Difference between revisions of "Scout"

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[[File:ScoutIcon.png|200px|right|link=http://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Scout]]
 
[[File:ScoutIcon.png|200px|right|link=http://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Scout]]
  
The '''Scout''' has the greatest mobility of all the TF2 classes; two jumps and an impressive 133% movement speed makes him a challenge to track down and even to kill once he is found. The Scout carries a [[Scattergun]], which deals massive damage to an opponent at close range. With his high movement speed, a Scout has no trouble getting into close-combat with his enemies; rather, his greatest challenge is staying alive long enough to utilize his high damage. The Scout has only 125 base health, tied for the least out of all the classes along with the [[Engineer]], [[Sniper]] and [[Spy]].
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The '''Scout''' has the greatest mobility of all the TF2 classes; two jumps and an impressive 133% movement speed makes him a challenge to track down and even to kill once he is found. The Scout carries a [[Scattergun]], which deals massive damage to an opponent at close range. With his high movement speed, a Scout has no trouble getting into close-combat with his enemies; his greatest challenge is staying alive long enough to utilize his high damage. The Scout has only 125 base health, tied for the least out of all the classes along with the [[Engineer]], [[Sniper]] and [[Spy]].
  
 
==6v6==
 
==6v6==
 
{{main|Scout (6v6)}}
 
{{main|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 the standard 6v6 lineup, each team will have 2 Scouts. A competent Scout must successfully capture points, control the [[Glossary#Flank|flank]], and be able to finish off enemies weakened by power classes ([[Soldier]] and [[Demoman]]). He is also often the best candidates for off-classing, depending on the situation. Scout's most effective tactic is to utilize his high speed to ambush enemy players to kill them before they are able to react. During a mid-fight, at least one Scout should stay alive; losing both of its most mobile players can spell disaster for a team. The Scout should aim to die as little as possible, as a longer living scout has a higher impact.
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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. A competent Scout must successfully capture points, control the [[Glossary#Flank|flank]], and be able to finish off enemies weakened by power classes ([[Soldier]] and [[Demoman]]). He is also often the best candidates for off-classing, depending on the situation. Scout's most effective tactic is to utilize his high speed to ambush enemy players to kill them before they are able to react. During a mid-fight, at least one Scout should stay alive; losing both of its most mobile players can spell disaster for a team. The Scout should aim to die as little as possible, as a longer living scout has a higher impact.
  
In the standard 6v6 lineup, a Scout commonly will take one of two common roles: the Flank Scout and the Pocket Scout. The Flank Scout is a part of the [[Glossary#Flank|flank]], and often fights alongside the [[Roaming Soldier]]. His main job is to relay information to his team and assist the Roamer. Together, they watch the flank to prevent enemies from attacking the Combo. Should an opportunity present itself, they can attack the enemy Combo and create distractions for their own team to push. The Pocket Scout travels with the Combo, protects his teammates (especially the [[Medic]]), and finishes off enemies weakened by the [[Demoman]] or the Pocket Soldier. One of his main targets is the "bombing soldier" - an enemy Roamer jumping in to kill the Medic.  The Pocket Scout is the primary candidate to maincall due to his mobility and  high damage.
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In the standard 6v6 lineup, each team will have 2 Scouts, falling into one of two common roles: the Flank Scout and the Pocket Scout. The Flank Scout is a part of the [[Glossary#Flank|flank]], and often fights alongside the [[Roaming Soldier]]. His main job is to relay information to his team and assist the Roamer. Together, they watch the flank to prevent enemies from attacking the Combo. Should an opportunity present itself, they can attack the enemy Combo and create distractions for their own team to push. The Pocket Scout travels with the Combo, protects his teammates (especially the [[Medic]]), and finishes off enemies weakened by the [[Demoman]] or the Pocket Soldier. One of his main targets is the "bombing soldier" - an enemy Roamer jumping in to kill the Medic.  The Pocket Scout is the primary candidate to maincall due to his mobility and  high damage.
  
