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Half-Life: Counter-Strike Version 1.6
Sniper's Handbook
Version 1.3 by Nightdagger "<-{KoD}->Dagger}SG{" (nightdagger*hotmail.com)
Composed 5/12/03
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Revisions: 1.0- Initial release, 5/12/03
1.1- Added a couple of sections, discussion on AWP, 7/3/03
1.11- Minor update, circa 10/20/03
1.2- Updated for version 1.6 through Steam, 1/3/04
1.3- Updated with corrections and new information for latest
patch, 4/30/04
Table of Contents
1. Legal Notice.
2. Introduction: What is a Sniper?
3. Tools of the Trade.
4. The Art of Camping.
5. Tactics.
6. Being an Effective Team Member.
7. Alternate sniper styles
8. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
9. Contact Information
10. Big Flaming Idiots (the cream of the Internet crap)
11. Credits
Well, my first FAQ, and what better game to submit it for than
Counter-Strike, one of the best FPS (first person shooter) games of
all time. Many people use the Sniper weapons in this game, but very
few people understand what it truely is to be one of the elite...a
Sniper. You cannot simply expect to pick up a sniper's weapon and
be hailed as one of the greats. Such respect must be earned, and
it is my hope that this guide will give you the tools you need to
earn that respect.
Note that some of this information is drawn from real life tactics,
and not simply from CS gameplay. This is to be expected, as
Counter-Strike makes efforts to simulate real life warfare and
tactics. Learn these tactics, and your gameplay will improve.
=====
1. Legal Notice.
This document is copyrighted by Ken Martyn, aka Nightdagger, and may
not be used, in whole or in part, without prior consent. Permission
is given for this document to be displayed on www.gamefaqs.com,
http//dlh.net, http://www.neoseeker.com, and GameNotOver.com, and is
not to be used elsewhere without written permission. No portion of
this document may be used elsewhere with intent to gain profit from
it's use. Such use will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the
law.
=====
2. Introduction: What is a Sniper?
Any idiot can pick up a sniper rifle and use it, but this does not
make them a Sniper. Snipers are killing machines, men who can take
someone down from any distance without being detected. This is
key: Snipers are ghosts, invisible killers. If you are attacking
from a point where you will be detected after your shot, you are not
a sniper, you are someone using a sniper's weapon. A true sniper
lives for the kill, the thrill of taking aim, putting your
crosshairs on someone's head, and knowing that in an instant, they
will cease to be anything but a memory, and you will live to kill
again.
This cannot be stressed enough...if you pick up a sniper rifle and
then use it as an assault weapon, you cannot call yourself a Sniper.
A true sniper is unseen when he aims, unseen when he fires, and most
probably unseen after the kill.
This however poses the question: If a dead man sees a sniper, is
the sniper revealed? This is much like the proverbial tree in the
woods, but this one has a definite answer, and it is no. If you
kill the enemy who spotted you, you are still hidden. Thus, hiding
can take many forms, even to the point of standing in what would
otherwise be plain sight. As long as you kill anyone who spots you,
your cover will never be blown.
Most importantly, the Sniper lives by the creed, "One shot, one
kill". If you intend to become a Sniper, better brush up on those
headshots, especially if you're using the Scout. And it's highly
likely you will be.
3. Tools of the Trade.
A Counter-Strike sniper has a veritable arsenal of weaponry available
for his use, outreaching the usual selection of sniper rifles that
everyone attributes to their use. Any weapon capable of killing
someone at range will make a passable sniper's weapon, but there are
some that outshine the others. These are the weapons I shall discuss
here.
3a. The Scout
Probably the best sniper weapon available. I know that there's
dozens of people screaming "AWP!" right about now, but I do not
consider the AWP the most viable sniper's weapon. I'll explain that in
a bit. For right now, let's concentrate on the Scout. It's quiet,
it has a scope, and it is capable of a one-shot kill. It's light and
maneuverable, forgiving on movement while aiming, and holds plenty of
bullets to kill the entire team several times over. It is an
excellent choice in weapon. It's not the sort of weapon you'll want to be
holding if you get ambushed, although it can be put to use as a sort of
slow-firing shotgun (although you will have to practice to know where
to aim, as you don't have crosshairs. Still, if you look at it, that's what
sidearms are for. Don't be afraid of the Scout. Use it, learn
it, become efficient with it, and you'll strike terror into the
entire enemy team when their members begin falling one by one, and
they note the name of the sniper who killed them.
On top of this, in 1.6, the hitboxes have been changed, and the head
hitbox has been expanded. This directly translates to more headshots.
This only works to the advantage of the Scout, making it all the more
lethal in a good sniper's hands. In 1.6, more than ever perhaps, the
Scout has taken a step forward to being a true rival to it's bigger,
green tinted brother.
The one downside to the Scout (other than the fact that you can't go
elephant hunting with it, like the AWP) is that it's accuracy is not
perfect. Take a Scout and fire it at a wall while standing, and zoomed
in. Your bullets will not all hit the same spot. It's usually accurate
enough to score a reliable headshot if you know how to aim with it, but
it is not perfectly accurate. It will take training to get the accuracy
to score consistant headshots with this weapon. Crouching solves this
problem, making the Scout perfectly accurate, but it's not always feasable
to crouch. Crouch if you can, if not, hope you've spent some time at the
firing range!
