I'm in a campaign starting this week and I'm looking at eventually taking on the long distance fire support/sniper type role, when situations accomodate it. I won't be starting with a rifle so I have the time to make the right purchase.

The entry for the Heavy Blaster Rifle on pg 162 begins "Hunters and snipers often carry..." then later on says "Heavy blaster rifles are also excellent for sniping humanoid targets."

However, the HBR (and BR) only goes out to Long Range so of I go to look at the marksman barrel. This states it can only be used on blaster rifles. Now, the HBR is a blaster rifle, just a heavy one, but the augmented spin barrel specfically states blaster rifles and heavy blaster Rifles which seems to rule out the marksman barrel on the HBR.

Thus, my question is, if you were making a EotE "Sniper Rifle" what would you use?

I'd assume that the typical Blaster Rifle would be what you would trick out to be a sniper rifle.

I'd say to start with this. the LD-1:

Or the Verpine Sniper Rifle:

I would think you could go with either rifle. I believe the assassin has a talent to increase a weapons range by one. I don't have a book right on hand to double check however.

Use a normal Blaster Rifle. Put the marksman barrel on it.

If you use a heavy blaster rifle and use the marksman barrel it becomes cumbersome 5.

Also, use the weapon bipod to avoid the cumbersome issues perhaps?

You could go for either BR or HBR in my opinion, the HBR is still a rifle. I'm AFB so I can't check the exact wording, but I'd say the HBR qualifies, but the carbine does not, nor do the repeating blasters I'd think...?

You should do as Endrik suggests though, add the bipod to it if going for the HBR. This would be a high powered sniper rifle, whereas the normal BR would perhaps be more a type of hunting rifle?

If you want a dedicated sniper rifle (as opposed to a regular blaster rifle customized for the role) I'd suggest "inventing" your own. You'd have to run it past your GM, of course, but suggested stats could be:

Skill: Ranged (heavy), Dam: 8, Crit: 3, Range: Extreme, Enc: 5, HP: 3, Cost: 2,000, Rarity: 7, Special: Cumbersome 3, Limited ammo 5, Pierce 2, Vicious 2.

I have thought about this my share and have decided to go with a HBR (Augmented Spin Barrel, Telescopic Optical Sight). What decided it for me is the Auto-fire quality of the HBR. I will have more options going this route and with limited funds (we will be dirt poor most of our campaign, I know our GM) it offers the best of both worlds. I will eventually have the talent Sniper Shot and that will help a bit with range.

Heavy Blaster Rifle. Add Marksman Barrel, Telescopic Optical Site, and Bipod attachments. A Damage 10 weapon capable of Extreme Range at 3 difficulty with Cumbersome 1* when the bipod is deployed. Modding can make it even more powerful with Accuracy mods and Sniper Shot talent,

If your interpretation of the Marksman Barrel is +2 Cumbersome, not brings it up to Cumbersome 2 if not already, then Cumbersome 3 with Bipod.

Be sure to carry a pistol as well, kinda hard to use a rifle with the Marksman Barrel in normal combat, since it's 3 meters long.

Heavy Blaster Rifle. Add Marksman Barrel, Telescopic Optical Site, and Bipod attachments. A Damage 10 weapon capable of Extreme Range at 3 difficulty with Cumbersome 1* when the bipod is deployed. Modding can make it even more powerful with Accuracy mods and Sniper Shot talent,

If your interpretation of the Marksman Barrel is +2 Cumbersome, not brings it up to Cumbersome 2 if not already, then Cumbersome 3 with Bipod.

I take it that the marksman barrel adds +2 to the cumbersome of the weapon making a HBR a 5 cumbersome weapon. When the bipod is deployed IE laying prone or propped up on a crate etc the bipod lowers the cumbersome of the weapon by 2 making it a 3 cumbersome weapon.

