Spy
The Spy is a suave backstabbing rogue that has the ability to insta-kill any class in the game with their knife. Spies are valued in that they can position themselves as they see fit with their Cloak and can get important Picks through the manipulation and deception of the enemy team. The Spy arguably has below average direct combat ability, as he is solely designed to only get one or two kills at a time. As a pick class, the Spy will usually target the enemy Demoman, Heavy or Medic and either get the Medic to pop or drop his Übercharge. The Spy is also capable of incapacitating and destroying the Engineer's buildings.
6v6
- Main article: Spy (6v6)
In 6v6, the Spy is considered an offclass due to his unreliable damage output and weakness, if a Spy is played they will usually only get one chance at getting a pick. Because of this, the Spy is rarely used and will most often target the enemy Medic or Demoman to get a pick worth more than his own life. A team might use a Spy when the enemy Medic has a large advantage, or to get an important pick over the enemy team and end a stalemate.
In terms of assassination power, the Spy has less potential than the Sniper, so be wary when running a Spy. A Sniper can shoot multiple times and get multiple picks, a Spy will usually only get once chance for one pick. The Spy is commonly used as a surprise tactic for breaking stalemates against teams too wary of Snipers or Roamer bombings. However the Spy is still largely situational and most teams will prefer a Sniper.
There are benefits to running a Spy however. You can check the enemy Medic's Uber percentage and choice of Medigun, call surprise offclasses and where the enemy is positioned. The Spy can also be utilised for backcapping due to his cloak allowing him to traverse the map easily and undisturbed.
Highlander
- Main article: Spy (Highlander)
In Highlander, the Spy is used as a support class. He is often used to pick the enemy Medic, Heavy, Demoman, Sniper, Engineer, or any key targets that are giving his team trouble. Spies in Highlander must be aware that the enemy team has a full-time Pyro and is spychecking more often, leaving the Spy with less opportunities for picks.
The Spy is also the best scouting class in the game, providing invaluable information for his team. He can find how far along a Medic is to fully charging his ubercharge, where the enemy team is located, and in what direction they are moving towards in the safety provided by his watches.
Trickstabs
When spotted or confronted by an enemy, a spy is almost always put at a disadvantage, due to his low damage output on primaries. In times of need, Spies may use trickstabs to place themselves behinds the enemy, for a very risky stab. The are a multitude of ways to do so. For an example, the most popular trickstab involves jumping over an elevated area (ex: stairs) to get over the enemy's head and stab them from above. One variation of this is the understab, a reverse situation in which an enemy jumps to you, but you move in another direction to backstab them. Another trickstab is the cornerstab, a maneuver in which after rounding a corner with an enemy chasing, the Spy goes back around the corner wide and gets the backstab on them. Possibly the most difficult to apply are strafe stabs. These stabs trick the enemy into looking one way, then you move another in order to expose their back. Various names include the Strafe and Snap, the Matador and the Tango stab.
Weapons
Template:Class Spy Primary Table
Template:Class Spy Secondary Table
Template:Class Spy Melee Table
