CS2 Sniper Rifle Guide: Prices, Damage & Impact (2025)

Sniper rifles are the pace-setters of Counter-Strike 2. One well-timed shot can end an execute, stop a split, or open a bombsite. This guide explains the four CS2 snipers—AWP, SSG 08, SCAR-20 (CT), and G3SG1 (T)—with practical tips, economy rules of thumb, and drills to level up your impact.

The Sniper Lineup at a Glance

Weapon	Side	Typical Price	Magazine / Reserve	Kill Award (Comp)	Identity
AWP	Both	$4750	5 / ~30	$100	One-shot to chest/head; slow, devastating
SSG 08(“Scout”)	Both	$1700	10 / ~90	$300	Budget sniper; mobile, great for force buys
SCAR-20	CT	$5000	20 / ~90	$300	Auto-sniper; taps or bursts, high ROF
G3SG1	T	$5000	20 / ~90	$300	T-side auto-sniper; post-plant and picks

Damage & Armor Behavior (practical truths)

AWP: One-shots anywhere above the legs through light cover; leg shots require a follow-up. Heavy armor doesn’t save you from chest hits.
SSG 08: One-shot to the head (helmet on/off). Body shots do not one-shot armored enemies; two hits or one + pistol cleanup.
Auto-Snipers (SCAR-20 / G3SG1): High armor penetration and ROF; 2 body shots (often through light cover) delete most opponents.

When to Buy What

AWP — The Round Shaper

Graphic displaying the AWP sniper rifle from Counter-Strike 2, featuring key details such as price, damage, armor penetration, reload time, magazine capacity, and kill award.

Buy on: Full buys when you need map control or a guaranteed opener; anchor duty to shut down fast hits.
Best users: Primary AWPer or confident rifler with set plays and utility support.
Maps/Spots: Mirage Window/Cat, Inferno Arch/Library, Nuke Heaven/Outside Red, Anubis A-Main cross.
Strengths: Trade-proof picks, punish dry peeks, hold narrow crosses.
Weaknesses: Low kill reward ($100), limited mobility, expensive miss.

Infographic showing the AWP sniper rifle damage statistics in Counter-Strike 2, including hitbox damage for unarmored and armored targets.

Pro tip: Treat each AWP shot like a set piece—pre-aim, pre-nade, and plan an exit (smoke, molly, or support flash) before you pull the trigger.

SSG 08 — The Force-Buy MVP

Graphic showcasing the SSG 08 sniper rifle from Counter-Strike 2, displaying its price, damage, armor penetration, reload time, magazine capacity, and kill awards.

Buy on: 2nd/3rd round force buys, half buys, bonus rounds, or when you expect a duel-heavy mid.
Playstyle: Abuse jump-peek + strafe shots, re-peek off info, and combine with body tags → pistol cleanup.
Strengths: Cheap, mobile, high kill award, great accuracy while moving/jumping (when timed).
Weaknesses: Body damage is underwhelming vs armor; requires smart crosshair placement and spacing.

Image showcasing the SSG 08 sniper rifle from Counter-Strike 2, displaying hitbox damage statistics for unarmored and armored targets.

Combo: Tag with Scout → swing with a P250/USP-S/Glock teammate for guaranteed trade.

SCAR-20 / G3SG1 — The Siege Engines

Graphic showing the SCAR-20 sniper rifle from Counter-Strike 2, including details such as $5000 price, -80 damage, 82.5% armor penetration, $300 kill award, 20 rounds magazine capacity, 90 reserve ammo, and 3.1 seconds reload time.

G3SG1 sniper rifle from Counter-Strike 2 with information about its price, damage, reload time, armor penetration, magazine capacity, and kill award.

Buy on: Late halves with bank; post-plant setups; vs teams that dry swing or can’t smoke you.
Playstyle: Post up on head-height angles; tap or short burst. Punish gaps, spam through light cover.
Strengths: Rapid follow-up shots, excellent through smokes or thin walls, farm in retake denial.
Weaknesses: Expensive and loud; can be counter-smoked, flashed, or swung from multiple angles.