3b. The Arctic Warfare Magnum/Police (AWP)
I'll say it right out...this is usually a lousy choice in a sniper rifle.
Why? Because it makes more noise than an elephant charging down main
street in NYC during rush hour. You will almost certainly kill
whatever it is you were aiming for, whether it be man, cow, or
dinosaur, but you will also almost certainly be spotted by players
who hear the shot...and everyone will hear the shot. Add that it's
heavy, hard to maneuver with, very picky about movement during the
shot, expensive, and near useless in close combat, and the cons far
outweigh the killing power. In general, pass up the AWP, unless the
situation calls for the oomph the gun provides.
It is, however, unlike the Scout, in that so long as you're not moving,
it is completely accurate. Take an AWP, aim at a wall, scoped in, and
your bullets will consistantly hit the same spot every shot. If you
can't consistantly score headshots with a Scout (because of the variance
in the firing pattern while standing), then use the AWP to correct that.
In the latest patch as of this writing, Valve has implemented a very
significant change to the AWP, in that it takes time to scope in. Reports
have this time at as high as 2 seconds (?!?), meaning that, unless you
arrive at your sniping spot with plenty of time to spare, and are prepared
to wait a painful amount of time between shots in a crisis, you'd better
come with some backup. The re-scope time after a pistol/rifle quickswitch
has been lengthened as well, seemingly with all sniper rifles. However,
as of this writing, it would appear that this change is buggy. NOT ALL
USERS ARE AFFECTED! So, do not count on this information if you
find yourself in a counter-sniping situation against an AWPer. He might
not have the delay you're expecting him to have.
3c. The M4A1 Colt Carbine
What? An assault rifle listed as a choice for a Sniper? Yes sir!
The reason is the suppressor. With a suppressor equipped, the Colt
is a deadly weapon at long ranges when used by a sniper. You won't
be living the "One shot, one kill" creed, most likely, but you will
kill people and go undiscovered. In addition, you have the fallback
of close-combat firepower should you be ambushed. The Colt is an
all-around excellent weapon, and really shines in the hands of a
sniper. Still, the crosshairs and excellent extreme range accuracy
of the Scout makes it a better choice overall. Use the Colt if you
intend to be a part-time sniper, or if you fear that you could be
ambushed. Other than that, use the Scout or the AWP.
As of the latest update, the Colt's usefulness as a sniper's weapon has
been reduced a bit, as the crosshairs are larger than they have been in
the past. This means reduced accuracy at longer ranges. Still, it will
suffice in a pinch, so if you're planning on sniping part-time and want
a hefty, solid weapon with which to fight in an assault or fend off an
ambush, take a look at the Colt.
3d. Autosnipers
In 1.5, I used to say that nobody should ever use these, because
quite frankly, they sucked. 1.6 changed this, big time. These puppies
ROCK now, maybe a little too much. They're still noisy as hell, but
they do a good amount of damage and the accuracy has been boosted a lot.
These things are the new sniper rifle that everyone's complaining about,
and you'll commonly hear more people complaining about these than with
the AWP. If you've ever heard a rant on AWPs, you know that's bad.
But these things still don't quite cut it for use as a true sniper's
weapon. They're great if you can score a headshot with your first bullet,
but if you don't, everyone in the county will know there's an autosniper
being used, and quite frankly, a sniper doesn't need that kind of
attention, because you'll quickly become public enemy #1. Stick to the
Scout or the AWP, they'll serve you better.
3e. Sig/Aug
These are dual-purpose weapons. They have two firing modes, normal
and zoomed. There is a hefty advantage to the zoom modes of these
weapons, however, as they don't block out your peripheral vision as
much as a sniper rifle does while scoped in. They are also both highly
effective weapons for close combat. Overall, at longer ranges, you'll
still find the Scout or AWP more effective, but these weapons do deserve
a look, especially if you find yourself being drawn into assault
situations. Both very good weapons for a Sniper.
Thanks to tim sainsbury for pointing out that I'd neglected these weapons
in the first version of this guide.
3f. The USP pistol
A pistol as a sniper's weapon? He has to be crazy, you say! I say
no, and it's for a few simple reasons. It's cheap, it's easily
available, it holds a lot of bullets, it's silenced, and it's
extremely accurate at even long range if crouching, considering you
take the time to aim. As a sniper, you should ALWAYS be aiming
before a shot, so that's a given. It will take more than one bullet
to kill your target, but in a pinch, this weapon will suffice. If
you don't have enough money for a decent sniper weapon, buy a SMG
and use the USP for sniping. Just remember the suppressor, and be
aware that you must kill your target quickly, or he'll pick up on
your location through the damage indicators. Do not take the shots
unless you're confident you will kill him before he can point out
your location to his teammates. Also, be aware that you should only
be using the USP as a sniper's weapon in two situations: if you're
planning on sniping VERY part-time and don't want to commit your
primary weapon to a more suitable weapon, or if you're flat broke and
can't afford one, yet for some reason still feel obliged to snipe.
