The New Vegas sniper build is a specialized playstyle that emphasizes stealth, precision, and long-range combat. This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of everything you need to know to create an effective sniper character, from stat distribution and perk selection to weapon choice and combat tactics.

Sniping in New Vegas requires a unique set of skills and equipment. You’ll need to be able to stay hidden, take down targets from afar, and adapt to different combat situations. With the right build, you can become a formidable force on the battlefield.

Stats and Perks: New Vegas Sniper Build

For a sniper build in New Vegas, the ideal SPECIAL stat distribution is as follows:

• Strength: 6 (for carrying capacity)
• Perception: 10 (for increased accuracy)
• Endurance: 6 (for increased health and fatigue resistance)
• Charisma: 1 (for speech checks)
• Intelligence: 6 (for skill points)
• Agility: 7 (for increased movement speed and sneak skill)
• Luck: 6 (for increased critical chance)

Essential perks for a sniper include:

• Sniper (3 ranks): Increases critical hit chance with scoped weapons.
• Silent Running (3 ranks): Reduces noise made while moving.
• Better Criticals (2 ranks): Increases critical hit damage.
• Concentrated Fire (3 ranks): Slows time when aiming with a scoped weapon.
• Hand Loader (2 ranks): Allows the player to craft their own ammunition.

Weapons and Ammunition

The best sniper rifles in New Vegas are:

• Anti-Materiel Rifle: High damage and range, but slow to reload.
• Gauss Rifle: High accuracy and penetration, but expensive to maintain.
• Christine’s COS Silencer Rifle: High damage and stealth, but rare to acquire.

Different types of ammunition available for sniper rifles include:

• Armor-Piercing Rounds: Increased damage against armored targets.
• Hollow-Point Rounds: Increased critical hit chance.
• Match Rounds: Increased accuracy.

To acquire and maintain a steady supply of ammunition, players can:

• Craft their own ammunition using the Hand Loader perk.
• Purchase ammunition from vendors.
• Loot ammunition from enemies.

Stealth and Positioning

Stealth is crucial for a sniper build. Players can remain undetected by:

• Wearing camouflage clothing.
• Using stealth boys.
• Moving slowly and carefully.

The best locations and tactics for positioning oneself as a sniper include:

• High ground: Provides a better view of the battlefield.
• Cover: Protects the sniper from enemy fire.
• Long sightlines: Allows the sniper to engage targets from a distance.

Stealth and positioning can give a sniper a significant advantage in combat by:

• Allowing them to take out enemies from a distance without being detected.
• Providing a tactical advantage by controlling the flow of battle.
• Increasing the sniper’s chances of survival.

Armor and Equipment

Light armor is preferred for a sniper build, as it allows for increased mobility and stealth.

Essential equipment for a sniper includes:

• Optics: Scopes and binoculars provide a magnified view of targets.
• Silencers: Reduce the noise made by weapons, making it harder for enemies to detect the sniper.
• Camouflage: Clothing and gear that reduces the sniper’s visibility.

Armor and equipment can be optimized for stealth and combat effectiveness by:

• Wearing light armor with stealth-enhancing perks.
• Using silencers on weapons.
• Equipping camouflage clothing and gear.

Companions and Quests

Potential companions for a sniper build include:

• Boone: A sniper who provides additional cover and support.
• ED-E: A robot companion who can provide recon and hacking support.
• Arcade Gannon: A doctor who can provide healing and medical support.

Quests that are particularly beneficial for snipers include:

• The White Wash: Rewards the player with a unique sniper rifle.
• The House Always Wins: Provides access to the Sierra Madre Casino, which contains valuable loot.
• Lonesome Road: Unlocks the ability to craft the Anti-Materiel Rifle.

Companions and quests can enhance the sniper build by:

• Providing additional support in combat.
• Unlocking new weapons and equipment.
• Expanding the player’s role-playing options.

Role-Playing and Challenges

Role-playing a sniper build can involve creating a character with motivations such as:

• A desire for justice.
• A thirst for revenge.
• A need to protect others.

Personality traits that suit a sniper include:

• Patient
• Observant
• Independent

Potential challenges that a sniper may face in the game include:

• Enemies with high armor or stealth.
• Long-range engagements.
• Limited ammunition.

These challenges can be overcome by:

• Using armor-piercing ammunition.
• Finding high-ground positions.
• Crafting or scavenging ammunition.

FAQ Overview

What are the best stats for a sniper build?

The best stats for a sniper build are Agility, Perception, and Intelligence. Agility affects your movement speed and stealth, Perception affects your accuracy and critical hit chance, and Intelligence affects your skill points and the power of your perks.

What are the essential perks for a sniper build?

The essential perks for a sniper build are Sniper, Better Criticals, and Finesse. Sniper increases your damage with sniper rifles, Better Criticals increases your critical hit chance, and Finesse increases your critical hit damage.

What are the best sniper rifles in New Vegas?

The best sniper rifles in New Vegas are the Anti-Materiel Rifle, the Gobi Campaign Scout Rifle, and the Christine’s CoS Silencer Rifle.