Anti-Scout strategy

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Never send a boy to fight a man's war. Click to listen — The Soldier

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The Scout is a very fast, maneuverable class that packs a high amount of firepower at close range, making him extremely effective in one-on-one combat. He excels in open environments, where his speed and double jump allow him to easily maneuver around a map, close long distances, and ambush unprepared enemies. He can use his mobility to completely avoid damage, more than making up for his lack of health. Depending on his loadout, a Scout can bring along weapons with additional utility that help him pick off individual targets with even more ease. If you can restrict a Scout's maneuverability or keep him at range, he becomes far less of a threat.

General

Attributes	Anti-Scout strategy
Role	The Scout is best at taking alternate paths to avoid direct combat, ambushing vulnerable enemies, and accomplishing mission objectives. Keep an eye on routes he might take and report his location to teammates. The Scout is one of the best classes at dueling, but generally does not want to fight groups of enemies.
Health	The Scout is very frail and can usually be killed with two solid hits.
Speed	The Scout is extremely fast and can double jump. No class can outrun him without certain equipment, so always be prepared to fight. Predict his movements to ensure your attacks hit, particularly when using projectile weapons. If he is airborne, wait until he uses his double jump before trying to land airshots. His maneuverability allows him to easily chase after any other class, but is less powerful in areas where he has less room to dodge. Certain weapons, like the Engineer's Sentry Gun or Heavy's Natascha, can negate the Scout's speed advantage.
Power	The Scout’s weapons are devastating at close range but very weak at long range. He must put himself in danger and actively enter combat to have any chance at killing enemies.

Weapon-specific

Main article: Scout weapons

Primary weapons

Weapon	Anti-Scout strategy
Scattergun + reskins	The Scattergun deals immense damage at point-blank range and will allow a Scout to stay in combat for a modest amount of time. Although he is faster than you, do your best to stay at medium range to minimize the damage you take while trading blows. It takes a considerably long time for a Scout to reload his Scattergun; if he uses most of his six shots, keep pressuring him into firing so that he cannot fully reload.
Force-A-Nature + reskins	The Force-A-Nature deals even more damage than the Scattergun up close but must be reloaded every two shots. If the Scout stays nearby, pick him off during his frequent reloading periods. The Force-A-Nature's knockback lets the Scout easily reposition himself or push you backward for a follow-up shot. Avoid lingering near walls where you can quickly be cornered or hazards that you can be blasted into. In open areas, you can jump to increase knockback taken to retreat to your team. The Force-A-Nature will also knock the Scout back if he is in midair. If he decides to attack while in midair, you can easily line up a counterattack.
Shortstop	The Shortstop has a tight bullet spread suited for medium range. You can get closer to the Scout without taking as much damage. When the Scout has the Shortstop active, he suffers extra vulnerability to knockback. Send him flying and he'll have a harder time aiming at you for a counter-shot. At melee range, the Shortstop can also be used for a shove that deals 1 damage and medium knockback, which places you at the optimal Shortstop firing range. Additionally, don't position yourself near an environmental hazard for too long.
Soda Popper	The Soda Popper holds two shots that fire quickly and deal Scattergun-level damage. It must be reloaded frequently, which gives you opportunities to fight back, however, do keep in mind that the Soda Popper has a faster reload so be quick to attack. Change direction after the first shot to increase your chances of dodging the second. If the Scout deals enough damage, he can activate his Hype charge, which gives him five mid-air jumps (for a total of six jumps). If you notice a bright purple glow, know that shooting the Scout in midair will be very difficult.
Baby Face's Blaster	The Baby Face's Blaster only holds 4 rounds per clip, giving it less sustained firepower. As the Scout deals damage, his movement speed will increase. Lead your shots, even with hitscan weapons. Reduce the Scout's boost by dealing chip damage and forcing him to double jump. Each point of damage you land on the Scout will drain 4% of his boost - even a weak hit can slow him down to his lowered base speed (a downside of the Baby Face's Blaster).
Back Scatter	The Back Scatter is less accurate and holds fewer shots than the Scattergun, but promotes an ambushing playstyle. If you can avoid being ambushed, direct fights against the Scout are easier. Scouts tend to take alternate routes to catch you off-guard. Check your back often so he doesn't ambush you. The Back Scatter deals mini-crits from behind. Keep facing the Scout so he can't get behind you.

