Longsword II 203 ERSR

The Longsword II 203 ERSR, also referred to by the term "Sniper Rifle," is a weapon in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. The weapon is a follow-up of the Longsword 202 ERASER that appeared in Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

Overview
The sniper rifle has an integral scope and offers high per-shot damage together with semi-automatic firing. In many ways, this rifle is a bigger, more expensive, and more specialized version of the SB-762 Battle Rifle. The sniper rifle has enough range to cover any combat range in the game.

A notable limitation of the sniper rifle is its inability to accept a silencer. For silenced lethal sniping, it is necessary to instead use the Lancer or the combat rifle. Other limitations include its long dry reload animation (the longest of any weapon in the game), its high recoil and poor handling (which can be compensated by the Cybernetic Weapon Handling augmentation), the rarity of the weapon and its ammunition, and its initially small magazine size. Additionally, the weapon is tied with its non-lethal sister rifle as the largest item in the game in terms of taking up inventory space.

The majority of ammunition, particularly the more useful armor-piercing variety, must be bought at a premium from merchants. Despite the high listed damage of the weapon, armor piercing rounds are still required to defeat helmets and properly armored opponents without wasting too much ammunition. See the main article on sniper rifle ammunition for a list of locations.

Like the Lancer and the tranquilizer rifle, the sniper rifle lacks an aiming reticle for aiming of the weapon without using the scope. This shortcoming is resolved by attachment of a Laser Sight.

Gameplay
Standard ammunition for this weapon is actually very useful, as it packs more than enough punch to kill almost every unarmored or lightly armored target in a single shot, and anyone without a helmet in a headshot from any range. Fully upgraded, it takes two (or occasionally three) bodyshots at typical ranges to take down armored cops using standard ammunition. A single armor piercing bullet to body at pointblank is enough to bring their health to critical levels (very similar stopping power of revolver AP ammo), and will sometimes kill them outright. Note that targets hit by sniper fire will stagger or occasionally fall over, making it easier to land successive hits. Sniper fire also breaks the morale of all but the bravest of enemies (armored police, elite Shadow Operatives), and even they will eventually take cover after taking enough casualties.

The sniper rifle can be used for makeshift sniping, as one way of using the weapon. However, when well upgraded and attached with a laser sight, the sniper rifle becomes a versatile weapon that is suitable for combat across all ranges, especially in conjunction with the recoil compensation and reload speed upgrades in the Cybernetic Weapon Handling augmentation branch. When fully upgraded, the sniper rifle boasts a higher rate of fire, bigger magazine, more controllable and predictable recoil, superior damage, and a much clearer scope as compared to the battle rifle, without the long downtime between shots of the Lancer. The sniper rifle is well complemented by other weapons that benefit from Cybernetic Weapon Handling, such as the revolver.

As noted above, the sniper rifle is unable to accept a silencer as compared to the Lancer. However, the sniper's significantly higher rate of fire and similarly high damage from armor piercing rounds, which are able to kill all human-sized targets in one headshot, makes it possible to take down a squad at long range before they notice they're under fire. In other words, a silencer is not necessary to take down enemies at long range while avoiding detection, making it possible to outperform the Lancer in long-range sniping while still avoiding detection. A fully upgraded sniper rifle can take down a whole squad of targets in quick time, especially with the Focus Enhancement augmentation.

Although the sniper rifle can be built into a versatile marksman rifle, the cost of upgrading the weapon, as well recoil compensation and reload speed upgrades in the Cybernetic Weapon Handling augmentation branch, are obstacles to such a build. Additionally, the sniper rifle requires 14 inventory slots, as well as 4 additional slots for both types of ammunition, which also expensive and uncommon as compared to battle rifle ammunition. With all things consider, some players may find a battle rifle with a 4x Scope to be the more practical alternative.

Within roughly 40 meters, the damage potential of the sniper rifle is on par with the classic revolver, but the revolver has the advantage in fire rate. However, the classic revolver is limited to a range of 50 meters.

Enemies wielding the sniper rifle post high threat to the player. When wielded by enemies, the sniper rifle can inflict up to 90 damage to Adam per hit, without Rhino Dermal Armor, on "Give me Deus Ex" difficulty.

Notable locations

 * A sniper rifle is found in the Task Force 29 Headquarters, inside a weapon display locked by a level 5 lock. No keycode to the lock is known, but it can be readily opened using a multi-tool.
 * A sniper rifle is found in the hidden room in Jim Miller's unit in the 33 Hlavní Apartments.
 * It is possible to obtain a sniper rifle with a laser sight during the first mission in Dubai. During the fight in the atrium, if the Shadow Operatives on the right-side platform are neutralized, TF29 personnel will drop down from above, making it possible to loot their weapons if they die or become incapacitated. While they almost always carry combat rifles, a trooper carrying a sniper rifle (with a laser sight already attached) will occasionally appear.

Trivia

 * If left idle for too long, Jensen will start fiddling with the rifle scope's magnification adjustment knob, though this does not affect the zoom level when aiming back in later.

Renders
Снайперская винтовка LONGSWORD II 203 (ERSR)