The Sniper Elite 5 Invasion Mode allows you to invade other players’ campaign. In Axis Invasion, you to play as a Sniper Jäger, an elite hunter who hunts down another player who is playing the campaign. Your job is to prevent them from progressing by killing them. But how exactly do you go about doing your job? And what do you do if you’re the one who’s invaded?
What is Axis Invasion Sniper Elite 5?
In Sniper Elite 5 Invasion Mode you hunt down other players who are trying to complete objectives. As the Sniper Jäger, you have to find a way to track down their location and kill them before they progress their objectives or kill you. As the protagonist, you and your co-op partner must complete objectives or kill the Sniper Jäger before they kill you.
The biggest tension in Sniper Elite 5’s Axis Invasion Mode is that neither you nor the other player knows each other’s exact location. You can use the Invasion Phone to pinpoint where the other player is once it becomes available or you could also tag them to know their movements for a short period of time.
We have Sniper Elite 5’s new Invasion Mode lets other players kill you in the campaign mode that’s related to this topic.
Can You Invade Friends in Sniper Elite 5?
There’s no way to invade your friends in Sniper Elite 5 unless it is by pure happenstance. The matchmaking once Axis Invasion has started is purely at random. You’ll be paired up against another player online who you most likely won’t know.
How to Turn Off Axis Invasion Mode?
Yes, you can turn off Invasion Mode from the lobby before you start campaign. You’ll have the option to allow or not allow axis invasion. Simply select the option to prevent enemy players from joining your game.
If your internet fluctuates while you’re playing campaign mode, Axis Invasion mode will be turned off automatically for the duration of the match. You’ll have to go back to the main menu and reconnect to online features to turn it back on again.
Is Sniper Elite 5 Invasion Mode Crossplay?
Yes, Sniper Elite 5 Invasion Mode supports crossplay from all platforms. Simply go to options and enable cross-play to play with other players regardless of platform.
Our Sniper Elite 5 Co-op, Crossplay, Multiplayer has more information.
What Do You Get From Invading Other Players in Sniper Elite 5?
You get cosmetic and weapon rewards from participating as Axis in Sniper Elite 5 Invasion mode. Unlike other multiplayer, the unlocks aren’t measured by rank rather it is measured by the number of kills you get from invading player’s campaign.
How to Invade Other Players in Sniper Elite 5?
Here are the steps to invading other players in Sniper Elite 5:
- Ensure you are connected online
- Customize your loadout
- Survey the area
- Look for dead bodies
- Tag Axis Soldiers
- Setup traps
- Use Invasion Phones
Start Axis Invasion Mode by going to Play in the Main Menu. From there, you’ll see the option for Axis Invasion. Once you click on it, you’ll get the option to start an invasion search which will pair you against another player.
You should keep alarmed as the Sniper Elite 5 Invasion Mode doesn’t inform you if you’re hunting two players or just one. The enemy sniper can co-op with another player which puts you at a disadvantage.
Check Online Connection
Online connectivity is a requirement before you can start Invasion Mode. If you’re playing on consoles, you will need PS Plus or Xbox Live Gold. You will also need a decent and stable internet connection or else you’ll frequently see lag and errors when you start invading other players.
It isn’t strange to see an error connecting to another player’s campaign. Even with fiber optic internet, connectivity issues can occur. Either the other player you’ve connected to doesn’t have good internet or they cancelled the Invasion just before you could join.
Customize Your Loadout
You should become comfortable with your loadout before beginning the Sniper Elite 5 Invasion Mode. As the Sniper Jäger, your options will be a bit limited compared to the enemy player’s. You’ll only have 3 rifles to choose from and your variety in scopes isn’t as powerful.
As the Invader, your rifle options are:
- GEWEHR 1943
- RSC 1918
- KARABINER 98
None of the rifle choices are bad picks, but we prefer going with the RSC 1918 with a ZF4 scope as it allows you to perform at your best no matter the situation. The very powerful KARABINER 98 doesn’t really unlock until you reach 50 player kills, which at that point, you already have enough kill count to master the Sniper Elite 5 Invasion Mode.