Infographic displaying the SCAR-20 sniper rifle details, including hitbox damage statistics for unarmored and armored targets in Counter-Strike 2.

Infographic detailing the G3SG1 sniper rifle's hitbox damage in Counter-Strike 2, showing damage values for both armored and unarmored targets.

Economy rule: If two teammates need rifles/utility, don’t buy an auto-sniper—fund them first.

Impact Framework (how to actually win rounds)

Pick Plan (15s): Before the freeze ends, decide: opening pick, denial pick (stop execute), or retake pick. Your utility kit and spawn should match.
Utility Buddy: One teammate dedicated to flashing you in, smoking your retreat, or mollying the re-peek path.
Two-Shot Mentality: Always know your follow-up. With AWP leg shots or missed shots, strafe cancel → pistol or reposition instantly.
Angle Discipline: Hold one line. The first jiggle that appears gets the flick—don’t “angle surf.”
Economy Math:
- AWP kept alive > AWP dropped and no trade.
- If you’re broke next, switch to SSG 08 + nades—your team gets two rifles instead of one glass AWP.

Practical Setups & Micro-Plays

CT Side

Mirage: Window AWP → early pick; smoke top mid and boost Cat to punish late peeks.
Inferno: Arch AWP the Library cross; fall to site smoke; rotate with HE + flash to re-peek lane.
Nuke: Heaven holds on A rafters; when smoked, pivot to Hell for fast Outside pick lines.

T Side

Anubis: AWP posted on A-Main left pillar; flash through top A smoke for the punish.
Vertigo: Early mid boost → punish short jiggle; late round post-plant from yellow with a one-way smoke.
Overpass: Balloon pick → instantly fall to site with deep divider smoke for safety.

Drills (10 minutes a day)

Five Spots, Ten Shots: Pick five default angles on a workshop map; ten clean shots each without missing. Track your time + misses.
Tag & Trade: With a friend, practice SSG 08 tag into pistol swing. Swap roles every round.
Exit Plans: After every AWP kill in DM, smoke or flash and always strafe to a pre-chosen off-angle. Build muscle memory for survival.

Mistakes to Stop Making

Dry peeking for “info” with an AWP and no flash. Make it a commit or don’t peek.
Holding wide in the open. You want cover → line → escape.
Buying AWP on a half buy while two teammates are on pistols and no nades. You’ll win your duel and lose the round.
Auto-sniper spamming through full smokes without info—save ammo for contact and tracers for denial.

Loadouts & Utility You Should Pair

AWP CT: AWP + HE + smoke + flash (molotov optional). HE for tag finishes, smoke for bailouts.
SSG 08 T: Scout + 2 flashes → set pieces and re-peeks.
Auto-Sniper: Molotov + HE to punish plants/defuses; post-plant spam with info.

Mini Buyer’s Cheat Sheet

Need a guaranteed opener & you’re funded? → AWP.
Forcing / Bonus / Want mobility? → SSG 08.
Post-plant lockdown, banked up team? → SCAR-20 / G3SG1.
Team broke, you have spawn? → Skip AWP, call fast rifle exec with layered flashes.

Frequently Asked (Sniper) Questions

Does the AWP still one-shot through armor to the chest?

Yes—chest and above. Legs require a follow-up.

Is jump-scouting still good?

Yes—if you time your strafe stop and release the shot at the apex/landing; use it sparingly on predictable lines.

Are auto-snipers “noob guns”?

No—they’re win-condition guns on certain sites and post-plants. If the enemy can’t smoke/flash you off, they’ll struggle to retake.

Final Word

Snipers reward planning more than mechanics. If you pair spawn advantage + set utility + a clean escape route, your AWP will feel unfair; your Scout will steal rounds; and your auto-sniper will turn retakes into nightmares. Build a routine, protect your economy, and make every shot part of a mini-execute—even on defense.