What are the advantages/ disadvantages? If I do decide on the semi-auto sniper rifle it will be one with a 4x scope because I found the 7+x scopes unnecessary on the default TR infiltrator.
Bolt action or scout rifle is the way to go. I've never liked the SV-99. Vandal is superior and is a decent option for most mid/long range situations.
6x scoped SR-7 for those ranges youd want a 4x, OHK headshot, fast rechamber, good midrange leading because mildots and 600 ms. **** the TSAR
With practice, a lot of experienced players tend to prefer bolt-action rifles, especially the "short range" version that can fire fairly fast and carry a 4x optic (no sway). I think this is primarily because infils are so squishy that you can't really expect to be able to stand still and fire many shots without someone reacting and spraying you down with an LMG or assault-rifle - as those tend to outshoot you at any range that isn't long or extreme range. Boltaction snipers let's you be a bit safer by taking potshots, cloaking and relocating before ranged opponents can retaliate sufficiently to kill you. That said, if the difference between semiauto snipers and scout rifles is primarily that semiauto snipers hit harder, fire a little slower, and are very poor at firing while strafing. They definitely require that you stop when you fire if you want to have any sort of real accuracy. Scout rifles on the other hand remain somewhat reliable at close-medium ranges while strafing and are a bit more spammable. My favorite scoutrifle is definitely the vandal since it has the 0.75x movement multiplier that lends itself better to that sort of agressive shorter-range playstyle. Consider scout rifles a bit of a closer range option compared to the semiauto snipers, and they fit for infiltrators that are a bit more agressive in playstyle, while semiauto snipers are more of a "get a good medium-range flanking position and exploit it" sort of deal. Either option requires you to use positioning and evasiveness to win your fights as most other guns in the game will outshoot you in a straight-up fight - especially when going up against heavies who will be able to absorb quite a few shots. -Stigma
I don't really like the TSAR bolt action rifle. I can do good if I try, but it's just so unforgiving. When I play my engineer I use the battle rifle to great effect. Is either of these types of weapons similar to that?
SA scout rifles are made to strafe (tight CoF in move+stand ads), have SPA in all but name, and somewhat viable in hipfire (use laser sight, foregrip not so useful). They might look similar at first glance if you care about theoretical TTK, but those 2 categories are very far apart in their strengths and weaknesses. For me SA scout rifles are tailor-made for 1x, or at worst 2x sights and pretty efficient weapons. In contrast, i see SA sniper rifles as guns without a niche, as their velocity is low and they require the same kind of positioning as BASRs (far from target), with double the exposure, and their advantage is not competitive with BASR+ straight-pull bolt attachment. The battle rifle is essentially a faster RoF/lower damage per shot scout rifle with higher velocity and 8m max damage range instead of 15m.
Its all about how you like to play Semi-auto scout rifles are better if you like to play a bit more aggressively as they are a bit more spammable and have slightly better firerate. You also wont feel that helpless at CQC thanks to the good hipfire and no accuracy penalties when moving and aiming down the sights at the same time. They do have lower damage, which makes them worse than semi-auto snipers on longer ranges. Semi-auto snipers are great if you are not that aggressive and you like to keep some distance to your targets. Their minimum damage is the same as the maximum damage for semi-auto scouts, which allows you to more effectively to drop your targets even on the longer ranges. On the downside they are harder to use as your accuracy gets worse when moving and shooting at the same time, so you have to stay still during each shot to maintain the best accuracy. You can still strafe if its your thing, but takes a lot practice to time it right. The higher DPS also makes them really effective against MAXes, you can pretty easily 1v1 them if you keep your distance. Their bad hipfire and accuracy penalties when shooting and aiming at the same time, makes them worse at CQC, but if you have a good aim you can still use them pretty effectively even at CQC.
Kudos Stig and Rav, Both the best response for the OP. I have always been under the assumption that infiltrator means one who enters areas undetected. So I prefer the term Cloaker to cover all the variants. The Hunter, Stalker and Armored variants seek to do this while the Snipe style does not. Even the Mobile variant for using the wraith follows this same protocol. As a Cloak you have the advantage of choosing first strike, thus allowing you to select your wep before hand.
I went to VR training and tried the two semi auto scout rifles available to TR aswell as the KSR-35 and I did notice a few things. 1. The sniper rifle did not respond well to hip-fire spamming in even close quarters. 2. The scout rifles could mount flash suppressors which didn't hurt my muzzle velocity and damage. 3. The scout rifles were closer to what I was already accustomed to with my Engineer's battle rifle. I'm going to get the sniper rifle first though simply because it's cheaper. At some point I assume I'll have most of the weapons in the game bought so I'm not in any hurry. It wasn't that bad and the close quarters problems of it shouldn't be a problem because unlike in my engineer, I should be picking my fights more carefully to my advantage as infiltrator. I'm currently at 376 certs so it shouldn't be too much longer until the KSR-35
Semi-auto rifles like the HSR and KSR are both really good; I've out-gunned heavies face to face in CQC with them, all you need is a couple good strikes and if you can reliably hit the head, they won't stand a chance. That said, learn how to use the TSAR in CQC and you'll be able to take down most opponents coming directly at you even before they can get a decent shot off. It's not a long range rifle, but at short-medium range it shines in comparison.... there is no other weapon that has the killing capacity of weapons like the TSAR and the other empire equivalents, not even shotguns... it just takes more skill to aim them. Keep a Commissioner with a laser sight handy... if you miss that headshot but nail a body shot, a shot with the commissioner will finish them off quick. Every infil carrying a bolt action needs a Commissioner in their pocket.
