Anti-Spy strategy

“

Hey, look, you shape shifted into a dead guy! Click to listen — The Scout

”

The Spy is a cunningly swift espionage agent bent on stabbing everyone's back. He has a slim shape with a poor amount of health, but has a devastating melee attack, requiring his deceptive nature to make use of.

General

• Always check for Spies. Check around corners and behind props Spies are likely to hide behind or near.
• As a Sniper, use your Jarate to uncloak a Spy for you or your teammates to finish off.
• When spotting a Spy, alert your team and try to chase down the Spy before he causes any (more) damage.
• As a Sniper, checking your back and surrounding area will likely save you from dying.
• As a Sniper, constantly keep moving! Standing still for too long is an invitation to Spies everywhere.
• As a Medic, be aware of your surroundings and alert your team to enemy Spies.
• As a Pyro, blazing the immediate area with your Flamethrower occasionally reveals a cloaked Spy.
• Engineers are the only ones that can stand on top of their buildings. Anyone else is a disguised Spy.

Weapon Specific

A list of useful tidbits about the Spy's kits, and how to best counter them.

Revolver

Ambassador

• When fighting a Spy with the Ambassador, always move in an erratic way to avoid being Headshot.

L'Étranger

Electro Sapper

Engineer

• If one of your buildings is being sapped, hit it with the Wrench two times to remove it. (Any other Engi melee also works)
• If the Electro Sapper won't come off, it's likely because the Spy is holding the attack button to repeatedly place sappers; in these cases, kill the Spy first, then unsap.
• Unsapping costs no metal, but repairing does, and it must be done after the sap to ensure your buildings' health. This is why it's always a good idea to have lots of metal ready.

Pyro

• No other class can remove Electro Sappers, except for the Pyro, if they have the Homewrecker equipped. If you are a Pyro who wishes to aid Engineers, equip the Homewrecker. It can't repair buildings, but it can knock Sappers off in one hit.
• However, before you unsap, as with the Engineer strategy, kill the Spy first. You're a Pyro; it's your job.
• To remove Sappers placed on Teleporters using the Homewrecker, crouch down, and then swing at the Teleporter, and it will be unsapped.

Other classes

• No other class can remove Sappers. However, if you want to help Engineers, keep an eye out for Spies, and just try to kill them.

Knife

Your Eternal Reward

• This weapon does not produce a scream from its victim, but it does show in the killfeed. Remember who you are with to avoid dying in a chainstab.
• If your team-mate is getting pursued, and the pursuer suddenly disappears, then the remaining person is likely an enemy Spy using this weapon.

Disguise Kit

• Walk toward your team-mates when possible. Disguised Spies will try to steer clear of you, as they can not clip through you like a team-mate would.
• Fire occasionally on your team-mates. Some disguised Spies will turn to face you or begin to flee, while most team-mates will continue uninterrupted.

Cloaking Devices

• The Invisibility Watch and Dead Ringer can be recharged even if the Spy is cloaked by picking up metal. If metal is mysteriously disappearing near you, check for a Spy!
• Cloaked Spies with a disguise on can leech health and Cloak recharges from enemy Dispensers. Check the top of your Dispenser occasionally.
• If you hear an excessive amount of voice responses near you from an unknown source, check the area around your Dispenser for Spies trying to spook you.

Invisibility Watch

Cloak and Dagger

Dead Ringer

• The Spy has huge damage reduction while under the effect of the Dead Ringer. Try to out-damage him before he gets away.
• Airblasting a Spy into a corner as a Pyro can isolate him long enough for the Dead Ringer effect to wear off.
• When dueling someone, if you are not given a point after they die, then they used the Dead Ringer.
• When a disguised Spy dies with the Dead Ringer equipped, he will scream as the class he is disguised as.
• When a Spy actually dies without the Dead Ringer, his scream will be his own, and not of the class he is disguised as.

The Saharan Spy

See also

• Spy strategy
• Community Spy strategy
• Spy match-ups
• Team strategy