 
==Highlander==
 
==Highlander==
{{main|Scout (Highlander)}} Scout's role is severely diminished in Highlander, as his movement is significantly limited by full-auto high-damage per second classes, such as the Heavy or the Engineer. As such, Scout is used more often as a utility class, helping the team by being on the flank, capturing points and objectives, and sometimes following up on damage dealt by the combo. He can also be used to harass certain classes, such as Snipers. In game modes that force players together, such Payload and Attack/Defend, Scout is often limited in his utility due to his lack of splash damage, but can be deadly on certain King of the Hill maps with multiple flank routes.
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{{main|Scout (Highlander)}}
  
Highlander leagues allow a greater variety of scout weapons than 6v6 leagues do, which allows for more varied strategies. Scout's role can be enhanced by many of his unlocks: he could pick a more supportive role, splashing Mad Milk during pushes; he could distract the enemy team and kite Sentry Gun fire with Bonk! Atomic Punch. As long as Scout stays alive and aware, opportunities to flank, and ambush still will present themselves.
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Scout's role is far more limited in Highlander, as his movement is significantly restricted by two full-auto high-damage-per-second classes: Heavy and Engineer. As such, Scout is used more often as a utility class, helping the team by being on the flank, capturing points and objectives, and sometimes following up on damage dealt by the combo. He can also be used to harass certain classes, such as Snipers. Scout is often unable to contribute effectively in game modes that force players together (such Payload and Attack/Defend) due to his lack of splash damage, but can be deadly on certain King of the Hill maps with multiple flank routes, which allows him to pick off isolated enemies one by one.
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Highlander leagues allow a greater variety of Scout weapons than 6v6 leagues do, which allows for more varied strategies. Scout's role can be enhanced by many of his unlocks: Mad Milk increases his team's survivability during pushes; Bonk! Atomic Punch allows him to distract the enemy team and kite Sentry Gun fire. As long as Scout stays alive and aware, opportunities to flank and ambush will still present themselves.
  
 
==Weapons==
 
==Weapons==
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|description = The stock '''Scattergun''' is by far the most widely used primary weapon for the scout in Competitive Play. Due to the weapon's high clip size and damage output at mid-close range, the Scattergun gives the user a high and reliable damage output.
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|description = The stock '''Scattergun''' is by far the most widely used primary weapon for Scout in Competitive Play. Its high clip size and massive damage at mid-to-close range can easily give him the upper hand when picking off enemy players.
 
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|description = The '''Baby Face's Blaster''' is arguably the worst Scout primary for competitive play. It allows the Scout to build a "Boost" meter by dealing damage. At high Boost levels, he moves much faster, but this advantage is offset by his reduced clip size. At low Boost, he moves significantly slower than with the stock Scattergun. Taking damage or double jumping lowers Boost, forcing the Scout to play extremely passively in order to utilize the weapon's only benefit. As Scout's main responsibility is to flank and ambush the enemy team with his high mobility, this weapon often hampers his effectiveness rather than enhancing it.
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|description = The '''Baby Face's Blaster''' gives Scout the ability to charge a Boost Meter by dealing damage which greatly increases his movement speed. However, this comes at the cost of a smaller clip size, being slower than normal with zero boost, and boost being lost if Scout double jumps or takes damage. While the movement speed is potentially very strong, it's unreliable as it only takes 25 damage to completely remove all of your Boost. Because of this, the Baby Face's Blaster receives little use.
 
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|description = The '''Back Scatter''' is rarely used in competitive play; increased damage from behind seldom outweighs its weaknesses: decreased clip size and reduced accuracy. When used correctly, the Back Scatter can kill any light class in one hit, but this advantage is usually more useful against other flank classes; the enemy Pocket Scout is usually overhealed, allowing him to survive a mini-crit.
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|description = The '''Back Scatter''' allows Scout to deal Mini-Crit damage if he shoots enemies in their backs at the cost of a smaller clip size and less accurate shots. While these Mini-Crits can do massive amounts of damage, getting behind people is harder said than done since it isn't something Scout can easily control. This, combined with the Back Scatter's other always present downsides, makes it an unpopular choice.
 
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|description = The '''Force-A-Nature''' (often abbreviated to '''FaN''') is most often seen in [[Highlander]], where Scout's damage output is less vital. The weapon's unique knockback ability can allow for more effective positioning, allowing the Scout to jump to higher places or push away enemies; but ultimately the weapon remains rarely-used thanks to its inconsistent damage: its small clip size and knockback prevent him from effectively following up on an ambush.
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|description = The '''Force-a-Nature''' has only a two shot clip, but in return does more damage per shot and has the unique property of dealing significant knockback to both enemies and the Scout when fired. The knockback to enemies allows Scout to push people off of points or into an unfavorable position, and the self-knockback allows him to propel himself into the air and reach spots he couldn't without it. However, the knockback can backfire, since it could accidentally push an enemy into a favorable position or push Scout away from where he wants to go. The "FaN"'s high damage output makes it good for quick single-target kills, but its low clip size makes it weak in sustained fights and for general killing. While not used often, some Scouts find it a useful tradeoff from the stock Scattergun.
 
