Opportunistic Vulturism: A Sniper's Guide to PVP

[Kendar]

Oppotunistic Vulturism: A Sniper's Guide to PVP

By Cipher Agent Kendar Arkana

 

Foreword

When I first started playing PVP as a sniper, I hated it. A lot. It felt like I was dying, every ten senconds or so. It felt like my shots were bouncing off of my targets like they were made of rubber, not deadly lasers. In short, I felt frustrated, useless, and despondent. And if you just started PVP sniping, you may feel the same way.

 

Well, I want to help. Now, I am by no means an expert. I've only got about half of my PVP gear, and I certainly don't dominate battlefields. This is not, and was never intended to be, the ultimate guide to end game PVP. This is a manifesto, to help those who feel as I did...frustrated and useless. It is a philosophy of play, nothing more. You will find no rotations, no number calculations...just a couple of rules that I hope will help some of those new snipers get on their feet, and be proud of their class.

 

 

Premise

I have titled this style of play "Opportunistic Vulturism," and the idea is simple. You are a sniper, and therefore meant to shoot people in the head without them even knowing you are there. When I first started PVP, I was raring to go, with my PVE tested bag of tricks ready to go. I knew a few rotations, I knew where my escape buttons were. Couldn't wait to go head to head with some Jedi filth and show them the power of the Empire!

 

It didn't work out that way.

 

Opportunistic Vulturism declares that if you are, at any time, fighting a Jedi head on, something has gone wrong. Or a Sith. Or a Trooper. Or anyone, really. The ultimate satisfaction of playing a sniper should come not from winning an intense one on one fight, guns blazing and lightsabers flashing...but from the simple, quiet headshot to an enemy who was low on health and never knew you were there.

 

Be an opportunist...shoot at the enemy who is half dead and fighting someone else. Be a vulture...finish off people who have mere centimeters of health left. Hunt and scavenge...but do not presume that you can stand in the middle of a battlefield and be ignored. The heart of this theory is simple, though a little painful to accept. You should not be fighting someone one on one, ever. Not if you can avoid it.

 

If you can accept this, the game turns around, suddenly. It's no longer about how often you get killed by some antagonistic level 50, but about how cleverly you avoid detection. You worry less about how weak you feel, and start wondering about the weaknesses of others. Change the game, essentially. Stop worrying about the Smuggler who easily took you one on one, and start planning to shoot him in the back when he least expects it.

 

 

The Rules

So, you want to be a vulture? You want to get three times as many killing blows as you get deaths? In short, you think this idea works for you? What follows are the rules I have come up with, divided into three sections: Location, Targeting, and Living. Remember...this is a philosophy, not an absolute. Read what follows, consider it, and if you like it? Work it into your playstyle. But in the end, it is best to do what you enjoy best. This is just one possibility.

 

 

Location

The Law of Spiderman

Spiderman is a comic book/cartoon/video game/movie series that teaches us one very important fact: No one ever looks up. The man is wearing a bright red and blue costume, but sneaks into countless evil corporations, villain hideouts, and science labs by doing nothing more than clinging to the ceiling. While we cannot do the same, precisely, the rule applies.

 

Height helps. It doesn't have to be on the tallest spot in the world...just enough so that it is inconvenient for anyone to look up. Consider it yourself, in your own playstyle. How often is your camera inclined upwards? Not often, I will wager. You have to watch your footing, watch the people in front of you...rarely the people above you. And if you notice someone above you? Chances are, rather than try to line up a shot or charge...you just get out of the way of their shooting.

 

Use this. People, by nature, do not look up. They don't like the idea of running around and finding how to attack you...they would rather get on to the next nearest target. Vulturism relies heavily on not being attacked...because the longer you are ignored, the better damage you can deal, the more kills you can get. Height is the simplest way to secure that ignorance.

 

Access Denied

You know what's irritating? Getting shot at by a sniper.

 

You know what's more irritating? Getting shot at by a sniper on a different level, with a long, convoluted path to get to his position so you can start hitting him.

