Team Fortress 2/Sniper

The Sniper, as the name suggests, uses a sniper rifle to kill enemies at long range, but makes up for this in low health and poor close combat skills. He can, however, use his Submachine Gun for close range combat, though he is still likely to be overwhelmed nonetheless due to his frailness and the other classes having stronger close-range attacks.
 * Health: 125
 * Speed: 100%
 * Type: TF2_achievement_with_friends_like_these.jpg Support

Weapons
The Sniper's main weapon is his rifle, used to score headshots for critical hits.

Sniper Rifle/AWPer Hand
Unlike most shooters, the Sniper Rifle in Team Fortress 2 requires a charge up time to be fully effective. While zoomed, you will see a little meter to the right side of your screen which shows how much your shot is charged. After about four seconds the shot will be fully charged for the most damage possible (150). You can still shoot your rifle without being scoped, but it will do less damage than being charged. Shooting your target in the head will deal a critical hit. If you hit someone with a fully charged headshot, that person will die immediately (450 damage). Even Medic-buffed Heavies will be taken out in one hit by a fully charged headshot. Often times, just a half-charged headshot can kill a low health class such as the Scout. When you fire a shot while scoped, by default you will break out of your scope to reload then return back to zoomed mode.
 * Clip Size: 1 - Reserve Ammo: 25
 * Uncharged Hit: 43-57
 * Uncharged Headshot: 150
 * Fully-Charged Bodyshot: 128-172
 * Fully-Charged Headshot: 450

Always try to shoot from a distance, and keep your back to the wall to prevent backstabs. Don't stay scoped for too long as your limited field of vision can make you a target for Spies. If you can't get a headshot, such as from fast classes like a Scout, a charged bodyshot works just as fine, as it will leave them with very little health or just finish them off.

Huntsman/Fortified Compound
The Huntsman is a bow and arrow weapon. Holding primary fire will draw the arrow back, while pressing secondary fire will return the arrow to normal. The longer the arrow is held back, it will go further and do more damage, but holding back for too long will reduce the accuracy of the shot. Exposing your arrow to a fire source like a friendly Pyro lights it up, dealing more damage and setting enemies alight on hit.
 * Clip Size: 1 - Reserve Ammo: 12
 * Uncharged Hit: 44-58
 * Uncharged Headshot: 150
 * Fully-Charged Bodyshot: 103-137
 * Fully-Charged Headshot: 360
 * Flame Arrow Uncharged Hit: 104-118
 * Flame Arrow Uncharged Headshot: 210
 * Flame Arrow Fully-Charged Bodyshot: 153-187
 * Flame Arrow Fully-Charged Headshot: 420
 * Skewer Duration: 4 seconds
 * Skewer Damage: 500

The Huntsman might seem like a worse weapon without a scope and dealing less damage, but it does give you a wider field of vision, charges up faster and gives you better mobility. Always try to lead your target. Aim slightly above them as the arrow arcs over a distance. Fight at mid-range instead of far away like you would usuually do. The Huntsman's low ammo pool means conserving ammo is important. Stop drawing the arrow when you don't think you will hit, or if you've drawn it for too long.

The Huntsman's taunt kill is the Skewer. The Sniper takes an arrow, thrusts it forward stunning any enemy in it's path, and pulls back, killing the enemy. The Skewer taunt is very fast and silent, making it a good tool for killing distracted enemies. It is still not a viable method of killing, as you can't do anything else once you start the taunt.

Sydney Sleeper
The Sydney Sleeper cannot headshot, but coats the enemy with Jarate once it reaches half-charge. It charges faster than the default rifle, and shows a Jarate icon when fully-charged.
 * Clip Size: 1 - Reserve Ammo: 25
 * Uncharged Hit: 43-57
 * Uncharged Critical Hit: 150
 * Fully-Charged Hit: 128-172
 * Fully-Charged Critical Hit: 450

The Sydney Sleeper is useful for supporting teammates instead of swift killing. A charged shot will not only leave enemies with little health, it will also make them more vulnerable to your teammates attacks. It is best used when a lot of enemies and teammates are fighting in one place. Remember that even without headshots, a fully-charged bodyshot can still instantly kill any low-health class. An uncommon use is to expose Spies from a distance, such as after spotting one while scoped.

