Difference between revisions of "Wrangler"

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(Gameplay first here.)
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{{Quotation|Blog post highlighting the '''Wrangler'''|Everyone loves remote control toys. But the problem with most of them is, unless you manage to remote control one directly down someone's throat, they're pretty useless as weapons. But what if we were to tell you that we fixed that obvious design flaw?}}
 
{{Quotation|Blog post highlighting the '''Wrangler'''|Everyone loves remote control toys. But the problem with most of them is, unless you manage to remote control one directly down someone's throat, they're pretty useless as weapons. But what if we were to tell you that we fixed that obvious design flaw?}}
  
The '''Wrangler''' is an unlockable [[Weapons#engiesecondary|secondary weapon]] for the [[Engineer]]. It appears to be a team-colored, early-80's single-button style joystick, attached atop the remains of a wooden {{botignore|pistol}} grip, with a small, rectangular radar satellite dish protruding from the front. A team-colored wire taped and attached to the joystick runs from the back and into the radar dish.
+
The '''Wrangler''' is an unlockable [[Weapons#engiesecondary|secondary weapon]] for the [[Engineer]]. The Wrangler is automatically awarded to any player who obtains 17 [[Engineer achievements]].
  
 
The Wrangler allows the Engineer to manually take control of his [[Sentry Gun]]. Upon switching to the Wrangler as their active weapon, the Sentry Gun loses its default autoaim and automatic firing abilities. Instead, the Engineer can use their crosshair to direct their Sentry to fire in any direction, with primary fire ([[List of default keys|default key]]: {{key|MOUSE1}}) being used to fire the gun(s). For a Level 3 Sentry Gun, alt-fire (default key: {{key|MOUSE2}}) is used to fire rockets.  
 
The Wrangler allows the Engineer to manually take control of his [[Sentry Gun]]. Upon switching to the Wrangler as their active weapon, the Sentry Gun loses its default autoaim and automatic firing abilities. Instead, the Engineer can use their crosshair to direct their Sentry to fire in any direction, with primary fire ([[List of default keys|default key]]: {{key|MOUSE1}}) being used to fire the gun(s). For a Level 3 Sentry Gun, alt-fire (default key: {{key|MOUSE2}}) is used to fire rockets.  
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The Wrangler can allow an Engineer to access high areas through use of a [[Jumping#Sentry rocket jump|Sentry Gun jump]], similar to a [[Jumping#Basic rocket jump|Rocket Jump]].
 
The Wrangler can allow an Engineer to access high areas through use of a [[Jumping#Sentry rocket jump|Sentry Gun jump]], similar to a [[Jumping#Basic rocket jump|Rocket Jump]].
  
The Wrangler is automatically awarded to any player who obtains 17 [[Engineer achievements]].
+
It appears to be a team-colored, early-80's single-button style joystick, attached atop the remains of a wooden {{botignore|pistol}} grip, with a small, rectangular radar satellite dish protruding from the front. A team-colored wire taped and attached to the joystick runs from the back and into the radar dish.
  
 
{{Weapon Demonstration}}
 
{{Weapon Demonstration}}

Revision as of 00:54, 30 April 2023

Not to be confused with the Quadwrangler, a cosmetic item for the Medic.
Everyone loves remote control toys. But the problem with most of them is, unless you manage to remote control one directly down someone's throat, they're pretty useless as weapons. But what if we were to tell you that we fixed that obvious design flaw?
— Blog post highlighting the Wrangler

The Wrangler is an unlockable secondary weapon for the Engineer. The Wrangler is automatically awarded to any player who obtains 17 Engineer achievements.

The Wrangler allows the Engineer to manually take control of his Sentry Gun. Upon switching to the Wrangler as their active weapon, the Sentry Gun loses its default autoaim and automatic firing abilities. Instead, the Engineer can use their crosshair to direct their Sentry to fire in any direction, with primary fire (default key: MOUSE1) being used to fire the gun(s). For a Level 3 Sentry Gun, alt-fire (default key: MOUSE2) is used to fire rockets.

When firing either the guns or rockets, the Sentry Gun has no maximum range; however, rockets suffer from damage falloff based on the Engineer's distance to the target. Bullets fired outside the Sentry Gun's normal range face damage falloff based off of the Sentry Gun's position instead of the Engineer's position; the bullets also experience some spread.

