Sniper Rifles (skill)

This article is about the skill in Mass Effect: Andromeda. For sniper rifle weapons in Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3, and Mass Effect: Andromeda, see Sniper Rifles.

Sniper Rifles is a passive Combat skill in Mass Effect: Andromeda.

Skill Ranks

Improves specialist sniper training for long-range combatants. Sniper rifles deal high damage at a distance at the cost of slow firing rates and capacities.

Rank	Label	Icon	Description	Bonus
1	Sniper Rifles		Increases sniper rifle damage with each point invested in the Combat Skill Group.	+2% Sniper Rifle Damage
2	Accuracy		Increases sniper rifle accuracy with each point invested in the Combat Skill Group.	+2% Sniper Rifle Accuracy
3	Headshots		Increases headshot and other weak point damage from sniper rifles with each point invested in the Combat Skill Group.	+2% Sniper Rifle Headshot/Weak Point Bonus
4	Weight		-	-25% Sniper Rifle Weight
4	Spare Ammo		-	+15% Sniper Rifle Spare Ammo
5	Reload		-	+15% Sniper Rifle Reload Speed
5	Clip Size		-	+25% Sniper Rifle Clip Size
6	Damage & Force		-	+20% Sniper Rifle Damage +20% Sniper Rifle Force
6	Killing Spree		Improves rate of fire, stability, and reload time for 5 sec after killing an enemy with a sniper rifle.	On-Kill Rate of Fire Boost: 30% On-Kill Stability Boost: 40% On-Kill Reload Speed Boost: 25%

Player Notes

Mechanics

• Sniper Rifles is a passive skill that is always active.
• Given the current patch (Update 1.10) state of affairs, -% reduction of a weapon's weight is somewhat limited from both items and skills. Even with -25% from this skill and supposedly another -10% and -15% from Scavenger Armor - it does not reduce weight by 50%, it makes a 50 weight point sniper rifle weigh 36, which is only 14 points reduction in weight, requiring 10 skill-points investment and armor slots wasted. Consider investing skill points in Combat Fitness and Auxiliary Systems (+25/40 Weight Capacity, not % based even when it states it is).

Strategies

• Sniping pairs best with long range Skills, especially those that hit the enemy through cover. A Sniper Rifle Receiver Mod on a sniper rifle takes this even further with the penetration stat.
• Make sure to bring a different type of weapon, as sniper rifles make Ryder the most vulnerable.
• Using a high damage rifle like the Black Widow with the Rank 6 Damage & Force option, will allow a headshot on Insanity difficulty to kill basic enemies outright, depending on what other passives Ryder has such as the Infiltrator Profile Weapon Headshot/Weak Point Damage Bonus.
• The Rank 5 Reload upgrade does not affect the cooldown period of a weapon that uses the Vintage Heat Sink.

Availability

• Single-player: Pathfinder Ryder - Starting Combat Skill
• Multiplayer: N/A