Pyro match-ups

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Class			Strategy
Pyro	vs.	Scout	Between you and the Scout, whoever has the advantage depends on the environment. In enclosed spaces, your Flame Thrower and subsequent afterburn make short work of his low health. In open spaces, the Scout can constantly switch between close and medium range weapons in response to whatever weapon you equip, wearing you down. To stop him from escaping and extinguishing himself, control the area around health kit spawns and pin him down with your compression blast. Particular weapons that may be effective against the Scout are the Degreaser, which gives decreased weapon switch time to counter weapon heckling; the Shotgun, which allows you to engage effectively with the Scout outside your flamethrower's range; or the Detonator, which has an exploding flare that is easier to ignite the Scout with.
Pyro	vs.	Soldier	An enemy Soldier will initially hold the advantage if he's at medium range or on high ground, but is susceptible to ambushes due to his slow speed. Enter close range as soon as possible, where he'll be forced to use the Shotgun or risk damaging himself with rockets. If you can't reach him, use the compression blast to deflect his rockets back. With prediction, you can deflect his rockets the moment they leave his Rocket Launcher. Check his body language; a Soldier who jumps backwards is usually trying to dodge the splash damage of a rocket he's about to fire. Any primary weapon that penalizes your airblast, particularly the Phlogistinator, leaves you far weaker in a direct fight against the Soldier. To prevent him from rocket jumping to escape, airblast him off the ground.
Pyro	vs.	Pyro	Fighting an enemy Pyro is a matter of outmaneuvering him with your own Flame Thrower. Flames take time to travel - if he brazenly charges at you, backpedal while firing to make him take more damage. Play to your loadout - the Backburner encourages ambushes, while the Degreaser lets to switch to the Shotgun or a melee weapon for burst damage. Your compression blast can be used to launch the enemy Pyro so that you can either retreat or land an easy Shotgun blast. The mirror matchup is uneventful at longer range, where your secondary weapons deal little damage without any supplementing afterburn. The Dragon's Fury is useful for being able to engage with other Pyros outside of their effective range, and the Shotgun and Panic Attack deal strong damage independent of afterburn.
Pyro	vs.	Demoman	The Demoman's ranged weapons can only fire projectiles, so good use of the airblast will turn you into his living nightmare. Protect your team by deflecting the grenades and Stickybombs that the Demoman launches at you. Aim your compression blast carefully, as your own deflected projectiles are still harmful to you. While he is reloading, pepper him with your secondary weapon while steadily approaching. The Demoman’s weapons are difficult to aim and can inflict self-damage at close range; once you close the distance, you should easily be able to kill him. If the Demoman equips one of his three shields, use your Shotgun or melee weapon to ignore the shield's fire resistance and use the compression blast to break his charges.
Pyro	vs.	Heavy	It is usually suicide to directly face a Heavy, the other class that specializes in close-range combat — he has far more health than you do. If you have no escape route, his Minigun can shred you in less than a second. If his Minigun is already revved, your best option would be to harass him with your secondary weapon while searching for an alternate path. To take the Heavy out quickly, you’ll have to ambush him and perhaps use the Backburner or a Degreaser/Panic Attack combo to deal your highest possible burst damage. If you are having trouble, airblast him away and retreat. If you can't escape, ignite the Heavy before dying to at least deal some damage. At range, your Flare Gun can be relied upon to deliver a succession of critical hits which he can't dodge easily.
Pyro	vs.	Engineer	The Engineer's Sentry Gun is the true threat, being potentially more resilient than the Heavy and immune to afterburn. Lower-leveled Sentry Guns can be brute forced if you begin your attack from around a corner and circle-strafe. However, a level 3 Sentry Gun tracks you too quickly, so attack that one from behind cover or come back with teammates. If you're feeling ambitious, try deflecting the Sentry Gun rockets back at the Sentry Gun or its owner. Your Flame Thrower can penetrate his buildings and attack him directly, making you a prime candidate to destroy Sentry positions when ÜberCharged.
Pyro	vs.	Medic	Although you can easily defeat a Medic in a one-on-one duel, he will usually be surrounded by his teammates. You probably won’t be able to pick him off alone, as he is slightly faster than you and his natural health regeneration makes afterburn less effective. That being said, you should still make sure to set enemy Medics and their patients on fire, even if it doesn't kill them, as your fire damage reduces the Medi Gun's healing rate. Leave directly targeting him to your teammates and try for a Backburner ambush. You are among the most effective counters to an ÜberCharge; when a Medic deploys his ÜberCharge, use your airblast to separate him from his patient and prematurely cut the ÜberCharge link. It is worth noting that Medics using the Quick-Fix ÜberCharge cannot be knocked back with airblast. Depending on the circumstances, it may be useful to switch to the Third Degree to attack both the Medic and his patient at the same time.
Pyro	vs.	Sniper	The Sniper is perhaps your exact opposite. While you deal damage over a wide area at close range, the Sniper deals precise damage to single targets at long range. In general, he is a weak counter to you, but if you can get up close, he isn't much of a threat and usually can't outrun you. Flank the Sniper from a route that he's not watching over, then make sure he doesn't get away and use Jarate to extinguish your flames. In particular, the Flare Gun and its variants are your best tool for dealing with a faraway Sniper, as its shots travel far and can ignite him, lowering his accuracy unless he has the Darwin's Danger Shield or Cozy Camper equipped. The compression blast is useful for pinning him down and deflecting Huntsman arrows.
Pyro	vs.	Spy	You are the deadliest enemy a Spy can face. Although you are not immune to backstabs, your flames are a natural deterrent for any Spy. Fire nullifies both the Cloak and disguise of any Spy, so Spy-check all of your teammates with a quick puff of flame. His Revolver is much more accurate and superior to your Shotgun at long range, so don't hesitate to retreat if you can't catch him. You can further annoy enemy Spies by using the Homewrecker or Neon Annihilator to remove their Sappers from friendly buildings. The Spy has two specific items that aid in surviving your flames; the Dead Ringer will allow him to extinguish your flames once before Cloaking, while the Spy-cicle will protect him from being ignited for a short time. In both cases, liberally flame the area to ensure that he does not escape.

See also

• Team strategy