Boom Headshot!

As most of you may know, I am a very experienced sniper in Gears of War 2. I spent a lot of my days sniper dueling in the first Gears of War and carry a lot of that over into public matches in Gears of War 2.

For starters, if you plan on sniping often I recommend changing your sensitivity level to your liking in the menus. After a lot of tweaking, I found it to be more reliable to have my look sensitivity set to medium of which I thought was a good balance for maneuverability purposes, Zoom set to low for stability, and aim set to medium for speed as well as consistency. Although it can vary depending on the person, I feel this sensitivity is good for most.

LONGSHOT STATS

- Bullet quantity – 11

- Bolt action rifle

- Active reload difference – 10% damage increase, Headshot accuracy improved.

- Long/medium range

- Very High accuracy (inferring that there is no lag)

- About 50% damage per shot (unless you shoot them in the head)

ADVANTAGES

- Great support weapon

- Very powerful at any range

- Easy weapon to use if your playing with inexperienced players due to lack over cover usage.

- Feared weapon by competitors.

- Great melee

DISADVANTAGES

- If not used carefully, you are left vulnerable from behind.

- Lag issues can vary headshot detection greatly.

- If you don’t take advantage of it’s melee, you are vulnerable at close range.

BASIC TIPS

The most important tip to this weapon is to always go with your first instinct.. meaning if you see a good opportunity to take a shot, fire  with the least amount of hesitation as possible. Also, try to lead the opponent and fire when his head reaches the cursor.

I would also like to mention that when your teammate is in trouble and needs some help in a shotgun battle across the map, try to at least make contact with the shot to give your friend that extra momentum in battle to give them that little bit of help they may need.. You may not get the kill, but at least you will help your team little by little to get the win as well as a  500 xp bonus for the time being.

TEN USEFUL SNIPING TECHNIQUES IN GEARS OF WAR 2

Technique 1: Lead Shot
The lead shot is one of the easiest techniques to master and should be one of the first ones you learn. As a general rule with sniping you should always around the opponents body at head level, then make it more accurate. By placing it at head level and then leveling it off at their head you will get your shots faster before they have a time to react at you aiming the sniper at them. This technique involves placing your cursor in front of them in the direction they are moving at head level. As soon as they move into the cursor, fire and you should get a headshot. Remember to compensate for lag. Unless your hosting you will always experience some lag and you should make sure you adjust accordingly.

Technique 2: Sweep Shot
The sweep shot is a branch off of the lead shot. This involves taking your cursor at head level and sweeping it left or right with your right analog stick and firing when it crosses over their head. If they are moving around you should lead a little bit. For instance don’t fire when it crosses over their head if they are walking right. Instead you should fire a little bit in front of them.

Technique 3: Pop Shot
The pop shot is a good technique to use for short range shots. When someone is directly in front of you place their head in the middle of your screen, tap the left trigger, and fire. This is pretty easy if you have a shot at their head at close range when they are in cover. If they are moving then you have to lead them a little bit in the direction they are moving, as you have to do with any shot you take. Remember to aim at their forehead or a little above their head. When your close to your opponent and shoot directly at their face it will sometimes hit their shoulders and will not register. If you are having trouble then using the next technique can help you learn this technique a little faster.

Technique 4: 2 Piece
Two piecing involves meleeing then pop-shotting their head when they are stunned. Make sure you don’t shoot too soon and make sure that you aim a little bit above their face, around the top of their skull. This technique will make some players mad because it involves meleeing and then shooting while they are stunned. Players don’t like this because they feel it is not fair. But just remember if they got close enough to you so that you can melee them then its their fault anyway and they should watch out for melees when at that range.

Technique 5: Rolling Shots
Killing players when they are rolling seems tricky but if you do it right then it become second nature. Front rolls and back rolls are easiest to master. When your opponent comes out of a roll they don’t move for a split second and during that time you take your shot. Remember to aim at head level where they are going to come out of the shot and shot when they are done rolling. Side rolls are a bit harder but you use the same rules to get headshots when they’re side rolling. Depending on lag you might want to shoot a little bit before they are done with their roll.

Technique 6: Side Roll Shot
This technique involves rolling to the side and while rolling keeping your opponents head in the middle of the screen. When you come out of the roll you pop shot and should get a headshot if you keep their head in the center of the screen the whole time.

