BDO Sniper Hunting Guide – Loot, Gear, & Mechanics

Sniper Hunting allows players to use a sniper rifle and stalk down sensitive forest animals for meat and rare loot. Sniping is an off shoot of the Hunting Life Skill and uses sniper rifles instead of matchlocks.

BDO Sniper Highlights:

• Start with a beginner sniper rifle, currently available from a quest.
• Requires level 30+
• Hunting Mastery level improves the duration of how long you can hold your breath and the drifting of the scope while aiming.
• Attack Speed can be buffed to shorten sniper movements.
• Sniper mode requires patience and time to learn.
• Flat terrain and positioning of your character is very important.
• Timing and aiming shots is crucial for a successful shot.
• Major Sniper Updates: Sniper Hunting and rifles were introduced with the Life Mastery update on 9-4-2019. Sniping was given a major rework in the LoML update on June 14, 2023.

Sniper Mode in an MMORPG?

Hunting with a Sniper Rifle is fun, but more challenging than hunting with a matchlock. I think it’s one of those game mechanics you will either love, because you have the time, patience, and determination to master it, or you will hate it and never do it again.

Patience is a must, because misses are common when you are first learning sniper mechanics.

Missing Shots and Can’t Reload?

Call 1-800-LOADS-PLZ-PLZ

Sniper Rifle (T2 Blue Grade)

The next tier of sniper rifle has improved damage, if you enhance it.

Requirements:

• Level 30+
• Hunting Apprentice 10 OR Hunting Mastery 50

This sniper rifle is used the same way as a T1 rifle.

The major difference is that it can do much more damage after enhancement.

Sniper Rifle Enhancement

Upgrade Sniper Rifle to +10 using Black Stone.

Marni Sniper Rifle (T3 Yellow Grade)

The best sniper rifle has improved damage over a +10 blue grade sniper rifle, if you enhance it to at least +6.

Requirements:

• Level 30+
• Hunting Artisan 10

Unique Marni Sniper Abilities:

• Zoom IN or OUT → Zoom while aiming through the scope with the mouse wheel. When re-entering the aiming state after firing, it will return to the last used zoom level.
• Laser Scope → When using the Marni Sniper Rifle, a box at the bottom of the screen will display the target area.
• Faster Aim → When on standby while equipped with this sniper rifle, right-clicking will smoothly transition into the seated aiming position.

Marni Sniper Rifle Enhancement

Upgrade Marni Sniper Rifle to +10 using Scorching Sun Gemstone.

Dokkebi Forest CP

Contribution Point costs for nodes, workshops, and worker lodging are low in Land of the Morning Light.

• CP Costs:
  • Dokkebi Tool Workshop: 1 CP
  • Node chain from Dalbeol Village: 2 CP
  • Node chain from Nampo’s Moodle Village:  3 CP

Dokkebi Forest Worker

NOTE: Dolswe and Shellfolk can’t work in the Dokkebi Forest. (Lore that King Duoksini doesn’t allow it.)

• Dokkebi Forest node only allows Dokkebi Workers.

Dokkebi Workers can be hired at Nampo’s Moodle Village or Dalbeol.

• Dalbeol is closer to the node.

Dokkebi Spawn Rates:

• It may have just been bad luck, but I had a hard time rolling Dokkebi workers in Dalbeol. I was able to get a few Skilled ones I could promote. However, Nampo’s Moodle Village seems to have an abundance of them. Dokkebi luck anyone?

Butcher Knife

In order to obtain loot and experience from the wild animals you defeat, you will need to butcher the corpse with a Butcher Knife.

Gathering AND Hunting Life Skills increase when butchering animals killed with a sniper rifle.

Hunting requires gathering, but in some instances does not benefit from buffs that apply to gathering.

Gathering Item Drop Rate vs Item Drop Rate:

• Item Drop Rate → NO
• Gathering Item Drop Rate → YES, except for Lucky and Magic Butcher Knives (source)
  

Gathering Buff Exclusions:

• Gathering Mastery does not affect Hunting or Sniping in any way.
• Item Drop Rate and Item Drop Amount from scrolls has no effect on Hunting.
• Agris Fever has no impact on Hunting loot.

Which Butcher Knife is Best for Sniper Hunting?

