Projectiles

Related images: Projectile images

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Crocket! Click to listen — The Soldier, on dangerous projectiles ...

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Projectiles, unlike hitscan bullets, do not travel instantaneously across the map but rather at a preset speed, differing depending on the projectile, and are often subject to engine physics. Projectiles use a large hitbox shared by all classes to judge contact, the same as that used by melee weapons, other players, and the enviroment. The damage of a projectile is usually determined by the distance the target is from the attacker upon collision or, alternatively, from the spot said attacker was at upon death. At a certain distance or time most projectiles disappear. Many projectiles have unique properties, which differ depending on the weapon. Projectiles are not affected by lag compensation.

A Heavy's dropped Sandvich, pieces of destroyed stickybombs, buildings, and sappers, and dropped weapon pickups from dead players are not considered projectiles; although they are launched and subject to engine physics, they have different properties.

Special projectiles

The properties of projectiles differ depending on the weapon that fired them. Projectiles often damage on contact like a hitscan bullet. Alternatively, many projectiles generate explosions upon contact, or in the case of the Demoman, generate explosions and destroy themselves when a certain time has passed (in the case of grenades) or at the Demoman's cue (in the case of sticky bombs). All projectiles except rockets are subject to gravity and fall downward. The damage of the projectiles that are fired from the Demoman's weapons, the Flare Gun, a level 3 Sentry Gun, and the Huntsman are not affected by distance nor do they disappear except on contact, although Huntsman arrows embed themselves into surfaces and players. (The Flare Gun's range, however, is in fact limited by a mechanic that causes the flare to drop rapidly after a certain distance.) Certain projectiles apply effects upon contact. The baseballs launched by the Sandman apply a stunning effect, while flares set enemies on fire. Jarate and Mad Milk do not deal damage at all, but instead apply their respective effects to enemies, temporarily remove the Cloaking ability from Spies, and put out fires within their splash radius. The Blutsauger and Black Box restore health to the firing Medic or Soldier on a hit. The Huntsman can also be made to apply the fire effect when ignited by a Pyro's flames. Note that effects are not applied when the target is ÜberCharged by a Medi Gun.

Sticky bombs adhere to the environment, but bounce off spawn walls, players, and certain other objects. Arrows stick to players and the environment, but only cosmetically; syringes also cosmetically stick to the environment. Rockets from a level 3 Sentry Gun track targets slightly and circle each other in flight.

Flames

Flames are large, damage-dealing, player-igniting 'particles' fired from the Pyro's primary weapons: the Flamethrower, Backburner, and Degreaser. They use the projectile hitbox to judge contact, like projectiles, but are invisible (instead casting a distortion effect), both time out and have a maximum distance, and have their damage largely determined by time since fired and not distance. Also unlike projectiles, flames do not make contact with players or buildings except to damage them and do not make contact with the environment except at their center; the projectile does not ignite or deal damage through walls, however. Flames have a "negative" curve that cause flames to drift upward and have their momentum partially determined by the firing Pyro's movement. Flames that enter water become bubbles and do not deal damage.

Explosions

Explosions are instantly damaging splash effects produced by projectiles (and the Kamikaze taunt and Ullapool Caber melee weapon), that usually have significant knockback. They also use the projectile hitbox. The knockback, size, and damage of explosions vary depending on the projectile that generates them. Explosions cannot pass through walls, and thus conform their shape to the shape of their surroundings. They deal damage proportional to the amount of hitbox encompassed in their radius (or, roughly, distance from the explosion's center). Explosions can hit the player that fired them, which may be used to augment jumping.

The compression blast and splash effects from Jarate and Mad Milk are sometimes classified as explosions, and have similar properties, conforming to walls in the same way.

Syringes

Syringes, fired by the Syringe Gun and Blutsauger, use the projectile hitbox, curve, and have the approximate speed of rockets fired from the Rocket Launcher, but inflict bonus damage on enemies with a weakness to bullets, disarm sticky bombs, and cannot be reflected or destroyed by other projectiles or a compression blast.

Other properties of projectiles

The compression blast ability of the Flamethrower and Degreaser can reflect all projectiles save for syringes. Except for sticky bombs, once reflected, projectiles switch ownership to the Pyro whom reflected them and deal Mini-Crit damage on enemies they hit. Baseballs from the Sandman can be reflected by a well-timed swing with the Sandman.

The Huntsman's arrows Critically headshot when they pierce a particular area of the projectile hitbox that is shared by all classes. The Backburner Crits when attacking an area at the behind of the hitbox. The flares from a Flare Gun, if hitting a burning target, Mini-Crit at medium range and Crit at long range.

When colliding in mid-air Critical projectiles and arrows destroy other projectiles. Flares destroy other flares. Sticky bombs can also be destroyed by bullets, syringes, or melee weapons, dropping ammo.

Projectiles

Projectile	Rocket	Grenade	Stickybomb	Arrow	Jarate	Baseball	Flare	Syringe	Mad Milk
Speed (HU/s)	RL/BB/RJ: 1100 DH: 1980 SG: Unknown	850	805-1850 (Varies based on charge)	1875 (Varies based on charge)	850	1940	1450	SG/BS 990	850
Arcs	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sticks	No	No	Only to world	Yes	No	No	No	Only to world	No
Reflectable	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Destroyed by	Arrows	None	Bullets Melee weapons Syringes Stickybombs (Scottish Resistance)	Arrows	None	None	Flares	None	None

See also

• Weapons
• Hitscan