3g. Sidearms for the well equipped Sniper
Chances are, you're using a Scout or AWP for your primary sniper's
weapon. You will need a good sidearm, just in case you happen to get
ambushed. My recommendations here are the USP, the Desert Eagle, and
the P228. All solid guns, the USP can double as a sniper weapon in a
pinch, the Desert Eagle packs killing power (even if it is noisy),
and the P228 is a very underrated pistol, almost as good as a Desert
Eagle for power versus firing speed and accuracy. Any of these
pistols will serve you well in a pinch. I would not recommend the Glock,
the FiveseveN, or the Dual Elites. The Glock, while it can be deadly in
the right hands, commonly requires too many shots to kill, which can
take time you don't have. The FiveseveN isn't that bad, and packs one
of the largest single clips available for a pistol, but the power of the
pistol doesn't make up for the firing rate, not to mention that against
kevlar, it really starts to suck. The Elites, while improved recently,
still suffer from that inaccuracy problem, in that one shot will veer
slightly left, the other slightly right, meaning it's anyone's guess where
the bullets are going.
3h. AWP versus Scout; The pros and cons
Ok, so most snipers will be using one of two rifles, the Scout or the
AWP. Each has it's strong and weak points (albeit, in my mind, the
Scout is much better rounded than the AWP) and the key to victory is
to know when to use which rifle.
On maps with large, open expanses, or where absolute stealth is the
most important factor there is, go for the Scout. You'll have time
to aim for a headshot, and headshots are instant kills, so why overkill?
The AWP is just an added expense, and if you happen to get killed, the
loss of the weapon is going to sting. Worse, the enemy might pick it
up and put it to use against your team. And we all know that the AWP
is a killing rifle, even in the hands of a complete fool. If you die
with a Scout in your hands, many people will pass it up, and those that
pick it up might fail to score headshots with it, meaning their bullets
won't instantly kill your teammates.
On maps with close quarters, or very narrow chokepoints where enemies
can breeze through your line of sight in a heartbeat, take the AWP. You
will have to fire very quickly to make a shot count, and you might not
be able to score a kill with a Scout. The back bombsite on de_cbble is
a prime example of this. There's two ways into that bombsite...through
the double doors, and through the narrow door to the left of the bombsite.
Many snipers choose to take their vantage points at one of two places on
this map, either at the bombsite itself, amongst the crates, or on the
ledge behind it, affording a perfect view of that door. Unfortunately,
terrain factors into this, as the door isn't flush with the wall, enemies
can dart past that door in a split second. Plus, there's boxes scattered
around, so if an enemy charges out the door, you might lose him behind
terrain, and he's probably spotted you if he's not already dead. You need
to kill him, NOW. An AWP nearly guarentees a kill there.
Another factor to be taken into account is that the sounds from rifles aren't
dictated by the server. You can replace your sound files to sound like
anything you want. This means it's entirely possible that someone has
replaced the normal, quiet scout fire sound with something horribly loud
and revealing, nullifying the one great advantage of the Scout over the AWP.
If you fire a Scout and suddenly everyone within two miles of you is looking
your way, it's highly possible that they heard you. If you're being detected
while firing a Scout, you may as well skip it and go for the extra killing
power of the AWP. At least then people who hear you won't hear you for long.
In addition, there's the new feature/glitch/problem/nerf I referred to in the
section discussing the AWP...the scope delay. If you're not affected by it,
count yourself lucky, because by all reports (I wasn't affected by it, so I'm
taking
this on a second-hand accounting) it can take up to two seconds to scope in with
the AWP now. That might not sound like much, but in a fast paced game like CS,
two seconds is an ETERNITY.
Another thing to keep in mind (this courtesy of Knight Glenn, who took the
time to email me this, and made me rethink my own stance on the AWP. Thanks!)
-----------------------------
AWP cons(Taken directly from your FAQ):
more noise than an elephant charging down main
street in NYC during rush hour, heavy, hard to maneuver with, very picky about
movement during the shot, expensive, and near useless in close combat.
AWP pros(Again, taken from your FAQ):
Killing power.
To start it off, the expense usually puts a dent in your monetary flow. However,
like a good scout-user, if you're experienced with this, it'll only take $5000
out of your credit every, say, four turns. Let's do some math.
Now, we'll imagine that our AWP user kills 1 person per round, and his team wins
the round every time, and it's a hostage map.
300(Per person killed) x 4(number of rounds played): $1200.
$2000(per winning round) x 3(number of rounds): $6000
$1400(per loss of round) x 1(number of rounds): $1400
+__________________________________________
$8400
This severly outweighs the expense. Next point
Near useless in a close combat battle, is very true. As it holds true with a
scout. An AWP will get a 1 shot kill, if hit anywhere above the waist. A scout
will do about 35 damage per shot, if his above the waist.
I went to my local internet cafe, and began to observe a man, whose years of
experience are unknown to me, but he seemed fairly good with the sniper rifles.
