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 fighting almost any enemy head-on when fully upgraded. For utility, his Dispenser keeps his team supplied, 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, however, 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 competent 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; catch him before he can set up. You can kill the Engineer first to prevent him from repairing his buildings.
Health	The Engineer has little health compared to other classes. When 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 on his own.
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 relatively 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. The Engineer must typically stand near his Sentry Gun to repair it, which exposes him to danger. If the Engineer equips the Gunslinger and uses the Combat Mini-Sentry Gun, he has enough direct firepower to decisively defeat the frailer classes.

Weapon-specific

Main article: Engineer weapons

Primary weapons

Weapon	Anti-Engineer strategy
Shotgun + reskins	The Shotgun, while powerful at close range, is not as powerful as the primary weapons of other classes. For comparison, the Shotgun is merely the secondary weapon the Soldier, Pyro, 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 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 frail combatant and can be defeated before he attacks you. 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. It has a low clip size of three, harshly punishing the Engineer for missing.
Widowmaker	The Widowmaker drains the Engineer's metal supply for each shot, but replenishes it when he deals damage. 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. The Widowmaker gains a 10% damage bonus if you are his Sentry Gun's target, even if the Sentry is out of ammo. Avoid getting in his Sentry Gun's range while fighting him at all.
Pomson 6000	The Pomson 6000's projectiles fire slowly, move slowly, and are weak, making the Engineer an easier kill. Its smaller clip size additionally forces him to reload this gun more often. Despite its infinite ammo and accurate bolts, the Pomson 6000 is not strong enough to sustain an Engineer against long fights without support. Quickly kill him while he is reloading to ensure he loses opportunity to further utilize its advantages. The Pomson 6000's projectiles drain abilities that are effective against his buildings, draining the Medic's ÜberCharge and Spy's Cloak. Medics and Spies should look out for this weapon. At longer distances, the Pomson 6000's projectiles drain less ÜberCharge or Cloak. The Engineer has to put himself in firing range to drain a significant amount.
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 Engineer can teleport his buildings towards him using his Rescue Ranger if he maintains a line of sight. Carrying a building by any means will mark him for death, giving you an opportunity to kill him and destroy his building. 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 deploys quickly but suffers from massive bullet spread with consecutive shots. Keeping a distance forces the Engineer to switch to his Pistol.

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 nearly unlimited Pistol ammunition; don't expect him to run out. After an Engineer uses up his Shotgun's clip, he may switch to his Pistol to finish you off. Keep your distance and continue moving erratically to avoid being hit.
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 remaining behind it - it will not rotate fast enough to shoot you. 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's energy ball costs 65 metal of an Engineer's 200. If he is without the support of his Dispenser or teammates, you can keep firing to eventually wear out his supply. The Engineer has to see your projectiles to activate his projectile-destroying energy ball. 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	Equipping the Gunslinger adds 25 additional base health for the Engineer in exchange for weaker but quicker deploying Combat Mini-Sentry Guns. Expect a Gunslinger Engineer to take on a more offensive role in battle. Combat Mini-Sentry Guns are much weaker at area-denial, but an Engineer with the Gunslinger can deploy them in unexpected locations within close range. Combined with his extra health, he and his Mini-Sentry Guns can deal high combined damage to you if you're attempting to kill him. In combat, an Engineer with the Gunslinger can lay down Mini-Sentry Guns repeatedly, forcing you to choose between two targets. Take out the Mini-Sentry with one hit before it fully constructs, as it starts with only 50 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 destroy. Normally, an Engineer chasing an enemy with his bare Gunslinger will try utilizing the Gunslinger's triple-hit combo. If he is trying to chase you with it, attack him from a distance so he will have to switch weapons to attack you in other ways.
Southern Hospitality	The Southern Hospitality inflicts bleed on hit, making the Engineer slightly stronger in melee combat. As a Spy, avoid being struck with this weapon, 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.
Jag	The Jag allows an Engineer to construct his buildings faster. If he sticks around his buildings as they are deployed, consider that he can build and upgrade them quickly. The Engineer must keep hitting his buildings to speed up their construction. This leaves him vulnerable, especially if his Sentry Gun is not yet constructed. 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 the ability to teleport back to the front lines, delaying the time it takes for him to get back to his buildings. 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, then destroy his buildings.

Buildings

Buildings are unaffected by critical hits; Medics should not use the Kritzkrieg against a Sentry Gun.

Building	Anti-Engineer strategy
Sentry Gun	The Sentry Gun is most likely the first building you must attack thanks to its high firepower. 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. Sentry Guns turn slowly and can be safely damaged from around a corner, as it takes time to lock onto the attacker. Don't assume you know where a Sentry Gun is, even if you've already fought it. The Engineer can haul buildings 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 Gun's level, which may help you decide whether or not to attack. A level 3 Sentry Gun at full health that is actively being repaired can be overcome using the Medic's invincibility ÜberCharge, Spy's Sapper, or a cluster of the Demoman's 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 first. Destroying a Dispenser will reduce the entire enemy team’s health regeneration, especially if there is no enemy Medic. You can use an enemy Dispenser as cover from an enemy Sentry Gun; Sentry Guns cannot attack you through Dispensers. A Spy disguised as a member of the opposing team can freely use that team's Dispensers, 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 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. 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. Don't stand on a functioning Teleporter Exit, as you risk dying by telefrag. Consequently, as the Spy, you can sap a Teleporter Entrance and stand on it, telefragging any enemy who remains on the Exit.
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 still automatically target you. You will often need to decide whether to target the Mini-Sentry Gun or its Engineer in the heat of battle. If you're attacked by a Mini-Sentry from an unexpected place, destroy it, then be prepared in case its Engineer attacks you. If an Engineer is deploying Mini-Sentry Guns near his teammates or ammo supplies, destroying them may be pointless considering how easily they're replaced. Don't let him distract you from the main fight or high priority targets. Like a normal Sentry Gun, the Mini-Sentry can be sapped by a Spy.

See also

• Sentry Gun
• Team strategy