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|description = The '''Shortstop''' has 4 shots per clip and has tighter weapon spread making it more accurate at long range. It reloads all four shots at once, similar to the Pistol. It also has a nearly-useless melee-ranged knockback ability. While the Shortstop fires twice as fast as the default Scattergun, it takes thrice the time to reload. However, the weapon's biggest downfall is in its reduced damage; it only fires four pellets per shot, significantly reducing Scout's firepower at close range.
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|description = The '''Shortstop''' acts like a cross between the Scattergun and Pistol. Compared to the Scattergun, it's more accurate, shoots faster, does more damage per bullet, and reloads all shots at once, at the cost of a long reload, fewer bullets per shot, and the unlisted downside of taking more knockback while deployed. These stats leads the Shortstop to be worse at close range, but better and medium range than Scout's other primaries. Increasing Scout's range is beneficial, but its low damage output turns away many people from using it. The Shortstop also gives scout the ability to shove people back when deployed, but this feature is seen as pretty useless by most people.
 
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|description = The '''Soda Popper''' is similar to the Force-a-Nature with an increased fire rate and two shot clip, but deals no extra knockback and reloads faster. Upon activating its 'Hype' mechanic, it grants five double jumps, allowing Scout to dodge attacks much more easily. Its stellar damage and great evasion boost make a good Scout extremely difficult to fight against; as such, it is banned in many competitive leagues.
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|description = The '''Soda Popper''' is similar to the Force-a-Nature with its increased fire rate and two shot clip. However, instead of dealing knockback, it has a much faster reload and allows Scout to charge a Hype meter by doing damage. Once the Hype meter is fully charged, it can be activated to give Scout five double jumps until the meter fully drains and needs to be filled up again. The Soda Popper's excellent movement provided by the Hype meter, combined with its faster reload allowing for damage higher than the stock Scattergun, is why its banned in many competitive formats.
 
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|description = The '''Pistol''' is the Scout's stock secondary. It holds 12 shots and reloads all 12 shots at once. As the most reliable Scout secondary, it is the Scout's most common secondary weapon, allowing him to finish off weakened enemies at short to mid-range, or simply harass distant enemies.
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|description = The '''Pistol''' is Scout's stock secondary. It holds 12 shots and reloads its entire clip at once. As his most reliable secondary, it can finish off weakened enemies at short to mid-range, or simply distract them at long range.
 
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|description = '''Bonk! Atomic Punch''' is a Scout secondary that allows the user to go into an invincible state for 8 seconds, similar to an Übercharge. However, Scout cannot attack while invincible. After the buff's effects end he is slowed for 5 seconds. The more damage Scout "dodges" while under the buff, the slower he will become when the buff ends. Bonk! Atomic Punch is most often used in Highlander (9v9) to get behind the enemy team, even when there are no flank routes available. Bonk! can also be used to distract the enemy team and give the other members of a team an opening to push or get an advantage. One of its most common uses is to kite a Sentry Gun's fire, hopefully allowing the rest of the team to destroy it.
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|description = The '''Bonk! Atomic Punch''' makes Scout invulnerable for 8 seconds after he drinks it, similar to an Übercharge. However, Scout cannot attack during this time. If he normally would have taken damage, he will be slowed for 5 seconds after the buff wears off. The more damage Scout "dodges," the slower he will become when the buff ends. Bonk! is mainly used to help Scout either flank the enemy team, get through a choke, or escape a situation where Scout would have normally died. This third reason is why this item is sometimes banned, as some people view this ability to "escape death" as unfit for a competitive game. Its downside of slowing down the Scout after wearing off is also bugged and can be fully negated by mashing both strafe keys.
 
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|description = When used, '''Crit-a-Cola''' allows Scout to deal mini-crits for 8 seconds. However, he is marked for death for 5 seconds after each attack while under the effects, causing him to take mini-crits as well. In order to utilize this weapon to its fullest potential, Scout must be able to fire accurate shots while dodging enemy fire.
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|description = The '''Crit-a-Cola''' allows Scout to deal mini-crits for 8 seconds. However, he is Marked for Death for 5 seconds after each attack while under the effects, allowing enemies to do the same damage to him as he can to them. Since competitive formats usually feature fewer enemies to be shot by than in standard 12v12 games, the Marked for Death doesn't matter as much. This is why the Crit-a-Cola is banned in virtually every competitive game.
 
