Aliens Dark Descent: How to use a sniper rifle for stealth kills? Aliens Dark Descent guide, walkthrough

The sniper rifle is the best weapon in Aliens Dark Descent for silently eliminating enemies. From this guide page you will learn how to unlock the sniper rifle, how to mount a silencer and how to activate the sniper rifle during missions.

Last update: 28 June 2023

Using a sniper rifle can make it much easier for you to complete missions in Aliens Dark Descent and remain hidden. Our guide suggests how to get a sniper rifle and who can use it, install a silencer on a sniper rifle, and perform stealth kill in the game.

• How to unlock a sniper rifle?
• How to install a silencer?
• How to perform stealth kills with sniper rifle?

How to unlock a sniper rifle?

1. The sniper rifle is unavailable at the beginning of the game, and you have to perform 3 steps to unlock it for missions.
2. The first requirement is to choose the Recon class for one of the marines. You can pick up one of the two proposed classes for a marine after they reach level 3. You have to wait until the Recon appears on the list.

1. The second requirement is to unlock access to the sniper rifle on the weapons list.
2. You have to visit the Workshop in the base and find the M42A3 Sniper Rifle on the list, which is one of the special weapons. This purchase requires spending 100 Materials. Fortunately, you only need to unlock it once - you don't have to buy additional sniper rifles for different Recons in the team.

The last step is to assign a sniper rifle to the Recon. You can do this in the barracks or on the preparation window before a mission:

1. Click on the special weapons button.
2. From the drop-down list, select a sniper rifle.

A sniper rifle is not a main weapon, and, by default, a sniper uses a Pulse Rifle for regular attacks, i.e. the same weapon as the other marines.

How to install a silencer?

1. The default use of a sniper rifle is long-range shots, but you can significantly increase its usefulness using a silencer. It will allow for stealth kills. This is especially necessary for dealing with Xenomorphs because each detection of a team would mean the start of a new hunt and an increase in the level of aggression.
2. The silencer isn't intalled directly on the weapon. Instead, you must purchase the Silencer upgrade for the Recon class.
3. Free upgrade slots are on the right side of the marine tab (picutre above). The silencer should be among the first suggested upgrades. Make sure not to use the free slots with other improvements beforehand.

How to perform stealth kills with sniper rifle?

During the mission, you can easily eliminate opponents from a distance.

1. After you notice a given opponent, activate the skills menu and select Precision Shot. It requires at least 1 Command Point.
2. Hover a cursor over the opponent. You have to create a straight line, which symbolizes the line of fire.
3. Always try to do it before being detected, that is, before the yellow line changes to red entirely. It's best to shoot from a long distance, and you can also look for a cover.

You can also use sniper rifles with silencers for quietly killing monsters.

We recommend using a sniper rifle for:

1. killing sleeping drones;
2. breaking facehugger eggs.

In both cases, you must remember to attack before being detected.