For bullets, we recommend going with either Soft Point or Match rounds. Armor Piercing rounds may seem tempting but the player you’re hunting doesn’t really wear armor making them a moot point. Unless you’re confident in your ability to shoot them through metal and stone which doesn’t happen too often to be useful.
Read our Sniper Elite 5 Weapons: Every Weapon in the Game for a list of all the weapons. We also have a guide for Sniper Elite 5 Weapon Customization that you may be interested in.
Survey the Area
Once you start the Sniper Elite 5 Axis Invasion Mode and are in a match, the first thing you should do is survey the area. You’ll be dropped into a random area and there’s often no indication how far or near you are to the enemy player.
Having prior knowledge to what the map you’re in is can be a very big advantage as it makes it easier to navigate without getting lost. You’ll also be able to control the flow of the game by knowing what the enemy objectives are.
Pay close attention to your minimap and where the Invasion Phones are located. You may not be able to use them immediately at the start of the match, but knowledge of their location will help when pivoting the area.
Keep an eye out for flashing lights at the distance. This will indicate that the enemy player is looking through his scope and may be aiming at you!
Look for Dead Bodies
Your enemy will leave a trail whether they like it or not in the form of dead Nazi bodies. Especially careful players will take care to hide bodies as to make them difficult to spot but they can’t hide everyone. Looking for dead bodies will indicate if there’s been a fight or if the enemy player has been through this area.
If you know what the enemy objectives are, you can pinpoint exactly where they’re going to go and follow the trail. This tactic makes it very useful in early stages of the Invasion match as you can’t use Invasion Phones to pinpoint their location.
Tag Axis Soldiers
Tagging Axis soldiers via binoculars or your special ability will let them inform you of the enemy player’s last known location. Make this investment early in the game as once they encounter the enemy player, you will be able to see an approximate location of where they are. Now you know where to start looking.
You can tag your AI allies quickly in Sniper Elite 5 Invasion Mode by using your binoculars or the Stay Sharp special ability. Your allies will still warn you by flashing yellow or red once they’ve encountered the enemy player regardless if they’re tagged or not, but it’s still recommend that you do so.
Setup Traps
When you know what the enemy sniper wants to do, you can start setting up traps. Invasion Phones can be rigged to blow once an enemy player uses it. This prevents them from learning your approximate location. You can also lay down mines in areas you’ll think they will go through.
In the photo above, we know that the enemy player’s objective is to kill a target in the ballroom. So placing a mine in the balcony overlooking the area is a wise move. Not only will enemy players take damage from the mine, but they’ll also alert the area once they trigger it.
Use Invasion Phones
We would recommend using Invasion Phones as a last resort. While you’ll be able to pinpoint where the enemy player is, your position will also be revealed. If your opponent is especially crafty, they can predict what you’ll be able to do next. If you can help it, it’s better to rely on your allies and dead bodies to pinpoint their location for you.
On the other hand, if the enemy player uses the Invasion Phone to locate you, the burden of relocating now lies with you if you assess that it’s too risky to stay where you are. Often players will no longer be where they’ve been pinpointed before.
We recommend turning on your subtitles as you’ll be able to hear the enemy sniper talk to Invasion Phones nearby. You will also be notified if they whistle trying to attract Axis forces.
Axis Sniper Abilities in Sniper Elite 5 Axis Invasion Mode
You have 9 Axis Sniper abilities in Sniper Elite 5 Axis Invasion Mode:
- Eagle Eyes: Tagged Axis soldiers will report the Enemy Sniper’s Last Known Position on your radar and map.
- Stay Sharp: Hold Left Alt (or corresponding button) to encourage nearby Axis soldiers to pay close attention.
- Wire Trapper: Plant Booby Traps on Invasion Phones. These will detonate when the Allied Sniper tries to use the phone.
- Grenade Throwback: Tape E to quickly throw a live grenade.
- Stabilized: Heart Rate is reduced when using a Bandage or Med Kit.
- Back In The Fight: A Med Kit can be used to revive yourself when incapacitated.
- Triangulation: Enemies are scope tagged when they damage you.
- Health Boost 1: Add an extra health segment.
- Sixth Sense: Receive a notification when you’re tagged.
