[Guide] You CAN dominate CQC with semi-autos

Discussion in 'Infiltrator' started by TheDudeMachine, Jan 24, 2013.

  1. TheDudeMachine

    I've read a lot of threads talking about how the infy is crap at close range. We have a cloak that's only useful before you're detected, the full auto scout is underwhelming when engaging more than one target at a time, we have no knife backstab, and we have less health than all the other classes.

    All of those are valid complaints, and I was frustrated with actual infiltrating for a while like many of you are. That is, until I learned how to use the semi-auto sniper rifles. I come from BF3, where I almost exclusively use the SKS with the Kobra reflex. Not many people use that weapon in that game, but I found that once you learned how to use it, it was extremely effective. The same goes for the semi-auto sniper rifles in this game.

    I make this post as a player who once was terrible at the infiltrator class. I mean, I sucked the D-sauce. I MIGHT have went 1:1, but no higher. Sitting back with a bolt yielded higher ratios, but that just didn't match my style. There had to be a way to dominate at close range, I just had to find out how:

    [IMG]

    Since switching to the semi-autos, this is a typical game session I will have. I got this particular score today using the Impetus using a 2x reflex. All of my kills up to this point were in a packed Biolab, with tons of explosions and light assaults aggravating me. Most of my deaths were from nade/rocket/scythe spam, with only one or two very good players being able to kill me 1v1.

    Your standard 3 shot kill does just fine in most circumstances, but the key to truly taking control of a battle relies on how well you can place headshots. The semi-auto snipers will 2 shot with at least one headshot. A common tactic I use is to aim my first shot for the head, then quickly go for the body shot. Using a low-powered sight, you can pull off extremely fast kills in succession. Even in massive battles, it's not uncommon to be able to take down 3-4 guys with one mag at a rapid pace.

    Now, whether you want to use high-powered sights or low is your prerogative. I do fairly well in close range with the 6x scope, but I'm far more effective with the 2x. I'm now so accustomed to the lower-powered sight that it is easy to score the first shot to the head at bolt-action ranges. The beauty of this is you can take down targets basically as fast as you can with the bolt headshot. By the time the first bullet has hit at range, you've already fired off the second shot to the chest. I've never, I repeat, NEVER had infantry at range or a counter-sniper at range have time to react in time to dodge the second shot.

    We may have less health, but the cloak is still, believe it or not, very useful in scoring high ratios at close range. Cloaking allows you to line up that first shot before they know what's about to hit them. I've found that most people get confused as to what just hit them, giving me a great chance to get the second round off. I'm so confident in my ability with this rifle now that I will uncloak right in front of an enemy and shoot him.

    Very rarely will I die doing this, because if you get that headshot and the follow-up to the chest, it takes a high level of skill to beat it with an assault rifle. It's almost an insta-kill. Even if you miss the headshot, and need 3 rounds to kill, you still stand a decent chance at winning any 1v1.

    I didn't like how the semi-auto scout rifle performed. Too often I would still need 3 rounds with a headshot to kill at say, 50 meters. Plus, the semi-auto snipers have less recoil, which is important for that follow-up shot. I prefer my 400 dmg vs. 334.


    tl;dr:

    1) Grab a semi-auto sniper rifle with a low-powered scope (2x)
    2) Get good at landing your first shot as a headshot
    3) Quickly make a follow-up shot to the body
    4) Get kill
    • Up x 13
  2. Lucidius134

    Just to clarify.

    The Scout Rifle takes around 5 body shots on average (half the magazine) to score a kill.

    The Close Range Semi-Auto Sniper is probably what you're talking about since it kills in 2-3 shots?

    People may get confused between the two.
  3. TheDudeMachine

    That's correct. At the end of my post I clarify that I did not like the scout semi-auto rifles for that reason.
  4. McFatal

    Wait, there's a sniper rifle, not the scout rifle, but a sniper rifle, you can put low power scopes on?

    Do you know the TR version?
  5. Rigsta

    Ditto, though I prefer the bolt-action with 2x or 4x optics (VS Ghost) and a suppressor personally.

    No, but check the cert trees :) You can see attachments for weapons you haven't unlocked yet.
  6. Lucidius134

    Ah, not gonna lie I TL;DR'd and read most of the upper portion because I agreed with like, everything already and have the same stance. Sorry lol.
    • Up x 1
  7. Lucidius134

    There are close range varients of your factions base bolt action and semi-auto sniper rifle.

    Your factions close range bolt action is 250 certs.
    Your factions close range semi-auto is 500 certs.

    For some dumb reason it kinda contradicts its self. I'm going to quote myself her ein my OCD Rant from my signature:

  8. Flag

    Well done on that streak. :)

    Sadly, I think it's thanks to the player(I.E. you) that it went so well, not the class.
    I'll also make the argument that you could do just as well, or better, as LA/HA, or heck, an engineer if you feel like it.
    • Up x 1
  9. TheDudeMachine

    Thanks. And perhaps you are right, but I've tried to do well with the HA and the LA, and it just doesn't work out too well for me.

    I will say that doing well with this playstyle does require a little bit of skill, but it's a lot easier to do than it sounds. 80% of people who play this game just stand still at chokepoints (biolab or otherwise).

    Of course, play with this setup long enough, and you'll start getting headshots on moving targets at 100 meters pretty frequently.
  10. Lucidius134

    My favorite part about this set up is using a suppressor with it. I still can drop people at 100m away (if they stand still) relaibly with 2-3 shots. I also benefit more as a CQC sneaky infil too. I can hide and pick off people when they are vulnerable and gun down an HA if he gets the drop on me and i hit every shot.

