Snipe; Sniping

A strategy used during tournament qualification rounds wherein a challenger specifically looks at the games and scores of someone immediately above them in the rankings in an effort to overtake them. The challenger then tries those games in an effort to lower the ranking points of the player above them so that they can claim the higher ranking.

This strategy is more effective if the higher ranked player has a first or second place score. These scores typically lose more ranking points if they are surpassed. In a tournament like the PAPA World Championship, 1st place scores are typically worth 100 ranking points. Second place is worth 90 points. Third place is worth 85 points. Fourth is worth 84, fifth is worth 83, and so on down to 87th place being worth 1 point.

Example: In a tournament where the top qualifier gets a cash prize, Calvin Combo is in 2nd place with 315 ranking points. In 1st place is Merry Multiball with 317 points. Merry also has a 1st place score on TRON: Legacy. Calvin sees this and wants to snipe Merry. He chooses to play TRON: Legacy as part of his next entry. Calvin passes Merry’s top score which causes him to gain ranking points and forces Merry to lose 10 ranking points. Now, Calvin is the top qualifier.

See also: “Defense” (opposite)