Sniper for Commando build?

[Accel Lex]

Sniper for Commando Build?

Was PA Heavy Weapon build for about 400 levels. Want to try non-PA build despite loving being an unkillable tank. It gets too annoying having to get out to do non-PA tasks, only for it to glitch and have me stuck.

I get good headshots with VATS, but I want something long-distance aiming that VATS cant reach. I heard Instigating Gauss Rifle was good so I rolled one (first try roll), and it does well, but most of the time it nearly does damage. Likely due to my build, but it almost 1 shot kills the Whitesprings robots when scoped, instant kills with VATS, but other times I'm scoping enemies like aliens, and it does almost no damage. So I'm going to try other options unless it's something to fix.

I have:
-Full Secret Service Overeater with the leg Chameleon
-Fixer automatic with armor penetration
-Elders Mark auto with +50% & +60% armor penetration
-Railway Rifle Quad. Heavy ammo, but hits well despite burning VATS.
-Tesla Rifle Quad for AOE trash mobs areas
-Vampire Flaming Chainsaw for tanking/ close range

I had a Cryo 2 Shot Alien Pistol after hearing it was good until it got nerfed, but heard its still good.
It was eh to me. Did nearly any damage, VATS did better, but the other guns did more for less.

I've been tinkering with build since I wanted to still be tanky as a non power armor, but sacrificed some for damage and sustain. Still experimenting. I would have liked to be able to tank as well as with PA, but I'll just keep it in inv in case.

[PotatoBasket]

To my knowledge chameleon is aesthetic or for players - no real effect for mobs.

[bobster66]

I love my Instigating Gauss Rifle, but keep in mind that it is explosive by nature and the Instigating effect does nothing if your second target took event 1 point of explosive damage from the first shot.

I also agree with PB that the Chameleon effect is mostly cosmetic (there is supposed to be a small sneak bonus). You are far better served by getting another Overeaters piece with the 3rd star Improved Sneak.

[steventirey]

Chameleon or other invisibility effects also have a drawback - the sights of your weapon are invisible as well. Makes manual aiming somewhat difficult, though if you don't use scopes you can switch to third person view and use that crosshair.

[Accel Lex]

Thanks.

I was told that Chameleon works well with the perk to make enemies lose you while sneaking, so I decided to test it. For that leg piece, I have unrelenting and chameleon, rolling for Overeater but no luck yet. I got a lot of chameleons, and I'm not a bloody build since I can't tank hits anymore, so enough hits and I'm down with less time to heal.

[PotatoBasket]

Originally posted by Accel Lex:

Thanks.

I was told that Chameleon works well with the perk to make enemies lose you while sneaking,...

Hm, maybe it does have that effect when combined with the agility 1 star perk - but not on it's own. I do combine the two on my own stealth character and have a great deal of success losing enemies. Worth further testing for curious parties.

Have you tried to plasma sniper rifle? A quad is quite nice, but as I recall energy weapons do have some penalty to stealth. Fixer and melee really have no competition, though, so far as stealth - bow, if you consider that.

Tanky + sniper + commando isn't an impossible versatile build by any means - min/maxing a bloodied build will actually yield some very good results for you; full health you're looking at a pretty fragile mid-range sniper.

[Accel Lex]

Originally posted by PotatoBasket:

Originally posted by Accel Lex:

Thanks.

I was told that Chameleon works well with the perk to make enemies lose you while sneaking,...

Hm, maybe it does have that effect when combined with the agility 1 star perk - but not on it's own. I do combine the two on my own stealth character and have a great deal of success losing enemies. Worth further testing for curious parties.

Have you tried to plasma sniper rifle? A quad is quite nice, but as I recall energy weapons do have some penalty to stealth. Fixer and melee really have no competition, though, so far as stealth - bow, if you consider that.

Tanky + sniper + commando isn't an impossible versatile build by any means - min/maxing a bloodied build will actually yield some very good results for you; full health you're looking at a pretty fragile mid-range sniper.

I tried plasma rifle I think. I put the mods to make an enclave pistol or rifle more sniper, and even a regular plasma rifle to make it single shot with ranged, if that makes it a sniper. Someone else recommended hunter rifle, plasma sniper, and gauss rifle. I didnt try hunter rifle, but I tried the others. Plasma did worse for me than gauss rifle.

[NIkto Barada]

non vats with longest range and power was the black powder rifle, not the dragon though.
no scope ever though. no silencer either, rumours of a bayonet

[Mooman]

The Chameleon legendary effect has NO stealth bonus at all, it is purely a cosmetic effect mostly for PvP.

Anyone saying otherwise is full of crap. I looked through datamines and found nothing that increased stealth.

People think because the Chinese stealth suit (CSS) has the chameleon effect that is what makes it sneakier, it isn't. The CSS has an added effect the equivalent of rank 1 of the stealth perk.

