Anti-Engineer strategy

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The Engineer is a defensive support class who primarily helps his team with various buildings. He has mediocre weapons and low health, relying on his Sentry Gun for protection. By himself, an Engineer is a low threat who will usually run at the first sight of trouble. His primary purpose is to construct Teleporters and Dispensers in order to help his team either advance or hold a strategic location. Generally, Engineers build a "base" consisting of a Teleporter Exit, Dispenser, and Sentry Gun where his teammates are brought into the battle and return to be supplied with health and ammunition. The Gunslinger and Frontier Justice, however, allow an Engineer to assume a more offensive role which can make him much more dangerous than usual.

General

Attributes	Anti-Engineer strategy
Role	Engineers are high priority targets. A team without buildings is at a disadvantage. An Engineer away from his buildings is far less useful, so if you kill one away from the main front, the enemy will probably stay back in order to defend the buildings that Engineer left behind. Have your team use this opportunity to destroy the buildings and make a push.
Health	The Engineer has very little health compared to most other classes. Away from his Sentry Gun, he has little to defend himself. The Gunslinger will give the Engineer an extra 25 health, but replaces his Sentry Gun with a weaker (albeit faster-building) Mini-Sentry.
Speed	The Engineer runs at the same speed as the Pyro, the Sniper, and the Spy. If he's out in the open and away from his buildings, he shouldn't be too hard to kill. An Engineer moves more slowly than a Heavy while hauling pre-constructed buildings and cannot attack - take the opportunity to kill him and destroy the building he's carrying simultaneously.
Power	A Sentry Gun is quite vulnerable when you stay out of its range and its Engineer is not there to protect it. By sticking near his buildings, the Engineer himself is exposed to danger. The Engineer is a mediocre fighter without his Sentry Gun. Work as a team and he should be dispatched in no time. If alone, react quickly to hidden Sentry Guns, and kill the Engineer before he can build another one or fire any revenge crits he may have stored.

Weapon-specific

A list of useful tidbits about the Engineer's tools, and how to counter them.

Primary weapons

Weapon	Anti-Engineer strategy
Shotgun	Shotguns have a wider spread the further you are from your target, so avoid aggravating an Engineer at close range. Engage the Engineer at a distance, preferably out in the open or away from his buildings, where you'll have the advantage.
Frontier Justice	An Engineer will likely retaliate with the Frontier Justice shortly after you destroy his Sentry Gun, especially if the building has survived for some time already; kill him before he gets the chance to shoot. Killing the Engineer before destroying his Sentry Gun becomes a more viable strategy; his Frontier Justice cannot store revenge crits if his Sentry Gun is destroyed while he is dead. If you cannot prevent the Engineer from firing his Frontier Justice at you, force him to do so at a distance while moving erratically, reducing his accuracy and the number of pellets that may hit you. With only three shots per clip, an Engineer using the Frontier Justice has a limited time to retaliate before leaving himself open.
Widowmaker	The Widowmaker can only fire six times when an Engineer has maximum metal, and he will be forced to switch weapons once he doesn't have enough. Dodge his shots, and take him down once he's out of metal. If there are any sources of ammo nearby, collect them first to ensure the Engineer can't refill his metal supply.
Pomson 6000	Up close, the Pomson 6000's projectiles are easy to avoid; as such, an Engineer will often use it to harass or even kill unaware enemies at long range instead. Use corners and walls to your advantage, and find alternate routes in order to approach the Engineer more safely. Medics and Spies should take special care not to expose themselves to Pomson 6000 fire. Take cover, or make your way around a battlefield instead of charging through it.
Rescue Ranger	The projectiles of this weapon travel in an arc. Attack the Engineer from a distance, forcing him to adjust his aim, as well as reducing the damage dealt by any bolts that do hit you. When attacking buildings, use teamwork and strong weaponry to damage them faster than Rescue Ranger bolts can repair them. Blocking the enemy's view of the buildings can prevent bolts from healing them, as well as hinder the owner's attempts to teleport them into his arms. If safe to do so, locate and pursue Engineers who have been marked for death while hauling their buildings, whether it be from them rescuing a building you have targeted or them moving around unaware and/or unguarded.

Secondary weapons

Weapon	Anti-Engineer strategy
Pistol/Lugermorph	An Engineer will typically use the Pistol at farther ranges, as it is more accurate compared to his Shotgun. Close the gap between the Engineer and yourself in order to make his initial shots less accurate; kill him quickly before he can adjust his aim or switch weapons. Unlike the Scout, the Engineer stores a lot of ammo for the Pistol; do not expect him to empty it anytime soon.
Wrangler	Note the appearance of any team-colored laser guides. Take an alternate path to ambush the Engineer, as his Sentry Gun cannot automatically detect enemies while wrangled. Kill him or force him to switch weapons to deactivate the Sentry Gun for a few seconds, leaving it susceptible to attack; make sure he or his team does not get the chance to defend and repair the Sentry as it reactivates. Teamwork is important in destroying a wrangled Sentry Gun, and becomes essential when facing multiple wrangled Sentry Guns. Beware of Sentry nests in unexpected places; an Engineer can propel himself skyward using his Level 3 Sentry Gun's rockets.
Short Circuit	As the Short Circuit can destroy projectiles (ie: rockets, grenades, arrows), use weapons that fire bullets instead. Work with your team to overwhelm the Engineer and his buildings.

