How effective is the sniper in PVE?

[Bobbyrab]

So, all I seem to hear is how broken the IA and SW are and how OP the BH and SI are. I’m wanting to roll a sniper because it’s different from the sawbones I just leveled (different play style, faction, story, etc.) and I solely PVE, so is the sniper a worthwhile AC? Are they strong DPS? I don’t mind if the class is challenging or whatever, my sole concern lies in your opinion, from either playing one or playing with them, regarding the sniper as a strong, effective DPS that is at least somewhat fun to level to 50?

[IronSalamander]

I'm 46 almost 47 on my sniper and I find her very effective PvE-wise. I went mostly marksman and love it. Sniper damage is generally very burst-heavy so aggro has to be managed in groups. Despite what some might say, we do have some utility as well. Slice droid is of course limited to droids but effective, leg shot can keep mobs off of us or healers, flashbang grenade can be endless fun, etc. I haven't soloed that much compared to my low-level career since I have 3 friends that I play with almost all the time, but the only issue I have soloing is keeping my companions gear competitive to the content difficulty.

 

I have 8 empire characters on my 'home' server and have 1 of each advanced class and the only one above 23 is my sniper. I love playing her that much. It's not a perfect class, and many dislike the cover system, but a big thumbs up from me.

Edited January 26, 2012 by IronSalamander

[Durcbjorn]

My main's a powertech tank, and I've only gotten my sniper to 12, but from everything I've READ and guildmates I've spoken to...

 

snipers sound great in pve (assuming you like the playstyle)

do excellent dps

 

I think most of the complaining I've seen is due to low mobility AND low survivability, when compared to other dps classes that do just as much dps, but have more mobility and more survivability.

 

So if you could do the same dps, and have more survivability AND mobility, why wouldn't you reroll? LOL

 

I personally agree with a few posts I've seen about how 5 more range (40 instead of 35) would make a world of difference. Honestly I think 45 makes more sense though. I don't really think that's game breaking or anything, as 10 yards more range isn't that huge a distance.

 

It's just, if you're supposed to be the long range sniping AC, you should be able to. Not have pretty much the same range (5 yards is like nothing), and do the same amount of dps, with less survivability.

 

Right now the cons way outweigh the pros. There's a bunch of cons, and the pros they think they gave the class to make up for them don't even come close at the moment. I think 45 yard range would solve a lot, but it wouldn't fix everything.

[IronSalamander]

My main's a powertech tank, and I've only gotten my sniper to 12, but from everything I've READ and guildmates I've spoken to...

 

snipers sound great in pve (assuming you like the playstyle)

do excellent dps

 

I think most of the complaining I've seen is due to low mobility AND low survivability, when compared to other dps classes that do just as much dps, but have more mobility and more survivability.

 

So if you could do the same dps, and have more survivability AND mobility, why wouldn't you reroll? LOL

 

I personally agree with a few posts I've seen about how 5 more range (40 instead of 35) would make a world of difference. Honestly I think 45 makes more sense though. I don't really think that's game breaking or anything, as 10 yards more range isn't that huge a distance.

 

It's just, if you're supposed to be the long range sniping AC, you should be able to. Not have pretty much the same range (5 yards is like nothing), and do the same amount of dps, with less survivability.

 

Right now the cons way outweigh the pros. There's a bunch of cons, and the pros they think they gave the class to make up for them don't even come close at the moment. I think 45 yard range would solve a lot, but it wouldn't fix everything.

Can't argue with any of that. Interestingly, my 23 is my powertech.

[JoyProtocol]

PvE snipers are excellent. You get a nice toolkit to keep the enemy controlled and/or dead.

 

PvP snipers are hard, but fine. To brag - as level 29, I went 4 matches with only 2 deaths (in the 4th, it was a huttball) and I accumulated over 140 kills and many MVP votes. You just need to know how to cut and run when they come for you.

[sheltem]

Snipers rock in raids, especially with ballistic shield, which is amazing for boss fights when your group needs to bunch up. It can save you and your group from wiping.

[ZanMura]

I've played a Sorcerer, and Juggernaut to lvl 35ish, and my current lvl 36 sniper is by far the best of them for both PvE and PvP. Lethal spec. If anything I've been afraid they'd nerf her.

 

A sniper does *not* have low mobility. It's just that since the option is there, it encourages lazy players (not as offensive, it's just that most people on average prefer to take it easy) to stick to the station and sit there. Really cover's just supposed to be used for the few abilities that need it to trigger. Typically I only tap cover for the instant snipe, ambush, explosive probe and now with lvl 36 for series of shots.

 

Something of note is also the fact that I've used Vector exclusively since I got him, so I have no tank for PvE either, meaning most of the mobs focus on me. And yet it's hardly a problem. Snipers have shielding probe, evasion, the buff from cover, and loads of utility abilities from smoke canister to flashbang to stun to knockback to root etc, most with a low cooldown. Even the grenade knocks normal mobs down. Which means that even with your normal attack rotation killing half of most mobs in an encounter practically instantly, there's plenty of survivability to go around for those that are still alive.

