Last Updated: 5/10/2024
Foreword: I realize I already made a guide, but now since there is a Heavy / AMR variant of sniper, I figured I would include it in basically just a modified re-post of my old guide.
So you picked Sniper specialist of the normal M42A, or the XM34E1 AMR … or you’re the spotter. Wonderful! Let’s get started, shall we?
The Sniper's Equipment
You will notice several pieces of gear in your box.
- Your Sniper Rifle. Only you can use it. (ESSENTIAL)
- Your battle sight. (ESSENTIAL)
- your ghillie suit (matched to fit the AO’s weather): (Recommended, but not essential)
- Spotter’s Kit Box. (Not required. Only PVT’s & PFC’s can use the kit.)
Spotter's Equipment
In your spotter’s kit box, there will be:
- a pamphlet. (ESSENTIAL, read IMMEDIATELY)
- A Spotter’s laser designator. (ESSENTIAL)
- Spotter’s Sight. (ESSENTIAL)
- Ghillie Suit (matched to fit the AO’s weather). (Recommended but not essential)
If you are a spotter, you do not get a weapon. It is recommended to take a shotgun if you are a spotter. If you are fighting/shooting you are likely in a compromised position and are engaging in CQC to try to get away with your sniper pal.
Well, it seems you have your gear. If you’re the sniper spec yourself, it is recommended that you spend your points on either flak or normal ammunition.
It is time to teach you how your equipment and gear work.
The bread-and-butter of sniper rifles are aimed shots. Your entire kit basically revolves around this ability.
Ammunition and Aimed-Shots for the M42A Rifle
When you have your M42A Sniper Rifle in your hand you will be presented with 2 additional buttons:
- Aimed Shot (Selection Type)
- Toggle Targeting Laser (Toggle Type)
Let’s start with Aimed Shot (Spotters can also benefit from this information).
Aimed shot GREATLY enhances the type of ammunition you fire out of your weapon. Think of it like charging a rail-gun.
Firing with your selected ammunition types will do the following for each type of ammo for both normal-fire, and aimed shot:
-
Default Ammo (M42A): The DPS
Does 70 damage with 50 AP (Full Penetration) on a normal shot
Does 210 damage (3x normal) with 50 AP (Full Penetration) on an aimed shot -
Flak ammo (M42A): The Slowing
does 54 damage with 0 AP (No Penetration) and a 5x5 AOE applying the same damage on a hit centered on the point of impact on a normal shot
does 108 damage (2x normal) with 0 AP (No Penetration) with NO AOE, but inflicts the SLOWED condition for roughly 4 seconds on an aimed shot -
Incendiary ammo (M42A): The Burning
does 61 damage with 23 AP (Good Penetration) and 15 fire-stacks on a normal shot
does 61 damage (same as normal) with 23 AP (Good Penetration) and MAX 45 fire-stacks and inflicts the BLINDED condition for roughly 4 seconds on an aimed shot
If you want my opinion as someone with over 300 hours in specialist, You’ll be using Normal and Flak ammo most of the time with the M42A Rifle.
Aimed shot must have a clear line-of-sight to the target when the channel both begins, and ends in order for the weapon to actually fire. This means if the xenomorph is keeping it safe and keeps running behind cover to block your ‘shot’, you will consistently not be firing.
Keep in mind a few things with ammo. Your rifle may have IFF (it doesn’t hit marines), but you can hit allies with the AOE of the flak rounds if you are shooting it without aimed shot. Incendiary rounds on the M42A are good when it comes to T1 xenos, and forcing enemies to retreat; but if there is a ravager or the queen shows up it is 100% useless. You may as well switch to a default M4RA battle rifle and shoot it with that, or better yet, switch to one of your other ammo types.
Ammunition, and Aimed-Shots / Focus for the XM34E1 Anti-Materiel Rifle
The AMR can only hold one type of ammunition, and each magazine holds virtually half as much as it’s M42A counter-part.
A unique property of this weapon is each time you hit the same target with your aimed shot, you get a sort of “Focus” on that target, up to 3 times.
Focus stacks are not lost over time ever; but they do re-set when you aimed-shot, and successfully hit, a different target.
Focus stacks do not degrade if a xeno body-blocks a shot not intended for it, but it will not gain stacks if the original target is not hit by the shot.
Ammunition:
Able to penetrate through up to 7 solid non-indestructible walls and people/aliens alike (realistically only 4-5 max).
Each “Collateral” your shot pierces through reduces damage dealt by 20% to the next target if it’s a “small” target, or 60% if it’s a “Large” target or a wall. It also decreases the range by 4 tiles (lemme know if any of this is wrong / changed)
125 is the base damage profile of the weapon calculated for aimed shots and penetrations.