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|description = The '''Flying Guillotine''' is a meat cleaver that when thrown at the enemy does around ~50 damage, and then continues to damage through bleed for 5 seconds. If thrown from a far enough distance it will increase the recharge by 1.5 seconds. It takes about 6 seconds to recharge. This weapon is seldom used in competitive play, as it deals mediocre damage and is easily dodged at mid to long-range. Consider using other secondaries.
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|description = The '''Flying Guillotine''' is a cleaver which can be thrown to hit enemies from afar. The cleaver will inflict bleed damage on top of its base damage, and has the bonus of recharging faster if an enemy is hit from very far away. While hard to hit people with, the Flying Guillotine not only increases Scout's effective range, but is has a very fast recharge and does very good damage. These factors are why it is often banned.
 
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|description = '''Mad Milk''' is a Scout secondary that allows 60% of damage done to enemies covered in it to be restored to the attacking player's health. It is often be used in Highlander, where Scout's damage output is less vital. Thanks to its area-of-effect nature, it is most powerful on KOTH and Attack/Defense maps; players are forced to group together, allowing Scout to debuff multiple enemies at once. In a pinch, Mad Milk can also be used to extinguish teammates, simultaneously restoring the Milk meter by 20%.
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|description = The '''Mad Milk''' is a jar of 'milk' that can be thrown at enemies similar to Jarate. When it hits the ground or a player, it will explode and cover everyone in 'milk' within its splash radius. Anyone who shoots a player covered in 'milk' will heal 60% of the damage they dealt. Additionally, Scout can extinguish Afterburn on himself or any of his teammates if they are within the splash radius; doing this will even make it recharge faster. The Mad Milk is banned for being too strong of a buff for how spammable and easy to use it is, as it offers very high healing potential along with a very fast recharge and a very generous splash radius.
 
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|description = The '''Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol''' is a Scout pistol. It fires +15% faster, and heals Scout by 3 health per hit. This comes at a cost of 25% less clip, giving him only 9 shots before he must reload. It is most useful when retreating, as the minor health regeneration it grants helps to offset some of the damage Scout takes. While its increased firing speed allows Scout to finish off weakened enemies faster, the stock Pistol is usually a more reliable Secondary.
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|description = The '''Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol''' is a pistol that will heal the Scout for every shot he lands on an enemy with it. It also has a faster rate of fire than the stock Pistol, but at the cost of a smaller clip. This weapon is often banned because its faster rate of fire, even with the smaller clip, gives it a higher initial DPS than the stock Pistol, essentially making the Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol a direct upgrade.
 
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|description = The '''Winger''' is a utility pistol that deals 15% more damage and has a 60% smaller clip size, leaving Scout with only 5 shots. When deployed, Scout gains a 25% jump boost, allowing him to flank more effectively, dodge erratically, and gain a height advantage. The Winger is rather ineffective in combat, as its tiny clip size prevents Scout from taking out weakened players as easily.
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|description = The '''Winger''' is a utility pistol that gives the Scout higher jumps when deployed and does more damage per shot, at the cost of a much smaller clip size. Most Scouts prefer the superior damage output of the stock Pistol, but the extra mobility can be helpful in certain situations for dodging or reaching high areas of a map.
 
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|description = The '''Bat''' is the default melee weapon for the Scout, doing 35 points of damage per hit, but swinging nearly twice as fast as other classes' melee weapons. Melee weapons are rarely used to deal damage, so consider using other melee weapons that offer greater utility.
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|description = The '''Bat''' is the default melee weapon for the Scout. Compared to other classes, Scout's stock melee does less damage but swings faster. While being ok when used to finish off enemies, the stock Bat is rarely seen as worth using compared to other options.
 
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|description = The '''Atomizer''' grants a Scout a third jump that only takes effect when the weapon is out, allowing Scout to position himself effectively out of combat. Its draw speed debuff prevents him from using it in direct combat, however. When on the ground, each attack deals 30 damage, and in the air, 40 damage.  
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|description = The '''Atomizer''' grants Scout a third jump when fully deployed, potentially allowing him to dodge better and reach unexpected areas. However, it takes longer to deploy than Scout's other melees, which gimps its ability to be used in combat and often relegates it to just being used as a mobility tool when out of combat.
 
