Sharpshooter
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[edit] Class Description
The Sharpshooter specialises in long-range weaponry and headshots. This role focuses on the more dangerous threats to the front lines and picks them off with superior accuracy and damage. A sharpshooter can generally be found at the back of a team.
The Sharpshooter is one of the hardest hitters in the game and is capable of delivering a very large 'spike' of damage to big and powerful specimens such as the Scrake, Fleshpound, and even the Patriarch. Weapons of choice include 9mm tactical pistol, .44 Magnum, handcannon, MK23, lever-action rifle, crossbow, M14 EBR and the M99 AMR. The Sharpshooter is granted up to 140% more damage with each successful headshot from these weapons – with the exception of the 9mm pistol on Hell on Earth difficulty – and will also enjoy up to an extra 50% damage for successful headshots with any other weapon. This, coupled with the fast reload and low recoil of this perk's weapons, makes the Sharpshooter a very deadly perk in both open and enclosed areas.
[edit] Weapon Statistics
Dashes in cells separate the base statistic from the equivalent as a level 6 sharpshooter where the two differ; the absolute minimums and maximums.
| Category | Pistols | Rifles | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9mm | MK23 | .44 Magnum | Handcannon | Lever-action | Crossbow | M14 EBR | M99 AMR | |
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| Cost range | £150 | £500−£150 | £450−£135 | £500−£150 | £200 | £800 | £2500−£750 | £3500–£1050 |
| Ammunition | 15  15
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12 12
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6 21
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8 11
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10  80
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1  36
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20 7
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1 25
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| Damage | 35 | 82 | 105 | 115 | 140 | 300 | 80 | 675 |
| Headshot | 39−92 | 90−216 | 116−277 | 127−304 | 280−672 | 1200−2880 | 180−432 | 1519–3645 |
| Individual shot reload. Magazine reload.
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[edit] Weapon Analysis
[edit] Sidearms
- ALL pistols have a 1.1x headshot multiplier.
9mm Tactical Pistol
Basic sidearm. This gun will reliably decapitate lesser specimens in one headshot, but may not kill them, depending on the difficulty. This has the largest magazine capacity for a pistol and ammo reserve and weighs nothing, but does the least damage and has no target penetration.
Mk. 23
Basically a better version of the 9mm, the Mk. 23 does more damage and is capable of penetrating 1 enemy, but fires slower, has a longer reload, and has a smaller magazine capacity and ammo reserve. This weapon also lacks the damage of the two magnum-based weapons, but has a higher ammo capacity. This, along with the .44 Magnum, only weigh 2 blocks each.
.44 Magnum
The .44 magnum is capable of penetrating 2 enemies, fires fastest of all pistols, and does more damage than the Mk.23 or 9mm. This is countered by the small 6-round cylinder. It has almost equal ammo reserves compared to the Mk.23, and the slowest reload of all the pistols. The .44 does less damage and has smaller capacity than the Handcannon, but has a larger ammo reserve. This, along with the Mk.23, only weigh 2 blocks each.
Handcannon
This beastly handgun does the most damage of all the pistols. It has a mid-sized magazine capacity of 8 rounds, and is devastating when dual-wielded. This is countered by the fact that it weighs 4 blocks single or dual-wielded. It has the smallest ammo reserve of all the pistols.
[edit] Main Weapons
Lever-Action Rifle
The Lever-Action Rifle is capable of killing any lesser or middle specimen at any difficulty and any player number with at most two headshots, and has very simple but effective iron-sights. This weapon is very cheap at only £200, has an interrupt-able reload, a moderate magazine size, very cheap ammo, moderate ammo capacity, and is able to rapidly chain-stun a Scrake. This is countered by the fact that this weapon has a long reload time, weighs 6 weight, lacks a scope, and is generally ineffective against Fleshpounds and swarms of lesser specimens.
