Anti-Engineer strategy

“

Did ze Fräuleins have zeir Mittelschmerz? Click to listen — The Medic

”

The Engineer is a defensive support class who primarily helps his team by constructing various buildings. The bulk of his firepower comes from his Sentry Gun, which is capable of taking on almost any enemy head-on when fully upgraded. For utility, his Dispenser keeps his team replenished, while a Teleporter system saves travel time from spawn to the front lines. Generally, an Engineer will build a "base", consisting of a Sentry Gun, Dispenser, and Teleporter Exit, that acts as a rallying point for his team. His buildings are extremely useful for either helping his team advance or holding a strategic position. By himself, the Engineer has mediocre weapons and little health, although he has a few loadout options that drastically enhance his solo combat capabilities, such as the Gunslinger and Southern Hospitality.

General

Attributes	Anti-Engineer strategy
Role	A smart Engineer will construct his buildings so that your team needs to destroy them to advance. However, it takes some time for him to fully build or move his structures. If you can't take out his buildings, try killing the Engineer to prevent any repairs.
Health	The Engineer has little health compared to other classes. If away from his Sentry Gun, he's easy to defeat. The Gunslinger will give the Engineer an extra 25 health and access to the Combat Mini-Sentry Gun, making him significantly tougher when fighting solo.
Speed	The Engineer runs at an average speed equivalent to that of the Pyro and Sniper. Most importantly, this lets him quickly reach ammo pickups for emergency building construction or repairs. The Engineer moves slowly while hauling pre-constructed buildings, leaving him very vulnerable if you have the element of surprise.
Power	The Engineer's firepower comes primarily from his Sentry Gun. It has several limitations, such as detection range and turning speed, that can be taken advantage of. Additionally, the Sentry Gun must be repaired by the Engineer, which exposes him to danger, though the Rescue Ranger can let him repair his Sentry from far away. If equipped with the Gunslinger, the Engineer has enough firepower to decisively defeat the more fragile classes.

Weapon-specific

Main article: Engineer weapons

Primary weapons

Weapon	Anti-Engineer strategy
Shotgun + reskins	The Shotgun is the Engineer's strongest weapon. For a strength comparison, the Shotgun is merely the secondary weapon for classes like the Soldier and Heavy. The Shotgun is only effective at close to medium range. Move erratically to reduce its accuracy.
Frontier Justice + reskins	The Frontier Justice gains a number of guaranteed critical hits after the Engineer's Sentry Gun is destroyed, depending on accumulated kills and assists. Not dying to his Sentry Gun denies him this bonus. After destroying an Engineer's Sentry Gun, he may seek vengeance with the Frontier Justice. He is still a relatively weak combatant if you stay prepared and defeat him before he gets the chance to shoot. Consider killing the Engineer before his Sentry Gun; the Frontier Justice cannot store revenge crits while he is dead. In combat, treat the Frontier Justice like the Shotgun, but with the potential for a bit more damage. It has a low clip size of three, giving the Engineer very little room for error.
Widowmaker	The Widowmaker drains the Engineer's metal supply for each shot, but replenishes it when successfully dealing damage. Stay at range to dodge his shots and force him to switch weapons. Collect all nearby ammo pickups first to ensure the Engineer can't refill his metal supply.
Pomson 6000	The Pomson 6000's projectiles are weak and easy to avoid, making an Engineer with this an easier solo kill. The Pomson 6000's projectiles are accurate at long range and affect abilities that are effective against his buildings, draining the Medic's ÜberCharge and Spy's Cloak. Medics and Spies should take special care not to expose themselves to Pomson 6000 fire.
Rescue Ranger	The Rescue Ranger is meant to support the Engineer's buildings from afar; its bolts are weak but can repair buildings at long range. He will typically use it if he can't approach his Sentry Gun with his Wrench. The Rescue Ranger can be used to teleport buildings to the Engineer if he maintains line of sight. Doing so marks him for death, giving you an opportunity to take him and his building out. Harass the Engineer to force him to take cover, preventing long range repairs or haulings. The Rescue Ranger's repair rate and limited clip size can potentially let you destroy his Sentry Gun by outdamaging his repairs.
Panic Attack	The Panic Attack must first be loaded before firing its burst. An Engineer with this weapon is very ineffective in a direct fight. If you are chasing a weakened Engineer, know that he may silently load the Panic Attack as a last resort.

Secondary weapons

Weapon	Anti-Engineer strategy
Pistol + reskins	An Engineer will typically use the Pistol for long range harassment. It is a relatively weak weapon, so shrug off the bullets as you make your way towards his buildings. Unlike the Scout, the Engineer has a lot of Pistol ammunition; don't expect him to run out so quickly. After an Engineer uses up his Shotgun's clip, he may switch to his Pistol to finish you off, similarly to what a Scout would do after using up his Scattergun clip. Keep your distance and continue moving erratically to avoid being hurt.
Wrangler + reskins	The Wrangler lets the Engineer take manual control of his Sentry Gun, shielding it and allowing it to attack outside of its normal range. Note the appearance of any team-colored laser guides. If the Engineer is manually controlling his Sentry Gun, it will not target you automatically. You can enter a formerly dangerous area to take out the Engineer, then you can either retreat or attack the Sentry Gun while standing behind it, then moving in the opposite direction of its rotation after it reactivates. Attack the Engineer to force him to switch weapons, deactivating the Sentry Gun for a few seconds and leaving it susceptible to attack. Although uncommon, take care for Sentry nests in unexpected places; an Engineer can propel himself skyward using a Level 3 Sentry Gun's rockets.
Short Circuit	The Engineer will typically use the Short Circuit to destroy projectiles (usually rockets, grenades, and Stickybombs) that threaten his buildings. Consider targeting the Engineer with bullets or your melee weapon (if his Sentry Gun is out of the way). The Short Circuit can only destroy projectiles every 0.5 seconds; have your team bombard the Engineer with projectiles more quickly than he can destroy them. Collect all nearby ammo pickups first to ensure the Engineer can't refill his metal supply. Destroy his Dispenser, too. The Short Circuit only eliminates projectiles in front of the user. Attack from the sides and the back, outside of the Engineer's vision.