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|description = The '''Boston Basher''' is a bat that causes the enemy to bleed for 5 seconds upon landing a successful hit, dealing 35 direct damage and an extra 40 bleed damage over time. If the hit is missed, however, it will cause Scout to damage himself for 18 direct damage and 40 bleed damage. As such, it is unreliable in combat. However, it is the most common melee in 6v6 matches, as a Scout damaging himself will allow a Medic to build Übercharge twice as quickly compared to healing a fully-overhealed player.
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|description = The '''Boston Basher''' is a bat that will cause enemies to bleed when if they are hit by it. If Scout misses and hits no one, however, he will both damage himself and cause himself to bleed. A Scout who has hit himself will even get popped up high in the air, which could help him reach certain areas, but the high self damage makes the Boston Basher very risky to use as either a combat or mobility tool. However, the self damage will help Medic build up his Übercharge, which is why this is Scout's most commonly used melee in competitive.
 
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|description = The '''Candy Cane''' does the same exact damage as the Bat. However, Scout kills an opponent, they will drop a small health pack. This weapon is a double-edged sword, however, as the health packs can be picked up by either team. Additionally, Scout takes 25% more explosive damage, allowing enemy Soldiers and Demomen to kill him with one direct hit. This weapon is not used often in 6v6 matches, as it significantly reduces a Scout's survivability against two out of the four standard classes.
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|description = The '''Candy Cane''' will make anyone Scout kills drop a Small Health Kit on the ground for anyone to pick up, regardless of what weapon the Scout was using. However, the Candy Cane makes Scout take more damage from explosives, allowing any explosive to instantly kill the Scout with a direct hit or deal significant damage otherwise. While the healing provided by the Candy Cane would be very strong, the explosive vulnerability makes it almost unusable as two of the four main classes used in competitive primarily use explosives.
 
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|description = The '''Fan O'War''' does 75% less damage than the default Bat, amounting to a paltry 9 points. However, it will mark an enemy for death, causing them to take mini-crits for the next fifteen seconds. However, if Scout hits another enemy, the "marked-for-death" effect will be transferred away from the first enemy to the one he just attacked. The weapon itself will crit whenever it should normally mini-crit, dealing 27 damage. Using this weapon is a gamble; Scout must get within melee range of an enemy to deal scratch damage, then retreat and use his other weapons to kill him, or hope his team kills the marked player. Marked players will often retreat, reducing the effectiveness of the debuff.
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|description = The '''Fan O'War''' does very little damage, but will inflict the Marked for Death debuff on anyone hit by it. However, only one person can be Marked for Death at a time, since if another person is hit while someone else still has their Marked for Death debuff, that person will lose their debuff. This weapon can be powerful but is very risky to use, and many Scouts find it safer to just shoot people like normal instead.
 
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|description = The '''Sandman''' has the same stats as the default bat. Alt-fire will launch a baseball which deals 15 damage and slows the enemy from 1-7 seconds depending on the distance. This item will reduce Scout's maximum health by 15 points, allowing him to be instantly killed by close-range direct hits from Soldier's rockets and Demoman's Stickybombs. The baseball's minor damage and low-power debuff rarely outweighs the reduction in survivability; as such, this weapon sees little use in competitive play.
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|description = The '''Sandman''' allows to launch a baseball at enemies. This baseball does very low damage but applies a slowdown debuff to anyone hit, along with dealing slightly more damage to target hit from far away. However, the slowdown debuff is bugged and can be completely negated by mashing both strafe keys, making it a worse version of the Wrap Assassin's bauble. On top of that, the Sandman also lowers Scout's health a dangerous amount, allowing him to get one-shot by directly hit rockets and close stickybombs. The near-useless baseball combined with the detrimental health penalty makes the Sandman a poor choice.
 
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|description = The '''Sun-on-a-Stick''' deals crits (79 damage) to burning players, but loses 25% of its base power (26 damage to non-burning players). This weapon sees the most use in Highlander mode, where both teams have a Pyro. Because the Scattergun deals more damage at longer distance than the Sun-on-a-Stick, the weapon is most often used to survive an enemy Pyro's afterburn, rather than attacking enemies.
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|description = The '''Sun-on-a-Stick''' gives Scout resistance to fire damage while deployed and does more damage to enemies who are on fire. While the extra damage isn't very helpful, taking less fire damage can sometimes be useful, although it's a bit niche as Pyro isn't always run.
 
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|description = The '''Wrap Assassin''' will launch a glass ball upon clicking alt+fire. The ball deals 15 direct damage and inflict 40 bleed damage over 5 seconds. If it shatters on a surface, nearby players will take 4 direct damage and no bleed damage. This item takes 7.5 seconds to recharge. The weapon itself does 65% less damage than the default bat, for a total of 12 damage. This weapon is rarely used in Competitive; it is outshined by the Boston Basher's self-damage capability, which allows friendly Medics to build Übercharge faster.
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|description = The '''Wrap Assassin''' allows Scout to launch a glass ball. The damage this will deal is actually random, but it will usually be a decent amount. The bauble will shatter on impact, having a small splash radius and causing enemies directly hit to bleed. It can potentially be used to hit one of Demoman's projectiles and deflect it, but this is extremely hard to do. As for the actual melee, it is given a major damage penalty to compensate, but doesn't matter to most players. While most Scout's choose the Boston Basher, the Wrap Assassin is a solid option which can be used to harass enemies from a safe distance.
 
