Sniper Class (XCOM: Enemy Unknown)/Guides

Class Ability Comparisons[]

Some players who have completed Ironman on Classic and Impossible difficulties recommend choosing Squadsight, Opportunist and Double Tap.

Snap Shot vs. Squadsight[]

Snap Shot removes the sniper rifle's restriction on firing and Overwatch after moving. Any shots taken suffer a -20 Aim penalty.
- Snap Shot is considerably more flexible in usage compared to Squadsight. Being able to move with the squad and not require "nests", allows full use of certain Sniper abilities which are otherwise of limited use to their Squadsight counterparts, and allows the sniper to score more critical hits, realizing the powerful sniper rifles' true potential.
- In XCOM: Enemy Within, the Aim penalty was reduced to -10. This means a Sniper carrying a S.C.O.P.E. will be able to fire at base Aim even if forced to move or grapple. All the same, high ground is a must whenever possible.
- One important fact to note is that the second shot of Double Tap for a Snap Shot sniper receives the same Aim penalty of moving before shooting.

Squadsight allows sniping at targets in an ally's sight radius.
- Squadsight requires unobstructed line-of-sight (LoS): this means frequently hunting for "sniper nests" with unobstructed view of most of the battlefield in order to make the most of this ability.
- On the plus side, utilizing Squadsight effectively will result in every sniper shot being fired with maximum aim and critical strike chance. In open maps, a properly positioned Squadsight sniper may be able to see every single enemy unit within the squad's visual radius.
- XCOM: Enemy Within changed Squadsight so that shots made on enemies through Squadsight cannot deal critical hits, unless using Headshot. This also reduces the value of Opportunist.
- In the same vein, Squadsight snipers tend to stay on their first nest and get separated from the squad, making them easy strangling targets for Seekers. It's important to counter this with a Respirator Implant or Chitin Plating; if the item slot cannot be occupied by these items for tactical reasons (such as the sniper being the squad's main Medikit carrier thanks to Training Roulette skills, for example), Bioelectric Skin is an alternative.

Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground[]

Gunslinger confers 2 bonus damage with pistols.
- Good for Covert Operatives because they are limited to just pistols, and this allows them to do more damage.
- It also makes the sidearm of a Sniper caught in close ranges a viable weapon rather than a desperation tactic; a pistol with the proper upgrades in the Foundry wielded by a Gunslinger is only a small step behind an assault rifle of the same tech level.
Damn Good Ground confers +10 Aim and +10 Defense against enemies at lower elevation, when on elevated ground or flying with Archangel Armor, in addition to the usual elevation bonuses.
- Works well with Squadsight, as it will often allow the sniper to stay in one location for extended sessions and provide cover for the squad.
- Snap Shot snipers also benefit from this, arguably more than Squadsight ones thanks to the Aim penalty after moving, such as when climbing or grappling to a high perch, and the defense comes in handy since they can't shoot from an unseen position.

Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner[]

Disabling Shot allows a shot that causes the target's main weapon to malfunction, forcing it to waste a turn "fixing it".
- Useful for disrupting enemies who are about to go for a flanking shot, on Overwatch or Suppressing a fellow soldier.
- Can be utilized to disable the attack ability of powerful enemies like Sectopods, Cyberdiscs or Mechtoids.
- As it forces the enemy to waste a turn and deals very low damage, it's also a resort when capturing aliens.

Battle Scanner is a grenade-like scanning device that, when thrown, creates a new source of vision.
- Battle Scanner reveals all cloaked enemies within its scan range, making scanners useful for uncovering Seekers who have gone into Stealth mode; this stealth-revealing capability is valuable in the early game prior to researching Bioelectric Skin.
- Battle Scanner's scouting utility is diminished by the presence of Mimetic Skin Gene Modded squad members, which allows for safe, effective and unlimited scouting. These soldiers can move far up-field and provide targeting data to Squadsight snipers indefinitely without danger so long as they do not move.

Executioner vs. Opportunist[]

The choice here is a conditional ability that's active 50% of the time vs. an unconditional ability that can always be activated on your own terms.

Executioner helps to finish off wounded high-priority enemies.
Opportunist allows for the setup Reaction Fire ambushes.
- If coupled with Damn Good Ground alongside Squadsight, this will effectively allow the sniper to fire against enemies when first engaged and before they move to cover. Remember, however, that shots from Squadsight range in Enemy Within have no chance to crit.

The true "force multiplier" potential of the Sniper Class unlocks at the Colonel rank. Both abilities presented at this stage allow multiple shots per turn, but in different ways: high-variance reactive sniping, and low-variance proactive sniping. Your Squad Tactics and abilities need to be taken into consideration.

