.....and are into the performance and quality of sniper rifles:
Just had this question pop up in my head when I was on CA Saturday: What's with the people that are extremely hyped up with the L96A1 (commonly known as the AWP/AWM [Arctic Warfare Magnum] for people that play games like Counter-Strike).
Yes, it has the ability to fully 1-hit KO anything (hence its infamous reputation), has the "omfgwtpbbqhax" accuracy, and is very deadly if sniping from a concealed position with a silencer.
but.......
For the sniper rifle enthuastists, does the L96A1 truly have drawbacks? Discuss. Feel free to use other sniper rifles (or other weapons) to back your arguements.
My Opinion:
After getting extremely tired of seeing nearly every sniper wielding L96A1s, I asked myself: Are there any other sniper rifles that are cheaper, yet still performs well as the L96A1?
Looking through the catalog of sniper rifles, I came upon the M24. Had almost the same stats as the L96A1, and got really interested in it. Decided to give this guy a test run in Snow Valley (sniper-fest map, mind you), and see if its performance is up to par with the L96A1 (even with a silencer attached). I'd say this gun is pretty much equal to the L96A1 DESPITE the fact it has 5% less damage overall.
Some pros of the M24:
1) 7 bullets/clip, 3 clips (21 bullets) total. More than the L96A1's 5 bullets/clip, 3 clips (15 bullets).
2) Costs only 1.1K GP. 200-300 more GP than the assault/automanic weapons, yet still gives the same performance of what a L96A1 would give.
3) With silencer, it still holds its ability to 1-hit KO, as well as giving the user the same concealing ability when it comes to sniping from inpregnable positions. Basically, its just as the same as if you were using a L96A1 with that, IMO
Even for a Remington rifle modified to military standards, I find it quite amazing that its still a great kickass rifle that is still equal as the L96A1.
So truly, L96A1 isn't the best weapon around. Its 100% 1-hit Ko ability isn't that great anymore due to the fact everyone brags about it to the point that its just something that isn't what it used to be. The stat it has simply makes everyone want to wield one when they haven't looked at other rifles and consider them carefully. The cost is quite high for one, especially for a player like me that plays CA when I have spare time, and can only earn about 3-5K GP on a good day of owning others.
P.S. I'm not promoting the M24 in any shape or form. My opinions only reflect my concerns, arguements, and examples about this topic.
Fire Rate:
SR-25 Sandfire > SR-25 > MSG-90 = Dragonuv SVD = Dragonuv Black > M24 > L96A1 = L96A1 Ghillie/Arctic Wolf
Portability (pretty much useless aspect, better of switching to a knife if you need to run and then switch back):
M24 = M24 Woodland > MSG-90 = SR-25 Sandfire > SR-25 > Dragonuv SVD = Dragonuv Black = L96A1 = L96A1 Ghillie/Arctic Wolf
Recoil (most to least):
Dragonuv SVD = Dragonuv Black > L96A1 > L96A1 Ghillie/Arctic Wolf > M24 = M24 Woodland = SR-25 = SR-25 Sandfire > MSG-90
Though the L96A1 could arguably be placed higher than the SR-25 due to the shots required to kill with an SR-25 and its stealth deficiencies.
MSG-90 is the best sniper rifle in game. It is a semi-automatic sniper rifle with a 10 round magazine, with three extra clips. It does enough damage to consistently 2hko even with the 10% Damage Reduction from a Suppressor. In accuracy, it is only bested by an M24, and has matching accuracy of that of an SR-25. It shoots slower than an SR-25, but it has less recoil, the lowest of all Snipers. It has the ability to use any of the three Suppressors available, which, along with its superior damage, place it in higher placing than the SR-25 and its Sandfire variant. I'll explain this in more detail later.
SR-25 Sandfire has the fastest fire rate of any sniper rifle. It however suffers from a huge damage deficiancy, where it requires upwards of four body shots on Heavy Armoured units to kill. It however has great accuracy, the same as an MSG-90, which can supply easy headshots. During the last patch, it along with its original counterpart suffered from a delay bug where it would jam for half a second before the bullet would leave the muzzle after firing. This has been fixed.
SR-25 is not as good as the Sandfire variant. It has slightly less Firing Rate but improved Portability, which is meaningless. However, the Sandfire requires a Supply Case to acquire, which can be quite costly.
Both SR-25 variants suffer from the pre-installed S1 Suppressor, or some sort of Suppressor at the least. This gives it the distinct high pitched sound, which makes it a dead giveaway to its position and existence in general. With this, one cannot change the Suppressor.