In the beginning, use the Demihar Butcher Knife. It has some nice buffs for new hunters and it helps you quickly level the Gathering Life Skill.

• Gathering Item Drop Rate (with Butcher Knife) +80%
• Gathering EXP +50%
• Gathering Time -11 sec
• 300 durability
• Cannot be repaired
• Equipping this tool won’t apply the Item Drop Rate increase effect from Gathering Mastery.
• Demihar Gathering Tools last for 14 days, and you won’t be able to use them after they expire. Boxes don’t have a time limit when you obtain them. So don’t open any boxes until you are ready to do some gathering/hunting.

Obtaining a Demihar Butcher Knife:

• You can obtain a Demihar Butcher Knife after reaching level 60 on a Season Character and starting the Treant’s Tear quest line.
• Challenge Reward (Y) for reaching Apprentice 1 Gathering. (Choose 1)
• 1000 Loyalties purchase

Mastery Butcher Knives

The Mastery Tools (Loggia, Dostter, or Manos Butcher Knives) have benefits over disposable butcher knives. They have a greater cost investment, but last forever and can be sold via the marketplace to recoup some of their cost when you are ready to upgrade.

• Repairable: Mastery Butcher Knives are repairable, use 1 inventory space, and don’t require crafting or re-purchase. You can repair them at your tent or NPC.
• Item Brand Stone: Butcher Knives that are branded reduce Durability consumption by 50%.
• Top Max Durability Potential: Mastery Butcher Knives can be enhanced for greater Max Durability. (Although only PEN Manos has 250 Max Durability, equal to Magic Butcher Knife.)
• Gathering Speed: All Mastery Butcher Knives give the best gathering speed of -11 seconds (equal only to Magic Butcher Knife)
• Gathering Item Drop Rate: All Mastery Butcher Knives give the same amount of +30% gathering.

Butchering Minigame

The Green Thumb gathering mini game does NOT occur when harvesting <wild> mobs that you kill with a matchlock or sniper rifle.

Learning Sniping Distance

Make sure you are within 100 meters of a sniper mob. This will take some practice to get right.

Before you go into Sniper Mode, look at your mini map. Make sure the mob’s icon is within the round circle.

• Mini map circle is about 100 meters, but this can be wrong if it is zoomed in or out.

The Elk that Got Away…

“Sensitive Giant Elk” close to Velia is the only sniper mob that will spook, run away, then disappear when you get too close. Most sniper mobs in LOML will charge and attack you, doing damage.

• Keeping your eye on the mini map when the beast bolts is the best way to learn spook distances. BOO ELK!
• A big yellow exclamation mark over the Sensitive mob’s head tells you that you got too close and now the mob will disappear. Fortunately, respawn is quick if you move back out of the area.
• Frightened Sensitive Giant Elk will completely disappear, no matter how much Health they have left! Sometimes they will come right at you! *POOF* goes the mob it took you a minute to whittle down… *cries*

Basic Sniping Mechanics

Evasion Tactics:

• S + S: double tap any directional key to dodge roll in that direction.
• SHIFT + ↑ to run away from one-shotters.

Beginner Sniper Step by Step:

1. Press SPACE to crouch.
2. Press RMB to look through the scope.
3. Move mouse to move the scope view over your wild mob.
4. Place cross hairs over the mob, trying to keep steady. (It can feel wavery.)
5. Head shots deal more damage.

Sniper Scope Aim

1. Press and hold LMB to aim.
2. The aiming indicator will shrink in size the longer you hold LMB down.
3. Yellow breath meter appears the moment you press LMB and begin to aim. This is your time limit to fire.
4. If you move with WASD while aiming, the scope will deactivate.

Fire a Bullet

• Release LMB when the RED aiming indicator is in the yellow highlighted circle for best accuracy and to create a Perfect Shot.

Wrong Aiming = Miss Fire

• The aiming indicator will be blue if the mob is out of range or not targeted correctly.
• Firing when the aiming indicator is blue will result in a MISS shot.
  • You will have to go through the reload animation to continue.

In the image, it looks like it would be a perfect head shot, unfortunately the game doesn’t think so.

Sometimes it just feels glitchy and incorrect, but double check your firing range. Maybe due to lag you can get a hiccup.

All sniper rifles have a 100m firing range.

Breath Meter Time Limit

If you take too long aiming, you will run out of breath.