Technique 7: Over Cover
This technique is very similar to rolling shots except instead of shooting when they’re rolling you shoot when they’re hopping over cover. You aim at head level and when they are done squatting after going over cover you shoot. Pretty easy if your good at rolling shots.

Technique 8: Zoomer
The zoomer is a technique of which zoom in for a split second and shoot as your letting go of the trigger. This is a confusing shot and very hard to use but helpful.

Technique 9: Multi-Kill
This isn’t necessarily a technique, just some advice. After you get a headshot don’t get all excited and lose focus. Look for your next target and take your shot. If you get too distracted you could lose your chances at kills.

Technique 10: Spider-Man/Super-Man
When supermanning, you want to aim at their waist and shoot while they’re diving. If you get a headshot they will fall to the ground while in mid air. To spider-man you must aim at their feet and shoot when they’re halfway through the roll. The will fall upside down and do a handstand.

(More pictures to come on some of these topics)

Long Range thats what I'm talking about

Rundown

The Lancaster style basis its entirety on ranged combat. Offense or Defense you’re not getting close.

Special Technique

Shout out-(Team Related)

While from the back take lead and call out which target your aiming at and tell others around you to help focus fire onto that target.

Bear Trap-(While using any weapon)

When you down an enemy decrease the range slightly between you and your enemy and use him/her as bait as others arrive to help down them as well. (only have one person down at a time.)

How to use

This style is simple, stay at a range from your opponent, the Gnasher has a low range on it, about the distance of half of the security back hall, some pebbles may reach a bit further but no serious damage. Aim well, since you plan on staying back the entire time you cannot waste many bullets. Headshots work and can happen on the following weapons:

-Mulcher

-Torque Bow

-Longshot Sniper

-Boltok

Fighting 1 on 1

Fire and run, keep the distance, if they close the gap continue to back away, always keep the distance. If they gap the distance unexpectedly the chainsaw or Hammerburst can have decent close range defense, or you can get out the shotgun, but if you use this style you probably won’t be too skilled with it.

Strengths

-Impressive downing power

-Amazing support

-Perfect for Team Leaders

-Great for trapping runners

Weaknesses

-Close Range

-Ambushes

Requirements

-Proficient with a rifle

-Experience with pistols

-Experience to Veteran with torque bow

-Experience to Veteran with Sniper

-Knowledge of Maps(makes running easier)

As with all my articles if you ever have any questions you can post on the forums or email me at superjunkail71@gmail.com

There are 3 common techniques when using the shotgun the 1-2(two piece), The rollback(sometimes mistaken for common blind firing), and the Straight Aim.

1-2(two piece)

Simple melee then fire. The basic form of this technique is the melee, then to aim your shotgun and fire upon your opponent, while being the easier to master, the advanced 1-2 is much more efficient. The advanced version of this skill is meleeing then firing from the hip they will die, or be downed; regardless they are out of your way.

The Rollback

Quite simple really, when someone is coming towards you in an attempt to 1-2 you, back up slightly enough to be out of melee range, and once they miss their melee you roll the control movement stick forward and fire from the hip. It will either one shot them or weaken them enough where another shot will down them. While learning this technique is hard it is equally effective against anyone attempting to melee you, especially grenade taggers. It will take some work to do perfectly since your predicting your enemy’s melees.

Straight Aim

It is as it is said. Aim your shotgun and fire, this technique should be used at a distance only, if your in melee range and your opponent is not stunned you should not be using this technique.

Advanced Techniques

Sniping with the Hip Fire

Once you become skilled with firing form the hip you can be a far distance from your opponent and hit them, this technique is used mainly for chasing people, and you should never try and engage someone front to front with a hip fire from a range.

The Rolling 1-2(Two piece)

It is the ultimate close range technique. You melee rollback and roll forward and fire or melee roll back and pop shot. This allows you to setup your kill while dodging their counter attacks, the only reason this is useful is due to lag sometimes your melee attacks will not stun, and this covers your ass. This technique requires good aim and mobility combined all at once.

Now for a little info, the Straight Aim is only good outside of melee range.

