Sniper is a term used to refer to a player or non-player character that specializes in long-range shooting and uses a sniper rifle. They often hide in elevated and concealed positions to shoot hostiles from, making them deadly at long-range combat. Some snipers also camouflage themselves - usually with a Ghillie suit - to further conceal their position. Snipers steady their aim by holding their breath for long periods of time. They are deadly with their accuracy, and considering the power of sniper rifles, even a missed shot could take a large chunk out of somebody's health. The only hint to take out a sniper is "look up."

Sniping Locations Edit

Snipers tend to isolate themselves from the front lines. Snipers do not always seek their targets; rather they hide in an elevated or concealed position and wait for enemies to come into sight (considered Camping by some players). This tactic can guarantee many kills, or few kills at all, depending on what points a sniper watches. Watching popular choke points can offer a sniper many kills. However, spotting a Sniper in Call of Duty is not very difficult.

The ideal locations for a Sniper to hide are in buildings with windows (like the ones in Bloc) or elevated positions (like the top of the building in the north of Crash, or Highrise). Crouching behind a low wall at ground level may also be an acceptable tactic, and sometimes very effective.

Sniping Tactics Edit

A sniper delivers precise long-range killing shots to their enemies. To do this, they use powerful rifles and/or aim for the head. Killing an enemy with the fewest shots as possible is a sniper's goal, as snipers carry much less ammo than other soldiers, and they can usually do so with one shot, or two if the first didn't kill. Missing a sniper's target usually alerts the target to the sniper's presence, and causes the target to seek cover or seek the sniper. A very useful tactic is to constantly change locations after getting a kill. It is very effective by trying to predict where the enemy will come from.

Sniper Rifles Edit

Snipers have a variety of bolt-action and semi-automatic rifles to choose from. Bolt-action rifles are most common in the World War II Call of Duty games, while the Modern Warfare games introduced more semi-automatic rifles in addition to bolt-action rifles. In general, bolt-action sniper rifles have high power, allowing for one-shot kills on many parts of the body, but have high recoil and low rate of fire. Semi-automatic rifles are more diverse, They can be similar to bolt-action rifles, or they can have low recoil, low power, but allow for follow-up shots if the first didn't kill. All sniper rifles come with an attached scope with a zoom, and the Modern Warfare series introduced replacements for the default sniper scope: the ACOG Sight, and the Thermal Scope, Call of Duty: Black Ops introduced the Variable Zoom and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 introduced the Iron Sight only avaliable to the Ballista, this can be useful for making the Ballista versatile.

Perks and Equipment (Multiplayer) Edit

Perks Edit

Claymore x2 and Bouncing Betty x2 are popular perks for snipers. They allow the sniper to place explosive mines that are triggered when an enemy approaches them, making them valuable for covering a sniper's back (in Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops this was replaced by the Claymore equipment). Stopping Power is also a popular perk for snipers which increases the power of the rifle, increasing the chances of getting a one-shot kill. UAV Jammer/Camouflage/Cold-Blooded/Assassin/Blind Eye/Ghost can also be used for snipers who like to maintain stealth, however most snipers are unwilling to give up Stopping Power (the Dragunov and WA2000 are unaffected by Stopping Power), though in Hardcore Sniper shots will kill in one hit, unless the enemy is using Juggernaut/Last Stand/Final Stand/Second Chance or when firing through cover. In the Tier 3 Perk slot, Iron Lungs/Steady Aim Pro is used for a longer steady time, and Steady Aim can be used by snipers who wish to increase their effective close-quarters ability. Bandolier/Scavenger can be used for increased ammo, though this is less popular than the Claymore x2/Bouncing Betty x2 Perks. Sleight of Hand is a great option if a player prefers a more aggressive form of sniping. M2 Flamethrower is also a useful perk, as it gives the player a back up weapon if their pistol runs out of ammo. The Overkill perk is very useful, giving the sniper the chance to equip another primary weapon.

Equipment Edit

In addition to Sniper Rifles, snipers also carry handguns and other secondary weapons. Snipers may also equip suppressors and other scopes (Modern Warfare series and Call of Duty: Black Ops only). They also have access to special grenades and other equipment (such as Claymores and Semtex). A Camera Spike or Motion Sensor (Black Ops) is a good option if a player wants a reusable piece of equipment, compared to Claymores which are only a one-time defense.

Camouflage Edit

Snipers may use camouflaging tactics to stay hidden. When wearing a ghillie suit, going prone in grass makes the sniper much harder to spot. A ghillie suit is worn in certain singleplayer levels and in certain multiplayer levels with a sniper rifle as the player's primary weapon. When not wearing a ghillie suit, snipers can hide in shadows or in enclosed spaces to reduce their visibility. In multiplayer, a ghillie suit is given to players using a sniper rifle as their primary, except in Call of Duty: Black Ops, where the player's Tier 1 perk determines their appearance. The Ghost perk provides some type of ghillie camouflage, but depending on what team the player is on, the perk can provide only minimal camouflage.

GalleryEdit

A Spetsnaz sniper.

MacMillan is an example of a sniper.

Another sniper.

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