Your Axis Sniper abilities are all unlocked from the beginning. You do not need to invest any skill points in order to unlock them. The Eagle Eyes, Stay Sharp, and Wire Trapper abilities are exclusive to Axis Snipers.
How to Defend Against Invading Players in Sniper Elite 5?
When you’re invaded by another player, here is what you should do to defend yourself:
- Don’t Rush In
- Bait Enemy Players
- Use Invasion Phones
- Disable Alarms
- Equip Silencers
- Revive Your Co-op Partner
When you’ve been invaded by a Sniper Jäger, the game will drastically change. You know you’re not just up against clueless AI enemies but an actual player is now hunting you down. There’s plenty of disadvantages to being invaded by other players but you can fight back.
Don’t Rush In
You have time on your side so don’t panic and rush in because you got the notification that Axis Invasion Mode has started. Instead plan out carefully and take it slow. Your objective isn’t to kill the invading player but to accomplish your objectives. The more you test out the enemy player’s patience the more reckless they become.
You can confuse enemy players by constantly moving around. Keep in mind that when you’ve alerted enemies or if they’re investigating your position, the Sniper Jäger can see that on their mini-map. They’ll also be able to pinpoint where you are if they’ve tagged their Axis troops.
The Sniper Jäger can look incredibly similar to the Axis troops on the ground. This will make them hard to spot. Keep an eye out for lens flare by the distance. This will indicate where they are and give away their position.
Bait Enemy Players
Sometimes it’s better to play the long game by baiting enemy players hunting you down. One of the best way to do this is by deliberately attracting enemy attention and then moving away. Nine times out of ten, the Sniper Jäger will investigate that position. This is good for wasting their time and confusing them.
This is a pretty risky move as you’ll be facing against Axis troops and potentially leave an opening to be shot in the back while you’re fleeing. A safer way to bait enemies are by camping Invasion Phones as they’ll become usable to the Sniper Jäger after a few minutes. This does carry its own risks as there is nothing stopping them from looking for other Invasion Phones in the map and pinpointing your location that way. However if there’s no Invasion Phone for a long while and you know the player Jäger is nearby, then you can wait in an area until they get impatient enough to use it.
Use Invasion Phones
Invasion Phones are your biggest advantage when you’re being invaded. At the start of the Axis Invasion, only you can use them to pinpoint the enemy location. This will give you an idea of how far or near the enemy player is without them knowing where you are.
Be wary when using the Invasion Phones, enemy players can booby trap them to damage you upon use.
Disable Alarms
If you’re planning to keep things quiet, you should work on disabling alarms. You can walk up to alarm buttons and disable them manually or shoot them from a distance. Even if Axis troops spot and engage you, their lack of ability to sound the alarms means the enemy player won’t come running to your position.
This is a good tactic for the Sniper Elite 5 Invasion Mode if you’re large maps like Libération however it can be redundant in condensed chapters like the Spy Academy.
Equip Silencers
You should equip silencers to minimize the sound of your shots. Noise is your biggest enemy as Axis troops will investigate your location if they hear the gunshot. The enemy player who is invading your session can see the yellow circles on their minimap and know that you’re there.
While silencers lessen the damage of your rifle, that isn’t going to matter. A well placed shot will take down the enemy Jäger no matter the damage output. Any helmets the enemy player uses are purely cosmetic only and don’t provide any protection.
Also ensure to pack Subsonic rounds to minimize sound even more. The special bullets are limited compared to your standard ammo, but they’re always worth carrying around.
Revive Your Co-Op Partner
You have an advantage if you’re playing with a friend. Although well placed shots can kill your ally immediately, they will respawn upon defeating the enemy player who’s invaded your game. You’ll only have a few minutes to do this so you should stick with your co-op partner.
If you’re both faraway from each other, you won’t be able to reach the enemy player in time. You’ll have a little over two minutes so once you get the notification that you’re being invaded, you should regroup and coordinate.
That’s our Sniper Elite 5 Invasion Mode guide. We hope you learned how to turn the tables between hunter and hunted. In the meantime, check out our other Sniper Elite 5 content that will put you ahead of the curve.
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For more on Sniper Elite 5 Invasion Mode, check out this from P4wnyhof talking about the brutality of Axis Invasions in the game.