Stealth Sniper (Ranger Difficulty)
A resource-efficient Ranger and Ranger Hardcore loadout. The pneumatic Tihar handles the bulk of stealth work on free metal-ball ammo, a sniper-modded Revolver picks off distant threats with one shot, and a double-barrel Ashot deletes Demons and Humanimals when stealth fails. Built around ammo conservation so chemicals stay reserved for medkits.
Damage
One-shot Tihar headshots in Red zone. Three-burst Demon kills with Double-Barrel Ashot.
Survivability
Low defensive layers. Stealth-first, since Ranger medkits cost 5 chemicals and 20 metal each.
Boss
Demons drop in ~3 Double-Barrel Ashot bursts. Humanimals one-shot to the head with the same.
Backbone of the build. The pneumatic system fires reusable steel ball bearings crafted from common metal scrap, making it effectively free to feed. Pumped into the overpressure (Red) zone it one-shots ghouls and human heads at range without alerting anyone, since the weapon makes no firearm noise.
Mods & Attachments
- ▸Airtight Pneumatic System (MANDATORY)— Locks pressure in the Red overpressure zone permanently so charged shots stay lethal between encounters. Without it the air leaks down to Green and you lose one-shot capability.
- ▸Heavy Stock (MANDATORY)— +6 stability, the best stock in the game for the Tihar. Keeps overpressurized headshots on target at distance.
- ▸Horizontal Magazine, 27 rounds (Flex)— Sweet spot between the 18-round Rotor and 36-round Helical mags. The stability hit from larger mags is negligible compared to the volume you get.
- ▸Reflex Sight (Flex, mid-range)— Default mid-range pick for stealth kills inside ~50m.
- ▸6x Scope (Flex, long-range)— Swap in for sniping ranges where Reflex falls off. Closest available wiki option to the creator's preferred 2x mid-zoom.
Alternatives
- Avoid: Automatic Pneumatic System
How to Obtain
Three weapons the build deliberately avoids. Bastard SMG: worse damage and accuracy than the Revolver or Kalash for similar ammo cost. Valve Sniper: arrives too late and burns extremely rare 12.7mm rounds compared to the Revolver. Kalash and Bulldog: serviceable assault rifles but neither matches the Tihar/Revolver/Ashot trio's ammo economy on Ranger.
Combat Strategy
- ▸Pump the Tihar into the Red overpressure zone before approaching any camp. Airtight tank holds the pressure while you scout.
- ▸Hold the Ashot while moving so the Tihar and Revolver stay clean and accurate for actual fights.
- ▸Top up medkits at every workbench. Chemicals are the bottleneck on Ranger, so always know your reserve.
- ▸Open with silent Tihar headshots from cover. Red-zone pressure one-shots ghouls and human heads.
- ▸Stay prone or crouched between shots so the body recovery does not break stealth on the next patrol.
- ▸Re-pump pressure between targets only if you fired multiple shots. The Airtight tank keeps the first few in the kill zone for free.
- ▸Switch to the Revolver for targets outside Tihar effective range or for single-shot priority kills you need to confirm.
- ▸Reserve firearm ammo for shots that genuinely require it. Anything closer than 50 meters should still be a Tihar kill.
- ▸Re-stealth between engagements rather than pressing forward. Saved ammo equals saved chemicals equals more medkits.
- ▸When stealth breaks, swap to the Double-Barrel Ashot and burst the closest threat down. Two barrels per trigger pull is enough for most Humanimals.
- ▸Demons take roughly three Ashot bursts to drop. Reload behind cover, never in the open.
- ▸If you take a hit and have to medkit, retreat first. Healing in the open on Ranger can chain into a death loop.
Sources
Verified: 2026-05-04 · All content is original with full credit to original creators.