Crossbow
The Crossbow is a very powerful weapon, capable of doing massive headshot damage due to the 4.0x headshot multiplier and the sharpshooter's headshot damage bonuses. Only the strongest specimens can survive a headshot from this weapon and despite the Fleshpound's resistance to headshots by this weapon, a sharpshooter remains quite capable of decapitating or killing it. In addition, the Crossbow is also fitted with a scope, allowing the Sharpshooter to target very distant enemies and kill them before they can reach him or his team. This is countered by fairly expensive per-shot ammo, costing a set £800, having to be reloaded after every shot, and being relatively ineffective when dealing with swarms of lesser specimens..
M14 EBR
The M14 EBR is very strong in the hands of a seasoned Sharpshooter. This weapon is capable semi-automatic fire, and features a laser sight for helping to detect where close shots will land. It features about the same or higher rate of fire compared to the Lever-Action Rifle, but unlike the LAR it has a 2.25x headshot multiplier, a 2x larger magazine capacity, and a large ammo reserve. This is countered by its very intrusive iron-sights, lack of scope, and it does the least headshot damage of any of the Sharpshooter's main weapons.
M99 AMR
The M99 is absolutely devastating against any specimen. With its 2.25x headshot multiplier, this weapon is capable of; killing any specimen in a single headshot, except Fleshpounds on the highest difficulty, and stunning or killing any specimen, except the Fleshpound, with a body shot. It also features a long-range scope, and a decent ammo capacity. This is countered mainly by it being tied for heaviest weapon of the game at 13 weight, allowing only a Machete or Pipebombs to be wielded with it, and its extremely expensive ammo, at a whopping £250 per shot and £6,250 to fill from empty. It also has the drawbacks of having to be reloaded after every shot, and a fairly long reload,
[edit] Combat Tactics
- An experienced Sharpshooter will know the general layout of the map, whether it's a close-range or a distant map, and will choose their gear appropriately. Due to the extensive variety of weapons to choose from, the Sharpshooter is a rather flexible class. When kiting; the M14, lever-action rifle, MK23, Handcannon, .44 Magnum, and/or 9mm are great for scoring critical headshots and feature a higher rate of fire. The M99, lever-action rifle and Crossbow can eliminate dangerous threats with great efficiency over mid- to long-range distances.
- Accuracy with any pistol can be sacrificed for DPS by purchasing or finding another gun of the same type, allowing one to dual-wield. While dual-wielding, the Sharpshooter will not gain any extra ammo and long-range targets will be harder to hit, due to the lack of being able to look down the sights properly; however, he or she will be able to fire much more rapidly and deal almost double the damage to nearby foes in a short time span compared to a single pistol.
- Due to their programming, the Specimen will most likely attack the player closest to them. Sharpshooters can use this to their advantage. They should look for places above-and-behind the other players, places with extremely long sightlines and take up a sort of "overwatch" position, allowing the player to call out and take down more powerful specimen and assassinate lesser ones that tend to disregard far-off opponents. Notable locations that allow for overwatch include the overpass or the tunnel overlooking the road on Mountain Pass, or the higher levels of the Church or farmhouse on Farm.
- Sharpshooters should focus on killing Husks and Sirens at a distance. These can cause major problems for the team if they are not promptly dealt with, and the Sharpshooter's long-range attacks prove very useful for this task.
- As a rule of thumb, the Sharpshooter should use their main weapon for larger threats to the team, while using a sidearm to eliminate weaker specimens. Landing headshots can be a problem because the head hitboxes are not very consistent. Unsuccessful shots waste sometimes expensive ammo without taking advantage of the Sharpshooter's damage bonus and may cost vital seconds taking down a dangerous foe.
