Scout match-ups

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I'm gonna headbutt ya, I'm gonna headbutt ya, I'm gonna headbutt ya! Click to listen — The Scout on his delicate battle plan

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Class			Strategy
Scout	vs.	Scout	Mirror match-up: You are most likely to run into other Scouts when both of you are away from teammates, such as during the initial rush to a map objective or at the outskirts of a battlefield. Both of you do high damage at close range and have low maximum health, so the fight will likely be over within a few seconds. Tactics: Raw skill is the greatest factor in winning a Scout duel; shoot the enemy Scout and avoid being shot yourself. Look carefully at your opponent's movement; it is easiest to hit your shots while he is moving in straight lines or landing from a double jump. You can make yourself harder to hit by changing directions unpredictably and mixing single jumps in with your double jumps. If you find yourself losing, enter extremely close range to make aiming chaotic for your opponent and maximize your Scattergun's damage. You will take more damage yourself, which is not an issue if you are already at low health. Unlike with the other classes, you can't outrun an enemy Scout. As you duel, stay closer to health kit spawns, as even a small health kit can help you survive another shot. If you need to retreat, flee to nearby teammates or a Sentry Gun. Useful weapons: The Scattergun has the highest clip size of all your primary weapons, which gives you room for error in case you miss shots. The Pistol and its variants fire rapidly, which makes aiming at a low health Scout to finish him off easier. They are also useful backup weapons if you miss too many shots with your primary weapon and run out of ammo. Initiating with the Sandman's slow-inflicting baseball makes the enemy Scout easier to hit. Bleed-inflicting weapons, such as the Flying Guillotine or Wrap Assassin, can weaken the enemy Scout to the point that a single close range shot will defeat him.
Scout	vs.	Soldier	Relative merits: Both you and the Soldier are effective close-range combatants, but you have the advantage of movement speed. A Soldier will typically aim his Rocket Launcher at your feet to deal splash damage, but your ability to double jump makes it easier to avoid being hit directly. Tactics: Try to stay in open areas to make the best use of your mobility. Prevent the Soldier from rocket jumping to high ground by presenting yourself as a constant threat, which forces him to fire at you, or shooting him mid-rocket jump to disrupt his movement. Stay at medium range, where you are far enough away to dodge rockets but still deal respectable Scattergun damage. You can double jump to avoid rocket splash damage, but avoid double jumping so predictably that the Soldier shoots a rocket where you land in advance. If you need to retreat, stay alert in case he decides to rocket jump after you. Useful weapons: The knockback from the Force-a-Nature can disrupt a Soldier's rocket jumping. The Soda Popper's Hype mode lets you remain airborne for five jumps, making it almost impossible for the Soldier to hit you with splash damage. Take out the Atomizer for an unexpected triple jump to reposition yourself or more easily avoid splash damage.
Scout	vs.	Pyro	Relative merits: You have the speed to outmaneuver the Pyro, provided you have room to maneuver, and a longer effective range. However, your low maximum health makes you vulnerable to afterburn, and the wide hitbox of the Flame Thrower's fire particles means that a Pyro has an easier time hitting you than most other classes. Tactics: Defeating a Pyro is all about spacing. Use your speed to stay just outside Flame Thrower range while taking shots with your Scattergun (or Pistol) as opportunity presents. Avoid enclosed areas, where the Pyro can use the compression blast to shove you into a corner for an easy kill. Try not to get hit at all; afterburn can take off up to half of your health and may empower certain Pyro weapons, like the Flare Gun or Axtinguisher. If you are trapped in Flame Thrower range, get as close to the Pyro as possible - at point blank, your primary weapons outdamage the Flame Thrower. Kill the Pyro as quickly as possible, then retreat to a health kit/Dispenser/Medic to extinguish yourself. Useful weapons: The Force-a-Nature's knockback can force the Pyro away from you and keep you outside Flame Thrower range. The Shortstop's reduced bullet spread allows you to stand further away from the Pyro without losing too much damage. The alt-fire shove can also be used to create space, albeit much less effectively than the Force-a-Nature. The Pistol and its variants can be used to chip away at a Pyro's health from a safe distance. The healing from Mad Milk can offset the damage from afterburn in an extended fight. It can also be thrown at your feet to extinguish yourself instantly. The Sun-on-a-Stick provides resistance to fire damage while it is being held, giving you more time to find a source of healing if you are dying of afterburn.