Does 125 damage with 50 AP (Full Penetration) on a normal shot that pierces through targets.
Does 1.8 x base damage (225) with 50 AP (Full Penetration) on an aimed shot against non-xeno targets (E.G: Human or Predator)
Does 1.6 x base damage + 5/7.5/10% current-health Damage with 50 AP (Full Penetration) on an aimed shot against runners and defenders
Does 1.6 x base damage + 10/15/20% current-health Damage with 50 AP (Full Penetration) on an aimed shot against normal xenos (E.G: Lurker or Warrior)
Does 1.6 x base damage + 15/22.5/30% current-health Damage with 50 AP (Full Penetration) on an aimed shot on a “large” target (E.G: Queen or any T3)
Keep in mind also, that even though the AMR has wall-penetrating capabilities, aimed shots will not “proc” or fire if there is a wall or other obstruction in the way. You will have to either manually shoot at the xeno behind the wall (if you can see them) or wait.
How Spotting Works
For Spotters, you will get a special Laser Designator labelled “Spotter’s Laser Designator” and is ID-locked to you.
You get a button:
- Spot (Selection Type)
Now that you know what aimed shots do the rest is pretty simple to explain; as toggling the M42A’s Laser and Spotting simply Enhance Aimed-Shot’s abilities.
Toggling the Targeting Laser allows you to shoot/channel aimed shot in half the time (50% reduction). The downside of course, is the fact that you and the target are tethered by a VERY hard to miss/ignore red-laser beam. Or in the case of the AMR on 3 stacks of focus, a blue line.
So … how do we get the same benefit of the faster aimed-shot?
For you Spotters, this is where you come in. As a spotter, you have the ability to consistently, and constantly “spot” or “mark” enemies on the battlefield.
Now, if you’re visible, there will be a yellow-orangey line tethering you and the target. Keep in mind this tether isn’t broken, or stopped if there is a wall or piece of cover between you and the target.
However, if you are cloaked, the laser will inherit the alpha (transparency/invisibility) of the user. This is good because then you won’t give away your position.
Here’s how spotted targets, Laser Targeting and aimed shots work:
-
No Spot, No Targeting Laser:
Full channel-time (3 seconds) -
Spotted OR Targeting Laser:
Half channel-time (1.5 seconds) -
Spotted WITH Targeting Laser:
1/3 channel-time (1 second)
Alrighty, now that you know how everything works, it’s time for some strategy suggestions.
As a sniper, it’s not always the best idea to just spam spots and aimed shots. You’ll see what I mean when you are covering the front.
As a sniper you are a MASSIVE deterrent to any and all xenomorph pushes. They want to extend? Aimed shot. They keep pushing? Massive damage to them.
…
Here is what I have seen as the most effective strategy as someone with more than 300 hours as specialist:
WAIT
Believe it or not, you are a psychological warfare asset on the battlefield, if you reveal your hand too early before a big push, you may stop the push, and therefore your team may not get as many kills, if any at all.
My personal strategy for the M42A is to load flak.
Get me and my spotter near the front.
Wait for a xeno to over-extend. (I usually say to my spotter something like ‘if they hit the barricades, spot them’ or 'if they get within melee distance of marines, spot them. CO-ORDINATE WITH YOUR SPOTTER IF YOU HAVE ONE)
After the xeno over-extends, the marines will already be firing on them (hopefully). Your spotter spots them. You aimed-shot with targeting laser. They mistake the noise / battle sounds as normal bullets hitting them.
Suddenly, the xeno is SLOWED, but it typically doesn’t know that until it starts to retreat … which means it’s low on health.
A slow xeno targeted by marines … is a DEAD XENO.
Your slowed shot works on ANY target hit, not just the small xenos.
YES, THAT MEANS YOU CAN SLOW QUEENS AND TIER 3’S.
You will NEVER feel more powerful than when the queen or a T3 is trying to retreat, and they are SO … FRIGGIN’ … SLOW as marines, quite literally, out-pace them while WIELDING weapons and they mow them down.
…
Oh baby, my new love, the AMR sniper.
Keep in mind that Stacks of focus don’t degrade over time, nor do they degrade if another xeno body-blocks the shot. So if the queen rears her ugly head on the battlefield, get those focus stacks, and just … don’t target anyone else … you can literally deny her involvement in the battlefield by just doing that.
Be patient. You don’t have much ammo, and it’s very expensive. Wait until they’ve pushed to get your stacks on a good / annoying T3 xeno, and deny them.
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… Want more advice? Talk to the community. I may have over 300 hours as specialist, but people generally have good advice on discord if you ask. Some even have better advice than I do for certain situations. It’s ALWAYS a good idea to have a second opinion or set of eyes.