So I sat next to him, and observed his playing style. He was good with the
scout, but his accuracy with the AWP was truely horrible. Anyways, I saw seven
up-close confrontations. Three with AWP, and four with a scout.
On average, he hit with the AWP once ever four shots. With the scout, every two.
He killed with the AWP once, and with the scout, twice.
In the long run, the scout seems to pull ahead just a bit. But hell, thats what
side-arms are for. Just in case.
Next point, picky about movement. If you're a good sniper, you won't need to
move at all. However, if you do have to move, you'd just pull out your side arm,
and reposition yourself. This also mainly kills the weight problem, as the
manuevering case.
Lastly, the loud bang problem. Which I don't consider to be a big problem. Hell,
think about it. A loud bang comes your way, and a fellow teammate goes down. Do
you:
A) Run out, screaming, just as your favorite action hero, Rambo would.
B) Keep running as if nothing had happened
C) Take cover, prepare yourself, assess what happened, and take the correct
course of action.
You, being a good sniper, would normally choose C. This happens with about 70%
of those in my local cafe. When this happens, the AWP'er has the few precious
seconds to reposition himself before he'd be caught. And, since the enemy
considers to know your exact position, you can surprise him.
----------------------
He brings up some very good points, points that I cannot really refute. Take
this into account as you decide which weapon best compliments your style.
4. The Art of Camping
There are two types of camping: efficient camping, and fear camping.
You probably already know the difference between the two types, but
I'll detail them here. Fear camping is the first impulse a new
player feels when he's walking into a firefight, that impulse to find
a safe spot to hide and wait for the bullets to stop flying. It's
staying in one spot out of the sheer terror that a bullet might find
it's way into your chest. These players are usually despised, both
by their team and the opponents, and have given camping a bad name.
Efficient camping, on the other hand, wins games. It is the art of
hiding in one strategic spot, lying in wait for a foolish opponent
to present you with a target long enough to turn him into a bad
memory. Efficient campers are hated by the enemy, but loved by your
team. Snipers are often placed within the efficient camper category,
simply by their job description.
However, it must be stated that there is a difference between camping
and stalking. If you are moving, no matter how slowly, and not
remaining in a single, darkened corner, or behind a single
well-placed box, you are not camping, you are stalking the enemy.
Some of the most efficient snipers are stalkers, men with the grace
and patience to move slowly enough to be undetectable, while firing
unseen at victims who all too often end up dead. A sniper who is an
effective stalker is truely deadly, and probably some of the most
feared players in Counter-Strike.
Effective camping is simple. Know the map that you're on, know the
routes the enemy is most likely to take, and choose a location that
offers you concealment, away from the heavily traveled routes, that
will give you a good vantage point from which to rain silent death
upon your enemy. Rooftops are excellent choices for this, as you
can remain unseen by ducking back away from the edge once you've
taken your shot. In addition, darkened corners of tunnels also work
excellently, assuming that you are, of course, wearing dark clothing.
A sniper in a winter camoflage suit hiding in a dark corner is as
visible as the elephant I was referring to earlier in this FAQ.
Choose your clothing based upon the terrain you'll be fighting on,
and change it if need be.
Note however, that like weapon sounds, player skins aren't dictated
by the server, so people could have custom skins installed that
are nothing like the default skins. Keep that in mind, and be aware
that even if you should be blending with the background pretty well
based on default skins, a player with a custom skin might see you
easily.
Stalking is more difficult. It requires you to hang close to the
shadows, remaining unseen, while not obstructing your own line of
fire to ensure that you can take a shot at any moment. Think
ninja...this is what a truely effective stalker becomes. You move
completely undetected by your enemy, but can kill him with a moment's
notice if the shot presents itself. This is a skill that cannot
really be taught by any means other than experience. Try it. You're
likely to die a lot while you're learning the skill, but even if you
never fire a bullet in a hundred rounds, if you learn to stalk
efficiently, you will become a hated man. At least by your enemies.
No matter if you're camping or stalking, you must always have a clear
escape route selected, in case you're detected and need to get out
of Dodge in a hurry. Remember, if you're spotted, you're not going
to be an efficient sniper anymore, you're simply a target. Move,
find a new vantage point, and let the enemy lose track of you. Walk,
don't run, unless you're certain the enemy is far enough away that
they won't hear your footsteps. If you run, they'll only track you
by sound, and they will still know your location. This defeats the
purpose of running in the first place. If you find yourself in a
position where you have no choice but to run, because the enemy is
too close, then berate yourself for allowing them to get that close
in the first place, and fight back. Your job as a sniper is done
for the moment.
Here's a good escape tactic that I've found for when a single person
is rushing your vantage point. Quickly scope in and take a shot at
him. Accuracy doesn't matter, you only need to hit him, and even if
you miss, the fact that he's being fired upon might cause him to
delay momentarily. After your shot, don't stop to think whether it
connected or not...immediately pull out a frag grenade and toss it
at him. If your shot did connect and your throw is good, the grenade
will kill him. He'll know this, and he'll likely abort his rush to
avoid being blown to hell by your grenade. Take advantage of his
pause to throw a flashbang at him, and then make good your escape.