When active, the Wrangler adds a translucent, team-colored shield around the Sentry Gun that absorbs 66% of all incoming damage. This shield remains as long as the player keeps the Wrangler as their active weapon. Repairs made to a shielded Sentry Gun restore health and ammo at 33% the normal rate. In addition, the firing rate of a manually-controlled, "Wrangled" Sentry Gun is increased, to differing degrees depending on type: a Combat Mini-Sentry's firing speed is increased by +50%, a Level 1 Sentry Gun is increased by +40%, and Level 2 or 3 Sentry Guns are increased by +33%. A Level 3 Sentry Gun's missile launch rate is increased by +26.5%. A laser sight is also emitted from the Sentry Gun, which moves with the Engineer's crosshair. The laser sight has a minor auto-aim ability; upon aiming at an uncloaked and undisguised enemy, it will focus towards the center of their model, provided the Engineer keeps his crosshair on them. Other players can see this laser, and can use it to quickly identify the location of the Sentry Gun. It is possible for the Engineer to shoot himself with the Wrangler by standing in front of their Wrangled Sentry Gun, and using primary or alt-fire.

Any damage can be used to check for the Spies.

Some engineers attempt to push Stickies away with Sentry Gun's rockets while wrangled.[citation needed]

While using the Jag, the 20% slower repair rate stacks with the 66% slower repair rate while the Wrangler's shield is active. This makes it harder to maintain a Sentry Gun that is taking incoming damage.

When the Engineer switches to another weapon or dies, the Sentry Gun is disabled for 3 seconds with the shield still active. Once the inoperative duration passes, the shield disappears and the Sentry Gun returns to normal. If the Sentry Gun is sapped or hit by a charged shot from the Cow Mangler 5000 while in operation, all cooldown effects caused by the Wrangler are removed.

Being stunned by any means leaves the Engineer unable to fire, but keeps the Sentry Gun in its Wrangled state, effectively disabling it.

The Wrangler can allow an Engineer to access high areas through use of a Sentry Gun jump, similar to a Rocket Jump.

It appears to be a team-colored, early-80's single-button style joystick, attached atop the remains of a wooden pistol grip, with a small, rectangular radar satellite dish protruding from the front. A team-colored wire taped and attached to the joystick runs from the back and into the radar dish.

Demonstration

Crafting

See also: Crafting

Blueprint

Class Token - Engineer Slot Token - Secondary Scrap Metal Possible Results
Item icon Class Token - Engineer.png + Item icon Slot Token - Secondary.png + Item icon Scrap Metal.png =
Item icon Wrangler.png Item icon Short Circuit.png

Strange variant


Bugs

  • Shield and laser effect issues:
    • The laser emitted from the Sentry Gun while using the Wrangler may travel through some walls and occasionally move back and forth very quickly.
    • Picking up a Wrangled Sentry will leave the Wrangler shield visual effect in place for a short time. Also, upon deploying the sentry and Wrangling it, the laser will emit from strange points, such as enemy Sentry Guns. This can be fixed by switching to another weapon then back to the Wrangler.
    • Using a Wrangled Sentry built on a moving platform will result in the shield being left behind when the platform and the Sentry move.
    • There is currently a glitch which causes the targeting laser of the Sentry to be emitted from the eyes of allies when the player aims at them. This can make it somewhat harder to aim at enemies. The glitch is only present on the user's screen; no other players will see the effect.
    • The Sentry Gun can retain the shield and laser effects even when the Wrangler is not the currently held weapon. It may still operate normally, without taking reduced damage, but may also retain the Wrangled behavior (including a functional shield) if the player builds the Sentry Gun and then changes his loadout to equip the Wrangler.
      • The glitch persists upon the death of the Sentry Gun's owner, and can be fixed by switching to the Wrangler and then to another weapon.
  • Using the Wrangler to kill enemies with Sentry Gun rockets will produce the Level 3 Sentry Gun kill icon instead of the Wrangler's kill icon.
  • Once a Level 3 Sentry Gun is directed to fire rockets, it will not play the normal rocket reloading animation.
  • If pointing the Sentry Gun at a far distance, the laser will appear to move rapidly away from the player's crosshair, but the Sentry Gun will still fire at the player's crosshair.
  • The Engineer Achievement Pownd on the Range can be earned if the Engineer kills himself with his Wrangled Sentry Gun outside of the normal range.
  • When attaching the Buildings Destroyed Strange Part to a Strange Wrangler, it will not track the number of buildings destroyed.