    For my faction at least, the silenced CQC Semi-Sniper sounds like a normal silenced gun so people don't even realize it's a VS half the time!
  11. Ripshaft

    every faction has several low power optic sniper rifles, both semi auto and bolt, check the cert trees to see which.
  12. Plague Rat

    This is the sort of think I've been saying for a while. OHK sniping is awsome and fun, but if you really want to participate in any real action that isn't from +100m away, the unscoped semi-sniper is your best friend. Even the scopeless BA is great for infiltration ambushes, though less practical. And when engaging in close to mid-range scope sway is almost unimportant since you're not aiming at ants through a 10x scope.

    Please, infiltrators everywhere if you haven't done so, try out your army's version of this weapon.

    The Semi's are the:
    KSR-35 for the TR. This is interesting because it has the same bullet velocity as it's scoped sibling 550, while other armies' rifles are slower at 500, which will make long range shots more comfortable.

    The Phantom for the VS. While ADS this gun will fire fully automatic, though no faster than you can possibly fire it semi-auto in a close engagement it can help you beat flinching. Downside: reloading takes a second longer.

    The Impetus for the NC doesn't have any special feature but can have the LX MARK IV (4x) scope which with it's triple chevron reticle makes compensating for bullet drop on longer range shots simple since it seems to meet this weapons velocity and drop ratings perfectly when you want/need to do some long range work.

    For a more interesting assassin-like experience there are also unscoped Bolt-Actions. The NC SAS-R, the TR TSAR-42, and the VS Ghost. Which bring one-shot kills to the front line. It can be awkward as hell and not always practical, but can be a very fun way to go about it if you're good with ambushing.
  13. Flag

    While useful, it's a bit sad, given how they render one(three) of the scout rifles kinda useless. :|
  14. VelcroPudding

    yeah I'm with OP, I tend to use the 4x scope (trueshot ftw!) and a silenced shadow for close range.

    It works very effectively.

    I don't think there is anything wrong with infiltrator once you cert into some weapons, but stock, they are absolutely terrible compared to other classes. The way I used to get kills as inf before I had any other weapons was to stealth, run up, pistol and knife everyone. That still works better than shooting them with a rifle for really close quarters from time to time.
  15. Lucidius134

    Well, it makes the semi-auto scout rifle useless. I had alot of fun when I trial'd the carbine scout rifle '3'

    Honestly the Semi-Auto scout rifle needs to go and just be replaced with your faction's Battle Rifle, that way you're not forced to spend 1000 certs or 7 bucks on an almost carbon copy of the battle rifle for 1 class only. THis would also mean that people who are well invested in the game already can use the Battle Rifle to facilitate their Infiltrator's play style if they wanted to play Infil without dumping a buncha certs into it. Agreed?
    • Up x 3
  16. TheDudeMachine

    Agree, to a point. The battle rifle is complete garbage, IMO. That was the first weapon I tried out as a HA (Warden). It takes up to 5 rounds to kill half of the time, and it just didn't seem that practical. Yes, it comes with a 20 round mag, but what's the point when it takes a year to kill with it?

    The point I agree with is the cert cost. The semi scout should be 500 certs, same as the semi-sniper. That way, you can choose between better ADS accuracy and higher damage, or better hip accuracy and slightly faster shots.
  17. Wobberjockey

    the VS low power optic semi auto is called the phantom, not sure what the TR one is, sorry :(

    it's worth noting that the sniper rifles WILL suffer from scope sway, while the scout rifles will not (and in the case of the VS the nyx+silencer does not have bullet drop, but i believe it suffers from massive damage degradation as a trade off)

    i have all the scope sways linked in my sig, or you can look at my PSA that is also in the inf sub forum


    RE battle rifles:
    totally disagree. i run an eidolon +6x + laser + flash supressor on my engie.
    thing is a beast, and it works great for designated marksman duties, and countersniping inf's to keep their heads down. the laser give it carbine like accuracy when fired from the hip too
  18. TheDudeMachine

    ^^ Correct. There's a little bit of scope sway with the semi snipers. None with the scouts. The sway is negligible enough that I never hold my breath with it, even at long range.

    I'm glad you found a use for the Battle Rifle. I just couldn't find any scenarios where it's effective. The scenarios you list I do very well with the semi-auto sniper. I can see how good hip accuracy would be nice, though.

    YMMV
  19. Lucidius134

    I can't speak with certainty but I know that some VS Infils prefer the Semi-Auto Scout Rifle over the Semi-Auto Sniper Rifle simply because the firing volume and sound are much quieter on the Scout then the Sniper (phantom).
  20. Plague Rat

    The semi-scout also tends to be a bit more versitle/customizable. So a lot of people like that. You can have a 6x scope and a laser sight and have a light sniper and a psudo-shotgun in the same weapon. It also has a dramatically lower CoF bloom so they can take rapid shots without a significant accuracy loss, whereas if you burn the clip on a semi-sniper you'll see shots drifting after about 4 rounds fired, so the scout doesn't demand as much trigger disciplin.

    But if sound is the issue the semi-sniper takes to a silencer like a hypochondriac to an emergency room. With it's max damage not adhereing to a STK threshold (334, 250, 200, 167, 143, 125, 112, 100) you won't notice a difference in the shot's needed to kill an individual until somewhere in the neighborhood of 50m. You don't even need an extra shot against nano-weave users because of this.