Sniper

Never to be seen back support - The Sniper

“	Capable of effective attack in far distance. Suitable for defending certain area or supporting main attack force with covering fire.	”
	— Class Description

The Sniper is one of the three player classes in Alliance of Valiant Arms.

Overview

The Sniper use Sniper Rifles as their primary weapon. Since their defense rating and movement speed are rather low as compared to the other two classes, Snipers are suited for long range combat. The rifles they use are very powerful, but are only accurate when the user is looking through the scope. When there just isn't enough time to look through the scope, aim at the general direction of an oncoming enemy and fire during close quarters combat. With that being said, it's best for Snipers to stay away from the major combat areas, shooting down enemies from afar and up high.

Although Snipers are very skilled with Sniper Rifles, their Pistol Skills are relatively good as well due to their lack of CQB ability. Depending on the skill level of the sniper, they can be deadly at any range. A majority of the top tier sniper rifles tend to have insanely fast scoping speed, allowing snipers to execute the much needed quickscope at close range. 

Of all classes, Snipers have the largest range of weapon costs. It has the AVA's most inexpensive weapon (Galil Sniper at 31,000) and AVA's most expensive weapon (Pgm.338 at 59,000). However, keep in mind that a higher price does not always entail a better gun.

Though not purchasable, the "best" sniper rifle in the game statwise is the Barrett M82 Anti-Material Sniper Rifle. It is a one shot kill regardless of where it hits a target and is Semi-automatic.It can only be found on certain levels, including the [AI] Annihilation missions (after being dropped by Eva) and the Sniper Gallery. The use of this gun is generally NOT frowned upon, as it has VERY strong recoil (thus not "noobish"), low ammo count, and is dropped in the center of levels it's available on, thus making it a prize to race for rather than a match-breaking gift. It is, however, considered by some to be very "noobish" to NOT get kills when holding the rifle. Even if one dies holding the rifle,  it could still be used to get effect against the enemy if it is picked up by a teammate. Therefore, one should not be afriad to pick it up only when the area is clear.

Bolt Action

There are two different types of Sniper rifles, Bolt-Action (nicknamed "Bolt") and Semi-Automatic (dubbed "Semi"). Bolt Actions' performance is superior overall and easier to master. However, they require a moment between shots to chamber each cartridge. Within the bolt action sniper rifles, there are two classes. The first class sports the highest damage but the lowest rate of fire. This class includes the TPG-1 and the PGM. These tend to have high scope magnifications. The second class sports a slightly lower damage for a slightly higher rate of fire and mobility. This class includes the FR-F2 and the ASW, both having lower zoom than the first class. While the second class has a slightly higher chance to wound instead of kill, the extra mobility and lower zoom makes them more capable at closer ranges and vice versa.

The 1-hit-kill power makes bolt action rifles unrivaled for surpise attacks, assaults down long corridors, and supporting a teammate's charge from afar. In addition, in trained hands, it's instant-kill ability can also be exploited to clear corners at close range and deny the enemy from assaulting stratigic points. Ergo, the bolt action excels at both long range and close range against single opponents. However, against an assault of multiple oppoents, the bolt action's slow rate of fire is its main drawback so the user should position himself so only one enemy can engage him at any point in time.

Semi Automatic

The semi-automatic sniper rifle is the most difficult class of weapon in AVA to master, but could be used to great effect as a "designated marksmen's rifle" or, DMR. Semi-automatics excels at counter-sniper and close support. 

As a general rule of thumb, seek out either the rifle with the highest damage OR the highest rate of fire + low recoil. While rare, a semi-automatic with a high chance to one-hit kill an opponent with full health such as the WA-2000 and SVD Zebra can compensate for its low rate of fire. On the other hand, a semi-automatic with a high rate of fire such as the HK417, Mad Galil, or the VSS Katana can compensate for its low damage via its high rate of fire, penetration, and range, making a quick double tap on any opponent a garunteed kill. A middle ground semi-automatic like the MSG90A1, while doing more damage than the HK417 and having a higher rate of fire than the WA-2000, is still garunteed to always wound an enemy with full health with only one shot. Worse, it would also lack the rate of fire of an HK417 to quickly fire a follow up shot, thus leaving the marksman vulnerable. Any semi-automatic that needs three or more shots to kill like the VSS should not be considered at all. For high rate-of-fire semi automatics, a low and predictable recoil recoil pattern will dictate how fast you can accurately land your next shot.