Number 7, Hammerburst Techniques:

The Super Trigger

Simply aim at your targets knees, and pull the trigger as fast as possible. This only works if they are standing still your running to you or from you in a straight line, not many people can do this at a person running sidewise.

The Spray and Pray

Simply aim at the target and fire fast but not so crazy that you cant keep your aim trained on the person.

The Safe Bet

Trying to simply do damage? Hold the right trigger, the hammer is slower but the recoil is a lot less vicious.

1-2-Skip a Few

Melee, then aim and fire as fast as you can. It actually works!!! Now don’t try and do this against a shotgun, unless your surprised. However for a ambushee kind of thing it works great.

Number 8 Learn how to use Power Weapons:

Torque

My favorite weapon of the Gears of war Arsenal. After enough practice no one can touch you if you’re holding one of these puppies.  For starters holding the torque down long enough to ensure a stick is key. When it’s actived it will charge faster.  The common aim technique is the stick flick, where you flick the control stick just enough and release mid turn, it allows you to move your aim fast enough and release the shot into its target, there is no other way to get accuracy so quick and precise short of taking your time and adjusting it.

Using the environment, to your advantage, like sticking the wall right behind somebody, or shooting behind him/her so it will explode on them, teach them to use cover. This weapon can also destroy plants, but that’s a waste of the torque.

Close range

Melee twice using the rollback of the shotgun but for meleeing, or charge the torque and fire it where your opponent will be next and if that’s in front of you… fire and roll back.

Flubber Shots

Charge the torque just enough to see the arc in the line, and release against the wall so it bounces, this makes indirect shots possible, though I don’t recommend it if the torque is not actived, other wise you will only hurt them badly, very few times will a kill result from a flubber shot without active powers.

LongShot Sniper

Basic snipers will just zoom in and try and aim for the head, but that is not always the case at all. Now sniping can be very similar to the Torque in the sense that you just pull the sniper and let the trigger go, now this is not always the case, but when someone is running around a lot the pull and fire is a big help.

Warning: Sometimes characters duck their when they hear the shot(you’ll see this through the scope) However it means you missed, if it was a headshot their head would have been obliterated, they didn’t dodge it, you just missed.

2-1 Sniper

This is kind of like the reverse 1-2, you aim your rifle, fire, then melee. This 2-1 is a little harder to do because its harder to fire on someone in melee range and it be accurate. However the technique is very powerful if you can perform it.

Beat Down Dance

Not exactly its on technique. Basically it’s a double beat down but you need to roll your stick around like your doing the rollback, or spinning around to your opponents back, being that close and only having melee is a dangerous thing, however the longshot’s melee seems to have a bit more of a reach than other weapons, but it also has a longer delay between the next attack.

Advanced Sniping

No Scoping

This is so easy to do. In fact after you get to a certain skill level with the sniper 70% of your shots will be these types of shots. All you have to do is aim your sights over their head and adjust for lag, or none at all.  Again once you hit a certain skill level just standing in the open against certain covered opponents can be the best type of advantage, for you can sometimes shoot their head, or you can wait for them to pop up to shoot you and you can take their head.

BoomShot

This weapon doesn’t have any of its own techniques to use, simply aim at your opponents’ feet and fire.  On river if you aim at the enemy’s power weapon as son as you get it you can kill the power weapon very easily, since everyone is vulnerable when they pick up a weapon.

Dodging this Weapon

Jump, I can usually tell when people are about to shoot, if they aren’t shooting fire into them a few bullets enough to be confident enough that they will hit you, and then jump. Some people will fire as much as they can hoping to hit. Another strategy is to close the gap tot hem, if they fire that close they are likely to hit themselves and canceling out their kill is always great. (Their kill is cancel out because they died to, so your team isn’t at a disadvantage by losing you, and they lose points for killing themselves.)

Mortar

Firing the mortar is simple. However there are two techniques used for the mortar to be effective.

Raining in my Head

Walk into the building with a mortar(easier said than done) and fire it inside, the mortar shell will hit the ceiling and break apart and fall down on the inside of the house. Be sure to move out of there as fast as possible.

Hip Fire

Fire the mortar from the hip, raise your camera so your looking up to do this though, otherwise the mortar just dumps into the floor.