Melee weapons

Weapon	Anti-Engineer strategy
Wrench + reskins	An Engineer will use his Wrench to build and repair buildings, destroy Sappers, or as a last resort when attacked. The Engineer's poor health pool makes him weak in melee combat.
Gunslinger	The Gunslinger grants the Engineer 25 additional health, making him more durable in combat. Avoid being struck consecutively to prevent the Gunslinger's triple-hit combo. The Gunslinger replaces the Sentry Gun with the Combat Mini-Sentry Gun, making the Engineer's area denial capabilities much weaker. In combat, an Engineer with the Gunslinger can lay Combat Mini-Sentry Guns down with ease, forcing you to choose between two targets. Take out the Mini-Sentry with one hit before it fully constructs, as it will start with very little health. Expect to find a Gunslinger Engineer near the front lines, away from his other buildings. If you know where his Dispenser and Teleporter are, they may be easier to take out.
Southern Hospitality	The Southern Hospitality inflicts bleed on hit, making him slightly stronger in melee combat. As a Spy, avoid being struck with this weapon if the Engineer checks for Spies or pursues you, as the bleed effect will negate your Cloak and disguise. The Southern Hospitality increases the Engineer's fire vulnerability by 20%, making him easier prey for the Pyro, and making flare spamming from long range more effective.
Jag	The Jag allows an Engineer to construct his buildings at a faster rate when hitting them. If he sticks around his buildings as they are deployed, consider that their construction might be faster. An Engineer with the Jag must remain hitting his buildings to speed up their construction. This leaves him vulnerable, especially if he is still constructing his Sentry Gun. The Jag has a significantly reduced repair rate and requires 3 hits to remove a Sapper. Constant pressure will eventually destroy his base.
Eureka Effect	An Engineer with the Eureka Effect can freely teleport to his spawn and Teleporter Exit, allowing him to quickly restock his metal supply. Taking out his Teleporter Exit denies him this ability. The Eureka Effect is less effective at speeding up building construction. It will be much easier to take out buildings before they are finished deploying. The Eureka Effect gives the Engineer 20% less metal from Dispensers and ammo pickups. Steal nearby pickups to force the Engineer to teleport away to restock his metal supply, and catch him while he is teleporting.

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	The Sentry Gun is most likely the first building you must target thanks to its high area damage. An Engineer can hide behind his Sentry Gun while repairing it with his Wrench. Target him first by either using splash damage or repositioning yourself. For example, Soldiers can fire rockets to the side of the Sentry Gun, while Snipers can pick a different vantage point to directly target the Engineer. If you are taking free potshots at the enemy Sentry Gun, the Engineer might consider saving it a lost cause and leave his base to ambush you. Sentry Guns have a slow turning speed. They can be safely damaged from around a corner, as it will take time to fully lock onto and fire at the attacker. Don't assume you know where a Sentry Gun is, even if you've encountered one previously. The ability to haul buildings allows the Engineer to move a single Sentry Gun between key points. Listen for the Sentry Gun's signature 'beep' sound, and count how many 'beeps' are played, as the count corresponds to the Sentry's level, which may help you decide whether or not to attack. A full-health, level 3 Sentry Gun cannot be destroyed in one hit by anything other than a cluster of Stickybombs. Coordinate with your teammates to damage the Sentry Gun faster than it can be repaired.
Dispenser	The Dispenser is often an easier building to destroy, as an Engineer will usually prioritize repairing his Sentry Gun. If destroying a Sentry Gun isn't possible, destroy the Dispenser to cut off the Engineer's supply of metal. Destroying a Dispenser will reduce the amount the entire enemy team can reliably heal from combat, especially if there is no opposing Medic. 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, though the Dispenser's beam may reveal cloaked Spies.
Teleporter	Destroying enemy Teleporters slows the rate enemy reinforcements can reach combat. This is especially prevalent when a team spawns far from the action, making Teleporter destruction high priority on maps such as Gold Rush or Badwater Basin. Teleporters that regain health are being repaired from the other side. It's fairly easy to outdamage the repair rate by using strong weapons or the Spy's Sapper. Waiting behind a Teleporter Exit and killing enemies that come through can halt their momentum. High burst damage such as that from Stickybombs or the Knife's backstab work best. Don't stand on a functioning Teleporter Exit, as you risk dying by telefrag. Consequently, this can be used against your enemies. As a Spy, you can sap a Teleporter Entrance and stand on it, then teleport through after your Sapper is removed. You may be able to telefrag the Engineer removing the Sapper as well as any nearby opponents, though this will not work against more experienced players. 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; while they have less health and power than the standard Sentry Gun, they build almost instantly and will still automatically target you. You will often need to decide whether to target the Mini-Sentry Gun or its Engineer if they are both attacking you. If in combat, consider targeting the Engineer building the Mini-Sentry Guns, as it is difficult to continuously destroy the quickly-built Mini-Sentry Guns from full health. If you're attacked by a Mini-Sentry from an unexpected place, take it out then check the immediate area to see if the Engineer wants to attack you. If an Engineer is deploying Mini-Sentry Guns near his teammates or ammo supplies, destroying it may be pointless considering how easily they're replaced. Don't let him distract you from the main fight or high priority targets.

See also

• Sentry Gun
• Team strategy