Few moments in an FPS are more satisfying than that perfect one-shot kill. Snipers and marksman rifles are what you’re looking for if you want to be deadly from a distance in XDefiant.
But you must be careful when picking a sniper or marksman rifle. There’s a thin line between a long-ranged rifle that feels quick, accurate, and lethal, and one that feels clunky, jittery, and underpowered. Thankfully, XDefiant doesn’t have many guns that lean toward the latter.
XDefiant sniper and marksman rifle ranking
There are currently two snipers and two marksman rifles in XDefiant. Spoiler alert: All the guns perform consistently enough that there’s no need for any tier below B on this list. Ubisoft said that a sniper nerf is coming, and some updates may be necessary at that time, but for now, these are some of the best weapons in the game.
S-Tier XDefiant snipers and marksman rifles
Tac-50
The Tac-50 may be the most overpowered gun in XDefiant right now. The outrage over the amount of damage this gun can do with few drawbacks in range or accuracy is palpable. Ubisoft recently addressed angry players, saying a nerf is coming. But until that day, this is undoubtedly an S-tier sniper.
A-Tier XDefiant snipers and marksman rifles
MK 20 SSR
Marksman rifles are niche, but if you put some time into leveling the MK 20 SSR, you can easily control a game with it. This gun sits in the perfect space between an assault rifle and a sniper. You can use it while on the run or stand far in the distance and pop opponents at long range. Regardless of where you use the MK 20, it only takes a few good shots to take an enemy down.
L115
The L115 feels like a more mobile version of the Tac-50. If you’re a run-and-gun quickscope lover, then that likely makes this the ideal weapon for you. Ubisoft has made some attempts to reel in the overpowered feel of snipers that was omnipresent in the early days of XDefiant, but that really hasn’t stopped the L115 from running rampant throughout Season 1, resulting in a July 17 nerf specifically aimed at this new weapon. Its sprint-to-shoot time is a little longer, but it’s still a powerful sniper.
B-Tier XDefiant snipers and marksman rifles
M44
The M44 was lumped in with the Tac-50 as an overpowered sniper that many wanted to nerf alongside the Tac-50, and the result is that this gun feels like it took the biggest hit when Ubisoft did eventually dampen the power of snipers a bit. This is still a powerful sniper, but it’s certainly not as strong as its associates. The M44 is less accurate, has a slower reload time, and its reduced firepower means you run into hit markers more often when shooting an opponent at close range or in the limbs. It’s strong, but it’s not too strong, and players who know how to work around snipers can get in close and get the kill against an M44 player.
C-Tier XDefiant snipers and marksman rifles
SVD
The SVD feels similar enough to the MK 20 SSR that there is an argument to put both guns in the same tier. The guns fill the same role—take enemies down at any range with just a few semi-automatic shots. But the SVD is somewhat less mobile, which makes it feel more like a long-ranged weapon. It lands lower than the MK 20 SSR for not being as capable at all ranges, but the difference is minor, and this is still a good marksman rifle.
