Community Versus Saxton Hale strategy

Nucleus VSH

This article is about Community Versus Saxton Hale strategy.

General strategy (as Saxton Hale)

Saxton Hale

• If you are facing off against a high health target (such as a Heavy or an overhealed Soldier) and it has been a while since you've used Saxton Punch!, it may be more beneficial to wait a little bit for the ability to recharge to deal extra damage.
• If there are multiple Engineers buildings all built very close to each other, especially Sentry Guns, a Saxton Punch! can destroy their entire Sentry nest. This may also heavily damage the Engineers if there are any nearby, and potentially other members of the RED team (if they were also close).
• Try to use the Sweeping Charge often, either to quickly catch up to pesky Scouts or to reach advantageous areas in conjunction with Brave Jump. It deals moderate damage and knocks people back, which also means you can juggle a Medic and take down one of the most consistent sources of healing for the Mercenaries.
• There are certain enemies that are of high priority. Below are some of these targets, why they are of such high priority, and how to deal with them.
  • Medics are especially of concern, as they prevent you from one-shotting the Mercs as usual. They have a constant 30% damage reduction against your attack, but are knocked back with an extra 300 Hammer unit force. Use this to your advantage, hit the Medic once to knock them against a wall, then hit them again to finish them.
    • Uber-chaining Medics, whilst not practical, can be of great danger if you let them hit you (as their Ubersaw gains 50% Über instead of the usual 25%). Try your best to separate them with either a punch (Saxton Punch! or regular), or Mighty Slam to knock both Medics back with great force.
  • Engineers are also of high priority, as if many come together to create a nest, it can be one of the greatest threats to you. Try and wait out it out to charge your Saxton Punch, then either use one of your abilities to either better approach the nest or run head on to prevent any potential knockback, though Mighty Slam ignores knockback and can be used to destroy multiple Sentry Guns and Dispensers at once.
  • Pyros should also be targeted, as their airblast is can be very strong, as it can both protect their Medic, and prevent you from capping.
    • Try and set up a surprise attack with either Sweeping Charge or Brave Jump in conjunction with Mighty Slam, then pick them off whilst they panic.
    • Pyros that use the Phlogistinator are not as much of a threat, as you can easily kill them due to their lack of airblast. You can also prevent their Crits by standing near them and killing them just as their invulnerability wears off. However, if a Medic ÜberCharges them whilst they have crits, it is strongly advised to run and pursue different targets.
• While Mighty Slam is on cooldown, it is still possible to hold (default key: Ctrl) to accelerate downwards and increase your stomp damage.

General strategy (against Saxton Hale)

• Try to stick together as a team, rather than going solo, as Saxton can easily pick off any players on their own. Make sure you are not too tight together so that Saxton cannot easily kill your whole team.
• Saxton Hale's left arm glows if Saxton Punch is ready. Spread apart to minimise any splash damage from a coming attack.
• If you are falling to your death, try hitting a surface with your melee to wall climb when close to the ground and negate all the fall damage.
• If you own the Rock, Paper, Scissors taunt and are the last remaining mercenary, ask Hale if he is willing to engage in a battle of hands. If you win, Hale dies. If you lose, you delayed the inevitable.

Class-specific strategy (against Saxton Hale)

 Scout

• The Baby Face's Blaster is a great primary choice, letting you escape from Saxton after a couple shots with your Boost meter full. Due to the overall lack of damage sources (such as the lack of Sentry Guns), there is not much to worry about losing your current amount of Boost either.
• The Force-A-Nature can be a useful tool to knock Hale back in close proximity, possibly into a hazard.
• Using the Bonk! Atomic Punch can be great to lure him out for the rest of your team to flank.
• Considering there is only one target to deal damage, the Mad Milk is an excellent choice, as it lets your teammates heal lost health by damaging the target they were focusing already, allowing better longevity for your team.
• Although risky, hitting with the Fan O'War marks Hale for death, letting you and the rest of your team to deal mini-crits for a short amount of time.
• The Crit-a-Cola can be a good damage booster, as the downside of marking yourself for death can be mostly ignored, as Saxton can kill you in one hit regardless.

