Why take In The Zone over Double Tap?

[Panfilo]

For me, 99% of the time the snipers target are in some kind of cover, so in the zone feels pretty situational for a sniper colonel. Double tap, on the other hand, is incredibly useful especially as you get better sniper rifles.

Is there something im missing here?

[P-47 Thunderbolt]

Explosives to remove cover.
ITZ to take advantage
Multiple dead aliens

Double Tap is more reliable, ITZ is more situationally powerful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7obK0oTr_c

I still prefer double tap, but ITZ is not bad. The better question for me is why people take Damn Good Ground over Gunslinger.

[Panfilo]

I do regret not taking gunslinger. I didn't realize how often a sniper would use his pistol. I figure anything that boosts aim/crit was good.

[General Income Tax]

In The Zone eliminates chrysallids as a threat, completely.

In The Zone coupled with Mimetic Skin is devestating because at worst you're getting two shots, and at best you can position your sniper behind enemy lines and kill them all.

They're both powerful abilities, and at the end of the day having two snipers with either is the best route.

[morph113]

I prefer in the zone, it's usually relatively easy to remove the aliens cover with mec's, grenades, rocket launcher etc., so you have your sniper with squadsight to clean up afterwards. Also let's not forget, that certain enemies such as mechtoids, sectopods, crystalids, cyberdisc, floater etc. can't even take cover. But everyone has their own playstyle and double tap is certainly good as well.

[Panfilo]

Originally posted by morph113:

I prefer in the zone, it's usually relatively easy to remove the aliens cover with mec's, grenades, rocket launcher etc., so you have your sniper with squadsight to clean up afterwards. Also let's not forget, that certain enemies such as mechtoids, sectopods, crystalids, cyberdisc, floater etc. can't even take cover. But everyone has their own playstyle and double tap is certainly good as well.

Wow I never thought of those things! Guess I should have tried it. Oh well, next sniper I bring up will have gunslinger and in the zone. The good thing is that combined with wetwork, snipers tend to level up pretty quickly.

[Temper]

I take both on most missions.Having both provides options.

The words "most missions" being the words to focus on.

=P

[yuri simp]

Snap Shot ITZ Snipers with Mimetic Skin are hilariously broke. Because of Low Profile (at Major), they can use any piece of cover for concealment. This allows them to set up a flank on an alien pod (which also allows ITZ to activate). Shoot them all up, and use the remaining moves to conceal again. Rinse, repeat.

Believe me, if ITZ was on any of the Sniper builds in MP I would buy that up in a heartbeat. I honestly believe ITZ stands as one of the best perks in the game, right up there with C&P, when it comes to burst damage (and in general, too).

[Mikey]

Originally posted by P-47 Thunderbolt:

Explosives to remove cover.
ITZ to take advantage
Multiple dead aliens

Double Tap is more reliable, ITZ is more situationally powerful.

I still prefer double tap, but ITZ is not bad. The better question for me is why people take Damn Good Ground over Gunslinger.

ITZ vs DT.. you said it well!

Gunslinger over Damn Good Ground? My snipers are never close enough to the enemy to use a pistol. I leave that for the assaults and heavies! Unless I get contact at the first turn on a small map, in which case I'd hunker down the sniper and have him ready to fire the rifle next turn.

DGG works extremely well with a grappling hook, but even better if you can just fly up.
Damn Good Ground + Archangel Armor = 100% chance to hit every shot.
Combine that with In The Zone / Double Tap and you can have some fun.
(with squadsight of course)

[Tamiore]

Originally posted by hinge:

Snap Shot ITZ Snipers with Mimetic Skin are hilariously broke. Because of Low Profile (at Major), they can use any piece of cover for concealment. This allows them to set up a flank on an alien pod (which also allows ITZ to activate). Shoot them all up, and use the remaining moves to conceal again. Rinse, repeat.

Believe me, if ITZ was on any of the Sniper builds in MP I would buy that up in a heartbeat. I honestly believe ITZ stands as one of the best perks in the game, right up there with C&P, when it comes to burst damage (and in general, too).

Well, to be fair mimetic skin is just broken as such. You can slap it on a braindead rookie and still get hilarious results (i.e. using him as scout to clear the whole map with squadsight sniper, etc).

[Bullett00th]

ITZ is intended for targets that are always in the open, of which there are many: chryssalids, berserkers, mectoids, sectopods - and that's just ground units.

Add flyers like non-landed floaters, drones, cyberdisks and seekers, and then add the usual covered units after a grenade or rocket clearing cover.

With that you can use your whole mag to clear out a pod AND have the extra action to both move and reload all during one turn, all without a cooldown.

ITZ is generally a much more flexible and useful skill but reqiures precise situations and works best with a snap shot sniper.

For headshot snipers double tap is a slightly better pick, as it's generally more straightforward and guaranteed, but punishes you with a 1 turn cooldown and its inflexibility.

[Mikey]

Headshot is the automatic perk given to a squaddie. So aren't all snipers 'headshot snipers'? What am I missing?

[George Kerman]

Originally posted by theforcemedia.com.au:

Headshot is the automatic perk given to a squaddie. So aren't all snipers 'headshot snipers'? What am I missing?

You are missing Long War references.

Nevertheless...

Double tap = kill that high HP target, NOW!
ITZ = kill all those wounded targets whose cover was blown up or targets who are usually in the open.

Both are very good and can be used efficiently.
An ideal team comp should have both.
Disclaimer: I'm not saying that this is the only way to build a perfect team comp. There are many other ways that work depending on playstyle.

[Mikey]

Ahhh. You know I had a feeling that was it...

Agreed. In fact, I have often taken one of each into battle. One DT and one ITZ. That is because I still can't decide which I prefer.. lol

Often if there is a perk I never use, I finally pick it. Just to force myself to learn how to use it. You might surprise yourself in how handy it can be :D

[Bullett00th]

Originally posted by theforcemedia.com.au:

Headshot is the automatic perk given to a squaddie. So aren't all snipers 'headshot snipers'? What am I missing?

crap I meant squadsight. got confused with LW, sorry.

Originally posted by George van Doorn:

Double tap = kill that high HP target, NOW!
ITZ = kill all those wounded targets whose cover was blown up or targets who are usually in the open.

this is quite spot on.