 

If you are a Sith Juggernaut, and your flying charge is on cooldown, it seems like a lot of work to go walking up three ramps so you can start bashing at me in Huttball. If we're in the center cannon on Alderaan, it's much easier to start shooting the Bounty Hunter in front of you than waste time trying to angle the camera just right to target me on the upper level, much less go to the ramp to get a clear shot. And nothing is more irritating than getting to the tiny ledge a sniper is on, only to get cover pulsed off the edge and have to do it all again.

 

The rule is simple. Find a spot that is even mildly difficult to get to, and you discourage people from chasing after you. Why bother, when they can hide behind a pillar, or attack someone closer by? It doesn't matter if the spot would take three or four seconds for them to get to before they start hurting us...most often, they would rather ignore an inconvenient threat than chase it down. The benefits of this are obvious.

 

Oops...Hide!

Someone noticed you, and are in trouble! Quick, fire more shots, use your defensive abilities, try to kill them before they take you down!

 

That was my old mindset, at least. There is a simpler alternative. Hide.

 

It doesn't feel brave. It doesn't feel heroic. It is, however, effective. Choose your initial spot carefully, and have something nearby to hide behind. As a sniper, you know how painful line of sight can be. Someone you are shooting walks behind a pillar, and you're out of luck? Then do the same thing to them. As I've said, Opportunistic Vulturism says that you do not EVER want to fighting someone who has noticed you. Break there line of sight, and wait for a moment. The more ambitious enemies will start trying to track you down, of course, so they can finish the job. But you may be surprised at how many decide to simply forget you exist...thus allowing you to get back to your job.

 

People use line of sight to fight us all the time. Don't be afraid to use it right back. If you have followed the other two princibles of being in a high position, inconvenient to get to? Chances are they won't bother. And as soon as you are ignored, you can take up position again, and shoot them in the back. Again, it doesn't feel heroic, doesn't feel brave. But the last part feels very nice indeed.

 

 

Targeting

Skyrim Boss Syndrome

Most people who have played Skyrim have noticed two things about the bosses of that game. They are incredibly tough to beat one on one, and they are also incredibly stupid. This leads to the following strategy for that game: hide in a corner, and launch an arrow at them. They get angry, look around for you for a while, then (when they cannot find you) decide to ignore the problem and go back to whatever they were doing. Rinse and repeat. My friends and I have laughed at how unrealistic it is, of course. Who ignores massive damage and an arrow in the neck? Surprisingly, most people in the Old Republic.

 

People get shot at in PVP. A lot. That means a lot of blaster bolts heading back and forth, and to our benefit...our main attacks are simply blaster shots. Ambush, Snipe, Overload Shot, Takedown...they're all just more blaster shots to the unwary target. And because they are indistinguishable from other, normal attacks? People tend to ignore them. Who are they worried about? The Bounty Hunter spamming Tracer missiles, or some other person shooting blasters at them? Nine times out of ten, it's the Bounty Hunter...never realizing that our shots can hurt very, very badly.

 

How do you use this? Simple. Don't be standing right in front of them. Unless they are staring straight at you, no one tends to notice getting shot by a sniper...or at least they most often ignore it. Shoot at people involved in big fire fights...they won't notice a few more shots. And always be aware of where your target's attention is. If he is chasing down someone else, he won't pay attention to a couple more blaster bolts in the back. Again, this rule is about ignorance. The longer your target ignores you, the more successful you are.

 

Like a Good Neighbor, Sniper is There

An operative on your side gets the jump on a Trooper, who is now lying on the ground. Chances are, they won't mind if you also toss in a Headshot, to help get that hefty health bar closer to zero. The Trooper might mind.

 

A couple of Jedi are wailing on a Sith Warrior, and you're watching. With a Flashbang, or Distraction, you might help him live longer. Long enough that you can Ambush the Consular he's fighting, at least.

 

It's the beginning of Huttball, and the two teams have just started clashing in the middle. They are, of course, much too busy to pay attention to a few well placed shots from a lofty position.