Unfortunately with this game much of the 'common knowledge' is BS. YouTubers are notorious for misinformation that is never corrected or challenged.

[lucg]

I think, the key to be effective without PA is being able to put down a target as fast as possible ... .

Like that, nearly no healt management.

Problems appear in Daily Ops, but the majority of non PA users have those problems ... .

[Sirius]

So OP:
I are obviously aware that your "meh" options come down to mainly the fact that you are specced for commando, yes?

So non automatic weapons will be "meh" even though they can still hit pretty hard like the gauss rifle.

This game is really terrible with multiple-weapon-type loadouts if you are looking for optimal damage output, especially if you use two same category guns with different perks.

Hard to incorporate at least a few basic Rifleman cards when you are all-in on Commando due to them sharing the same SPECIAL category.

I've had mediocre success with other types though, running a non-PA grenadier with a semi-spec in Guerrilla that's kinda fun for example, but yeah.

My point is: If you want to snipe, use Rifleman or deal with the fact that you will not one-shot certain regular enemies with scope aim from afar.

[Accel Lex]

Originally posted by Mooman:

The Chameleon legendary effect has NO stealth bonus at all, it is purely a cosmetic effect mostly for PvP.

Anyone saying otherwise is full of crap. I looked through datamines and found nothing that increased stealth.

People think because the Chinese stealth suit (CSS) has the chameleon effect that is what makes it sneakier, it isn't. The CSS has an added effect the equivalent of rank 1 of the stealth perk.

Unfortunately with this game much of the 'common knowledge' is BS. YouTubers are notorious for misinformation that is never corrected or challenged.

I tested it a bit as well. With and without the Escape Artist perk.
I jumped from their line of sight, to the next building just far enough for them to he able to see me if they go around. They managed it with chameleon same as without. Escape Artist made them take longer one time, but they still found me quickly since I wanted to test their pathfinder as well.

When I hid out of sight, their time to lose me was the same with either.

I’m not the best at testing, but I just wanted to see for my playstyle, if it made a huge difference, and it didn’t so I went back to Unwaivering for bloody build.

[Accel Lex]

Originally posted by lucg:

I think, the key to be effective without PA is being able to put down a target as fast as possible ... .

Like that, nearly no healt management.

Problems appear in Daily Ops, but the majority of non PA users have those problems ... .

Killing fast is good.
It’s just a hassle getting surrounded in the open or from behind. Yea like Daily Ops, or some events. Chainsaw Vampire lets me tank it, unless they hit me with a huge damage, or if the enemy is far away before I can swap to Love Tap or Stimpack for healing.

[Accel Lex]

Originally posted by Sirius:

So OP:
I are obviously aware that your "meh" options come down to mainly the fact that you are specced for commando, yes?

So non automatic weapons will be "meh" even though they can still hit pretty hard like the gauss rifle.

This game is really terrible with multiple-weapon-type loadouts if you are looking for optimal damage output, especially if you use two same category guns with different perks.

Hard to incorporate at least a few basic Rifleman cards when you are all-in on Commando due to them sharing the same SPECIAL category.

I've had mediocre success with other types though, running a non-PA grenadier with a semi-spec in Guerrilla that's kinda fun for example, but yeah.

My point is: If you want to snipe, use Rifleman or deal with the fact that you will not one-shot certain regular enemies with scope aim from afar.

Sounds about right. I can understand the game wanting to limit builds so everyone has to allocate their build instead of everyone can do everything.

I read people one shot killing with specific weapons even when not spec into it, and Gauss Rifle did do well on certain tests. Like stealth with Instigating. Not always. But it made me wonder if I should try for an Anti Armor to see if that makes a difference.

I also want to look for another melee. Chainsaw is good even with no perks, but its annoying if theres a small ledge.
I heard there’s a gauntlet weapon, Settler Glove or something, that a lot of people are liking, and I’ve seen one shot killing enemies.
I imagine you’d need to be perked up for that, but if it’s good without them, I want to try.
I’ll even make another loudout just for that weapon if it works since it looks fun.

[PotatoBasket]

Originally posted by Accel Lex:

I tested it a bit as well. With and without the Escape Artist perk.
I jumped from their line of sight, to the next building just far enough for them to he able to see me if they go around. They managed it with chameleon same as without. Escape Artist made them take longer one time, but they still found me quickly since I wanted to test their pathfinder as well.

When I hid out of sight, their time to lose me was the same with either.

I’m not the best at testing, but I just wanted to see for my playstyle, if it made a huge difference, and it didn’t so I went back to Unwaivering for bloody build.

Moo, you see this ?!
OP actually tested it.
I do believe we have a self sufficient 76er.

I hope you stick around OP. Listen to Sirius and Mooman. They have a lot of good advice.