Double Tap allows the use of the first action for shooting instead of moving. If the soldier has an excellent enough position, they can potentially shoot twice per turn, either at the same target or two separate targets.
- Double Tap synergizes with Squadsight and Disabling Shot, and excels at dealing double damage quickly to high valued targets or allow for the neutralizing of two weaker targets in the same turn. Compared to In The Zone, there are no specific "Squad Tactics" needed to pull this off.
- Double Tap is limited by the cooldown, which only allows the ability to be used every other turn. It is activated automatically when taking the first shot; cooldown can be tracked by opening the Sniper's status window: when Double Tap is available, it will be shown in beneficial status effects.
  - Double Tap is not Bullet Swarm for snipers - the second action MUST be a standard shot, Disabling Shot, or Headshot; this may result in the player being forced to use the "End Turn" button if a target isn't available for the sniper.
  - Double Tap works with pistols as well.
  - A Snap Shot sniper with Double Tap has the liberty to move to a better position when the ability is on cooldown, or conserve it by moving when the ability is active but a second shot is unnecessary. The only drawback to this combination is that unlike for Squadsight snipers, the second shot takes the same Aim penalty as when the sniper has moved. Although at Colonel rank the sniper should have such high Aim that this is a minor concern.

In The Zone allows for sustained fire - for as long as the soldier continues to kill visible targets that are flanked or exposed - before needing to reload.
- In The Zone is highly dependent on Squad Tactics, requiring the destruction of alien cover, or abilities that force the enemy to move such as Flush or a MEC Trooper's Flamethrower.
- In The Zone also procs when the sniper gets a kill shot on an enemy that is unable to take cover. It works especially well against Chryssalids and Drones in Terror Site missions, as these units are relatively weak (both can be killed in one standard shot by the Plasma Sniper Rifle) but numerous and tend to kill civilians easily and in large numbers when left unchecked thanks to the Chryssalid's stupendous mobility and the Drone's flight ability. Eliminating these enemies rapidly and efficiently is key to a high score in civilians saved, and a Colonel sniper with Squadsight in a high perch or mid-air with Archangel armor is the best at this job.
  - Airborne Floaters and Heavy Floaters count as flanked/exposed for the purposes of In The Zone procs.
- In The Zone also synergizes exceptionally well with Executioner. A heavily damaged high-priority enemy such as a Mechtoid, Cyberdisc or Sectopod can be taken down in little more than an afterthought so long as the sniper can land their shot, which they should due to their high Aim (and optimally, height advantage).
- An additional point is that In The Zone procs not only with kills with the sniper rifle, but also with stuns (but not Drone Capture) with the Arc Thrower.

Builds and Tactics[]

Main article: Squad Tactics (XCOM: Enemy Unknown)

Sniper Class builds suitable for all difficulties and DLCs:

Covert Ops Soldier[]

Early-game "Gunslinger" build (1-2 months):

Skills: Squadsight, Gunslinger, Battle Scanner, Opportunist, Double Tap
Equipment: S.C.O.P.E., Reaper Rounds, Laser Pistol, Archangel Armor
Upgrades: Tactical Rigging, Ammo Conservation, Improved Pistol (I / II / III), Mimetic Skin, Hyper Reactive Pupils
Tactics

All-round great "general purpose" sniper build for all difficulties -- perfect for Covert Operations -- yet still remains the cheapest, most effective, and most reliable damage dealer at any stage in the game. Low Profile and Mimetic Skin allows for "camping" Intel objectives at no risk. Remains fairly flexible and effective in late game with all three Improved Pistol upgrades researched. Very high Aim combined with a Plasma Pistol allows a minimum 5 damage every shot (which is comparable in both firepower and accuracy to the Light Plasma Rifle) but with half the manufacturing cost and zero reloading; and that's before Hyper-Reactive Pupils, Gunslinger and Double Tap are factored in.

Marksman Soldier[]

Mid-game "Hunter" build (3-4 months):

Skills: Snap Shot, Damn Good Ground, Battle Scanner, Opportunist, In The Zone; Equipment; S.C.O.P.E., Chitin Plating, Laser Sniper Rifle, Ghost Armor
Upgrades: Tactical Rigging, Ammo Conservation, S.C.O.P.E. Upgrade, Mimetic Skin, Depth Perception
Tactics

A fireteam-oriented designated marksman -- designed to exploit "In The Zone" -- by moving with the squad and support them via proactively terminating low valued targets. The key point is to combine hit-and-run tactics, flanking and crossfire maneuvers with bounding Overwatch, without putting your soldier at risk.

Excels in Terror Site and Council Missions where enemies (usually Thin Men) will drop in and flank from the side, often outside of cover. Generally good at indoor missions or close quarters engagements that require frequent repositioning. Battle Scanner helps to plan moves in advance; this build only allows engagement of targets in their own view zone, and the scanner can be used to scout the area without alerting the enemy.

