Scout

Scout

6v6

• The Scout is a highly mobile "clean up" class, used to capture points and move in and out of fights to deal and avoid as much damage as possible. In standard 6v6 play, a team will have 2 Scouts. When playing this class, you will be expected to successfully capture points, control the flank, and be able to clean up the damage put out by your heavy classes (Soldiers and Demo). Generally speaking, a Scout will have a high number of kills and a moderate amount of damage - diving in to kill already damaged players is the primary cause of this. Scouts are also often the best candidates for off-classing, depending on the situation.

Midfights

6v6

• Playing Scout properly at mid involves finding the right time to go in. The start of a midfight has all 6 players on both teams staring right at each other, so going in first will result in instant and painful death. Staying at a range where one can easily avoid damage is key. The best time to enter the fight is when the team is sufficiently distracted so that you may get into close range without being detected or shot at. The longer the Scout(s) survive at mid, the better chance a team has at winning. Their value goes up as time goes on because of their ability to clean up fights. Every time an enemy player dies, a Scout's usefulness increases. It's much easier to fight as a Scout in a 3v3 rather than a 6v6. Find the right time to enter the fight and work off of your teammate's damage.

Offclassing

While a Scout is one of the most powerful classes in the game, there are a variety of situations in which playing one of the less used classes can be beneficial. On the last point of your average 5 CP map, for example, a Scout is not nearly as useful as he is in other areas of the map where it is easier to roam freely. In these situations, you can choose any of the following.

Heavy - The highest potential DPS class in the game. Heavy is best played in highly defensive situations. His lack of mobility, compounded with the fact that he is focused very hard, makes him hard to utilize to great effect during offensive pushes. The best way to use him offensively requires great positioning so that they cannot run from you. If you are able to keep them all in one place and in your line of sight, a Heavy can be highly effective. Places where he is best used include, but are not limited to, last points on 5 CP, defending on A/D maps, defending the point on KOTH maps, and pushing into certain last points. Additionally, having an ubercharge is almost necessary when using a Heavy to fight. Once a fight has begun, there is no way for a Heavy to disengage. His low mobility and large size make him an easy target. Once he is in, tanking him with the uber is almost a necessity. Scouts, Soldiers, and Demomen all have the ability to escape in some capacity. If played correctly, Heavy is one of the strongest offclasses.

Engineer - Similar in use to the Heavy, but even more situational. He is run almost every single round on defense of Gravelpit, the primary A/D map, for his Sentry Gun, Dispenser, and Teleporter that can all be set up before the round even starts in order to hold one point. Being able to defend your buildings is crucial, and moving them as pushes begin is the only way to keep them from going down. If you work with your team, this can all be done smoothly. On your average, more often-played 5 CP and KOTH maps, effectiveness of an Engineer is limited. The time it takes to set up even a single Sentry Gun with only one Engineer often offsets its benefits. It can be used to guard the last point, but it is much easier to destroy than a Heavy, and has no mobility unless moved (taking away all of its firepower). The Engineer is the most situational of all the off-classes, and must be played at only the best times on the best maps.

Pyro - Once again, a class mostly used defensively. The Pyro has underwhelming damage, a very short range, and moderate mobility at best. His utility and usefulness come almost entirely from his airblast mechanic. He can be used in certain situations to flank and deal damage, but this ability is considerably weaker than a Scout's. Because of this, a Pyro is usually run only when defending a last point on 5 CP. The airblast is used to deflect projectiles and hold an uber push in place. This is most useful when at an uber disadvantage. The enemy team ubers in and the Pyro moves forward to airblast them backwards, stalling the push. You may often die in this scenario, but it can be enough to delay the majority of their invulnerability, evening out the playing field considerably. Pyro isn't weak in and of itself; the other classes are simply stronger. If caught alone, a Pyro can easily be killed by a Scout or Soldier, making positioning very important.

Sniper - One of the most commonly used utility classes. The Sniper's very long range and very high damage can be used to pick off important classes, lock down specific areas, and deny jumping/rushing/suiciding players with ease. Positioning is the most important thing on Sniper (besides being able to hit your shots). The Sniper has base movement speed, 125 HP, and poor close range capabilities. If caught out by any other combat class, the Sniper will usually die. The best places to stand are those in which you have as long a sightline of possible towards wherever it is that the enemy will be coming out of, and somewhere where you can either escape very quickly or can be protected by your teammates. A sniper is not usually run at all times, so when switching to it yourself, there is almost 0 threat of being countersniped for your first life. This allows you to take certain actions and positioning decisions that would be harder if there were a long range threat to you. A Sniper can be run in many situations depending on the place you're holding on the map and the uber status. Snipers are most commonly run defending against an enemy with uber advantage, during an equal-uber stalemate, or defending/attacking a point with a particularly open sightline. There is no damage spread in competitive play, so a fully charged bodyshot will instantly kill a Medic and an unbuffed Scout. Your primary target in 99% of situations will be the Medic. After that, there are few targets worth holding your shot for. The Demoman is the next most important, but wasting other potential shots and kills is not worth it in most situations. Knowing on what maps to snipe on and when the best time to switch is can win games for your team, so long as you have the aim to backup your decision making.