help with a sniper/demo build (old build attached)

[Dannyjessie]

last time i opened the game was 2024 since then with the updates i am assuming a lot has changed.
was going to start a new game this used to be my build looking for a way to improve this on the new save or just a new build overall

[harperfan7]

why dont you just post a picture of it
people arent going to trust a download

[Dannyjessie]

why dont you just post a picture of it
people arent going to trust a download

fair

[harperfan7]

5 str is low for grenade launchers
10 dex is very high for a sniper/nade launcher build; I wouldnt do the throwing feats with these weapons
gunslinger doesnt fit
wait, does demo just mean grenades?  so you're going pistols + sniper + throwing nades
in that case, id drop sure step for snipe, max stealth, drop split spare for blindsiding
id probably go with 7 dex, for gunslinger and three pointer; I wouldnt take bullet time
id go ahead and get escape artist too
psycho temporal acceleration and future orientation (+ spec points) would be good for this
if you took some psychokinesis as well, you could grab premeditation to use with electrokinesis or grounding

your chemistry is too high; you'd only want 112 max with all bonuses added in, and even then thats overkill imo, because plasma nades are generally better than mk5 regular nades
id drop merc completely, and at least one of your subterfuge skills, so you have enough for crafting and your psi skills
and obviously a teeny bit of evasion isnt doing you any good

but anyway, your build isnt terrible; it can work as is

[Dannyjessie]

5 str is low for grenade launchers
10 dex is very high for a sniper/nade launcher build; I wouldnt do the throwing feats with these weapons
gunslinger doesnt fit
wait, does demo just mean grenades?  so you're going pistols + sniper + throwing nades
in that case, id drop sure step for snipe, max stealth, drop split spare for blindsiding
id probably go with 7 dex, for gunslinger and three pointer; I wouldnt take bullet time
id go ahead and get escape artist too
psycho temporal acceleration and future orientation (+ spec points) would be good for this
if you took some psychokinesis as well, you could grab premeditation to use with electrokinesis or grounding

your chemistry is too high; you'd only want 112 max with all bonuses added in, and even then thats overkill imo, because plasma nades are generally better than mk5 regular nades
id drop merc completely, and at least one of your subterfuge skills, so you have enough for crafting and your psi skills
and obviously a teeny bit of evasion isnt doing you any good

but anyway, your build isnt terrible; it can work as is

yeah just nade
At first it was a pistol nade then I believe I tried a sniper rifle for once and it was kinda fun so I just decided to not fully go for the pistol and by that point chem was too high so nades did help a lot
Should I change the pistol for smgs ? I remember finding few unique ones

[harperfan7]

I wouldnt
a pistol as a sidearm for snipers makes more sense than an smg
sniper should be your main weapon, but walk around with the pistol in hand for the init bonus, and use a pistol to handle trash mobs or the heavily wounded
also I just realized you'll want ambush, sharpshooter (works with pistols too), and shooting spree

[Dannyjessie]

I wouldnt
a pistol as a sidearm for snipers makes more sense than an smg
sniper should be your main weapon, but walk around with the pistol in hand for the init bonus, and use a pistol to handle trash mobs or the heavily wounded
also I just realized you'll want ambush, sharpshooter (works with pistols too), and shooting spree

gotcha speaking of ambush how much should I try to use or relay on stealth sniper ?

[harperfan7]

I would main the rifle.  I wouldnt try to main pistols without really specializing in them.

[Vokial]

gotcha speaking of ambush how much should I try to use or relay on stealth sniper ?

Ambush works the easiest with a sniper rifle. Other weapons limit you with their range, but this gun can shoot anywhere, so all you need to trigger Ambush is to finda dark spot while still being able to have visual on the enemy regardless of how far you are. In fact, your range protects you from their attacks, as other guns can't fire properly when being too far. Ambush also has another very improtant aspect, it drastically improves your aim. You should always try to start fights from a dark spot. Can place Bear Traps on lighted areas or even throw a Molotov to ensure the enemy is lid up.

Snipers are the most fun, but you really have to devote into them - not just by feats, but in practice. I fully agree with harperfan7 on this. The rifle should be mained. No need to use any other weapon, let alone two, and throwables should not be for dealing damage, just for utility. The more you kill with the rifle, the more you can shoot with it per round thanks to Shooting Spree. It also reduces cooldowns of Aim Shot. and with Snipe and Tranquilified, Future Oriented Temporal Increments, it becomes a weapon that will be very greatful to you for using it, returning AP in multiple ways and more frequently with each kill. Using anything else would just disrupt that.
Shooting Spree is essential (spec it fully before anything else, then spec Future Orientation). You also need Snipe with maxed Stealth. It deals enormous damage and since it's not crit-based like Aim Shot, it's also useful against enemies who are immune to critical hits. Try finishing turns with entering Stealth behind cover. Also here's where I would recommend Interloper. Not only it saves you 10AP each time you step out from cover while stealthed, but it tremendously boost your stealth in practice due to passing by enemies faster - so their "eye of awareness" doesn't fill up. Once you get it, you don't want to play without it. For this reason, I would recommend playing with 5 DEX and 7 AGI.

This is an older guide I did, and I would most probably switch something like Premeditation for Polymath due to the increased crafting difficulty introduced since, but even without the Metathermics, it contains some useful tips for sniper users.
https://stygiansoftware.com/forums/index.php?topic=10837.0