Anti-Sniper strategy

“

Perhaps they can bury you in that van you call 'home.' Click to listen — The Spy

”

The Sniper is an extremely dangerous class at long range due to his ability to kill any class instantly with a fully charged headshot. Generally, the best way to engage a Sniper is to get as close as possible because he lacks substantial close-ranged weaponry. However, at far range, one should generally try dodging the Sniper by moving erratically, using a mix of random crouches and jumps. This however, may be less effective against more skilled Snipers. A cornered Sniper has few options available except to run or engage you with weaker weapons, such as his Submachine Gun or melee weapon. Keep in mind that a Sniper can inflict bleeding damage or Mini-Crit vulnerability, depending on his weapon loadout. Further, Snipers who use the Huntsman can quickly shoot arrows which are effective at short to mid range, although this weapon takes away from the Sniper's long-range effectiveness.

General

Attributes	Anti-Sniper strategy
Role	Make use of any available cover; if you must expose yourself, keep moving or else you will be an easy target. A Sniper is most effective when he fights from a distance, so close the gap between you and him to increase your chances of survival.
Health	The Sniper has a rather low amount of health; he is quite vulnerable at close range and will generally lose a fight against sturdier classes.
Speed	The Sniper walks and runs at an average pace, but he lags behind his team's main force for protection. In addition, he moves very slowly while scoped in. This makes the Sniper's ability to flee from fights rather poor.
Power	The Sniper's primary weapons are unaffected by damage ramp-up and fall-off, making the Sniper very dangerous even at long ranges. They also have the ability to kill players instantly, so try to not get hit by them at all.

Weapon-specific

A list of useful tidbits about the Sniper's tools, and how to counter them.

Primary weapons

• If you cannot escape a Sniper's sights, try to injure him, causing him to flinch and possibly miss the shot (unless he has the Cozy Camper equipped).
  • You can also force Snipers to zoom out from their primary weapon (thus, denying them a clean shot) by firing projectiles, such as rockets, at them.

Weapon	Anti-Sniper strategy
Sniper Rifle / Festive Sniper Rifle / AWPer Hand	A Sniper has a very limited field of vision while he scopes in with his Sniper Rifle; ambush him from the side or the back. If you believe Snipers are watching the upcoming path, find an alternate one to bypass or attack them from, if possible.
Huntsman	While Huntsman arrows are nowhere as fast as bullets, they are just as dangerous, even moreso the closer the Sniper is to his target. Keep moving to deny him an accurate shot. Beware of narrow passageways, where it is harder to avoid many projectiles, and corners, where you may be ambushed (possibly by the Huntsman taunt-kill). If you can, send a Huntsman Sniper airborne, as this will prevent him from firing an arrow until he lands. Stay out of his line of sight, as he may have been readying an arrow that will be fired upon landing. A Pyro can deflect an enemy Sniper's Huntsman arrow, but this takes considerable skill. It is usually wiser to conserve ammo for attacking or deflecting other projectiles.
Sydney Sleeper	Don't underestimate the Sydney Sleeper due to its inability to perform headshots; it can reach full charge faster than the standard Sniper Rifle (a fully charged shot can kill classes that have 150 HP or less), and will coat you in Jarate when charged over 50%. The Jarate effect proves to be very hazardous if you have just run into enemy forces, since they will likely target you now. If you are using the Dead Ringer and are shot by a Sydney Sleeper that was at least half-charged, you will be covered in Jarate even after leaving a fake corpse.
Bazaar Bargain	Snipers spawning with the Bazaar Bargain are at a disadvantage, requiring a longer time to charge powerful shots. However, any headshot will hasten the weapon's charge rate; make sure to take constant cover. Scoped bodyshots and misses reduce the Bazaar Bargain's bonus - if you can't make a Sniper miss, at least force him to strike your body instead of your head.
Machina	The tracer rounds the Machina fires makes locating a Sniper much easier; however, utilize cover as you approach him, for a fully charged shot will cause massive damage. Be wary of lining up with other teammates out in the open; a Sniper using the Machina may succeed in shooting (and killing) you all. The Machina can only fire while scoped, so attack the Sniper up close; close enough so that the Sniper cannot get an accurate shot with this weapon, and just out of range of his secondary and/or melee weapons.
Hitman's Heatmaker	The Hitman's Heatmaker does less damage when landing a successful bodyshot than any other Sniper Rifle, giving you a better chance against a Sniper who chooses to fight you up close with one. Try to kill a Sniper using the Hitman's Heatmaker before he enters Focus, or locate him from the tracer rounds he fires once he does.

