Sniper Tips

The sniper rifle is by far the hardest weapon to aim and master in halo 3. However, it is a very powerful gun and is especially useful at long ranges so taking the time to master it is worth while. If you've got your adrenaline pumping and your freaking out trying to no scope somebody your not going to hit anything.

The most common mistake people will make in team sniper games is being a stationary sniper. You should use a strafe just like if you were shooting the battle rifle (Do not jump or crouch however). Why? You will be an easy target for stick grenades, and for enemy snipers. In non team sniper games, switch your location up regularly. People are going to realize where you sniped them from and come in looking for an easy assassination.

Another huge mistake people often make is staying scoped in, even when you do not have an enemy in your sights. Scoping in to an area you are certain an enemy is about to pop out is a smart idea, however just staying scoped and looking for a target while scoped is a stupid move because you can not use your radar and you will be assassinated and most likely teabagged.

Find a good vantage point, this will vary from map to map. In general, you want to find a point that has a lot of the map visible to you, without making it blatantly obvious your there. There are some dirty sniper spots on guardian, check out some youtube videos. For all intents and purposes however these are not viable because you will most likely be killed before you can double frag ricochet loop-de-loop jump. The spot just above where the laser spawns is EXCELLENT on high ground, or the rocks where the overshield spawns near the river. In valhalla, go to the side and stay back around the cliffs on either side of the map, or in the crashed pelican. DO NOT under any circumstances get on the ledges in narrows right above the centre of the map. You are completly stationary up there making a strafe impossible and as soon as someone discovers your spot you will be done for.

Do not be afraid to make 2 body shots. Too often I see people hesitating to try and line up the perfect head shot and then missing a kill because the enemy ducked around the corner. The sniper can be fired again in less than a second after a shot so a 2 body shot combo is almost as effective as a single head shot.

Like the battle rife, try to lead your shots a little. For non stationary targets place the reticule a little to the left/right of their shoulder, where you predict their head to be in the next second or two and then fire for the headshot rather than trying to line the headshot right up which is less effective and can take more time.

When engaging in a sniper vs. sniper battle, use a strafe just like you would with the battle rifle, however NEVER EVER jump. A falling target is incredibly easy to hit and you cannot get out of the line of fire. I like to go for 2 body shots, because the first will un-scope them leaving you at a huge advantage to finish them off quickly.

Keep a battle rifle as your secondary weapon to avoid wasting unnecessary ammo. It is easy to pop in a body shot and then switch to the battle rifle for a headshot kill when the enemy has no where to run for cover.

For no-scoping, relax and take a deep breath. Practice no scoping in customs and if it is something you are particularly weak at start with just aiming for body no scopes. Instead of trying to aim for a target, make your goal just to make the reticule turn red and then fire twice or fire/beatdown. It is almost as effective except in close combat scenarios against a shotgun. Once you have mastered body no-scopes, move on to practicing no scoping for the head. With time and precision, you can become just as comfortable using the sniper reticule as the BR reticule. Just remember: Relax when you are about to make the shot. If you think it is a big thing to no scope people and impossible to do, your'e not going to be sucessful.

Like all things in Halo 3, mastering the sniper rifle takes time and effort. Practice in customs against those who are better than you and you will notice your skill rising rapidly.

For a great video with sniper tips which are hard to explain in text, please check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uWocCisvKE&feature=related