The main advantage of a semi-automatic, moveshot, is also very important. If the semi-automatic rifle does not have full stability when running while zoomed in, buy the Sniper Field Manual III to be more effective. Needing to press shift to fire a shot will negate any advantage it has over the opposing sniper and his bolt-action. It is therefore imperative a marksmen choose his semi-automatics wisely. 

The strength of semi-automatic marksmen is his ability to bring down multiple enemies and suppress/kill enemy snipers. Therefore, semi-automatic snipers should sport a "close support" role, sticking behind friendly riflemen to quickly bring down wounded or grazed enemies with single shots, laying down suppressive fire against enemy snipers to allow teammates to advance, or to position himself at stratigic points to neutralize a large assault by the enemy team. Unlike the snipers using bolt action rifles, it is inadvisable to "solo" or flank using a semi-automatic at the beginning of demolition matches, as any encounter aganist riflemen with full health will lead to high chance of death. However, in these game modes without instant respawn, a marksman who survived the initial onslaught by supporting his team would likely face enemies with lower than 100% hp near the end of the match. Thus, his role as a game changer greatly increases.

Semi's tend to have a bad reputation among the player community, particularly when it is used in sniper only matches as it is commonly understood their rate of fire is generally more forgiving than a bolt action. Also, the semi-automatic's limitations and the lack of a large "designated marksmen" niche in the community has made the semi-automatic a "noob" weapon in the eyes of many, used only by those who bought it without knowing its drawbacks or those wishing to exploit its strength against bolt actions in sniper only games. While few, there are still some marksmen on AVA able to overcome the steep initial learning curve, using them to great effect in demolition tournament type matches. A skilled and dedicated player should never be afraid to explore this class of weapons if he is seeking a challege.

Strengths

• Very effective attack in long distance.
• Secondary weapon skills increases survivability.

The Sniper is very good at making fast kills, usually killing an opponent before the victim even knows where the attacker is. If the Sniper's victim does happen to spot the location of the Sniper, the Sniper would do well to relocate to a different spot temporarily.

Weaknesses

• EXTREMELY poor at close combat (depending on individual skill); pistol skill or quickscoping recommended over hardscoping. Unless you have a low phase zoom scope that is fast, and also great mobility and stability (the white bars on the side). DSR-1 is a great example.
• The Sniper Rifle's weight holds them down, making the Sniper the slowest class in the game.
• The Sniper Rifle's loud noise (with the exception of the VSS and its variants) make the Sniper's position easily identifiable
• The slow reload time of most Sniper Rifles creates an emphasis of accuracy over quickscoping, and leaves the Sniper open for enemy fire frequently.
• The fact that they're constantly under fire makes hiding skills necessary.

Class Skills

Name	Requirement	Reward
Sniping Novice: Shot grouping improved using scope LV1	Achieved upon creation of character	No reward
Sniping Expert: Shot grouping improved using scope LV2	Play 15 hours as a Sniper	10,000 SP
Sniping Master: Shot grouping improved using scope LV3	Play 40 hours as a Sniper	10,000 SP
Crouch Sniping: Crouch move shot grouping improved	Kill enemies with sniper rifles while crouching as a Sniper	10,000 SP
Moving Sniping: Running shot grouping improved	Kill enemies with sniper rifles while moving and/or jumping as a Sniper	10,000 SP
Pistol Extra Ammo: Pistol ammo increase	Kill enemies with pistols as a Sniper	10,000 SP
Pistol Quick Reload: Pistol reload speed increase	Kill enemies with pistols as a Sniper	10,000 SP
SR Quick Ready: SR weapon draw speed increase	Kill 800 enemies with sniper rifles as a Sniper	10,000 SP
SR Extra Ammo: SR weapon ammo count increase	Kill 1,200 enemies with sniper rifles as a Sniper	10,000 SP
SR Quick Moving SR weapon movement speed increase	Score 50 headshots with sniper rifles as a Sniper	10,000 SP
SR Quick Reloading: SR weapon reload speed increase	Score 200 headshots with sniper rifles as a Sniper	10,000 SP

