I Regular Mode, it’s relatively easy to find snipers. Either look on your minimap when they fire their weapon OR look at the killcam after he kills you.
But in Hardcore Mode, you have to find snipers quickly as they are much more lethal. For me, I like to keep things as simple as possible.
First, I think tanks / LAVs are the best anti-sniper elements to use. They’re fast and pack an amazing amount of weapons that you can choose from. I prefer to use either the LMG or HMG myself (but the cannons will do nicely as well). The most important thing is to equip either the IRNV or thermal sights, as it will make finding camping snipers incredibly easy.
Next, there’s the Support Class’ mortar. You have to be especially attentive to the monitor and constantly scanning the area for a camping sniper’s firing to show him on the map. And even after you’ve found him, your mortar shell may not kill him if he’s under a rooftop. But if he’s out in the open (or the room’s roof is gone), then you’ve got him.
In my experience the best weapon against a camping snipers is a sniper, that knows how to use the map.
My experience is from playing classic mode, but I frequently use the map to locate snipers that are more than 100m away. The idea is, that a fired weapon gives away your location, unless you use a suppressor.
So a sniper firing shows up on the map after a shot, and it if the location vanishes quickly very fast, it most likely is a sniper with “quick unspot”.
@kregora
I would have thought the same but my experience as been that my team’s camping snipers do NOT go after the enemy’s camping snipers.
Why? Because both team’s camping snipers are too busy going after easier targets (i.e. the players who are playing the objective and capturing flags).
Case in point, in several rounds, I discovered that my team’s camping snipers were actually in the same building (different floors) as the enemy’s camping snipers. But they didn’t try to kill each other. They were too busy trying to pick off enemy non-snipers.
I use XM25 Airburst launcher’s thermal vision as Support’s close-mid range “binoculars” and XM25 itself as an anti-camper tool.
My friend, I’d like to introduce you to my good friend, Mr. UCAV.
I run n gun snipe. No-Scoping and knowledge of the map is how you run down camping snipers as a sniper. I hate to say it… But any night-scope will triple your ability to find a sniper in any mode/map. Other ways without night vision are: Look for the tell-tale light that snipers think helps them. When they blind me as I try to run n gun snipe w/ flir. You can fight them. But if you are needing a light visual que. Then changing scopes right then is preferable.
If I am planning to run n gun them..I quick change to acog and continue to run them down quick scoping and and no scoping. Find ways to keep your center on where you are looking while running w/ a single shot sniper rifle. Pick one with good hip fire. yet keeping your accuracy high.
I find this sequence used mostly:
(While standing stationary) Look /w eyes, scope, then fire duck/crouch. All the while your quick pull reload allows you to drop out of scope after firing/ducking/proning, to see them without night vision. Then as you come up from ducking/proning you can go right back to zeroing in on prey. That being said…Spot them even if you’re playing hardcore. Why? I put spot on my side mouse button where my thumb is always hitting spot. As well as sprint. If I hear, in hardcore mode, that I spotted enemy. I go right back and look hard if not already in night vision.
Now Run n Gun Sniping.
Learn your movements. *Even if you have to…Find a practice server in quake2. I think it's online in a browser for free. In those practice servers you'll find maps to learn movement techniques like circle strafing. ( instead of a strafe left or right....learn how to strafe to the left while maintaining a circular pattern back to the right. Then change to a figure 8 pattern.) This may seem silly. But this will teach you to always keep moving. A stationary sniper has a tough time hitting you if you never stop. The movements I described above while stationary apply heavily to run n gun sniping. Keep your enemy placement in mind< if its a stationary enemy. After the enemy sniper takes a shot.. duck/prone down and back/away. Quickly make your way, as fast as you can, to the opponent. Where if you are using the acog and or any night vision, you'll easily quickscope surprise and stand over your next kill. (Don't celebrate at all.) Remember to train yourself to have a slight zig zag movement while running. Especially if you are in hardcore and have no clue where/when a sniper will one shot you. If you are lucky you can increase this zig zag motion after being sniped at. Giving you even better location on the shooter. while this zig zag running is happening while being sniped. After bullet 1 or 2 you should know general areas to throw a motion mine. That mine will allow you to finish off the bat-like sensitivity of the mines ping. Then it's stand over kill time. Get your bearings with your motion mine. Yes use motion mines. They give you audible location of your enemy. after that it's Rinse N Repeat.
AFter the 1st go around you may not like anything above. . . IF IT MAKES ANY SENSE AT ALL.
But do remember to surprise your enemy sniper as a sniper. Run him down and kill him. If he kills you…Return after death for a come back kill again and again till you get it right. Soon your killing spree will go higher and higher…Remember to surprise them , then kill them. Then kill them again.
Great tips. Thanks.
One more thing I learned in my Quake 2 days:
Change the default scope keybind from: mouse 2 > whatever key falls under your pinky on the keyboard. No matter if you’re a lefty or righty.
Then put crouch on the mouse 2 button. It’s strange at 1st. But gives you a better overall quality of the sniping game play.
) As I find keys that are stationary on my keyboard. *like the pinky being scope.
I like to map other keys around that.
The easiest way to deal with snipers?
Just keep moving, and don’t even bother with them.
Sure every now and then they’ll get you, but the opportunity cost (of lost time and points ) to go hunt down a handful of snipers (that are inevitably away from any objective), is not even worth it. It might even cost your Team the win if you get distracted long enough.
Just go play the actual game. Cap…defend…move on. Snipers only matter the second you personally let them matter. 90% of them won’t even be using a squad beacon, and half of them won’t even go cap the nearest objective. They’re a non factor unless you stand still…or keep coming back to their kill zone… Which..why would you play on their terms? There’s always another objective to cap or defend.