Anti-Sniper strategy

“

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

”

The Sniper specializes in eliminating enemies at long range. He will typically position himself at a calm vantage point away from the battlefield, scanning the area for targets. His primary weapons can charge and deliver headshots, so ignoring him is never an option. Fortunately, the Sniper is horrible at close quarters combat. A cornered Sniper can only run or engage you with weaker armaments, such as his Submachine Gun or melee weapon. The best way to deal with a Sniper is awareness; if you know he's watching one route, try taking another one or forcing his attention somewhere else.

General

Attributes	Anti-Sniper strategy
Role	The Sniper's goal is to pick off any exposed enemies. Make good use of cover and keep moving to avoid being an easy target. A Sniper is most effective when he fights from a distance.
Health	The Sniper has a rather low amount of health; he will generally lose in a direct fight against sturdier classes.
Speed	The Sniper walks and runs at an average pace, but tends to slow down heavily while aiming. This makes his ability to flee from fights quite poor.
Power	The Sniper's primary weapons are unaffected by damage fall-off. Try not to get hit at all, as even an uncharged headshot from the default Sniper Rifle already does 150 damage.

Weapon-specific

Main article: Sniper weapons

Primary weapons

Weapon	Anti-Sniper strategy
Sniper Rifle + reskins	The Sniper Rifle fires a single, perfectly accurate bullet. This makes it ineffective in crowded or close quarters. The Sniper Rifle has the ability to zoom in to charge a shot, indicated by the Sniper holding the weapon to his eye. When scoped, he moves very slowly and has a limited field of vision. He will be scoped often, making him susceptible to ambushes. Even with the limited visibility, some players are still capable to dealing headshots to targets who are only a few feet from their faces. Charging at him from the front is ill-advised. Try to check and see if there is a Sniper or his weapon's laser dot before entering an area to avoid walking into a charged shot. He can only cover one route at a time, so take a different route or move once he drops his guard. If you must approach a Sniper while in the open, fire at him to cause flinching or even force him to take cover.
Huntsman + reskins	The Huntsman fires arrows, which move nowhere as quickly as bullets. This makes it possible to dodge incoming arrows. Arrows have deceptively large hitboxes. Beware of fighting in narrow corridors, where dodging is much more difficult. The Huntsman cannot zoom in, forcing the Sniper to fight closer to the front lines and making him easier to target. The lack of zoom also allows him to spot flanking enemies more easily.
Sydney Sleeper	The Sydney Sleeper cannot perform headshots but charges faster than the default Sniper Rifle. This means not even a skilled Sniper can headshot you at close range once you attack him. A fully charged shot deals 150 damage, which can instantly kill the weaker classes. A scoped shot from this weapon coats its victim in Jarate, allowing the Sniper's allies to finish you off easily. Overall, the Sydney Sleeper gives greater lowest possible damage in return for no headshots; treating it as the default Sniper Rifle is a safe bet.
Bazaar Bargain	The Bazaar Bargain reduces his rifle's charge time as he lands headshots. If you see teammates taking heavy damage or even dying, consider that the enemy Sniper is skilled enough to land consistent headshots.
Machina	The Machina's fully charged shot pierces enemies, so avoid clustering up with teammates. The Machina's tracer rounds reveal its user, making tracking the Sniper down much easier should he miss. The Machina can only fire while scoped, leaving the Sniper even more vulnerable up close.
Hitman's Heatmaker	After obtaining an amount of kills or assists, the Sniper can activate the Heatmaker's focus ability. Take note that a Sniper who stays alive long enough to obtain that much kill credit may be skilled. When focus is activated, the Hitman's Heatmaker uses tracer rounds that reveal the Sniper after each shot, making him easier to locate. The Hitman's Heatmaker suffers a bodyshot damage penalty, rewarding you for just partially dodging the Sniper's shots.
Classic	The Classic allows the Sniper to charge his shot while unscoped. This means that he'll have an easier time spotting and aiming at potential attackers. The Classic can headshot only when it is fully charged. Engaging the Sniper between charged shots will lessen the damage you take.

Secondary weapons

Weapon	Anti-Sniper strategy
SMG + reskins	The Submachine Gun is surprisingly accurate, but 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 Submachine Gun only contains three clips of ammo; the Sniper cannot fight for long with it.
Razorback	The Razorback deprives a Sniper of his secondary weapon, making him much weaker in a direct fight. A Sniper may wear the Razorback to discourage Spies from backstabbing him, but they can still freely use their Revolver. As a Spy, take care to not reveal yourself to the enemy team if you decide to kill the Sniper with your gun.
Jarate + reskins	If you're covered in Jarate, the Sniper's team will deal guaranteed mini-crits to you. Take cover if there are other enemies nearby when you're splashed. Jarate can be removed by extended Healing, entering water, or touching a Resupply cabinet. A lone Sniper will typically follow up his Jarate toss with the Bushwacka for a guaranteed critical hit. Don't carelessly rush into melee range after being covered, even if the Sniper is traditionally weak up close.
Darwin's Danger Shield	Darwin's Danger Shield increases the Sniper's maximum health, but deprives him of a secondary weapon. The bullet resistance and health bonus the Danger Shield offers allows the Sniper to barely survive a fully charged bodyshot or uncharged headshot from an enemy Sniper. This makes headshots paramount to winning a Sniper duel. The Danger shield increases the Sniper's vulnerability to explosives, so he is still particularly weak to the Soldier and Demoman up close.
Cozy Camper	A Sniper equipped with the Cozy Camper will not flinch if you try to harass him from long range with bullets or fire. The Cozy Camper's innate health regeneration also offsets minor damage. The Cozy Camper deprives the Sniper of a secondary weapon, making him even weaker in close-range combat.
Cleaner's Carbine	The Cleaner's Carbine is like the Submachine Gun, but grants 8 seconds of mini-crits on kill. If an enemy Sniper acquires the bonus, check if he attempts to rampage with the Carbine or switches to the Sniper Rifle for one quick shot. The Cleaner's Carbine 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.

Melee Weapons

Weapon	Anti-Sniper strategy
Kukri + reskins	A Sniper will generally only use this weapon as a last resort. Simply back up and finish him off.
Tribalman's Shiv	The Tribalman's Shiv does less damage upfront, giving you an immediate advantage in melee combat. However, it causes you to bleed and take extra damage over time, so end the fight quickly and know where you can locate a health pack. 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 the Bushwacka after dousing you in Jarate. Fight from just outside melee range, where he is weakest, and take advantage of the extra damage he receives while the Bushwacka is active.
Shahanshah	The Shahanshah deals increased damage if the Sniper is below half health. If fighting him in melee combat, know that his strikes may become stronger after landing a hit or two. A Sniper who takes out the Shahanshah is likely injured and trying to take advantage of its damage bonus. Similar to when he is using the Bushwacka, keep your distance and kill him before he can reach you.

See also

• Team strategy