Melee weapons

Weapon	Anti-Engineer strategy
Wrench/Golden Wrench/Saxxy/Festive Wrench	This weapon is primarily used if you surprise him in his Sentry nest or he is attempting to dispose of Sappers. Fire at him while keeping your distance, and you should have the advantage.
Gunslinger	If you can't avoid being struck by an Engineer with the Gunslinger, at least prevent him from hitting you two more times in a row. Be careful assisting a teammate being attacked by this Engineer, as he may have already scored two consecutive hits and may strike you with the third. When a Engineer with the Gunslinger equipped is on the prowl, find and destroy his Mini-Sentry as soon as it attacks before he and his teammates arrive to assist it. Be more wary of pursuing the Engineer, as he may be leading you to another Mini-Sentry.
Southern Hospitality	An Engineer will typically use the Southern Hospitality for Spy checking; as a Spy, it is best to remain hidden until the opportunity to slay the Engineer arises, otherwise you risk being checked with the weapon. Attack an Engineer with the Southern Hospitality in his loadout with fire to kill him more quickly.
Jag	The Jag deals 25% less damage, making it less reliable in melee combat. However, it allows an Engineer to construct his buildings at a faster rate with each hit; kill him before he gets the chance to set up.
Eureka Effect	An Engineer with the Eureka Effect can establish a Sentry nest very quickly if given the opportunity to use it in conjunction with his Teleporters. Seek out his teleporter exits and destroy them. Since an Engineer cannot move his buildings while using the Eureka Effect, pick up or destroy metal sources so he cannot construct new buildings in better places right away. If you engage a Engineer equipped with the Eureka Effect, do not allow him to escape your sight, or he will likely use the weapon's ability to avoid death and come back with a vengeance.

Buildings

Be aware that buildings are unaffected by critical hits; Medics should not use the Kritzkrieg in an area filled with more buildings than players.

Building	Anti-Engineer strategy
Sentry Gun	Of all Buildings, destroying a Sentry Gun takes highest priority. An Engineer behind his Sentry Gun is protected from splash damage at the front, but can easily be damaged by splash damage from the sides, or from behind. Sentry Guns can be damaged from around corners without giving them a chance to fully lock onto and fire at the attacker. Engineers that switch to their Shotgun or Pistol to dispose of Stickybombs placed at the base of their Buildings are vulnerable to damage from other sources. Sentry Guns are slow to turn, especially at Level 1. If approaching one from a blind spot, you can run around it and damage it without it being able to lock on and fire at you. A full-health, level 3 Sentry Gun cannot be destroyed in one hit by anything other than a cluster of Stickybombs. Coordinate your attacks with your teammates to damage the Sentry Gun faster than it can be repaired. Don't assume you know where a Sentry Gun is, even if you've encountered one previously. With their ability to haul buildings, Engineers can repeatedly move a single Sentry Gun between numerous key points. Try to ambush Engineers hauling or deploying one. A Sentry Gun can damage the Engineer who built it. If fired upon by a Sentry Gun, try to use its Engineer as cover. As a Spy, disguise as an enemy Engineer as you approach enemy buildings to reduce suspicion. Place a Sapper onto the Engineer's Sentry Gun. The Engineer will most likely be trying to remove the Sapper instead of killing you, so backstab him before he does. As a Sniper, camp at locations far from a Sentry Gun's targeting range so you can kill any unaware Engineer, and then destroy his Sentry Gun.
Dispenser	Dispensers are easier to destroy than other buildings, as Engineers are often more preoccupied with repairing their Sentry Gun. If destroying a Sentry Gun isn't possible, destroy a Dispenser instead, making it more difficult for an Engineer to maintain his Sentry Gun. Dispensers have the second highest priority when destroying an Engineer nest that's nearby the enemy base. Teleporters aren't as useful due to their proximity to the spawn, especially when the other team is on defense. You can use an enemy Dispenser as cover from an enemy Sentry Gun; Sentry Guns cannot see through Dispensers. A Spy disguised as a member of the opposing team can freely use that team's Dispensers, even while cloaked.
Teleporter	Teleporters have the second highest priority when destroying an Engineer nest far from their spawn (e.g. offensive forward bases on maps such as Gold Rush or Badwater Basin), as this will severely limit the opposing team's reinforcements; any Dispensers can then be destroyed with little resistance. Teleporters that won't go down are most likely being repaired from the other side. Out-damage the repair rate to successfully destroy them. A Spy that continuously places Sappers on an unguarded Teleporter that's being repaired from the other side will eventually destroy both ends. Try not to stand on a functioning Teleporter Exit as you damage it; you risk dying by telefrag. On some maps, Engineers like to use "dummy" Teleporters as an early warning system. If you see a teleporter in an unusual place (especially if it is inactive), you may want to leave it alone to avoid losing the element of surprise.
Combat Mini-Sentry Gun	Do not underestimate Combat Mini-Sentry Guns; they have less health and power than the standard Sentry Gun, but have a faster build time and a higher rate of fire than one. Deployed strategically, they can be used to either finish you off or distract you from incoming attacks. When you see one, destroy it as soon as possible. Combat Mini-Sentry Guns are deployed with full health; this can make destroying them as they are being built problematic. It may be better to finish off the Engineer building them before eliminating the Sentry Gun; after all, he can quickly deploy another if the previous one is lost. If an Engineer is deploying a Combat Mini-Sentry Gun in a place where his teammates frequent and/or where ammo supplies exist, destroying it may be pointless; he can easily replace it, and may even be doing this deliberately to distract you. Focus on the Engineer and/or his teammates until your own arrive and drive them back. If you are attacked by a Mini-Sentry in an unexpected place, it's best to quickly destroy the sentry and then check everywhere to prevent the Engineer from ambushing you with his Shotgun or Frontier Justice.

See also

• Sentry Gun
• Team strategy