Basic Scout strategy

“

Say goodbye to ya kneecaps, chucklehead! Click to listen — The Scout

”

The Scout is the fastest and arguably the most mobile class in the game. Although frail, his speed and ability to double jump allow him to easily access alternate routes on many maps, making him extremely unpredictable and perfect for ambushing. He counts as two players when capturing control points or pushing Payload carts, making him ideal for completing mission objectives quickly. When fighting, his high damage output and mobility make him one of the best classes in one-on-one combat. Because his health pool is so low, the Scout relies on completely avoiding damage to survive; for example, his double jump lets him escape knockback, fall damage, and explosions. To maximize damage dealt and minimize damage taken, a good Scout tends to weave around the outskirts of a battlefield, picking off important or damaged enemy targets. Weaponry that can slow or track players, such as Natascha or the Sentry Gun, are deadly to the Scout.

Primary weapons

When fighting, don't rely on your mouse alone to track foes. Use your movement to keep the opponent centered on your screen, firing whenever your cross-hairs and opponent match up. This allows you to focus on moving efficiently and erratically, making you harder to hit, while at the same time making your aim smoother and more accurate via prediction. Find what distance you operate at best and use your speed to maintain it; extremely close range combat favors quick jumping to avoid enemy shots fired downward, while more moderate distances allow you to stay grounded and continuously strafe from side to side.

Scattergun + reskins

At point blank range, your Scattergun can kill most classes with just two well placed shots. Due to the Scattergun's bullet spread and slow reload speed, switching to your Pistol when out of primary ammo or when fighting distant enemies is wise.

Force-A-Nature + reskins

The Force-A-Nature deals heavy burst damage but must be reloaded often, making it best used as a hit-and-run weapon. It's shots inflict knockback on both you and your target, leading to some interesting applications. Your enemy is launched backwards proportionally to the damage dealt, allowing you to land easy follow-up shots or launch them into map hazards. The self-inflicted knockback allows you to Force jump to even more locations. If you actively jump while in combat, save your extra jump until after you've fired the Force-A-Nature; the knockback will leave you suspended in midair and vulnerable. For efficient ammo usage, always fire your two shots before reloading; reloading with one shot in the barrel will discard that shot.

Shortstop

The Shortstop is a cross between your Scattergun and Pistol, holding 4 shots that all reload in a single clip. While it deals less damage than the Scattergun, its narrow bullet spread and fast reload time make it reliable at longer ranges. While the Shortstop is deployed, you receive 20% greater knockback; explosions will throw you around and disrupt aiming, but can be used to escape a losing fight more easily. Alternate fire allows you to shove enemies away, keeping them at optimal mid-range distance.

Soda Popper

The Soda Popper is similar to the Force-A-Nature, but does not possess its knockback effects. Like the Force-A-Nature, it is best used as a hit-and-run weapon, although its faster reloading speed makes it more useful in prolonged combat. Damaging enemies builds a "Hype" meter. When the Hype meter is full, alternate-fire will put you into Hype mode, allowing you to jump up to five times in midair for 10 seconds. Hype mode is incredibly useful for dodging enemy fire or accessing alternate routes, but is not usable as frequently as your other options. For efficient ammo usage, always fire your two shots before reloading; reloading with one shot in the barrel will discard that shot.

Baby Face's Blaster

The Baby Face's Blaster has a clip of only 4 bullets and initially reduces your movement speed by 10%. This weapon comes with a Boost meter, which charges as you deal damage with any weapon. A full Boost meter increases your speed by up to 30%, making you an incredibly difficult target to hit. Double jumping costs 75% Boost, so you may need to sacrifice some speed to dodge an attack. Taking damage also reduces Boost, which could force you to spend a double jump anyway. You can use the Pistol or Flying Guillotine to build your Boost at a distance if necessary.

Back Scatter

The Back Scatter deals Mini-Crits when fired at the backs of enemies in close range, but has a reduced clip size and is less accurate. The Mini-Crits now allow you to kill the weaker classes with just one well-placed shot. However, the reduced accuracy may be a problem when you can't get close to your target. Overall, this weapon is best for flanking or punishing fleeing enemies, but not for dueling.

Secondary weapons

Pistol + reskins

The Pistol is a backup weapon that is accurate at medium range, primarily used for finishing off wounded targets or fighting at range. It reloads much more quickly than any of your primary weapons and can be used to harass enemies or cover a retreat. It's also useful for taking out enemy Sentry Guns from afar if you are unable to outmaneuver one at close range. Keep track of the Pistol's ammunition, as your three extra magazines can run out surprisingly quickly.

Bonk! Atomic Punch + reskins

Bonk! Atomic Punch is a utility item that, when consumed, will grant invulnerability to all enemy attacks. Its main use is to dodge or draw enemy fire. For example, you can use it to get past Sentry Guns, retreat safely, bait Demomen into detonating their sticky traps, or block choke points. Outside of combat, it can also be used to negate afterburn, bleeding, or self-damage from the Atomizer. Even though you are nearly invincible when under its effects, don't linger in the open; you will still be vulnerable to knockback and don't want to be caught out in the open once Bonk! expires.

Crit-a-Cola

Crit-a-Cola is a utility item that rewards you for taking risks. When consumed, it grants you guaranteed mini-crits and 25% increased move speed, but causes you to take 10% increased damage. Notably, this increased vulnerability allows point blank rockets and grenades to kill you in one hit. Crit-a-Cola is best used before an ambush or other situations where your opponent can't retaliate in time. If used for ranged harassment, Crit-a-Cola pairs well with the with the Shortstop, as mini-crits don't have damage fall-off. The boosts provided by Crit-a-Cola will not stack with the boosting effects of other items, such as the Buff Banner or Jarate, so don't drink it and take increased damage if you don't have to.

