Armed with the deadly sniper rifle, the Sniper employs one of TFC's "instant kill" weapons (the other two being the Spy's knife and the Demoman's detpack) and the game's most powerful long-range weapon. Equipped with a scope, this weapon is extremely accurate due to its ability to zoom and strike opponents instantaneously.
As potent as the sniper rifle is in the hands of an experienced player, it has its drawbacks. It has a long "charge-up" time, taking 3-4 seconds for a shot that will kill through light armour and 7 seconds for maximum impact. A "zoomed in" sniper is unaware of his surroundings and vulnerable to attack from behind, especially from a spy's knife. Concussion grenades or a Pyro's flamethrower can make accurate shot almost impossible. The sniper gun has a visible laser sight which can alert his target. The sniper rifle also cannot be fired while running, in the air, or swimming underwater.
This class works best from concealment; with only average armor, health, speed, and with weapons unsuitable for sustained firefights, an exposed Sniper rarely lasts long. TFC maps often feature prominent and easy-to-find battlements whose occupants are highly exposed, thus compromising the Sniper's best defense: stealth. Nevertheless, most Snipers have no choice but to use these locations, making them easily located and targeted by the opposing team. The sniper rifle has an "autorifle" mode that combines the weapon's accuracy with a rapid rate of fire, but this mode quickly exhausts the limited rifle ammunition. His other weapons consist of the crowbar, nailgun, and fragmentation grenades.
The amount of Snipers allowed on a given server is often limited for a number of reasons, but mainly because this class can be so deadly by itself, it doesn't lend itself to using teamwork. "Sniper wars" tend to develop, which can detract the game objectives for other classes.
Although not an intentional feature, Snipers also have the ability to launch teammates into otherwise inaccessible areas by charging up and shooting their rifle while a teammate jumps on top of them. If the shot is charged sufficiently, the teammate can be launched extremely high and far. However, this is only effective if friendly fire is deactivated on the server.