 

If you are sitting in the middle of a path, shooting at someone coming straight at you, they will attack you too. This much is obvious. But a Vulture doesn't like that situation...which is why the Vulture is such a good friend. Teamwork is not just about being nice...there's a good deal of self interest in there too. Aim for targets who are already fighting someone else, and the chances that they will abandon their efforts to start killing you are very unlikely. And while they take the hits, you dish out the damage.

 

This goes beyond Opportunism, a little bit, though. Really care about your teammates, and it will help you in the long run. Distraction, if you are playing a Vulture correctly, should never be used on someone attacking you...but always against someone attacking your ally. Helping your allies live, by taking out their opponents, is something that helps you in the long run. Use your stuns, your distractions, your immobilization...and not only does your team in general do better, but you do better.

 

If You Start To Explode, You are Doing it Wrong

As we have mentioned, our main goal as Opportunistic Vultures is to avoid detection and hurt people who won't attack us back. It will not always work. Sometimes you are the one targeted. And if you have been hit by a Tracer missile that you never saw coming, you are officially in trouble.

 

The name of the game here is threat detection. Be aware, as best as you can, of people who want to kill you. I love the rafters of Huttball, above the battlefield and away from the direct fighting. Sorcerers and Sages, though, also love them. Mostly because they can push me off and laugh to themselves, I imagine. That's where awareness comes in handy. If you see them coming, you can be prepared. There is little so satisfying as activating Entrench, then Cover Pulse, to knock the person off the ledge who was just trying to do it to you.

 

Always focus your attention on the people who are trying to kill you. And be aware of who might attempt it...the people on the same height level are obvious. But if you accidentally kill someone in a one on one battle, be aware...a lot of people are vindictive, and would love to hunt you down, squishy sniper that you are. Alternatively, earlier philosphy about avoiding detection doesn't work on some people, who already know you to be a threat. If someone consistently targets you? Watch out! Hit them first, even if it means losing the advantage on someone else. Know who is a threat, before they are a threat...or you will regret it.

 

On an ironic note, this includes other snipers who follow this philosophy. I formally apologize for any other snipers I've killed this way. I don't like to do it, and ignore you when I can. We are, at heart, a big happy family. Or should be. But I will try to kill you if you are a threat.

 

 

Living

Know Your Escapes

Flashbang. Melee stun. Leg Shot, Distraction and Shield Probe. Cover Pulse and Evasion. And corners, corners, corners.

 

Someone is chasing you, you are in trouble. But know your escapes. Be familiar with every button on your console that allows you to live a little longer. Leg Shot someone chasing, then dash around a corner. Flashbang and run like you have never run before. If needed, use Debilitate and break line of sight as best as you can, because if you don't...they are coming after you.

 

This is a simple rule, but a required one. A Sniper who does not know how to use Flashbang is one who does not live long. Know your escaping skills, and use them, as often as you have to. As soon as someone starts shooting you, activate Shield Proba and move to break their line of sight....that simple. If you want to live, put living first...and that means using everything in your arsenal to protect your life.

 

Be Inconvenient

You manage to catch a sniper off guard, but he tosses a Flashbang and drops down to another level, frantically breaking your line of sight and activating a mess of survivability skills. Choices are this: grit your teeth in irritation and try to chase him down, or kill someone else who is standing right next to you. The latter option is more often the answer.

 

Run to an area that it would take your would-be murderer some time to get back to the action from. Duck around corners and stall them with line of sight. Be as irritating and inconvenient as possible. Because the fact of the matter is that most people are not filled with enough vindictive hate to chase you down. Most people would rather let you go on living, if it's going to be a big hassle to chase you down. And that should fit your plans nicely.

 

The number one skill for living, when you live as a Vulture, is to know how to be inconvenient. Become a waste of time to chase down, and most people will not bother. And as soon as they have chosen another target? Get revenge, if you like. Or, better yet, heal up and go after someone less aware of your presence. It's very rare that someone will actually bother to waste their time, because they are that determined to see you dead.

 

...which, unfortunately, leads into our last rule.