Psi-Assassin Soldier[]

Late-game "Dominance" build (5+ months)

Skills: Squadsight, Damn Good Ground, Disabling Shot, Opportunist, Double Tap
Equipment: S.C.O.P.E., Chitin Plating, Plasma Sniper Rifle, Psi Armor
Upgrades: Tactical Rigging, Ammo Conservation, S.C.O.P.E. Upgrade, Neural Feedback, Adrenal Neurosympathy, Mimetic Skin, Muscle Fiber Density, Depth Perception, Mindfray, Psi Panic, Mind Control
Tactics

Extremely powerful dominance sniper, perfectly designed to terminate all weaklings, before disabling or mind-controlling high-valued targets. The key point in this tactic is making excellent use of fireteam discipline and finding the best spot to "nest", which is often the highest vantage point on the current map with the fewest LOS obstructions, and changing locations at the correct times.

This build is recommended to have Archangel armor when possible; at the mission start, immediately move your recon units forward and simply "fly" with your sniper. This is also incredibly effective against Sectopods end game, since you can hit them with a disabling shot, followed up by a near 100% critical headshot.

Equipment and Upgrades[]

Access to a cloaking ability (i.e. Ghost Grenade, Ghost Armor, or Mimetic Skin) is critical for a Sniper end-game build. Attacks while cloaked provides bonus critical chance, which increases single-target damage potential that stacks with Headshot, to confer the highest critical chance.

Armor[]

Skeleton Suit and Ghost Armor allow snipers to get to higher ground instantly by using the Grapple. Depending on the map in question, this is extremely useful on Terror Missions and abductions; however, it is only marginally useful if there are no buildings or elevated ground.
Any mid-flight position one "floor" above the targeted enemy counts as a perch for a sniper wearing Archangel Armor.

Ghost Armor, when combined with Depth Perception, Mimetic Skin, and Muscle Fiber Density, is highly adaptive to any terrain and tactical situation, having both the pre-requisite mobility and stealth attributes of previously mutually exclusive armor builds. Ghost armor allows snipers to take advantage of higher ground and remain there with impunity thanks to the ability to cloak. The substantial innate defense is also a welcome bonus for Snap Shot snipers.

Equipment[]

A S.C.O.P.E. is mandatory and extremely useful for Snipers of all ranks and builds, as they maintain the furthest distance from foes than any other class.
Tactical Rigging ^EW allows for Reaper Rounds, Grenades, Chitin Plating or a Medikit to allow for patching up wounded squadmates when regrouping.
The Respirator Implant ^EW provide immunity to Seeker strangulation, as a lone sniper far from the team tends to be under the most threat from these units.
Chitin Plating can be helpful for adding extra protection, since Ghost/Skeleton/Archangel armor all have less HP bonuses.
Ghost Grenades ^EW allow easy escape for a sniper ambushed by a Floater or enemy reinforcements.

Gene Mods[]

Main article: Gene Mods

Requires XCOM: Enemy Within expansion:

Depth Perception confers +5 Aim and Critical for height advantage; Squadsight snipers build "nests" on high ground.
Muscle Fiber Density helps snipers reach their "nests"; normally requiring a ladder, drain pipe or grapple. More importantly, this mod substitutes the uses of the Skeleton Suit and Archangel Armors.
Mimetic Skin greatly increases the viability of the Snap Shot and Low Profile; since these requires access to full cover. Mimetic Skin becomes infinitely more valuable on fully indoor maps with numerous obstacles: snipers often wastes a turn repositioning upon entering the next room; invisibility, allows them to remain undetected during that turn, and can potentially set up an easy Double Tap or In The Zone spree.

Multiplayer Sniper Classes[]

The following is a detailed break-down of the Sniper class stats and abilities in multiplayer mode.

Class	Points	Health	Aim	Will	Abilities
Marksman	150	6	75	45	Headshot
Hunter	1000	8	88	65	Headshot - Snap Shot - Gunslinger - Battle Scanner - Executioner
Dead Eye	2000	8	88	65	Headshot - Squadsight - Gunslinger- Battle Scanner - Executioner - Opportunist
Agent	2000	9	105	75	Headshot - Snap Shot - Gunslinger - Disabling Shot - Executioner - Low Profile - Double Tap
Psi Assassin	4750	9	95	70	Headshot - Squadsight - Damn Good Ground - Executioner - Low Profile Psionic: Mindfray - Psi Panic - Mind Control

Note: Each soldier class has a base cost of 800 points, which would need to be added to the values above to determine the point value of a particular build. The above point and stat values reflect the default (i.e. 0 point) equipment load-out.