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Latest revision as of 01:54, 25 March 2024

ScoutIcon.png

The Scout has the greatest mobility of all the TF2 classes; two jumps and an impressive 133% movement speed makes him a challenge to track down and even to kill once he is found. The Scout carries a Scattergun, which deals massive damage to an opponent at close range. With his high movement speed, a Scout has no trouble getting into close-combat with his enemies; his greatest challenge is staying alive long enough to utilize his high damage. The Scout has only 125 base health, tied for the least out of all the classes along with the Engineer, Sniper and Spy.

6v6[edit]

Main article: 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. A competent Scout must successfully capture points, control the flank, and be able to finish off enemies weakened by power classes (Soldier and Demoman). He is also often the best candidates for off-classing, depending on the situation. Scout's most effective tactic is to utilize his high speed to ambush enemy players to kill them before they are able to react. During a mid-fight, at least one Scout should stay alive; losing both of its most mobile players can spell disaster for a team. The Scout should aim to die as little as possible, as a longer living scout has a higher impact.

In the standard 6v6 lineup, each team will have 2 Scouts, falling into one of two common roles: the Flank Scout and the Pocket Scout. The Flank Scout is a part of the flank, and often fights alongside the Roaming Soldier. His main job is to relay information to his team and assist the Roamer. Together, they watch the flank to prevent enemies from attacking the Combo. Should an opportunity present itself, they can attack the enemy Combo and create distractions for their own team to push. The Pocket Scout travels with the Combo, protects his teammates (especially the Medic), and finishes off enemies weakened by the Demoman or the Pocket Soldier. One of his main targets is the "bombing soldier" - an enemy Roamer jumping in to kill the Medic. The Pocket Scout is the primary candidate to maincall due to his mobility and high damage.

Highlander[edit]

Main article: Scout (Highlander)

Scout's role is far more limited in Highlander, as his movement is significantly restricted by two full-auto high-damage-per-second classes: Heavy and Engineer. As such, Scout is used more often as a utility class, helping the team by being on the flank, capturing points and objectives, and sometimes following up on damage dealt by the combo. He can also be used to harass certain classes, such as Snipers. Scout is often unable to contribute effectively in game modes that force players together (such Payload and Attack/Defend) due to his lack of splash damage, but can be deadly on certain King of the Hill maps with multiple flank routes, which allows him to pick off isolated enemies one by one.

Highlander leagues allow a greater variety of Scout weapons than 6v6 leagues do, which allows for more varied strategies. Scout's role can be enhanced by many of his unlocks: Mad Milk increases his team's survivability during pushes; Bonk! Atomic Punch allows him to distract the enemy team and kite Sentry Gun fire. As long as Scout stays alive and aware, opportunities to flank and ambush will still present themselves.

Weapons[edit]

Primary[edit]

