Play Sound When Sniper Rifle is Fully Charged: ON
Sniper Rifle Re-Zoom: OFF
Viewmodel size: Personal Preference
Best Loadout:
Stock
Jarate
Bushwacka
Stay away from pyros.
If you don't want to take time to learn how to headshot, there's another rifle you can use that is a bit impractical, but still powerful. The Sydney Sleeper is rather effective at medium range. It takes a while to charge and get the jarate effect, but it's helpful you your team. It's not very useful against other snipers because of the time it takes to charge, unless you cornersnipe, which is also not advised. It also has the added bonus of making others rage.
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