One thing must be said...there is a time for sniping, and a time to
put the sniper rifle away. If your teammates are in trouble, back
them up. Do it by sniping if you can, but if not, assault. If you
have to, discard your sniper rifle for a weapon more suitable for
the task at hand. Remember, your teammates are your cover, the
people that the enemy are looking for while you pick them off. If
the enemy is left with nobody but you to look for, your days are
numbered.
5. Tactics
5a. Headshots are your friend.
Nothing beats a good headshot for taking down an enemy. With almost
any weapon, a headshot spells instant death for the target. Snipers
capitalize on this.
Even with the most quiet weapon in the game, if your enemy has time
to sort out the damage indicators done to him and alert his teammates
as to where he's being shot from, your cover is blown, and your life
expectancy has just dropped horribly. Headshots are a good way to
ensure he doesn't have time to do this. Scout headshots are
particularly devastating, and very attainable for a player who cares
to spend any time learning the Scout at all. This is perhaps what
makes the Scout the most effective sniper weapon in existance.
5b. Be comfortable with your scope.
The default sniper scope is passable, but you should be comfortable
with it. I would highly recommend looking at some replacement scopes
for your sniper rifles. Such scopes are easily found with a simple
web search...take some time and look at some different ones, try a
few out, and use one that suits you. The more comfortable you are
with your scope, the more effective a shot you'll become. Once
you've found a scope that you believe will be to your liking, rename
the file as sniper_scope.spr and paste it into your Counter-Strike
folder, under the Sprites folder. For the retail version of CS 1.5,
this is C:\SIERRA\Counter-Strike\cstrike\sprites, and for the mod
version, it shouldn't be too difficult to find if you look for it.
Under 1.6 with Steam, it should be shockingly similar: download or
create your favorite scope, rename the file to sniper_scope.spr, and
drop it into the folder C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\youremail\
Counterstrike\Cstrike\Sprites\, and restart Steam. However, I haven't
tried this since the latest update, which made a small alteration to the
sniper scopes themselves, so I don't know if this still works or not.
If it does, though, a replacement sniper scope can make a world of
difference.
Note that replacement scopes are illegal in most leagues, including
CAL, CPL, and OGL. If you think you'll ever even consider playing
in a league, back up your default sniper scope so that you can change
it back if need be. Under 1.6, this isn't necessary...simply delete the
.spr file you dropped into your sprites folder, and restart Steam. Easy.
5c. Never fire unless you intend to kill
Simple as that. If you are not hell-bent on killing your target, do
NOT fire. If you do nothing but wound him, the only thing you've
managed to do is give away your position, and you are a sitting duck.
If you don't believe you can kill your opponent quickly enough to
prevent him from revealing your location, hold your fire. The
exception to this rule is if you've already been detected, in which
case you're no longer a sniper, and the rules don't apply. Do whatever
necessary to get out alive.
5d. Use grenades to your advantage
Most of the time, you won't use a grenade in an active way as a
Sniper. However, they make for an excellent way to discourage
pursuit if you're discovered. A well placed HE grenade can wound
your opponents badly enough to make them fear a pistol confrontation,
and an unexpected flash can disorient your pursuers and even give
you a precious few seconds to disappear into the shadows again. If
you can spare the cash, always carry a HE and two flash grenades.
They can literally save your skin. The latest update fixed a bug with
flashbangs, so seriously consider their use, even if you always thought
they were useless before. You never know when blinding an enemy is
your only hope of escape, and avoiding a death on the scoreboard.
5e. Too much zoom is as bad as none at all
If you can, use only the first magnification rating on your scope.
The second, while giving you much greater accuracy, heavily cuts
into your peripheral vision and makes you an easy target if someone
has spotted you. You will see only your target, and not his allies,
who may be looking Right At You. Only use the second magnification
rating if your target is at such an extreme distance that a headshot
with single mag is unlikely, or if you have reliable backup guarding your
flank.
5f. Only zoom if you're planning on firing...
...in the next 5 seconds. While zoomed in, you can't see what's
going on around you, and you will be completely oblivious to someone
sneaking up on you for an ambush. This, of course, doesn't apply if you
have reliable backup guarding your flank, and you want to ensure that
anyone who comes around that corner, or through that door, drops dead
before he knew what hit him.
5g. If you can't see them, they (usually) can't see you
If you're worried about being spotted, find a place where you cannot
see your enemy, and keep your pistol out. An enemy could pick up on
the barrel of your rifle, even if you can't see him at the time.
When you're ready to take a shot, slowly, SLOWLY edge around the
corner of your cover, change to your sniper rifle, take stock of the
situation, zoom in, fire as soon as you're confident of the shot,
then change back to your pistol and duck behind your cover. Your
enemy is dead, and his allies can't see you.