L96A1 has the most damage of any Sniper Rifle. It will almost guarantee a kill if striking a target, with the exception of far placed shots that hit extremeties such as 100m+ on the hand or foot, or through walls. The major drawback of this gun is its long chambering time for its bolt action and its pathetic accuracy. For any shot over around 60 meters, placing the shot can be extremely difficult.
The Ghillie and Arctic Wolf variants are worse though because they are automatically fitted with an S1 Suppressor.
The M24 is the most accuracy Sniper Rifle in the game, being able to fare shots well over 100m with almost zero bullet deviation. I've been able to make ~200m head shots with this, though it is extremely difficult. Although it is the most accurate Sniper Rifle, it suffers from its poor damage, almost always requiring at least two shots to kill a target at full HP, and its long chambering time. Though not as long as the L96A1, even if you hit a target, you are not guaranteed that you will be able to kill them, leaving you vulnerable since your target knows someone is attacking them. The L96A1 allows you to kill a target immediately so the Bolt-Action drawback is less. In the most tactical game-play, the M24 will fare better, but that is most likely only on Snow Valley where shots over 100m can be placed, and there are sniping spots that require the utmost accuracy to hit. Otherwise, the pure stopping power of an L96A1 has the advantage. The M24 does approximately 80~90 damage on a shot, leaving the target with Red HP and a heartbeat. It almost never kills someone on the first shot unless its in the head.
The Dragonuv is the worst Sniper Rifle. Though it is also Semi-Automatic like the top rated on my list, it has several horrible draw backs, and the only reason I would use it is if I picked it off a corpse. It has less accuracy than any other rifle except the L96A1 variants. This isn't a very large issue since its accuracy is still fairly high, but when combined with its difficult scope crosshair and its enormous Recoil, it makes it placing multiple shots difficult. Its only advantage is the pure stopping power. It cannot be fitted with a Suppressor so everyone will know you are there firing something huge and missing.
Suppressors
The most important part for the Sniper Rifle.
S3>S2>S1 for Sniper Rifles.
S3 allows you to reduce your Muzzle Flash by 50%. The easiest way to find where a Sniper, or any other unit, for that matter is to find their Muzzle Flash. Muzzle Flashes come from the gun itself so the source must be nearby and can't get very far. It's a very effective method to see through fog. The SR-25 and Sandfire variant, as well as the Ghillie and Arctic Wolf version of the L96A1 cannot be fitted with this, thus their Muzzle Flash is very immediately noticeable, whereas the Recoil advantage that the L96A1 versions acquire is of no importance since the gun almost always requires a re-zero after firing.
S2 allows you to reduce your Tracer Bullet by 50%. I've never found this trait to be particularly useful as I always notice Muzzle Flash. Tracer Bullets rarely ever allow me to do anything other than stay away from a specific turn where I may be shot by going, but not many people prefire corners like that anyways. If someone is shooting at me, I'll hear their bullets scarring on the walls around me or their gunfire before I notice tracer bullets either way, and if they're shooting in front of me, they're either aiming at a person in front of me where I will notice or they're aiming at me where I will already know I'm being shot at as I previously stated.
S1 allows for reduced Recoil. Not particularly useful on an L96A1 or an M24, but it could help on an MSG-90. If you have the option though, choose an S2 for the Bolts and an S1 for the MSG-90.
You should always suppress your MSG-90. There's no reason not to. You'll almost never OHKO with it. It only takes two, occasionally three for Heavy Vests or poor hits. L96A1 I would recommend but people almost notice those all the time regardless. Some prefer to guarantee their damage, and others like the intimidation factor of the noise. M24, the bolt action sound is a giveaway either way, but I prefer S3ing it so people can't see my flash, as I would with any Sniper Rifle. I wouldn't recommend S3ing any other gun though since the tracer bullets from an Assault Rifle are easily noticeable either way. Might as well go with S1 to improve Accuracy from Recoil.
Thus, the MSG-90 comes out ontop of the SR-25 variants for having a better stealth component, and more damage. The sound it makes is less distinct, and can be mistaken for L96A1s, leading to the opponent to underestimate the accuracy. Its fast fire rate allows for multiple hits and kills faster than an L96A1 can bolt and fire, and its higher Accuracy Rating allows for easier target acquisition, zeroing, and hitting. Not to mention it reloads faster than the L96A1.