I would also add that when the Explorers career book gets released, they have mentioned that the E11 sniper rifle will be in there. Otherwise, a regular blaster rifle is still a fierce weapon, especially after upgrades. Talents can extend the range at an increase in difficulty, so I would focus more on the scope.

Besides, setting up for such a shot would be the big thing. the few combats we've run have mostly started out at close and stayed there.

Another suggestion for a high powered "stock" sniper rifle:

Skill: Ranged (heavy); Damage: 10; Critical: 3; Range: Extreme; Encumbrance: 5; HP: 2; Cost: ® 5,000; Rarity: 8; Special Qualities: Accurate 1, Cumbersome 3, Limited ammo 5, Pierce 2, Prepare 1, Vicious 2.

I would rather play with the attachments then make up new base weapons. You can already make a sniper weapon out of what we are given (base weapons) plus attachments. If we start fiddling we can break the simplicity of the system and/or accidentally create something that causes a GM headaches to contend with.

I'm hoping the E11 sniper mentioned above is a Blaster Carbine or Blaster Rifle with several attachments added instead of a completely, new, base weapon. The system is simple and elegant as is with any weapon from canon able to be created with just the base weapons and attachments.

Example:

Something about a sniper rifle being an auto-fire weapon just rubs me the wrong way.

I'm not exactly comfortable with an auto-fire blaster. I'm thinking I'll start with a basic blaster rifle and add a scope and marksman barrel. That's probably equivalent to a long range hunting blaster and I'll wait to see what the Explorer's book brings.

Spin barrel would be nice, it brings the high damage and armor piercing aspects of a sniper rifle but the marksman barrel has the range. Of course, by the time I get the funds, I may find that I never get a chance to shoot at extreme range and then I can take the spin barrel instead.

Something about a sniper rifle being an auto-fire weapon just rubs me the wrong way.

Agreed. However, I am splitting the difference. I highly doubt, knowing our GM, that I will have enough credits anytime soon to have a dedicated sniper rifle.

Personally, I'd go with a slug thrower for sniping. One shot from a blaster and you've given away your position. Better hope your target doesn't have friends.

If they bring in something like the quiet snipe that might work, but a 5 advantage to crit, med range weapon doesn't like it'd work to well as a sniper platform.

Unless you're a tusken raider

I've been looking through attachments again and noticed on the Augmented Spin barrel that it specifically states that it can be attached to blaster rifles and heavy blaster rifles, whereas the marksman barrel only states blaster rifle.

All things considered I'm now of the opinion that this cannot be slapped onto a HBR.

Another thing to consider is the auto-fire of the HBR and the HBR's cumbersome rating; sniping at extreme range with auto-fire seems odd (to me at least), and the marksman barrel states that the modified rifle gains cumbersome 2, and it would make little sense that a HBR with a cumbersome 3 shouldn't decrease its Cumbersome rating. Since it states that it gains C2 , a HBR would not get a cumbersome rating of 5, since the attachment doesn't increase the cumbersome rating. Semantics sure, but definitely a different meaning.

So there, that's my two cred ante.

I'm fine with the Marskman barrel being BR only, it just seems a little weak compared to the Augmented Spin Barrel. Sniper Shot is a useless talent to add as the marksman barrel already maxes the range of the gun. Moving Pierce from the augmented spin barrel to the marksman barrel and droping sniper shot would make me completely happy with both.

You're right. Sniper shot is a useless talent there - unless it makes you able to shoot beyond extreme range, i.e. beyond planetary scale close range band, and then fire into planetary range band short... but that seems weird. Blaster rifle has range long - with this attachment you get extreme. How does sniper shot do anything to that? The accuracy mods are pretty nice, but I agree that dropping the talent and adding in a Weapon Quality (Pierce +1) mod is a good idea. Perhaps make it 2 Weapon Quality (Pierce +1) Mods? For 2 HPs I think that would be fair.

No reason not to add another range band for those very, very long range sniper shots. Or simply give the player a boost die or two to simulate that he has Sniper Shot and a rifle with great range.