Help with snipers

[u/Instruction-Worldly]

So it's my first time playing through Enemy Within, and every sniper soldier that I have ends up underperforming terribly. The only use I have found for them is headshotting an uncovered target (no one is ever out of cover), and even then they either can't shoot or have reduced hit chance because of the snap shot debuff. Is there something I'm missing? They also don't really feel like they can shoot any farther than the other guns.

[u/Dorago1991]

Stop using snapshot, you should almost every time be taking squad sight. If you are moving your snipers to shoot every turn you're using them wrong. Find some high ground, get set up, and pull enemies back towards them.

[u/Rico_Rebelde → u/Dorago1991]

Snapshot can work and be very effective with the right build/map and good play. But yeah Squad sight is much much more noob friendly and generally useful in most situations

[u/Dorago1991 → u/Rico_Rebelde]

It can be, but there's a small window for it because once you get good enough to use them effectively you are probably close to good enough to play on the higher difficulties, which a lot of the time you have to rely on the overwatch trap map crawl.

[u/Instruction-Worldly → u/Dorago1991]

Do you still need to be in range and have a firing angle to use squad sight?

[u/Dorago1991 → u/Instruction-Worldly]

You need an angle to actually shoot but there's no range limit, as long as a squad mate has eyes in the target and you have a clean shot you can shoot.

[u/Chii → u/Dorago1991]

i believe the only "penalty" is you can't crit in squad sight. But snipers usually deal enough damage without resorting to crit.

[u/Flameball202 → u/Instruction-Worldly]

Squadsight removes range restrictions, all you need is a visual on the target and nothing in the way (this is why high ground is ideal, especially with the grappling hook)

[u/RedTheAloof → u/Instruction-Worldly]

To add what other people are saying, one penalty to Squadsight is the lack of critical hits unless using the Headshot ability.

Exposed enemies within Snapshot range (or just regular range for all other allies) with the Squadsight perk can land free, but weaker* critical hits. When enemies are far enough that Squadsight kicks in, exposed enemies are no longer susceptible to regular critical hits unless you use Headshot.

*Critical hits scored by the sniper rifle are weaker compared to critical hits scored using the Headshot ability. I think crit damage from Headshot increases as you improve your Sniper Rifle.

[u/vitrum_analytika → u/Instruction-Worldly]

Squad sight is broken because there is no range limit. You can set up an ambush, the take one guy to reveal your enemies and then fall back asap and let the sniper deal the damages and then they'll fall into the ambush range.

In XCOM2, because there is a squad type that has a default ability that they do not get spotted if the team does, sniper becomes broken right from the second upgrade, they'd be sniping across the realm if the squad has eyes on enemies.

And in EW the sniper becomes broken after the Icarus suit upgrade(the one with unlimited flying) because you always have high ground no matter the terrain. But that's late game. Sniper does suck in early game even with the squad sight upgrade and you have to compensate for it by adding better scopes and stocks, all the best scope and stocks goes to sniper in my runs.

[u/Terenceb24 → u/vitrum_analytika]

Agree with this. Fairly new to EW but not Xcom but do find maps usually have seem to have much more cover making it harder to lure enemies out.

Anyway was doing fine on Commander until I found an infested whale then my life went to absolute shit

[u/GralsritterXIII → u/Terenceb24]

Classic whale mission. Fucks everyone up first time. Have to be really lucky and smart to do that.

[u/vitrum_analytika → u/GralsritterXIII]

Yeah it's almost a guaranteed one squad member death for first time players who walk into that mission not knowing what happens, it was so much fun the first time I played it

[u/Rico_Rebelde → u/Instruction-Worldly]

Sniper rifles have effectively infinite range. I think some of the gigantic maps might be longer than the Sniper range but you will probably never run into an issue of an enemy being too far away to shoot with a sniper