 Soldier

• All Banners are useful in their own ways, below is a few of each one's use cases.
  • The Buff Banner is useful in increasing your team's offensive power, and when Hale is at moderate levels of health, it can often be the difference between a win and a loss.
    • Additionally, it also allows your team to consistently pepper Hale with moderate damage from large ranges, due to Mini-crits having a lack of damage falloff, further increasing the offensive power of your team.
    • However, it is rendered obsolete due to the Mini-crit buff the mercenaries receive when there are 3 left. It is still useful in the earlier stages of the game.
  • The Concheror excels at giving your team the longevity they need to take on Hale head-on more comfortably.
    • The speed boost the Conch provides allows teammates near the start of the game to be able to better escape Hale, or have an easier time outmaneuvering him.
    • The health gain on hit also gives friendly Heavies and Pyros an easier time dealing with Hale, as the DPS the Minigun and Flamethrower provide in addition to the speed boost, allows them to be able to heal a good amount of the damage they took from Hale.
    • The reduced amount of damage needed to activate the Conch means it is far more versatile than other banners, due to the extremely useful buff they give in this game mode.
    • The speed boost becomes obsolete when Hale reaches higher speeds due to his speed scaling in relation to how much health he has left.
  • The Battalions Backup is extremely useful at dampening Hale's attacks, allowing teammates to stay in the fight for longer.
    • The damage reduction it provides means that all classes, with the exception of light classes (unless they are overhealed!) can survive 2 punches from Hale, with Heavies being able to survive 4, and Soldiers with the Battalions being able to survive 3 with overheal.
    • Additionally, overhealed Soldiers with or without the Battalions can survive Saxton Punch, with Heavies being able to survive it with or without overheal.
    • The increased health from the Battalions often doesn't come into play, as you still die in 2 hits with or without it equipped if you do not have overheal, however since your max health is increased, you do receive more health from health packs, which can be the difference between life and death.
    • Unlike other banners, the Battalions is useful at all times, as the damage reduction can often allow you and a friendly Pyro to be able to cap the final point, with the Battalions being a safety net.
• It is recommended that you use either the Rocket Launcher, Black Box, Original, Cow Mangler, or the Direct Hit with the Banners as they all boast great and reliable damage.
  • The Cow Mangler is especially useful, as you have an unlimited amount of ammo, and can use a charge shot to Mini-crit Hale!
    • The weakness of dealing less damage against buildings is obsolete here since you don't fight a Sentry Gun, you fight Saxton Hale. The inability to deal Critical hits can hurt if you have a Kritzkrieg Medic. If you do not however, you should default to the Cow Mangler if you are not confident in your ability to score direct hits.
  • The Direct Hit in particular deals 25% extra damage, which can charge the Banner faster. It also has the ability to Mini-crit Hale whenever he is airborne.
    • You do have to be especially accurate, due to the 70% explosion penalty.
• Consider using the Market Gardener to deal large amounts of damage to Hale, due to there being no real downside to it (aside from a slower wall climb speed, which could be of consequence in life or death situations).
  • Trolldier can actually be viable if you are good at rocket jumping, and can consistently hit Gardens, as Hale will have a hard time hitting a highly mobile target that only stops to reload their Rocket Launcher. Be advised that the Rocket Jumper no longer has its extra ammo buff, so you will need to use ammo packs or Dispensers often.
    • One launcher you could utilise is the Liberty Launcher in conjunction with the Gunboats, as it severely reduces the amount of self-damage you take and gives an extra rocket in the clip. The damage penalty doesn't matter as much as you will usually be using your Market Gardener to deal damage, however it is useful for dealing some damage if you miss the Garden.
    • You do risk underperforming or being caught out as you will spend a good amount of time travelling to ammo packs or reloading due to the nature of the Liberty Launcher and the Rocket Jumper, but the potential payoff is worth it.
• The Half-Zatoichi heals the player for every successful hit against Hale, making it an excellent option for surviving close encounters.
  • Combined with the Battalion's Backup's damage resistance, you can easily heal off any damage Hale deals to you, allowing a good Soldier to become nearly unkillable in a melee duel.

