Agreed: 'sniper' almost never actually means 'long range assassin', for me. It's always more like 'scout/support/sensors/sneaky'. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

...and 9 times out of 10 if the shit does hit the fan you're more likely to use that heavy duty sniper rifle as a mid-ranged combatant in my experience.

Which is why my snipers get Automatics instead of Longarms in the first place. I'm never outside of 500m from the target anyway!

Yeah Automatics is too good this edition. That rule about Sniper Rifles not being able to be used in a "running gunfight" without incurring penalties is pretty silly too. What the hell kind of unstable rifle and optics technology are they basing this off of? Some crazy kind of 1950s stuff? Hell, in modern day you can mount any decent combat scope to any decent long ranged rifle and beat someone to death with it without losing your zero. The whole concept is a little silly.

What does a guy have to do to get something like an M14? A solid semi-automatic rifle with a 20 round clip, respectable punch, solid killing power, and the ability to both kill a man at a kilometer and beat or bayonet another man to death in a short to mid range encounter. I haven't looked at WAR too much, but I don't think building a rifle like that is even possible in the current rules.

I think most people interpret the 'running gunfight' limitation as applying only to the specific models mentioned? Some certainly do, anyway.

But either way, you just rarely need 1500m of range, and ARs are just amazing all around. They 'make up' for this by giving 'sniper rifles' the ability to kill battle tanks, though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif) The DV/APs get insane. But I'm just talking normal game, normal play. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Yeah, sporting rifles (which War's battle rifles use) only go out to 750m (barrel extension, I guess, but that's a mere 825m). I mean, for mean that's close enough to what you want.

The 'running gunfight' stuff is mentioned under the general rules for Sniper Rifles (p. 319 SR4A).

Don't get me wrong, I really like that Automatics are good this edition. I really really love Automatic weapons, but the weapon group really is too versatile. To the point where it makes most other weapon skills look a little silly.

We don't play with WAR, but I enabled it in Chummer to see what you're getting on about. Looks like the AM-884 or HKG132w are close enough to what I would be looking for. I don't have any accompanying Fluff, but the base stats could be modded to do what I'm looking for I think.

Edit: Also, let me guess: Battle Rifles use Automatics instead of Longarms right?

Make sure to get a heavy turret on your helicopter and add a belt fed howitzer.

Enough drones and sensors to make a tacnet. ECM/ECCM to keep your communications and location secure. A Tower lighter-than-air drone with ruthenium coating can provide overwatch for the tacnet and deploy minidrones to increase coverage. Another drone or vehicle could have a mortar or missile launcher, for indirect fire via a cyberware laser designator. The drones could be outfitted with laser designators too. In a warzone you're looking at fighting things immune to even the largest caliber rifle round. Drones are also useful as distractions to obfuscate your position or draw enemies into your firing line. There's a drone (in arsenal) that is equipped with EW tech and sound/light emitters.

Eyes and ears. Get the image magnification mod, then you don't even need a scope on your rifle. Low light is a must, and thermographic will help you find heat sources such as enemy troops and vehicles. Enhanced hearing mods and selective sound filter will allow you to pinpoint enemies via sound and be aware of ambushes. An image link with a tacnet can be used creatively to great effect. Rules for firing through barriers suit the sniper rifle/assault cannon AP ratings, and if you have a drone or spotter telling you where to shoot, you ignore the blind fire modifier.

You'll want a ghillie suit and/or chameleon coating on your armour, and thermal dampening to hide you from thermographic sensors. For fluff reasons mainly, you should get the massaging liners added. There's also an armour mod that increases your commlink's signal range, which could be useful for operating drones in a large theater.

A skill no-one has mentioned is demolitions. Anti-personnel explosives can be laid in advance with sensor triggers to kill or disorient enemies. Drones could be rigged for kamikaze runs or self-destructs. FAB/Smoke grenades could be detonated to cover your escape.

Right, things sort of got semi solved. I'm ending up going with a Rigger, and likely taking a YNT Pushka Okne with whatever I can manage to stick on it. Not sure what I would actually want for qualities with it, though.

EDIT: How viable is a cheap-ish drone packed with as much high rating explosives as I can reasonably manage?

LTA (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

What?

Lighter than air - blimp tank.

Worth noting, this is a 4A Nerf.

Just undo it for your game, because it makes about as much sense as an assault rifle's smartlink going out of whack when not seated properly.

I wish I could make it a walker. Not terribly practical, but damned if it wouldn't be cool. Also, just noticed. This thing can be rolling about ~70 dice for damage soak. Easily.

Oh it is definitely a 4A thing, I recall it applied to only a single Sniper Rifle in 2nd. The one that could break down into a briefcase and be hastily put back together.

That sounds like the kind of a weapon that would get messed up in a melee.

And if I undo it for my game, that means my players get to take advantage of it. It doesn't necessarily mean anyone will return the favor for me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dead.gif)

So what's the point of the weapon mod melee hardening, for non-sniper rifles? Are there rules for damaging weapons when you use them as a club?

It's just fluff.

You might also think outside the box instead of doing the Elf Sniper Commando build - having 8-12 attack dicepool is enough in most situations as long as you are the one doing the surprise attack so an extreme elf is often not needed, spread out your skills instead - Primary skill of 4 and a spec and 4-6 in attribute goes a long way.

Get restricted gear (Vehicles) and trick out a Dawnglider with ruthenium polymers and a pair of grapple arms (to grab hold on ledges for example). Add Assembly Time Improvement.
Now you have a stealthed vehicle that can get you from building to building and that you can fit inside a large suitcase in about 6 minutes.

If you take a rifle go with a a hunting rifle, if not for flavor at least for it to be harder to track, a black market civilian hunting weapon as compared to a very specific military weapon.
Also, shorten its barrel and give it a powered easy breakdown. A hunting rifle with a short barrel, built in silencer, range finder and smartgun link will still have a range of 0-600 meters with no hit penalty for range - It's not often you get firefights at more than a few hundred meters. Not to mention that the weapon is easily hidden in a small case.

For a secondary weapon i would go with a sawn off shotgun (Enfield AS-7 with drum) shorten the barrel and remove the stock on this one too and give it Ex-Ex for close quarter fighting, a very good weapon for close quarter fighting in buildings.