Note: This is NOT always true. If you're on uneven ground with an
overhead ledge (for example, the tunnel under the bridge on de_dust)
then it is possible that the enemy will be able to see your feet
before you see theirs. It's also highly possible for an enemy to spot
your gun barrel peeking out from behind a box, or the top of your head
over a low wall, or catch a flash of arm around a corner, or for your gun
barrel to clip through a thin wall or door, and all of these things make you
a target. Use extreme caution in situations like these, and use other cover
besides simple line of sight to ensure your concealment.
5h. Wait between shots
Unless the situation is grim, wait at least 10 seconds between shots.
When someone falls prey to a sniper, everyone looks for the sniper,
and you don't want them to see you peeking around the corner, do you?
Give them a while to stop looking for you and begin checking around
for other enemies, then take your next shot. Act too quickly, and
you're probably a dead man.
5i. Use quick-switch to your advantage
Keep your pistol on quick-switch at all times. Normally, this
defaults to Q. The benefits are many...if you get ambushed, your
backup weapon is only one keypress away. Your pistol is smaller,
and less likely to get you spotted than a huge honking rifle. If an
enemy does happen to spot you, he's going to be looking for someone
with a sniper rifle, not a pistol, and he may overlook you as the
sniper for that simple reason. And if all else fails, it's faster
to run with a pistol in your hand than a rifle.
A good tactic to use is to switch to your pistol as soon as you take
a shot. You've got better maneuverability (even though the Scout is
a very light weapon, allowing you to move just as fast as most pistols)
and you won't automatically zoom again after your rechamber delay.
This improves your peripheral vision, allowing you to spot potential
threats nearby, and lets you choose your target more easily when you
move to take your next shot. Plus, the barrel of your rifle isn't
betraying you. You will have to deal with a small delay before you can
re-scope upon switching back to your rifle, but the benefits far outweigh
the drawbacks.
You can even take this to the next level, and use your quickswitch as
an offensive tactic. Peek around a corner, note enemy locations, switch
to your rifle, and zoom in...before going back around the corner. Now,
jump around the corner, locate your target while you're in the air, and
fire as soon as your feet touch the ground. The instant you fire, switch
back to your pistol and dart behind your cover again. This tactic makes
you incredibly hard to hit with assault rifle fire, and can confuse most
snipers as well. The downside to this is that a jumping form is easily
spotted, and you'll likely only have one shot from complete stealth.
5j. Bring a backup weapon
It may sound corny, but if you can, use the drop key to your
advantage. With a little practice, it's a simple matter to take two
rifles with you, by repeatedly dropping your primary, running over
the second weapon, picking it up, and then throwing that one, only
to pick up the first weapon again. A sniper who brings both a Scout
and an AK to a camping spot is a menace...
5k Silent AWP? Maybe...
There's a trick that you can use that might cut down on the cannon
sound that the AWP makes. Try hitting your flashlight just as you
fire. I've never gotten it to work, but supposedly if you time it
right, it tames the loud sound of the AWP to a level more akin to the
Scout. This would override the one great disadvantage of the AWP, the
noise. If you can get this to work, the AWP will become ten times
more deadly in your hands.
However, do not try for the quickswitch method, where you fire and
switch to your secondary weapon so fast that you don't even use a
bullet. Yes, glass will break, bullet holes will appear, but there's
a reason the game didn't take a bullet out of your ammo supply, and
it's because the gun never actually fired. It's a strange glitch
in CS...you'll hear the gun fire, you'll see the gun doing damage, but
nobody will take any damage from the shot at all. You may as well not
even fire.
Thanks to [RTS] Hallucinations for submitting this trick.
5l. Above all else....
Patience and self-discipline are key. Do not expect to rack up a ton
of kills as a Sniper, especially if you are doing it properly. Do
not expect to kill an enemy every ten seconds, or twenty seconds, or
even minute. The truely elite know that sometimes, it's best to let
one enemy pass and prevent any chance at being discovered than to
take the kill and spend the next two minutes finding a new
position. You won't be as high on the scoreboard, but you, and
everyone you are playing with and against, will know that each of
those kills was earned, and they are all marks on the record of a
Sniper.
6. Being an Effective Team Member
A Sniper is, by nature, a loner, someone who goes off while the rest
of his team advances, and finds a vantage point from which to kill by
surprise instead of straightforward assault. A key point in CS
tactics, though, is to realize when assisting your team is more
important than stealth kills.
If your team is fighting a straightforward assault against the entire
enemy force halfway across the map, now is no time to be sneaking up
from behind to kill them. The action will be long over before you
find a vantage point suitable for killing by stealth. Switch out the
sniper rifle and pick up an assault weapon, or if you have to, rush
in with your pistol. Your shots could mean the difference between
victory and defeat for your team.
If your team engages the bulk of the enemy force within your sniper's
vantage, you have two options, and you should take a moment to
consider them. Take a quick headcount of the enemy. Are they all
there? If not, where are the others? If you don't know, you'd
better find out...they could be on to you. Take no more than a few
seconds to consider these options if your team is under heavy fire
and at risk of being wiped out. The objective is more important than
your survival, so if your team needs you, then open fire. If they
appear to have things under control, watch their flanks. The missing
enemies could be sneaking up on them, and taking out the leader of
the flanking forces could prove instrumental in your team's survival.
