Defender Text: Rin’s Sniper Guide
AFTER THE DESTRUCTION OF THE LIBRARY DEFENDERS HAVE BEEN RUSHING TO RECOVER TEXTS FROM THE PAST. SOME HAVE EVEN SPENT TIME TO WRITE NEW ENTRIES INTO THE LIBRARY.
BELOW ARE TEXTS ADDED DURING THE LAST FEW DAYS. THESE DEFENDER TEXTS ARE ALL WRITTEN FROM ONE PERSON’S POINT OF VIEW AND BELIEF…
Rin’s Sniper Guide
First things first – Before reading this step-by-step guide, please read the following texts:
1. Dealer Job Class, by DeAl
2. What is an Artisan?, By Andrew
3. Arti’s Artisan, by Arti
4. Discipline for Butas
Three-quarters of a sniper’s job relies on having the right information. By reading those texts, you should be familiarized with the appropriate terminology and background that will help you understand everything I’m about to share with you.
What is a Sniper?
Sniper is the fighting style that I –Master Sniper – created based on the foundation laid by DeAl and Arti. It is the long-range combat specialist, often referred to as Discipline, of Artisans. Yes, you read that right; Artisans.
Rin’s Sniper Fighting Style
If you paid attention to Arti’s Artisan, you’ll know that there are a wide variety of styles that Artisans use. It is not a job class merely for crafting. Artisans are capable of offensive abilities that require outside-of-the-box thinking, constant adaptation, fast movement and pure wit.
For weapons, you will only be using long-barreled guns or rifles. DO.NOT.USE. Short barreled Guns, Pistols, or any other type of weapon. You are not a conscript or disgusting Musketeer.
Before going any further, please review Arti’s description for the Marksmen Artisan and the Silent Artisan. Disregard every other style entirely. From those two styles, you’ll be cherry-picking certain attributes and focusing hard on them. To the point they become second nature. Additionally, there are only a few skills from your first and second job class that you’ll be needing to become a Sniper.
From the offensive dealer, take all the passives that give you attack power, attack speed and accuracy. For Combat Skills, ONLY TAKE SNIPING. This skill is your bread and butter. Your lover. You will fantasize, think, eat, sleep and BREATH sniping. Do not take any other active skill. The moment you do, you forgo the path of a Sniper.
From the Artisan tree, you will only be needing the passive for attack power, attack speed and accuracy.
Finally, stealth potions; an essential item that you do not possess as part of your dealer or artisan skill set, but necessary to become a Sniper. These potions will allow you to conceal yourself almost anywhere, hidden from both friends and foes, to gain the best vantage point possible to deliver a devastating critical blow. After achieving the discipline, you’ll gain Concealment, but before becoming a Sniper, you must acquire stealth potions.
Back to the Arti’s fighting styles;
From the Marksman Artisan, the essential attributes are:
1. Distance – Do. Not. Get. Close. To. The. Target.
If you’re in auto attack distance, you are too close. Sniping has a 90 meters range. That’s the only distance where you’ll be fighting from.
2. Accuracy – Do. Not. Miss.
Concentration is your main stat. It will provide you with the necessary accuracy to land all your sniping shots. At early stages of development, pour your heart out into Concentration. Landing the long-range snipe is your main goal.
3. Movement – Do. Not. Stay. Static.
Arti said “Always be Moving”. Take this phrase and ingrain it into your subconscious.
Many of the people I’ve fought alongside have found me to be annoyingly restless. They cannot handle when I run around in circles during meetings, idle conversations, or boring-ass escorts. More than once people have gotten pissed at me for my usual catch-phrases like “march march march march” or “YELLOW MOVING”; you’ll be surprised at how easily people get mad!
But what they don’t understand is that I legitimately cannot help it. My brain is wired for constant movement and at the fastest speed possible. We probably won’t be as fast as hawkers, but we sure as hell will try. If enemies know your location, you are dead. Movement allows you to reposition. Repositioning allows you to get the most snipes possible.
Remember, “Always be Moving”.
From the Silent Artisan, the essential attributes are:
1. Stealth – I’ve already provided a prelude of this; you will require stealth potions. They are necessary before unlocking Concealment. These potions will allow you to keep moving; to stay alive and keep your distance to land the snipes.
Similarly to my movement ticks, Defenders have also made comments like: “look at Rin, stealthing while grouped” or “concealing himself while buffed”. But again, what they do not understand is that some habits are just muscle memory. When fighting begins, a Sniper must automatically go into the mindset of stealth, movement and repositioning. This can also work to your advantage, because what they don’t know is that when critical scenarios take place, they’ll expect to know the Sniper’s placement because of the usual predictability…and that’s when you dupe them. Employ your stealth properly and Snipe them. Or escape. Whatever the current scenario requires.
2. Terrain and Infrastructure – While not necessarily the most important, silent artisans are well versed in knowledge of terrain and infrastructure. High advantage points, hiding spots, hard to reach places, and knowledge of critical points. The sneakiness of this skillset compliments your stealth and movement.
Please note that Arti’s Artisan describes the silent as well versed in “other types of weapons”. While knowing and identifying those tools could be useful, do not even think about attempting to use those weapons. No grenades, bombs, or sabotages.
Snipers go PEW-stealth & moving- PEW – stealth & moving-PEW.
We do not go BOOM BOOM.
If you manage to learn these attributes and make them second-nature, you’ll be a step closer to understanding Rin’s Sniper Fighting Style.
Becoming a Sniper
Having understood the essential attributes and styles available to become a sniper, let’s go into how you’re going to employ them.
Artisans are both a support and assault class.
For snipers, our support comes from knowledge and intelligence. Our constant movement allows us pathfinder-like opportunities to gather information from different areas in the field of battle. Through our scopes we can view farther into enemy lines and gauge vital information such as the quantity of forces or enemy intention. In offensive terms -but supportive role nonetheless- we are able to provide cover fire for our own troops and protect critical players, such as your Clerics.
As for assault, remember the motto “One Shot, One Kill”.
Our accuracy allows for critical hits on enemy assets. Be it the death of a leader that is hiding at a distance behind his troops, or surprise attacks on enemies. We destroy high value targets from a distance before they’re even aware something is happening.
Defender units will be usually made up of some variation of the following: tanks & offensive frontlines, midrange combatants, supports and long-range attackers. When in these types of groups, you’re obviously the long-range attacker.
Defenders also usually fight hordes of enemies. Under these circumstances, your focus should be keeping an eye on the back of the group, identifying critical enemy positions, and supporting your cleric by defending them from any incoming attacks.
Once the hordes have been taken care of, in most scenarios, Defenders will have to deal with a strong single fighter; examples include what we refer to as Boss Enemies – creatures of immense fighting prowess that require multiple defenders to take down – or Demons. At this stage of a fight, the Sniper should put into play his most basic pattern:
Stealth, Move to Reposition, Snipe.
Stealth, Move to Reposition, Snipe.
Stealth, Move to Reposition, Snipe.
Stealth, Move to Reposition, Snipe.
Stealth, Move to Reposition, Snipe.
Stealth, Move to Reposition, Snipe.
Rinse and Repeat. As many times as it takes.
-Rin, the Master Sniper