Carl's Fallout 4 Guide
for PC, Xbox One, and PS4

I'm writing a Guide to Nuka World, piece by piece. Here are the newest/most popular pages:
See a full list of guides on the Nuka World page. I've written over a dozen in just a week and plan to continue. There is much more to this DLC, it will just take time to write it all. Check back for more. Comment on the appropriate page if you have a tip to share with other readers.

Fallout 4: Sniper

Perception Perk Strategies and Usefulness

Fallout 4's Sniper Perk in the Perception Tree The Sniper Perk helps immensely with manual headshots, but requires significant investment into Perception. Is it worth it? Depends on your playstyle.

The Sniper Perk offers a lot to the player, but finds itself in a weird place. The player who plays a mix of VATS and manual gunplay is going to get the most use out of it, while players who are extreme about either playstyle should likely look elsewhere for a good Perk. Here are the 3 ranks of the Sniper Perk and what it offers your character:

Sniper Perk
RankRequiresPerk DescriptionPerk ID
1PER 8It's all about focus. You have improved control and can hold your breath longer when aiming with scopes.4c92a
2Level 13Non-automatic, scoped rifles have a chance of knocking down your target.4c92b
3Level 26Non-automatic, scoped rifles gain +25% accuracy to head shot in V.A.T.S.4c92c

Sniper PerkGameplay Effects & Utility
First, note the language - this affects ballistic and energy rifles so long as they're scoped and not automatic. I personally play a mixture of VATS and normal gunplay when it comes to sniping. I sometimes feel I can make the shot when VATS may not, thanks to breath-holding and accurate rifles. If you play this way, this is a very solid Perk. The breath-holding draining less AP (50%) will give you more action points remaining should you need to go into VATS quickly after making your manual shot; you'll have more AP available because of the slower drain.

The first rank does nothing for VATS usage, although people who play Fallout 4 like a shooter may find them highly desireable. Problem is, they take a whopping 8 Perception (which is also useless outside VATS), meaning they may require 6-7 points in Perception then 2 more to get those bonuses. Is improved breath-holding worth 9 Perk points when you could improve your stamina by increasing endurance? This is a decision only you can make, though I want to point out the investment required. Just pointing out that only a few of the Perks on the way are useful to a light VATS user.

Rank two will allow your shots in and outside VATS to sometimes knock down targets that are not immune to stagger effects, so it's helpful occasionally but rather poor with a 15% proc rate. If you're making a headshot, knocking them down is not that useful unless it's a Legendary opponent and the difficulty is very high. This doesn't impress me much and is just a requirement for the powerful third rank. I'd rather them still be standing so I can take another shot, especially if they fall behind cover.

Rank three is where it gets very enticing for VATS users - the +25% is added on top of whatever your chance to hit would be - 70% hits the 95% cap. More perception just lets you make the shot at an even longer range, which preserves stealth and allows you to repeat the process.

The Sniper Perk in general is very useful with the Ninja Perk which will greatly enhance sneak attacks, moreso with Mister Sandman with silenced weapons (these are both Agility Perks and good for VATS and manual play). You'd want Sneak, as well, to round out the build.

I think that Sniper has a place in many players' builds, it's just not one you'd want to take very early given the marginal bonuses and that you cannot get the really good boost until Level 26. If you're going this route, focus on Rifleman and the aforementioned sneak attack perks to boost your damage.

For further reading, I have a guide on making a strong Sniper Build in Fallout 4.

More Fallout 4 Guides

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Share Tips and FAQs (1)

John
I believe Rank 1 of sniper has another hidden benefit. It significantly reduces weapon sway with scopes (much like the stabilised armor mod).
10th April 2016 10:15am
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Far Harbor DLC Guides

See my Far Harbor Guide for new features in the DLC. There, you can also watch the trailer and view new weapons that can be found. The area is massive, so we can expect plenty of quests and exploration in a foggy, rugged area with new and challenging creatures to battle.

Pleae note there are different endings for this DLC, something we all wanted! It's like the actual end-game of FO4 in that you can choose the outcome.

Walkthroughs
Islander's Almanac Magazine Locations
Far From Home: Quest 1
Walk in the Park: Quest 2
Where you Belong: Quest 3
Best Left Forgotten: Quest 4
Ware's Brew Quest New
The Striker New

Automatron Guides & Walkthrough

The final quest Restoring Order (Mechanist Fight/Options) is now available. I've also released a page that describes Getting Started in Automatron to accompany the main page about the DLC. This covers how to make the Robot Workbench to begin making your own Automatrons, and walks you through the first two quests while providing some tips for fighting the Mechanist's creations. Quest 3 Walkthrough: Headhunting is also live on the site.

Robots in Automatron New
Mechanist's Lair, Eyebots, and Rogue Robots covers what happens after the Mechanist story is complete.

Perks & Bobbleheads

Now that I've written about all Perks in Fallout 4, I've put them all in a list, with how they work, what you can expect, and my own opinions on them. Hope this is handy! I've also compiled map shots of all Bobblehead Locations in the game. You can choose to explore the locations on your own or read descriptions for those I've taken notes about.

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