Gasp!

When the yellow breath bar is completely gone, you have run out of time.

You will have to start over and aim again.

Head Shot

The goal is to obtain a perfect head shot with full accuracy.

Head shots improve the chances to one shot an animal!

Kill Speed

Critical and Perfect head shots will reduce the time to kill a mob.

Head shots also apply a hunting mastery type of effect to loot.

Faster kill = better loot?

Yes, it’s all in your head!

NOTE: Hunting Mastery using a sniper rifle improves normal loot like blood, hides, and meat, but doesn’t determine certain rare loot. The “Accumulated Damage” system is used instead. (It’s complicated, so details are below.)

Reload Minigame

Any time you fire a bullet, you will be given a minigame that allows you to skip a reload animation.

1. Reload minigame occurs after every successful or unsuccessful shot, even if the mob is already dead.
   • Press SPACE when the fast bullet is over the small yellow bar to proceed. This will take practice to perfect!
   • Succeeding at the reload mini game will skip a relaod animation and get you back to Scope View faster.
2. Enter Scope Mode again. Find your target again to finish the job or right click to exit scope mode if you need to move your character.

Note: You CAN’T exit the reload mini game until you win or lose the minigame. If  you fail the minigame, it will take a bit longer because of the reload animation.

Bad target. Don’t Fire.

Good target, but low accuracy.

Hills & Rocks = Bad

Hills, rocks, trees, and tall grasses are your real enemy!

Look for a flat areas, without hills they can run down.

Can you spot the Sensitive Giant Elk in the photo? 🙂

Trolls Will Be Trolls

Other players can interfere with your sniper hunting. The location in Velia is in an area where wild horses also spawn.

Someone passing by stopped to jump in front of my aiming once. Literally jumped up and down in front of me to prevent a good shot. LOL!

Another time someone different innocently ran by an Elk and scared it away.

Sniper Mobs & Locations

There are two main sniper locations in BDO. You can use the world map to view their location.

Some less popular sniper locations, like Sensitive Seagull are not shown on the world map.

• Balenos Sniper Mobs
  • Sensitive Giant Elk <Wild>
  • Sensitive Seagull <Wild>

• LOML Sniper Mobs
  • Sensitive Bear <Wild>
  • Atrocious Bear <Wild>
  • Sensitive Boar <Wild>
  • Atrocious Boar <Wild>
  • Sensitive Hawk <Wild>
  • Atrocious Tiger <Wild>

Sensitive Giant Elk

The main sniper zone shown on the Balenos world map consists of Sensitive Giant Elk.

Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆

• Runs after you shoot him.
• Spooks and disappears if you get too close.

Loot:

• Mainly Deer Meat
• 100 million silver per hour depending on gear and skill.

LOML Sniper Zone (Land of Morning Light)

The sniper grinding spot in LOML is located NW of Dalbeol Village.

On the world map, look for “Sniper Hunting Region” with a Boar icon.

WARNING: This Sniper Zone is not meant for beginner hunters. Make sure you practice on Sensitive Giant Elk first to learn sniping mechanics! You WILL die!!!! Haha… LOML sniping can feel that way.

LOML Sniper Gear Recommendation:

For learning LoML sniper hunting, I recommend the following gear:

• TRI Manos Hunter’s Clothes (239 DP or higher)
• Marni Sniper Rifle +7 or higher

Optional: HP and DP buffs with crystals, foods, etc (Use cheap crystals at first in case you die.)

Sensitive Boar

The sniper zone in LOML consists of mostly Sensitive Boar. (About 70%)

Difficulty: ★★★☆☆

• Charges and attacks after you shoot him.
• Mixed with more difficult Sensitive Bears.
• After death, rarely spawns elite that can one-shot you.*

Notable Loot:

• Crystal of Decimation → Need 1 for Crystal of Brutal Decimation
  • Extra AP Against Monsters +7
  • Back Attack Damage +1%

Location: Land of Morning Light – NW of Dalbeol Village

View map on bdolytics.com. Thanks Warflash!

*Disclaimer: One-shot attacks from invisible evil elk. I mean, big bright tigers. Make sure you master dodge mechanics before fighting tigers. (Double tap any direction to dodge roll.)

Atrocious Tiger

A rare elite spawn from hunting in the sniper zone in LOML.

