A lot of you have been asking for this since my first guide, the Evolutionary Tree of Spies, and here it is! There have also been requests for Pyro, too. He's next. I'm telling you right now, this one is a little harder to make, as will the others, because the other classes rely more on their loadouts to change how they play rather than outside factors. This guide will work the same way the last one did, but I'll add a) a loadout section and b) more humor, if I can fit it in. Enjoy! Also, every time I say Pee, but with an iss instead of a ee, it turned it into 4 hearts. So that's what that is.

You're doing it wrong, mate (although it would be cool).

There are two potential origins of this sniper type: Either they are completely new to TF2 or they are a six-year-old who came from CoD and doesn't understand that not every shooter ever is CoD. To give an example, when I was a baby sniper (I was), I didn't know how to scope, so I tried to headshot noscope. I tended to SMG bumrush, too.

Characteristics:
1. Hates/Doesn't understand the game
2. Asks why they can't shoot through glass
3. SMG bumrushing
4. May recruit friends to SMG swarm.

Advantages:
As stated above, these guys tend to recruit friends into their game. That may have been the only thing they ever learned from CoD, but they can use teamwork. And trust me, being on the firing end of 5 SMGs is extremely scary.

Disadvantages:
They don't understand any of the game mechanics besides shooting and moving. They SMG bumrush an ubered heavy with the HLH, complain that he's hacking by burning them and going invincible, then report him to Valve. They also don't understand that there are priority targets, either.

How to beat them: Coordinate with your team and ambush them during a bumrush. Pyros work well, as do Y.E.R. spies.
NOTE FOR SNIPER'S TEAM: Do not uber them, I repeat, do NOT uber them. They will be terrified, and they'll spend the next 8 seconds trying to get whatever's on their screen off and running from the now-glowing "healing man".

Loadout: Stock.

That's right. I LIKE the guys who camp.

True snipers, much like shpees, have figured out the game's mechanics, but not much else. However, this basic knowledge is all they need. They may camp, but they sure don't machina bodyshot. These guys are often mistaken for pros, the only telltale sign being the Gibus/Pyrovision Goggles. They usually experiment a little bit with weapons, but generally stick to stock otherwise.

Characteristics:
1. Gibus/Pyrovision
2. Camps and headshots
3. May target fleeing scout over charged medic
4. Not afraid to get close to their opponent.

Advantages:
Headshots. While they can do a decent job up close, they don't have the practice to effectively melee. However, the Sniper rifle is a basic concept. Click and the enemy dies. The only way to avoid being a target is to hide in a group or take flanking routes.

Disadvantages:
These guys tend to park themselves in an area with a lot of enemy traffic and assume that the enemy HAS to go through that area. If someone (say, a medic) takes a flanking route, they will easily get the kill on the sniper (and potentially build uber, too).

How to beat them:
Counter snipers and flanking routes both work fine. Also, this sniper hasn't yet made the correlation between a voice line ("stab stab stab") and a taunt kill. So if they hear "Come here, cupcake" from a soldier (I think that's the line), they will turn around and Kukri charge him.

Loadout:
Stock Rifle (may be Bazaar Bargain or Hitman's Heatmaker)
SMG (may be Darwin's Danger Shield or Razorback)
Kukri (May be Tribalman's Shiv or Shahshanah)

Description: Very arrogant, taunts after a quick scope kill on a scout in very close range, and is extremely aggressive. They tend to disregard danger but at the same time are extremely aware of their surroundings.

Advantages: Can headshot more consistently than other snipers on the tree, is very aware of his surroundings, and can very quickly hit any enemy who stands still for a second. Really effective counter snipers

Disadvantages: Tends to be overly aggressive and run into combat thinking he can hit everything on the battlefield, completely disregards melee weapon.

How to deal with them: Scouts are usually good against them if they're careful in close range, if the scout can make them miss their first quick scoped shot, they're pretty much screwed.

This, folks, is where the sniper REALLY starts to get creative. He finally starts to experiment with his loadout, and some really wierd stuff happens during this phase. Most settle down into one loadot and use it well, but some (Random Snipers) don't.

Use the Bushwacka a lot? You've become a Snipiss.

Machina camp with backup SMG and Tribalman's shiv? Coward Sniper.

Huntsman, Danger shield, and Shahshanah? Battle Sniper.

