Back Scratcher

Back Scratcher
https://wiki.teamfortress.com/w/images/b/b1/Back_Scratcher_3D.jpg?1701632274.9078688558,217,280,3,0,269,49,118,268,46,243,257,43,374,272,46,497,270,53,626,260,60,760,275,42,885,272,59,1014,263,78,1146,276,43,1264,274,70,1383,264,76,1523,277,48,1628,275,83,1730,265,70,1876,278,57,1960,276,92,2044,265,66,2186,277,71,2250,276,91,2331,264,64,2475,276,63,2558,276,91,2650,262,65,2801,273,53,2906,274,86,3010,260,68,3159,272,46,3279,273,74,3395,257,74,3531,270,42,3658,270,64,3779,254,82,3896,267,42,4022,267,56,4142,251,67,4256,264,48,4377,264,51,4492,249,54,4602,267,49,4728,267,42,4847,251,36,4961,270,49,5087,270,33,5207,254,19,5323,272,53,5442,273,28,5558,257,7,5694,273,60,5799,274,28,5902,260,1,6050,276,72,6133,276,34,6225,262,1,6376,277,83,6440,276,46,6520,264,10,6663,278,75,6747,276,40,6832,265,9,6974,277,64,7079,275,31,7182,265,1,7328,276,55,7447,274,27,7567,264,0,7708,275,49,7834,272,28,7964,263,6,8097,272,47,8221,270,34,8351,260,21
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Kill Icon
Basic Information
Used by:	Pyro
Slot:	Melee
Contributed by:	Roy Theunissen
Released:	December 17, 2010 Patch (Australian Christmas)
Availability:	Drop, Craft, Purchase, Uncrate #6, Uncrate #42 (Strange), Chemistry Set (Collector's) or War Paint (Decorated)
Tradable:	Yes
Giftable:	Yes
Craftable:	Yes
Nameable:	Yes
Craft No.?:	No
Medieval:	Yes
Available Qualities
Unique Strange Collector's Decorated
Loadout Stats
The Back Scratcher Level 10 Garden Rake +25% damage bonus +50% health from packs on wearer -75% health from healers on wearer

“

When asked about it, the Pyro claims to have found it in the garden and has been using it as a backscratcher, though we must admit we have always wondered how the bent teeth and bloodstains got there. Now we know. — Back Scratcher publicity blurb

”

The Back Scratcher is a community-created melee weapon for the Pyro. It is a heavy-duty gardening rake, consisting of a wooden handle with a green metal head at one end, and a rubber cap on the other. The teeth on the head are bloodstained and bent.

The Back Scratcher increases melee damage by 25% when compared with the Fire Axe and raises healing from health packs by 50%, as well as dropped lunchbox items, which function as small and medium health packs. As a result, small and medium health packs bestow 54, approximately 31%, and 132, approximately 75% health respectively. However, there is an overall cost of 75% slower healing from Medics, Dispensers and the Payload Cart. Players are therefore forced to rely less on continuous healing sources and more on health packs scattered around the map.

As an interesting bonus, the rate at which a Medic's ÜberCharge is filled is not slowed, allowing heavily-injured Pyros to greatly build up an ÜberCharge.

The weapon was originally created for the Fancy vs. Nasty Update as a replacement skin for the Axtinguisher and has since been officially added to the game.

Damage and function times

See also: Damage

Damage and function times
Damage type		Melee
Ranged or Melee damage?		Melee
Damage
Base damage	100%	81
Critical		244
Mini-crit		110
Function times
Attack interval		0.8 s
Values are approximate and determined by community testing.

Healing rates

A graph comparing the healing rates of various sources with and without the Back Scratcher.

See also: Health

From Medi Gun, Kritzkrieg, or Vaccinator:

• Injured 10 or less seconds ago: 6 per second
• Injured 15 or more seconds ago: 18 per second

From Quick-Fix:

• Injured 10 or less seconds ago: 8.4 per second
• Injured 15 or more seconds ago: 25.2 per second
• Injured 10 or less second ago with ÜberCharge: 25.2 per second
• Injured 15 or more seconds ago with ÜberCharge: 75.6 per second

Overheal from Vaccinator:

• Injured 10 or less seconds ago: 2 per second
• Injured 15 or more seconds ago: 6 per second

From Medicating Melody:

• Injured 10 or less seconds ago: 6.25 per second
• Injured 15 or more seconds ago: 18.75 per second

From Dispenser:

• Level 1: 2.5 per second
• Level 2: 3.75 per second
• Level 3: 5 per second

From Payload Cart:

• 2.5 per second

Healing rates are approximate and determined by community testing.