- Although it may be tempting for the Sharpshooter to play much like the Commando and shoot at anything that moves with the faster weapons, it is generally ill-advised to do so. The Sharpshooter is most effective in eliminating any larger targets; however, his rather large ammo supply and decent damage output can lead players to simply shoot foes in the body until they die. On the earlier waves, the Sharpshooter may get away with this tactic; however, on later waves and harder difficulties, this may prove to be ineffective. In later waves, and on harder difficulties, headshots become far more important. A vigilant Sharpshooter who maximizes the effectiveness of his perk bonuses by focusing on large targets may appear lower down on the scoreboard, but is actually far more valuable to the squad. However, when there are no large threats in sight, the Sharpshooter should still help the team by taking out weaker specimens with headshots.
- The Sharpshooter has his own place in the Patriarch round, as his high damage with the crossbow, M14 or M99 when it headshots can be enough to kill the Patriarch on lower difficulties. However, the Sharpshooter does not have any special resistance or speed, and also suffers from the large smoke effects from pipe bombs. If Patriarch is close, his retaliation against a Sharpshooter might be deadly.
- For the first wave, if you do not have a level 5 or 6 perk that would let you spawn in with a weapon, select the Sharpshooter. You'll get the perk's damage and headshot damage bonuses with the 9mm pistol that you spawn with. After the end of the first wave you can change perks and spend the money you collected during the first wave, or if you're looking to save up for a tier 2 or tier 3 weapon for another perk, remain a Sharpshooter and just spend the small amount of cash to resupply the 9mm's ammo. For the second and even third (on long) wave this is a viable option, if you have no trouble landing headshots.
- Aiming for headshots requires some practice as the head's hitbox can change position when a specimen is on the move, or when the specimen is rooted or charging. The hitbox does not follow the model animations and may fall behind or may glide to side of the head. Leading the shots in a specimen's path by watching where they're currently facing when they're on the move, and aiming for throat when they are charging, is an efficient way to decapitate them easily. In case the specimen is in one spot, such as when they are stunned, pinned, (Stalkers, Scrakes and Husks) or plain turning around, the Sharpshooter should aim at the back of their neck, so as to shoot where their heads will be when they react and turn to him
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- A good Sharpshooter should be aware of areas to hole up in on the map, and choose his weapons wisely. Most Sharpshooter weapons aren't made for close-combat purposes, so it's a good idea to carry a reliable sidearm. Even with high-tier gear, remember that Sharpshooters still need others to wipe out larger groups of weak specimens, and a clear field of view to be effective.
- Your target priority may change if there's a ranged threat like Husk or Siren. Both specimens will cause players' screens to shake and may make it hard to for them to aim - at higher difficulties especially, they can be deadly and swift. If you ever see one of them near a big target, focus on killing them first; bigger targets can then be handled safely by your teammates.
- When you're in an open area, watch your back for specimens. Sharpshooters' stand-and-aim play-style may cause bad surprises, like Bloats, Stalkers, and Crawlers, to sneak up on you while you're attention is focused elsewhere; on higher difficulties, this will shred through your armor or health in no time.
- The erratic movement of specimens when they jump over obstacles, strafe, and walk backwards can be countered with a carefully thrown grenade; this will distract the specimens and provide a better opportunity for a headshot.
- When you're at the Final Wave against the Patriarch, be sure you're fully outfitted to take him on. Handling the Patriarch requires the team to hole up, place pipe bombs, and assign damage sponges. If you're holed up, approaching him in an enclosed space will surely get you killed, so stay behind the pipe bombs and let the Demolition or Support perk users do their jobs for his first attack. On the Patriarch's second and third attack, you may go outside with some escorts and take a chance at headshotting him, which will stun him if fired at the right moment.
- A Level 6 Sharpshooter is one of the cheapest classes to manage, which goes against most player's ideas of the perk. On Hell on Earth difficulty, if a Sharpshooter dies and doesn't have enough money to to buy new gear for the next wave, he can simply sell his Crossbow for £600 and gather £700 total. That amount of money will be enough to buy a Lever-action Rifle, a Handcannon and kevlar. With the help of teammates he can gather more ammunition as well. Handcannons can be dual wielded on later waves if the Sharpshooter wants a quick firing weapon to retreat with.