Bazaar Bargain
The Bazaar Bargain has a "Heads" mechanic similar to the Eyelander. Without a headshot, it charges slower than the Sniper Rifle. However, with each consecutive headshot, it charges faster, overtaking the Sniper Rifle at 3 heads and reaching the fastest charge speed at 5 heads. Bodyshots reduces one head from your head counter while missing resets it to 0. Unscoped shots will not affect your head counter.
 * Clip Size: 1 - Reserve Ammo: 25
 * Uncharged Hit: 43-57
 * Uncharged Headshot: 150
 * Fully-Charged Bodyshot: 128-172
 * Fully-Charged Headshot: 450

This weapon is designed to award accurate Snipers, so don't use it until you can consistently headshot. Go for the bodyshot if you really cannot headshot, as losing one head is better than losing all. Don't use scoped shots on Engineer buildings, as the game counts it as a miss.

Machina
The Machina is much more powerful when fully-charged and can penetrate multiple enemies. However, you cannot shoot it unscoped and it leaves a very obvious trail which will reveal your location. Getting a double-kill from a penetration shot will be announced with a special kill icon and an Inception-esque sound effect.
 * Clip Size: 1 - Reserve Ammo: 25
 * Uncharged Bodyshot: 43-57
 * Uncharged Headshot: 150
 * Fully-Charged Bodyshot: 147-197
 * Fully-Charged Headshot: 517

The Machina excels on maps where enemies will usually get clumped together in a line. It can also take down a Medic and his partner with a well-placed shot. However, losing the ability to fire unscoped can be troublesome when enemies get too close, but out of melee range. Either bring your SMG with this or learn quickscoping, in which you quickly scope and headshot the enemy.

Hitman's Heatmaker
The Hitman's Heatmaker does 20% less damage with bodyshots, even when crit-boosted, but possesses a unique feature called Focus. The Focus meter is built with kills or assists, and 3 kills or 9 assists is enough to fill the meter, and can be activated by pressing Fire. While in Focus, you will stay scoped when reloading and your scoped shots charge 25% faster. However, you will also fire tracer darts while focused, similar to the Machina.
 * Clip Size: 1 - Reserve Ammo: 25
 * Uncharged Bodyshot: 34-46
 * Uncharged Headshot: 150
 * Fully-Charged Bodyshot: 102-138
 * Fully-Charged Headshot: 450

The Hitman's Heatmaker is similar to the Bazaar Bargain, but it is much more forgiving for its reward. You still need to concentrate on hitting headshots, since bodyshots are not nearly as effective, but missing a headshot doesn't give you a huge penalty like the Bazaar Bargain does. The Focus feature can help you net more kills, as faster charged shots mean more high damage headshots, and the ability to stay in scope while reloading means you can continue tracing your targets or quickly switch to a new target after a shot.

Submachine Gun
The SMG is a fairly inaccurate weapon that is best used in short range. While it is generally a bad idea to take people head on with this weapon, it gives you some chance in close combat. The SMG fires fast, but also deals a low amount of damage, it is best used when your enemies get closer to you. Make all off your shots hit instead of wildly spraying bullets around to maximise your damage output.
 * Clip Size: 25 - Reserve Ammo: 75
 * Point Blank Damage: 8-12
 * Mid Range Damage: 4-6
 * Long Range Damage: 4-5
 * Critical Hit: 24

Jarate/Self-Aware Beauty Mark
Jarate is liquid-filled jar that weakens enemies. When thrown, any enemies caught in the splash will receive minicrits from all other damage until the Jarate washes off. It can also be used to extinguish burning teammates and reveal cloaked spies.
 * Ammunition: Infinite
 * Effect Type: Deals mini-crits to coated enemies
 * Effect Duration: 10 seconds
 * Recharge Time: 20 seconds

Jarate is a useful form of self-defense when enemies get too close, as your Kukri and Sniper Rifle does more damage once you coat them with it. It is also good for fighting spies, as they have a harder time fighting with you or escaping. Throwing your Jarate into an area with many enemies can coat a bunch of them at once. A Soldier, Pyro or Heavy can quickly finish off a Jarate'd enemy. It is especially good when paired with the Bushwacka, since it let's it deal guaranteed critical hits on Jarate'd foes.