Weapon 4v4 6v6 Highlander
UGC-Icon2.png UGC United Nations Global Whitelist RGL Icon.png RGL UGC-Icon2.png UGC RGL Icon.png RGL ETF2L-Icon2.png ETF2L
Scattergun.png
Scattergun
Always Always Always Always Always Always
The stock Scattergun is by far the most widely used primary weapon for Scout in Competitive Play. Its high clip size and massive damage at mid-to-close range can easily give him the upper hand when picking off enemy players.
Baby Face's Blaster.png
Baby Face's Blaster
Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed
The Baby Face's Blaster gives Scout the ability to charge a Boost Meter by dealing damage which greatly increases his movement speed. However, this comes at the cost of a smaller clip size, being slower than normal with zero boost, and boost being lost if Scout double jumps or takes damage. While the movement speed is potentially very strong, it's unreliable as it only takes 25 damage to completely remove all of your Boost. Because of this, the Baby Face's Blaster receives little use.
Back Scatter.png
Back Scatter
Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed
The Back Scatter allows Scout to deal Mini-Crit damage if he shoots enemies in their backs at the cost of a smaller clip size and less accurate shots. While these Mini-Crits can do massive amounts of damage, getting behind people is harder said than done since it isn't something Scout can easily control. This, combined with the Back Scatter's other always present downsides, makes it an unpopular choice.
Force-A-Nature.png
Force-A-Nature
Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed
The Force-a-Nature has only a two shot clip, but in return does more damage per shot and has the unique property of dealing significant knockback to both enemies and the Scout when fired. The knockback to enemies allows Scout to push people off of points or into an unfavorable position, and the self-knockback allows him to propel himself into the air and reach spots he couldn't without it. However, the knockback can backfire, since it could accidentally push an enemy into a favorable position or push Scout away from where he wants to go. The "FaN"'s high damage output makes it good for quick single-target kills, but its low clip size makes it weak in sustained fights and for general killing. While not used often, some Scouts find it a useful tradeoff from the stock Scattergun.
Shortstop.png
Shortstop
Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed
The Shortstop acts like a cross between the Scattergun and Pistol. Compared to the Scattergun, it's more accurate, shoots faster, does more damage per bullet, and reloads all shots at once, at the cost of a long reload, fewer bullets per shot, and the unlisted downside of taking more knockback while deployed. These stats leads the Shortstop to be worse at close range, but better and medium range than Scout's other primaries. Increasing Scout's range is beneficial, but its low damage output turns away many people from using it. The Shortstop also gives scout the ability to shove people back when deployed, but this feature is seen as pretty useless by most people.
Soda Popper.png
Soda Popper
Banned Banned Banned Allowed Allowed Allowed
The Soda Popper is similar to the Force-a-Nature with its increased fire rate and two shot clip. However, instead of dealing knockback, it has a much faster reload and allows Scout to charge a Hype meter by doing damage. Once the Hype meter is fully charged, it can be activated to give Scout five double jumps until the meter fully drains and needs to be filled up again. The Soda Popper's excellent movement provided by the Hype meter, combined with its faster reload allowing for damage higher than the stock Scattergun, is why its banned in many competitive formats.


Secondary[edit]

Weapon 4v4 6v6 Highlander
UGC-Icon2.png UGC United Nations Global Whitelist RGL Icon.png RGL UGC-Icon2.png UGC RGL Icon.png RGL ETF2L-Icon2.png ETF2L
Pistol.png
Pistol
Always Always Always Always Always Always
The Pistol is Scout's stock secondary. It holds 12 shots and reloads its entire clip at once. As his most reliable secondary, it can finish off weakened enemies at short to mid-range, or simply distract them at long range.
Bonk! Atomic Punch.png
Bonk! Atomic Punch
Allowed Banned Banned Allowed Allowed Allowed
The Bonk! Atomic Punch makes Scout invulnerable for 8 seconds after he drinks it, similar to an Übercharge. However, Scout cannot attack during this time. If he normally would have taken damage, he will be slowed for 5 seconds after the buff wears off. The more damage Scout "dodges," the slower he will become when the buff ends. Bonk! is mainly used to help Scout either flank the enemy team, get through a choke, or escape a situation where Scout would have normally died. This third reason is why this item is sometimes banned, as some people view this ability to "escape death" as unfit for a competitive game. Its downside of slowing down the Scout after wearing off is also bugged and can be fully negated by mashing both strafe keys.
Crit-a-Cola.png
Crit-a-Cola
Banned Banned Banned Banned Banned Banned
The Crit-a-Cola allows Scout to deal mini-crits for 8 seconds. However, he is Marked for Death for 5 seconds after each attack while under the effects, allowing enemies to do the same damage to him as he can to them. Since competitive formats usually feature fewer enemies to be shot by than in standard 12v12 games, the Marked for Death doesn't matter as much. This is why the Crit-a-Cola is banned in virtually every competitive game.
Flying Guillotine.png
Flying Guillotine
Allowed Banned Banned Allowed Allowed Banned
The Flying Guillotine is a cleaver which can be thrown to hit enemies from afar. The cleaver will inflict bleed damage on top of its base damage, and has the bonus of recharging faster if an enemy is hit from very far away. While hard to hit people with, the Flying Guillotine not only increases Scout's effective range, but is has a very fast recharge and does very good damage. These factors are why it is often banned.
Mad Milk.png
Mad Milk
Banned Banned Banned Banned Banned Banned
The Mad Milk is a jar of 'milk' that can be thrown at enemies similar to Jarate. When it hits the ground or a player, it will explode and cover everyone in 'milk' within its splash radius. Anyone who shoots a player covered in 'milk' will heal 60% of the damage they dealt. Additionally, Scout can extinguish Afterburn on himself or any of his teammates if they are within the splash radius; doing this will even make it recharge faster. The Mad Milk is banned for being too strong of a buff for how spammable and easy to use it is, as it offers very high healing potential along with a very fast recharge and a very generous splash radius.
Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol.png
Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol
Allowed Banned Banned Allowed Allowed Allowed
The Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol is a pistol that will heal the Scout for every shot he lands on an enemy with it. It also has a faster rate of fire than the stock Pistol, but at the cost of a smaller clip. This weapon is often banned because its faster rate of fire, even with the smaller clip, gives it a higher initial DPS than the stock Pistol, essentially making the Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol a direct upgrade.
Winger.png
Winger
Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed
The Winger is a utility pistol that gives the Scout higher jumps when deployed and does more damage per shot, at the cost of a much smaller clip size. Most Scouts prefer the superior damage output of the stock Pistol, but the extra mobility can be helpful in certain situations for dodging or reaching high areas of a map.


