Sharpshooter

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 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, lever-action rifle, crossbow, and the M14 EBR. 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.

Due to the extensive variety of weapons to choose from, the Sharpshooter is a rather flexible class. On the move, the M14, handcannon, .44 Magnum, and 9mm are great for scoring critical headshots, while the 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.

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 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 maximises 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 shooting the weaker specimens in the head.

The Sharpshooter has his own place in the Patriarch round, as his high damage with the crossbow or M14 when it headshots can be enough to stun 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 Sharpshooter might be deadly.

Contents 1 Helping the Sharpshooter 2 Leveling Tactics 3 Tactics 4 Statistics 4.1 Weapons 4.2 Effects

[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 with the crossbow, especially if you see them focusing on a troublesome Scrake or Fleshpound.

[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.
• 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 or crossbow. Though slower than the 9mm pistol, its 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.

[edit] Tactics

• 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.
• 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, please 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 playstyle 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 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, .44 magnum 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 the LAR. 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] Statistics

[edit] Weapons

Category	Pistols			Rifles
	9mm	.44 Magnum	Handcannon	Lever-action	Crossbow	M14 EBR
Cost range	£150	£450−£135	£500−£150	£200	£800	£2500−£750
Ammunition	15240	6128	896	1080	136	20160
Individual shot reload. Magazine reload.

[edit] Effects

Rank	Headshot kills †	Weapon Bonuses †			Headshot damage	Weapon discounts ‡	Spawn
		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
‡ With the .44 Magnum, handcannon, and M14 EBR.  † With on-perk weapons.

Equipment by perk
Field medic	Medical syringe • Combat armour • MP7M • MP5M
Support specialist	Welder • Shotguns (Shotgun • Combat shotgun • Hunting shotgun • AA12)
Sharpshooter	Pistols (9mm • .44 Magnum • Handcannon) • Rifles (Lever-action • Crossbow • M14 EBR)
Commando	Grenade • Assault rifles (Bullpup • AK-47 • M4 • SCARMK17)
Berserker	Knife • Machete • Fire axe • Katana • Claymore • Chainsaw
Firebug	MAC-10 • Flamethrower • Husk fireball launcher
Demolition	Pipe bomb • Grenade launchers (M79 • M32 • M4 203) • L.A.W
Weapon damage table

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