Scout	vs.	Demoman	Relative merits: Both you and the Demoman have extremely high damage output. While your weapons use bullets, the Demoman's weapons all use explosive projectiles. Combined with your mobility, you have a much easier time hitting him than he has hitting you, which gives you a significant advantage. Tactics: The Demoman is weakest at close range, where he cannot attack you with explosives without damaging himself. Stay outside melee range but close enough to do significant damage with your Scattergun. Alternatively, you can remain at a distance to more easily dodge the Demoman's explosives entirely. As you dodge, watch for grenades that bounce nearby and are about to explode, as even an indirect hit can take away half your health. Stickybombs are usually ineffective against you in a direct fight, as you have the speed to react to the Demoman firing them and avoid them before they can be detonated. However, a pre-laid Stickybomb trap can kill you instantly. Keep an eye out for doorways, walls, or other surfaces that may contain a trap, and avoid pursuing the Demoman into such areas. If need be, take alternate routes to avoid his traps and ambush him. A "Demoknight" using the Chargin' Targe, Splendid Screen, or Tide Turner does not have a Stickybomb Launcher, but will likely use a melee weapon with increased melee range, such as the Eyelander. A shield-charging Demoknight is one of the few things faster than you, but his charge is generally hard to steer. Stay out of melee range, and if he charges, run sideways or double jump up nearby objects instead of trying to outrun him directly. If he is already low on health, you can also just try to shoot him mid-charge, as none of his shields grant bullet resistance. Pay attention to whether the Demoknight is using a Grenade Launcher or the Ali Baba's Wee Booties; if he has a Grenade Launcher, be prepared for him to switch to it and start performing ranged attacks. Useful weapons: Bonk! Atomic Punch can be used to phase past a Demoman's Stickybomb traps. Hitting a Demoknight with the Sandman's slow-inflicting baseball will slow his movement speed significantly and prevent him from charging, making it much easier to keep your distance.
Scout	vs.	Heavy	Relative merits: The Heavy is, in many ways, your exact opposite - he lacks mobility, but has the highest maximum health of any class. In a direct fight, his Minigun can overpower your; don't engage against a Heavy without some sort of advantage. Tactics: The element of surprise is your strongest weapon. If you catch the enemy Heavy unprepared, you can kill him with just a few point blank shots before he can spin up his Minigun. If the Heavy has already spun up his Minigun, he is immobile and has to fight from his current position. Approach him from the back or sides. Once he has his sights on you, weave in and out of cover between shots, circle strafe, or double jump over his head to make tracking you harder. Note the sound his weapon makes before deciding to fight - the distinct whir of the Natascha, which can slow you to a crawl, is a sign to stay back. Don't hesitate to retreat if the Heavy's position is too entrenched, as his sluggish movement speed makes it difficult for him to chase you. Similarly, you have the speed to pursue a Heavy easily, including if he is retreating from your other teammates. Useful weapons: The Back Scatter can improve the effectiveness of an ambush, being able to take out almost half of a Heavy's health in a single point-blank shot. Crit-a-Cola allows you to match the Heavy's obscene firepower but also marks you for death; it is best used for ambushes. Mad Milk can help you survive Minigun damage in a sustained fight.
