The DEA Sniper Guide (Anti-Juicer Sniper)

Preface: With the DLC coming out this won't be near as prevalent, but I think anti-juicing will still be a necessary role. Every class except Assaults and Gunners have decently quick ways to gain juice outside of the dispenser.

Because I run in pubs more often than not, this is a general strategy I follow if the opposing team is proficient at juice gain and usage. After doing the below, I can usually force them to waste their money buying juice and protect our turrets well enough that our team is able to push back and effectively. This is not meant to be an end-all be-all guide for the Sniper as it is VERY focused on one task, but I thought I would finally write a guide because what I have been doing is very effective in stopping Juicing teams.


Drug Enforcement Agency Training Guide
The goal of the DEA is to regulate and arrest any pros who use illegal substances within the arena. Because juicing pros are more able and/or more likely to buy Juice again in the same match, any pro found buying Juice must be killed on sight and any pro seen under the influence of Juice must be stopped. Preventative measures are preferred, but action taken during the act of Juicing will be necessary as well.

Gear: Sniper
Focus: Juicer Watch (aka Drug Enforcement)

Recommended Loadout (focus is trap usage and survival)
Gold - Skill Recharge
Silver - Armor
Bronze - Rate of Fire

Recommended Initial Skill Levelling
Traps
Passive
Passive (for Juice and money gain)

General Instructions
All Game
Watch your bots. Assassins gain juice off of your bots. Your explosive shot works on your own bots and two shots is usually enough to kill the Assassin before they can eliminate your wave.

Kill enemy bots. If your bots are making it to their base, they are less likely to be able to do normal juice gaining activities. Force them to play

Shoot any flashing pros. Flashing means they can juice. If you shoot them, they are likely to either use their juice in a less than opportune situation or rush after you. If they rush at you, you can direct them into your traps and end their criminal ways.


Early Game
Kill any Support or Sniper class pros on the other team immediately on sight. They are most likely to juice early and often. If none are available, find an area with clear shots to both lanes of bots and clear bots for money. Passive lvl 3 will allow you to more quickly obtain money and Juice AND keep Assassins off your bots, so upgrade it ASAP. Use your assigned "DEA approved Juice" to counter-juice any Assassins who juice early. Focus on area control.

Mid Game
If your team controls the middle of the arena, place Ice Traps near Juice Dispensers. Headshot any Juiced or pre-Juiced Pros caught in your traps. Preferably your traps should get them after they have spent their money on the dispenser. Its better they waste their resources. Level Traps and Flak to cement your area control.

If your team has lost control of the middle of the arena, place your traps near the turrets closest to your moneyball as that is the most common initial target for juicers. Always headshot illegal drug users caught in your traps. It should take no more than two headshots to kill the criminal. If your ice traps don't get them then use your grapple to ring out juicers. Even if you don't ring them out, you will waste their juice time by making them watch your grapple animation. Level Traps and Grapple to help push back enemy pros.

Finally, shooting groups of enemy bots and the Jackbot is a quick way to gain "DEA approved Juice". Use said Juice to stay alive (to prevent your traps from disappearing) and to counter any weakened enemy Juicer.

Late Game

If your team has pushed to their base, place traps near any base exit and eliminate pros. Use Flak to hurt the moneyball and force pros out of their base. Area control and Enemy Juice prevention comes first.

If your team is pushed into their own spawn, place one trap on either side of the base and one up high on the ring. Place them all in locations that criminals are frequently rushing. Vary your location just enough to keep them guessing. Primary goals are Juice-arresting (keeping juiced criminals frozen and skill-less) and Defense protecting (turrets must stay alive to keep the ball up). Use flak to push any non-juiced pros away from locations where they have an easy shot into the base. Remember that dying removes your ice traps so use your juice to stay alive and don't be afraid to retreat into the spawn. Your traps are keeping the base alive.

Final Conclusion

Controlling the other team's ability to juice is the main focus of the DEA Sniper's job. If done correctly:

• 1) Criminals will waste resources and time
  2) Your base will remain intact and will be strong for overtime (if it comes)
  3) Your moneyball will stay up
  4) Your team will have more control over the map

Not bad at all, but if I may make a few recommendations:

Even post DLC, there is very little reason at all for a sniper to need a juice endorsement. One well placed explosive round can give you the same juice gain as the endorsement. Rate of fire allows you to gain juice much faster.

Also, a note on using traps to counter juicers. Given the slight delay traps take to arm themselves, it is recommended that you predict where a juiced pro will be coming from and place your traps accordingly. When you see someone has juice, try and figure out where they plan to go based on where they are currently located. that That means placing traps near turrets for tanks and assassins, and for everyone else just block off the quickest path to the spawn ring. When it comes to assassins, though, I prefer to go in for the grapple as I tend to land that pretty often. Also, no need to wait for them to make the first move. If you see someone flashing and you have your traps in place, start sniping them. A couple of quick body shots will scare most players into juicing, and if you can get the headshot that is of course the ideal situation. Plus, when you force a player into juicing they tend to head straight for you, which allows you to direct them into your traps.

Finally: counter-juicing. The sniper is not a very effective counter juicer. One on one, using the SMG, the sniper will lose to most pros except assassins and maybe a heal/hurt gunning support. When it comes to juice control as a sniper, it's much more practical to try and outsmart your opponent rather than outgun him. Counter-juicing should be more of a last resort.

Agree with you and took out the optional loadout.

I think I pointed out that you need to put traps in locations where juicers are normally rushing. Anticipation is key. I like your point of shooting flashing pros as it will normally cause them to use their juice in a less than ideal situation and also can force them into your traps. /addstoop

Changed a couple things in there about counter-juicing because of your comments. Mainly its used for Assassins and staying alive. Because dying means your ice traps go bye-bye which is never good.

Thanks PohTaytoez!