In The Division, we discuss the question of what position sniper builds will take after update 1.2.
Since the conflict update, many agents have focused on the new stat “Toughness.” With high Toughness values, you can absorb a lot of damage, stay on your feet longer, and thus have advantages over your enemies, especially in the Dark Zone. Players online are trying to outdo each other here and proudly show off their builds with more than 500k or even 600k “Toughness.”
Before “Conflict,” players particularly swore by high DPS values: These benefit sniper builds, with which you can deal extreme damage from the background. But are snipers even relevant in times of bullet-absorbing Toughness tanks?
How to create a sniper build in The Division
First, we want to briefly present a possible combination of attributes, skills, and talents that results in a powerful sniper build.
Focus on these attributes:
This build is meant for use in a team. You want to deal as much damage as possible from the background while taking none yourself. Therefore, you neglect the currently highly touted Toughness and prioritize Firearms. Increase Electronics as a second attribute. You need this to enhance the effectiveness of your skills.
Focus on these skills:
- Pulse with the mod “Tactical Scanner”: This sends out a pulse that marks enemies through walls and covers. You also deal more damage to marked enemies. And that’s what you want with this build: to deal as much damage as possible. Therefore, high Electronics values that enhance this damage-increasing skill are worthwhile.
- Cover with the mod “Trapper”: When you take cover behind cover, you take less damage. However, what’s more important for this build is that you deal more damage yourself. Since you, as a sniper, always act from cover – and not rush at enemies unprotected – you can gain a lot with this skill.
- Signature Skill: Tactical Link: Increases your agent’s damage and critical hit chance. This also applies to your allies. You can deal even more damage with this.
Focus on these talents:
- One is None: If you hit your opponent with a headshot, there’s a 50% chance that the bullet will not be consumed. Since you, as a sniper, ideally always aim for the head, this talent can prove to be very useful. However, it is currently still buggy, causing the weapon to jam if you reload when the effect activates.
- Technical Assistance: Kill an enemy during an active skill to extend the duration of the skill by 10%. This can make the skill Cover last longer.
- Piercing: Suppress an enemy (suppressive fire) to increase headshot damage by 25% for 10 seconds. Since headshots should happen as a sniper, this additional damage opportunity is quite practical.
- Tactical Advantage: This talent is activated when you perform a cover-to-cover move. For 10 seconds, your weapon damage increases by 2% per meter. After all, you should always be in cover to minimize your exposure to enemies.
As a weapon, choose a marksman rifle with high base damage, such as the M44. Rapid-firing snipers, like the M1A in The Division, are more suited for medium ranges. If an enemy gets too close, you can use an SMG as a secondary weapon, such as the AUG or the Vector.
Is the “Hunter’s Faith” set useful for a sniper build?
The “Hunter’s Faith” set is one of the four new gear sets from update 1.2. According to Massive, it is intended for marksmen. Here are the set bonuses:
- 2 pieces: +20% critical hit damage with precision rifles. This bonus is tailored for a sniper build and is considered worthwhile.
- 3 pieces: +20% damage to elites. You will especially appreciate this in PvE for the greatest challenges, but enemies with yellow health bars in the Dark Zone can also be eliminated more quickly.
- 4 pieces: Talent “Hunter’s Faith”: When you hit an enemy with a bullet, you temporarily gain additional armor. The greater the distance to the target, the more armor you receive. The additional protection disappears as soon as you are hit by a bullet. This bonus is supposed to exceed the new armor maximum of 75%.
The talent seems excellent for snipers at first glance: it addresses the disadvantage of low Toughness. However, it does not perform in practice as one would hope: after all, enemies usually fire more than just one bullet, and since the talent goes on cooldown after the first hit, you will subsequently take full damage.
Although the talent effect has no cooldown, allowing you to reactivate it with the next shot, a sniper first needs to find its target quickly again – especially with slowly firing precision rifles. Therefore, as a sniper with this set talent, you take nearly as much damage as without.
Some agents are currently testing this talent with other weapon types, such as an SMG. Since it has no cooldown, it can theoretically be reactivated after every shot, mitigating damage. However, the distance to the target is usually less than with a sniper, meaning the talent effect is not as pronounced.
Can a sniper build be recommended after 1.2?
If you are playing solo, the answer to this question is: No. As a lone wolf, you need Toughness; otherwise, you will go down immediately. If you have no one to revive you, you must take care of your health yourself.
In a team, however, a sniper build is certainly recommended. If you are roaming New York as tanks with extremely high Toughness, you will be grateful for members who can absorb the health of enemies for you.
However, the “Hunter’s Faith” set does not provide strong arguments for building a sniper build specifically. While the bonuses are practical, the talent fails to convince. For example, the talent from the “Watchman’s Call” set is likely more exciting for many agents.
But every team can surely appreciate a marksman who deals devastating damage from the background.
