Standoff 2 Sniper Guide: Become a Deadly Scout on PC
Weapons and utilities are a major part of the competitive FPS game that is Standoff 2. The large variety of guns provide the players with a lot of options to pick a gun from. Basically, a player is either an assaulter (the player which pushes into the enemy’s location, facing them head-on), a lurker (the player who uses stealth to flank the enemy and catch them off-guard), a scout/sniper (the player who keeps in mind the enemy’s locations and uses a sniper rifle to provide cover for their team), or support (the player/players that give cover fire or assist the assaulter/entry fragger and help push into the enemy’s territories using utilities). In this guide, we will cover one of these roles, the scout. The scout generally uses a sniper rifle to hold entry or exit points to kill enemies.
Choosing Your Weapon
The game offers three sniper rifles to choose from- the M40, AWM, and M110. The M40 and AWM are bolt-action sniper rifles (similar to AWP and SSG 08 from CS:GO, respectively), while the M110 is a semi-automatic sniper rifle (similar to G3SG1 and SCAR-20 from CS:GO). Players mostly pick either the M40 or the AWM simply because the M110 is too costly to be bought in a competitive match. Getting killed often when buying it would affect your economy badly.
The M40 is a sniper rifle with high mobility and decent damage. It is also the cheapest one of the bunch, costing only $1800. Due to the lower than average damage (for a sniper rifle), it requires two body shots to get a kill. However, hitting the enemy on the head with this gun will give you a kill instantly. Players use the gun when they are low on the economy, or when they prefer mobility over the damage.
AWM is the most powerful gun in the game, getting a kill on both body and headshots with one bullet. In case you hit the foot of the enemy with this gun, it deals 86 damage points. This puts the enemy at a major disadvantage in any sort of gunfight because they will be left with only 14 health points. Even a pistol bullet could finish the job then. If you buy the AWM, you trade high damage for mobility. It reduces your movement speed significantly. Refrain from buying this gun repeatedly due to its high cost ($4750) if you are getting killed often. Stabilize your economy before you even do that.
Being a semi-automatic sniper rifle may seem very enticing, but players tend not to pick the M110 often. That is only because most seasoned sniper using players prefer using bolt-action rifles. Although this just might be the best gun for you if you miss your first shot often. The damage is lower than AWM’s but a shot to the head is still a kill. At least two hits are needed to the body for a kill with this gun. The perks are balanced with high recoil and low mobility. Same as the AWM, don’t buy it again if you have a high death count as you will only be upsetting your economy. $4800 should be spent smartly if you are to use this gun in more than one round.
Tactics and Tips for a Sniper
Here are some plays that you can deploy when you are a scout:
- Maintain that Distance – The further away you are from your enemy, the more advantage you have when using a sniper rifle. In a gunfight over a long distance, the player that uses the gun with a scope will have the upper hand. The scope zooms in to increase your accuracy, while a gun without a scope would struggle to be accurate in such situations. If the enemy gets close to you, you should try to hit them without the scope. This will be troublesome if you are using the M40 or AWM but is fairly easy with the M110. In close fights when you have the M40, be mindful of the enemy’s health. Remember that you need one headshot or two body shots to kill them. It is advisable to go for a no-scope hit when the enemy is low on health, as that will kill the enemy instantly. But if the enemy has full health, switch to your sidearm as soon as possible. The pistol will be more effective in close-range. However, when using the AWM, you can simply trust your aim and go for a no-scope body hit.
- Stick to Cover – Always remember to shoot from cover. Use a wall or any obstacle when sniping for cover. When using bolt-action rifles, the character does an action to put another bullet in the chamber, which requires about 1 second. That one second is when you will be vulnerable to the enemy’s fire. Peek, shoot and then get back in cover for effectively surviving rounds.
- Memorize the Map – A scout that knows the map is much more difficult to handle than a scout that is unaware of the map info. With 4 maps in the rotation, it is a lot of hard work for someone who is just starting out. But with enough practice in TDMs and casual defusal matches, you will definitely feel like you know the map better. Knowing the call-outs also helps to alert your teammates or vice versa. You can use this map knowledge to predict the enemy’s location. When you do that, all you have to do is wait for them at the entry point. The element of surprise is everything, so be quick and choose a vantage point smartly.
- Study the Enemy – You need to get in the head of the enemy. Think like them to stay ahead of them. On the basis of how they played past rounds, predict their next move. This may seem like a tough task at first but it will cripple the opponent’s confidence when you pull it off. If their tactics or plans get thwarted most rounds, they will get stuck in a loop of repetitive and predictable plays once they get desperate. This tip is helpful for all sorts of players, not just the scout. However, a scout’s job is to gather intel effectively, which helps smoothly predict the enemy’s plays.
Getting that First Shot on the Enemy
It is often considered that if you miss the first shot with a sniper, you become an easy target for the opponent. This is mostly true because you are completely vulnerable unless you are using the M110. You need to kill the enemy with the first shot in order to stay ahead of the curve. It’s fine sometimes if you miss the first shot, but it’s not recommended. Here are some ways to improve your aim with a sniper and have good defensive and offensive play:
- Aim Training – Play in the training mode against bots. Practice each sniper you want to use here. Choose the moving target setting when you get used to hitting still targets. This way you will get used to dealing with enemies that are moving. Try going for headshots even if at first you are unable to do it. Adjust your sensitivity every once in a while. This helps you try new sensitivities and experiment with them, in case you feel the new one is better than your old sensitivity.
- Flicking – This is the action of quickly moving the crosshair towards the enemy and shooting. Mastering this is really tough but comes really handy when you are on the offensive. It is tough to judge from where or when the enemy might appear but flicking is one of the strongest skills of a sniper. Practice flicking motions on bots in this way. Use a still target and try moving the crosshair as fast as you can to the bot. Train yourself to flick to different locations accurately by making micro-corrections after every try. With daily practice, you will notice your aim will get more accurate and consistent.
- Peeking – Staying in cover and peaking to shoot is a basic play used by all players. A sniper can use this to their advantage or at their own peril depending on their gameplay. One of the things to keep in mind when peeking and shooting is that you must not be moving when you pull the trigger. The slightest movement will make you miss the target, so wait patiently till when you stop moving. Slowly peaking your opponent is not a good idea, you become an easy target. Do not walk or crouch when peaking, it will slow you down and make you an easy target for the enemy that is looking in your direction. Use this to your advantage by making quick peaks (called jiggle peaks) using the A and D keys to go out of cover and get back quickly. Depending on the situation, if the enemy knows where you will peak from, take a wide peak (by pressing A or D for longer duration). This will confuse the enemy long enough for you to hit them accurately. Whatever you do, remember to keep switching positions to stay unpredictable and lower your chances of getting hit. A player that is watching a spot constantly will have the advantage over a player that peaks.
Along with these, you need to train yourself every day. Practicing these tips and tactics till they come naturally to you will definitely make you notice the improvement in your play style and aim. More guides for assaulters, support, lurkers, and much more will be coming soon.