Razorback
The Razorback protects from one backstab attempt from a Spy, and disables cloaking, attacking and weapon switching for a short amount of time. The player can also hear a sharp breaking noise, as well as instantly becoming unscoped if currently scoped. Once a Razorback is broken it can only be replaced from a resupply closet.

Only use the Razorback if you're being frequently backstabbed or if you are sure there are Spies on the other team, as your SMG and Jarate are better at combating Spies. A Spy can also quickly kill you with a few shots from his primary weapon at point blank. However, having your Razorback while near other teammates can put the Spy at a disadvantage, as he either backstabs you and gets all his tools disabled, shoot you with his gun which will alert your teammates or go for another unshielded player, also probably revealing his identity.

Darwin's Danger Shield
The Darwin's Danger Shield merely provides you with an extra 25 health. This shield is best used for the Croc-o-Style Kit's set bonus or with the Huntsman, as you don't need the 25 health when using Rifles, and you will lose a close combat option.

Cozy Camper
The Cozy Camper lets you regenerate 1 health every second as well as reducing knockback by 20% and preventing flinching while you're scoped or have the Huntsman's string pulled. However, you move 80% slower while scoped or pulling back the Huntsman's string. This passive backpack is best suited for more passive Snipers. The health regeneration and lack of flinching means that your aim will remain straight when being fired at by a Heavy or when ignited. The reduced speed and lack of a secondary weapon means it is harder to respond to close-range ambushes, so stay far away from battle to increase your chances of survival.

Cleaner's Carbine
The Cleaner's Carbine has a smaller clip size and fire 35% slower. It also cannot get random crits, but getting a kill with it gives you a crit boost on all of your weapons for 3 seconds. That means you can kill an enemy with the carbine, then switch to your primary weapon and deal fully-charged bodyshots for another potential kill, or switch to your melee weapon to quickly take out another enemy when cornered. Don't be too focused on getting the crit boost, as the Cleaner's Carbine isn't exactly good at combat, but do try to finish off enemies with it whenever you get the chance.
 * Clip Size: 20 - Reserve Ammo: 75
 * Point Blank Damage: 8-12
 * Mid Range Damage: 4-6
 * Long Range Damage: 4-5
 * Critical Hit: 24

Kukri/Frying Pan/Saxxy/Conscientious Objector/Freedom Staff/Bat Outta Hell/Memory Maker
The Kukri deals about as much damage as other melee weapons do. When all else fails in close combat you can always switch to this. Generally you will use this to deal with enemy Scouts and Spies, but it can also be useful to kill other classes that are at low health.
 * Attack Interval: 0.8 seconds
 * Normal Damage: 65
 * Critical Hit: 195

The Tribalman's Shiv
The Tribalman's Shiv causes your target to bleed for 6 seconds upon being hit, but it does 35% percent less damage on hit. As submerging in water do not stop the bleeding it can be a death sentence for low health classes and even high health classes if you use it in conjunction with jarate. It is also good for revealing cloaked Spies, as they will flicker and bleed even when cloaked.
 * Attack Interval: 0.8 seconds
 * Normal Damage: 33
 * Critical Hit: 98
 * Bleed Damage: 48 damage over 6 seconds

Bushwacka
The Bushwacka delivers critical hits where it will mini-crit, but gives you a 20% vulnerability to fire. This weapon works incredibly well with the Jarate, as you can deal guaranteed criticals on a coated enemy, and it somewhat negates your fire vulnerability as it extinguishes flames. It is also applicable to any source of mini-crits, such as under the influence of Buff Banner or an enemy Scout using Crit-a-Cola. It can still perform random crits, making it almost better than the Kukri.
 * Attack Interval: 0.8 seconds
 * Normal Damage: 65
 * Critical Hit: 195