 

Bounty Hunters Can (and Will) Kill You

The name of this unfortunate truth stems from Bebop, an unfortunately skilled and fully geared level 50 Bounty Hunter on my server. While I respect him a great deal, and hold no grudge, Bebop has learned the simple truth about killing a Sniper. If you press the issue, there's nothing we can do about it.

 

I can Flashbang and hope his Escape equivalent is on cooldown. If it's not, he can get out of it and keep chasing. I can try to Leg Shot and duck around a corner. But I have exactly five seconds, possibly less, to get completely out of his range. I can stall, and CC, and hide. But Bebop just follows. And then, inevitably, he hits me enough times to kill me.

 

The rule is tragic, but true. Some people don't care how inconvenient you make yourself. They would rather have you dead than run the Huttball, or place a Voidstar bomb. No, they are just there to rack up kills, and you are one of them. And if you are targeted, and unlucky? You're dead. Sad but true. For all the advantages I point out for snipers in this, it is still easy to die, if someone wants you dead.

 

But knowledge is power, and the empowering thing about this is the fact that sometimes, death is unavoidable. Once you know that, and accept it? Life gets a lot easier. Don't take it personal...just accept that Snipers can only do so much in these situations, and get on with it. If you play the game right, these deaths don't matter. Your successes will outweigh your failures, in the long run.

 

 

Conclusion

Opportunistic Vulturism is not for everyone. It's not a style that will win games by the sheer awesomeness of you. What it is is a philosophy, a possibility. It is, ultimately, an attempt to console those snipers who, like me in the early stages, got beaten time and time again and felt awful about the experience. If it works for you? Good. Nothing could please me more than hearing that a fellow sniper is having an easier time. If it doesn't work? Then I encourage you to find your own way of playing the class. Too many times have I seen the same desolate comments about our profession that I myself might have made, when I was being beaten senseless. If you find something else that works? Post your own guide! Help out your fellow troops, as I have tried to.

 

But for now? Here's hoping that this guide gives you, my fellow Snipers, a winning chance.

[JoyProtocol]

This is a tidy way to summarize what I've found to be the best playstyle for the sniper. Thanks for the writeup!

[Ayestes]

I love the post and was happy to have read it, but you might want to edit the part about Headshot working on a Trooper.

[Wilsu_Addar]

TL;DR: Shoot people who aren't looking. When they see you, run away. Bounty Hunters suck.

 

That sums up the post for all of you not willing to read the entire thing.

 

- W.

[Reilnkur]

Good read Made me chuckle at some of this. Im sure it will help many who are having issues. I see far to many Snipers who rush into battle thinking they are tanks.

[frdrake]

I played my first few pvp matches in the thick of things and it was immediately apparent I was doing something wrong, as I was focused and eliminated quite quickly. Just as the guide says be a vulture, skirt the edge of the conflict and you start with lowest hp victim first and then work your way up.

 

Something not mentioned here in the "make yourself inconvient to finish off" part is that often times people will get tunnel visioned on you and run past your allies to try and get those last few shots in. This leads to essentially baiting them to their death as your allies are more than happy to do a quick Xv1 on them before engaging the main enemy force.

 

It honestly amazes me how many times I can avoid death and circle back around at like 10% hp to drop two more people before any of the enemy looks around and notices someone easily killable.

 

The only part I really don't agree too much with is the stance on 1v1s. If I'm going to be alone with someone for the next 10-15 seconds I stun them, pop entrench and go to work. I rarely lose 1v1s and if I do it's usually because I got lazy and just figured my easy rotation would be enough to kill them, or I let them 1v1 me even though explosive probe is on CD (I'm engy).

 

The sniper is no hero, and I've posted about in other threads, it really isn't our job to plant the bomb or cap the point, and we shouldn't even be in passing range of the huttball. Unfotunately though sometimes allies get too tunnel visioned themselves and no one is even trying to plant the bomb. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and get noticed, and that usually ends up poorly for us .

[Trunten]

Great read. Entirely accurate. I adopted a similar play-style recently, and have been met with a lot of success. Edited January 16, 2012 by Trunten

[yreaction]

Entertainment read, but bit far away from real scenarios.

