XCOM 2 Sharpshooter Class Guide – Abilities, Tips & Tricks

The Sharpshooter is one of the most deadly classes available in XCOM 2. Check out our XCOM 2 Sharpshooter Class guide for a list of all the abilities available as you level alongside some interesting tips and tricks to get you going.

The Sharpshooter is unique in XCOM 2 as it’s the only class that can cause huge amounts of damage from completely out of the enemies sight. Careful positioning, the correct build and management of your ammunition can make your Sharpshooter’s one of the most deadly components of your squad.

XCOM 2 Sharpshooter Abilities List

Corporal

Long Watch – Allow Overwatch to trigger with Squadsight.

OR

Return Fire – When targeted by enemy fire, automatically fire back with your pistol once per turn.

Sergeant

Deadeye – Take a shot with a small aim penalty for a significant damage boost. 2 turn cooldown

OR

Lightning Hands – Fire your pistol at a target. This attack does not cost an action. 3 turn cooldown

Lieutenant

Death From Above – Killing an enemy at a lower elevation with your sniper rifle costs only a single action and does not end your turn.

OR

Quickdraw – Firing your pistol with your first action no longer ends your turn.

Captain

Kill Zone – Take a reaction shot against any enemy that moves or attacks within a cone of fire. 3 turn cooldown.

OR

Faceoff – Fire once at every visible enemy with your pistol. 3 turn cooldown.

Major

Steady Hands – If you didn’t move last turn, gain +10 aim and +10 critical chance.

OR

Aim – Hunker Down now confers +20 aim to the first shot on the following turn.

Colonel

Serial – Each kill made with your sniper rifle completely restores your actions. With each consecutive kill you get a critical chance penalty. 4 turn cooldown.

OR

Fan Fire – Fire the pistol 3 consecutive times at a single target. 3 turn cooldown.

XCOM 2 Sharpshooter Tips & Tricks

• One of the Sharpshooter’s biggest weaknesses is the ammo count. Where possible stack weapon attachments that increase ammo capacity and offer free reloads to maximize the damage your Sharpshooter can achieve.
• Kill Zone is one of the most potent abilities in the game and is limited only by the ammo in your clip. With 4-5 rounds you can initiate a Kill Zone from higher ground (for damage/accuracy bonuses) and kill several enemies before they even make an impact on the mission
• Higher level sniper rifles boast incredible accuracy, making Deadeye an incredibly powerful ability. Even with the accuracy debuff you can still enjoy 80+ chance to hit, and with the perks Deadeye offers.
• Lightning Hands is a totally free attack and a very good option with higher level pistols. It can be used to remove enemies from Overwatch or take down an enemy on low HP.
• Sadly Steady Hands and Aim cannot be used together. However, they are both very powerful in their own right. For a more defensive player Aim can provide additional defensive capabilities for your Sharpshooter while Steady Hands is great for someone that likes to move units forward as a team.
• Long Watch is a vital ability. Not only does it vastly increase your Sharpshooters range but it allows for Overwatch from outside the fire area of enemies.

XCOM 2 Guides