Mad Milk + reskins

Mad Milk is thrown like a grenade and inflicts a temporary debuff upon its victims, allowing any member on your team to heal by damaging an opponent under its effects. It can be used both in single combat or large firefights to give your team additional survivability, especially if your team lacks a Medic. Additionally, Mad Milk can be used to extinguish teammates and reveal cloaked Spies, giving you some extra support possibilities.

Winger

Like the Pistol, the Winger can be used to harass enemies or cover a retreat. When compared to the Pistol, its increased damage is best for short encounters; the Winger deals less damage over long periods of time due to its reduced magazine size. The 25% jump height makes maneuvering to tricky spots even easier and pairs well with the Atomizer.

Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol

When the Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol is your active weapon, you negate all fall damage and recover five health per hit. It increases your vulnerability to damage by 20%, encouraging you avoid damage entirely. It also shoots more slowly than the Pistol, making it more useful for treating minor damage instead of combat. The Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol pairs well with the Baby Face's Blaster, as this weapon will remove the need to spend your double jump to negate fall damage.

Flying Guillotine

The Flying Guillotine can be thrown every six seconds to deal moderate damage and cause bleeding, making it decent for mid-range harassment. If it hits an enemy that's stunned, it deals a guaranteed critical hit; although difficult to aim in the heat of battle, this lets it combo with the Sandman's baseball shot. Overall, the Flying Guillotine rewards you greatly for landing that one single hit; a cleaver is equivalent to several Pistol shots while striking a stunned enemy is the equivalent of several Scattergun shots. The Flying Guillotine deals no damage to buildings, making you very disadvantaged against Sentry Guns if using this over the Pistol.

Melee weapons

Bat + reskins

Because you already deal so much damage at close range, you should only use the Bat when out of loaded ammunition or when dealing with unattended Engineer structures. While it swings rapidly, it deals less damage than your Scattergun.

Sandman

The Sandman slightly lowers your maximum health, but grants access to an alternate fire that launches a baseball capable of stunning enemies. The baseball's stun duration starts at 1 second, but can reach up to 7 seconds depending on how far the ball travels. Stunning an enemy will give you a chance to move in for the kill or retreat safely. Additionally, you can use it to provide support in large firefights by stunning the more dangerous foes, such as Heavies and crit boosted enemies. Your low health pool makes this particular health penalty significant, so ensure you actually use the baseball.

Holy Mackerel + reskins

The Holy Mackerel functions identically to the Bat but announces each hit in the kill feed. A hit that triggers a Spy's feign death will appear as a hit, not a kill, allowing you to track down a Spy using the Dead Ringer.

Candy Cane

When you have the Candy Cane equipped, any kill will cause your victims to drop health packs that can be used to heal your team. The Candy Cane does not need to be the active weapon for this bonus to occur. Try to ensure that enemies don't reach the health kit first and be wary that approaching the health kit may draw attention. The Candy Cane also increases your vulnerability to explosive damage, meaning that a direct hit from a rocket or grenade is now capable of killing you in just one hit. A Spy who uses the Dead Ringer to trigger a feign death will not drop a health pack and is easier to discern.

Boston Basher + reskins

When striking an enemy, the Boston Basher inflicts the bleed status in addition to the standard Bat damage. However, any missed melee attacks will cause you to damage and inflict the bleed status on yourself instead. Thus, you should only try to attack only if you're sure the strike will connect. You can use the self-damage to help a Medic fill his ÜberCharge meter and the bleed effect to track down cloaked Spies. Damaging yourself will inflict a small amount of self-knockback that can be used as an additional jump in order to reach higher areas, albeit at the cost of a significant portion of health.

Sun-on-a-Stick

The Sun-on-a-Stick's main draw is the 25% fire resistance while deployed. It deals 25% less damage, so don't actually fight with it. As the Scout, your low health pool is quickly chipped away by the Pyro's afterburn. If you are set on fire, deploy the Sun-on-a-Stick while searching for healing to survive longer. Against ignited foes, the Sun-on-a-Stick deals guaranteed critical hits and is one of your best damage options. However, both you and the Pyro excel at close range duels and can often finish off an enemy without help. As such, you might not be able to utilize this combo frequently.

Fan O'War

The Fan O'War deals little damage but can mark victims for death, causing all damage taken to be mini-crits. In a one-on-one encounter, tag an enemy with it, then switch to another weapon to finish the job. It's less effective against groups of enemies, due to your low survivability and because the Mark of Death can only be inflicted on one enemy at a time.

Atomizer

The Atomizer does not need to be the active weapon for you to have access to the triple jump, so you can ignore its downsides if you simply use your primary weapon in close range combat. The added mobility granted by the triple jump is often worth paying 10 health, especially if it means positioning yourself behind a target or dodging a deadly rocket. If you pair the Atomizer with the Force-A-Nature, you can combine a triple jump and force jump into a quadruple jump. You will take no damage from the third jump while phasing with Bonk! Atomic Punch.

Wrap Assassin

Similarly to the Sandman, the Wrap Assassin launches a projectile that inflicts bleeding effect on struck enemies. Use the projectile to weaken stronger enemies, rather than finish them off, before moving in with the Scattergun. Keep using your primary weapon at close range to negate this weapon's non-existent melee damage.