 Pyro

• Airblasting is an effective tool to keep yourself and teammates away from Hale's attacks or to put him in an unfavourable position (such as a hazard or a corner). An airblast can prevent Saxton from landing a Mighty Slam attack entirely.
• The Flare Gun combos well with fellow Pyros dealing fire damage. It may be difficult to hit Saxton, but you are rewarded with critical damage more often than not, so consider using airblast to push Hale in a predictable direction and make it easier to hit him.
• The Thermal Thruster can be a good escape tool when you are out of ammo. Note that the increased deployment speed leaves you vulnerable for a while.
• The Axtinguisher bonus damage to burning targets stacks with critical hits, dealing up to 300+ damage. The knockback melee weapons provide also allow you to quickly deal high burst damage to Hale, then get away.
• The Hot Hand's double hit can be used to wall climb faster.
• The Phlogistinator can get guaranteed crits on Saxton Hale, but removes your ability to airblast. Consider using this if you have another Pyro on your team or if your team is good at protecting you.
  • The alt-fire taunt's temporary Über can protect you from Saxton's damage. If timed right, you may be able to use his knockback to get to safety or deal crits early.
• The Scorch Shot is also highly recommended, as it can function as a mini-airblast in regards to its knockback, allowing for you to get away if you cannot airblast reliably.

 Demoman

• Try to lure him into a hidden sticky trap to take a good chunk of his HP.
  • The Scottish Resistance is the most suitable weapon for this, as it allows Demo to set a sticky trap with up to 14 stickies.
• Consider equipping the Loose Cannon as your primary to knock him out if he starts focusing on you or is reaching too close to you.
• The Chargin' Targe, Splendid Screen, and Tide Turner can act as a one-hit immunity against Hale's primary attack or the death penalty of a Rock, Paper, Scissors match.
• The Half-Zatoichi heals the player for every successful hit against Hale, making it an excellent option for surviving close encounters.
• The Eyelander grants heads for each successful hit against Hale. The increased movement speed can be helpful for dodging Hale's attacks, or for chasing him around the map.
• The Swords also provide greater mobility with regards to wall-climbing, as the increased melee range allows them to more easily strike the floor to gain a height advantage. This can be used to either make a quick get-away from Hale, or to better approach him.

 Heavy

• All Miniguns have a 40% damage reduction to Saxton Hale.
• As the class with the highest health pool, you can always survive a normal punch at full health (two if fully overhealed).
• Keep an eye on your ammo counter, as you can run out of ammo very quickly. Make sure to find where your Engineer put his Dispenser for easy access to unlimited ammo. A voice response plays if you are low on ammo.
• Consider using the Shotgun or Tomislav to take advantage of the higher mobility they provide.
  • The Tomislav's quicker rev-up time and better accuracy is a great all-around primary for the Heavy, considering Saxton Hale's speed and your own speed.
• The Brass Beast is an ultimate damage dealer, especially when paired with a Kritzkrieg Medic, with its trade-off being the lack of mobility. Consider using it in high places where Hale might have difficulty reaching you.
• The Natascha's slowdown-on-hit ability has a 15% chance of applying against Hale, making it less viable to use in close proximity. Much like the Brass Beast, consider using it in spots where Hale is not able to easily reach you, especially on high places.
• The large knockback of melee weapons means that a skilled Heavy can use them to push Saxton back, while still gaining benefits from on-hit effects.
  • The Warrior's Spirit grants Heavies 50 health points for every hit against Hale, allowing for increased survivability.
  • The Killing Gloves of Boxing trigger a 5 second crit boost on every hit, allowing for a high risk, high reward playstyle. If paired with Mad Milk or a Medic, a Heavy can chew through Hale's health in a massive burst while still surviving his onslaught.
• The Eviction Notice's quicker firing speed lets Heavies wall climb faster and to higher places.
• Beware of Saxton Hale's Super Punch, as it can usually deal fatal damage, although a full overheal can just barely take the hit.
• The Fists of Steel are rather detrimental when fighting Saxton. Not only do they make you more vulnerable to Saxton's melee-heavy combat style whilst active, but the reduction to healing decreases your survivability even more.
• The Holiday Punch can be used to stun Hale in a laughing animation, allowing your team to get in some free damage. However, if Hale takes too much damage, he will blast out of the stun, damaging and knocking back those nearby.

