Cold Killer
The Cold Killer is a thick white hood for the Sniper. It also gives Sniper a white cap, winter goggles and a white undershirt.
Since Sniper is born and raised in Australia, sending him to cold places like Coldfront is about as comfortable for him as keeping a camel in a fridge. Thus, some nice, thick clothing is probable pretty welcomed by him. the goggles are a nice touch too, reducing the glare from snow so that he can actually see properly in snowy environments without blinding himself.
The first official map featuring snow is Viaduct in August 13, 2009. The Cold Killer itself is released in December 20, 2012. Which means for more than three years Sniper was trying to fight in snowy grounds while being constantly blinded by the glare from the snow. It’s a miracle that he can even see where he’s aiming at through the scope, much less line up a headshot. I can only assume Sniper managed it by either squinting really hard or applying some sort of coating on the scope’s lenses. Or maybe that’s why he’s wearing sunglasses all the time.
But the days of (potentially) being by blinded by snow is now over with the arrival of the Cold Killer. Now the Sniper can have perfect vision in snowy environments as long as he remembers his proper eyewear. And how else can Sniper show how emotionless and proficient he is at murdering his fellow men but by wearing a hat called the Cold Killer?
Actually, what is it with Sniper hoods and edginess? While the stereotype of the edgy Sniper hat is mostly confined to the Anger, it kind of got carried over to every Sniper hood. Granted, this applies a lot less to the Cold Killer as compared to something like the Dread Riding Hood, but … Man, why do they all sound like song names from a death metal band?
The Cold Killer holds a rather special significance to me. It was the first hat I’ve ever gotten from a drop, after I finally bought my first item in the Mann Co. Store (it’s a Backburner, I know, should’ve bought a key). I later gifted it to my friend, because he doesn’t have a hat at all and he mostly played Sniper, which is a class I won’t touch with a ten foot pole. The hat is currently still with him, although he has since moved on to Overwatch.
Truth be told, the Cold Killer itself isn’t exactly a hat I’ll actively try to acquire, since I don’t actually play Sniper. In fact, the only Sniper cosmetic loadout I ever made was a “barely noticeable” themed loadout which consists of the Trophy Belt, Deus Specs, and the Triad Trinket. But there is nothing wrong with the Cold Killer, I just really don’t like Sniper enough to care.
As for cosmetic suggestions, as opposed to my first article on Sniper-only cosmetics, I will actually give some! The Extra Layer, Snow Scoper, Snow Sleeves, and Marksman’s Mohair are rather good shirts to go with the winter theme. As for the third slot, the “Snowy” style for Sir Hootsalot will be fantastic for the slot. Reindoonicorn is also a a rather nice choice. The Flashdance Footies is also a rather nice and cheap choice for the third slot as well. If you want to go for an ice climber look as stated in this article, the Fortune Hunter is a good cosmetic for the job.
Normally I would like to use facial hair cosmetics for winter-themed loadouts as well, but since the Cold Killer obscures much of Sniper’s face and head, it wouldn’t really work. Oh well.