Melee[edit]

Weapon 4v4 6v6 Highlander
UGC-Icon2.png UGC United Nations Global Whitelist RGL Icon.png RGL UGC-Icon2.png UGC RGL Icon.png RGL ETF2L-Icon2.png ETF2L
Bat.png
Bat
Always Always Always Always Always Always
The Bat is the default melee weapon for the Scout. Compared to other classes, Scout's stock melee does less damage but swings faster. While being ok when used to finish off enemies, the stock Bat is rarely seen as worth using compared to other options.
Atomizer.png
Atomizer
Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed
The Atomizer grants Scout a third jump when fully deployed, potentially allowing him to dodge better and reach unexpected areas. However, it takes longer to deploy than Scout's other melees, which gimps its ability to be used in combat and often relegates it to just being used as a mobility tool when out of combat.
Boston Basher.png
Boston Basher
Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed
The Boston Basher is a bat that will cause enemies to bleed when if they are hit by it. If Scout misses and hits no one, however, he will both damage himself and cause himself to bleed. A Scout who has hit himself will even get popped up high in the air, which could help him reach certain areas, but the high self damage makes the Boston Basher very risky to use as either a combat or mobility tool. However, the self damage will help Medic build up his Übercharge, which is why this is Scout's most commonly used melee in competitive.
Candy Cane.png
Candy Cane
Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed
The Candy Cane will make anyone Scout kills drop a Small Health Kit on the ground for anyone to pick up, regardless of what weapon the Scout was using. However, the Candy Cane makes Scout take more damage from explosives, allowing any explosive to instantly kill the Scout with a direct hit or deal significant damage otherwise. While the healing provided by the Candy Cane would be very strong, the explosive vulnerability makes it almost unusable as two of the four main classes used in competitive primarily use explosives.
Fan O'War.png
Fan O'War
Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed
The Fan O'War does very little damage, but will inflict the Marked for Death debuff on anyone hit by it. However, only one person can be Marked for Death at a time, since if another person is hit while someone else still has their Marked for Death debuff, that person will lose their debuff. This weapon can be powerful but is very risky to use, and many Scouts find it safer to just shoot people like normal instead.
Sandman.png
Sandman
Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed
The Sandman allows to launch a baseball at enemies. This baseball does very low damage but applies a slowdown debuff to anyone hit, along with dealing slightly more damage to target hit from far away. However, the slowdown debuff is bugged and can be completely negated by mashing both strafe keys, making it a worse version of the Wrap Assassin's bauble. On top of that, the Sandman also lowers Scout's health a dangerous amount, allowing him to get one-shot by directly hit rockets and close stickybombs. The near-useless baseball combined with the detrimental health penalty makes the Sandman a poor choice.
Sun-on-a-Stick.png
Sun-on-a-Stick
Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed
The Sun-on-a-Stick gives Scout resistance to fire damage while deployed and does more damage to enemies who are on fire. While the extra damage isn't very helpful, taking less fire damage can sometimes be useful, although it's a bit niche as Pyro isn't always run.
Wrap Assassin.png
Wrap Assassin
Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed
The Wrap Assassin allows Scout to launch a glass ball. The damage this will deal is actually random, but it will usually be a decent amount. The bauble will shatter on impact, having a small splash radius and causing enemies directly hit to bleed. It can potentially be used to hit one of Demoman's projectiles and deflect it, but this is extremely hard to do. As for the actual melee, it is given a major damage penalty to compensate, but doesn't matter to most players. While most Scout's choose the Boston Basher, the Wrap Assassin is a solid option which can be used to harass enemies from a safe distance.


See Also[edit]