Shahanshah
The Shahanshah is the Sniper's counterpart to the Equalizer. At more than half health he deals less damage than the Kukri, but as his health drops below 50%, the damage done increases. It is useful when you are frequently attacked in close range while sniping, as having the health decrease damage buff will make you a more threatening opponent.
 * Attack Interval: 0.8 seconds
 * Normal Damage: 49(high), 81(low)
 * Critical Hit: 146(high), 244(low)

The Croc-o-Style Kit
This set let's you fight other Snipers easier, since you are immune to headshots. You can still be killed with a fully-charged bodyshot even with the shield's health increase, so take any Sniper out with a bodyshot of your own before they do the same. If an enemy gets too close, you can make them retreat or kill them outright with the Bushwacka if you manage to land a Jarate shot on them beforehand.
 * Consists of Sydney Sleeper, Darwin's Danger Shield, Bushwacka and the Ol' Snaggletooth hat.
 * Set Bonus: Wearer cannot be killed by headshots unless at 1 health.

Lawrence of Australia
This set is great for aggresive Snipers with good aim. The Bazaar Bargain rewards good aim by decreasing charge time, letting you take out high-health classes with a headshot or a quick class with a fast-charging bodyshot. The Shahanshah is helpful as a last minute resort after taking enough damage. It let's you inflict damage without the risk of losing heads, and let's you defend yourself as you run for health.
 * Consists of Bazaar Bargain, Shahanshah and the Desert Marauder hat.

The Camper Van Helsing
Purely cosmetic set.
 * Consists of the Holy Hunter hat, the Silver Bullets item and the Garlic Flank Stake item.

Dual-Purpose Fruit
Purely cosmetic set.
 * Consists of the Huntsman and the Fruit Shoot hat.

Using the Sniper
Your job as a Sniper is primarily to take down other Snipers and Heavies, then any other major threats you see, such as a Medic or Soldier. It takes a fully charged shot to the head to kill a Heavy with full health. Otherwise you must shoot more than once. As a Sniper you need to have an open area to use your sniper rifle; you will not be very successful in cramped areas. In general, you will want to stay as far away from the combat as possible, but don't be afraid to step in if you need to stop a point from being captured. When you are getting set up in a new area, quickly spy-check the area first. When you are zoomed you are easy prey for spies because you likely won't see them coming. Don't be afraid to un-zoom every now and then to check for spies, especially if you're by yourself. Also pay attention to who's getting killed. If someone is getting killed by a Spy nearby, then take note of that and prepare for it.

Don't always snipe from the same spot! Killing someone, specifically an enemy Sniper, will alert them to where you are thanks to the kill-cam. Moving around will keep your enemies constantly guessing. Also, having good communication helps. If you know where an enemy Sniper is or an incoming threat is coming from, you'll have a better chance at stopping them.

On some occasions you will be able to take out enemy Sentry Guns. If the Sentry has an Engineer by it, kill the Engineer then proceed to take out the sentry. Two fully charged shots and a weaker shot will kill a Level 3 Sentry. Doing this while your team is trying to destroy the sentry will make the process go a lot faster.

Although you may feel overwhelmed and useless at first, keep going! The biggest factor in how well a Sniper does is experience, not some kind of mystical aiming tactic. You'll get it with time, so don't give up.

Defeating the Sniper
Because Snipers stay in their scope the majority of the time, they're easy to sneak up behind with the Spy and killing them. Snipers can easily take out other Snipers, but this will depend on the skill level of the enemy Sniper. Soldiers can cause Snipers a lot of grief. Firing rockets at them will force them to move away, and the splash damage from a critical hit will kill them instantly. Demomen can also do well by firing grenades into the Sniper's area to disrupt their aim. Scouts can be good against a Sniper if you can manage to get in close range, otherwise you're at the mercy of their aim.

In general, keep moving. A moving target is harder to hit than one that is standing still. If you can manage to get into close combat against a Sniper your chances of killing them are much higher.