Is there one player who's dominating the enemy scoreboard? If so,
then make him your primary target. Remember, this is the guy who's
killing most of your teammates...the sooner he dies in a round, the
less of your team that will die to him. If you're presented with a
choice of targets, pick him. Beware, for he probably knows that
you're a sniper, and is probably more than ready to take evasive
action, so make your shot count. Hitting him and wounding him is
going to accomplish nothing but getting you killed. If you fire on
him, kill him, no questions asked.
Is there a less experienced player on your team, someone who's dying
in every rush? Take him with you, and have him watch your back.
He'll appreciate the fact that he's not dying as much, and that he
has changed from 'that guy who never does anything' to 'the sniper
bodyguard'. You'll appreciate the fact that you have to watch your
own back less. It's a win/win situation. Just make sure that he
knows to stay out of sight...if he gets spotted, your cover is blown.
And, if worse comes to worse, and the poor guy ends up getting fragged,
at least he still served a purpose....if you're paying attention, you'll notice
him die from the indicators at the top right of your screen, and noticing
that will give you a split second to get the hell out of Dodge before they
come gunning for you.
And one last thing, something that many of the best snipers have
fallen prey to, and something that I have stated before. If your
teammates need you, be there for them. Do whatever it takes to
accomplish the mission, even if it means throwing your sniper rifle
away and picking up an AK from a dead enemy's corpse. The best
sniper in the world is nothing if his team fails to accomplish their
objective, and that objective is more important than your score or
your life. The mission objective comes first, and if you cannot
accomplish it as a Sniper, then you are useless to your team as one.
7. Alternate Sniper Styles
Snipers don't have to be campers. In fact, a sniper who continuously
camps finds himself losing efficiency as a sniper, because the enemy
learns to avoid situations where they can fall prey to sniper fire.
And, lets face it, there's some maps that just don't offer any decent
sniper spots. So, occasionally, a sniper finds himself having to
resort to other means of killing.
There's no reason why you should have to put down the sniper rifle
though. It's a powerful killing tool in your hands, after all. So,
I think it appropriate to discuss a few alternate styles that can
be used by snipers to mix things up and keep their enemies guessing.
7a. Assault Sniper
This tactic centers around hiding along the way to chokepoints. You
rush with the rest of your team, but you find a vantage point from
which to snipe just before you reach a heavy fire situation. The rest
of your team charges ahead, doing what they do best, and you peek out
and fire a few precision shots to help them out.
I find this tactic works exceptionally well in areas with large hallways
scattered with boxes and walls, like de_dust. As a terrorist, the sniper
rushes with his team to the tunnel, but falls short and stays in the
tunnel, crouching and creeping towards the bombsite and offering covering
fire (and usually killing fire) down that tunnel into the bombsite. As
a CT, rush into the bomb site and snipe down that same tunnel into the
large open area in the middle, where Terrorists love to run into each
other and cause general chaos among the ranks. Underneath the bridge
is also a great area to use this tactic, for both teams.
7b. Support Sniper
This tactic relies upon your teammates for cover. Basically, you move
with your team, staying behind them. As they harass the enemy with
Colt/AK fire, you pick and choose your targets, using your teammates
to confuse the enemy as to your location. This is a very dangerous
tactic to use on servers with friendly fire enabled, as teammates have
an annoying tendancy to move directly in front of you just as you
shoot, and a shot aimed for an enemy's head will all too often hit your
teammate's head first. Be confident in your skills if you choose this
method.
7c. "Hiding in plain sight"
This tactic is to be used when no cover is available, and there's an
area that your team must defend at all costs. De_dust2 comes to mind,
with the A bombsite, the long stretch down long A. Pick a skin that
blends in well with the doors and stand right in front of them, in the
open, with your rifle zoomed in and aimed at the corner of the wall.
When a target presents itself, quickly aim and fire. Quick reflexes
are the key. You don't want the enemies who see you to live to tell
the tale, so if a T looks your way, you need to attack and kill him
quickly, because he'll definitely be sending lead your way. Make certain
you have backup in a situation like this, because you'll spend most of
your time zoomed in so as to make lightning fast shots, and that leaves
your flank horribly defended. Covering fire to harass the enemies you're
firing at never hurts either.
Just remember...if an enemy spots you and dies a quarter of a second later,
you're still effectively hidden...dead men tell no tales.
8. FAQ
Q-I have a tip to being a better sniper! Will you put it in your
guide?
A-Maybe. Email me with the tip (see contact info below) I give
credit for all submissions, so be sure to include your CS name.
Q-You say the AWP is a horrible sniper rifle! What gives?
A-It is. Usually. It sounds like a cannon. Anyone within a mile
will know that an AWP is being fired, and what direction it came from.
That's not very efficient when you're trying not to be spotted.
Q-Do you want to join my clan?
A-No. I'm a member of the Knights of Destruction, <-{KoD}->,
Silver Gryphons sub-sect }SG{. I'm not a clan-hopper.
Q-Can I join your clan?