Secondary weapons

Weapon	Anti-Scout strategy
Pistol + reskins	The Scout may switch to the Pistol to harass you from a distance or to finish you off after firing all their Scattergun shots. Its ammunition pool is meager; if you avoid dying to the first few barrages, he will not have any remaining offensive pressure. The Pistol is the Scout's only option at long range.
Bonk! Atomic Punch + reskins	Bonk! Atomic Punch grants the Scout 8 seconds of invulnerability. It is commonly used to draw enemy fire, get past a Sentry Gun, or escape when low on health. The Scout can’t fight while under its effects, so impede his movement by body blocking him or using knockback. If the Scout absorbs damage while invulnerable, he will be greatly slowed for up to 5 seconds once the effect wears off. Attack him during his invulnerability to prevent him from escaping once it ends - two solid hits will slow him to half-speed and allow you to easily catch up.
Crit-a-Cola	A Scout typically drinks Crit-a-Cola before an ambush. Watch your back! Although the Scout will deal guaranteed mini-crits, he will be Marked-For-Death for 5 seconds every time he attacks regardless of whether it hits or not. Stay calm and fight back.
Mad Milk + reskins	If you're covered in Mad Milk, any enemy gains 60% health for every point of damage you take from their direct attacks. Be cautious of any other enemies around you to avoid becoming their Health kit. An accurate Scout can take advantage of the Mad Milk's healing to stay fighting for a prolonged period of time. Prevent him from healing by dodging his attacks. Mad Milk can be removed by extended healing, entering water, or touching a Resupply cabinet. A Scout who equips Mad Milk gives up his Pistol; you only have to deal with his primary weapon.
Winger	The Winger functions similarly to the Pistol and should be treated the same way; keep a distance so it deals only minor damage. This gun also gives the Scout a +25% bonus jump height when active, so be prepared to cover additional routes he can take. The Winger's smaller clip size means the Scout has less secondary capability, and may use this weapon mostly for added mobility while engaging with his primary.
Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol	The Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol fires faster and grants health-on-hit but has a smaller clip size. If the Scout resorts to using this, his health may be low. Keep pressuring him - the healing the gun provides is barely enough to tide him over until he reaches a Health pack and won’t save him from a solid hit.
Flying Guillotine	The Flying Guillotine is ideal for picking off weakened targets but recharges only every five seconds. Long-distance hits reduce the Guillotine's recharge time but are harder to get hit by if you pay attention.

Melee weapons

Weapon	Anti-Scout strategy
Bat + reskins	If you are low on health, the Scout may switch to the Bat to finish you off. He could easily deal more damage with his primary weapon, so don't panic and keep your aim steady.
Sandman	If you are struck and slowed by the Sandman's baseball, retreat towards your teammates so that they can protect you. Keep your aim on the Scout as he may go in for close combat. The Sandman reduces the Scout's health by 15 (making it 110), making killing him significantly easier - a point-blank rocket can instantly kill him.
Holy Mackerel + reskins	The Holy Mackerel functions similarly to the Bat but announces each hit in the kill feed. Hit announcements can be used to determine the whereabouts of a Scout. If you are the Spy and fake your death using the Dead Ringer, the enemy team will not see "FISH KILL!" in the kill feed, a clear sign that you are not dead.
Candy Cane	A Scout who causes Health packs to drop from your dead teammates has the Candy Cane in his loadout. He is 25% more vulnerable to explosions, so a direct hit from a rocket or grenade will often kill him instantly. Try to steal the small Health kits dropped by teammates killed by the Scout, preventing him from using the benefit of the weapon.
Boston Basher + reskins	Evade a Scout that is attacking you with the Boston Basher so that he damages himself instead. Missing even once puts severe pressure on him to retreat and find a source of healing. Most melee weapons have a short delay before they hit, so you can use a source of knockback on the Scout just as he swings to force a miss. A creative Scout might use the weapon's negative attribute to propel himself to high locations at the cost of a significant amount of his health.
Sun-on-a-Stick	The Sun-on-a-Stick does full crit damage to burning enemies. If you are set on fire, you should be trying to extinguish yourself, retreating from and repelling any Scout that tries to pick you off. The Sun-on-a-Stick grants a passive 25% resistance against fire damage while active. A burning Scout may deploy it to reduce damage as he retreats.
Fan O'War	If you are marked for death by the Fan O’War, the Scout will likely try to chase you down with his primary weapon. Adjust your one-on-one tactics to his chosen weapon and try to move to your teammates for help. A Scout may use the Fan O'War to identify which enemy his team should focus fire on; take cover until the mark wears off if there are too many enemies.
Atomizer	The Scout can triple jump when the Atomizer is fully deployed. Keep in mind alternate routes he can take. If the Scout deploys the Atomizer in combat, he may be planning to retreat by gaining access to triple jumps. As the Atomizer must be his active weapon in order to triple jump, you only have to deal with his double jump during a fight. The Atomizer can also mini-crit while airborne. This doesn’t deal much bonus damage - deal with the Scout as if he were fighting with the stock Bat.
Wrap Assassin	While a Scout will rarely use the Wrap Assassin as a melee weapon, the projectile it launches can inflict the bleed effect on you. Bleeding can be negated by any source of healing. The ball can be used as a long range harassment, to keep pressure on distant enemies like Snipers with the damage over time effect, or as an opening attack. Be prepared for a fight if hit from behind!

See also

• Double jumping
• Team strategy