Difficulty: ★★★★★

• One of his hits can kill you.
• Double tap any directional key to Dodge Roll.
• Before he gets too close, SHIFT sprint away before aiming again, however a Back Attack from him will kill you. So be careful knowing when to run to create sniping distance.

After killing an animal, there is a chance to spawn an Atrocious Tiger. Look for an alert text, “You sense the presence of a powerful tiger nearby.”

Sticky Honey is used to make an item that summons Thunderpaw, an elite boss bear.

LOML Sniper Loot Love

LoML is the end game grinding spot for snipers. Sniping boars, bears, and tigers has some very nice rare drops.

LOML sniping is one of the best ways to obtain top tier crystals.

Notable LoML Sniper Loot:

• Forest Crystal → makes +5% Life Exp or +10 Life Mastery Crystals
• Crystal of Decimation → Back Attack Dmg +1%, +7 Monster AP
• Crystal of Darkness → AP +2, Accuracy +3, Back Attack Damage +12%
• Crystal of Bitterness → DR +10, Evasion +12, Monster DR +3
• Live Meat → makes +200 Max HP, +100 Stam food

LOML Sniper Loot Examples

LOML is BIS!!! Or BIZ… Best in Zone.

The average silver per hour is about 600 million silver in LoML.

Although this number is comparable to decent grinding spots, players have reported up to 2 billion silver per hour for lucky runs.

Thanks:

• Thank you to the members of the Life Skill Discord for sharing their money earned at LOML! (Images generated by garmoth.com, where you can input your loot data and it calculates your money per hour at certain hunting spots. What a beauty!)
• Thank you also to GPW for the Hunting Profit Spreadsheet! Are you a dream?

Hunting Mastery with Sniping

Hunting Mastery can improve normal drops (blood, meat, hide) by up to 300%.

Sniping an animal removes the Hunting Mastery requirements to obtain rare loot like Supreme Boar Hide. In other words, Hunting Mastery level does NOT provide these furniture hides like matchlock hunting does.

Instead, there is an “Accumulated Damage” loot system.

Accumulated Damage = BAD Loot!

• Accumulated Damage is added when an animal is hit anywhere but the head and doesn’t die.
• The Accumulated Damage added depends upon the area the animal is hit.
• Head shots get no Accumulated Damage added.
• The goal is to one shot an animal in the head and therefore have 0% Accumulated Damage applied when it dies.

What About Hunting Mastery Drops?

The typical Hunting Mastery rare drops are different for sniper mobs.

Accumulated Damage determines the amount of these instead.

• [Accumulated Damage: 0%]
  • Supreme Hide x1 guaranteed
  • additional +10% of Leather, Blood, Meat items
• [Accumulated Damage: 1% – 40%]
  • Supreme Hide x1 at a set probability
  • additional +10% of Leather, Blood, Meat items
• [Accumulated Damage: 41% – 80%]
  • Additional +5% of Leather, Blood, Meat items
• [Accumulated Damage 81%+]
  • No additional items

Source: LOML patch notes, see also patch notes

 Accumulated Damage Per Part:

• Head: No Accumulated Damage added
• Wing, Leg: +10% Accumulated Damage on hit
• Torso: +30% Accumulated Damage on hit
• Hunting without a Sniper: +40% Accumulated Damage on hit

Official Description Under Hunting Mastery Details:

In case of sniper hunting, the rare resources that can be obtained are not affected by your Hunting Mastery, but rather by the accumulated damage depending on the hit area. Additionally, for some rare resources, they can be obtained based on a fixed probability and quantity, regardless of Hunting Mastery and accumulated damage.

[Accumulated damage 0%]
– Rare resources at a fixed probability
– Additional meat, blood, and hide at a fixed probability

[Accumulated damage 1% – 40%]
– Rare resources at a fixed probability
– Additional meat, blood, and hide at a fixed probability

[Accumulated damage 41% – 80%]
– Depending on the monster, rare resources at a fixed probability
– Additional meat, blood, and hide at a fixed probability

[Accumulated damage 81% or higher]
– No additional resources

Advanced Sniper Gear

Sniper hunting benefits from all of the typical Life Skill items as well as some combat buffs.

Sniper Stat Improvement

Hunting Level and Hunting Mastery are the most important stats for Hunters.