 

My sorcerer was by far inferior to my sniper, and most people think of them as overpowered. The juggernaut has additional stun etc PvE-only components to basically all of his abilities, and still he's inferior to a sniper. And as said, the sniper's abilities - like practically all of them - are just as efficient in both PVE and PvP. Just that as opposed to the more or less "press 1-2-3" approach you could take with a jug or a sorc, as a sniper I regularly need to use over a dozen different abilities seamlessly in the same encounter.

 

I've played a lot of games - including MMO's -, so I'd like to imagine I've some experience and sense of reality when it comes to the overall picture of things. And I can with good conscience claim that a sniper is definitely more challenging and twitchy to play than most other classes, but mastery with it leaves little room for doubt: it is a *very* good class, one of the best.

[TheRagingPwner]

I am a 50 Sniper in full Rakata gear with the Champion weapon (because Rakata weapons are ****** and bugged). We have completed everything up to 9/10 Nightmare and I can say that the Sniper class is right on par with the 3 BH DPS we have. The most important piece of gear for any class in the game is the Snipers rifle. This will be the largest determining factor of our DPS. You will need a good rifle to be high DPS. Every fight has movement but guess what...none of the classes can really DPS while moving. Snapshot is our ability to deal with moving...when we have to move, we can instantly snipe as we crouch to begin DPSing. Reapply Shattershot and Corrosive Dart if moving for a long period of time. You can even sneak a SS-FT combo into a fight that requires moving. People who complain about having to run around don't understand game mechanics IMO. The only issue we have is that most of our skills depend largely on the armor of the target whereas the BH doesn't always matter. Because of this, we need 5 of the people from the raid (including us) to keep their 20% armor debuff on the boss since we need his armor to be as low as possible to do max DPS.

[Saberolson]

Most of what im saying really only applies to you if you go marksman, but as the name sniper suggests, marksman really is the defining spec of the AC.

 

Heres the deal, the sniper is absolutly powerful in both PVE and PVP. The major complaint is that in order to be equal to other classes, you have to play like a champ. So many of the mediocre players get just steamrolled while they play them. And cover has had many horrible bugs.

 

In PVP you really havce to play like your name suggests....sniper. Find a good hiding spot, and commence to killing ****. You are not a one on one powerhouse. If my tankasin rolls up on you, forget it, your dead. You best bet is to stun and run. But, if you find a little hidey hole, and start blasting me from 30+ yards...im dead.(i cant forcepull you when you are in cover, so life will be tought for me)

 

In PVE, the biggest problem comes from movment heavy fights with a lot of ground effects. If you go the leathality or engineering, its not as much of an issue because many of your abilities dont require cover, but if you go marksman, you are going to be spending a lot of time in cover, and you wont be able to use your hardest hitting abilities while you are moving. Snipe, ambush, and SoS are your bread and butter and all require cover. followthrough requires you use ana bility from cover so it might as well need it too. Your 31 point talant sets you up to use a cover abilitiy 3 times without a cooldown. So to get the most of it, you have to be in cover for 3 global cooldowns.

 

Now, lets talk about cover itself. It only requires u to hit 1 button, its basically instant and its off GCD(assuming you dont use it from your hotbar, and use the hotkeys its bound to), but its buggy as hell. Originally, when you rolled into cover, your 2 charged ranged abilities often failed. They fixed that, but introduced a new bug that caused you to get knocked out of cover by attacks, and to get back in, you would have to move around for a sec before you hit cover. That was WAYYY worse. I have no idea if that was fixed, cause it was the last straw for me.

 

Cover is very powerful. The def benefits from it that are basline from sniper, plus balistic dampers from talants is awesome. But if the whole system hardly works, its all for not.

 

Summed up, if you are forgiving of the bugs, and accept that you have to be a top of the class player to succeed, then the sniper may be for you. I for one learned to deal with the moving fights, they sucked but whatever, in PVP, i learned to stick close to my team, and find a hiding spot, but the cover bugs did me in. I switched to a tank, and have been happy since. I still have to be top of the class to play good as a sin tank(in PVP at least), but i dont have to deal with bugs.

[Dasamukha]

I agree with the above.

 

I am a mediocre player. I have to find a quite tidy spot to get into cover, and pop the weak and wounded. One on one, I get smoked. As engineering spec, I have some tools to use when I am on the move. Rifle shot, corrosive dart and grenades all can be used out of cover and make good chasing abilities to wear an opponent down, but none of them will make you feel high and mighty and lord forbid they turn around and fight back. By the time you pop into cover, get you shields out you are already dead.

