Community Versus Saxton Hale strategy

VSH Nucleus

This article is about Community VS Saxton Hale strategy.

General strategy

• Try to stick together as a team, rather than going solo, as Saxton will easily pick off any players on their own. Make sure you aren't too tight together so that Saxton can easily kill your whole team.
• Weapons that have an on kill effect trigger their effects on hit.
• Melee Weapons, Backstabs, Market Gardens, and Headshots all deal increased damage to Saxton.

Class-specific strategy

 Scout

• The Baby Face's Blaster is a great primary choice, letting you escape from Saxton Hale after a couple shots with your Boost meter full. Due to the overall lack of damage sources (such as the lack of Sentry Guns), there's not much to worry about losing your current amount of Boost either.
• The Force-A-Nature can be a useful tool to knockback Saxton Hale, possibly into a hazard.
• Using the Bonk! Atomic Punch can be great to lure him out for the rest of your team to flank.
• Considering there's only one target to deal damage, the Mad Milk is an excellent choice. Letting all of your teammates heal lost health by just dealing damage on the target they were focusing already.
• Although risky, hitting with the Fan o' War will mark Saxton Hale for death, letting you and the rest of your team to deal mini-crits for a short amount of time.
• The Sandman's altfire can be used to slow down Hale to the speed of a heavy for a few seconds.

 Soldier

• Considering using a banner to buff your team offensively or defensively.
• The Rocket Jumper 200% max primary ammo is removed, so you will have to collect ammo more often
• Hitting a Market Garden will deal a significant amount of damage, enough to charge a banner.

 Pyro

• Airblasting Saxton Hale into environmental hazards or simply away from your team is highly recommended.
• The Thermal Thruster can be a good escape tool, due note the long deploy time can leave you defenseless.
• The Axtinguisher bonus damage to burning targets stacks with Critical hits, dealing up to 300+ damage.
• The Hot Hand double hit can be used to wall climb faster.

 Demoman

• Try to lure him into a hidden Sticky trap to take a good chunk of his HP.
  • The Scottish Resistance is the most suitable weapon for this, as it allows Demo to set a Sticky trap with up to 14 stickies.
• Consider equipping the Loose Cannon as your primary to knock him out if he starts focusing on you or is reaching too close to you.
• The Chargin' Targe, Splendid Screen and Tide Turner shields can act as a one-hit immunity against Hale's primary attack. Charging can still be utilized even after the shield is broken.
• Hale receives a small knockback when he takes a Melee hit. Demoknights are incredibly effective due to this, especially considering every Melee is permanently crit boosted.

 Heavy

• All Miniguns have a 40% damage reduction to Saxton Hale.
• Consider using the Shotgun or Tomislav to take advantage of the higher mobility they provide.
  • The Tomislav's quicker rev-up time and better accuracy is a great all-around primary for the Heavy, considering Saxton Hale's speed, and your own speed.
• The Brass Beast is an ultimate damage dealer, especially when paired with a Kritzkrieg Medic, with its trade-off being the lack of mobility. Consider using it in high places where Hale might have difficulty reaching you.
• The Eviction Notice's quicker firing speed let Heavies wall climb faster and to higher places.
• Beware of Saxton Hale's Super Punch, as it can usually deal fatal damage.

 Engineer

• The Rescue Ranger is a great pick to pack up your Sentry Guns when Saxton Hale is damaging it, as well to repair friendly Sentry Guns from other Engineers.
• Try to hide your Dispenser out of sight or in places where Saxton Hale doesn't pass through, communicating to your team where you've placed it can be helpful to ensure they have a safe place to retreat.
• The Wrangler is a good tool to tank your Sentry Gun, buying your team more time.
• Teleporters are a good escape option if Saxton Hale is approaching.
  • The Eureka Effect can let you hide Teleporters more easily, but beware of the long taunt animation.

 Medic

• Medics take only 70% damage from Hale's fist, allowing you to survive an hit.
• All Mediguns have a quicker ÜberCharge rate.
• Prioritize the classes closest to Saxton Hale, as they're the ones in the most danger.
• The stock Medi Gun's ÜberCharge is best used on teammates that can deal large amount of damage, either if they're about to die or if they're very close to Saxton Hale. This can force him away while dealing a lot of damage.
  • Changing targets during ÜberCharge is very important, considering the Saxton Hale player may focus other teammates close to him when he sees someone being ÜberCharged.
• Although risky, consider going off alone and baiting Saxton Hale into following you, then use your ÜberCharge when he's near you. This will waste his time and allow your team to deal a lot of damage in the meantime.
• The Kritzkrieg is a great damage dealer, but as a trade off it makes you and other allies more vulnerable. Considering equipping it only if there's another Medic running the default Medi Gun.
• The Quick-Fix is a good option, considering it allows you to quickly heal multiple low health teammates.
• The Amputator taunt can quickly heal an entire group of people, but beware that it leaves you almost defenseless.
• The Ubersaw grants 50% uber per hit, needing only 2 hits to have full uber.

 Sniper

• The Sydney Sleeper is a great support tool to shoot Saxton Hale from far away and increase your team's damage output.
• The Bazaar Bargain can be a direct upgrade to stock, considering you can hit 2+ headshots on Saxton Hale.
• The Machina has the potential to deal large amounts of damage.
• Although very risky, the Huntsman and the Fortified Compound taunt kill can be used to stun hale, allowing your team time.
  • Saxton Hale can break out of a stun after 2 seconds, blasting everyone away from him.

 Spy

• Backstabs can deal a good amount of damage to Saxton Hale.
• Use the Dead Ringer to survive a hit from Saxton Hale. Consider luring him away from your team first to buy more time for them to deal damage.
• The Kunai and the Big Earner on kill effects trigger on backstab, allowing you to escape more easily.
• Consider disguising as a friendly teammate with the Disguise Kit to conceal that you are a Spy.