With obstructed shots, I can easily take more chances with an MSG-90 than an L96A1, where if you miss, you have to hide while you chamber another bullet. You also have much better success at hitting the target.
Extended Magazines
I would highly advise against using extended magazines excepted possibly a Fast Loader on a semi-automatic, or an Extended 2 on an M24. The increased reload time on an L96A1 is horrid and will most likely get you killed or cause you to lose your target.
Fire Rate:
SR-25 Sandfire > SR-25 > MSG-90 = Dragonuv SVD = Dragonuv Black > M24 > L96A1 = L96A1 Ghillie/Arctic Wolf
Portability (pretty much useless aspect, better of switching to a knife if you need to run and then switch back):
M24 = M24 Woodland > MSG-90 = SR-25 Sandfire > SR-25 > Dragonuv SVD = Dragonuv Black = L96A1 = L96A1 Ghillie/Arctic Wolf
Recoil (most to least):
Dragonuv SVD = Dragonuv Black > L96A1 > L96A1 Ghillie/Arctic Wolf > M24 = M24 Woodland = SR-25 = SR-25 Sandfire > MSG-90
Though the L96A1 could arguably be placed higher than the SR-25 due to the shots required to kill with an SR-25 and its stealth deficiencies.
MSG-90 is the best sniper rifle in game. It is a semi-automatic sniper rifle with a 10 round magazine, with three extra clips. It does enough damage to consistently 2hko even with the 10% Damage Reduction from a Suppressor. In accuracy, it is only bested by an M24, and has matching accuracy of that of an SR-25. It shoots slower than an SR-25, but it has less recoil, the lowest of all Snipers. It has the ability to use any of the three Suppressors available, which, along with its superior damage, place it in higher placing than the SR-25 and its Sandfire variant. I'll explain this in more detail later.
SR-25 Sandfire has the fastest fire rate of any sniper rifle. It however suffers from a huge damage deficiancy, where it requires upwards of four body shots on Heavy Armoured units to kill. It however has great accuracy, the same as an MSG-90, which can supply easy headshots. During the last patch, it along with its original counterpart suffered from a delay bug where it would jam for half a second before the bullet would leave the muzzle after firing. This has been fixed.
SR-25 is not as good as the Sandfire variant. It has slightly less Firing Rate but improved Portability, which is meaningless. However, the Sandfire requires a Supply Case to acquire, which can be quite costly.
Both SR-25 variants suffer from the pre-installed S1 Suppressor, or some sort of Suppressor at the least. This gives it the distinct high pitched sound, which makes it a dead giveaway to its position and existence in general. With this, one cannot change the Suppressor.
L96A1 has the most damage of any Sniper Rifle. It will almost guarantee a kill if striking a target, with the exception of far placed shots that hit extremeties such as 100m+ on the hand or foot, or through walls. The major drawback of this gun is its long chambering time for its bolt action and its pathetic accuracy. For any shot over around 60 meters, placing the shot can be extremely difficult.
The Ghillie and Arctic Wolf variants are worse though because they are automatically fitted with an S1 Suppressor.
The M24 is the most accuracy Sniper Rifle in the game, being able to fare shots well over 100m with almost zero bullet deviation. I've been able to make ~200m head shots with this, though it is extremely difficult. Although it is the most accurate Sniper Rifle, it suffers from its poor damage, almost always requiring at least two shots to kill a target at full HP, and its long chambering time. Though not as long as the L96A1, even if you hit a target, you are not guaranteed that you will be able to kill them, leaving you vulnerable since your target knows someone is attacking them. The L96A1 allows you to kill a target immediately so the Bolt-Action drawback is less. In the most tactical game-play, the M24 will fare better, but that is most likely only on Snow Valley where shots over 100m can be placed, and there are sniping spots that require the utmost accuracy to hit. Otherwise, the pure stopping power of an L96A1 has the advantage. The M24 does approximately 80~90 damage on a shot, leaving the target with Red HP and a heartbeat. It almost never kills someone on the first shot unless its in the head.
The Dragonuv is the worst Sniper Rifle. Though it is also Semi-Automatic like the top rated on my list, it has several horrible draw backs, and the only reason I would use it is if I picked it off a corpse. It has less accuracy than any other rifle except the L96A1 variants. This isn't a very large issue since its accuracy is still fairly high, but when combined with its difficult scope crosshair and its enormous Recoil, it makes it placing multiple shots difficult. Its only advantage is the pure stopping power. It cannot be fitted with a Suppressor so everyone will know you are there firing something huge and missing.
