Engineer match-ups

“

Son, I'm gonna' blow that dumb look right off your stupid face! Click to listen — The Engineer on his battle plan

”

Class			Strategy
Engineer	vs.	Scout	If you’re alone, a Scout is a dangerous opponent; he’s like you, but faster and armed with a better Shotgun. Pepper him with your Pistol from far away and try to land Shotgun blasts once he inevitably gets up close. Your Sentry Gun and even your Combat Mini-Sentry Gun, however, can track a Scout’s quick movements and completely deny him access to an area. As long as you babysit your Sentry Gun, it is almost impossible for a Scout to take it out, especially if it is placed in a defensive, concealed position. If he uses Bonk! Atomic Punch to distract your Sentry Gun, consider using the Wrangler to manually target other enemies.
Engineer	vs.	Soldier	It is unwise to directly face a Soldier. If you encounter one, try to lead him into your Sentry Gun or simply retreat. A smart Soldier will use his Rocket Launcher to take out your Sentry Gun from outside its range, take cover between shots, or simply target you first. Stay behind your buildings while constantly repairing them and perhaps use the Wrangler to fight back. If you cannot stop a Soldier from attacking your Sentry Gun from range, pick up and haul it to safety.
Engineer	vs.	Pyro	Alone, a Pyro can deal with you easily; if not from their powerful Flame Thrower then from medium-range blasts from their Shotgun. A Pyro's short range may at first make one seem like an easy target, but one must be wary of their compression blast ability, which can send your rockets back to you with lethal damage - direct hits being more than enough to kill you. If a Sentry Gun is in a poor position, a Pyro can use their Flame Thrower's wide spread to attack around corners, or possibly even circle strafe one; the Combat Mini-Sentry Gun often falls victim to the latter, especially when a Pyro has a Medic tagging along with them. Have your Sentry in a wide-open area away from corners, and be aware of any returned packages.
Engineer	vs.	Demoman	A Demoman can fire explosive projectiles to attack you and your buildings from behind cover. Multiple Stickybombs, in particular, are capable of destroying your buildings in just one explosion, rendering you unable to repair them. Avoid placing your Sentry Gun out in the open or right around corners, where a Demoman can easily place a carpet of Stickybombs. Rather than sit behind and continuously repair your buildings, take the fight to an aggressive Demoman with your Shotgun at close range. His ranged weapons inflict self-damage, giving you the advantage once you’re near him. Lay down suppressive fire with your Pistol or Wrangler to stop him from continuously bombarding your buildings. If you are overwhelmed, pick up and haul your Sentry Gun away.
Engineer	vs.	Heavy	It's unlikely that you can survive a direct encounter with a Heavy, even with the extra firepower your Sentry Gun provides. Instead, stay behind and repair your Sentry Gun as it does your dirty work, crouching between your buildings to minimize the damage you take. At medium range or beyond, a level 3 Sentry Gun under constant repair can tank a Heavy's fire for the full duration of an ÜberCharge. At point blank range, however, a Heavy can easily destroy any Sentry Gun, no matter how fast it's being repaired. If the knock back from your Sentry Gun can't keep him at bay, flee. Consider using the Wrangler to take advantage of the Heavy’s slow speed and counter his massive firepower. If a Heavy is not spun up and not paying attention, you can attempt to circle-strafe him and bring him down with 2 or 3 well-placed Shotgun shots. This is best done with a Combat Mini-Sentry, as it may provide a vital distraction for you to go in and pump the Heavy full of lead.
Engineer	vs.	Engineer	Because of your defensive nature, you’re unlikely to come up against another Engineer unless one of you is moderately aggressive. More often than not, both of you will have a full nest of buildings up that will deter the other from attacking, so leave taking out enemy Engineer buildings to your teammates. If he’s near his Sentry Gun, the best you’ll probably be able to do is harass him at range with your Pistol. In a one-on-one fight, an Engineer with a Gunslinger and the ability to place Combat Mini-Sentry Guns for quick support will have an extreme advantage. If you are part of an offensive push, hauling your standard Sentry Gun up to a chokepoint can give you zone control against the enemy Engineer.
Engineer	vs.	Medic	A lone Medic is fodder for your Sentry Gun and about even with you if fighting one-on-one. Avoid the shots from his Syringe Gun while blasting away at close range with your Shotgun. A Medic will generally be found with teammates, so it is unlikely that you will have an opportunity to pick him off. The main problem an enemy Medic will present is when he deploys his ÜberCharge on a teammate to take out your Sentry Gun. While invulnerable, he will generally run in front of his patient to draw fire and knock back from the Sentry Gun, allowing his patient to get close and easily destroy it. Crouch between your Sentry Gun and Dispenser while repairing both to minimize the damage you take. Even when using the Wrangler, take the time to hit your Sentry Gun once with your Wrench; the shield will stay active. If you know you have no chance to save your Sentry Gun, bail out and rebuild once the action dies down.
Engineer	vs.	Sniper	The two of you will likely meet away from your Sentry Gun, as Snipers tend to stay out of its targeting range. If either of you is approaching the other, harass him with your Pistol from far away. Once you’re close, your Shotgun or Combat Mini-Sentry Gun can make short work of him. A Sniper is most deadly to you on more open maps. A Sentry Gun that is placed in too forward of a position can be easily picked off at a distance. If you use your Pistol or Wrangler to fight back, you’ll end up exposed. In this case, it’s best to just find a more concealed spot for your Sentry Gun; if the Sniper kills you, he is then free to pick off your structures at his leisure. If you’re desperate, use your Sentry Gun as impromptu cover as you continuously repair it.
Engineer	vs.	Spy	The Spy is your natural predator. A disguised Spy doesn’t draw your Sentry Gun’s fire, allowing him to use Sappers to disable all of your buildings. If your buildings aren't under enemy fire, stay busy by looking for enemy Spies. Use your Shotgun to Spy-check anyone that comes within range of your Sentry Gun and listen carefully for the Spy’s decloaking sound. If a Spy saps your equipment, you’ll want to eliminate the Spy first, as he can place Sappers faster than you can remove them. To prevent backstabs as you work, glance over your shoulder between swings of your Wrench to check for any approaching “teammates.” Refrain from standing on your Teleporter Exit at all times, as even an undisguised Spy can come through to telefrag you. Consider calling over a friendly Pyro to guard your buildings.

See also

• Team strategy
• Engineer (competitive)