Scout	vs.	Engineer	Relative merits: The Engineer has similar weapons to yours, but far less mobility. A lone Engineer is an easy target for you. However, he will commonly be patrolling around his Sentry Gun, which has perfect aim and extremely high damage. You are ill-equipped to deal with Sentry Guns on your own; avoid them entirely if possible. Tactics: Avoid routes covered by Sentry Guns and check around corners before blindly rushing into new areas. If you locate a Sentry Gun, steer clear of that area and inform your team of its location so other classes can destroy it. If the Sentry Gun is unattended, you might be able to slowly chip away at it from far away with a Pistol or the Shortstop. Otherwise, when an Engineer is near the Sentry Gun, the best you’ll be able to do is harass him from long range. An Engineer wielding the Gunslinger will deploy Combat Mini-Sentry Guns instead of regular Sentry Guns, and will usually stay closer to the front lines. The Mini-Sentry takes only a few seconds to deploy; if an Engineer places one while fighting you, quickly decide whether to target the Engineer, take two shots to kill the Mini-Sentry, or retreat. If you run into an already-deployed Mini-Sentry, it is feasible for you to run up to it and kill it before it kills you, provided you can reach point-blank range before it sees you (such as by finding cover near the Mini-Sentry or having a teammate draw its fire). Useful weapons: Bonk! Atomic Punch can be used to negate the damage of a Sentry Gun, allowing you to pass through its line of sight unharmed or draw its fire away from your teammates. The extra mobility granted by weapons like the Force-a-Nature, Winger, and Atomizer can be used to take alternative routes to avoid Sentry Guns.
Scout	vs.	Medic	Relative merits: A Medic is able to heal and ÜberCharge his teammates using his Medi Gun. Because of this, he is one of your highest-priority targets. The Medic himself is extremely weak in a fight, but usually surrounded by his teammates, making him difficult to reach. Tactics: The Medic will likely stay near his teammates to heal them - these enemies will have plenty of health and are therefore more difficult for you to pick off. Additionally, the Medic is free to turn around and assess the battlefield while healing, so you need to approach carefully. Wait for when the Medic and his teammates are unaware or distracted, and fire a few carefully-aimed shots at the Medic to drop him. Don't get greedy; if you get noticed after (or before) you kill the Medic, feel free to fall back to avoid the wrath of his patients. An ÜberCharged Medic and his patient are extremely dangerous. Your speed lets you quickly retreat from such a pair until the ÜberCharge wears off. Alternatively, you can use your speed to get right in the ÜberCharged pair's face and attempt to dodge their shots; this is dangerous, but can help draw fire away from the rest of your team. If you encounter a lone Medic, he will likely try to retreat to his team while taking shots with his Syringe Gun. Avoid chasing the Medic in a straight line or through narrow hallways, as the Syringe Gun's extremely slow projectiles make it most effective against predictably-moving targets. If the Medic is using the Crusader's Crossbow instead, simply avoid its bolt like you would any other non-explosive projectile. Useful weapons: The Sandman's baseball can slow a Medic down, which can separate him from his team or make him easier to chase.
Scout	vs.	Sniper	Relative merits: Your mobility makes you difficult for a Sniper to hit. However, one headshot or fully charged bodyshot from his Sniper Rifle will kill you instantly. Move unpredictably to throw off the Sniper's aim, and attempt to engage him at close range, where he is much weaker. Tactics: Ideally, take a route where the Sniper will not see you coming. If you do need to enter his sightline, zigzag, jump, and strafe to become a difficult target to hit. If possible, harass the Sniper with your Pistol at long range to throw off his aim. Once you close the distance, you have the advantage. Even at close range, take care, as the Sniper may try to quickly scope in and headshot you anyway. Useful weapons: The extra movement speed granted by the Baby Face's Blaster can make you more difficult to headshot. The extra mobility granted by weapons like the Force-a-Nature, Winger, and Atomizer can be used to dodge more easily, ambush the Sniper from unexpected angles, or avoid sightlines he is watching.
Scout	vs.	Spy	Relative merits: Your speed makes you hard to backstab and allows you to chase fleeing foes, making you one of the Spy’s deadlier opponents. His weapons are relatively weak, so a direct fight is heavily in your favor. Tactics: You can easily Spy-check by simply running into your teammates; if you can’t move past them, they’re a Spy. If he cloaks and flees, predict where he will move and shoot him while he's invisible. If the Spy stays for a direct fight, strafe back and forth, land solid Scattergun shots, and take care not to expose your back to his Knife. Useful weapons: Mad Milk, as well as bleed-inflicting weapons such as the Flying Guillotine or Boston Basher, can make it easier to chase a cloaked Spy.

See also

• Team strategy
• Scout (competitive)