I am unsure of my ability to help, but here goes. For these next few paragraphs, I plan to outline the basics of sniping that I am aware of after playing Destiny for a full year as a sniper Titan. I hope to give as much support to my fellow players as I can. Keep in mind that other players also have great advice. I can't explain every playstyle perfectly. Good? Let's begin. [b]1) Never throw yourself at the enemy.[/b] As fun as it may seem, jumping into it tends to never work unless you get lucky. If you are experienced with a sniper rifle and maintain good skill, or simply want to change how you play, try being an offensive sniper, but be careful. The front lines are far less forgiving for a miss. [b]2) Don't stay and fight.[/b] They're gonna kill you. Ensure that you are in position to attack before the enemy. One stray shot hits you, and its near impossible to aim. Retreating will always be your best option. Furthermore, retreat to an area that is not one you were at before. [b]3) Learn the maps.[/b] Take a few Rumble matches when you have the time to be smart. Staying with one sightline means you are not going to be properly covering ground. Even worse, you become utterly predictable. Find many sightlines, and shift around them. Another benefit to knowing the map is knowing how to flee. Know where you can run and hide to find cover easily and efficiently. Running is your best friend, and you want to cover ground fast, and before you get shot. While viewing your subclass, check your jump column. Usually, middle tier jumps are most effective for all classes. These perks offer control or forward propulsion, and Blink is also an effective perk. With perks such as these, you'll find yourself jumping and moving about with much higher speed than your teammates, even if you have lower agility. The third and most important point is that you must know special ammo locations. Special ammo, as a sniper, is a gift. Attempt to pick up crates every time special ammo spawns. A major thing to know is that special spawns around the time Heavy Ammo spawns. Focusing on grabbing Heavy and then Special gives you a huge lead in damage output. [b]4) You aren't taking down the opposing sniper.[/b] They can easily hit you first. Wherever you see them first, run. They will watch the wall you retreat behind, and emerging from behind that wall makes you an easy kill. Try to flip the tables on them. Watch where they retreat. Many snipers are desperate for the kill and pop right back out. To avoid death while questioning the location or strength of an enemy sniper, do not step out of cover. Sit, or utilize any other emote, to put your player in third person for a brief moment. You will be able to see around your cover and at the enemy sniper location. [b]5) Try lowering your sensitivity.[/b] Sensitivity is a setting that is chosen in your "settings" tab in the menu. You can choose a sensitivity between 1 and 10. Closer to 1 means you look around slower. Do keep in mind that with Destiny's setup, this means you cannot bank around corners as easily. Closer to 10 means you zip around quickly. If you are a beginner sniper, do not use sensitivity 10. Start with a lower sensitivity and move up to a higher one. With a lower sensitivity, you can control the rifle much easier. You may be uneasy with this for a while, but you can get used to the idea. It reduces the effect of your clenching on the controller and the effect of sweat on your hands. [b]6) Don't hardscope unless you are safe in your team's hands.[/b] I recommend not staying in scope for longer than unnecessary. Try lightly tapping out of scope for a brief glimpse at radar; if you see red, move out. Staying in scope keeps you focused on one spot, and the enemy knows to come behind you instead of rush. [b]7) Know your weapon.[/b] A sniper rifle varies in power based on the perks it has. Higher impact sniper rifles are great for team environments as they can be bodyshot capable after damage is done. All snipers will one shot headshot a generic, unaffected target that is not buffed, so if you are willing to take the risk, a higher rate of fire sniper rifle is for you. If you prefer huge damage and capability to drop supercharged enemies, go for a high impact sniper such as 1000-yard stare. Furthermore, your perks can combine with the weapon type. A good example is the quest-drop 1000-yard stare. This is a high impact sniper with firefly. Firefly allows for precision kills to cause the target to explode. With more enemies nearby, the explosion damage radiates. At most, this explosion damage does 60 damage. Because of this and the high impact, 1000-yard stare can body shot any generic guardian who was near a firefly explosion. Perks such as Spray and Play and Partial Refund allow you to rip through a clip and get back to firing quickly. The trees are also