 

- People notice really fast where you are these days, its really easy to LoS you in every match, while a bunch of allies come to backup...

 

- Our damage output doesnt match with the TANK (literaly) mitigation of every other class.

 

The whole "Vulture Disguise" only works in HuttBall, ball-front platform, if you forget the funny cover bugs, where you roll downstairs from an upper position and so, and so..

 

I have to get mad with one of your situations, but quite different, find someone with low health that ussually will run for his live, legshot just doesnt stop him and if you're lucky to reach him, surprise yourself with 900-1100 shoots (No deflect, dodge, missed, underground...)

 

To be honest I have been working a lot for gear up as MM, and I feel that things and our advantages are going in oppose improvement (Stop saying how good we are for pvp support WE SHOULD HAVE MORE RANGED DISTANCE THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THE GAME).

 

PVE is quite different but not at all, same droid with same debuffs/buffs (tested) 700 first snipe-non critical - restarted - 980 second snipe non critical...

[Trunten]

The whole "Vulture Disguise" only works in HuttBall, ball-front platform, if you forget the funny cover bugs, where you roll downstairs from an upper position and so, and so..

 

 

Why on earth would you not use crouch?

[yreaction]

I do use it, just notice about the "fun" concept.

[JoyProtocol]

I do use it, just notice about the "fun" concept.

 

have you considered the fact that this is not the playstyle for you? Kind of like the Carolina Parakeet in BH forums. Some love it, some hate it.

 

If you dislike this kind of gameplay, I would suggest you try the Lethality build. It's the exact opposite of MM, and I suspect you will enjoy it.

[Bonesmello]

It's over Anakin, I have the high ground.

[Irenicus_Jon]

I've had similar evolution in PvP playing sniper. Initially I was trying to kill targets with big openers and sustained DPS, but eventually I realized the first thing a sniper needs to learn is not who to shoot or how, but where to hide. Because if I'm detected and targeted, I'm going to die. Oh I can hold my own from time to time, it's not like I get steam-rolled by anyone who can click on me, but I can do my job much MUCH better if I am out of sight and out of mind. Most of the time I'll hide somewhere and won't start firing until other people have engaged my target first.

[hollowicious]

I agree with you philosophy, it's definately the way to stay alive and deal more damage. But being effective in a Warzone is a completely different story.

 

Picking off people is only relevant when there are healers in the mix, and you kill the target before the heal hits them. This not only wastes the healers time but also (obviously) kills someone. That's great, but it's not enough.

 

You should be, and always, targetting anyone healing, at all times. With 35 range, you can often stand on the other side of the main brawl as the opposing teams healers, and still smack them around. This is 10x more effect than killing anyone in the middle brawl. Even if you don't kill the healer and he LOS's you, you have reduced incoming healing from that player to the brawl to zero, he is concerned with himself for X seconds.

 

You are then able to switch to make the kill as you wish, if it didnt happen already in the brawl.

 

Sticking to healers is critical, and your spell interupt is key. Most healers wont realise they are being hit for about 2-3 seconds, so thats an ambush and a full series of shots before the dude starts to run, which should then be your queue to drop a corrosive dart and a leg shot to keep him in range.

 

LOS is going to be your biggest problem, dont start a channel if someone is close to an edge unless you leg shot them first.

 

 

As for Bounty hunters, specifically Mercs, you need to interupt tracer missile. This is there go-to-spam-abilitiy for high dps output. Cutting one off, and stopping it for 6 seconds gives you heaps of breathing room. Always pop your entrench so your own channels cant be interupted by their CC, and keep flashbang as an interupt as well.

 

Personally I play 2/11/28, so in any range fight I drop 3 dots first, and try to LOS all channels while doing so. Then drop entrench and pop a cull-ambush-SoS all in a row when im good and ready with them in place. The burst usually hits for around 9k not including the dots they've taken. With good placement, this is reliable against any class. Melee especially due to kiting.

 

I would say to be an effective sniper, you need to master the timing of leg shot and flashbang above all other things.