A-I don't recruit for the Knights, that's my leader's job, and for the
most part, our clan has gone almost exclusively CS:CZ anyway.
I will however refer you to our forums, so you and the clan can get
to know each other, and from there decide what happens. Email me
and we'll discuss it.
Q-Can I add you to my MSN/ICQ/AIM/Yahoo messenger?
A-I would prefer you don't. I'm going through my MSN and deleting
all the contacts I don't talk to on a regular basis. 200+
contacts is too much for me, and I've run into a whole mess of
idiots this way. If you have questions or suggestions, then yes,
you can email me or add me to Messenger, but I'd prefer you don't
add me to messenger programs unless there's no other way to get
ahold of me. And be warned that I don't take any crap from anyone,
so trying to flame, argue with, or insult me will do nothing but
get you blocked, in addition to getting added to the Big Flaming
Idiots section of this FAQ.
Q-Can I add you to my Steam friends list?
A-Depends. Email me and say why you want to add me. If it's just
to chat, then probably no. If you're looking for people to play
CS with, or something of that nature, then maybe.
Q-What's up with your email address in your contact information?
It's all messed up!
A-That's a tactic to prevent email gleaner bots from getting my addy
and spamming my inbox more than it already is. Replace the * with
@ and you've got it.
Q-This guide sucks!
A-That's not a question. Next?
Q-Are you the '1337 5n1p3|2'?
A-I hate 'leet speak'. The only time I use it is to insult idiots in
their native tongue. To answer your question, I'm not the best,
but I am effective when I want to be.
Q-You didn't respond to my email. Why?
A-Because it was either a waste of my time, or you didn't follow the
instructions under contact information.
Q-The AWP is better than the Scout.
A-That's not a question. And as a sniper weapon, it's not. Usually.
Next?
Q-Can I forward you useless email?
A-Anyone who reads my email signature will know how I feel about
useless spam. Doing this will get you blocked.
Q-In your opinion, what's the best sniper weapon setup?
A-Finally, a real question. I would suggest the Scout, with a USP
or a Desert Eagle as backup.
9. Contact information (see FAQ about email addy/MSN addy)
If you have any comments, questions, or additions to make to this
FAQ, you may email me at nightdagger*hotmail.com. Be sure to
include the phrase 'Counter-Strike' or 'CS' in the subject, or it
will get filtered to my junk mail box, and I hate looking through
my junk mail for potentially important stuff, so I don't do it very
often. I try my best to answer all Counter-Strike related emails,
but be aware that I get a lot of junk mail, so if you don't follow
the directions above, it will take time to answer at best, and will
be entirely missed at worst.
Please do not add me to Messengers unless you have a question or
suggestion, and I'm not replying to email. It takes too much of my
time to stop and chat with random people, and some of the people
who've added me are downright damn rude. If you have a question
or comment, or want to just say "thanks", please email me instead.
Do not spam me. I hate spam. It will get you blocked quicker
than a trained Sniper can frag you. That's pretty damn fast.
All the information in this FAQ is original thoughts and takes
on the art of being a Sniper, to the best of my knowledge, unless
otherwise credited. If I have inadvertantly copied something word
for word that someone else has stated elsewhere, then please, email
me with that person's name and a link to their work, so that I can
verify that and give them proper credit. Even though I didn't
intentionally copy it, they did state it first, and they deserve
the credit for that work.
10. Big Flaming Idiots (the cream of the internet crap)
Herein is a list of people who have gone out of their way to annoy,
irritate, or just plain piss me off, either through email, messenger,
or in the game itself.
(This section currently empty. Although I have run across some real
morons while playing CS, I've deleted their contact information from
my Messenger programs, so I don't recall their names to post.)
11. Credits
To Sierra, for making Counter-Strike in the first place.
To Gamefaqs, for hosting such a terrific site, and this FAQ.
To Neoseeker.com, DLH.net, and GameNotOver.com (www.neoseeker.com,
dlh.net, GameNotOver.com) for their interest in my guide.
To the Legion of Doom, for teaching me to play with the big dawgs.
To [LOD]byte_me, for showing me that the Scout is a TRULY deadly
weapon.
To [LOD]R@ven, for being that "player dominating the scoreboard", and
my usual primary target.
To [LOD]Warpigz, for kicking my ass so many times, and for
many laughs along the way. "Clear that schector!"
To <-{KOD}->Black Gryphon, for getting me started on Counter-Strike.
To }SG{Fire Gryphon, for offering me a spot in his clan (now sub-clan).
To <-{KoD}->, the Knights of Destruction, for being there.
To all the people I've killed in CS, for becoming frags on my record.
Pwned!
To all the people who've fragged me in CS, for teaching me valuable
lessons. Pwned back!
To Knight Glenn, for taking the time to email me a very long, indepth
discussion of the AWP, and making me rethink my own values on the
weapon.
To tim sainsbury, for reminding me to include the SIG/AUG as weapons.
To [RTS] Hallucinations, for his submission for the "Silent AWP" trick.
And finally, to you, the reader, for taking the time to learn what it
means to be a Sniper.