Suppressors
The most important part for the Sniper Rifle.
S3>S2>S1 for Sniper Rifles.
S3 allows you to reduce your Muzzle Flash by 50%. The easiest way to find where a Sniper, or any other unit, for that matter is to find their Muzzle Flash. Muzzle Flashes come from the gun itself so the source must be nearby and can't get very far. It's a very effective method to see through fog. The SR-25 and Sandfire variant, as well as the Ghillie and Arctic Wolf version of the L96A1 cannot be fitted with this, thus their Muzzle Flash is very immediately noticeable, whereas the Recoil advantage that the L96A1 versions acquire is of no importance since the gun almost always requires a re-zero after firing.
S2 allows you to reduce your Tracer Bullet by 50%. I've never found this trait to be particularly useful as I always notice Muzzle Flash. Tracer Bullets rarely ever allow me to do anything other than stay away from a specific turn where I may be shot by going, but not many people prefire corners like that anyways. If someone is shooting at me, I'll hear their bullets scarring on the walls around me or their gunfire before I notice tracer bullets either way, and if they're shooting in front of me, they're either aiming at a person in front of me where I will notice or they're aiming at me where I will already know I'm being shot at as I previously stated.
S1 allows for reduced Recoil. Not particularly useful on an L96A1 or an M24, but it could help on an MSG-90. If you have the option though, choose an S2 for the Bolts and an S1 for the MSG-90.
You should always suppress your MSG-90. There's no reason not to. You'll almost never OHKO with it. It only takes two, occasionally three for Heavy Vests or poor hits. L96A1 I would recommend but people almost notice those all the time regardless. Some prefer to guarantee their damage, and others like the intimidation factor of the noise. M24, the bolt action sound is a giveaway either way, but I prefer S3ing it so people can't see my flash, as I would with any Sniper Rifle. I wouldn't recommend S3ing any other gun though since the tracer bullets from an Assault Rifle are easily noticeable either way. Might as well go with S1 to improve Accuracy from Recoil.
Thus, the MSG-90 comes out ontop of the SR-25 variants for having a better stealth component, and more damage. The sound it makes is less distinct, and can be mistaken for L96A1s, leading to the opponent to underestimate the accuracy. Its fast fire rate allows for multiple hits and kills faster than an L96A1 can bolt and fire, and its higher Accuracy Rating allows for easier target acquisition, zeroing, and hitting. Not to mention it reloads faster than the L96A1.
With obstructed shots, I can easily take more chances with an MSG-90 than an L96A1, where if you miss, you have to hide while you chamber another bullet. You also have much better success at hitting the target.
Extended Magazines
I would highly advise against using extended magazines excepted possibly a Fast Loader on a semi-automatic, or an Extended 2 on an M24. The increased reload time on an L96A1 is horrid and will most likely get you killed or cause you to lose your target.
tl;dr
MSG-90 + S3 Silencer + Standard Magazine.
Wow, holy ****, I just fried my brain reading that.
Seems like you had a lot of experince toying with sniper rifles in Combat Arms for a loooong time. Dam, now I know why AWPs fail at long range. No wonder I couldn't hit long-range targets with that thing.....and M24's could hit it.
Last question: With a M24 + silencer (S1, since my rank only permits me to use that), can I still 1-hit KO if I aim for the upper body areas? I simply hate taking 2-shot hits since it increases my chances of getting myself killed before I can get another shot off.
2009-02-22, 05:06 AM (This post was last modified: 2009-02-22, 05:09 AM by WillDaSnail.)
JoeTang Wrote:No, you'll almost never OHKO with an M24 if you use a Suppressor on it.
Hm, I see.
Well, I only use it so people can't tell where I'm aiming from. Can't use S2 or S3 yet due to my rank, so yeah.
But still, I noticed no difference using it w/o silencer (with the exception of damage). M24 is what I call a "lighter" sniper rifle. Recoil is smooth, just love it.
Recoil will almost never play into effect for an L96A1 or M24 because the bolt action requires you to wait a certain amount of time before firing anyways so the scope will automatically drop back to its original position.
JoeTang Wrote:Recoil will almost never play into effect for an L96A1 or M24 because the bolt action requires you to wait a certain amount of time before firing anyways so the scope will automatically drop back to its original position.
Eh, go figure.
But either way, I think I'll stick with the M24 w/o silencer. That gun already proved its value to me either way. Now to find a time to go into a Snow Valley game and do some long-range sniping.....and shoot up the L96A1 bandwagoners.