CAUTION: Right now the mortar is buggy, only 50% of the time do they hip fires explode, or the mortar will fire before you even hit the trigger. Too many bugs for it to be a reliable weapon except for the standard shot.

Mulcher

Point and aim. Try and stay behind cover, use LB often to cool the gun instead of keeping the heat levels high, being able to dump your full heat bar into open enemies is important.

Scorcher

Active Reload as much as possible. Now if a smoke grenade is coming be sure to hold down your fire button, so when you get smoked you will keep firing flames. After stunned the flamethrower will continue to fire as your downed.

Bouncing the Fire

When actived you can fire against the floor when they are behind cover and still burn them.

Hot Swapping

After hitting someone, f they escape your flame switch to your pistol and unload on them. That way you can down them from afar.

Lancer

Noob Patrol!   Just kidding…

The lancer does sub par damage but has a nice slow on it, when directly firing on an enemy for a good period of time they will be slowed down.

The chainsaw is invaluable if used right, it is a good ninja technique, because the more veteran players won’t expect it to be around the corner. However straightforward the chainsaw is a poor technique.

Hammer of Dawn

Aim hold and fire. Simple.

Snub Pistol

Fire as fast as possible and aim. Great all around pistol.

Boltok

Aim and fire, aim for the head, or if your wanting a headshot for sure, fire at the chest twice, the recoil of the second shot usually brings the gun to the head. If its actived three shots, sometimes two will down an opponent then the next shot will kill from a far even if its execution, but execution is harder to finish off since it requires a headshot.

Gorgon

An impressive weapon if you can keep your aim on your target. If all bullets connect its as powerful as the hammer; If this weapon is actived and all bullets connect two trigger pulls will usually down the enemy.

Number 9 Learning to Grenade

Smoke

The smoke grenade stuns for 2 seconds and if by stairs they will slide down those stairs for the duration of the stun.

Offensively

Throwing smokes at your enemy is a good way to down them, then go shotgun them in one hit. I recommend the hip fire for me its more accurate. Most people use the straight aim. Also smokes can be used to assist teammates since they cannot be effected by them only the enemies will be stunned, however your grenades will stun you.

Defensively

Planting a smoke can be a great defense however just planting against walls is way to noticeable. If you do a floor plant your opponent is much less likely to see the plant. Just aim at the floor and stand back a little and hit B.

Countering

Smokes can’t be body blown, meaning you can’t run by them and jump back, you will usually get stunned.  However you can fire your weapons on them to blow them.  And you can use their grenades for your own escape, simply jump away from the grenade, the stun will throw you further away from you enemies helping you avoid getting one shotted.

Ink

Offensive

Throwing them into big frays works, it scatters the battle, or it kills a lot of people. Throwing inks behind the big battles works to cut off retreating enemies. You can also floor plant it and wait by them, when someone triggers them fire your ranged weapons into them, the ink explosion and small duration will be enough to help you down them quickly. Don’t tag with these, the tag won’t finish them, only down them, and then it becomes their ink explosion oddly enough.

Defensive

Smoke + Ink plant is perfect when they get stunned and inked. They usually always die.  Another defensive technique is to throw the ink early to cut off anyone running through, because if they ran through they would be so wounded few bullets will drop them.

Counter

Risking yourself through the ink makes a great barrier. The person who threw the ink will never run through it, they will take way to much damage since its theirs.

Frag

Offensive

Simply toss at the opponent. Or you can do the double toss. Where you toss two grenades and they chain react on each other, allows for mass deaths or trapping someone in between the two and guaranteeing the kill. Or you can tag them and they will die, but be wary, run from them, the explosion can kill you too.

Defensive

Floor plants. Are the best.

Counter

Shoot them or body blow them. (body blowing is running past the grenade slightly enough to trigger it, right when the grenade beeps roll back. You may take some damage but not a lot.

Number 10 Speed and Accuracy

Speed

The faster you move the better, in any sense. The faster you are to a weapon, the faster you can run, or the faster you can maneuver around someone. Speed is learned by watching someone; there is no other way to learn to do this effectively.

Accuracy

Every bullet counts, learn to shoot by them when they are behind cover the more accurate the attack the better you can master every technique in this guide. However this is learned by experience.

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