[Jadenn]

i have no problems 1v1'in or even 2v1'in people. If i get in a situation like that, shield probe, entrench, drop plasma probe and orbital strike on me, Turtle up then burn away. it's amazing how much damage a couple area effects stacked do to melee around you. Your spec is also dependent on how you roll in pvp. As a MM spec or lethality spec, you'll be more susceptible to damage, as engineer spec, you have more survivability options available to you.

[Ayestes]

Probably my favorite trick is Cover Pulse and then Orbital Strike right on yourself. I've yet to see one resist the temptation of rushing right back onto me. Oh your taking an extra 2-4k damage every 3 seconds? Nifty.

[Trunten]

Probably my favorite trick is Cover Pulse and then Orbital Strike right on yourself. I've yet to see one resist the temptation of rushing right back onto me. Oh your taking an extra 2-4k damage every 3 seconds? Nifty.

 

How have I never thought of this?

[Storik]

Probably my favorite trick is Cover Pulse and then Orbital Strike right on yourself. I've yet to see one resist the temptation of rushing right back onto me. Oh your taking an extra 2-4k damage every 3 seconds? Nifty.

 

 

 

Amazing!

[Zerixkun]

Why is this not stickied? Seriously!

[BubbleDncr]

Your "Like a good neighbor, Sniper is there" is my favorite part of your guide.

 

One of the most satisfying things I do in PVP is hang out up high and help my teammates take down enemies. They never see it coming.

 

That, and Orbital Strikes in Voidstar. Nothing screams "snipers are useful!" like setting off an orbital strike at the doors when the other team's about to get it.

[Jrzez]

Probably my favorite trick is Cover Pulse and then Orbital Strike right on yourself. I've yet to see one resist the temptation of rushing right back onto me. Oh your taking an extra 2-4k damage every 3 seconds? Nifty.

 

I use this as well, the only issue with it I have is that Orbital Strike should start having the ship screeching in during the cast. The delay is too significant giving people far-far too long of a time to get away. If they don't want to remove this, then they need to put a slow on those struck by it. Coolest ability in the game, easily avoided.

 

Also:

Class/Spec is a pure DPS class with zero heals thus:

 

- They should have the highest DPS to counter classes that have heals.

- They should have a mortal-strike/shot debuff that drastically lowers healing.

- They need a decent self-heal.

 

I'll take one of those three.

 

Address those two things and I'll be a bit happier.

[Naduri]

Or you can use a lethality spec and murder Bounty Hunters. DoT, DoT, LoS, DoT, DoT, Cull, Dead. Edited January 18, 2012 by Naduri

[Mulletmullet]

It's a nice write up to help a new player. I don't entirely agree with everything, but it's still solid advise.

 

For example, the "run and hide" if you are engaged in a 1 on 1 fight isn't necessarily always the answer. Certainly, the best situation is for you to be able to deliver damage unnoticed and uninterrupted, but honestly, I can beat nearly any other class in a 1v1 as long as it isn't a Sorc/Sage. Realistically, Operatives, Scoundrels, Assassins and Shadows (the classes that can stealth) make it their personal duty to find and end us. Also, it isn't necessarily an easy task to simply run from them. Therefore you are often forced to engage in a 1 on 1 fight.

 

We have the tools to beat these classes. We have a strong knockback that roots them in place. We have an instant, ranged mezz. We have a melee stun (which is where they need to be anyway). We have an instant root from Leg Shot that ignores resolve. We have defensive cooldowns. We have the burst to take them out.

 

As a general rules:

 

• Snipers should always run/LoS if there are multiple enemies targeting them.
  
• NEVER run in alone. You need your teammates to act as a diversion.
  
• Save your CC and defensive cooldowns for people who find and target you relentlessly.
  
• When possible, gun for the healers first. A ranged interrupt and high burst makes you the perfect healer killer.
  
• When caught in a true 1v1 (with your cooldowns up), don't hesitate to fight. You have the burst and utility to deal with it.
  
• Expertise stims are your friend.