Sniper Rifle Base Stat Comparison Datatable

Weapon (SR)	Damage	Range	Accuracy	Stability	Mobility	Rate of Fire	Magazine Size	Price	Draw time (s)	Rank Requirement
ASW 338	97	92	96	11	17	4	5	Updating	Updating	Sergeant First Class Lvl 1
AWM	95	88	97	20	20	12	5	47,000	Updating	Staff Sergeant Lvl 3
Blaser R93	96	90	94	25	18	15	5	49,000	Updating	Sergeant First Class Lvl 1
Dragunov SVD	86	60	91	35	18	28	10	40,000	Updating	Staff Sergeant Lvl 2
DSR-1	97	87	90	22	25	18	5	57,000	Updating	Master Sergeant Lvl 1
FR-F2	95	80	92	30	20	20	5	47,000	Updating	Sergeant First Class Lvl 2
Galil Sniper	70	60	85	25	15	32	20	31,000	Updating	Trainee
HK417 Sniper	60	94	92	30	15	35	10	58,000	Updating	Staff Sergeant Lvl 3
IMI99SR	82	80	85	25	18	30	25	40,000	Updating	Staff Sergeant Lvl 1
KAR98K	96	86	95	22	20	18	5	Capsule	Updating	Capsule
Knights SR25	85	88	92	23	12	26	20	40,000	Updating	Sergeant First Class Lvl 1
M24	85	80	92	30	20	18	5	Default	Updating	Default
M40A5	97	92	84	30	13	7	5	Updating	Updating	Staff Sergeant Lvl 3
Mad Galil	85	85	87	28	15	34	20	Capsule	Updating	Capsule
Mosin Nagant	99	90	95	25	12	15	5	Capsule	Updating	Capsule
MSG90 Borte Chino	91	74	95	20	15	22	10	Capsule	Updating	Capsule
MSG90A1	82	70	95	20	15	25	5	39,000	Updating	Trainee
PGM.338	99	96	96	10	12	4	5	Updating	Updating	Sergeant First Class Lvl 1
SV98	90	85	95	27	18	15	10	41,000	Updating	Trainee
SV98 Silver Arrow	93	85	95	27	18	15	10	Capsule	Updating	Capsule
SVD Zebra	85	70	85	40	18	32	10	Capsule	Updating	Capsule
TPG1	100	95	95	10	12	5	5	55,000	Updating	Staff Sergeant Lvl 3
TPG1 EPKO	100	97	96	10	17	5	6	Capsule	Updating	Capsule
VSS	55	55	80	38	22	37	10	Capsule	Updating	Staff Sergeant Lvl 4
VSS Katana	70	75	85	40	24	37	10	Capsule	Updating	Capsule
Walther WA-2000	90	85	92	23	12	22	6	44,000	Updating	Staff Sergeant Lvl 3

Best Maps/ Settings for the Sniper Class

Maps/Team (If given advantage)

• Cold Case (NRF)
• Castle Rock (NRF)
• Scorpion (NRF 'til first checkpoint, then Balanced)

Game Modes

• Annihilation (Map Specific)
• Escort (Snipers in high demand, LOTS of sniper spots on almost every map)
• I've noticed that in most all maps, the NRF team has a slight sniper advantage. However, the skill of one team's snipers and the heat of a round can turn any situation for either side. Do not take these listings as 100% fact.
• Canon [AI] Demolition. Since the AI tends to headshot at medium to close range and are worse shots at longer distances, the Sniper class is the most efficient means of exploiting their poor aim at range.

Gallery

The AVA Cover Sniper

EU Sniper

NRF Sniper

NRF Sniper In-game