Kig-Yar Sniper

Sniper
Species:	Kig-Yar
Other role(s):	Reconnaissance, support

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"The only thing worse than Jackals are Jackals with sniper rifles!"

— Anonymous Marine in Outskirts

Sniper is a specialized Kig-Yar rank. They are highly skilled marksmen, though they are uncommon relative to their more typically deployed comrades. Unlike most Kig-yar, snipers rarely make use of personal energy shields.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

Description

Exceptionally skilled in precision shooting, Kig-yar snipers wield particle beam rifles or Covenant carbines to great effect, eliminating long-range targets that are often hidden from sight. They act as counterparts to UNSC Marine sharpshooters.

Combat

Generally, Kig-yar snipers are considered as support units to the Covenant forces when engaging an enemy. With their superior accuracy, the Kig-yar snipers can eliminate any enemy from a distance with their long range weaponry. They are known to snipe from hard to reach places such as ledges, cliffs, rooftops, deployable lookout towers, and occasionally large branches on trees which provide them a wide view of the battleground, and more importantly, conceal their location. Their positions are often easily revealed when they fire their weapons.

Kig-yar snipers often wear headpieces which emit a faint purple glow. This glow can be seen from a distance, thus giving away the sniper's position. On lower difficulties, Kig-yar snipers are commonly seen with Covenant carbines, though snipers armed with beam rifles will still be encountered, albeit less frequently. On higher difficulties, they are more commonly seen to wield the beam rifle. In Halo 2, a single beam rifle shot on the Legendary difficulty will kill the player, regardless of the hit location. In Halo: Reach, Jackal snipers wield needle rifles and focus rifles instead of carbines and beam rifles, preventing them from achieving one-hit kills. In Halo 4, snipers are nearly always seen with beam rifles, with Jackal Rangers being the primary wielders of carbines, some snipers also wield storm rifles.

The most efficient and effective way to eliminate Kig-yar snipers is by using a long-range weaponry such as the sniper rifle, battle rifle, Covenant carbine, or beam rifle and by firing from afar without having them discovering the player's location. Sidearms with mounted scopes such as the M6C/SOCOM are also exceptional in killing them, provided that the player aims at the head. Medium-range weaponry such as the plasma rifle, the SMG, and the assault rifle can suppress the sniper, allowing the player to finish them off with a quick melee. Also if you get close enough to a sniper and it sees you, it may drop its rifle and flee. Snipers in Halo 4 will almost never flee from melee combat, instead firing their weapon at close range.

Trivia

In a Bungie interview, they stated that Jackal snipers in Halo 2 were too dangerous and too accurate. To balance the gameplay, Bungie made the Jackals' aim less accurate in Halo 3 than it was in Halo 2.^{[citation needed]}
In Halo 2, the Jackal snipers do not wear helmets, instead wearing a silver combat suit.
It is stated on the Bungie site that only battle hardened veterans are selected to become Jackal snipers. This could suggest that as well as being a special type of rank, sniper is an elevated rank either for Jackal Majors, or that the rank exists between Minor and Major. However, their duties do not tend to involve commanding other troops.
In Halo Wars, an upgrade for Jackal anti-infantry units replaces their weapons with particle beam rifles, implying that all Jackals can become snipers. In addition, these Jackals do not lose the ability to wear the Jackals' trademark energy shield gauntlets.
During the level Sierra 117 in Halo 3, when the difficulty is set to Legendary, the Kig-yar on the ridge that are equipped with carbines on Easy, Normal, and Heroic, will instead be equipped with much more accurate and more powerful beam rifles.
Kig-yar Snipers appear as hazards on many Firefight maps, such as Halo 3: ODST's level Crater (the day version), and in Halo: Reach on the maps Waterfront and Unearthed.

Gallery

In-game view of a Jackal Sniper in Halo 2.
Kig-yar snipers as they appear in Halo 2.
Full-body portrait of a Kig-Yar Sniper in Halo 3.
1218738807 Sniper Jackel2.jpg

A close-up of the Jackal sniper's head gear.
Carbine Jackal.jpg

Jackals wielding Covenant carbines in the Halo 3 level Sierra 117.
Jackal snipers shooting with their carbines in Halo 3 level Crow's Nest.
A Jackal sniper as it appears in Halo: Reach.
A Covenant remnant Jackal Sniper using the Beam rifle in Halo 4.
A Kig-Yar Sniper wielding a Type-31 Needle Rifle during the Battle of Circinius IV.