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It depends on the ammo and the powers
CES

As a gm I've used snipers mainly as a plot device quite effectively. I never used on e as player. I don't know how fun that would be unless you had other skills to utilize. Of course you would have other skills with a Special Training character. They can be used effectively especially as a diversion while the real threat is looming.

We have an NPC in or game thats an C-SWAT sniper, and when one of our heroines was being mauled by a mega villain he saved her with timely head shot. We use the head shot rules and this bad mofo villain was dropped by a normal guy. A sniper can change a game with one squeeze of a trigger.

Glitterboy Pilot wrote:So how effective would a military sniper be in HU vs all the superheros/supervillians?

Very effective, depending on who they are facing. Of course it's necessary to factor in alignments when adding in a sniper since I really doubt a group of Principled heroes is going to team up with one unless he doesn't kill.

I played a character who had sniper training. He had powers, but he never really relied on them too much and instead focused on his skills. There were a couple of times he'd end up taking out the bad guys with a well timed and placed shot. The only problem with the character was he was more of a loner and required a lot of time with the GM away from the group. Usually I'd stay after or arrive earlier so I could play him.

My pulse pounded as I loaded my bolt action
50 calibre armor piercing and exploding rounds
at 100 dollars a pop each bullet was designed to enter
into a target and then explode. Unfortantly the bugs
have yet to be completely worked out but I had to take my
chances an enraged stone man was wrecking a school and
the lives of over a dozen children were at stake. Our town was
small we didn't have power armor or a team of super heros all we
had was bob the towns resident survivalist nut who was willing to
donate a very illegal weapon with very illegal ammo to the cause
and me My names rick and I'm the town serif I used to be a sniper
in the army. I looked through the scope and used the breathing excersizes
I was trained to do in the army.
I looked at him through the scope a ugly thing my best chance of taking
him down was a bullet through a eyeball anything else would be too
well protected. I spent what felt like hours carefully aiming then I pulled
the trigger. The bullet moved fast and true, I could see the explosion
through my scope.
He fell down dead, I sighed I decided not to turn bob in because
who knows when this sort of thing will happen again?

Glitterboy Pilot wrote:I just meant your average non mega hero types. Like the minor hero or the supersoldier or something like that

I have had various hardware guys draw down on non invulnerable monsters/villains and save the rest of the group with one shot.

CES

are you kidding? Your typical serial killer could easily elude any super without the proper set of skills.
A sniper with prowl, a high powered scope and a good rifle can take out entire teams, although it might take time. A sniper can hit from almost a mile away. And soemone trying to figure out where exactly that shot came from would take soem time, and by then the sniper is gone. Let us not forget also though that super s are extremely arrogant and seem to take almost no care about their identities and movements. A patient sniper can learn their habits easily.
Pick a hero/villain off one at a time every other day

Snipers can be a very effective character motif, depending on the campaign flavor.

As heroes, snipers would seem to fall away from the more "morally upright" archetype, but if the tone of the campaign supports a more militaristic sense, then they fit in rather well.
In a high-cinematic type of game (which I personally prefer), snipers will find themselves undone by the various abilities of the characters (think "Remo & Chuin". I love stories where those two would trip up would-be assassins). Martial Artists with Zanshin, rooftop daredevils with Radar, psychics with Sixth Sense, and so on.
However, for those who like a grittier tone of play won't make it quite so difficult to pull off a 500 yard headshot with careful patience and skill.

In terms of "minor" heroes though, remember that there are combinations of such powers that will confound a sniper more than Invulnerability (you can get those guys with a P-Beam rifle). Radar, Heightened Hearing, and Danger Sense, (three minors) coupled with Invisibility, or Intangibility, for example.

Powers like Un-Noteworthy, Blur, etc are more effective than Disguise skills.
There are many "right combinations" of powers to turn the tables on snipers, serial killers, etc.

the point of a sniper is surprise, hit and go. So unless these powers are on all the time, adn the sniper has no idea what the abilities of his target are, then this shouldn't be an issue.

Of course, snipers with powers can be even more effective.
A sniper with teleport and multiple selves for example.

Glitterboy Pilot wrote:What do you guys think about a sniper as a bad guy?

Dangerous, way dangerous, With a well placed shot he could end your game and your players wouldn't even know where he is.