User blog:AntiScootaTwo/Black Ops II: How to use Snipers

After my shotgun write-up that can be found here, I decided to try to help out some more with doing the same for Sniper rifles. Black Ops 2 does seem to be catered to the close-quarters aspect of war, so the Sniper rifles are a rare sight on the battlefield. There are a few maps where people will always use snipers (i'm looking at you Turbine), but almost every map can be sniper- friendly if you follow these tactics. First, a brief overview of every sniper in the game.As a contradicton to my first guide though, I will go into strategies more than each guns specific attributes.

The three "real" snipers: This category includes the DSR 50, the Ballista, and the XPR-50. All three of these snipers do very similar damage and have close attributes. While they are all a one hit kill to the body and head, there are still some differences to consider. First, the DSR is unlocked as soon as you get Create-a-class. Out of these three, the DSR seems to have the highest recoil, lowest fire rate, and smallest magazine size. This will make most players discard the DSR when later snipers are unlocked. Through the unlock system, the Ballista comes up next at rank 43. Compared to the earlier DSR, the Ballista holds three more bullets in each magazine, lower recoil, and an attachment unique to this gun. The XPR-50 is the last sniper unlocked, and is the last for a reason. Essentially, it is a semi-auto variant of the Ballista. Damage multipliers make the XPR one hit just as commonly as the earlier snipers with a higher rate of fire to make closer range that much easier. Essentially, the higher rank you are, the better sniper you get.

SVU-AS: The dark horse of the Sniper Rifle category. While the other three snipers allow for body shots to be lethal, the SVU MUST land a headshot in order to get a kill. The SVU also uses a much different scope pattern than other snipers, what is known as a Cheveron Scope. Many players do not like this scope, but it can be utilized the same way as any other scope. The SVU-AS does have many attributes over the other three snipers though; such as the highest fire rate and ammo capacity. A skilled sniper will use the SVU as a headshot gun, making it just as powerful as the latter snipers.

Attachments: A sniper rifle should always be used with attachments to match the scenario you are faced with. The Suppressor can be utilized to make a true stealth class, but it also decreases damage multipliers. The three "power snipers" mentioned will now only one shot kill in the head, and the SVU will become completely incapable of delivering a one hit kill. The SVU is better for the soldier who double taps to ensure a kill, while say the Ballista Silenced is for the person who waits for the perfect headshot. A Dual Band scope can help you pick out targets who would normally be very hard to see, but decreases overall view of your surroundings. This scope can be combined with the Variable Zoom; while the Variable Zoom itself makes your sniper balanced for multiple ranges, the combination can lead to a very tactical setup. All of the attachments are useful, but are pretty self-explanitory on how they help you. They include the Ballistics CPU, Fast Mag, and Extended Mag. Finally, the [ACOG Scope]] will hinder long ranged combat, but increase aiming time and decrease zoom for closer ranges.

Pistols: In my opinion, a sniper should always carry a pistol. The reason I say this is that rifles are naturally not effective at close range, and a handgun has a quick swap time to make yourself lethal at any situation. There are a few exceptions though, which I will mention later.

Five Seven and Tac-45: These two handguns are the first two unlocked. They are also the only true semi-auto pistols in the game. Despite this, they can easily be the most lethal of the group. Both the Five Seven and the Tac-45 are capable of a two hit kill; the latter having a much larger range. The trade off for damage at range for the Tac-45 though is cutting your ammo storage in half. A quick trigger finger will be reloading the Tac-45 frequently, while the Five Seven will still be able to shoot. Between these two handguns, it is all preference to which one you choose.

Executioner: This handgun is considered by many players to be the worst in its gun category. Being a revolver, it has the lowest magazine capacity, only holding five shots. One thing to know though is that the Executioner fires shotguns shells. This means that it potentially has the highest damage of the pistols. Hipfiring the Executioner is also very effective, as the gun has a good spread. Your main drawback will be range though, as this guns damage does drop to zero after a short range. These attributes make the Executioner a different choice, if you are looking for a high risk/high reward secondary.

B23R and KAP-40: The two "auto pistols" of Black Ops II. Easily having a higher fire rate than the three other handguns mentioned, many players will instantly jump to these. The B23R has moderate damage at close range, with manageable recoil making its three round burst easy to hit with. At times, one quick burst will ensure a kill. It is advised though to double tap to make sure the enemy goes down. With the KAP-40, you will want to spray until the bad guy is dead. Having a small magazine and the highest rate of fire, the KAP-40 should be treated as a submachine gun. Either of these two guns bridge the gap between a primary and secondary, and can be a reliable asset to skilled players and new players alike.

Other Secondaries: While they are not handguns, there are three different types of guns that will work well with a sniper. First, the Ballistic Knife fires silently and delivers a one hit kill. If you are accurate with this weapon, you can move around perfectly silent and deliver one hit kills at any range. Second, a Submachine gun used with Overkill is questionably the best secondary for a sniper. This will give you more ammo and stopping power than yours standard handgun. Finally, the RPG can be used with an ACOG equipped sniper, making for a double mid-ranged weapon combo.

Maps and Tactics: As a sniper, you will want to know the best sight lines for each map. Questionably, Turbine is the best map to learn sniping on. The bridge at the bottom of the map leaves you open on each side, but gives you a decent view of where other snipers may be. Alternatively, the top of the airplane can give you a view of the entire map, but anybody with eyes will see you. Even on maps such as Yemen, there are buildings specifically made for snipers. As long as you can watch your back, any building with one entrance can make a good sniper spot. If you are a good shot, cover is not even needed. As long as you can deliver your one hit kill, keep on moving and let the opponent guess where you are. This also leads to stealth. Perks can be used to cover up where you are moving, and a Suppressor will let you stay in the same spot without worry of being found through missed shots. The best practice you can get at sniping is simply to snipe on any and every map available. This will force you to find the perfect sight lines and how to manuever without being outgunned at close ranges.

Well, that is it for now. If you enjoyed this and didn't see my previous post on shotguns, make sure to see it |right here. Leave any comments in the messages.

PS: I found a better LMG than the QBB LSW