 Engineer

• The Rescue Ranger is a great pick to pack up your Sentry Guns when Saxton is damaging it, as well to repair friendly Sentry Guns from other Engineers.
• Try to hide your Dispenser out of sight or in places where Hale does not pass through, communicating to your team where you have placed it can be helpful to ensure they have a safe place to retreat.
• Place your Sentry Gun in clear view of where Saxton will likely be to maximize time spent dealing damage.
  • Sentry Guns are a very good deterrant that may take attention away from your teammates.
• Due to the lack of respawn, Teleporters can be used as an escape option rather than for quick reinforcements.
  • The Eureka Effect can let you hide Teleporters more easily, but beware of the long taunt animation.
• Dispensers, Teleporters, and Sentry Guns can be used to block Saxton's movement on the ground. This can slow him greatly in corridors or other areas of importance.
  • Teleporters are effective on ramps and inclines where the incline may prevent you from simply stepping over the teleporter.
  • Be careful however, an experienced Saxton can tear through your buildings with his charge attack.
• When using the Frontier Justice, remember that your Sentry Gun will be credited with one assist when it deals 200 damage to Saxton, giving you a Revenge Crit.

 Medic

• Medics take only 70% damage from Hale's fist, allowing you to survive a hit.
• All Mediguns have a quicker ÜberCharge rate with the Ubersaw equipped.
  • The Ubersaw also grants 50% uber per hit, needing only 2 hits to have full Über.
• Prioritize the classes closest to Saxton Hale, as they are the ones in the most danger.
• The stock Medi Gun's ÜberCharge is best used on teammates that can deal large amount of damage, either if they are about to die or if they are very close to Hale. This can force him away while dealing a lot of damage.
  • Changing targets during ÜberCharge is very important, considering the Saxton Hale player may focus on other teammates close to him when he sees someone being ÜberCharged.
• Although risky, consider going off alone and baiting Saxton into following you, then use your ÜberCharge when he is near you. This can waste his time and allow your team to deal a lot of damage in the meantime.
• The Kritzkrieg is a great damage dealer, but as a trade off it makes you and other allies more vulnerable during Über. Considering equipping it only if there is another Medic running the default Medi Gun.

 Sniper

• High areas give a better vantage point on Saxton's head and have an escape route downward if he spots you.
• Sniper is an easy class to pick off due to his lone wolf playstyle. Avoid the attention of Saxton by hiding in low-visibility spots, frequently changing spots, or having a route to teammates that can protect you.
• The Sydney Sleeper is a great support tool to shoot Hale from far away and increase your team's damage output.
• The Bazaar Bargain is highly recommended, as its higher charge rate increases your damage output greatly.
• The Machina has the potential to deal large amounts of damage, but also has a larger chance of giving away your position to Hale.
• Although very risky, the Huntsman and the Fortified Compound taunt kill can be used to stun Hale, allowing your team to pile on some damage for free.
  • Saxton Hale can break out of a stun after 2 seconds, blasting everyone away from him.

 Spy

• Use the Dead Ringer to survive a hit from Saxton. Consider luring him away from your team first to buy more time for them to deal damage.
• The Kunai and the Big Earner on kill effects trigger on backstab, allowing you to escape more easily.
• Consider disguising as a friendly teammate with the Disguise Kit to conceal that you are a Spy or gain the Enforcer's damage bonus.
  • Consider disguising as a friendly Scout, as they will commonly use the Baby Face's Blaster, masking your slower movement speed.
    • It also is better for hiding due to the Scout's smaller stature, in addition to the fact Hales will commonly not check their back if they think it is simply a Scout behind them.
  • Disguising as a friendly Medic can also divert Saxton Hale's attention if you use the Dead Ringer, as it can lure Hale into a disadvantageous position thinking they are chasing a Medic, when they are in fact a particularly devious Spy.
  • Disguising as a Heavy or Soldier is ill-advised if you are not using the Dead Ringer, as Hales commonly target these classes due to their high damage output.
• It should be noted that due Spy's knives registering a hit the moment you press M1, wall climbing is slightly easier and you can gain more height. It is detrimental to wall-climb using the floor if using it for simple mobility however, as you will lose a great deal of speed while crouching to ensure you hit the ground, which can be all the difference in life-or-death situations.