Press P → Life Skill tab (Fish Icon) to view your level and Hunting Mastery.

Hunting is impacted by 3 Character “Ability” Stats visible in your Profile (P) window.

Ability Stats Used in Hunting:

• Attack Speed: 5/5
  
• Gathering: 5/5 (guild gives +3)
• Movement Speed: 5/5

Other Buffs That Improve Hunting:

• Attack Speed %

Hunting Crystals

There are many crystals you can use for hunting.

WARNING: Crystals can be destroyed upon death. Use cheap crystals as you are learning.

Cheap Attack Speed & Crit Crystal (No Group Limit):

• Ancient Magic Crystal – Carmae → Attack Speed +1, Critial Hit +1

Cheap Attack Speed Crystal (Limit 2 Increased Resistance II):

• Black Magic Crystal – Assault → Attack Speed +2

There are many more options.

Life Skill Crystals

More powerful Life Skill Crystals were introduced with the Land of the Morning Light patch.

• Life Crystal → Life EXP +5%
• Vital Crystal → Life Mastery +10

NOTE: Life Crystal and Vital Crystal do NOT have a crystal group and have no limit!

Forest Crystal

1 Forest Crystal is used to craft 1 Life Skill crystal that buffs +5% Life EXP or +10 Life Mastery.

Obtain Forest Crystal:

• Sniper hunting in Land of the Morning Light – about 1 every 1.5 hours.
• Send worker to Dokkebi Forest node – 1 every 2 to 3 weeks.
• AFK Fishing in Land of the Morning Light – 1 every week.
• Special Barter – is this real? Not in my experience, but I have proof it exists.
• Exchange 1000 Sangpyeong Coin to Hyunyong in Moodle Village.

Magical Lightstone Crystal

100 Magical Lightstone Crystal is also required to craft a Life Exp or Mastery Crystal.

Obtain Magical Lightstone Crystal:

• Exchange Imperfect Lightstones or Lightstones you no longer need to Dalishain the Wandering Alchemist.

HP and Defense Crystals

You could also slot crystals that will help you survive since the LoML sniper region can feel quite deadly.

There are many crystals that can buff Max HP.

Cheapest HP Crystal on the Marketplace:

1. Black Magic Crystal – Vigor – Max HP +50

More Expense But Much Better Stats:

• Black Magic Crystal – Cobelinus
  • Max HP +100
    Weight Limit +20LT
    All Damage Reduction +2

I really like the Black Magic Crystal – Cobelinus for added DP and Weight Limit. It adds more bang for your buck. And it’s not so expensive that you would cry too long for losing it on death.

Kydict’s Crystals are given away for events and Season reward, but you may not want to wear them since they can shatter on death and are not easily replaceable.

 Bos’n Jack

• Pet Type: RARE
• Talent: +50LT Big Ship Weight each Tier
• Special Skill: Auto-Fishing Time Reduction
• 5x T4 Bos’n Jack = 1,000 LT
• Increased Chances to Learn these Skills:
  • Fishing Exp +5%
  • Hunting Exp +5%
  • Training Exp +5%
  • Trading Exp +5%
  • Karma Recovery +5%

 Jojo

• Pet Type: RARE
• Talent: +1% Life EXP each tier
• Special Skill: Hostility Detection
• Increased Chances to Learn these Skills:
  • Fishing Exp +5%
  • Hunting Exp +5%
  • Training Exp +5%
  • Trading Exp +5%
  • Karma Recovery +5%

Pets with Life Skill Exp Talents:

Phoniel Squirrel, Choppy, Hedgehog, Penguin, Marmot, Shadow Wolf, Little Lamb, Otter, Ferret, Flondor Duck, Panda (not red), Jojo, Newborn Crimson Dragon, Newborn Golden Dragon, most cat pets, etc (900+ Pearls)

• 1% Life EXP per Tier (up to +20% for 5 pets)
• all pets have RNG chance to learn +5% Hunting EXP (up to +25% for 5 pets)

Classic cats don’t appear to have a high chance of learning Hunting Exp +5% skill.

Hunting Exp Gear

Life Exp helps you level Hunting faster.

The most common Life Skill items are +50% Life Exp Scrolls and Book of Life purchased from the Pearl Shop.

But there are many other ways to boost Life Exp.

See → Life Skill Equipment & Buffs.