Sniper Rifles (talent)

Sniper Rifles is a combat talent inherent only to Soldiers, Infiltrators, and the Turian Agent, but it can be trained as a bonus talent, giving any player class more damage and accuracy with sniper rifles. Possessing the talent also enables zooming through the scope built in to all sniper rifles. The talent also unlocks the Assassination active ability, enabling the periodic firing of very powerful shots with perfectly stable aim.

Legendary Edition: In Legendary Edition, any player class can zoom or scope with any weapon without special training. Additionally, sniper rifles do not sway regardless of the player's accuracy level. The addition of bonus headshot damage and the massive damage increase to Assassination makes the elimination of targets with a single shot much easier to achieve.

Talent Levels

Level 1: Increases damage by 5%. Increases accuracy by 10%

Level 2: Increases damage by 8%. Increases accuracy by 14%

Level 3: Assassination

Level 4: Increases damage by 10%. Increases accuracy by 17%

Level 5: Increases damage by 12%. Increases accuracy by 20%

Level 6: Increases damage by 14%. Increases accuracy by 22%

Level 7: Increases damage by 16%. Increases accuracy by 24%

Level 8: Advanced Assassination

Level 9: Increases damage by 18%. Increases accuracy by 26%

Level 10: Increases damage by 19%. Increases accuracy by 28%

Level 11: Increases damage by 20%. Increases accuracy by 30%

Level 12: Master Assassination

Assassination

Assassination is a powerful damage boost to the next shot from the sniper rifle. This can quickly dispatch enemies which would normally take two or three shots with a single round. While this skill is active your view when scoped will have no sway and can't be disrupted by taking damage, allowing you to accurately place a shot. Though slow, this attack is deadly when combined with the right Ammunition Upgrades. Both Soldiers and Infiltrators can choose to augment Assassination's recharge time by choosing Commando specialization.

Some enemies, such as mercenaries, Geth Hoppers or Geth Snipers, also use Assassination. This is characterised by a distinct red beam just before they fire. On higher difficulty settings, or if your shields are already damaged, one shot can kill you instantly. Once you see the red beam, either get behind cover, put up a Barrier, activate Immunity, use Shield Boost, or disable or kill the attacker before they have time to fire.

Switching weapons, changing the equipped sniper rifle to a different model, or modifying any upgrades currently installed on the rifle, will immediately cancel Assassination if it was active but not yet fired. This applies to all similar weapon talents in Mass Effect, for both Shepard and squadmates.

Sabotage disables all special weapon abilities until it wears off, even on weapons that weren't actually jammed by the Sabotage effect (i.e. they were holstered and not the active weapon). However, there is a minor useful exception, which is where Assassination has already been activated prior to your sniper rifle being Sabotaged, in which case you are able to fire off the enhanced shot before your weapon jams. Note that this also applies to enemies with sniper rifles, who will be able to use their Assassination if they've already charged up the shot before getting Sabotaged by you or your allies (indicated by the red laser and accompanying sound).

Assassination

Only available when using sniper rifles.

• Next shot will inflict weapon damage +50%
• Duration: 20s
• Recharge time: 45s.

Advanced Assassination

Only available when using sniper rifles.

• Next shot will inflict weapon damage +125%
• Duration: 20s
• Recharge time: 45s.

Master Assassination

Only available when using sniper rifles

• Next shot will inflict weapon damage +225%
• Duration: 20s
• Recharge time: 45s.

Assassination (Legendary Edition)

Assassination in Legendary Edition works much as it did in the original game except that it purges all residual weapon heat on use, has a much shorter 6 second duration during which the enhanced shot can be fired, and deals greatly increased damage by comparison especially at base level. The enhanced damage is based on weapon damage-per-second (DPS) as opposed to the damage of a single shot, meaning that Assassination is not disadvantageous to use with sniper rifle models that have a rapid firing pattern as opposed to slow, powerful shots.

Note: The heat purging feature will not enable the firing of a sniper rifle that has been Sabotaged by an enemy. See the section above for more info on Sabotage interactions.

Assassination

Only available when using sniper rifles. Purges heat on use.

• Next shot will inflict weapon damage equal to 200% of weapon DPS
• Duration: 6s
• Recharge time: 45s

Advanced Assassination

Only available when using sniper rifles. Purges heat on use.

• Next shot will inflict weapon damage equal to 250% of weapon DPS
• Duration: 6s
• Recharge time: 45s

Master Assassination

Only available when using sniper rifles. Purges heat on use.

• Next shot will inflict weapon damage equal to 300% of weapon DPS.
• Duration: 6s
• Recharge time: 45s

Classes

These classes have access to the Sniper Rifles talent:

• Infiltrator Unlockable
• Soldier Unlockable
• Turian Agent Unlockable