SRS99-S5 AM sniper rifle/Gameplay

Campaign

 * The Sniper Rifle's usage against the Covenant and Prometheans in Halo 4 differs very little from its utilization in previous games. It is still the best weapon to take out enemies from far beyond retaliation range. Its power, however, has been significantly reduced. Even on Normal difficulty, a low-ranking Elite will survive a headshot from the weapon, unlike previous titles where one would instantly kill it straight through the shield. On Legendary, it can take an entire magazine.
 * Don't waste sniper ammo on small targets (with, perhaps, the obvious exception of Jackal and Crawler Snipers). The Sniper in Halo 4 only has a reserve of 16 rounds of ammunition, meaning you will run dry very quickly against the hordes of foes you face with it. Save your shots for Elites and Knights, using other precision or even automatic weaponry to eliminate the lower foes.
 * Relatedly, don't get too attached to your rifle. Unlike other games where upon you could carry a Sniper througout the entire level, you will have to discard it eventually. With the low ammunition count, and the infrequency of the weapon's apperances, you will most likely run out of ammunition quickly, and reloads are unlikely to be found. Thankfully, the Rifle usually appears on levels where you can find the Covenant and Promethean equivilents (Beam and Binary Rifles respectivly), so finding a replacement weapon to reach out and touch someone is not a supreme difficulty.
 * If at all possible, reload when there is only one round left in the magazine. The empty reload for the rifle is a lenghty one, and while the sound of the Chief loading a new round into the chamber with a metallic rasp worthy of a blast door opening, its not the best thing to be forced to do when under fire from multiple enemies. Pace your shots, fire three, reload.

Multiplayer

 * Once more, the Sniper Rifle's usage against multiplayer opponents has changed very little; it is still the go-to weapon to stop people halfway across the map (or further on the larger ones) from getting in your face.
 * The majority of the tips from Campaign apply to multiplayer, most especially the one regarding ammo. Normally a sniper rifle spawns with two extra magazines (8 rounds in reserve plus the four in the rifle itself), which, as any experienced sniper will tell you, go by incredibly fast. As soon as you run out of shots, grab any other weapon. Even a plasma pistol is more effective against an opponent than an empty sniper rifle
 * Keep a low profile; human opponents are much more observant than AIs, meaning that if they see you (even from halfway across the map) they WILL engage you. Take cover and pick off targets of oppertunity.