helpful. Casket mag or Appended mag allow for a higher magazine but that does not necessarily mean more ammo per special crate. Skip rounds guarantees another round in a special pack as well as gives a chance for a rebound kill. Armor piercing rounds allow for potential double kills with one shot, and are great for clearing droves of enemies at the start of a match. Another key component is your base stats. Stability is great for focused, controlled firing you can rely on. Range allows you to kill far off enemies: great for maps such as First Light or Bastion. On the topic of range, watch your scope. Use a high zoom scope when you need it, but generically stick to a lower zoom scope such as Ambush or Tacsys for most encounters and maneuverability. Reload helps keep you fighting when your team needs you. There are several types of Aim Assist. Bullet Magnetism is why you shoot a Phalanx and somehow hit the shield when you [i]clearly[/i] hit the hand, you feel me? This type of aim assist is found usually on Primary Weapons. It is granted by the perk Hidden Hand, which is why some snipers do experience the influence. The Aim Assist found on sniper rifles is referred to as [i]crosshair-slowdown[/i] and [i]auto aim[/i]. Both of these allow the user to aim and slow down over a target. Keep in mind how strong this effect is on your sniper. Most sniper rifles are found on Planet Destiny and you can find the usage of aim assist there. Depending on how much influence you want to have, find the sniper right for you. [b]8) Keep the choke points in mind.[/b] Watch wherever enemies group up so you can take them down. At the start of the match, you want to rush near a choke point. Do not be in an area easy to identify, but head toward areas with large traffic flow - where you would run first had you been on the enemy team. Not only does getting these initial kills thin the herd, but it also lowers team morale. They can't capture a point easily if they are a man down, so the match begins in your favor. [b]9) Keep your finger poised.[/b] Especially at the start of a match, keep your finger lightly on the trigger to minimize any delay or jump when you fire. You can hit a target easily if the bullet leaves exactly when you want it to. In my case, holding my finger lightly over is a double edged sword. I tense up and become less effective on the team. If you find yourself becoming too focused on having your finger in just the right spot, do not try to do this. [b]10) Check your connection.[/b] Are you lagging? Are they lagging? This can cause delay and confusion. Invest in a new router or modem or find a better service company, it can help your real life too and keep you connected. [b]11) Don't get fancy because Heavy Ammo is spawning.[/b] If possible, find a far away angle to send sniper rounds in and hopefully remove some potential enemy rockets. If you're lucky, you might clear them all and get heavy yourself. But don't get overconfident. Watching the enemy heavy is smart, but be safe. Do not fire randomly. Stay at a distance. If they fire at you, the entire group will fall for cover and you are left without kills or Heavy Ammo. [b]12) Mix it up a little.[/b] Try Angel of Light or Empreyan Bellicose. Try Shade stepping and sniping. Don't be predictable. If they don't see you coming, they can't be prepared to shoot you first. [b]13) Don't be illogical.[/b] A sniper is not suitable for every map. You cannot look down every corridor on Anomaly or Thieves Den at once. Primary weapons are great for body-shot backup. If you land a bodyshot, you may be able to quickly switch to a Primary and finish them off. Don't try to always land two body shots on an enemy. They can shoot you too. [b]14) Align with the head.[/b] Learning the location of a Guardian's head is crucial to powerful gunplay. Snipers are strong because of their ability to one-shot kill from long distance, but that is only while headshots are landed. A common Dreg has the same head height as a Guardian, and they make good practice. [b]15) Practice makes perfect.[/b] You won't get Mark of the Unbroken or Phantom your first sniper match. Try at least one match a day with your sniper until you are comfortable. Use smoke, or throwing knife, or a grenade, or whatever you enjoy. Develop a playstyle. Show them what it's like to face the unique sniper, [your gamertag here]. Most importantly, don't put yourself down. Anyone can have a bad day. If you fail to snipe well, take a break. Its just a bad moment, not a bad player. Just because you think you're bad at sniping doesn't mean you're bad at everything. Learn to hear feedback! Please post questions, comments, and concerns below. I will try to answer whatever I can, but please, check around if anyone has answered your question or message me personally on XBL @ RS That Rookie. [i]Rookiecookie, out. [/i]