Huntsman only? Razorback? You may be a Troll Sniper.

Completely randomized loadout? Experimental Sniper.

Enjoy!

Snipiss here is the only class type I've come across that uses three different loadouts to do exactly the same thing. Iv'e labeled them Snipiss Jarate, Snipiss: Raining Yellow (That would make a funny movie title), and Snipiss Advanced. All snipisses use the Bushwacka.

Snipiss Jarate: Uses the Huntsman and Jarate.

Advantages: Doesn't give up his headshotting ability at close range, still close enough to get the job done meleeing, though.

Disadvantages: Foolhardy and agressive, which is not something snipers should be.

How to beat them: Lure them out from around a corner or bring in two or more pyros (he's good enough to headshot one).

Snipiss: Raining Yellow: Uses the Sydney Sleeper and Jarate.

Advantages: The entire enemy team will be covered in pee. Guaranteed.

Disadvantages: It's a repetitive (and redundant) loadout. You really need headshots to fight the classes that you can't get close to.

How to beat them: Escort your pyro(s) to the front lines, then have them beat him up.

Snipiss Advanced
Uses the Sydney Sleeper and SMG.

Advantages: This guy can probably pull the trigger on his rifle AT 50% charge. His shots will always coat his target in pee.

Disadvantages: He's really bad against crowds and at close range, since he can't get jarate off fast enough.

How to beat them: Get close, don't get peed on.

No image available, they're all hiding.

Coward snipers find a nice, dark corner, then proceed to hardscope with the machina. Now' I'm not against hardscoping, but at least TRY for a headshot, okay? Hitting an AFK pyro in the foot is not impressive. These guys also taunt after every bodyshot.

Characteristics:
1. Cowards
2. Bodyshot a TON
3. Use the Machina
4. Excessive taunting

Advantages:
Machina. Bodyshots. Nuff said (Plz Valve, machinerf)

Disadvantages:
Close range combat is terrible for them. They stick themselves in a corner, and they usually equip a Danger shield to survive counter sniper shots. They're kind of screwed at close range.

How to beat them:
Get the drop on them, literally! Scouts can jump on top of them, and they'll never know what hit them. Just keep moving, get out of sight near them like you're ignoring them, then jump on him while he's scoped in.

Uses the huntsman. Nothing else. Ever. There's not much to talk about here, because his playstyle is so basic, so boring, so...freakin...predictable. I don't know how this guy survived in the first place.

Advantages: MLG pro headshots.

Disadvantages: Anything that gets past the first arrow screws him over.

How to beat him: See above.

Loadout:

Huntsman
Anything except Jarate
Anything

Oh, this guy is so annoying around spies. He always tries to suprise enemies and get tauntkills. But wait! I'm a spy behind him! This kill makes it a domination! Oh... He had a razorback...*scream of rage, mic cuts out*

This guy huntsman tauntkills, then tricks spies into going for a backstab on him while he's "vulnerable", turning around and headshotting or using the Tribalman's Shiv.

Advantages: Wins every Sniper/Spy duel ever. Also occasionally makes someone go rage heavy.

Disadvantages: Basically any aware opponent will kill him, even if he fakes friendly.

How to beat him: Keep your eyes and ears open, and he'll be defenseless against anything other than a backstab.

Loadout:
Huntsman
Razorback
Anything

Hmm... I wonder if you can use the Darwin's danger shied to increase the possibility of getting the Shahshanah damage bonus...

These guys are very similar to creative spies from my last guide, but they alter their loadout by generally closing their eyes, selecting a random weapon from each loadout slot, and saying "Let's go." They're odd, but sometimes they hit upon a new, effective loadout. That's when the Baby snipers swarm him for "hacking".

Advantages: Uses uncommon loadouts to suprise enemies.

Disadvantages: May rile everyone on the server up and get swarmed.

How to beat him: Analyze his loadout's strengths and weaknesses, then respond with the proper class/loadout. Or just get your friends and SMG bumrush him.

Now, I know some of you noticed the abcence of a Mature Sniper. This is because Snipers never really perfect their playstyle. They're able to change tactics quickly, and do not spend much time doing one thing. Also, if you're confused about my references to my last guide, there's a link here. I hope you enjoyed this guide, and I'll post a link to the Pyro tree when it comes out. Thanks for reading!