- Reloading the dual handcannons, MK23s, .44 magnums and 9mms require more time than a single gun; therefore, always check your surroundings before starting to reload them. Always remember not to use the entire magazine before reloading; it is common for beginners to die surrounded by specimens, unable to shoot because of the long reload time.
- A high level Sharpshooter can even outright 1-hit-kill Scrakes on lower difficulties. Even on Hell on Earth difficulty, a skilled Sharpshooter can stun a Scrake with headshots from the LAR, with repeated headshots allowing you to keep it stunned until it dies. Crossbow bolts will also stun Scrakes if you headshot them, and will do more damage, but the reload time would make it easier to finish it off with other weapons. If the crossbow is fired as soon as you reload, it's capable of decapitating him just as the stun wears off.
- Remember, when you stun a Scrake, it can go into one of two animations: one shows the Scrake standing still, looking from side to side; the other showing him slumping forward with his head down. During either one of these stances, the hitbox for his head remains at about his throat. On higher difficulty levels, the team will usually depend on the Sharpshooter to stun and/or kill Scrakes, and this will allow you to effectively kill them.
[edit] Leveling Tactics
- Stay behind the party and watch their back, keep in contact with voice chat. Warn the others via voice chat commands when a big target approaches, then attempt to take it out.
- Sharpshooter can be leveled while playing as another perk most of the time, as each player's standard gear includes the 9mm pistol.
- The flashlight mounted on the 9mm pistol can aid the Sharpshooter in landing headshots without the use of iron sights.
- As a low-level Sharpshooter when weapon discounts are not as high, it is recommended to purchase the Lever-action rifle before the M14, M99 or crossbow. Though slower than the 9mm pistol, the Lever-Action Rifle damage per shot is enough to decapitate any specimen with at most two headshots except for the Scrake, Fleshpound and Patriarch.
- Headshots are easier to land when wielding only a single pistol as opposed to dual-wielding pistols, as you're able to look down the sights with the single.
[edit] Helping the Sharpshooter
- Respect the fact that the Sharpshooter needs to aim with care in order to make headshots. They are likely to be standing still while doing this, so try not to walk in front of them.
- Do not enrage Scrakes or Fleshpounds, as it is much easier to land a headshot on them while they are not sprinting, and it's easier to line up a shot if the Sharpshooter has the enemy running towards them instead of trying to pull off a side shot while it's sprinting towards the one who raged it..
- Smoke, fire, and large specimens do not mix well for the Sharpshooter. Demolitions Experts and Firebugs should be cautious when attacking big enemies, as their actions may simply interfere with the Sharpshooter's vision, and possibly kill the one attacking the larger specimen.
- Try to take out enemies that may attack the Sharpshooter while they are scoped in, especially if you see them focusing on a troublesome Scrake or Fleshpound.
[edit] Perk Ladder
| Rank | Headshot kills † | Weapon bonuses † | Headshot damage | Weapon discounts ‡ | Spawn | |||||
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| Headshot damage | Recoil | Reload speed | ||||||||
| +10% | +5% | 10% | ||||||||
| ★ | 30 | +20% | −25% | +10% | +10% | 20% | ||||
| ★★ | 100 | +38% | −50% | +20% | +20% | 30% | ||||
| ★★★ | 700 | +56% | −75% | +30% | +30% | 40% | ||||
| ★★★★ | 2,500 | +82% | +40% | +40% | 50% | |||||
| ★★★★★ | 5,500 | +125% | +50% | +50% | 60% | Lever-action | ||||
| ☆ | 8,500 | +140% | +60% | 70% | Crossbow | |||||
| ‡ For the MK23, .44 Magnum, Handcannon, M14 EBR and M99 AMR. † With on-perk weapons. | ||||||||||
| Equipment by perk | ||||||||||||||
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| Weapon damage table |