Gallery

Trivia

Radigan Conagher holding the Wrangler.
  • The Wrangler, along with the Frontier Justice, the Gunslinger, and the Southern Hospitality, appears to have been designed by Radigan Conagher, the Engineer's grandfather. This is shown via a hidden link on the Engineer Update page.
  • In North America, the profession of a Wrangler is to handle animals, often directing them to perform certain actions.
  • When firing the Sentry Gun for a long time, an animation will play in which the Engineer shakes off his hand and lets out a quiet sigh, as if removing a cramp.
  • The Wrangler's joystick looks very similar to that of an Atari 2600 controller, though it lacks a button in its upper left corner.

Achievements

Leaderboard class engineer.png Engineer

Breaking Morant
Breaking Morant
Kill 10 Snipers with a sentry gun under the control of your Wrangler.


Building Block
Building Block
Have a sentry shielded by the Wrangler absorb 500 damage without being destroyed.


Patent Protection
Patent Protection
Destroy an enemy Engineer's sentry gun with a sentry under control of your Wrangler.
Pownd on the Range
Pownd on the Range
Kill 10 enemies outside the normal sentry gun range using the Wrangler.


Rio Grind
Rio Grind
Perform 50 repairs and/or reloads on a Sentry gun being Wrangled by another Engineer.


Search Engine
Search Engine
Kill 3 cloaked Spies with a sentry gun under control of your Wrangler.

See also

Update history

July 8, 2010 Patch (Engineer Update)
  • The Wrangler was added to the game.

July 9, 2010 Patch

  • The Wrangler no longer shows the Shotgun's ammo count.
  • Fixed a bug where Wrangled level 3 Sentry Guns would still fire rockets when they were out of ammo.

July 19, 2010 Patch

  • Fixed an exploit that allowed team kills with wrangled Sentry Guns.

October 18, 2010 Patch

  • Fixed Engineers being able to build level 3 mini-sentries using The Wrangler.

October 19, 2010 Patch

  • Fixed Engineers being able to build level 3 mini-sentries for real this time.

March 10, 2011 Patch (Shogun Pack)

  • Fixed the "Best Little Slaughterhouse in Texas" Engineer achievement not counting Wrangler and Mini-Sentry kills.

October 13, 2011 Patch (Manniversary Update & Sale)

  • Wrangler taunt now performs the Pistol taunt animation.

June 27, 2012 Patch (Pyromania Update)

  • Fixed sentry sometimes spawning in shielded mode while the Wrangler was equipped, but not deployed.

July 10, 2013 Patch

  • Changed attributes:
    • Slightly reduced accuracy of manually-controlled sentry at long range.
    • Protective shield now fades 1 second after the owning Engineer dies.

November 12, 2013 Patch

December 20, 2013 Patch (Smissmas 2013)

  • [Undocumented] Added Festive variant.

January 9, 2014 Patch

  • Updated Strange Wranglers to track wrangled sentry kills.

January 10, 2014 Patch

  • [Undocumented] Strange Wranglers now count wrangled kills properly.

April 1, 2014 Patch

  • Updated the Wrangler so Strange parts can be applied to it.
    • Strange parts only increment if a Wrangler-controlled Sentry does the scoring.

June 18, 2014 Patch (Love & War Update)

  • Sentry bullets are now affected by damage falloff outside of sentry scan range.
  • Sentry bullet damage has been changed so it calculates damage based on the Sentry Gun's position, not the Engineer's.

March 12, 2015 Patch

July 2, 2015 Patch #1 (Gun Mettle Update)

  • Updated description to better detail the weapon's features.
  • Changed attributes:
    • Ammo and Repair given to a shielded Sentry is reduced by the strength of the shield (66% reduced) when shield is active.
    • Engineer death keeps the Wrangled sentry shielded and disabled for 3 seconds, same as when Wrangler is switched away. Previously Engineer death caused disable state for only 1 second.

July 8, 2015 Patch #1

  • Fixed the Wrangler not properly disabling Sentry Guns for 3 seconds on Engineer death.

October 28, 2015 Patch (Scream Fortress 2015)

  • Fixed an idle animation bug for the Wrangler

December 18, 2015 Patch

  • Fixed Engineer's Wrangler contract updating points for players other than the Engineer doing the contract.

January 20, 2016 Patch

  • Fixed the Engineer's Wrangler contract updating points while the player is not an Engineer.

March 28, 2018 Patch #1

  • Fixed the Wrangler's death notice icon being clipped.

March 28, 2019 Patch

  • Fixed Exorcism effect not working for Wrangler kills.