 

Cover will drive you bananas. The times I get, unknown result while just standing on a ramp and what not, or rolling off of one ramp onto another ramp, makes me slam into the keyboard. . . You will feel powerless when you get on something the game can't figure out, the ability you are trying to use is stuck and you are getting pounded by that BH who has a sliver of health. You end up dieing as they somehow take you weak attempt to fight back

 

But, about once a night, I find a nice corner, with half of the other team below, and my team is slugging it out. Here I get the chance to stay in cover, pick my targets pop ambush, sos and explosives and snipes, and pick 3 or 4 apart. The satisfaction of well executed take down one shot on a wounded target, makes you stand up and cheer.

 

In PvE, I feel good but not great. Its hard to tell how well you are doing. My shots hit hard and I have great aoe potential, and when the stars aline I have serious burst. It's just hard to tell how its performing versus other classes.

 

As a leveling experience I highly recommend the story. Until you get your healer, about 35 or so, you will spend a lot of time healing yourself and your companion and planning how to deal with multiple mobs. Sometime you are going to get owned. Once you have the healer, the game goes to easy mode, even for a mediocre player. I finished my class quests at 48 soloing the level 50's. Your healer not only heals but provides you with some added crowd control.

 

The only other advise, is to get an orange weapon and keep the barrel as high a level as you can. Its all about the barrel in terms of weapon damage. All other mods are a distant second. The faster you kill the less damage you take, and more powerful you feel. I wish someone had told me (or I had realized sooner) the barrel, its all about the barrel.

Edited January 26, 2012 by Dasamukha

[AgentMytho]

I complained loudly about my sniper because in PvE and getting killed all the time. Primarily because Kaliyo is a horrible tank. But after taking some advice and changing my play style a little I have found my Sniper is very effective PvE both solo and grouped (especially grouped).

 

My Sniper is lvl 27 and primarily Marksman tree. The defense buffs to cover (and breaking cover) are awesome.

 

Here are some keys that helped me (I am no expert so feel free to correct any errors)

1. Kaliyo is a horrible tank, she can't take much damage. So I usually keep her in offense stance (it reduces her threat generation), so that she can remain alive the entire fight. I also turn off her Distract (taunt) skill and save it for when I am low on heath (remember you can manually trigger these abilities)

 

2. We don't have any long term Crowd Control, but we have lots of good short term. If anyone ever gets near me I Deabilitating strike them. If i'm getting too much heat from a group (or even one mob) use a flashbang and focus them down one at a time.

 

3. Remap the take cover keybind. By default your chracter will roll to the nearest cover, you can remap it so that automatically goes to cover where you stand instead of rolling (or you can use Shift+F). This made a huge differnce, once i disovered how powerful cover was and started using it more (cover - move - cover), i realized what a liability rolling around was, when I want cover I want it were I am at.

 

4. Balistic Dampeners (marksman tree, teir 2), this like a powershield, only better. 100% chance to absorb 30% damage against 3 attacks (and it has a buff icon so you know when it expires). I believe this is in addition to the default bonus provided by cover.

 

5. Snapshot (marksman tree teir 3), allows snipe to activate instantly when taking cover. This is great for pusing out a lot of burst damage, and when combined with Balistic Dapeners you stand/move then go back into cover now you have refreshed your Balastic Dapeners and get and instant snipe shot.

 

6. In long fights keep your Energy bar above 50% (actually 60%) to maintain good energy regeneration. In case you were not aware, the higher your energy bar the faster you regenerate energy, very important. It is easy to burnout on expensive shots, but you need to manage your energy to keep your sustained DPS up.

 

Like the sniper says in TF2 Have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

I like to open every battle with Ambush since it has a long activation and cooldown. I also like to use Explosive Probe right away since it is high damage, this gives me just enough time to squeeze off a 'fee' (not activation time) snipe, by this time Strongs enemies should ready for a TakeDown Shot (lvl 18 skill).

 

I will admit that unlike my Powertech and Sorcerer, my Sniper is not good (or even able in some cases) to solo a Champion (platinum enemy) but here is how I like to handle other enemies.

 

3-4 normal enemies - practice a rotation, I like to exparament, sometimes using AoE, sometimes dps them down one at a time. these should not pose a problem.

 

2 normal + strong - Here you want a plan. using the strategy I described above you should be able to quickly solo down the strong while directign Kaliyo to engage the normals. Alternatively you can have Kaliyo engage the strong while you dps down the normals then assist her.

 

2 strong (silver) - you take one, Kaliyo takes one. (again you can burn them down fast with the above strat).

 

1 Elite (gold) - Elite vary enough that you may need to adjust your strategy, some are more resiliant or do more damage than others. Things to remember. 1) Refersh your Dampeners 2) occassionally have Kaliyo distract (taunt) to take heat off you. 3) use deabiliting strike or flashbang to give yourself time to activate Ambush. watch for them to use a special ability and interupt it with a stun or distraction (especially heals) 4) finally my filler attack for Elites is usually snipe and explosive probe when it is available.

 

1 Elite + 1 Strong - have Kaliyo engage the elite while you burn down the strong then assist.

 

2+ Elite - now you are in the heroic arena and proably need an ally since Sniper doesn't have long-term crowd control (unless they are droids, then you have slice droid)