Secondary weapons

Weapon	Anti-Sniper strategy
SMG	The Submachine Gun is surprisingly accurate, yet ineffective at longer ranges. If a Sniper attempts to attack you with it, try to move away from him while attacking with a more powerful weapon. The SMG only contains three clips of ammo, so it may not take long before the Sniper must resort to another weapon.
Razorback	The Razorback deprives a Sniper of his secondary weapon, so attack him just outside his melee range. A Sniper wearing the Razorback may discourage Spies from backstabbing him, but it shouldn't deter you from attacking the Sniper from outside his view anyway. Additionally, a Spy wielding the Ambassador may aim for a headshot to deal 102 damage to the Sniper and finish him off with another shot or a slash of the Knife.
Jarate	It is often best to retreat for cover if covered in Jarate, as you will most likely be pursued by the Sniper's teammates, who can now inflict Mini-Crits on you. Jarate can be removed by extended Healing, entering water, or touching a Resupply cabinet. Beware of Snipers pursuing you with the Bushwhacka, which deals crits instead of mini-crits. As a Pyro, you can deflect Jarate onto the Sniper or his teammates.
Darwin's Danger Shield	Do not underestimate the health of a Sniper using the Shield; take advantage of his lack of a secondary weapon and kill him outside of his melee range. As a Spy, do not be intimidated by the presence of the Darwin's Danger Shield on a potential victim; the item does not prevent backstabs like the Razorback does. Since this item reduces bullet damage by 15%, but increases explosive damage by 20%, switch to an explosive weapon if you can.
Cozy Camper	A Sniper equipped with the Cozy Camper will not flinch if you attack or burn him, allowing him an extended chance to shoot you. Use this bonus against him by attacking him from where he can't see you. By the time the Sniper realizes where he's being damaged, it should be too late for him to react. A Sniper with the Cozy Camper takes 20% more damage. Take advantage of this by firing your most powerful weapons at him. A Sniper with the Cozy Camper equipped will automatically regenerate health in a rate similar to the Medic, but only restores one health per second. Kill the Sniper before he gets away, or he may come back to continue harassing you and your team.
Cleaner's Carbine	The Cleaner's Carbine, like the Submachine Gun, is very accurate yet suffers from a smaller clip size, lower fire rate, and no random critical hits. The weapon's negative attributes give you a chance to damage him faster than he can damage you. On kill, the Cleaner's Carbine will be granted 3 seconds of guaranteed critical hits making it very deadly. Keep your distance until the bonus wears off, or overpower the Sniper.

Melee Weapons

Weapon	Anti-Sniper strategy
Kukri / Saxxy / Conscientious Objector / Frying Pan / Freedom Staff / Bat Outta Hell / Ham Shank	A Sniper will generally only use this weapon as a last resort. Simply back up and finish the Sniper off.
Tribalman's Shiv	The Tribalman's Shiv does less damage upfront, meaning you will probably kill the Sniper in melee combat. However, the bleeding causes it to do more damage over time, so have an idea of where health kits and Medics are before facing a Sniper wielding this weapon. Do not let the Sniper get close to you if you have been doused in Jarate, as bleeding is affected by Mini-Crits.
Bushwacka	A Sniper will typically pull out this weapon after dousing you in Jarate. Wait for the effect to fade away before confronting him, or attack him from a distance using ranged weapons. Beware facing a Sniper with the Bushwacka out while you have the Gloves of Running Urgently out or while he is affected by the Buff Banner. Use fire on a Sniper who has the Bushwacka in his loadout to kill him faster.
Shahanshah	Be careful in engaging in prolonged melee combat with a Sniper wielding the Shahanshah; he may gain the advantage once the weapon's damage bonus kicks in. A Sniper wielding this weapon may purposely run into harm's way in order to deal serious damage to you once he gets within melee range; kill him before he gets the chance.

See also

• Team strategy