Crafting

See also: Crafting

Blueprint

Axtinguisher		Scotsman's Skullcutter		Back Scratcher
	+		=

Class Token - Pyro		Slot Token - Melee		Scrap Metal		Possible Results
	+		+		=

Strange variant

Strange variant information

Strange Back Scratcher Strange Garden Rake - Kills: 0 +25% damage bonus +50% health from packs on wearer -75% health from healers on wearer

Compatible Strange parts Strange Part: Damage Dealt Strange Cosmetic Part: Fires Survived Strange Part: Allied Healing Done Strange Part: Allies Extinguished Strange Part: Scouts Killed Strange Part: Soldiers Killed Strange Part: Pyros Killed Strange Part: Demomen Killed Strange Part: Heavies Killed Strange Part: Engineers Killed Strange Part: Medics Killed Strange Part: Snipers Killed Strange Part: Spies Killed Strange Part: Cloaked Spies Killed Strange Part: Low-Health Kills Strange Part: Posthumous Kills Strange Part: Kills While Übercharged Strange Part: Defender Kills Strange Part: Underwater Kills Strange Part: Critical Kills Strange Part: Gib Kills Strange Part: Kills While Explosive Jumping Strange Part: Headshot Kills Strange Part: Airborne Enemies Killed Strange Part: Burning Enemy Kills Strange Part: Medics Killed That Have Full ÜberCharge Strange Part: Unusual-Wearing Player Kills Strange Part: Point-Blank Kills Strange Part: Long-Distance Kills Strange Part: Domination Kills Strange Part: Revenge Kills Strange Part: Full Moon Kills Strange Part: Halloween Kills Strange Part: Kills During Victory Time Strange Part: Kills with a Taunt Attack Strange Part: Buildings Destroyed Strange Part: Sappers Destroyed Strange Part: Robots Destroyed Strange Part: Giant Robots Destroyed Strange Part: Robot Spies Destroyed Strange Part: Tanks Destroyed Strange Part: Robots Destroyed During Halloween Strange Part: Projectiles Reflected Strange Cosmetic Part: Freezecam Taunt Appearances Strange Part: Killstreaks Ended Strange Part: Player Hits

Related achievements

 Pyro

Clearcutter Kill 6 people with your axe in one life.

Lumberjack Kill 3 people with your axe in one life.

Update history

December 17, 2010 Patch (Australian Christmas)

• The Back Scratcher was added to the game.

December 21, 2010 Patch

• The Back Scratcher was added to the Mann Co. Store, made craftable, and included in random drops.

January 7, 2011 Patch

• The Back Scratcher was given a unique kill icon.

February 14, 2011 Patch

• Fixed melee attacks not destroying remote detonation pipes (Stickybombs).

July 22, 2011 Patch

• [Undocumented] The damage bonus attribute was changed from "+25% damage done" to "+25% damage bonus".

March 22, 2012 Patch

• [Undocumented] Added Strange quality.

November 12, 2013 Patch

• [Undocumented] Added Collector's quality.

December 21, 2017 Patch (Smissmas 2017)

• Added Festivized variant.

Bugs

• Crusaders Crossbow is unaffected by stat "-75% health from healers on wearer" causing full healing to be applied to the pyro.

Trivia

• Usually in the shape of a miniature rake, a backscratcher is a tool used for scratching areas that cannot easily be reached by one's own hands, typically the middle of back; that is, to "scratch one's own back".
  • A flanking Pyro may ambush an enemy from behind, "scratching their back" for them with the rake.
  • Scratch (someone's) back is an idiom for doing someone a favor, such as Healing; but, the health pack buff makes it easier for (or requires) the flanking Pyro to "scratch their own back" with Health Pickups.

Gallery

• 

  First-person view.

• 

  RED Festivized variant.

• 

  BLU Festivized variant.

See also

• Back Scratcher strategy